Ye Fan had no idea he had become prey in Myriad Souls Douluo's eyes.
Jing Hongchen had pulled him into Mingde Hall.
As they walked, Jing Hongchen looked Ye Fan up and down. "Xiao Fan, I haven't seen you in two months. You've grown taller, but you've gotten thinner too."
"Tell your teacher what you've been through these past two months."
Ye Fan could only give Jing Hongchen the story he had prepared: at the moment of crisis, the Auspicious Beast had unleashed its divine power to protect him.
He had then kindly let the Auspicious Beast go. To thank him, it had arranged for the dying Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, the Dark Demon Ape, to perform a Soul Beast Sacrifice for him.
After that, he had flown north to escape the Soul Beast Clan's pursuit, all the way to the Far North.
And then there had been...
Ye Fan gave a brief account of his two months away, leaving Jing Hongchen increasingly shaken.
Jing Hongchen marveled inwardly, Xiao Fan truly has heaven-blessed fortune.
He even won the Auspicious Beast's favor.
While Jing Hongchen was lost in thought, Ye Fan changed the subject. "Teacher, where are Brother Xiao Xiao and Sister Meng Meng?"
Jing Hongchen came back to himself. "Those two? Ever since you went missing, they've been obsessed. They returned to Mingde Hall and have spent every day shut in their rooms, training like mad."
"They only come out to see me when they need more pills."
At that, Jing Hongchen could not decide whether to be pleased or saddened.
His grandchildren were training so hard, yet he felt a little like a lonely old man.
Hearing that Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen were both safe, Ye Fan finally felt the boulder lift from his heart.
"Oh, right, Xiao Fan. What level are you now?"
The mention of training had made Jing Hongchen curious.
Strangely, though Jing Hongchen was a Titled Douluo, he could not see through Ye Fan's true cultivation.
Ye Fan did not hide it. "Teacher, I'm at the peak of level thirty-nine. I feel like I could break through to level forty at any moment."
Jing Hongchen answered calmly at first. "Level thirty-nine, huh."
Then the words sank in. "What? Xiao Fan, you're already level thirty-nine?"
"Did you take any pills while you were away?"
Jing Hongchen looked Ye Fan over from head to toe, afraid something might be wrong with his body.
Ye Fan hurriedly shook his head. "Teacher, it was all thanks to the Soul Beast Sacrifice."
"I see."
Ye Fan's explanation eased Jing Hongchen's worries.
He then took several bottles from his Soul Tool.
Ye Fan looked at them curiously. "Teacher, what are these?"
Jing Hongchen patiently pointed to the bottles and explained them one by one.
"This is a Soul Ascension Pill, a signature pill of the Sun Moon Empire. Taking one raises your Soul Power by at least one level. A person can only take one in their lifetime; taking more permanently damages their cultivation potential."
"This is a White Jade Pill. It gently nourishes you with a vast amount of Soul Power and rapidly raises your Soul Power Level. It's suitable for Soul Masters between levels thirty and sixty."
"This is a Spirit Spring Pill, made by Sun Moon Heyi Hall. It works slowly over a month, nourishing your Soul Power and raising your cultivation by up to three levels in total. It's gentler than a Soul Ascension Pill and has fewer side effects. Xiao Xiao and Meng Meng have both taken one."
Jing Hongchen then pointed solemnly at the last, exquisite bottle.
"There are two Profound Water Pills in here. They're top-grade water-attribute pills that cleanse your marrow, purify your body, and greatly increase your Soul Power. They're gentle and have no side effects, so you can take them without worry."
"The first has the strongest effect: it expels large amounts of impurities, widens the meridians, and raises Soul Power. A low-level Soul Master can gain one or two levels, along with a small permanent improvement to their innate talent."
"The second pill's potency is halved. Its cleansing effect is weak, and the Soul Power gain is much smaller."
"Meng Meng and Xiao Xiao each gained three levels after taking them. Make sure you find time to do the same."
"I suggest taking a Profound Water Pill first to break through to level forty. Wait until after that to take the other pills."
