Qin Ming: You finally broke through to level forty, kid

"Ptooey! Ptooey!"

"You really don't pull your punches, kid!"

Dugu Bo crawled out of the bushes and spat out a mouthful of dirt, looking thoroughly bedraggled.

But he wasn't angry. On the contrary, he was delighted.

He hadn't expected that move from Ye Han.

With the Fire Qilin fighting outside his body, Ye Han himself could hold his own as well.

He had completely patched up his weakness.

"Ye Han, your approach to fighting with a detached Martial Soul has truly taken shape. Judging by the strength you just displayed, you wouldn't be at a disadvantage even against some Soul Saints using their Martial Soul Avatars."

"In fact, most Soul Saints probably wouldn't be a match for the Fire Qilin."

The more Dugu Bo spoke, the more impressed he became, and the more satisfied his gaze grew as he looked at Ye Han.

Before long, the two returned to Heaven Dou City.

Upon reaching the little courtyard, Ye Han pushed open the wooden door and walked inside.

A faint fragrance drifted toward him.

"Ye Han?"

Ye Lingling reacted first, coming over to greet him in delight. "You're back?"

"Yes, I just came out of seclusion."

Ye Han nodded gently.

Ye Lingling's gaze swept over him, as though she had noticed something unusual. "Has your... Soul power broken through again?"

Before Ye Han could answer, brisk footsteps sounded from the backyard.

Dugu Yan poked her head out, blinking her emerald eyes. Delight immediately spread across her face. "Ye Han? You're finally back! We haven't seen hide nor hair of you in almost half a year!"

She strode over and patted Ye Han's shoulder, a hint of reproach in her voice. "I thought you were going to stay at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and refuse to come out until the Soul Master Tournament began."

"Of course not." Ye Han chuckled. "I had to come back and let you know I was safe."

As his words fell, he willed it with a thought.

A flash of red light suddenly appeared, and the Fire Qilin materialized in the front hall.

Rumble~

A low rumble rose from the Fire Qilin's throat, as though he wasn't quite accustomed to the cramped room.

"This... this is..."

Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan froze at the same time.

"He... evolved?"

He hadn't been so big before, and his scales hadn't been this color.

Ye Han smiled and nodded.

They moved to the backyard and sat down.

Ye Lingling boiled water and brewed tea, pouring everyone a cup.

Ye Han lifted his cup and took a sip before asking, "Sister Lingling, Sister Yanyan, how have things been at the academy lately?"

"How else could they be?" Dugu Yan pursed her lips. "Teacher Qin talks about building team coordination every day, but we can never get everyone together."

She paused, as though remembering something. "Oh, right. Yu Tianheng returned from his clan a few days ago."

Ye Han raised his eyes. "Did his soul power break through?"

"Yes." Ye Lingling took over. "Not only did he break through, he's already reached the level-forty bottleneck. He said his clan allocated quite a few cultivation resources to him during this visit."

Hearing this, Ye Han pondered silently.

According to the original course of events he remembered, Yu Tianheng shouldn't have reached level thirty-nine for more than another year.

Yet now, he had already reached the threshold of level forty ahead of schedule.

Although the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had piled resources into him, it was clear that Yu Tianheng himself had received quite a jolt of motivation.

"Teacher Qin plans to lead us to the Star Dou Great Forest together to help Yu Tianheng hunt for his fourth soul ring," Dugu Yan said. "Getting the soul ring is the main objective, but we'll also polish our teamwork along the way."

She looked at Ye Han, her expression serious. "The Soul Master Tournament will begin soon, so we have to prepare in advance. This trip to the Star Dou Great Forest will be the perfect chance to test our coordination, identify the team's weaknesses, and patch up as many as we can."

Ye Han nodded slightly.

“My cultivation happens to be stuck at a bottleneck too, so I'll come along.” Ye Han set down his teacup and spoke with a smile.

Dugu Yan's eyes lit up. "You're going to get your fifth soul ring too?"

“Yes.” Ye Han didn't hide it. “I've been stuck at the level-fifty bottleneck for a while now.”

Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan exchanged a glance, a trace of helplessness in both their eyes.

This fellow's cultivation speed defied all reason.

The Three Education Committee Members valued him greatly. They had stepped forward to support him last time, so Ye Han owed them a favor.

No matter what, he had to help Heaven Dou Royal Academy win the Soul Master Tournament championship, as repayment for the Three Education Committee Members' kindness.

Since he had chosen Heaven Dou Royal Academy as his stepping stone, he naturally had to deliver results worthy of it.

And for the academy, the Soul Master Tournament championship was undoubtedly the best return he could offer.

Dugu Bo listened to the young people talking beside him without offering to accompany them.

As the only person who had fought the Fire Qilin so far, no one understood its current combat strength better than Dugu Bo.

