["Wouldn't I die if I couldn't beat it? How would I absorb its soul ring then? Besides, what right does a soul beast I can easily defeat have to become my soul ring?"]
["..." Qian Daoliu fell silent. He suddenly felt that this new disciple of his seemed rather different from ordinary children.]
[It seemed the boy really did come from a commoner's background and probably had nothing to do with Dugu Bo. Otherwise, his approach could not have been so wild and unorthodox.]
[If he had even one elder who was a soul master to guide him, he could never have developed such extreme ideas.]
[The idea that only a soul beast evenly matched with him deserved to become his soul ring would never have occurred to Qian Daoliu in his entire life.]
[Even more outrageous was that, if everything Dugu Feng said was true, didn't that mean this boy had single-handedly cut down a hundred-year soul beast before he even had a soul skill? And judging by the soul ring's color, its age seemed far from low.]
[Qian Daoliu weighed his words before asking tentatively, "Your surname is Dugu... haven't your elders, soul masters from the local Spirit Hall, teachers from a Soul Master Academy, or someone like that ever helped you hunt for a soul ring?"]
[There was no other reason. He simply wanted to see what kind of family could raise a child as gifted and as outrageous in his thinking as Dugu Feng.]
["I'm an orphan."]
[Dugu Feng spoke without expression.]
["...I'm sorry, child. That wasn't my intention." Understanding dawned on Qian Daoliu. Looking at that rather expressionless little face, he reassured him:]
["Spirit Hall will be your new home from now on. Once you've absorbed your soul ring, I-I will hold a grand apprenticeship ceremony for you..."]
[Before Qian Daoliu could finish what he was going to say next, Dugu Feng interrupted him. "Will it help me practice the sword?"]
["Uh, no."]
["Then there's no need. I'm following you to learn the sword. Don't involve me in these pointless things."]
[Qian Daoliu: "..."]
[This boy seemed a little too fixated on the sword. And wasn't the way he spoke a little too... "mature"?]
[Sigh, so be it. I'll teach him gradually from now on.]
["All right, come with me first. I'll find you a more suitable soul ring." As he spoke, Qian Daoliu took Dugu Feng's hand. The moment he clasped that tiny hand, he instinctively squeezed it, intending to check his bone age.]
["You're only eight?!"]
[An eight-year-old Soul Elder?]
"An eight-year-old Soul Elder? That puts him on par with Xue'er, doesn't it?"
Outside the Worship Hall, Qian Daoliu stood alone atop a small mountain, unable to help exclaiming as he watched the Celestial Screen.
"I thought Xue'er's talent was already a rarity in this world. I never expected there would be someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with her, much less that this child would have a destined connection with our Spirit Hall."
After being exposed to the Celestial Screen for some time, Qian Daoliu now believed it eight or nine parts out of ten.
After all, those things it had shown at the beginning about him, Tang Chen, and Bo Saixi were known almost exclusively to those involved. Outsiders could never have investigated them in such detail, let alone recorded images of them.
"Hmm, Dugu Feng... perhaps I can find this child ahead of time. Otherwise, the other factions may strike first and gain the advantage." Thinking this, Qian Daoliu frowned again.
Since these were events of the future, Dugu Feng might not even have awakened his martial soul yet. Finding him would probably be somewhat difficult, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, another faction fond of picking up "children," would very likely get involved too.
"It seems I'll have to ask my old friends in the Worship Hall to venture out and bring this disciple of mine home."
"We have to strike first! We must find this child before the other factions do!"
Sword Douluo Chen Xin was rather excited.
An eight-year-old Soul Elder, a thousand-year second soul ring, formidable fighting strength, and an extreme devotion to the sword.
He was simply the perfect successor bestowed on Chen Xin by heaven. As for Qian Daoliu?
Too slow, and you got nothing.
"Fengzhi, we must move quickly on this. That boy Dugu Feng must have caught the other factions' attention too. Tell me and Old Bones as soon as there's any trace of him. We'll go ourselves."
Gu Rong nodded along in full agreement.
"Indeed. If we can bring Dugu Feng into our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Rongrong will have someone to protect her even after we're gone a hundred years from now."
"Indeed. Uncle Jian, Uncle Gu, please rest assured. I naturally understand this matter's importance and have already made the arrangements." Ning Fengzhi had naturally made the arrangements already, but he still felt somewhat uneasy.
