Jiang Nanchen caught Porcupinefish Douluo's look, as if he were saying, Are you kidding me?
"I'm not joking. I mean it. Find another soul beast."
Jiang Nanchen was not joking.
Porcupinefish Douluo rubbed his brow. "Do you know that if absorbing the Soul Ring fails, the consequences will be unimaginable?"
"I know, so rest assured. I'll be fine."
Jiang Nanchen spoke with great confidence.
Porcupinefish Douluo had no choice but to pick another Soul Ring. He would certainly meet Jiang Nanchen's request. Once this was settled, he needed to take him back to Heaven Dou City.
Who knew whether Tang Hao might show up nearby?
If he really appeared, Porcupinefish Douluo definitely would not be able to beat him in his current state.
They continued through the forest and arrived at a place called Radiant Light Valley.
There were many light-attributed soul beasts here.
Among them, there could even be hidden Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.
About three li into the valley, beneath a waterfall, they discovered a Blazing Light Tiger.
Pale golden flames rose from its entire body. The firelight was clear and lustrous, not the crimson color of ordinary soul beasts, but more like condensed sunlight. Its fur shimmered with a glazed texture beneath the flames, its body was powerfully built, and its fangs protruded from its mouth.
Porcupinefish Douluo narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over it.
"An eight-hundred-year Blazing Light Tiger. Dual light and fire attributes. Kid, you're pretty lucky. Its age is high enough too. This is the one."
Jiang Nanchen nodded and stepped half a pace back to make room.
Porcupinefish Douluo raised his fingertips slightly, and a black beam of Soul Power shot through the air.
The beam passed soundlessly, piercing precisely through the Blazing Light Tiger's shoulder and neck.
The Blazing Light Tiger let out a pained roar as the golden flames around it surged violently. Just as it tried to spring up, its limbs went limp and it crashed heavily to the ground.
Soul Power frantically leaked from its wound. It struggled to lift its head, but soon only a final breath remained. Even the flames on its body dimmed, and throughout the entire process, it never had a chance to resist.
"Kid, go give it the final blow." Porcupinefish Douluo withdrew his hand, his tone calm.
Jiang Nanchen stepped forward and condensed the Soul Power of the Sacred Angel in his hand, forming a pale golden blade of light that pierced precisely into the Blazing Light Tiger's brow.
The tiger's body jolted violently before it went completely still.
A yellow Soul Ring rose from its corpse.
Without hesitation, Jiang Nanchen sat down cross-legged and began absorbing the Soul Ring.
The Soul Ring slowly merged into Jiang Nanchen's body.
Jiang Nanchen began his struggle to absorb the Soul Ring.
Porcupinefish Douluo also prepared for the worst. If Jiang Nanchen truly could not absorb it, he would have to forcibly interrupt the process. He absolutely could not let Jiang Nanchen die.
If the kid really died, Porcupinefish Douluo would be in deep trouble.
Hopefully, everything would go smoothly.
Porcupinefish Douluo rather liked Jiang Nanchen. His mouth was a little sharp, but he was far better than those people who constantly flattered him.
Perhaps he had stayed in this environment for too long. When Porcupinefish Douluo encountered something new, it piqued his interest.
Once this was over, he would find Nording Academy's headmaster, have Jiang Nanchen graduate early, and take him to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. When the Young Master saw a child version of himself, he would surely be shocked.
The night gradually faded, and light appeared on the horizon.
The golden glow around Jiang Nanchen slowly receded as the Soul Ring completely merged into his body. He sat quietly for a moment, digesting the Soul Power flooding into his meridians, before slowly opening his eyes. A glimmer of intertwined golden fire flashed through them and vanished in an instant.
Porcupinefish Douluo had been frowning, remaining vigilantly on guard and ready to interrupt him at any moment. Seeing this, he froze. The panic had not yet faded from his face before it turned into astonishment.
"Holy shit! You really absorbed it successfully?" he blurted out instinctively, his voice filled with disbelief.
