Sea God's Heart

Within the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Xue Qinghe sat idly, propping his cheek up with one hand.

In the darkness, an old man holding a Snake Lance appeared.

"Young Master, this is already Bofeng's hundredth rejection. Aren't you... angry?"

Xue Qinghe smiled faintly. "The most essential quality of a qualified hunter is patience. How far have we gotten now? We still haven't fully uncovered Bofeng's secrets. Has he made any moves lately?"

The old man holding the Snake Lance said, "Bofeng has been staying at the Department Store recently. This morning, he even made a special trip to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?" Xue Qinghe asked in confusion. "What did he go there for?"

The old man shook his head. "Our people were unable to find out. Bofeng is quite close to Ning Fengzhi. If they have some secret plan, perhaps even one detrimental to Spirit Hall..."

Xue Qinghe gently shook his head. "He wouldn't."

"Young Master, why are you so certain?"

Xue Qinghe smiled. "He loves money greatly. According to the financial investigation over the past year, Bofeng earned nine million Gold Soul Coins in a single year."

"Moreover, his stores have spread throughout the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire, with only Spirit City still untouched. When I met with him last month, he inadvertently revealed..."

"That he wanted to open his stores in Spirit City, under Spirit Hall's jurisdiction..."

The old man smiled. "Her Majesty will never agree to that."

Xue Qinghe nodded. "Though Bofeng is greedy for money, he truly is a talent. She cannot possibly fail to see that. Unless he earns her approval..."

"Bofeng has no authority to open a store in Spirit City."

Meanwhile, Bofeng had entered Blue Tyrant Academy and was slowly proceeding under a student's guidance.

Bofeng stood within a forest, where most of the academy's buildings were concealed among the trees.

Unlike Heaven Dou Royal Academy, which was built against the mountainside, the environment here could not be called luxurious, but it gave people a sense of comfort.

Quite a few tall buildings rose along the way. Before long, the student led Bofeng into a rather large room.

As he entered, Bofeng noticed three people standing above him. They all looked ordinary and appeared to be around forty years old. They were likely the teachers responsible for this examination.

The leader in the middle could not help asking in surprise when he saw Bofeng, "Boss Bofeng? What brings you here?"

Bofeng's Department Store was renowned across the continent. Many people knew this young and accomplished owner, and many wished to become acquainted with him.

Bofeng smiled helplessly. "I had nothing better to do, so I came to try being a teacher for fun. Don't go easy on me just because of my special status."

The three exchanged knowing glances. Then the leader coughed and asked, "Boss Bofeng, have you really thought this through?"

"Let's begin."

"In that case, I'll briefly explain the rules."

"First, you must display your Martial Soul. Then, if your Soul Power exceeds rank forty, you must fight one of the three of us. As long as you last ten minutes, you will qualify to proceed to the Headmaster's test."

After the explanation, Bofeng smiled faintly. Blue Light flashed across his right hand, and a blue trident appeared in his grasp.

"This..."

"How is this possible?"

"A thousand-year second ring? A ten-thousand-year... fourth ring?"

Soul Rings lit up beneath Bofeng's feet. His Soul Ring Configuration—one yellow, two purple, and one black—completely overturned the three men's understanding.

Those so-called geniuses of the Spirit Master World were utterly overshadowed compared to Boss Bofeng before them.

The teacher leading the test wiped away the cold sweat brought on by fright and hastily said, "Boss Bofeng, you have already passed the first test. May I ask which one of the three of us you intend to challenge next?"

In truth, all three of them were silently praying that he would not choose them. Please don't choose me. Please don't choose me.

Someone with a ten-thousand-year fourth ring could not be underestimated. They were all Spirit Kings, and at their age, there was not much room left for advancement.

Bofeng was still young. No one wanted to bring trouble upon themselves.

Yet Bofeng merely gave a mysterious smile. "The three of you, come at me together."

The three stared at one another in bewilderment, unable to understand Bofeng's decision.

"Boss Bofeng, surely you're joking?" The leading teacher could scarcely believe his ears.

Bofeng smiled and shook his head. "What do you think? I also want to witness the true strength of Blue Tyrant Academy's teachers. Once I pass the final test, we will all be teachers of Blue Tyrant Academy. It is necessary for us to gain a thorough understanding of one another."

"Besides, as Spirit Masters, fighting each other is the only way for Spirit Masters to understand one another."

The three looked at each other, then walked down together.

Without another word, the three released their Martial Souls. Soul Rings rose beneath their feet one after another, all with the same configuration: two yellow, two purple, and one black.

Their Martial Souls were Ghost Vine, Golden Eagle, and War Tiger respectively.

One plant-type Spirit Master and two Beast Martial Soul Spirit Masters.

There was no need to think further. The owner of a plant-type Martial Soul was most likely a control-type Spirit Master. The Golden Eagle Spirit Master was certainly an agility-attack type, leaving the other as a power-attack type.

"Boss Bofeng, please be careful," the Golden Eagle Spirit Master said with concern.

Holding the trident, Bofeng nodded. "Come on. The three of you need not hold back. Let me see your true strength."

With that, the three exchanged tacit glances.

Green Light flashed in the Ghost Vine Spirit Master's right hand as the First Spirit Ring beneath his feet spun. Large amounts of Ghost Vine burst from the ground, intending to seal off Bofeng's path.

At the same time, a pair of golden wings sprouted from the Golden Eagle Spirit Master's back, and his second Soul Ring spun wildly.

Amid the howling gale came golden feathers, like golden blades, hurtling straight toward Bofeng from above.

Third Spirit Ability, Tiger Roar Mountain Forest.

The War Tiger Spirit Master at the side used his Third Spirit Ability. His face gradually transformed into a tiger's head, its bloody maw opening wide as sinister crimson currents slowly gathered within.

Roar—

A tiger's roar echoed through the entire room, instantly shattering even the glass in the window frames.

The three great attacks came straight at him, their combined momentum enough to crush everything.

Bofeng nodded inwardly. His second Soul Ring lit up, and purple light flowed into the trident.

Second Spirit Ring, Sea God's Guard!

Layers of sea-blue barriers appeared around him. The Sea God's Crown upon his head radiated Blue Gold Light, and for some inexplicable reason, somewhere in Heaven Dou City...

In the deepest part of the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, heavily guarded by troops, was the most secure place in the entire palace. Aside from the Emperor, even Crown Prince Xue Qinghe was not qualified to come here.

What was guarded within was the Sea God's Heart. As the National Treasure of the Heaven Dou Empire, everyone believed it to be a Soul Tool.

In truth, it was indeed a Soul Tool, but it was also the Sea God's Heart—the core component of the Sea God Trident.

It emitted an azure glow across its entire body, and one could faintly hear the unceasing roar of the surging sea.