The Hundred-Thousand-Year Devouring Demon Tree

In the Moon-Gazing Restaurant, Ning Rongrong ordered a drink and sat lost in thought, her eyes vacant.

Only after meeting Tang San and Xiao Wu had she understood what a genius truly was.

Only after someone tried to kill her had she understood why her father wanted her to train hard, win over geniuses, and find a partner with formidable fighting strength.

So influence was sometimes useless. Staying alive depended on strength.

As Ning Rongrong pondered this, she suddenly grew curious about Li Sen.

Why could Li Sen fight a Soul Saint without using his martial soul or soul power while only in his twenties, matching the strength of her grandfather, a level ninety-five Super Titled Douluo?

Why did Tang San admire Li Sen so much that hearing someone speak ill of him stirred murderous intent?

Why did Xiao Wu still say Li Sen had principles when she knew he kept women on both arms and paid for the twins' services?

Why hadn't Zhu Zhuqing run away when she knew Li Sen was such a lecher?

Why was Tang San's second soul ring a thousand-year soul ring?

The more Ning Rongrong thought, the more curious she became.

Perhaps she ought to investigate the secrets behind Tang San's thousand-year second soul ring and Li Sen's ability to fight a Soul Saint with his body alone despite looking barely twenty-something.

Thud!

A sudden sound interrupted Ning Rongrong's thoughts.

Two Soul Kings dressed in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's uniforms knelt beside her, their faces pale.

"Young miss, we arrived too late to save you. Please forgive us."

Ning Rongrong watched them in silence.

In the past, she would have ordered people to retaliate without another word.

But now... she only wanted to know exactly how strong Li Sen was, what his soul power level was, and how he had taught Tang San to surpass the age limit for his second soul ring.

"Get up. This wasn't your fault."

The two Soul Kings breathed sighs of relief, then spoke as though presenting her with a treasure.

"Please don't be angry, young miss. The two of us aren't strong enough, but we've already sent someone galloping at full speed to report this to the sect master."

"We're sure the sect will soon send people to deal with them."

Ning Rongrong was dumbfounded.

She had previously boasted to Ning Fengzhi that she would prove she could lead the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to prosperity, only to turn around and provoke both a genius and an expert comparable to a Titled Douluo.

Was she proving she could cause trouble?

That was a bit of a joke...

Once her father learned she had nearly been killed, he would certainly take action. Then the sect would gain an enemy comparable to a Titled Douluo out of nowhere.

This trip had only proved her ability to cause trouble.

Ning Rongrong sprang to her feet and said anxiously, "Xiao Wu and the others are my friends. We were only fooling around earlier.

"Hurry up and get that letter back! Otherwise, you'll be sorry!"

The two Soul Kings exchanged looks, and the agility-type Soul King immediately dashed out.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang, whom Flender had forcibly dragged away, was furious.

The moment they reached Shrek Academy and Flender released him, he roared in anger.

"Flender, what exactly are you so afraid of?"

"Li Sen was only a Soul Elder six years ago. If he can fight you now, he must have some secret to growing stronger."

"No matter what, he can't have the strength of a Soul Douluo or a Titled Douluo. Otherwise, he would have killed us both already."

Flender was speechless. "Xiaogang, apart from not using my soul skills, I already gave it everything I had. Li Sen didn't even activate his martial soul."

"I can't beat him. Even if he has a secret, we have no way to force it out of him!"

Yu Xiaogang snapped, "Then bring Zhao Wuji along!"

Nearby, Zhao Wuji happened to overhear and hastily spoke up. "Don't drag me into a suicide mission!"

Yu Xiaogang fell silent, utterly dispirited.

It was just like when he had first awakened his martial soul in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect and faced his clansmen's ridicule.

Seeing all the spirit suddenly drain out of Yu Xiaogang, Flender sighed.

They had been brothers for so many years. He still couldn't bear it.

