"San, you finally reached level twenty."
"Do you know how I've spent these past three years?"
"I'm almost a Soul King!"
When Duan Fan saw that Tang San's Soul Power Level had reached level twenty, he was even happier than he'd been when he reached level twenty himself.
At last, he could manipulate Tang San's fate again!
Duan Fan made plans in his mind. "Tang San is about to obtain his Second Soul Ring. According to the path he originally followed, his second ring was a Ghost Vine that was over six hundred years old."
"Now that I'm changing his fate, I definitely can't let him get a Ghost Vine as his second ring again. Its age also has to be under six hundred years."
"In fact, we have to avoid all plant-type Soul Beasts. As for the age, the lower the better."
"Hasn't Yu Xiaogang always wanted to test his theory about Plant-type Martial Souls absorbing Soul Rings from beast-type Soul Beasts? Then let's make his wish come true! We'll start with him!"
"This change is sure to succeed!"
Duan Fan watched Tang San's current situation for a little while longer. Seeing that Tang San was still cultivating, he didn't keep watching.
"There's no need to hurry. Once Tang San finishes cultivating, I'll tell Yu Xiaogang the good news that he's broken through, then start making my move."
"Yu Xiaogang's obsession is easy enough to exploit."
Thinking this, Duan Fan rose and left the cultivation grounds.
He followed a path through the mountain forest and soon walked out of the Mimicry Cultivation Area.
As usual, Fang Qingshan was waiting for Duan Fan by the roadside.
But today, someone else was with him: a little girl of about seven or eight.
"Brother, you're finally out! You're amazing. Cultivating is so boring—how did you stick with it for so long?"
The girl standing beside Fang Qingshan was Fang Qian.
Fang Qian was one year younger than Duan Fan and had awakened her Martial Soul two years ago.
She had inherited the Butterfly Martial Soul from Ding Yutang. Her Innate Soul Power was level six, and she was now studying at Spirit Hall Academy.
The admission requirements for Spirit Hall Academy weren't especially high. Anyone with Innate Soul Power of level six or above could enroll.
Family members of Spirit Hall personnel were given priority.
Fang Qingshan was already a librarian at Spirit Hall Academy. He'd joined Spirit Hall long before, when he first started working there.
That was exactly why it had been so easy for Fang Qian to enroll at Spirit Hall Academy.
Now eight years old, Fang Qian had grown much taller and become even more charming and cute. The beauty mark at the corner of her eye gave her a naturally delicate, winsome air.
"Cultivating isn't boring. When I cultivate, I can feel myself getting stronger little by little. It feels great," Duan Fan said with a smile.
Fang Qian pouted. "You can feel yourself getting stronger while you cultivate? Brother, how do you do that?"
"I have to cultivate for several days just to raise my Soul Power a tiny bit."
"And the process takes so long. It's torture."
Duan Fan smiled. "Because I have Innate Full Soul Power."
Fang Qian froze for a moment. "That's right, you have Innate Full Soul Power. I actually asked you for cultivation advice. I must have trained my brain stupid."
Fang Qingshan set off toward the cafeteria, smiling as he spoke. "Let's go eat. You two can chat while we're at the cafeteria."
The academy cafeteria.
The three of them carried their food to a quiet table and sat down, chatting as they ate.
They talked about little things from everyday life and, of course, Duan Fan's cultivation.
Fang Qingshan asked with a smile, "Xiaofan, how's your cultivation been lately?"
"Pretty good. My Soul Power is steadily advancing toward level forty-eight."
Fang Qian's big eyes seemed to sparkle. "You're incredible, Brother. You're only a year older than me, but you're already a Soul Ancestor, and your Soul Power Level is almost forty-eight."
"I'm still nowhere near level twenty. I don't even know if I'll ever have a chance of reaching Soul Ancestor level in my life."
Fang Qingshan didn't hold back. "With how lazy you are—cultivating for three days and taking two off—you'll never reach Soul Ancestor level in your life."
Fang Qian drooped like a deflated ball. "I know my talent is pretty ordinary. Compared to my brother, I'm like the difference between heaven and earth."
"But I work hard too, okay? I'm not as bad as Dad says. I don't cultivate for three days and rest for two. At most, I rest for half a day."
Fang Qingshan laughed helplessly. "Right, resting for half a day is very hard work. If you keep working this hard, your mother and I will wake up laughing in the middle of the night."
Fang Qian: "..."
Duan Fan encouraged her. "Qianqian, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Keep a level head and cultivate properly. You'll definitely be able to reach Soul Ancestor level someday."
Fang Qian giggled. "Mm-hmm! I'll definitely cultivate hard!"
Fang Qingshan put on a serious expression. "You can talk about cultivating hard later. For now, eat properly. I need to discuss something important with your brother."
Fang Qian nodded, looking aggrieved. "All right."
Duan Fan looked at Fang Qingshan curiously. "Uncle, what is it?"
"The Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament starts in a month. Would you be interested in taking part?"
Duan Fan was taken aback. "The Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament?"
Fang Qingshan explained, "The full name is the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. It's the grandest Soul Master World competition, hosted by the imperial families of the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires, with Spirit Hall as a co-organizer."
"It's held once every five years, and this year is the second tournament."
"Taking part has plenty of benefits. You'll get to meet all kinds of Soul Masters, and you'll grow through one battle after another."
"Most importantly, they say the champions receive a Soul Bone as a reward."
"I told you about Soul Bones before. They're extremely rare and very important to Soul Masters."
"If you can get a Soul Bone suited to you, it'll greatly increase your strength."
Duan Fan naturally knew about the Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament. He just hadn't expected to be entering the competition when he was only nine.
But then again, age didn't determine strength.
Duan Fan's Soul Power Level was already forty-seven. He was completely qualified to compete in the Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament.
And among all the contestants, his Soul Power Level would be among the highest.
Duan Fan said, "I'm quite interested in the tournament. During these past three years at Spirit Hall Academy, I've met plenty of Soul Masters, but I still want to see more of the world outside."
"It's just that I might not be able to decide this on my own."
Fang Qingshan nodded. "That's true. Your position isn't ordinary anymore. You're the disciple of a legendary Spirit Hall Elder. Many things are no longer yours to decide."
"With your current strength, you're fully qualified to compete in the Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament."
"If the higher-ups are willing to let you take part, they'll probably tell you in advance."
"If they aren't, there probably won't be much point in bringing it up."
Before you continue