Two Treasure Chests

It seemed he could not underestimate the attribute changes brought by Divine Skill Inner Force. They might prove surprisingly useful at times.

Since his Spirit Soul had not become stiffened, the matter of the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo needed further consideration.

Shi Quan turned his attention back to the system.

Just as Shi Quan had expected, as he absorbed his Second Spirit Ring, the system's familiar mechanical voice rang out in his mind once more.

"Ding. Congratulations, Host. You have broken through to the Soul Grandmaster realm, successfully triggering a Spirit Master Treasure Chest. It has been opened for you. Congratulations, you have obtained one Four-Dimensional Pocket."

After getting a basic understanding of Shi Quan's condition, the three did not linger any longer. Night had already fallen, and if they did not leave now, they would have to spend the night deep within the Soul Hunting Forest.

System Space.

As they traveled, Shi Quan curiously summoned the System Space. This item seemed different from the previous ones, and judging from its name, it should be some kind of spatial Soul Tool.

Looking at the white, semicircular pocket in the System Space, Shi Quan found it more and more familiar the longer he looked at it. Yet for a moment, he could not remember where he had seen it before.

When he saw the description of the Four-Dimensional Pocket, Shi Quan's expression became somewhat strange.

Four-Dimensional Pocket: Also known as a Treasure Bag or four-dimensional space bag. Originating from the anime Doraemon, it is a special technological creation. The other side of the pocket connects to a four-dimensional world and can hold a virtually infinite number of items.

Note: This is an empty Treasure Bag.

If it had Doraemon's gadgets inside, wouldn't I be able to swagger across the Douluo Continent?

Although it did not contain any gadgets, the Treasure Bag itself was an excellent item. According to the explanation of four-dimensional space, in addition to the normal world's axes of length, width, and height, it had an additional axis of time.

In other words, time existed within four-dimensional space. This meant that the Treasure Bag could store not only inanimate objects, but also living things. In the original story, the only Soul Tool capable of storing living creatures was the Wishful Treasure Pouch Poison Douluo had given Tang San.

However, Poison Douluo's Wishful Treasure Pouch had limited space and could not hold too many things, whereas the dimensional space inside the Treasure Bag was virtually infinite. The difference between them was obvious.

The Treasure Bag was absolutely a fine item. On the way back, Shi Quan considered whether he should use the Critical Hit Card to trigger another critical hit.

After thinking it over for a while, Shi Quan dismissed the idea. The Critical Hit Card's description stated that it either doubled the reward or turned it into a better one. If the critical hit merely gave him two Treasure Bags, then such a good Critical Hit Card would be wasted.

It was deep into the night when the three returned to their camp.

At daybreak the next day, the three set off for Notting City.

After returning to Notting City, they completed their registration as before and collected their new Spirit Master rewards. Shi Quan then returned to Notting Academy with Marde.

"A First Spirit Ring of five hundred and fifty years, a Second Spirit Ring exceeding a thousand years... What will you choose for your Third Spirit Ring?" Before the floor-to-ceiling window, Dawson watched Shi Quan's gradually receding figure, his eyes gleaming. "A Blue Silver Grass Spirit Soul with Innate Level One Spirit Power has actually reached this point. A small place like Notting City might truly produce a dragon."

"Whether that dragon can soar, however, remains to be seen."

As his words fell, Dawson looked at the deputy hall master in the office and said with a smile, "Prepare to make another trip."

Notting Academy.

After returning to the academy, Shi Quan did not hurry to refine his theory as he had the first time. Instead, he looked at Marde with a solemn expression.

Marde looked at Shi Quan in confusion. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"For our safety, I may need you to personally make a trip to Heaven Dou City."

"Heaven Dou City?" Marde looked puzzled, but seeing Shi Quan's grave expression, he gradually became serious as well. "What is it, Xiao Quan? What do you need me to do in Heaven Dou City?"

"Teacher, with this experience, my theory can now be preliminarily refined. Once it is refined, as long as we are careful, it can more or less be put into use. I am worried that after Spirit Hall learns of and confirms my theory, they may want to monopolize it. To be safe, once I finish refining the theory, I hope you can take it to Heaven Dou City and use the Empire's influence to spread both my name and my theory. At that point, even if Spirit Hall wants to monopolize it, they will no longer be able to."

"Xiao Quan, how can there be so many things in that little head of yours?" Marde sighed, his brows immediately knitting tightly. He knew Shi Quan's concerns were not impossible.

"Xiao Quan, if you do that, you may very well offend Spirit Hall," Marde reminded him.

"Once my theory is spread, it will not actually have any substantive impact on Spirit Hall. Spirit Hall is so vast; surely it can tolerate a Spirit Soul theorist like me."

"Indeed." Marde nodded slightly, but his tightly furrowed brows did not relax in the slightest. "It is simply that, with my status and strength, it will likely not be easy for me to meet the Emperor once I reach Heaven Dou City."

Shi Quan quickly said, "Teacher, I have thought about that as well. I want you to meet someone else. It may be easier."

"Who?"

Shi Quan slowly spoke five words. "The Crown Prince... Xue Qinghe!"

