After leaving the room, the three chose the simplest method: high-speed flight.
Qian Daoliu took Su Yu's hand and activated Martial Soul Possession. Three pairs of wings emerged behind him, fluttered lightly, and instantly carried them toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
Azure Luan Douluo and Golden Crocodile Douluo followed after them as well.
Their incredible speed pierced through the clouds. Yue Guan and Gui Mei, who had been ordered by Bibi Dong at the Pope Palace to investigate the Worship Hall, witnessed the scene and were both utterly shocked.
"These pontiffs never leave the Worship Hall. Why have they all come out today?"
Yue Guan was deeply surprised, but he still caught sight of a small figure in Qian Daoliu's arms. However, since the child had his back turned, Yue Guan could not make out his features.
"Old Gui, did you see that? The Grand Pontiff is holding a child. He looks about six years old. Could he be a newly accepted disciple?"
Gui Mei shook his head. "Not sure, but that's probably it. Let's report this to His Holiness the Pope!"
Soon afterward, the two headed to the Pope Palace one after the other and told Bibi Dong what they had seen.
Bibi Dong fell into thought after hearing their report.
"The three pontiffs moved out together. It seems this child is anything but ordinary!"
For those three old monsters who never left the hall to act together, the child had to be quite a talented little genius.
"Then continue investigating," Bibi Dong instructed. "Make sure nothing goes wrong."
The two generals acknowledged the order and left.
Half a day later, Qian Daoliu and the others landed in the Star Dou Great Forest one after another.
They did not land outside the outer region, but within it.
Towering, dense trees blotted out the sky, while the air was fresh and moist.
Qian Daoliu set Su Yu down on the ground. Along the way, he had briefly experienced what it had felt like to hold Jili as a child.
Though Su Yu was not truly his son, he gave Qian Daoliu the feeling of having a son.
This old man's long-silent heart had finally stirred with the slightest ripple.
"Next, let's find a Spirit Beast."
Before they began their search, Qian Daoliu pointed out a two-hundred-year-old Magic Pearl Lizard and taught Su Yu how to determine a Spirit Beast's exact age.
After confirming it, Su Yu had gained a rough introduction to the subject and had taken his first step into the world of Soul Masters. With only one Soul Ring left to obtain, he could become a Soul Grandmaster. But what kind of Spirit Beast would it be?
Next, Qian Daoliu and the other two led Su Yu in search of a suitable Spirit Beast.
As they walked, Su Yu and the three of them unanimously agreed that a Spirit Beast between five hundred and eight hundred years old would be the most suitable.
Naturally, the three did not release their powerful pressure, lest they frighten away the century-old Spirit Beasts. They could only search slowly.
The group walked through the forest for three hours. Aside from a few fire-attribute and water-attribute Spirit Beasts, there was nothing around them. Just as the four were about to pass through a patch of bushes—
A mantis suddenly sprang out from the bushes. Its enormous scythe blades gleamed with cold light and were incomparably sharp.
"Courting death."
Qian Daoliu gave a cold snort and raised a finger slightly. A ray of golden light descended, suppressing the mantis directly to the ground.
Su Yu looked at the suppressed mantis.
Its body was covered in lustrous white armor tinged with gold. Its triangular head bore a pair of gilded compound eyes, while its massive scythe blades shone with holy golden light. Soft radiance flowed over its thin wings, and its posture was upright and fierce. Yet at that moment, it was pinned to the ground, completely unable to move.
"A seven-hundred-and-twenty-year Light Blade Mantis?"
Qian Daoliu crouched down to inspect it and discovered that the mantis possessed a sacred attribute. Its scythes were truly incomparably sharp.
Azure Luan Douluo found it strange. Why had it suddenly attacked them?
He went to inspect the bushes and found a dead Mawei Rabbit, approximately three hundred years old. Looking back at the Light Blade Mantis, he instantly understood.
"Big Brother, this mantis took us for intruders. It was eating, too. We probably interrupted its meal and made it even angrier."
Azure Luan Douluo briefly explained.
"So that's how it is."
Qian Daoliu smiled calmly. "We stumbled into good fortune."
"Little Yu, make your move!"
After activating Martial Soul Possession, Su Yu summoned an Angel Holy Sword in his hand. He aimed at the Light Blade Mantis's vital point and thrust his sword forward, striking decisively without the slightest hesitation.
With one strike, he killed the Holy Blade Mantis. A yellow century-old Soul Ring slowly floated up from its corpse.
"Don't feel any psychological pressure. Absorb the Soul Ring!"
Qian Daoliu encouraged Su Yu in an exceedingly gentle tone.
Su Yu took a deep breath and sat cross-legged. He guided the Soul Ring above his head. The moment he began absorbing it, he felt tremendous pressure, but as time passed, he gradually adapted.
"Big Brother, Little Yu's starting point is far higher than Xue'er's. In the future, he may well stand alongside Xue'er and become a legend of this era."
Golden Crocodile Douluo was a living legend.
Setting aside all other factors, Golden Crocodile Douluo was the oldest person in the Worship Hall, even older than Qian Daoliu.
"Tang Hao's era has already passed. Now is the era of the young."
Qian Daoliu thought highly of Su Yu.
Aside from the three of them.
The other four pontiffs still did not know about him.
The three chatted and laughed for a while.
As time passed, the Soul Ring above Su Yu's head entered his body.
At that moment, Su Yu stepped into the Soul Master realm, and the system notification began to sound.
[ Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully breaking through to Soul Master and receiving the breakthrough reward: Nine Suns Divine Skill ]
Before Su Yu could inspect the changes in his body, the voice in his mind filled him with delight.
Nine Suns Divine Skill: Supreme yang and supreme rigidity; restrains yin cold, evil poison, and darkness. Internal power endlessly regenerates, recovery is extremely rapid, defense can rebound attacks, body protection is exceptionally strong, immune to all poisons, and especially effective against cold poison and yin poison.
The Nine Suns Divine Skill was not merely useful for the Holy Angel—it was extraordinarily useful.
Once he returned, he would cultivate it properly and see what effects it would have when combined with his abilities.
Su Yu opened his eyes, and the three gathered around to ask, "How was it?"
"My Soul Power has risen by three levels, and my first Soul Skill is Holy Light Slash. It condenses sacred power onto the sword blade or wings, then releases a crescent-shaped golden light blade that deals sacred-attribute damage. After this slash is unleashed, attack power greatly increases. After five sword strikes, the effect can stack up to three layers."
After learning the details, the three all felt that his Soul Power aptitude was quite good. The thirty percent boost to his attack attribute was also exceptionally impressive.
Six years old, level thirteen. Not bad at all.
"Good. Let's head back now."
The matter was settled, so there was no need to remain here any longer. It was time to return to Spirit Hall and arrange other matters.
"Alright!"
However, Su Yu did not ask Qian Daoliu to carry him back. Instead, he wanted to fly on his own for a while and experience the feeling of flight.
Qian Daoliu did not refuse. Flying for a while to adapt to his Martial Soul was not a bad thing.
Su Yu activated Martial Soul Possession, and a pair of golden wings emerged. With a light flap, he immediately soared into the sky.
At first, Su Yu was indeed somewhat unaccustomed to it, but after a short while, he gradually mastered the techniques of flight.
Golden Crocodile Douluo watched and burst into hearty laughter.
"Big Brother, he's far better than Xue'er and Qian Xunji were back then. He's grasped flight techniques much faster too."
Before you continue