Four Years Later, Leaving Spirit Hall

Bibi Dong's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help taking another look at Qin Yu.

Yet there was none of Chrysanthemum Douluo's soft, feminine air about him. He simply had the bearing of a well-read young man.

"Phew."

For some reason, seeing Qin Yu as his usual self made Bibi Dong breathe a sigh of relief.

Qin Yu had no idea what "terrifying thought" had just crossed Bibi Dong's mind. If he had, he would have set her straight, even at the risk of angering her.

At that moment, Qin Yu was still absorbed in the Flora Compendium.

Bibi Dong did not leave. She picked up a book and began reading beside him.

But her mind was nowhere near the page. Her gaze kept drifting to Qin Yu, and she found herself staring at his scholarly face.

The first few times she had seen him, he had reminded her of that person.

Over time, she had realized Qin Yu was different.

In looks, bearing, expression, and everything else, Qin Yu surpassed that person many times over.

If I had taken him as my disciple back then...

Bibi Dong couldn't help recalling the day Qin Yu's martial soul had awakened.

If she had cared less about Qin Yu being a boy and taken him as her second disciple, would that have been a good choice?

A faint trace of regret rose in Bibi Dong's heart.

Qin Yu... was different from everyone else.

"Your Holiness, I'll head back now."

Qin Yu's voice brought Bibi Dong back to her senses.

"Hm? You're not going to read here?" Bibi Dong asked without thinking.

If you'd stop staring at me like that, I'd definitely stay.

Qin Yu complained inwardly, but his face remained composed. He nodded. "I want to focus on the Flora Compendium for the next few days, so I won't keep coming back and forth."

"Your Holiness, sorry for the trouble, but please let my senior know I've left."

With that, Qin Yu gave Bibi Dong no chance to respond. He grabbed the Flora Compendium and fled.

Watching him retreat as though escaping, Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes and murmured, "You... seem rather afraid of me?"

She had been in a good mood.

But Qin Yu's departure left her more than a little irritated.

Bibi Dong put the book back. She no longer felt like reading.

She passed row after row of shelves and came to Hu Liena's side. After watching her study intently for a moment, she asked, "Nana, how many dragon scales does the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon have?"

"What?"

"If you can't answer, you don't get lunch."

"Huh?!"

Hu Liena stared at Bibi Dong, eyes wide with disbelief.

Her expression seemed to say: Even if I were trying to make trouble, I couldn't come up with a question like that.

Meanwhile.

After returning to the Worship Hall, Qin Yu ate a quick lunch, then buried himself in the Flora Compendium and threw himself into studying.

Once he had memorized its descriptions of the Immortal Herbs, he would have a solid foundation.

After that, he could start putting his plans into motion, step by step.

Now that I'm Spirit Hall's Holy Son, it would be a shame not to unify Douluo Continent. Ambition blazed in Qin Yu's eyes.

He had talent, backing, connections, and even the advantage of knowing what lay ahead. He could plan for the entire continent.

Besides, Spirit Hall had already laid the groundwork for unifying the continent.

As its Holy Son, he only needed to build on that foundation, put in a little effort, and finish the job.

The thought filled Qin Yu with drive, and he absorbed the contents of the Flora Compendium faster and faster.

The days that followed went much the same way.

They were a little dull, but his cultivation advanced rapidly, and his strength grew at a frightening pace.

Aside from his regular training, Qin Yu often made time to find people at Spirit Academy and Spirit Hall for sparring matches.

He sparred with Hu Liena more often than anyone else.

As a result, they grew increasingly close—closer than ordinary friends, with something between them that was hard to pin down.

But while sparring or chatting with Hu Liena, he ran into Bibi Dong several times. Whether it was coincidence or something else, he couldn't say.

That woman seemed to have developed a taste for "teasing" him.

Qin Yu was speechless, but there was nothing he could say. He certainly didn't dare tease her back, so he kept score in his heart for a future payback.

Fortunately, Bibi Dong never went beyond "teasing" him. She did nothing truly excessive.

Life like that was bearable enough.

Day after day, year after year, four years passed in the blink of an eye.

Four years later.

The Holy Son's courtyard in the Worship Hall.

Roar!

With a roar, half of Qin Yu's body transformed into a dragon's. An aura of destruction swirled around every dark purple scale.

Three Soul Rings descended—one yellow, one purple, and one black—each flashing with a different light.

Though his Soul Power was only at level thirty-five, Qin Yu's aura was more fearsome than that of an ordinary Soul King.

Whoosh!

The Storage Ring on Qin Yu's right hand flashed, and a silver Fang Tian Halberd over three meters long appeared in his grip. It was the Heaven Dragon Halberd.

Qin Yu swung the Heaven Dragon Halberd in a series of practiced moves. Its terrifying force drove a heavy rush through the air.

Each swing stirred the air around him, sending fallen leaves and dust whirling within several meters.

An hour later, Qin Yu finished his halberd practice for the day and withdrew from his Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon Martial Soul Possession.

"Phew."

Qin Yu let out a long breath and murmured, "I can use the Heaven Dragon Halberd proficiently now, even during Martial Soul Possession."

"With both together, I should be able to fight a Soul King, maybe even a Soul Emperor."

In four years, Qin Yu's strength had risen sharply. Not only had he reached level thirty-five as a Soul Elder, he had also absorbed a ten-thousand-year third Soul Ring.

The ring had come from a fifteen-thousand-year-old Rock Demon Dragon, a rare Earth Dragon he had hunted in the Spirit Forest.

After absorbing its Soul Ring, Qin Yu had gained his third Soul Skill.

Purple Brilliant Demon Dragon Body tripled his strength and defense while granting him immunity to control effects.

The Soul Skill had improved his close-quarters combat ability yet again.

Qin Yu had also used the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon's Devouring Ability to consume the Rock Demon Dragon's bloodline.

The Rock Demon Dragon was only an Earth Dragon, so its bloodline was not especially powerful. Even so, it had strengthened the Dragon bloodline within Qin Yu by a little.

"It's about time. I should leave Spirit Hall and see what I can make of myself out there."

Qin Yu drained the tea on the table, then went into the building's bathroom to wash and tidy himself up.

Before long, a handsome young man emerged.

Four years had changed Qin Yu's looks and bearing considerably. He had matured early and looked like a grown man.

He stood over 1.85 meters tall. His fine black robes were embroidered with gold thread, his belt was set with gems, and his black boots bore armored fittings.

His long black hair was bound beneath a crown, with a few loose strands lending him a slightly stern air.

His face was strikingly handsome, every feature seemingly sculpted with painstaking care.

His lips were slightly thin, his nose straight and high, and his swordlike brows swept toward his temples. His purple eyes held an air of nobility and mystery.