Training Abroad at the Great Soul Arena

"I have money, anyway. It's not like I can't afford food."

Lu Mingzi was secretly delighted. Having a rich woman bankroll him felt great; he had more Gold Soul Coins than he could spend.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared behind him.

"Who's there?!"

"It's me, Snake Lance."

The figure dropped from the tree, revealing his face. It was Qian Renxue's guard, Snake Lance Douluo.

"Senior Snake Lance, is something the matter?"

Lu Mingzi asked.

"The Great Enshrined wants to see you."

"The Great Enshrined wants to see me?"

Lu Mingzi pondered. He had just absorbed a Thousand-Year Soul Ring—and as his Second Soul Ring, no less.

A Second Soul Ring of the thousand-year class was something almost no genius on the entire continent could achieve.

A person's Second Soul Ring limit was generally below a thousand years. Absorbing one of the thousand-year class demanded extraordinary physical strength and deep mental reserves.

Perhaps that was why Qian Daoliu wanted to see him.

"That's right. It's hard to explain the details. You'd better meet the Great Enshrined yourself."

Snake Lance waved a hand and spoke helplessly.

Douluo Hall.

The hall was ancient and imposing, without lavish decorations. Almost all of it was built from stone, with fine threads of golden light interwoven across its surface.

This was Lu Mingzi's second visit, yet he still felt nervous.

The moment he entered, he felt an oppressive force that nearly took his breath away.

Without Snake Lance there, he might not have been able to move at all.

"We're here."

Snake Lance gave him a reminder, then knelt solemnly, his expression grave.

Before them stood a vast, majestic statue that gleamed gold from head to toe. Three pairs of wings spread behind it, and it held a divine sword aloft, its blade pointed at the heavens.

"You're here, young friend Lu."

Qian Daoliu's voice echoed through Douluo Hall. The solemnity Lu Mingzi had heard the first time was gone, replaced by a calm tone.

In an instant, a golden figure appeared before them. Qian Daoliu's golden hair cascaded like a waterfall, and his eyes shone with vigor.

"Junior Lu Mingzi greets Senior Qian!"

Lu Mingzi was about to kneel, but a beam of golden light wrapped around him and forcibly lifted him upright.

"No need for ceremony. I heard about your Second Soul Ring. Would you show it to this old man?"

With a flick of his finger, Qian Daoliu withdrew the golden light and spoke evenly.

"Of course."

With that, Lu Mingzi summoned the Demonfire Blade, and his Soul Rings slowly appeared beside him.

One yellow, one purple!

"Hahahaha! Good! Excellent!"

Qian Daoliu praised him again and again, unable to hide his delight.

"Young friend Lu, use your Soul Skills against me. Let me test your strength."

He tapped the air, and a shield of golden light formed around him.

"Senior, here it comes!"

"Second Soul Skill: Raging Blade Gale!"

Lu Mingzi spent the next stretch of time unleashing his Soul Skills. Qian Daoliu grew more delighted by the moment, laughing without end.

Snake Lance watched quietly from the side.

"Three strikes seem to be your limit, but that's impressive enough."

As Qian Daoliu spoke, Lu Mingzi knelt nearby, propping himself up with the Demonfire Blade.

He had unleashed his Second Soul Skill repeatedly. His stamina and Soul Power were exhausted, leaving him terribly weak.

"Young friend Lu, I'm very satisfied with your performance. You're already Xue'er's disciple, and that makes you one of the Angel Lineage."

"From now on, anyone who troubles you provokes me. Killing you would be no different from killing me."

"What's more, whatever you need, I'll give it to you unconditionally."

Lu Mingzi's heart jolted. He stared at Qian Daoliu in disbelief.

"Senior, such... such generosity—"

"You're worth it."

Qian Daoliu spoke casually, as though he had made up his mind about the boy.

After leaving Douluo Hall, Lu Mingzi received a letter from Qian Renxue.

It covered some theoretical knowledge and asked him to visit the Heaven Dou Imperial Family to meet her.

