Different Choices (3)

During the meal, Old Jack chattered on about what had happened in the village over the past five years.

Whose son had married, whose daughter had wed into the neighboring town, whose old cow had given birth to a calf... They were scattered little trifles, but Lin Chen listened with particular attention.

"Oh, right, that boy Tang San has made something of himself too." Old Jack picked up a mouthful of food with his chopsticks and smacked his lips. "I hear he's broken through to Soul Grandmaster as well. His First Soul Ring is a hundred-year ring, and so is his Second Soul Ring. They can't compare to your Thousand-Year Soul Ring, but he's still among the best of his peers."

Lin Chen nodded. He knew Tang San's strength was far more than it appeared on the surface. Twin Martial Souls, Tang Sect Secret Arts, the Purple Demon Eye-once he revealed all those trump cards, he was almost invincible among those of the same level.

"You two both came from our village. You should look out for each other in the future," Old Jack said earnestly. "The outside world isn't like the village. People's hearts are complicated, and one more friend means one more road to take."

"I'll remember, Grandpa Village Chief." Lin Chen had heard Old Jack say this more than once, but he still nodded seriously.

After the meal, Lin Chen took a hefty money pouch from the Chaos Pearl's storage space and placed it before Old Jack.

"Grandpa Village Chief, there are a hundred Gold Soul Coins here."

Old Jack's hand trembled, and he nearly dropped his wine cup on the floor. "H-how much? A hundred Gold Soul Coins?!"

For a remote, impoverished little village like Holy Soul Village, a hundred Gold Soul Coins was an astronomical sum. The village's total income for an entire year came to no more than twenty or thirty Gold Soul Coins.

"Lin Chen, I can't accept this!" Old Jack hurriedly refused. "You need money to cultivate out there too. Keep it for yourself!"

"Grandpa Village Chief, hear me out." Lin Chen held the old man's hand down, his tone sincere. "I receive a full stipend at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. I don't lack money. This money is for the village-repair the roads so they won't be a muddy mess whenever it rains; fix up the school so the children have somewhere sheltered from the wind and rain to study; and buy some padded winter clothes and bedding for the village elders."

He paused, his voice growing quieter. "I've had no parents since I was little. The meals from a hundred village households raised me. I've always kept that kindness in my heart."

Old Jack's eyes reddened again. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat seemed blocked by something. In the end, he simply gave Lin Chen a firm pat on the shoulder and grunted a hearty "Mm."

Xiao Wu watched quietly from the side, her heart warm. She liked Brother Lin Chen like this: strong but not arrogant, never forgetting the road he had come from, no matter how far he traveled.

Early the next morning, just as the sky began to brighten, Lin Chen and Xiao Wu prepared to set off.

Their carriage waited at the village entrance, where Old Jack and dozens of villagers had come to see them off. The morning mist had yet to disperse, and dew soaked the hems of the villagers' trousers, but not one of them complained.

"Lin Chen, boy, take good care of yourself out there!" Old Jack stood at the front of the crowd, his voice ringing out. "If anyone bullies you, come back and tell the village. We'll all go and stand up for you together!"

Although everyone knew that with Lin Chen's strength, he had no need for them to stand up for him, their goodwill warmed his heart.

"I will." Lin Chen cupped his fists and bowed to the villagers. "Take care, everyone. When I return after completing my studies, I'll make sure the name of Holy Soul Village resounds throughout the entire continent!"

The villagers waved goodbye. Some shouted, "Do your best!" Others called, "Become a Titled Douluo soon!" Still others shouted, "Remember to bring back a granddaughter-in-law next time!" That last remark made Xiao Wu's face flush red.

The carriage slowly left the village entrance and headed south along the main road.

Leaning on his cane beneath the old willow tree at the village entrance, Old Jack watched the carriage travel farther and farther away until it became a black dot and vanished into the morning light.

He raised a hand to wipe the corner of his eye and murmured to himself, "You little rascal, make sure you stay safe."

After the carriage had traveled ten li, Lin Chen changed direction.

Inside the carriage, Xiao Wu rested her chin in her hand and watched the trees race past outside the window. Tilting her head, she asked, "Brother Lin Chen, are we going to Heaven Dou City now?"

"First we're going to the Star Dou Great Forest. We'll get the Third Soul Ring before anything else." Lin Chen raised the reins and snapped his whip crisply through the air. "The Heaven Dou Royal Academy does arrange Soul Rings for its core disciples, but at most they'll find you one that's two or three thousand years old. That would be such a waste of talent. If we're getting one, we're getting the best."

He had planned this long ago. Level thirty was the first major hurdle for a Soul Master, and the strength of the Third Soul Skill would directly determine their future combat system. Now, with the Chaos Pearl's help, Xiao Wu had also successfully reached level thirty and happened to need a Soul Ring as well.

Two days later, the two arrived at the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. Lin Chen did not linger there, but led Xiao Wu straight toward the stone forest on the outskirts of the core area. The Chaos Pearl's gray halo shrouded them at all times, suppressing their presence to the lowest possible level. Unable to sense a threat, most of the Thousand-Year Soul Beasts along the way moved aside of their own accord.

The deeper they went, the denser the ancient trees grew, and the stronger the presence of Soul Beasts in the air became. Whenever the pressure of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast swept over them, Lin Chen gently dispersed it with the Power of Chaos, without alerting the beast.

"Another ten li ahead is Void Beast territory." Lin Chen stopped and checked their direction. "Void Beasts are rare spatial-attribute Soul Beasts, skilled in short-distance teleportation and spatial tearing. My target this time is a Void Beast King about fifteen thousand years old."

Xiao Wu drew a sharp breath. "Fifteen thousand years?! Brother Lin Chen, you're only level thirty. Won't absorbing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring be too risky?"

"Normally, absorbing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring at level thirty would leave you nine chances of death and one of survival." Lin Chen's expression remained calm. "But the Chaos Pearl is different. It has the innate ability to suppress all things, and my Chaos Soul Power is far purer and tougher than ordinary Soul Power. My capacity to withstand a Soul Ring's age far exceeds that of an ordinary person. Fifteen thousand years is my limit, and the best choice."

Xiao Wu bit her lip. Though worried, she trusted Lin Chen's judgment. Since they had met, Brother Lin Chen had never done anything he wasn't confident about.

"I'll help you. My Charm can disrupt its mind and keep it from teleporting accurately!"

"All right. Remember to stay behind me, and don't push yourself. If anything goes wrong, retreat immediately."

They passed through a dense stretch of primeval forest, and the view suddenly opened up before them.

A deep, dark canyon lay across their path. Fine spatial fissures covered the rock walls on either side, and distorted ripples filled the air.

Occasionally, a bird strayed into the area and was instantly sliced to pieces by invisible spatial blades, with not even a feather left to fall.

This was the Void Beast King's lair.

Lin Chen stood at the canyon entrance, his expression grave.

The Chaos Pearl floated above his palm, its gray halo spreading like ripples across water as it probed every inch of space ahead.