After the palace banquet, Chu Qing's family returned and spent more than a month traveling with Xu Sanshi's family. Then Chu Qing broke through to level thirty.
Xu Sanshi's father was delighted to have a chance to help and asked:
"Xiao Qing, is there a Soul Beast you have your eye on? You can stay in Lingdou City, and I'll go catch it for you myself."
He thought it might be unsafe to take Chu Qing along, since Chu Qing's First Soul Ring was so unusual.
"Thank you, Uncle. I'd like to absorb a snake-type Soul Beast that's seven, eight, or nine thousand years old, one that focuses on strength and defense or has a special ability."
Chu Qing spoke after giving it some thought. Princess Xue Li had secretly given him quite a few spirit herbs, and with the strength of his body, he would have wanted to risk trying a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring if his spiritual power hadn't been insufficient and he hadn't been worried about its Soul Shock.
Xu Sanshi's eyes widened as he listened, and he couldn't help asking:
"Are you even human?"
The two fathers laughed and set off together. The Spirit Rhinoceros Sect had long since searched for suitable Soul Beasts for Chu Qing, so going together would save them a great deal of time.
As for Chu Qing's safety, they felt reassured as long as he stayed in Lingdou City.
Chu Qing was simply too exceptional, and quite a few Titled Douluo were keeping an eye on him. Nothing could happen to him unless there was a large-scale enemy attack.
Although Dou Ling was weak as a nation, it was still an empire. It would not let anyone snuff out a genius who was bound to have a profound influence on the country's future while he was still in the cradle, right there in its capital.
The sisters Xue Lingxun and Xue Lingyi had been apart for a long time and had a great deal to talk about.
Chu Qing took Xu Sanshi to play cards with Xue Shiqi and the others all day for fun.
Although the two sides hadn't gotten along at first, after spending time together a few more times, everyone discovered that if they ignored what their fathers had said, the others weren't so hard to get along with.
Even Yang Tian secretly came to join them, and he and Xu Sanshi racked their brains every day over how to make fake cards to counter each other.
Once Chu Qing had confirmed that the Soul Fighting Cards they played with had different house rules everywhere and no consistent rules across the continent, he eagerly gathered everyone to establish a card and board game club-the Soul Fighting Society-and declared with lofty ambition:
"We're going to bring Soul Fighting Cards to the masses and make them a game that sweeps the entire continent."
"We'll hold card tournaments that can rival the Continental Young Elite Soul Master Tournament!"
Everyone looked at him doubtfully. Yang Tian hit the nail on the head:
"It's fine for us to play this in private, but they won't agree to it."
Li Zhongyuan nodded.
"Chu Qing, if it weren't for you, my family wouldn't even let me take part in founding the Soul Fighting Society."
He was somewhat reluctant to admit it, but he sighed and said:
"Playing cards as much as I do really is letting amusement sap my ambition."
"But even if I worked hard at cultivation, how far could I get with my talent?"
Xu Sanshi added:
"Although these cards are pretty interesting, we Soul Masters still have to make cultivation our priority."
Nearly everyone voiced opposition. Only Princess Xue Li looked at him and said firmly:
"Chu Qing, I believe in you."
Chu Qing nodded in satisfaction, then slowly began to explain.
"Every one of you is as shortsighted as a mouse. Let me ask you: if we succeed in bringing Soul Fighting Cards to the entire continent, then establish distribution points and monopolize the card-selling business, how much could we earn in a year, even if each person only gave us one copper coin a year?"
"Don't just look at how little one card earns, nowhere near as much as a Soul Tool."
"But what about the number of potential customers? Cards aren't just for nobles and commoners; Soul Masters and ordinary people can all buy them. Grains of rice pile up into a mountain, understand?"
"And there's something even more important: costs and competition."
"The cost of making Soul Tools goes without saying, and their markets aren't ones you can seize either."
"But with this, once we have a monopoly, we can make huge profits without needing much technical skill at all!"
Everyone listened thoughtfully. They had no doubt that once Chu Qing had grown up, he would have the strength to establish a monopoly.
Chu Qing pressed on.