"I'm just afraid that after watching the footage, Dugu Feng will favor Qian Daoliu first..."
"Still, this child seems to place greater importance on swordsmanship. If we find him first, Uncle Jian's martial soul and status should make it possible."
["You mean you chose the name Dugu Feng yourself too?"]
[Having just reached several areas Spirit Hall's records listed as suitable for tool martial soul users to hunt soul beasts, Qian Daoliu walked through the Star Dou Great Forest, looking at his newly accepted disciple in some surprise.]
[After their brief time together, Qian Daoliu had more or less figured out the boy's temperament and some of his past.]
[An orphan, never adopted, wandering, awakening his martial soul, continuing to wander...]
[Seriously, how were Bibi Dong's subordinates doing their jobs?]
[Couldn't they see a genius with innate full soul power standing right there?]
[Since he was an orphan, why hadn't any orphanage under Spirit Hall taken him in?]
[As though something had occurred to him, Qian Daoliu's face abruptly darkened.]
[It seemed there were still plenty of bastards in the orphanage system who had turned their backs on the Angel God's glory!]
[In the end, however, he did not let it show in front of the child. Qian Daoliu merely continued asking, "Then why did you choose the surname Dugu? Because a family surnamed Dugu adopted you before?"]
["No, because Dugu sounds cool." Dugu Feng followed behind Qian Daoliu step by step, his eyes scanning their surroundings as he answered the question with a perfectly serious expression.]
["...Cool?"]
["That's right. Some people I fought before said your name had to sound good, so I gave myself a new one." Dugu Feng's tone was flat as he said this, as though he were discussing something perfectly serious.]
["A name is given by one's fa..." The corners of Qian Daoliu's mouth twitched. He wanted to correct him, but remembering Dugu Feng's background, he forcibly stopped himself and asked instead, "Who were the people you fought? I'll have a chat with them."]
["They're dead, because they lost."]
["You killed them?" Qian Daoliu abruptly stopped in his tracks, but in the end, he merely sighed and said nothing.]
[It was not that Qian Daoliu thought Dugu Feng had done anything wrong by killing people. What soul master making their way through the Soul Master World did not have blood on their hands? Especially since Dugu Feng was only eight, traveling the world was bound to draw others' covetous attention.]
[What truly worried him was that Dugu Feng had developed this survival-of-the-strongest temperament from childhood. He feared the boy might one day walk the path of a fallen one.]
["Without proper guidance, you might end up fighting me once you grow up, brat."]
[He truly was a genius, and he truly was a monstrous prodigy.]
["Hmm? A Wind Blade Falcon a little over two thousand years old would be suitable..."]
[His spiritual power suddenly detected a giant bird with blue-green wings gliding through the sky. Qian Daoliu frowned slightly, somewhat disappointed.]
[Since Dugu Feng had been able to absorb a thousand-year ring for his second ring, they could be a little bolder with his third.]
[An ordinary soul master's third ring was generally around fifteen hundred years old. This Wind Blade Falcon, close to twenty-five hundred years old, was just right. Unfortunately, its compatibility with Dugu Feng's martial soul was a little low.]
["I'll leave a mark first, then see if there's anything more suitable..."]
["Flying Sword!"]
[A yellow soul ring flashed, and the deep blue sword shot out in a streak of light. At the same time, Dugu Feng moved his feet and charged out in an instant.]
["Squawk!"]
[The deep blue sword streak struck the passing Wind Blade Falcon squarely in its left wing. Blood spattered, and several pale blue-green feathers drifted down. That momentary loss of balance instantly sent it falling from the sky.]
["Second soul skill: Invincible in Ten Directions!"]
[His purple soul ring flashed. In the next second, a faint golden light swept over Dugu Feng, and his speed surged once more. He leaped fiercely, appearing beside the Wind Blade Falcon in an instant.]
[He drove the elbow of his free arm hard into the Wind Blade Falcon's face.]
[Boom!]
[The Wind Blade Falcon was stunned outright, completely losing its ability to steady its flight, and crashed heavily to the ground.]
["Sweeping..."]
["Wait!"]
[Dugu Feng halted his sword swing and drove his other elbow hard into the Wind Blade Falcon again to prevent it from launching a surprise attack. Then he slowly turned his gaze toward Qian Daoliu.]
Before you continue