The Spirit Hall Soul Saint's brazen provocation was like a boulder hurled into a tranquil lake, throwing the entire Heaven Dou Royal Academy into an uproar.
Already stirred by the news that Lin Chen had slain a Soul Emperor, the students now burned with fury and fighting spirit. Their gazes upon him grew all the more resolute. Far from being cowed by Spirit Hall's threats, they were driven by an even fiercer desire to win.
The dean and several senior officials stood before the academy gates, staring in the direction the Spirit Hall Soul Saint had departed, their expressions dark as storm-laden waters.
"Spirit Hall is far too arrogant! They dared come straight to our gates to provoke us. They clearly have no regard for the Heaven Dou Royal Academy!" one senior official said angrily, soul power surging around him as he suppressed his rage.
The vice dean sighed softly, his expression grave. "Spirit Hall is so powerful now that even the Two Great Empires must treat them with caution. They know the tournament is imminent and we won't readily tear away all pretense of civility. That is why they act with such impunity. Our only course now is to help the students grow stronger as quickly as possible and defeat them fair and square in the tournament. Only then can we wash away today's humiliation."
The dean nodded slightly, his gaze settling on Lin Chen as he spoke solemnly. "Lin Chen, come with me to the study. Everyone else, disperse and begin your pre-tournament training immediately. All cultivation resources will be supplied without limit!"
"Yes!"
Everyone acknowledged the order in unison, then dispersed to throw themselves into intensive preparations. Under Yu Xiaogang's arrangements, the Shrek Seven Devils also headed to the training grounds with the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's core students to hone their teamwork and tactics for the tournament.
Tang San remained silent throughout the walk, his clenched fists never relaxing. Spirit Hall's threats and Lin Chen's dazzling brilliance had pushed his sense of urgency to its peak. He silently resolved that he had to reach the Soul Ancestor realm and master stronger soul skills before the tournament. Only then would he have the strength to contend with Lin Chen and Spirit Hall's experts.
Lin Chen said goodbye to Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi, then followed the dean to his study.
The study was simply furnished, its shelves filled with soul master texts. After sitting down, the dean came straight to the point. He took a deep-blue jade pendant from a drawer and pushed it toward Lin Chen.
"This Ice Spirit Jade Pendant is a supreme treasure the academy has kept for many years. It contains pure ice spiritual energy that aids the cultivation of ice soul power, making it an excellent complement to your current Iceheart Domain. Take it."
As Lin Chen looked at the Ice Spirit Jade Pendant before him, his fingertips barely touched it before he felt a gentle current of ice spiritual energy spread through them, harmonizing perfectly with the Iceheart Power within him. His heart stirred, but he did not accept it immediately. "Dean, I cannot accept such a precious treasure."
"If I tell you to take it, take it." The dean waved a hand, his tone firm. "You are the academy's hope and the core of our resistance against Spirit Hall in this tournament. Only by growing stronger can you protect everyone and stand against Spirit Hall. Besides, this Ice Spirit Jade Pendant will greatly strengthen your Ice Heart Binding. Do not refuse."
Seeing the dean's determination, Lin Chen stopped standing on ceremony. He put away the Ice Spirit Jade Pendant and bowed in thanks. "Thank you, Dean. I will not disappoint the academy."
"Good." Looking pleased, the dean continued, "For the next month, the academy will provide you with a private Secret Realm for seclusion. Cultivate there without worry, gain complete mastery over your evolved martial soul and domain, and stabilize your cultivation. I will send someone to notify you before the tournament begins. As for Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi, I will arrange for instructors to guide them personally. You need not worry."
With the dean's arrangements in place, Lin Chen finally felt at ease. He knew that the most pressing task was to fully integrate the power of Ice Heart Binding as quickly as possible and raise his combat strength to another level.
The dean then led Lin Chen to the Secret Realm deep within the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
The spiritual energy inside was far denser than outside, and the space was peaceful and free from disturbances. At its center stood a Spirit-Gathering Array that could draw the surrounding spiritual energy together, making it an ideal place to cultivate.
"Focus on your cultivation. A Soul Douluo expert guards the Secret Realm outside, so no one will dare disturb you." After offering these instructions, the dean turned to leave and closed the Secret Realm's entrance.
Lin Chen sat cross-legged at the center of the Spirit-Gathering Array, holding the Ice Spirit Jade Pendant in his palm. Instantly, pure ice spiritual energy and the Secret Realm's Life Spiritual Energy poured into his body together, flowing through his meridians straight toward his dantian.
He closed his eyes, sank his awareness into his dantian, and focused on comprehending the changes in his Life Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.
The ice patterns on his emerald-green blue silver grass martial soul had grown clearer. Every leaf shimmered with intertwined white and green light as Life Force and Iceheart Power fused perfectly, each complementing the other. With a thought, Lin Chen spread his Life Domain. Glimmering white ice crystals appeared within the pale-green domain, the surrounding temperature plummeted, and even the flow of soul power grew sluggish.