"Think about it. If we do this together and monopolize the whole continent, wouldn't that make us the equivalent of people who founded a sect?"
"In the future, it might even grow into the number one organization on the continent. We could also awaken Martial Souls for commoners for free at the distribution points and recruit talent at the first opportunity."
Everyone was slightly surprised to hear this.
"Your ambitions are a little big!"
Xue Shiqi exclaimed, then said without hesitation:
"All right, I'm in. I'll just wait to become a founding elder someday."
Li Zhongyuan considered it briefly and was even more direct:
"I'll go back and convince my family."
"I'm in too."
Quite a few people voiced their agreement. Their families had told them to build a good relationship with Chu Qing, and they also had high hopes for his future. After all, no matter how poorly the Soul Fighting Society developed, how bad could an organization with a Limit Douluo holding down the fort be?
Xu Sanshi clicked his tongue in wonder and remarked:
"That's really a wild dream. Count me in, but I'll be going to Shrek before long. Anyway, save me a spot."
As he spoke, he looked at Chu Qing somewhat strangely, wondering if he wasn't planning to go to Shrek, since he was preparing to do this.
Yang Tian hesitated.
"I need to go back and think about it some more."
Seeing that almost everyone had agreed, Chu Qing was pleased.
Although he had the potential to become a god, it was still only potential. Before he grew up, it was all an illusion, and he still had to rely on Dou Ling.
Now that he had these noble youths, it was equivalent to having the support of the families behind them.
He began:
"Since we're planning for long-term development, there's one thing we have to lay down rules for first."
Everyone listened attentively, Princess Xue Li nodding most earnestly of all.
Chu Qing pointed accusingly at Xue Shiqi, and everyone's heads turned toward him in unison.
Xue Shiqi looked utterly innocent, and quite surprised.
"What?"
"I didn't even do anything!"
Chu Qing explained why.
"If we want people to keep playing our card game for a long time to come, the most important thing is fairness. We can't have no restrictions at all on making cards."
Xue Shiqi slowly realized what he meant and smiled sheepishly. The others also looked at him, grinding their teeth in resentment.
"I'm calling out Shiqi's 'Assembly of the Ten Fierce Beasts' in particular. It doesn't cost anything at all. When I saw it, I wanted to summon my fist in attack mode."
Xue Shiqi chuckled.
"Who says there's no cost? Don't I prepare myself for a beating every time?"
Everyone was speechless for a moment, then they all turned their fire on Li Zhongyuan and Xu Sanshi.
"Chu Qing, there are two others who are especially outrageous. One keeps making cards to target other people, and the other shamelessly powers himself up."
Chu Qing nodded and said:
"The others are the same. Their thousand-year Soul Beasts are all nine thousand years old. We have to standardize our cards."
"From now on, all our cards will be made according to one set of standards. Only cards sold by our Soul Fighting Society can be used in duels; all other homemade cards will be considered fake."
This was something they were all interested in, and they began discussing it enthusiastically. First, they brought out all the outrageously overpowered cards they had loathed in one another's decks and put them on public trial.
That evening, Princess Xue Li lay across the Dou Ling Emperor's lap and told him about it. The emperor pondered it carefully, a smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.
If it had been anyone else, he would certainly have objected at once. Could playing cards drive back invading enemies?
But since it was Chu Qing, he found himself admiring him all the more. He hadn't expected him to be so farsighted at such a young age.
He truly thought Chu Qing's idea was feasible, and that it had many benefits.
It would open up a new field without conflicting with the existing nobles' interests. He could almost see a steady stream of gold coins flowing into Dou Ling from the continent's three kingdoms.
More importantly, it gave him an arrangement for Chu Qing's position in the future.
He stroked Xue Li's head affectionately and said:
"All right. I'll allocate the best plot of land in Lingdou City for your Soul Fighting Society's headquarters. As for the other checkpoints and key locations, you needn't worry about any of them as long as they're within the Dou Ling Empire."
Princess Xue Li was delighted.
"Thank you, Father. You're the best."
Princess Xue Li was very happy, enjoying the paternal love she had long yearned for.