A Titled Douluo at Twenty-Three Shocks Yue Guan and Gui Mei

"I heard you're an Independent Soul Master?"

Yue Guan's expression turned serious. A flicker passed through his eyes before he spoke again. "Fortunately, Spirit Hall welcomes people from all walks of life. We've never cared about a Soul Master's background. As long as you have the strength, you can rise through the ranks. Would you be willing to join Spirit Hall?"

Join Spirit Hall?

Hu Liena brightened at once. So she had misunderstood Elder Yue Guan.

Yue Guan was no fool. He was the elder in charge of Spirit Hall's punishments and one of its main pillars. He had spent decades building his position there, and most external affairs were decided by Bibi Dong and the elders.

It was true that Huo Yuhao had injured Yan.

But that also proved the boy was far stronger than Yan, not to mention his heaven-defying Soul Ring Configuration.

An Eight-Ring Soul Douluo nearly the same age as the Golden Generation—calling him a peerless monster would hardly be an exaggeration.

If they did not bring such a monster into Spirit Hall, were they supposed to settle accounts with him instead? Give Spirit Hall a mysterious, powerful new enemy for nothing?

Yan could only blame his injury on his own lack of ability. In a world that revered the strong, strength could stand for everything.

Huo Yuhao, meanwhile, frowned slightly. He had thought they were here to make trouble for him. Now it seemed Yue Guan wanted to put a little pressure on him first, then offer him a graceful way out.

It seemed Spirit Hall's elders were not as mindless as the Douluo history books made them out to be, using Spirit Hall's power to bully every major faction on the continent.

The one before him had some brains, at least.

The history books seemed rather far removed from reality. After all, the so-called histories of Douluo had been written by the victors.

Fortunately, Huo Yuhao had already considered choosing Spirit Hall. This could hardly have gone more smoothly, and he had no particularly good reason to refuse.

"Join Spirit Hall? I'm just not sure I'm qualified."

Huo Yuhao smiled politely, then added with tact, "I'm used to being on my own, after all. I don't like being tied down..."

"That's no problem. Spirit Hall won't restrict any Soul Master's freedom, especially a powerful Soul Master's."

Yue Guan smiled. But as he looked at Huo Yuhao's two blood-red Soul Rings, the corners of his eyes twitched twice. Not qualified?

Would you have two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings if you weren't qualified?

Only His Holiness the Pope, Bibi Dong, possessed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring in all of Spirit Hall. And this boy claimed he did not know whether he was qualified.

Shaken though he was, Yue Guan showed the composure expected of a Spirit Hall elder. "In that case, once the young mistress has obtained her Soul Ring, come back to Spirit Hall with us. Gui Mei and I will introduce you to His Holiness the Pope."

"Mm."

Huo Yuhao nodded with a smile, then glanced awkwardly at Yan, who was climbing to his feet nearby with a livid face. "I didn't mean to hurt this brother just now. I'm truly sorry."

Yue Guan did not seem concerned. "Don't worry too much about Yan. We saw everything that happened. As long as you're strong enough, you'll earn everyone's respect."

Yan: "..."

Yue Guan said, "Now then, since you're willing to join Spirit Hall, it's time you told us a little more about yourself."

"Mm."

Huo Yuhao nodded and channeled his Soul Power, entering Martial Soul Possession.

Before Yue Guan and the others' astonished eyes, Huo Yuhao's gaze suddenly changed. The ordinary color faded from his pupils, and a deep violet-gold glimmer spread through his eyes. His gaze grew profound, as though it held an endless starry sky.

Wisps of pale-purple spiritual light drifted outward from his eyes. The air warped faintly as invisible spiritual waves spread from him.

He was not foolish enough to reveal his Triple Martial Souls. He showed only his First Martial Soul, the Spiritual Eyes.

The instant he released it, an intense pressure from the Spiritual Eyes bore down on them.

Yue Guan's and Gui Mei's eyes narrowed.

A top-tier Martial Soul? Perhaps even more than that.

What kind of Martial Soul was this? His eyes?

"Huo Yuhao. Twenty-three years old. Level 92 Control-Type Battle Spirit Master. Title: Spirit Ice Douluo!"

After stating his strength, Huo Yuhao added, "My Martial Soul is the Spiritual Eyes. It's neither a Tool Martial Soul nor a Beast Martial Soul. Strictly speaking, it should count as a Mutated Body Martial Soul."

"Level 92. Very good... Wait!"

Yue Guan had not even finished speaking when his pupils contracted violently. He stared at Huo Yuhao, his voice trembling. "Title... Spirit Ice? You're a... Titled Douluo!"

Yue Guan was not the only one startled. Hu Liena and the others sucked in sharp breaths as well.

At first, seeing Huo Yuhao's eight rings, they had all assumed he was a monstrous talent who had just become a Soul Douluo. Now he was telling them he was a Level 92 Titled Douluo.

But he clearly had only eight Soul Rings!

And what kind of Martial Soul was a Body Martial Soul? It was not even mentioned in the Soul Master World's Ten Core Competitive Theories!

"Stunned" was no longer enough to describe what they felt.

They were breathless.

A Titled Douluo at twenty-three—the impact of those words was even more maddening than his two blood-red Soul Rings. Soul Rings could be gained through opportunity and effort, but the title of Titled Douluo was another matter.

The youngest Titled Douluo in history, Tang Hao, had only broken through at forty-four.

The man before them had done it twenty-one years earlier than Tang Hao!

Heavens!

Was a person truly capable of such cultivation talent?

He was a monster!

"Level 92? A Titled Douluo?"

Shock remained on Yue Guan's face, and the corners of his eyes twitched wildly. "But why do you only have eight Soul Rings? Without a ninth Soul Ring, how could your Soul Power possibly break through Level 90?"

"Well..."

Huo Yuhao withdrew his Martial Soul, unsure how to explain.

After all, cultivation methods ten thousand years in the future were vastly different from those of the present.

A traditional Soul Master at the peak of the Soul Douluo realm did indeed need to kill a Soul Beast and use a ninth Soul Ring to break through the Level 90 barrier. But Huo Yuhao used Soul Spirits rather than obtaining Soul Rings by hunting and killing Soul Beasts. Soul Spirits could continue evolving on their own; he did not need to kill another Soul Beast for a new Soul Ring.

As for becoming a Titled Douluo, he had taken the path of Second Soul Core Condensation.

Put simply, he had condensed an Ultimate Ice Soul Core on top of the Spiritual Soul Core already formed in his dantian. One core held spiritual power, the other ice power. Rotating in opposing yin and yang cycles, they catalyzed each other and squeezed every last bit of potential from the Soul Spirits within him. That had forcibly torn through the Level 90 barrier, allowing his Soul Power to reach the Titled Douluo realm first.

"Ah, I understand."

Seeing Huo Yuhao's troubled expression, Yue Guan realized he had asked too much and hurried to explain. "It's all right. Everyone has their secrets. I was too forward."

Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded. "Thank you for understanding."

"Ahem!"

Yue Guan cleared his throat awkwardly and looked toward Hu Liena, who seemed quietly delighted herself. "Young mistress, I'm afraid we'll have to postpone helping you obtain your Soul Ring. I think we should return to Spirit Hall at once."

Huo Yuhao was simply too powerful and too mysterious.

It was rare enough that he had agreed to join Spirit Hall. Helping Hu Liena obtain a Soul Ring no longer seemed quite so important.

"I think so too."

Hu Liena nodded furiously, like a chick pecking at grain, then turned to give Huo Yuhao a long look. His air of mystery had completely captivated her. "Come on, Yuhao. I'll take you to meet my teacher."