Ling Yuan's Doubts, Douluo's First Pass

On the road out of the Star Dou Forest.

Ling Yuan walked ahead, her steps seemingly casual but gradually slowing.

Her mind was like a tangled mess of threads; the more she tried to sort them out, the tighter they became.

Something was wrong—very wrong, nine parts out of ten wrong.

Why had Xunhuan interfered with Tang San and his master's hunt for the Mandala Snake? Why had he deliberately waited until Tang San revealed the Clear Sky Hammer before acting? And why had he mocked Yu Xiaogang, someone he had only just met?

She might have been a little scatterbrained in daily life, but she was no fool. A little analysis was all it took to spot the suspicious parts of this matter.

Though they had only known each other for a few days, she believed she had gained some understanding of Ye Xunhuan.

This child was deeply calculating and methodical in everything he did. He was not the sort to meddle in other people's affairs, much less develop inexplicable hostility toward an unfamiliar elder.

And he had said that sentence.

"His trump card hasn't been revealed yet."

That meant Ye Xunhuan had known from the beginning that Tang San had something up his sleeve, and he had been waiting for that trump card to be shown.

What had he been waiting for? Those trick-like hidden weapons? Or that Clear Sky Hammer?

Ling Yuan came to a complete stop.

The boundary marker at the forest entrance was already visible ahead. Sunlight filtered through the sparse canopy, bathing the official road in bright light.

But she did not take another step.

"Xunhuan."

Ling Yuan turned around, her ruby-like eyes staring straight at Ye Xunhuan.

The usual liveliness had vanished from her gaze, replaced by a rare seriousness and even a trace of scrutiny.

"Big Sister has a few questions for you."

Ye Xunhuan stopped as well, sounding puzzled. "Go ahead, Big Sister."

Ling Yuan counted on her fingers and poured out all three questions that had been weighing on her mind.

Why had he interfered with Tang San and his master's spirit hunt?

Why had he waited until the Clear Sky Hammer was revealed before acting?

Why was his attitude toward Yu Xiaogang so terrible?

Ye Xunhuan pondered for a moment. Rather than answering immediately, he considered his words before slowly speaking.

"First, I did not intentionally interfere with their spirit hunt."

His tone was calm and his reasoning clear.

"Do you remember, Big Sister? After spreading out my spiritual power, I sensed Yu Xiaogang's martial soul—that pig-like creature. I searched through the Martial Soul Encyclopedia from cover to cover, but I had never seen a similar martial soul. There was not even any record of a detached martial soul resembling it. A completely unknown Level 29 Great Spirit Master possessed a rare martial soul that could not be found in any text. I only went over to take a look out of curiosity."

Ling Yuan nodded. There was nothing wrong with that explanation.

Ye Xunhuan's attitude toward studying martial souls was obvious to all. He had nearly worn the edges of the Martial Soul Encyclopedia ragged from flipping through it.

"Second," Ye Xunhuan continued, "my Behemoth martial soul has an innate special ability. It can sense danger and avoid misfortune. I named it 'Behemoth Jolt.'"

Ye Xunhuan was not making that up. Behemoths truly did possess that talent.

The corner of Ling Yuan's mouth twitched slightly, but she held herself back from commenting on that name.

"After getting close to Tang San, that ability issued an extremely intense warning." Ye Xunhuan's voice grew heavier. "But the warning could not have come from Tang San himself. He was too weak. A Level 10 Spirit Scholar could not possibly make me sense danger. The only possibility was his martial soul."

He paused, lowered his eyes, and his face darkened. His voice was so low it was almost inaudible.

"The aura I sensed from him... domineering, brutal, heavy—it was exactly the same as that night."

"The aura of the Clear Sky Hammer that slaughtered everyone, young and old, in Golden Bear Village."

Ling Yuan's shoulders jolted. A trace of remorse flashed through her ruby-like eyes. Her lips parted, yet she could not say a single word.

"I'm sorry." After a long while, Ling Yuan finally spoke in a low voice. "Big Sister shouldn't have doubted you..."

Ye Xunhuan chuckled and shook his head. His soft little hand caressed Ling Yuan's cheek, his tone gentle. "It's okay, Big Sister."

"As for the last question—why I treated Yu Xiaogang so badly."

"I simply hated the dog because of its master. Tang Hao and his son are my mortal enemies. As Tang San's teacher, Yu Xiaogang naturally stands on the opposing side. This has always been how I treat enemies."

Ling Yuan nodded in understanding. Ye Xunhuan's answers were meticulous and airtight. She had worried too much.

She took Ye Xunhuan's small hand on her own, her tone lightening. "Let's go. Enough about that. We need to hurry to Martial Soul City."

The siblings traveled westward through wind and dust, following the map.

Most of the time, Ye Xunhuan cultivated with his eyes closed inside the carriage, occasionally exchanging a few words with the coachman.

Ling Yuan, meanwhile, would sometimes get out to stretch her limbs, and sometimes lean against Ye Xunhuan's chest to doze off.

Three days later, at dusk, a towering pass appeared on the horizon.

Douluo's First Pass—Jialing Pass. (This part may be a little out of character compared to the original. I'm truly sorry; geographically, Jialing Pass and the Star Dou Forest should have Spirit Hall situated between them.)

Jialing Pass stood at the heart of the Heavenly Spirit Mountains. On either side rose sheer cliffs thousands of zhang high, as though carved by blades and axes, with only a narrow pass through the middle.

The city walls rose dozens of zhang high, built from blue-black boulders. Flags atop the gate tower snapped wildly in the mountain wind beneath the evening sky.

One man could hold the pass against ten thousand.

Ye Xunhuan lifted the carriage curtain and looked toward Jialing Pass, his pupils contracting slightly.

"Ding!" The system notification rang out in his mind.

[Detected: Host is approaching a key location from the original work—Jialing Pass.]

[Mission triggered: Observe the site of the original work's final divine battle.]

[Mission description: Jialing Pass was the battlefield of the final decisive battle between the Spirit Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire's allied forces in the original work, and also the site of a clash between gods. Please approach Jialing Pass in person and experience this land imbued with divine power.]

[Mission reward: Unknown.]

Ye Xunhuan's heartbeat quickened by half a beat.

An unknown reward? What could it be?

"Big Sister." Ye Xunhuan lowered the curtain and looked at Ling Yuan across from him. "It's getting late. Let's rest nearby tonight and continue tomorrow."

Ling Yuan casually glanced outside. In the twilight, Jialing Pass looked like a slumbering giant beast.

"Sure." She nodded and pointed ahead. "We won't enter the pass. We'll rest by that stream instead."

Ye Xunhuan nodded, choosing his words carefully. "Big Sister, I want to take a walk near Jialing Pass."

Ling Yuan looked at him with some surprise. "Hm?"

"I just think the pass is impressive and want to see it up close." Ye Xunhuan sounded casual. "I never saw a structure this large back in Golden Bear Village."

Ling Yuan considered it. Jialing Pass was a trade hub between the Heaven Dou Empire, Martial Soul City, and the eastern regions of the continent. Troops were stationed outside the pass year-round, so public security should not be a problem.

Even if something really happened, with her strength as a Soul Douluo, she could reach Ye Xunhuan's side in the blink of an eye.

"Go on, but don't wander too far."

"Thank you, Big Sister."