The Chronicle of Time's Harsh Requirements

In Sunset Forest.

Mystic Phoenix Demon Scorpions were wind-element soul beasts over a meter long, with green patterns on their bodies.

They possessed incredible speed, and the Mystic Phoenix Demon Scorpion before them had neatly arranged patterns, clearly making it a soul beast far beyond ten thousand years old.

Dugu Bo hovered in the air, looking down. His two yellow, two purple, and five black soul rings stood out starkly amid the forest.

He used his soul power to suppress the Mystic Phoenix Demon Scorpion, rendering it unable to move.

"Qianqian, do it!"

"Understood."

Xu Qianqian was likewise high in the air on the other side. Countless wind blades fell from the sky, smashing into the Mystic Phoenix Demon Scorpion's identified weak points.

The toughness of a ten-thousand-year soul beast was far beyond that of a thousand-year soul beast, let alone this Mystic Phoenix Demon Scorpion, which had surpassed twenty thousand years.

After half an hour of whittling down its strength, the Mystic Phoenix Demon Scorpion let out a mournful wail.

Green blood flowed across the ground, carrying a faint scent of blood. Then, a black glow emerged from the Mystic Phoenix Demon Scorpion's body—it was unmistakably a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

After confirming the Mystic Phoenix Demon Scorpion was dead, Dugu Bo came to Xu Qianqian's side.

"How was it? Could you record it?"

"No. Even if I killed the soul beast myself from start to finish, I still can't write it into the 'Recorded' section."

Without being able to record it under "Recorded," it could not be applied to her soul rings.

"Ah..." Dugu Bo sighed at the sight. "Your martial soul is certainly powerful, but its cultivation requirements are far too harsh."

Martial souls were vast and profound; no one could possibly understand every type of martial soul.

However, Dugu Bo had never encountered a martial soul like Xu Qianqian's in all his decades.

For the past few days, he had been helping Xu Qianqian hunt ten-thousand-year soul beasts, mainly to increase the cultivation age of her two soul rings.

But the results had been practically nonexistent.

First, they had beaten ten-thousand-year soul beasts until they had only one breath left, then let Xu Qianqian deliver the finishing blow.

That did not work.

Next, they chose ten-thousand-year soul beasts and severely wounded them, allowing Xu Qianqian to slowly grind them to death. Even then, she could not obtain a record in her martial soul.

In the end, Dugu Bo could only choose ten-thousand-year soul beasts with relatively low cultivation ages. He merely restricted their movements while Xu Qianqian battered them from full health all the way to death.

Like the Mystic Phoenix Demon Scorpion before them.

Even so, she still could not record it in her martial soul.

"So, if you want to cultivate this martial soul, you have to hunt soul beasts entirely by yourself from beginning to end? No one can help you at all?" Dugu Bo's eyelids twitched as he voiced his speculation.

"That's most likely the case." Xu Qianqian sighed.

"What a hassle!" Dugu Bo scratched his head. "Even if you lure ten-thousand-year soul beasts into fighting each other like before... that sort of thing can only be done by you alone."

"If I use my soul power to approach either beast, then it can no longer be determined that you were the one who killed it."

It was not as though Dugu Bo had not considered capturing one soul beast and throwing it into another soul beast's territory.

He could make them fight each other, but even if both ended up badly wounded and Xu Qianqian delivered the final blow, neither soul beast would count as having been killed by Xu Qianqian.

Perhaps moving one soul beast to another's territory had caused Dugu Bo's soul power to taint both of them, making it impossible to judge Xu Qianqian as the sole killer.

"This method of judgment really is exasperating." Dugu Bo grumbled. It was his first time seeing such a willful martial soul.

"We'll just take it slowly."

Though it was somewhat unexpected, Xu Qianqian had been mentally prepared for it.

She had still hidden many things from Dugu Bo, such as the Eye of God.

