Qian Renxue: Three minutes. I want everything on Ye Han

Ye Han's expression did not flicker. His voice remained steady as he answered truthfully:

"Senior, I have just turned twelve. My soul power cultivation... has only just reached the threshold of level forty."

As his words fell, the air in the room seemed to freeze.

Ning Fengzhi, who had worn a warm smile until then, abruptly narrowed his pupils, unable to conceal the shock on his face.

His fingertips unconsciously tapped the armrest as he murmured, "Twelve years old... level forty?"

He could not help thinking of his daughter, Ning Rongrong.

Rongrong had possessed level-nine innate soul power. Despite his meticulous nurturing and the sect pouring its resources into her, her soul power was still only at level twenty-five.

He had been rather proud of that, believing his daughter to be among the finest geniuses of her age.

But compared to the boy before him... the gulf between them was truly staggering.

Once Ye Han finished speaking, only Xue Qinghe, who already knew his background, managed to maintain an outward calm. Identical expressions of horror rose on the faces of Ning Fengzhi and his two companions.

Xue Qinghe had previously read the dossier on Ye Han's background submitted by Prince Xue Xing. He knew that Ye Han had broken through level thirty-two and successfully obtained his third soul ring two years earlier.

Even with that forewarning, hearing that the boy had reached the level-forty bottleneck just after turning twelve still sent a tremor through his heart.

Standing beside Ye Han, Dugu Bo took in their stunned faces and could not help feeling a little pleased with himself.

Bone Douluo Gu Rong abruptly rose from his chair, his towering frame carrying a heavy sense of pressure.

He scrutinized Ye Han from head to toe, then blurted out a curse:

"Damn... did I hear that right? Twelve years old, level forty? Kid, even if you started meditating in your mother's womb, you shouldn't have progressed this fast!"

His voice boomed like a great bell, filled with incredulous doubt.

Dugu Bo's face immediately darkened. He stepped half a pace forward, shielding Ye Han behind him, and fixed Bone Douluo with his cold, emerald serpent eyes.

"Old Bones, what is that supposed to mean? What are you trying to do?"

The atmosphere in the room instantly grew taut.

Xue Qinghe hurriedly rose from the seat of honor to mediate:

"Senior Bone Douluo meant no harm. Please calm yourself, Senior Poison Douluo."

He turned toward Ye Han, the gentle smile still on his face, though a probing look had entered his eyes.

"Still, Ye Han, even I am curious about how you attained such soul power at your age.

According to the records, even peerless prodigies with innate full soul power rarely reach such a realm at your age.

How do you normally cultivate? If you don't mind, perhaps you could tell us and ease my curiosity."

For a moment, every gaze in the room converged on Ye Han once more.

Facing their expectant looks, Ye Han fell silent briefly, as though considering his words.

After a moment, he looked up and spoke under their scrutiny in a matter-of-fact tone that even carried a trace of innocence:

"I just... meditate on schedule every day and keep refining my soul power. As I keep cultivating... I naturally break through."

"What's strange about that? Isn't that how all of you cultivate?"

His voice was calm and his expression earnest, as though he were describing the most ordinary little thing in the world.

This time, everyone else fell silent.

Seeing their reaction, Dugu Bo burst into laughter.

"You keep cultivating and naturally break through? The way you put it..."

Laughing, Dugu Bo gave Ye Han's shoulder several heavy pats, striking hard enough to make the boy sway.

The others did not know the details, but he understood them perfectly.

During this time, Ye Han had cultivated with an intensity bordering on obsession.

Beyond his daily soul power meditation, he had been ruthlessly demanding in tempering himself.

Dugu Bo still remembered the several sparring sessions Ye Han had requested. More than once, the boy had lost consciousness during their exchanges, and had even suffered grievous injuries that left him on the verge of death.

Were it not for the extraordinary recovery granted by his special body martial soul, along with the aid of Ye Linyuan, a top-tier healing Soul Douluo,

an ordinary Soul Master suffering injuries as severe and frequent as Ye Han's could forget about continuing to cultivate. Whether they could even stay alive would have been uncertain.

In Dugu Bo's eyes, the boy was practically piling up his cultivation gains with his own life.

Before long, Sword Douluo shifted his gaze away from Ye Han and onto Dugu Bo.

His sword-sharp eyes narrowed slightly as he examined him, and undisguised surprise gradually surfaced on his face.

Most of Dugu Bo's trademark long emerald hair had turned snow-white, with only a little dark green remaining at the tips.

Even more surprising was how much richer and heavier the soul power fluctuations radiating from Dugu Bo had become.

The old poisoner's cultivation must have advanced considerably!

Dugu Bo paid no mind to Sword Douluo's unabashed scrutiny. Instead, he raised his chin slightly, looking rather pleased with himself.

With his strength greatly increased, he naturally had far more confidence.

In a fight to the death, he believed he would still be no match for Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo, but he had his own cards to play.

Tempered by the earth dragon golden melon, and further concentrated through the gathering and refinement of his own toxins, his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor venom was far more potent than before.