Two days later, Marde took the preliminarily refined theory from Shi Quan and left Notting Academy under the cover of night.

Before Marde departed, Shi Quan repeatedly instructed him to do everything in his power to deliver the theory to Xue Qinghe. Though Marde was puzzled, he agreed.

Three more days later, Shi Quan finally submitted his theory to Dawson at an unhurried pace.

Spirit City, Papal Hall.

"Your Holiness, a secret letter has arrived from the Notting City branch hall of the Heaven Dou Empire." An armored soldier respectfully knelt toward the front of the hall, holding a red wax-sealed letter high in both hands as he called out.

"Notting City?" A gentle voice sounded within the grand hall. It belonged to a woman of modest height, dressed in a splendid long robe of black embroidered with golden patterns. She wore a Nine-Curved Purple-Gold Crown and held a nearly two-meter-long scepter studded with countless gemstones. Her skin was fair, her features nearly flawless, and her bearing noble and elegant.

She was none other than Pope Bibi Dong.

"Your Holiness, the Notting City branch hall sent a secret letter two years ago as well. It concerned Spirit Ring age limits and the Blue Silver Grass Spirit Soul." Seemingly hearing the confusion in Bibi Dong's voice, a hoarse voice explained from beside her. The figure could not be seen clearly; from a distance, it looked like nothing more than a dark shadow.

Though his appearance could not be made out, if Shi Quan had been present, he would certainly have recognized him as one of Spirit Hall's elders—Ghost Douluo, Ghost Fan!

"It was about a child named Shi Quan, wasn't it?" After thinking for a moment, Bibi Dong recalled it. With a wave of her hand, the letter rose from the armored soldier's hands and slowly floated into hers.

She opened the letter.

"Hmm?" When Bibi Dong saw its contents, a trace of surprise appeared in her expression.

Seeing Bibi Dong's reaction, Ghost Fan tilted his head curiously to look at the letter in her hand. His eyes widened as well.

"A Second Spirit Ring of a thousand years?" Bibi Dong murmured in surprise. She then carefully examined the theory written in the letter. After a long while, she spoke again. "Ghost Fan, bring me Shi Quan's detailed records. Bring the secret letter from the Notting City branch hall last time as well."

"Yes, Your Holiness."

The ghostly shadow vanished. Before long, Ghost Fan reappeared with two sets of documents.

After carefully reviewing all the letters and records, even Bibi Dong could not help but sigh. "If this Shi Quan is truly as described in these letters, then he is indeed a rare genius."

Ghost Fan could not help praising him as well. "Indeed. For someone with Innate Level One Spirit Power to reach this point, his achievements can already be called unprecedented and unmatched."

"It would be a pity to let such talent slip away." Ghost Fan gave a hoarse laugh.

Bibi Dong's fingers moved lightly as she looked at Shi Quan's name in the letter without speaking. She seemed to be reminiscing, or perhaps pondering something. Only after a long time did she speak again, saying calmly, "Just have someone keep watch on him. Ensure that once his theory has been verified, Spirit Hall can obtain it at the first possible moment."

Ghost Fan asked in some surprise, "Your Holiness, have you considered this carefully?"

"First arrange for a group of people to verify the theory in the letter again." Bibi Dong handed the theory from the letter to Ghost Fan.

"Understood, Your Holiness." Ghost Fan smiled, took the letter, and vanished from where he stood.

The grand hall suddenly fell silent.

Bibi Dong looked at the empty hall. After a long while, she murmured to herself, "Xiao Gang, this child is very much like you..."

Shi Quan certainly had not expected that Bibi Dong would merely arrange for people to watch him. If that were the case, he would not have needed to go to such lengths to send Marde on this trip.

But there was no helping it. In Tang San's case, even Gu Rong had harbored killing intent. For someone like Shi Quan, with no one to rely on, standing out too abruptly would draw not merely attention, but genuine killing intent.

The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind.

Having lived a second life, how could he not understand? Novels all had that saying: only a genius who grows up is a true genius.

With the system's support, his rise was inevitable. But if he wanted to rise safely, he still had to rely on himself. After all, his system was unreliable.

It was not that Shi Quan was particularly calculating. In his previous life, he had merely been an ordinary person.

His current approach was simply what he believed, after much thought, to be the best possible arrangement.

As for making everything perfect, he could only apologize. His mind could only think of so much, and he could only do his best to cover every angle.

He definitely needed to find someone to rely on, and Xue Qinghe—who was Qian Renxue—was the best choice.

Behind Xue Qinghe stood the Heaven Dou Empire, and his teacher was from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Behind Qian Renxue stood Spirit Hall.

The Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Clear Sky Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and Spirit Hall.

If he had Xue Qinghe's protection, it would be equivalent to gaining the protection of three of the Douluo Continent's six strongest powers at once.

It was undoubtedly the best choice in the early stages.

"Ding. Congratulations, Host. Your reputation has begun to emerge, and you have obtained a Reputation Treasure Chest. It has been opened for you. Congratulations, you have obtained Nightmare."

Shi Quan, who had been cultivating, shuddered at the sudden voice of the system in his mind.

"A treasure chest triggered?..."