Jing Hongchen had even planned the order for Ye Fan.
Ye Fan could only stare, mouth agape.
"Teacher, these are too precious."
Jing Hongchen had given Ye Fan two treasures like the Profound Water Pill, and only because taking more would have no effect.
Otherwise, Jing Hongchen might well have fed him pills until he was full.
When Ye Fan kept trying to refuse, Jing Hongchen frowned and scolded him. "Xiao Fan, these are a gift from your teacher's heart."
"You may not be my flesh and blood, but I regard you as my child, just like Meng Meng and Xiao Xiao."
"Whatever I give them, I'll give you too."
Ye Fan's eyes were already brimming. It was nothing—just sand in his eyes.
"Teacher, thank you. I won't let you down. I'll train hard, and before long, I'll lead Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy to victory over Shrek Academy and take the throne as the continent's number-one academy."
Understanding Jing Hongchen's feelings, Ye Fan stopped refusing and carefully put the precious pills into his Soul Tool.
He planned to take a Profound Water Pill as soon as he returned to his room and break through the level-forty barrier in one stroke.
Jing Hongchen was gratified by Ye Fan's earnest promise.
He smiled. "All right, Xiao Fan. You've spent two months sleeping under the stars and eating whatever you could."
"Go back and get some proper rest first."
"I'll talk to you tomorrow about what comes next."
"Okay!"
Ye Fan said goodbye to Jing Hongchen for the time being.
He returned to his quarters in Mingde Hall.
He did not know that a vengeful spirit had already followed him from the shadows to keep watch.
Ye Fan hurried back to his private courtyard in Mingde Hall, locked the doors and windows tight, and activated a Soul Tool barrier that blocked detection.
For another layer of protection, Ye Fan secretly opened the Undead Demiplane and had the White Bear King stand ready for any sudden danger.
With that done, Ye Fan sat cross-legged on a jade cushion.
He took out the jade bottle, tipped a Profound Water Pill into his hand, and swallowed it. Gentle medicinal power instantly washed through his body, and grime seeped steadily from his pores. The medicine continued to nourish his meridians. In just half an hour, the level-thirty-nine bottleneck shattered, and Ye Fan stepped into level forty.
He did not stop circulating his Soul Power. According to Soul Master theory, his cultivation would not become apparent until he absorbed a fourth Soul Ring, but his Soul Power could continue to accumulate.
Night deepened, and the bright moon drifted west. Past midnight, Ye Fan remained focused on absorbing the Profound Water Pill's lingering effects, quietly firming up his foundation at level forty without a moment's rest.
In the shadows, Myriad Souls Douluo's surveillance clung to him like a shadow.
After locating Ye Fan's quarters, Myriad Souls Douluo did not linger. He left a spirit to watch Ye Fan and went to find the Fourth Worshipper.
"Fourth Worshipper! The boy is in Mingde Hall right now, absorbing a pill. Should we strike?"
"Wait. Minglei's reinforcements haven't arrived yet."
"Yes!"
Myriad Souls Douluo saw the sense in that and patiently waited alongside the Fourth Worshipper.
After a long while, Nether Thunder Douluo arrived with a group of black-clad figures led by a man and a woman.
"Cult Leader, Vice Cult Leader."
Seeing them, the Fourth Worshipper gave the two leaders a polite nod.
"No need for formalities, Fourth Worshipper."
Myriad Souls Douluo then saluted the two leaders. "Your subordinate greets the Cult Leader and Vice Cult Leader."
"Mm. Myriad Souls, are you absolutely certain of your information this time?"
The cult leader, Zhongli Wu, questioned Myriad Souls Douluo in a chilling voice.
"I'd stake my head on it. The boy who stole our Soul Beast Embryo is inside Mingde Hall."
"Good."
"Feng Ling, take some people and guard Mingde Hall from outside. Don't let so much as a mosquito fly out."
"All right." The woman beside Zhongli Wu nodded and answered softly.
"Fourth Worshipper, Minglei, Myriad Souls—come with me!"
Zhongli Wu swept out his hand!
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