If it came down to life or death, he might not defeat the two men before him, but he was utterly certain that no one other than the Titled Douluos would leave this place alive!

His mastery of poison was no joke.

After a few more exchanges, the banquet with its subtle undercurrents came to an end.

On the surface, at least, host and guests had enjoyed themselves.

As though suddenly remembering something, Xue Qinghe took an object from inside his robes and offered it to Ye Han.

"Take this token."

It was a palm-sized gold token, simple in design yet possessing an unmistakably regal air.

The gold token felt warm and smooth to the touch, with a faint current of unusual energy flowing within it. A boldly engraved character for "Heaven" adorned its face.

Looking at the gold token held out before him, Ye Han hesitated and did not immediately reach for it.

Ning Fengzhi spoke at just the right moment. "Ye Han, there is no need for concern. This is not an official court token, merely a personal possession of His Highness the Crown Prince. It represents his regard for you. Carrying it will make many things easier for you within Heaven Dou territory. There is no other intention behind it."

Only after hearing Ning Fengzhi's explanation did Ye Han nod and accept the gold token with both hands. He bowed again. "Thank you, Your Highness."

Xue Qinghe nodded lightly and said no more.

Dugu Bo immediately rose with Ye Han to take their leave. He still needed to make the most of their time and accompany Ye Han to obtain his fourth soul ring.

Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo departed in succession, turning into two streaks of light as they returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's base within the city.

In the blink of an eye,

only Ning Fengzhi and his disciple, Xue Qinghe, remained in the secluded private room.

Once everyone had left, the room grew quiet.

Ning Fengzhi looked up at Xue Qinghe across from him and slowly asked, "Qinghe, what do you think of this boy, Ye Han?"

A trace of complicated emotion flickered through the eyes of Xue Qinghe—or rather, Qian Renxue in disguise—while her face retained the composure and gentle refinement expected of the crown prince.

After a moment's consideration, she answered, "Teacher, his talent is astonishing. A twelve-year-old Quasi-Soul Ancestor... with cultivation speed like that, I doubt there is another like him anywhere on the continent, let alone in the Heaven Dou Empire."

She paused, then continued with what she had observed earlier. "But his mind is devoted entirely to cultivation, without distraction. He even seems reluctant to interact with outsiders. Judging by his words and actions, he is more like a cultivator wholly devoted to pursuing his path."

She did not tell Ning Fengzhi that even compared with every record held within Spirit Hall, Ye Han's attainment of the level-forty bottleneck at twelve was still nothing short of shocking.

As far as she knew, even the Golden Generation Bibi Dong had spared no effort in nurturing had been far behind Ye Han at his age.

Ning Fengzhi unconsciously tapped the tabletop with his fingertips in agreement:

"Indeed. In my judgment, his talent may even surpass that of Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao, whose name once shook the continent."

"You think that highly of him, Teacher?" A note of surprise entered Xue Qinghe's voice.

The conversation took a turn, carrying a hint of admiration. "The boy is remarkably composed, thoughtful, and measured in his responses. He is nothing like a boy barely into his teens."

In Ning Fengzhi's view, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had already missed the best opportunity to win Ye Han over.

The Heaven Dou Imperial Family clearly valued him greatly and had long since laid the groundwork of personal ties.

Had Xue Qinghe not been his disciple, he would not even have known that a genius like Ye Han was hidden in Heaven Dou City.

After a few more brief exchanges, Ning Fengzhi rose to take his leave.

After seeing her teacher off, "Xue Qinghe" returned alone to the bedchamber in the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.

The doors slowly closed, shutting out the sounds from outside. The customary gentle smile gradually faded from her face, and her eyes grew deep and unreadable.

Just then, the shadows inside the bedchamber rippled slightly. A figure emerged soundlessly and knelt on one knee.

The newcomer was Snake Lance Douluo She Long.

With a respectful expression, he stepped forward and presented a thick stack of dossiers. "Young Master, these are all the investigation reports on Ye Han that you requested."

"Xue Qinghe," who was in fact Qian Renxue, lowered her gaze to the stack of dossiers. Her eyes darkened slightly as she reached out to take them.

Qian Renxue lowered her head and carefully leafed through the hard-won intelligence, sinking into thought.

With the Three Education Committee Members of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy lending their support, the academy had sealed away all information concerning Ye Han so tightly that not a breath could escape.

Even the file on Ye Han that she had specifically sent She Long to retrieve from Spirit Hall headquarters was already badly out of date.

In Spirit Hall's Soul Master registry, Ye Han was still listed as having only his first soul ring.

It was all old information from years ago, long since overtaken by his current circumstances.

At this point, Qian Renxue shook her head lightly, though inwardly she felt fortunate that she had changed her appearance and assumed Xue Qinghe's identity.

Otherwise, even if she had remained within Spirit Hall, she would probably have been just as ignorant of the boy's true circumstances as Pope Bibi Dong.

"Young Master, how should we deal with this Ye Han?"

She Long lowered his head toward Qian Renxue, a thread of icy killing intent woven into his voice. "Should I act now and eliminate him?"