Douluo: Version Prodigies Gather, but the Eras Are Misaligned

With the two factors combined, who knew how slow his cultivation speed in the Douluo I Era would become.

The three version prodigies had failed to awaken in their proper eras, which could be said to have brought Bai Chen no small amount of trouble.

However, he had little time to dwell on that now. After completing the Martial Soul awakening, the awakeners from all three eras hurriedly tested his Innate Soul Power.

As expected, all of them showed Innate Full Soul Power.

The number measured by the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger Martial Soul even seemed obviously abnormal, and a bold thought arose in Bai Chen's heart.

The God-Blessed Martial Soul Seraphic Angel, which likewise came with a Divine Trial, possessed level twenty Innate Soul Power. Could the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger be the same?

The awakeners had no idea what he was thinking. Once they confirmed that he possessed Innate Full Soul Power, they each reacted differently.

"Child, do you have any interest in joining Martial Soul Hall?"

The Martial Soul Hall awakener wore a smile as he patiently persuaded Bai Chen.

"Martial Soul Hall is currently the strongest Soul Master organization on the continent. It could be said that the vast majority of Soul Masters belong to Martial Soul Hall. With your talent, if you join Martial Soul Hall, you will certainly receive the upper ranks' attention. Perhaps some important figure may even take a liking to you and accept you as a disciple."

The Nine-Treasure Glazed Sect elder reacted rather differently. Seeing the number "ten" displayed on the soul power orb, his expression turned serious, and he patted Bai Chen on the shoulder.

"Child, go back and rest first. The Sect Master will summon you tomorrow, so do not be negligent when the time comes."

He had witnessed the pain Bai Chen had suffered during his Martial Soul awakening. As one of their own, he did not want Bai Chen to keep forcing himself.

The Spirit Pagoda Master from the Spirit Pagoda also widened his eyes excitedly and said,

"Little one, congratulations. You have Innate Full Soul Power, and your cultivation talent is excellent. Would you like to join the Spirit Pagoda? As long as you join us, you will receive an internal discount when acquiring Soul Spirits in the future."

Faced with the olive branches extended by the Martial Soul Hall member and the Spirit Pagoda Master, Bai Chen thought briefly before accepting Martial Soul Hall's invitation and declining the Spirit Pagoda's.

His reason for accepting Martial Soul Hall's invitation was simple. Although Martial Soul Hall had all sorts of problems, there was no denying that it truly was the strongest Soul Master faction of the Douluo I Era.

In terms of force and resources, it stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Besides, as an orphan in the Douluo I Era, he likely had no real choice in the matter.

As for why he rejected the Spirit Pagoda's invitation, it was because he had other plans.

Moreover, he was not particularly satisfied with the conditions the Spirit Pagoda Master offered. Of the three eras, only this version of him was not short on money. A mere discount on Soul Spirits could not tempt him.

Douluo III Era.

"Is that so..."

Seeing Bai Chen reject him, the Spirit Pagoda Master felt somewhat disappointed.

If he could successfully recruit a genius with Innate Full Soul Power that day into the Spirit Pagoda, he too would earn the upper ranks' appreciation.

However, he worked in the service industry. Though disappointed inwardly, he did not show it and instead smiled at Bai Chen.

"Then, little one, you have already reached the level ten bottleneck and can absorb your first Soul Spirit. Would you like me to notify your parent so they can come help you purchase one?"

"No. I have something urgent to do right now. We can talk about it when I have time later."

"Alright, alright."

Seeing the child before him wearing such a solemn expression, the Spirit Pagoda Master could not help but laugh. He rubbed Bai Chen's head and said,

"Then your Martial Soul awakening ceremony ends here. Go call the next child in."

Faced with such an adorable child, he truly could not bring himself to feel any resentment.

Bai Chen walked out of the awakening room and said to the boy waiting behind him,

"It's your turn. Go in."

"Mm!"

The boy's eyes lit up as he entered the room, excited but nervous.

"Young Master."

At that moment, Xue E, the bodyguard responsible for bringing him to awaken his Martial Soul, came up to him as well.

He asked anxiously,

"Young Master, how did the awakening go?"

"Very well."

Bai Chen answered his question simply, then said urgently,

"Uncle Xue, take me to Aolai City. I have something urgent to do."

"Huh?"

Xue E could not help but be startled by the request.

"Young Master, what are you going there for?"

Unlike Skysea City, the largest city on the East Coast, Aolai City was only a very small city.

Bai Chen said earnestly,

"Please, Uncle Xue. I won't do anything reckless!"

"Mm..."

Xue E met Bai Chen's gaze for a while before finally nodding.

"Alright. I understand."

This was the first time that the overly sensible young master had made a request of his own.

Since that was the case, there was no harm in indulging him a little. The master would be happy too.

Xue E thought.

Na'er

After getting into the car, Xue E drove Bai Chen at breakneck speed toward Aolai City.

On the way, Bai Chen briefly explained the situation with his Martial Soul to Xue E.

Naturally, he concealed everything related to the Divine Trial.

After hearing him out, Xue E drove while speaking thoughtfully.

"Dark Demon Evil God Tiger... Young Master, that is an Evil Martial Soul."

He had heard somewhat of the habits of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, a legendary Soul Beast.

The most evil of Soul Beasts could not increase its cultivation through normal methods and could only cultivate through endless slaughter. That was the legend of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.

Without question, the holder of such a Martial Soul had the potential to fall into becoming an Evil Soul Master.

"So, Uncle Xue, will you see me as an Evil Soul Master?"

"Of course not."

Xue E answered without hesitation.

"Young Master, you are so kind. You would never become an Evil Soul Master. I am only worried that others will look at you strangely."

"It's fine."

Bai Chen lay back in his seat and smiled.