They were merely going to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for soul rings. As long as Ye Han didn't take it upon himself to force his way into the forest's core, he and the Fire Qilin would be more than strong enough to keep him safe.

Before long, Ye Han returned to Heaven Dou Royal Academy with Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan.

It was afternoon, and several teams were scattered across the training grounds, conducting combat drills.

Qin Ming stood at the edge of the grounds, talking with the Shi Brothers. Hearing footsteps, he turned and visibly froze when he saw Ye Han.

“Ye Han?” Qin Ming sounded surprised. “You're back?”

“Teacher Qin.” Ye Han stepped forward and bowed slightly in greeting.

Qin Ming studied him, looking rather reflective.

Ye Han had left a deep impression on him. He had been enrolled for quite some time, yet the days he had actually spent at the academy could be counted on one's fingers.

In the eyes of Qin Ming and the other teachers, Ye Han had spent most of the past two years cultivating outside with Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, rarely appearing at the academy.

"Have you come back for something in particular?" Qin Ming asked.

“Yes,” Ye Han replied directly. “I heard you're planning to lead the team to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for Yu Tianheng's fourth soul ring. I'd like to join this soul-hunting operation.”

He paused briefly, his tone steady. "My cultivation has also reached a bottleneck, and I need a soul ring to break through."

After hearing this, Qin Ming understood and nodded thoughtfully.

"I see." He sighed with feeling. "More than two years ago, shortly after you enrolled, your soul power broke through to level thirty. I never imagined your cultivation would remain so rapid after passing level thirty, and that you'd be pushing for level forty so soon."

He looked at Ye Han, his eyes filled with approval. “In that case, come with us. It'll be a good opportunity for you all to coordinate and familiarize yourselves with one another's abilities. With the Soul Master Tournament approaching, building teamwork is crucial.”

Hearing Qin Ming's words, Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan exchanged a glance behind Ye Han, then couldn't help covering their mouths and chuckling.

Teacher Qin had misunderstood. Ye Han's current cultivation was nowhere near merely level forty.

Ye Han didn't correct him. He simply nodded. “Then I'll leave the arrangements to you, Teacher Qin.”

He could let the misunderstanding stand. He had no intention of explaining; Qin Ming would find out later anyway.

During a lull in the conversation, Ye Han focused his mind and sensed the fluctuations of soul power flowing through Qin Ming.

After consuming the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew and awakening his Qilin Eyes, his spiritual power far surpassed that of Soul Masters at his level. Even though Qin Ming was a Soul Emperor just above level sixty, Ye Han could sense his soul power fluctuations perfectly clearly.

Qin Ming's soul power indicated that he had only recently broken through to level sixty.

But if Ye Han remembered correctly, Teacher Qin Ming's fifth soul ring wasn't a ten-thousand-year one, but merely a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

His soul ring configuration was somewhat weaker than those of other Soul Emperors.

In terms of the number of Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings, Qin Ming was actually the same as Ye Han, a Quasi-Soul King: each possessed only one.

Naturally, Qin Ming couldn't guess what Ye Han was thinking.

He raised his hands and clapped, calling over everyone else practicing on the training grounds.

The Shi Brothers, Yu Feng, Osler, and Yu Tianheng, who had recently returned from his clan, soon gathered beside Qin Ming.

When Yu Tianheng saw Ye Han, his eyes suddenly brightened, but he quickly regained his composure and merely gave Ye Han a slight nod in greeting.

"Everyone is here." Qin Ming swept his gaze over the eight students present and spoke solemnly. "Our primary objective on this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest is to find suitable fourth soul rings for Tian Heng and Ye Han."

"At the same time, this is a crucial opportunity for our team to build coordination before the Soul Master Tournament begins. Everyone must follow instructions. Acting on your own is strictly forbidden. Understood?"

"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.

After hearing Qin Ming finish,

Yu Tianheng immediately brimmed with energy.

He instinctively glanced at Ye Han, a clear fighting spirit in his eyes. "Ye Han, once we've both obtained our fourth soul rings and returned to the academy, let's spar again. This time, I gained... quite a lot from my trip back to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."

Partway through his words, Yu Tianheng's expression involuntarily darkened, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

Clearly, the time he had spent in secluded, arduous cultivation at his clan hadn't been a pleasant experience.

Ye Han smiled faintly, his tone calm. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Hearing Yu Tianheng's words, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling's expressions turned rather peculiar.

Yu Tianheng clearly still didn't know Ye Han's true cultivation level. They wondered whether he would remain so full of fighting spirit once he learned the truth.

Qin Ming waved a hand. "Since everyone understands, go back and prepare. Make sure you have all the antidotes and healing medicines you need. Gather at the academy gates tomorrow morning, and we'll set out!"

"Yes!"

Everyone answered and dispersed.