At the Heaven Dou Imperial Family's residence, Qian Renxue had taken the form of Xue Qinghe and was waiting quietly in her room.

Before long, the door opened, and a guard brought Lu Mingzi inside.

"So you're Lu Mingzi."

Xue Qinghe turned to look at him and spoke at an unhurried pace.

"Yes. You must be the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire."

Lu Mingzi's tone was just as calm. Though he knew who she was, he still had to choose his words carefully.

"I am. But I have another identity."

Xue Qinghe shed her disguise, returning to her original female form.

"Sister Xue'er?"

Lu Mingzi feigned shock.

"Since Grandfather thinks so highly of you, there's no need for me to keep hiding."

"Come with me."

Qian Renxue led Lu Mingzi into an empty secret chamber.

Holy shit, a secret chamber?

She isn't going to do something to me, is she?

Lu Mingzi surveyed it warily. The chamber was sealed tight and extremely well hidden, almost impossible to discover.

"I was sent here when I was young. I've spent decades undercover for Spirit Hall's grand plan."

Qian Renxue's golden hair swayed as she gently told him her story, guilt in her eyes as she looked at Lu Mingzi.

"I was happy when you became my disciple. It was the first time I'd seen someone have such faith in me. But I have a mission to carry."

"Because of that mission, I can hardly spare time to teach you. Perhaps I can only help you a little when you hunt Soul Beasts."

She felt guilty that she had not been able to properly help her disciple. Her mission and the plan had bound her freedom.

"Sister Xue'er, this is enough."

Lu Mingzi was moved. He had not expected Qian Renxue to trust him so much.

She had even revealed an identity as important as Xue Qinghe to him of her own accord.

"If I spend my whole life studying mechanically without putting anything into practice or fighting, I'll be no different from the living dead."

"I plan to go to the Balak Kingdom, settle somewhere near the Star Dou Great Forest, and train for six years."

"And I don't need any guards."

Six years was when Tang San would graduate—and when he would join Shrek Academy.

That was not why Lu Mingzi had chosen to train for six years, though.

His main goal was to grow stronger and improve his two Soul Rings along the way.

If he cultivated under Qian Renxue's protection, he would have little chance to develop his Soul Rings through deduction.

He did not want anyone to know about Deep Blue.

"Six years? Then... I won't see you for a very long time, will I?"

Qian Renxue's expression changed sharply.

"No. Six years will pass in the blink of an eye. Goodbye."

With that, Lu Mingzi turned and left the secret chamber, leaving Qian Renxue behind, her face dim with sadness.

After saying goodbye to Qian Renxue, Lu Mingzi boarded a carriage and traveled with a merchant caravan to the Balak Kingdom.

He had only two goals for this journey: grow stronger and keep watch on the main cast's movements so he could lay his plans ahead of time.

He was not sure whether his arrival would disrupt the original timeline.

That was why he needed to make certain he could overpower Tang San.

If he did not want to join the main cast, his only choice was to become a villain.

As the saying went, better to be Xiao Yan's lackey than Tang San's brother.

Tang San was a two-faced hypocrite!

Suotuo City, Balak Kingdom.

"Who would've thought this would be my first stop?"

Lu Mingzi stepped out of the carriage. Traffic flowed along the busy street, where a magnificent building towered above everything else.

The Great Soul Arena was black and silver throughout. A place where Soul Masters fought, the enormous building stood nearly a hundred meters tall.

"Hello. I'd like to register."

He went to the front desk and signed up for one-on-one Soul Fighting.

"The registration fee is ten Gold Soul Coins. I'll need a name."

A staff member briefly explained the rules and showed him around the Great Soul Arena.

"Call me... Heavenly Demon."

Lu Mingzi placed ten Gold Soul Coins on the desk, took his Soul Fighting badge, and went to a private room.

He had paid for the room himself.

Before long, a staff member came in and placed his opponent's information on the table.

"Hmm... what's this?"

"Evil-Eyed White Tiger?"