The Hall of Souls Brat, Evil by Nature

"What?!"

The illusory figure of the Yao Lao visibly shuddered, his aged eyes staring intently at Qin Yu, as if confirming that he had not misheard.

Xiao Yan, sitting beside him, was also stunned for a moment, his mouth slightly open, unsure of what to say.

"You... you said... you'd try it on me?"

The Yao Lao repeated Qin Yu's words, emphasizing each word, and almost laughed in anger.

That inherently evil brat from the Hall of Souls has finally shown his true colors, hasn't he?

"Don't worry, it's just a slight test."

Qin Yu added, as if afraid that the Yao Lao might misunderstand something.

"... Do you think that's what I'm worried about?"

The Yao Lao's voice rose by half an octave.

It wasn't that he was afraid Qin Yu would hurt him, but rather...

This is a damn attitude problem!

He was the mighty Venerable Yao, who once dominated the Central Plains. Even now, as just a remnant soul, he is by no means someone that ordinary people can deal with!

The Yao Lao took a deep breath, and his centuries of self-cultivation came in handy at this moment, preventing the words stuck in his chest from being blurted out.

Qin Yu seemed to realize that his words had indeed been a bit too blunt, so he coughed lightly and adjusted his wording slightly:

"What I mean is, I'm going to be dealing with a Dou Zong- level target soon, and before that, I need an object that's strong enough but won't actually hurt me to test my techniques."

He paused, then looked at the Yao Lao with sincere eyes:

"Senior's Soul Power is profound; even if I go all out, I cannot harm you. This is just right."

The Yao Lao remained silent.

That sounds nice, but we're just using him as an experiment.

However, Qin Yu's reason is actually quite reasonable.

To imprison a soul at the Dou Zong level, looking across the Jia Nan Academy, there was indeed no other suitable candidate besides Yao Chen.

"... You really know how to pick people."

The Yao Lao finally let out a snort, the dissatisfaction in his tone having faded considerably.

Seeing this, Qin Yu stopped talking and stood up, walked to the open space in the center of the room, closed his eyes and began to gather his Soul Power.

The Yao Lao stood with his hands behind his back in mid-air, nodding slightly in tacit agreement.

Xiao Yan tactfully stepped back a few paces, making room for the two of them.

Qin Yu took a deep breath, raised his right hand, and several Soul Hook Chains shot out, reaching towards the direction of Yao Lao.

Upon seeing the chains, Yao Lao nearly lost his temper and was about to explode.

They even brought out his PTSD.

Yao Chen suppressed the discomfort in his heart and made no resistance, letting Qin Yu's hook chain entangle his body.

"Hmm... this kid actually mastered it."

Feeling the suppression and binding force from the hook chain, Yao Chen was secretly surprised. He had thought that Qin Yu would need at least a few months to master it.

But now it seems that Qin Yu is learning things much faster than he expected.

Qin Yu's experiment lasted for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. Throughout the entire process, Yao Lao neither resisted nor interrupted.

When Qin Yu withdrew his soul power and opened his eyes, Yao Lao slowly spoke, a hint of approval in his eyes:

"That's right, with your current skills, you're more than capable of dealing with ordinary Dou Zong."

Qin Yu hummed in agreement, reviewed his earlier insights in his mind, then looked up at Yao Lao, his tone becoming more serious:

"Thank you, senior."

Yao Lao waved his hand, then led Xiao Yan away.

On the way, Xiao Yan felt that Yao Lao's gaze was a bit strange.

It's like...

It's like looking at a disappointing child.

"Teacher, what's wrong? You've been staring at me like that ever since we left Brother Qin Yu's place?"

"I was just wondering, why can others learn things so quickly? In such a short time, they've almost completely mastered the essentials of the Soul Restraint Method."

The Yao Lao clicked his tongue and shook his head, his words causing Xiao Yan to give a wry smile.

"If you had Qin Yu's comprehension, you wouldn't have dragged out your duel with Han Xian for so long."

"It's such a simple principle, yet it took you so long to figure it out. Don't go out there saying you're a disciple of Venerable Yao."

"Teacher, if you keep talking like that, I'm going to cry and make a scene!"

Xiao Yan was rendered speechless by the insults, and only then did Yao Lao shut his mouth.

"Ahem, I just hope you can intensify your cultivation. Even without mentioning Qin Yu, your little girlfriend's family background is also extremely powerful."

When Xiao Xun'er was mentioned, Xiao Yan's eyes gradually lowered.

He has been in the Inner Academy for some time now, and although his strength has gradually increased, he is still not even a Dou Ling yet.

With so many experts on the Strong List, even if he were to conjure Fire Lotus, he still wouldn't reach the very top level.

"Alright, don't be so dejected. How about I teach you another movement technique Dou Technique when we get back?"

"Really? What level?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's previous dejected state vanished instantly.

He currently possesses two major offensive killing moves: Flame Splitting Tsunami and Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus, but he lacks Dou Technique related to movement, which often puts him at a disadvantage in battle.

"It's slightly inferior to the Flame Manipulation Formula, but it's sufficient for you right now."

It's slightly weaker than the Flame Manipulation Formula; it should also be Earth Tier Dou Skills, right?

Xiao Yan thought so.

Earth Tier Low-Rank Dou Technique are indeed something to look forward to.

Seeing Xiao Yan's enthusiastic expression, Yao Lao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

That was almost too much of a shock.

However, it is indeed time to pass on movement techniques Dou Technique to Xiao Yan.

"By the way, teacher, what exactly does Brother Qin Yu want to do with this Soul Restraint Method?"

After the heavy weight on his chest was removed, Xiao Yan quickly regained his composure and continued chatting with Yao Lao.

"I don't know, perhaps... they've obtained some special technique that requires the soul of Dou Zong- level expert?"

After learning that Qin Yu's target was only Dou Zong level or higher expert, Yao Lao's suspicions about Qin Yu lessened considerably.

Those guys from the Hall of Souls wouldn't be that picky.

Let alone Dou Zong or Dou Emperor, even the soul of Dou Wang would not be spared by the Hall of Souls!

After all, those guardians and Soul Envoy who collect souls are only at the Dou Zong or Dou Emperor level; how could they have the right to be picky?

As for the elders, they mostly reside in the branch halls and do not venture out casually.

As for someone like Qin Yu, even the Yao Lao could only guess that the other party had obtained some special method that had strict requirements on the soul.

"Teacher, do you think that if I reach Brother Qin Yu's level, I can easily challenge Dou Zong who are much stronger than me, just like he can?"

Xiao Yan's fantasy was shattered in the next second by Yao Lao's cold, hard facts:

"Hehe, you should break through to the Dou Ling first."

"... Teacher! That's not fun!"

I'm just telling the truth.

Xiao Yan: I have no choice.

Time passed, and after Xiao Yan broke through to the Dou Ling realm and emerged from seclusion, a major piece of news spread among the students of the Inner Academy.

That was their senior, Qin Yu, who, along with a few friends, a mere four people, slaughtered the Evil Bone Sect, a long-established force in the Black-Corner Region!