Dragon God's Third Trial

"Your Holiness!" Chrysanthemum Douluo reminded her softly, his voice filled with concern.

"Don't worry. He'll be fine!" Bibi Dong's tone was perfectly calm.

To possess such strong willpower at such a young age-even Bibi Dong felt she fell short of him in that respect.

The phenomenon surrounding Su Chen lasted a full five or six minutes. Eventually, the five golden halos around him stopped increasing in number. Rather than reaching nine, the five golden halos merged directly into one final halo. Its color began to deepen, and a black radiance gradually emerged, replacing the original golden glow.

"A soul ring?"

"Is that a soul ring?"

"Five markings! That's a soul ring with a fifty-thousand-year age!"

The spectators could no longer sit still, their gazes settling on Su Chen in utter astonishment. For ordinary people and ordinary soul masters, even a thousand-year soul ring was a rare sight, let alone one with a Fifty-Thousand-Year Age.

"He didn't hunt down a soul beast, so how did he suddenly obtain a soul ring? Could that be a soul ring bestowed by His Holiness the Pope?"

Some could not help entertaining that possibility, but then shook their heads. They had heard of bounty hunters helping nobles hunt soul beasts to obtain better, older soul rings, but never of anyone capable of bestowing a soul ring on someone else! Yet if Su Chen's soul ring had not come from Bibi Dong, where had it come from?

Given their knowledge, the surrounding spectators-including the Spirit Hall's deacons, priests, and bishops-were all utterly bewildered. They could only turn their gazes toward Bibi Dong, His Holiness the Pope of the Spirit Hall. Surprise likewise shone in Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes, though envy and anticipation were even more prominent.

"A fifty-thousand-year age!" Bibi Dong parted her pearly teeth and murmured enviously.

Su Chen's first soul ring had a Ten-Thousand-Year Age, and his second had reached a Fifty-Thousand-Year Age. By contrast, hers—the Spirit Hall's once-in-a-thousand-years prodigy—had originally had yellow and yellow soul rings. Only after passing two or three of the Rakshasa God's divine trials had she been fortunate enough to increase their ages, turning them yellow and purple. Even she could only compare to Su Chen with the soul rings of her second martial soul, the Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor.

To date, she was the second soul master to possess twin martial souls. The first had been unable to withstand the impact of the soul rings and met the miserable fate of exploding to death. Bibi Dong was eager to see whether Su Chen could become the strongest soul master in history aside from herself.

Hmm? His soul power... As the thought crossed Bibi Dong's mind, her phoenix eyes widened, and she stared in surprise at the soul power aura emanating from Su Chen.

"His soul power has reached level forty!" Chrysanthemum Douluo exclaimed.

During the Four-Academy Friendship Tournament, Su Chen's soul power had only been at level thirty. Now, after obtaining this soul ring with a Fifty-Thousand-Year Age, his soul power had broken through from level thirty to level forty.

Could obtaining a soul ring increase someone's soul power?

No!

Chrysanthemum Douluo shook his head slightly. Obtaining a soul ring could only allow someone to enter the next realm; it could not grant them soul power. If obtaining soul rings also granted soul power, there would not have been so few Titled Douluos on the continent!

"Why hasn't he woken up yet?" Chrysanthemum Douluo asked with concern. In his heart, he already regarded Su Chen as a precious treasure. Everything Su Chen revealed kept overturning what he thought he knew, creating new miracles.

"Don't rush. He's sorting through a few things," Bibi Dong said calmly.

As a participant in the Rakshasa God's nine trials, Bibi Dong already had some experience with divine trials. Their requirements were obscure; only after passing the previous trial could one learn the contents of the next. At that moment, Su Chen was sorting through the requirements of the third Dragon God’s Nine Trials.

Only after ten minutes did Su Chen open his eyes. Chrysanthemum Douluo detected a hint of dissatisfaction in them. Su Chen had obtained a fifty-thousand-year soul ring, and his soul power level had risen by ten levels. What a cause for celebration that was, yet Su Chen was actually somewhat dissatisfied?

But how could Chrysanthemum Douluo have known? When Su Chen completed the Dragon God’s First Trial, he had received not only a god-given soul ring and a ten-level increase in soul power, but also an extremely rare external soul bone! Back then, Su Chen had easily completed the Dragon God’s First Trial merely by joining the Spirit Hall and becoming a member of its exclusive Soul Master Academy. This time, however, he had spent a full six years preparing for the Dragon God’s Second Trial. With the final rewards falling short of those from the first trial, he inevitably felt that the scales had tipped unfairly.

Of course, besides the god-given soul ring and the ten-level increase in soul power, Su Chen had gained another small benefit from the second of the Dragon God’s Nine Trials. He had also learned the requirements of the third trial: participate in the Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament three years later and lead his team to first place.

"Su Chen, congratulations on obtaining your second soul ring!" Bibi Dong congratulated him.

"Thank you, Teacher!" Su Chen said with a smile.

Bibi Dong's gaze settled on Xie Yue.

Was Xie Yue outstanding? Of course he was. His innate full soul power when he awakened his martial soul said it all. Moreover, from a certain perspective, as a tool soul master, Xie Yue had more room to improve his combat strength in the later stages than a beast soul master did. His talent more than qualified him to become Bibi Dong's student.

Not only Xie Yue, but also Yan, who possessed the ancient martial soul-the Flame Lord-was qualified to become Bibi Dong's student. However, both of them were male. Bibi Dong's heart had always harbored a shadow where men were concerned. Besides, Xie Yue's eyes seemed to hold a faint trace of sinister strangeness.

Xie Yue's heart stirred, and he looked at Bibi Dong expectantly. Could he also have a chance to become His Holiness the Pope's Direct Disciple? Becoming the Pope's Direct Disciple would be such an honor!

Bibi Dong let out a faint, imperceptible sigh. In the end, just as in the storyline, she did not accept the exceptionally talented Xie Yue as her Direct Disciple.

"Xie Yue, Yan, would the two of you be willing to become the Spirit Hall's seeded contestants and represent it in the Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament three years from now?" Bibi Dong asked.

"I would." Xie Yue did not hesitate at all. Participating in the Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament was a dream every soul master held in their heart!

"I... would too!" Yan looked stunned for a moment before his eyes filled with delighted surprise.

In the six-to-three elimination round of the finals, Yan had been defeated by Su Chen. As a result, he had not taken third place in this Friendly Tournament as he had in the storyline. Yet he had never imagined that he could still become one of the Spirit Hall's seeded contestants and represent it in the Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament three years later!

"All of you, come with me!" With that, Bibi Dong turned toward the arena's exit without waiting for Su Chen and Hu Liena to respond.

"We respectfully bid farewell to His Holiness the Pope, Elder Ju, and Ghost Elder!"

The Spirit Hall's deacons, priests, and bishops in the arena all bowed to Bibi Dong in unison.

Su Chen, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan followed closely behind Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo as they left the arena. Before they departed, however, a unified chant rang out throughout the entire arena.

"Su Chen! Su Chen! Su Chen!"

The spectacular matches of this Friendly Tournament, followed by Su Chen obtaining a fifty-thousand-year soul ring, had truly been a feast for their eyes. The name they shouted now was not that of Bibi Dong, the Pope of the Spirit Hall, but that of Su Chen, who had treated them to such thrilling battles!