"Xiaogang, if you really want to go after Li Sen, let's go meet up with Erlong."

"Only our three-in-one martial soul fusion skill, which rivals a Titled Douluo, would give us a chance of winning."

At the mention of Liu Erlong's name, Yu Xiaogang trembled.

She represented a devastating truth he could not face: his second uncle's daughter, the former lover he should never have loved.

Yu Xiaogang valued his reputation above all else. The thought of facing those memories of incest suppressed both his hatred for Li Sen and his curiosity about the secret.

He waved a hand. "Let me think about it."

With that, he turned and left.

In Suotuo City, Li Sen strolled leisurely through the streets, taking stock of his situation.

He had exposed his strength, so Spirit Hall would probably send someone to recruit him. Since he hadn't revealed his soul rings, he could brush them off.

His soul power would probably break through within a month, allowing him to absorb his sixth soul ring. He wondered whether there were any hundred-thousand-year plant soul beasts available.

In the original story, Dugu Yan would arrive in Suotuo City in roughly three months.

If he found a hundred-thousand-year plant soul beast or a suitable ten-thousand-year Dragon Beast during that time, his strength could rise further.

After thinking it over, Li Sen decided there was nothing he absolutely needed to do and returned to the little courtyard where the twins lived.

"You're back, Little Li!"

An aged voice rang out.

The speaker was an old man with snow-white hair and wrinkled skin.

Li Sen was somewhat surprised. The visitor was Li Kui, the grandfather of the beautiful twins Li Xin and Li Yue, a level eighty-six power attack system Soul Douluo.

"Grandpa Li, what brings you here?"

Li Sen greeted him with a smile.

Li Kui said, "I don't have much time left. I've brought you some good news, and I also need to give the soul bone in my body to my granddaughter."

Then his tone shifted, becoming teasing. "I just didn't expect to hear on the way here that you could fight a Soul Saint with your body alone."

"A Soul King fighting a Soul Saint without even using his martial soul. What a young genius."

Li Sen laughed and supported Li Kui as they walked into the courtyard.

"You flatter me, Grandpa Li. I just have a little more brute strength than most."

In the living room, Li Kui sat down and solemnly set up a soul power barrier.

"I know the location of a hundred-thousand-year Plant-Type Soul Beast, the Devouring Demon Tree. It's gravely injured and can be killed."

"I originally thought you wouldn't be able to absorb its ring for another decade or more. Now it seems your body can withstand absorbing a hundred-thousand-year soul beast's ring as your sixth soul ring."

Li Sen's pupils contracted. He shot to his feet, not even noticing the freshly brewed, scalding tea spilling onto his hand.

"Grandpa Li, what did you say? You know of a gravely injured hundred-thousand-year Plant-Type Soul Beast?"

Li Kui nodded in confirmation.

Li Sen couldn't quite make sense of it.

On the Douluo Continent, apart from an anomaly like him, a soul master's strength was determined entirely by their soul rings, soul bones, and cultivation.

A hundred-thousand-year soul beast meant hundred thousand year soul skills and a guaranteed Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone—enough to let a soul master challenge those above them and kill enemies beyond their own level.

Soul skills disappeared when their owner died, but soul bones could be passed down again and again.

Even if they were incompatible with a person's martial soul, they still provided an enormous boost to a soul master's fighting strength.

Tang Hao was one example.

For the sake of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, Spirit Hall had even fought the Clear Sky Sect.

Even if Li Kui couldn't use it himself, he could easily trade this information to Spirit Hall for status, better treatment for his granddaughters, or even treatment for his injuries.

Li Sen stared at Li Kui for a long while before speaking.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"If you gave this information to Spirit Hall, your two granddaughters would definitely receive better treatment than they would as my concubines."

"You might even be able to ask Spirit Hall's experts to help heal your injuries."

Li Kui smiled. "Spirit Hall has so many people. Its internal affairs must be as complicated as the empire's."