After returning to Spirit City, Tian Chen first sent someone to the Worship Hall to notify his grandfather, while he returned to his room, closed his eyes, and began cultivating.
This time, he had a strong feeling that he could break through to level 20. Once he did, he could simply have his grandfather take him to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a soul beast, and that would be that.
Of course, hunting just one thousand-year soul beast did not necessarily require his grandfather to act.
He simply felt that his grandfather's cultivation had already reached a bottleneck. Without a chance opportunity, he would remain stuck at level 98 for the rest of his life. There was little point in staying in the Worship Hall to keep cultivating.
More importantly, what he enjoyed most was bringing a level 98 Super Douluo along and experiencing the feeling of running roughshod through the Star Dou Great Forest.
Just as he had expected, after less than an hour of cultivation, he broke through to level 20 as naturally as water flowing into a channel.
A seven-year-old Soul Grandmaster was absolutely in a league of his own in the history of the Douluo Continent. Of course, he could not deny the boost that hundred thousand year soul bone had given him.
Afterward, Tian Chen did not relax his standards for himself, continuing to circulate his Soul Power to consolidate his cultivation.
Although his talent was very high, it was by no means the very best. At the very least, Qian Renxue, with her innate level 20 Soul Power, and Tang San, with his twin martial souls, were more talented than he was. He had to admit that.
Throughout the night that followed, Tian Chen circulated his Soul Power through his meridians over and over again.
His presence, which had been slightly unsteady after his recent breakthrough, gradually settled and became smooth and harmonious.
The brilliant golden light of his Soul Power lit the entire luxurious room as brightly as day.
After a long stretch of rain and snow, the skies had finally cleared for once that day.
Shafts of slightly warm sunlight slipped through the gaps between the gold-thread-embroidered curtains and fell upon Tian Chen's delicate features.
Feeling the unusual sensation on his face, Tian Chen instinctively opened his eyes. A sharp gleam flashed through them before quickly withdrawing.
After going to the bathroom for a quick wash, he focused his attention inside his soul tool. Only after making sure everything was ready did he smooth the creases in his clothes and leave his room.
When Tian Chen arrived in the lavish hall, he immediately spotted Tian E looking at him with a smile.
"Already at level 20?"
Tian E lifted the cup of clear tea before him and took a light sip, speaking to Tian Chen without any change in expression.
The excitement in his voice, however, completely betrayed his true thoughts.
Tian Chen had no intention of showing off in front of Tian E. He smiled and nodded, then sat down to tackle the sumptuous breakfast before him.
Tian E was quite satisfied with his grandson's behavior. Chuckling, he gently stroked the graying beard on his chin with his right hand and asked Tian Chen about his recent cultivation at Spirit Hall.
Tian Chen was also happy to discuss his insights into cultivation with his grandfather. The cultivation experience of a level 98 Super Douluo would certainly help him avoid some detours in his future cultivation. Moreover, his grandfather's martial soul was the Golden Crocodile King, passed down through the same bloodline as his own.
As grandfather and grandson chatted, they managed to drag breakfast out for more than two hours with their family talk.
That did not matter much, though. The Star Dou Great Forest was not particularly far from Spirit City.
A round trip by carriage would take no more than half a day.
After savoring a bowl of rich soup stewed from various medicinal tonics and soul beast sinews and bones, Tian Chen followed his grandfather out of the estate, thoroughly satisfied.
Just like their previous trip to the Star Dou Great Forest, a lavishly furnished carriage was already waiting outside the estate, and even the coachman was the same man as last time.
Upon seeing the two of them, he hurried over to greet them, his face wreathed in smiles.
Tian Chen nodded amiably to the coachman without putting on any airs. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he disdained showing off his superiority to an ordinary person.
If he was going to trample anyone underfoot, those young soul masters who proclaimed themselves geniuses would make much more interesting targets, would they not?
He and Tian E boarded the carriage one after the other, each finding a place to sit cross-legged.
This time, Tian Chen did not continue cultivating. Instead, he kept trying to persuade his grandfather.
The reason was simple. Earlier, over breakfast, he had proposed absorbing a thousand-year soul ring beyond the normal limit, only to meet with Tian E's vehement opposition. It gave Tian Chen quite a headache.
After all, this was only the world of Douluo I. The Soul Master World still generally believed that a soul master's second soul ring could be no older than six hundred-odd years.
"Grandpa, can't you have a little confidence in me?"
Seeing that Tian E would not budge, Tian Chen rolled his eyes helplessly.
No matter what, he had to absorb a thousand-year second soul ring this time. After all, he did not have twin martial souls, and the ages of his early soul rings would place far too great a restriction on his future development.
Tian E remained unmoved by Tian Chen's complaints and reached out to give him a hard rap on the head.
"Have you thought about what would happen if you failed, brat? Our family line would end. How about you give me a great-grandson right now? Then I'll let you take the risk."
Tian Chen: "???"
Hearing his grandfather's seemingly serious tone, Tian Chen lowered his head to glance at his crotch and thought rather spitefully.
If I weren't willing in spirit but powerless in flesh right now, I'd turn into a human pile driver and fulfill your request.
Afterward, although Tian Chen still had no intention of giving up on absorbing a thousand-year soul ring, he wisely refrained from saying anything more about it in front of Tian E.
Bros, think about which soul beast the protagonist should kill for his second soul ring. Give him a ranged attack, something like White Tiger Fierce Light Wave.
Also, regarding Qian Renxue, she's about ten years older than Tang San, which makes her five years older than the protagonist, so she's not out of the question. But Qian Renxue is too proud, and I'm afraid my lousy writing won't be able to handle her. It would be pretty disgusting if I ended up writing the protagonist as a simp...
Besides, I personally don't really like overly domineering women. I wasn't particularly fond of Qian Renxue when I read the original either. I did quite like Ye Lingling and Shui Bing'er, though...