Jiang Nanchen stood and rolled his wrist. His first Soul Ring flickered faintly beneath his feet.
"Of course. Did you think I was lying to you?"
"I honestly didn't quite believe it." Porcupinefish Douluo stepped forward and checked his Soul Power condition. Only after confirming that it was stable and unharmed did he click his tongue in amazement. "No one on the entire continent has ever dared to absorb an eight-hundred-year Soul Ring as their first. Kid, you're completely insane."
"But here I am, standing just fine." Jiang Nanchen smiled and sensed the abundant Soul Power within his body.
Porcupinefish Douluo steadied himself, becoming even more certain that this child's talent far exceeded anything he had imagined. He absolutely could not let him waste away in a small place like Nording Academy.
"Fine, you're impressive." He waved a hand. "What's your first soul skill?"
"First soul skill, Flamewing Tiger Soul Strike. I can condense a pair of flaming wings and form a tiger-head-shaped energy blast in my right hand, woven from holy light and fire, then launch it at an enemy."
"My Soul Power has also risen to level thirteen."
Porcupinefish Douluo's eyes flickered. "Eight hundred years, and you jumped straight to level thirteen. Not bad. We should head back now. I'll take you to meet your academy's teachers and arrange for your early graduation."
Jiang Nanchen did not find anything wrong with that. Staying at Nording Academy was indeed dangerous. Tang Hao alone, that lunatic, would surely try every possible way to kill him.
Only by relying on Spirit Hall could he be truly safe.
As for everything else, it could wait. Staying alive was what mattered most.
Porcupinefish Douluo carried Jiang Nanchen, and several hours later, they returned to the entrance of Nording Academy, landing without a sound.
In Dorm Seven, Tang San had gotten up early and found no sign of Jiang Nanchen. He turned and informed Yu Xiaogang.
Though Yu Xiaogang was still unwilling to give up, he could only let it go. He decided to first help Tang San obtain his first Soul Ring and use tangible results to prove his Martial Soul theories. Then he would not have to worry about Jiang Nanchen refusing to come back.
"Teacher, let's go deal with a soul beast first." Tang San spoke while carrying his bundle.
Yu Xiaogang nodded and waved a hand. "Let's go."
The two had just stepped out of the academy gates when they ran into Jiang Nanchen head-on, with Porcupinefish Douluo standing behind him.
Yu Xiaogang glanced over Porcupinefish Douluo. Seeing the other man dressed plainly, with his aura completely restrained and looking nothing like a scholar who studied Martial Soul theory, he immediately frowned and assumed a lecturing posture.
"Jiang Nanchen, this is the teacher you found? He doesn't look like a master who understands Martial Souls. At your age, don't let yourself be deceived and waste your top-tier talent for nothing."
His tone carried a hint of condescension. He looked as though he were thinking of Jiang Nanchen's best interests, but in truth, he merely wanted to use the chance to put him down.
Before Jiang Nanchen could speak, Porcupinefish Douluo lifted his eyelids, and a trace of a Titled Douluo's pressure leaked out unintentionally.
Yu Xiaogang felt his chest tighten abruptly. He staggered half a step back, his face instantly turning pale. He stared at the old man before him in horror. The other man had released only a trace of his aura, yet Yu Xiaogang's level twenty-nine Soul Power had nearly stopped circulating.
"You... you are..."
Jiang Nanchen spoke flatly. "This is an elder of Spirit Hall, Porcupinefish Douluo. What do your master theories amount to before a Titled Douluo?"
Tang San's pupils suddenly contracted.
An elder of Spirit Hall, a Titled Douluo?
Jiang Nanchen had actually connected himself to such a figure.
How enviable!
A Titled Douluo! That was a Titled Douluo!
Yu Xiaogang stood frozen in place, his face alternating between red and white. He could not say a word for a long while. His earlier words now felt like slaps, viciously striking his own face.
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