"Ice Heart Binding, condense!"
Lin Chen gave a low cry and drove his domain's power to its fullest. The spiritual energy in the Secret Realm froze instantly, forming tiny shards of ice that hovered within the domain. He tried controlling his Iceheart Power to freeze the channels of soul power with precision. In a single instant, he completely sealed the soul power he had released in ice, leaving it unable to move.
Its power is formidable indeed, but it also consumes far more soul power than before, Lin Chen thought, then began repeatedly honing his control over the domain.
He released and withdrew his domain again and again, precisely controlling the range and strength of Ice Heart Binding. From wide-area freezing to pinpoint freezing of soul power, he refined his techniques little by little to reduce his consumption.
The Ice Spirit Jade Pendant supplied an unending stream of ice spiritual energy to replenish his soul power, while the Life Spiritual Energy in the Secret Realm continually nourished his meridians and martial soul. His soul power grew ever more condensed, and his foundation as a rank-thirty-three Soul Elder became exceptionally solid.
Day after day passed. Lin Chen remained wholly immersed in cultivation, knowing nothing of events outside.
He not only tempered his Iceheart Domain but also continually refined his Blue Silver Grass soul skills, incorporating Iceheart Power into each one: his first soul skill, Entanglement, gained a freezing effect that instantly froze the soul power of anyone caught, preventing escape; his second soul skill, Devour, released Ice Heart Chill while draining an enemy's soul power, weakening their combat strength; his third soul skill, Myriad Spirit Vine Sea, combined perfectly with Ice Heart Binding to form an Ice Vine Prison, doubling its suppressive power!
The perfect fusion of his soul skills and domain brought Lin Chen's battlefield control and combat techniques to the very pinnacle of the Soul Elder realm.
Meanwhile, outside the Secret Realm, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and the Shrek Seven Devils were preparing for the tournament with the intensity of a raging fire.
Under her instructor's guidance, Su Qingyuan's close-combat prowess with her Soft Bone Martial Soul grew increasingly formidable, and her coordination of soul skills became ever more practiced. She remained ready to fight alongside Lin Chen in the tournament. Yue Huaxi, meanwhile, devoted herself to cultivating her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul. Her soul power advanced at remarkable speed, and her support abilities improved greatly, making her the team's firmest backing.
Drawing on the characteristics of the Shrek Seven Devils' martial souls, Yu Xiaogang devised meticulous team tactics. Dai Mubai's powerful assaults, Oscar's support, Tang San's control and hidden weapons, Ma Hongjun's explosive attacks, and Zhu Zhuqing's surprise strikes meshed with ever greater precision, sending their overall strength soaring.
Spirit Hall was also making preparations in secret. They fielded a Golden Generation team led by Xie Yue and Hu Liena, all of them gifted soul masters whose cultivation far exceeded others of the same rank. Their sights were set squarely on the championship, and they had also received an absolute order—kill Lin Chen during the tournament, whatever the cost!
Undercurrents surged throughout the Soul Master World as the Continental Soul Master Tournament approached. Every faction stirred restlessly, while soul master academies from across the land gathered in Heaven Dou City, making the atmosphere increasingly tense.
In the blink of an eye, twenty days quietly passed.
Inside the Secret Realm, Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes. White and green light flowed through their unfathomable depths.
After twenty days of secluded tempering, he had gained complete mastery over his Ice Heart Binding domain. His soul skills and Iceheart Power had fused perfectly, his control had become exquisitely precise, and his soul power consumption had fallen by more than half. His combat strength had doubled compared with when he was in Spirit Grass Valley!
Even without any advantage from the terrain, he was confident he could meet a rank-sixty-two or rank-sixty-three Soul Emperor head-on—and even kill them!
"It's time to leave."
Lin Chen rose and stretched, crisp cracks sounding from his joints. His cultivation as a rank-thirty-three Soul Elder had stabilized to its utmost, and his soul power was extraordinarily robust. He could break through to rank thirty-four at any moment.
He closed his hand, storing the Ice Spirit Jade Pendant in his Soul Tool, then strode toward the Secret Realm's entrance.
The Secret Realm's entrance slowly opened. Sunlight spilled in, and the clamor of the outside world reached his ears.
The instructor guarding the entrance saw Lin Chen emerge, his eyes filling with delight and awe. "Lin Chen, you're finally out! In just ten days, the Continental Elite Soul Master Academy Tournament will officially begin!"
Lin Chen nodded slightly, his gaze resolute and his fighting spirit rising.
His month-long seclusion had already left him fully prepared.
Spirit Hall's lethal assault, clashes with geniuses from every faction, the stage that belonged to him...
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