After obtaining her second ten-thousand-year soul ring, Xu Qianqian had been able to create another Geo Eye of God.

She had considered giving this Eye of God to Dugu Bo, but he was incompatible with it.

She did not know why. Could it be because Dugu Bo did not have white hair, or because his wish was not strong enough?

If she could turn Dugu Bo into an Eye of God bearer, then perhaps hunting soul beasts together with him as a "team" would allow the soul beasts to be recorded under "Entered."

"Forget it." Xu Qianqian sighed. "Senior Dugu, let's think about increasing my soul ring cultivation ages later."

"That's all we can do." Dugu Bo nodded and sighed as well.

If he could help, it would not be impossible to raise Xu Qianqian's two soul rings to one hundred thousand years, but this method of judgment was truly baffling.

"You're level 29 now. Do you have a way to break through to Soul Elder?"

When it came to Xu Qianqian breaking through to Soul Elder, that was what Dugu Bo cared about most.

Every additional soul ring Xu Qianqian gained meant another ability, and she might even gain an ability that could determine the effects of the immortal herbs in the medicinal garden.

"It might be a little troublesome. I need to enter the Heaven Dou Empire's library and look up some information."

"Very well." Dugu Bo did not say much. He did not know how Xu Qianqian had turned a martial soul incapable of cultivation into one that could cultivate, but this talent was already terrifying enough.

Through their conversations, Dugu Bo had discovered that Xu Qianqian's understanding of soul beasts and martial souls was downright terrifying, coupled with her ability to identify soul beasts.

Perhaps only someone like that could defy fate and rewrite their destiny!

Honestly, even if she could not become an exceptionally powerful soul master, Xu Qianqian's current abilities would still earn her a place in the two great empires, or even within Spirit Hall.

Dugu Bo vaguely guessed that Xu Qianqian probably possessed remarkable perception abilities as well.

Of course, since it involved something private, Dugu Bo would not ask. People needed to respect boundaries.

"Senior, your granddaughter should be returning to the academy soon as well, right?" As the two made their way out of Sunset Forest, with a Titled Douluo at her side, Xu Qianqian no longer needed to hide everywhere she went.

"That's right." Dugu Bo sighed. "Previously, a teacher named Qin Ming from the academy took them to the spirit fighting arena to gain combat experience. By my reckoning, they should be back soon."

"It's just that this Qin Ming..." Dugu Bo gently shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Xu Qianqian asked in confusion.

"His talent is strong, and his aptitude is decent too. At thirty-four, he has reached level sixty-two soul power."

"But with soul rings of that age, I don't even know which teacher taught him. His fifth soul ring is only a thousand-year ring. I'm afraid he has no hope of becoming Titled."

"What a pity, what a pity!" Regret filled Dugu Bo's voice.

"Titled Douluo with purple fifth soul rings do exist. I heard Sect Master Ning say that Sword Douluo's fifth soul ring was also a thousand-year soul ring."

Xu Qianqian said this after giving it some thought.

"Heh, Sword Douluo... How many Chen Xins are there on Douluo Continent?"

"Chen Xin's father was a renowned Titled Douluo, and he possessed the same Seven Killing Sword martial soul. That gave him tremendous help."

As he spoke, Dugu Bo shook his head again.

"Little girl, those things are still far too distant for you."

"Still, you actually met Ning Fengzhi. Then again, you said that the medicinal garden has an immortal treasure capable of advancing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda."

"If you had not met him and observed him up close, then even with your unusual martial soul, you probably could not have been so certain."

"Actually, I did not just meet Ning Fengzhi before. I met you too."

"Oh?" Dugu Bo stopped walking, somewhat surprised.

"A few months ago, at the Heaven Dou Auction House, I saw Senior Dugu from afar."

As she spoke, Xu Qianqian did not hide it any longer. Thousand Winds flowed, dyeing her silver-white hair black as her appearance and clothing underwent obvious changes.