Douluo Continent.
Spirit City, Worship Hall.
Qian Daoliu's calm gaze fell upon the young man standing in the hall.
The young man was fifteen or sixteen, tall and upright, handsome in appearance, and dressed in black.
Two people stood beside Qian Daoliu.
The one on the left had a stern face and blade-sharp eyes. He was the Sixth Worshipper, Qianjun Douluo.
The one on the right was broad and sturdy, with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. He was the Seventh Worshipper, Demon Subduing Douluo.
By all rights, this fifteen- or sixteen-year-old youth with no background whatsoever was not qualified to stand here, nor should he have appeared here.
It was his Martial Soul that had given him the chance to face these three peak experts.
At that moment, the three Worshippers' gazes were fixed on the youth's right hand.
He held a long staff in his hand.
It was dark gold throughout, roughly three meters long, and as thick as a child's arm. Its surface was uneven and covered in fine scale-like patterns.
A dragon-head relief coiled around the staff. Its eyes were half-open, with a faint golden light flowing within them.
"It really is the Coiling Dragon Staff!"
Demon Subduing Douluo cried out in shock.
Qianjun Douluo looked at the youth's Martial Soul, undisguised delight appearing in his eyes as well.
The Martial Souls of the two brothers were the Coiling Dragon Staff.
Yet this fifteen- or sixteen-year-old youth, entirely unrelated to them, possessed the same Martial Soul as they did.
It was simply unbelievable!
"Kid, how old are you this year? What level is your Soul Power?"
"Fifteen years old. Level forty-five."
"Level forty-five?!"
A look of surprise crossed Demon Subduing Douluo's face before he burst into hearty laughter.
"You've reached level forty-five at fifteen? Your talent is even greater than those brats of the Golden Generation. You live up to the name of the Coiling Dragon, hahaha~~~~"
Qianjun Douluo and Qian Daoliu exchanged a glance, both finding it hard to believe.
Before they could speak, Demon Subduing Douluo impatiently said,
"Kid, show us your Spirit Rings."
The youth nodded. With a thought, he released his Spirit Rings.
Black, black, black, black!
Four Spirit Rings rose one after another from beneath his feet.
The instant the black light of the first Spirit Ring bloomed, Demon Subduing Douluo was dumbfounded.
When they saw all four complete Spirit Rings,
the two brothers were already so shocked that they stood agape.
"H-How is this possible?!"
His first Spirit Ring began at ten thousand years!
Had they not seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed that such a heaven-defying Spirit Ring configuration existed in this world.
Even Qian Daoliu, a peerless expert who had weathered a century of storms and long since buried his emotions deep within his heart, revealed astonishment in his eyes.
In theory, the limit a Soul Master could endure for a first Spirit Ring was a little over four hundred years; the second Spirit Ring's limit was seven hundred years; the third's was over one thousand seven hundred years; and the fourth's was roughly five thousand years.
Even geniuses who could exceed those limits could only surpass them by a few decades or a little over a hundred years.
It was absolutely impossible for someone to start with a ten-thousand-year first Spirit Ring like this.
This completely defied common sense.
Qianjun Douluo recovered and asked,
"How many years are each of these four Spirit Rings?"
The youth answered calmly,
"The first Spirit Ring is ten thousand years, the second is twenty thousand years, the third is thirty thousand years, and the fourth is fifty thousand years."
The three exchanged looks, finding it even more unbelievable.
Every one of the youth's Spirit Rings far exceeded the limit an ordinary Soul Master could bear.
Demon Subduing Douluo asked,
"You... Kid, where did you come from?"
The youth withdrew his Martial Soul and Spirit Rings.
"My name is Ye Han. My parents died when I was young, and I was adopted by an old man who raised and taught me. Last month, my master passed away. Before he died, he told me never to reveal his name or origins to anyone I met in the future. So, I'm sorry, three seniors, but I cannot tell you who my master was."
The hall fell silent for a moment.
The three looked at one another, shock evident on all their faces.
Someone capable of teaching a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old child such a heaven-defying Spirit Ring configuration had even sent the child to Spirit Hall to seek them out before his death.
There was actually such a master in this world, yet none of the three had ever heard of him.
Qian Daoliu remained silent for a moment before asking,
"Your master sent you to Spirit Hall to find us?"
Ye Han nodded.
"Yes. Master said that my Spirit Ring configuration was extraordinary, far beyond ordinary comprehension. If I traveled alone, once others discovered it, I would inevitably attract covetous eyes and risk death. He said that I possessed the Coiling Dragon Staff Martial Soul, the same Martial Soul as the two senior Worshippers of Spirit Hall. If I came to seek refuge here, I should be taken in."
Upon hearing this, Demon Subduing Douluo laughed loudly again.
"Kid, you came to the right place. The Coiling Dragon Staff Martial Soul is exceedingly rare. Since you are fated to meet us brothers and are such a rare genius, of course we'll take you in. From now on, we'll protect you!"
Qianjun Douluo said nothing more and merely nodded slightly.
Qian Daoliu's gaze rested on Ye Han, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Although I do not know who your master was, he must have had some connection to Spirit Hall. Otherwise, he would not have sent you to us before his death. Welcome to Spirit Hall. From this day onward, you are a member of Spirit Hall."
"Thank you, three seniors."
Ye Han bowed in salute, then continued,
"Now that I am a member of Spirit Hall, I should think for Spirit Hall's sake. Before he died, my master divined a matter concerning Spirit Hall for me."
"Concerning Spirit Hall?"
Qian Daoliu's brow twitched slightly.
Although he did not believe in such things, Ye Han's four ten-thousand-year Spirit Rings were right before him. He could not help becoming more curious about Ye Han's master.
"What did the divination say?"
"Master said that at next year's Soul Master Tournament, the Spirit Hall Academy Team would fail to win the overall championship as they wished. He hoped my appearance could change that outcome."
Ye Han had put it conservatively. In truth, it concerned changing Spirit Hall's entire fate, but he was afraid of frightening them if he said so.
At those words, the hall fell silent once more.
The smile at Demon Subduing Douluo's lips froze.
Qianjun Douluo's brows furrowed tightly.
A clearly visible ripple appeared in Qian Daoliu's calm eyes.
"What did you say?! The Spirit Hall Academy Team won't win the overall championship? Kid, do you know what this year's students are made of?"
Demon Subduing Douluo's voice rose, carrying a hint of displeasure.
As a transmigrator, Ye Han naturally knew.
But he shook his head, pretending otherwise.
Demon Subduing Douluo continued,
"This Spirit Hall Academy Team is stronger than the previous three generations combined! The Golden Generation didn't earn that name for nothing. Every one of them is above level forty. Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena are even more outstanding among them. Before the tournament begins, they will certainly break through level fifty. In the previous three Soul Master Tournaments, there has never been a Soul King-level contestant. Yet this time, the Spirit Hall Academy Team will have three Soul Kings. The other core members will all reach above level forty-five by then as well! With such a powerful lineup, who could defeat them?"
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