Star Luo Empire

His speed was not fast, and could even be called unremarkable, but every step landed in a gap in the three men's coordination.

The Blue Silver Longsword thrust straight at Wang Niu, who had only just steadied himself.

Wang Niu hastily blocked with his broken horns, only to feel an unending stream of force from the blade's tip pushing him back again and again.

Zhao Li nearly shattered his teeth with how hard he clenched them, gathering the Tiger Roar Wave for a third time, but this time, Jiang Che did not even turn his head.

Several vines abruptly tightened beneath Zhao Li's feet, binding his entire body fast.

[Ding-!]

[Killed a level 19 soul master. Gained 1 skill point.]

[Current skill points: 706]

"It's over," Jiang Che said softly.

"Water Blade Line!"

Wang Niu bore the brunt of the attack. His protective soul power instantly collapsed, and he flew backward into a large tree behind him with a dull thud, blood seeping ceaselessly from his chest.

[Defeated a level 31 Soul Elder. Gained 10 skill points.]

Li Qing was caught by the aftershock of Water Blade Line, and his iron staff clattered to the ground.

[Defeated a level 23 Soul Grandmaster. Gained 5 skill points.]

[Current skill points: 721]

Jiang Che stood where he was as the blue-gold Blue Silver Grass slowly withdrew into his body, its golden light gradually fading.

The most important thing after killing someone was to loot the bodies. He found a total of five gold soul coins, eighteen silver soul coins, and eighty-eight copper soul coins on the three men.

"As expected of people from the Feilun Marquis Household. They really do carry plenty of money."

After confirming that the old fisherman had left, Jiang Che did not dare linger either. If he stayed any longer and word of what had happened here spread, getting out through the city gates would no longer be so simple.

When he passed through the gates, the guards had already noticed the earlier commotion and spotted the blood staining Jiang Che. They knew perfectly well that this youth must have something to do with the disturbance.

Perhaps everyone who could work here as a city guard was sharp-witted; those who were not had long since died. The youth before them was a soul master. Until explicit orders came down, all they needed to do was act as though they knew nothing and play dumb.

Spirit Hall, the Papal Hall.

The sanctuary's dome soared overhead. The sacred throne, over twenty meters tall, was cast entirely from dark-gold mystic crystal. Candle flames flickered dimly on either side, enveloping the entire hall in a solemn amber gloom.

Below the sacred throne, a purple-haired woman leaned against an armrest. Her Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown gleamed in the shifting candlelight, and a jeweled scepter lay across her knees. Her fingertips tapped idly against its shaft, as though she were passing the time in utter boredom.

Her features were so perfect they seemed almost unreal, yet an effortless languor suffused her brows and eyes.

Amid the majesty filling the hall, that very casualness only made her seem all the more inviolable.

She tilted her head slightly, resting her left cheek against her knuckles, her long brows lowered, looking as though she truly were taking a brief nap.

The hall was so quiet that even the faint crackle of candlewicks could be heard clearly.

A black figure appeared soundlessly below the sacred steps, peeling away from the shadows.

Gui Mei knelt on one knee, his head bowed and eyes lowered, his bearing respectful, without stirring even the slightest whisper of air.

The purple-haired woman slowly opened her eyes. A dim gleam passed through her violet pupils in the candlelight, like the moon reflected in a deep pool, imposing without anger.

"Gui Mei, what is it?"

"Your Holiness, Sarok, the central figure in Vast Sea City, sent word that a genius who cannot be overlooked has recently emerged there.

"Oh? Someone awakened with innate full soul power?" Bibi Dong raised a brow slightly, her interest stirred.

"Not innate full soul power. According to the information sent from there and what I uncovered in my investigation, this boy is not yet twelve, but the speed at which his soul power has risen in recent years rivals that of someone with innate full soul power. Most noteworthy of all, his second soul ring is a thousand-year ring!"

Bibi Dong's gaze sharpened. "A thousand years? A second soul ring has never had a thousand-year age."

She instinctively thought of Yu Xiaogang's martial soul theory, which so many soul masters dismissed with contempt.

Anyone who could break through the thousand-year barrier with their second soul ring could never be ordinary.

"Give me his soul master warrant," Bibi Dong said mildly.

Gui Mei stepped forward and presented a copied soul master warrant with both hands.

Bibi Dong took it, her eyes scanning the words on the warrant line by line.

Name: Jiang Che.

Place of registration: Heaven Dou Empire, Nuoding City Spirit Hall Branch.

Martial soul: Blue Silver Grass.

Innate soul power: level 3.

Age eight, level 11 soul master, hundred-year soul ring, soul skill unknown.

According to reliable information, this boy has already cultivated to level 20. His second soul ring is a thousand-year ring, and his soul skill can manifest an immensely powerful longsword. There is an extremely slight possibility of a self-created soul skill. On July 3, he killed one Soul Elder, one Soul Grandmaster, and one soul master in Vast Sea City.

Note: The Blue Silver Grass has undergone a drastic mutation in form, with golden markings on its roots, stems, and leaves.

Attached illustration: T

The hall fell silent once more.

"Blue Silver Grass?" Bibi Dong's fingertips paused as she scrutinized the martial soul in the attached illustration, which was worlds apart from ordinary Blue Silver Grass. "Innate level 3 soul power, and he cultivated from innate level 3 to level 20 in two years..."

Since when could the trash martial soul Blue Silver Grass grow like this?

Even a martial soul mutation ought to have some theoretical basis, but the information on the warrant before her contradicted, in almost every respect, the theory of soul ring ages that Yu Xiaogang had spent half his life constructing.

Bibi Dong remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. "Have you verified his identity? Is he close to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, or connected to the Upper Three Sects?"

"Your Holiness, Jiang Che is an orphan from Lanhe Village in Nuoding City. He grew up eating meals provided by the village households."

"An orphan," Bibi Dong repeated quietly. "His background is quite clean, then."

"Pass on my verbal decree. Add Jiang Che to Spirit Hall's priority assessment list."

Gui Mei stiffened slightly and lowered his head. "Your Holiness, this boy is merely a Soul Grandmaster. Why must you concern yourself with him personally?"

In his view, the boy was ultimately just someone with innate level 3 soul power and the trash martial soul Blue Silver Grass. His talent was limited in the end. He must have obtained some opportunity to cultivate to Soul Grandmaster in such a short time. Even so, he could never become a Titled Douluo in the future, and even if he did, how powerful could a trash martial soul like Blue Silver Grass possibly be?

Bibi Dong gave a meaningful smile. "Give him a chance to become my disciple. With innate level 3 soul power, reaching Soul Elder is a heavenly barrier. If he can cross it, that will prove he is qualified."

Gui Mei's voice sank into the shadows. "Yes."

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

The Star Dou Great Forest stretched across the lands between the Star Luo and Heaven Dou Empires, its northern reaches bordering the Heaven Dou Empire and its southern reaches bordering the Star Luo Empire. After a month of travel, Jiang Che arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest on the Star Luo Empire's border.

"Lord Soul Master, we've arrived at Bass City. Please take care getting down." The driver bowed slightly as he spoke respectfully.

"Here's the payment we agreed on. Keep it safe." Jiang Che handed the driver a bag containing his fare.

Overjoyed, the driver wiped his hands on his clothes and accepted the bag containing thirty silver soul coins with both hands.

Jiang Che waved and turned toward Bass City.

Bass City lay on the Star Luo Empire's border and could hardly be called prosperous, but that meant little to Jiang Che.

He had come here to lie low. If he stayed in Heaven Dou City, what would he do if people from the Feilun Marquis Household came knocking?

Jiang Che planned to lie low in Bass City for the next few years.