The Spirit Hall Titled Douluo's assassination attempt in full view of the crowd sent the entire Arena Square into an uproar!
The terrifying pressure of a Titled Douluo flooded the arena. Ordinary Soul Masters and spectators trembled in fear, while the aftershocks made the Arena Defensive Formation flicker and cracks spread across it. The finals that had drawn every eye instantly descended into chaos.
"How dare you! Spirit Hall openly violated the tournament rules and attacked a contestant! Do you think our Heaven Dou Empire has no one capable of stopping you?"
The Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire flew into a rage and abruptly rose to his feet, golden soul power erupting around him. Several Soul Douluo serving as Imperial Consecrations behind him moved together, their soul rings rising as they charged straight at the Spirit Hall Titled Douluo to surround and kill him. Their imposing might soared skyward, and they were determined to bring him down.
The experts of the major sects and the generals of the Two Great Empires were also shaken. With this act, Spirit Hall had disregarded both empires and torn away all pretense of civility. The gazes of every faction present changed sharply, their wariness of Spirit Hall deepening.
The Spirit Hall Titled Douluo who had attacked wore a sinister expression. His strike had failed, and several Soul Douluo had surrounded him. He knew he could no longer attack Lin Chen today; lingering would only leave him trapped deeper within their encirclement.
He cast a venomous glance at Lin Chen in the center of the arena. Black soul rings flashed around him, and his body became a black shadow that broke through the defenses high above the arena. He roared shrilly, "Lin Chen, you were lucky to survive! Next time, I'll take your head! No one can withstand Spirit Hall's wrath!"
As his voice faded, the black shadow vanished completely into the horizon, leaving the entire arena in an uproar.
The Imperial Consecrations wanted to pursue him, but they had already missed their chance. They could only return to the raised platform and report to the Heaven Dou Emperor.
"Your Majesty, he escaped."
The Heaven Dou Emperor's face was livid. He slammed his fist onto the table and shouted angrily, "Notify the entire continent immediately and condemn Spirit Hall's crimes! Suspend the Soul Master Tournament! The championship will only be decided after we overhaul tournament security and thoroughly investigate this matter involving Spirit Hall!"
The referee had already been frightened out of his wits. Upon hearing the emperor's orders, he hurriedly took up the Soul Guidance Microphone and announced loudly, "Due to an unexpected incident, this tournament's finals are suspended indefinitely! All participating teams are to return to their quarters and await further notice!"
The ultimate final that countless people had eagerly awaited was forcibly interrupted by Spirit Hall's shameless assassination attempt.
In the arena, Lin Chen reined in his soul power and shielded Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi. He stared coldly in the direction the Titled Douluo had fled, killing intent churning in his eyes.
From an encirclement by Soul Ancestors to an ambush by a Soul Emperor, and now an assassination attempt by a Titled Douluo at the tournament, Spirit Hall had resorted to every means available to eliminate him. He had long since engraved this blood debt deep in his heart. One day, he would repay it twofold.
"Lin Chen, are you all right? You nearly scared us to death just now." Su Qingyuan clutched his arm tightly, her lovely face pale and her voice trembling. In that instant, she had thought she would lose Lin Chen forever.
Yue Huaxi was also filled with concern. She looked Lin Chen up and down, only letting out a breath of relief after confirming he was unhurt. "Spirit Hall is far too vicious. They actually sent a Titled Douluo to attack you. We must be even more careful from now on."
Lin Chen turned his hands to clasp both women's hands and reassured them in a steady voice, "I'm fine. Don't worry. Killing me won't be that easy for Spirit Hall."
He knew that without the sudden protection of that vast Life Force, he would have suffered grievous injuries even if he had survived. That power had come from the Star Dou Great Forest Core and was connected by bloodline to his Life Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. It was no coincidence.
Just then, Tang San and the Shrek Seven Devils slowly approached. Tang San looked at Lin Chen with a complicated expression. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke in a low voice. "Just now... I wasn't trying to use Spirit Hall to harm you."
Though competitive, he had his own principles. Victory and defeat in the arena should be determined by strength. Assassination was beneath contempt.
Lin Chen glanced at him indifferently and nodded without saying much.
His showdown with Tang San was only a matter of time. At this moment, however, he was more concerned with the secrets of his martial soul and that mysterious power deep within the Star Dou Great Forest.
"What happened today had nothing to do with you. But sooner or later, the finals will have a result."