"As long as Uncle Xue and Father are willing to believe in me, that is enough."

Bai Chen's mother in the Douluo III Era had died not long after giving birth to him, while his father was always busy with work and had no time to care for him. As a result, the person who had spent the most time with him was Xue E.

It was said that Xue E had been adopted by Bai Chen's grandfather. Though he had no blood relation to Bai Chen's father, the two were as close as brothers. To Bai Chen, Xue E was like a second father in this era.

Xue E asked,

"By the way, Young Master, we are almost at Aolai City now. Isn't it about time you told me why you wanted to come here?"

In his eyes, Bai Chen had no connection whatsoever to Aolai City. There was no reason for him to make a special trip here.

"I want to meet someone."

Since they were about to reach their destination, Bai Chen no longer concealed it and honestly said,

"After awakening my Martial Soul, I vaguely had a premonition that I would meet someone extremely important to me here."

"Something like that can happen?"

Xue E froze for a moment, then gave Bai Chen a suspicious glance through the rearview mirror.

Normally, Xue E would not doubt Bai Chen's words. At least in his memory, his young master had never lied.

But what Bai Chen said was simply too mysterious. He had never heard of anyone awakening a Martial Soul and developing such a feeling.

Bai Chen said helplessly,

"I know it is hard to believe, but Uncle Xue, at the latest by tomorrow, you will see the person from my premonition."

"...Alright. I understand."

After a long silence, Xue E ultimately decided to trust Bai Chen for the time being.

To him, even if Bai Chen was lying, it was nothing serious. At worst, he had merely been played for a fool.

But if Bai Chen was telling the truth, and that person was missed because of him, he truly would not be able to accept it.

Seeing Xue E accept his explanation, Bai Chen inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

He did not want to lie to Xue E either, but he could hardly say that he was a transmigrator who knew he could pick up the amnesiac Silver Dragon King in Aolai City, so he needed to hurry over and steal her away first, could he?

In truth, before today, Bai Chen had always hesitated over whether he should intercept Na'er at all.

As the Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena was both a blessing and a curse. If handled properly, she could naturally become an immense source of support, but if handled poorly, the resulting trouble would be unimaginable.

It was a huge gamble. Before awakening his Martial Soul, Bai Chen had not dared place himself on the table.

But just after successfully awakening the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger Martial Soul, he had completely made up his mind.

He would go and take Na'er before anyone else could.

Just as Xue E had said, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was an absolutely evil Martial Soul. As the superior replacement for the Scorpion Tiger, it could be considered among the strongest of all Evil Martial Souls.

And the stronger an Evil Martial Soul was, the more easily it invited fear and persecution.

Although the cases of Yuanen Yehui at Shrek Academy and the Dark Phoenix at the Spirit Pagoda showed that Soul Masters in the Douluo III Era were far more accepting of Evil Martial Souls than those in the Douluo II Era, Le Zhengyu had also once taken the initiative to attack Yuanen Yehui. Thus, the prejudice of outsiders could not be ignored.

If he encountered an attack from a powerful angel-type Soul Master, he needed at least someone behind him capable of protecting him.

And what he wanted now was the Soul Beast faction behind Gu Yuena.

Although, in the original Douluo III story, the Ferocious Beasts had always wanted Gu Yue to kill Tang Wulin quickly, that was actually because Tang Wulin possessed the Golden Dragon King's Bloodline. By devouring him, she might become the new Dragon God.

Bai Chen was not Tang Wulin. He did not possess the Golden Dragon King's Bloodline, and killing him offered the Soul Beasts no benefit whatsoever. Rather, considering Na'er, they would have to find ways to protect him.

That was exactly what Bai Chen had his eye on.

In terms of top-level combat power alone, the Star Dou faction was unquestionably the strongest organization in the world today.

Even without considering Gu Yuena, whose current strength was unknown, they possessed at least four Limit Douluos. Among them, Di Tian was a Quasi-God pinnacle powerhouse capable of matching Yun Ming.

With their covert protection, Bai Chen's safety would rise dramatically.

"But that depends on whether I can successfully lure Na'er over..."

With Aolai City right before his eyes, Bai Chen's heartbeat gradually quickened.

According to the information he knew, how Na'er had arrived in Aolai City, why she had come there, and her specific movements before meeting Tang Wulin were all unknown.

But one thing was certain: Na'er would definitely appear on Tang Wulin's route home from school on the day after the awakening ceremony.

Therefore, that stretch of road was where Na'er was most likely to appear.

After entering Aolai City, Bai Chen first took Xue E to Red Mountain Academy, where Tang Wulin studied, and asked for Tang Wulin's home address.

As Bai Chen's father's trusted aide, Xue E possessed the cultivation of a Soul Emperor. Do not underestimate a Soul Emperor. The strongest person in Aolai City was roughly only at that level. If he advanced to Soul Saint in the future, his cultivation would even place him on the same level as the administrative head of a second-tier city.

Before such a powerful person, the teacher, who possessed only Great Soul Master cultivation, readily gave them Tang Wulin's home address.

She had no choice but to tell them. Even if she refused, Xue E could quickly find the information he wanted with his strength; it would merely take a little more effort. Rather than waste effort on something pointless, it was better to honestly provide the information and build goodwill with such a powerful person.

What surprised Xue E somewhat was that after learning Tang Wulin's home address, Bai Chen did not head there. Instead, he wandered around the surrounding area.

He had originally thought that Tang Wulin was the boy Bai Chen wanted to find.

Until dusk, as Xue E watched the sky gradually darken and began considering how to persuade Bai Chen to return and rest, Bai Chen suddenly stopped walking. His eyes remained fixed ahead as he stared excitedly.

Following his gaze, Xue E saw a petite silver-haired girl crouched by the roadside, helplessly curled into herself.