With those words, Lin Chen stayed no longer. Taking Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi with him, he rejoined the Heaven Dou Royal Team. Escorted by the academy's instructors, they left the Arena Square and returned straight to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
By then, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy had already learned of the upheaval at the arena. The dean and senior staff were all waiting at the entrance. Seeing Lin Chen return safely, they all breathed sighs of relief.
"Lin Chen, thank goodness you're all right. This time, Spirit Hall has truly made itself our Heaven Dou Royal Academy's mortal enemy." The dean hurried forward, his expression grave. By sending a Titled Douluo to assassinate Lin Chen, Spirit Hall had already created a situation that would end only with one side's destruction.
"I'm sorry to have worried you, Dean. I'm unharmed." Lin Chen bowed slightly, then continued, "Dean, I have a request. I need to go to the Star Dou Great Forest immediately to investigate something important concerning my martial soul origin."
The resonance with that Life Force had allowed him to sense clearly that the key to unraveling the secrets of the Life Blue Silver Grass lay deep within the Star Dou Great Forest. Something there was calling to him constantly. It concerned his future advancement in cultivation and might even be the key to opposing Spirit Hall.
The dean's expression changed, and he hurriedly tried to dissuade him. "Absolutely not! Spirit Hall is searching everywhere for you, intent on wiping you out. The Star Dou Great Forest is far away. Going there alone would be far too dangerous! Besides, you killed a Spirit Hall Soul Emperor in Star Dou before. They might still have ambushes waiting there!"
"Dean, I must go." Lin Chen's voice was firm, without the slightest concession. "That power saved my life, and it concerns the ultimate secret of my martial soul. I have to find out the truth. This isn't just for my own sake. It's also so I can stand against Spirit Hall fully in the future."
Seeing Lin Chen's resolve, the dean knew he could not dissuade him. After pondering for a moment, he finally nodded. "Very well. I'll send two Soul Douluo experts to escort you and protect you in secret along the way. Remember to be careful in everything you do. Return immediately if you encounter danger, and don't try to be a hero. Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi will accompany you as well, so you can look after one another."
Warmth filled Lin Chen's heart, and he did not refuse the dean's arrangements. A Soul Douluo escort would spare him considerable trouble, while Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi's company would also put him at ease.
Without further delay, Lin Chen packed a few belongings and bade farewell to the dean and everyone at the academy. With the two Soul Douluo experts secretly escorting them, he quietly left the Heaven Dou Royal Academy with Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi and set out for the Star Dou Great Forest.
Throughout the journey, Lin Chen kept his eyes closed in concentration, sinking his awareness into his dantian to commune with his Life Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.
After that resonance during the life-or-death crisis in the arena, his perception of his martial soul had grown increasingly clear. The ice patterns on its leaves shared the same root and source as the life aura of the Star Dou Great Forest, as though his Life Blue Silver Grass had originally been born in the Star Dou Core.
To his even greater delight, the baptism of the Titled Douluo's strike had completely loosened the barrier restraining his soul power. He quietly broke through his rank-thirty-four Soul Elder cultivation, his soul power grew richer, and his control over the Iceheart Domain rose to another level.
Two days later, Lin Chen's party once again reached the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The moment they entered the forest, a rich aura of life washed over them. The Life Blue Silver Grass within his dantian began trembling wildly, more violently than ever before, radiating boundless joy as though greeting a wanderer returning home.
Lin Chen opened his eyes, white and green light surging within them. He gazed straight toward the deepest part of the forest. That vast, boundless aura of life became ever clearer, and a faint call slowly sounded in the depths of his heart.
"Come... child... return to the origin..."
Lin Chen drew a deep breath and clenched his fists, his gaze utterly resolute.
"Star Dou Core, here I come!"
With Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi beside him and the Soul Douluo experts escorting them, he avoided the soul beasts and Spirit Hall's hidden sentries on the outskirts. Step by step, they advanced steadily into the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, toward that forbidden core region where no one had ever set foot.
What they did not know was that the moment they entered the Star Dou Great Forest, an elusive black shadow had quietly begun following them and relayed the news to Spirit Hall Headquarters.
A new crisis revolving around the Star Dou Core and the origin of the Life Blue Silver Grass was quietly brewing.
Spirit Hall's deadly assault, the secrets of the Star Dou Core, the truth about the Soul Beast Co-Ruler...
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