Chrysanthemum Douluo Appears · A Three-Day Deadline

On the third day after the semifinals ended, the wound on Nan Feng's left shoulder had mostly healed.

Ye Lingling had dripped Nine Heart Begonia flower dew onto the wound twice a day. The flesh had closed in two days, and the scab fell off on the third. The dull ache in his chest had faded, and his internal injuries had healed.

Nan Feng sat outside his guest elder's room and took out the hammer handle that had broken in two. It had snapped down the middle from the impact, and the two halves would not fit back together.

The hammer that had accompanied him from Gengxin City to Heaven Dou City had been ruined by a full-force strike from a level forty-four Soul Ancestor.

Old Huai said from inside the tower, "Go to the Blacksmith Association and have a new one forged. Your Soul Power is at level thirty-five now, and with the Hand External Soul Bone in your hand and the power of the Tower Realm, your close-combat needs aren't what they used to be. Find a weapon better suited to your current style."

Nan Feng put the broken hammer back into his bundle and stood up.

His Soul Power was at level thirty-five. The gap in the third-floor door continued to widen, and the Power of Creation sank a little deeper.

He was just about to head out when Ye Lingling approached with a rolled-up copy of Soul Master Weekly.

"Take a look at this." She handed him the newspaper.

Nan Feng unfolded it. The front-page headline read: "Heaven Dou Division dark horse stops at the semifinals, Bronze Tower independent cultivator exposes doubts about the Grandmaster's theories." The first half covered the semifinal match; the second quoted his interview. An editor's note said they had sought confirmation from Shrek but received no response.

There was another article on the second page: "A look at Spirit Hall's team in the competition-genius independent cultivator draws attention from multiple parties." It named no one, but hinted that Spirit Hall was interested in him.

"Someone came to the academy yesterday afternoon asking about you," Ye Lingling said. "A middle-aged man in plain clothes. He called himself an independent Soul Master. Teacher Qin Ming sensed that his Soul Power fluctuations were far beyond the Soul Emperor level."

"His face changed right then. He told me to pass on that the man's Soul Power fluctuations were as deep as a bottomless pit. With his level sixty-eight perception, he couldn't even touch the edge of them. Teacher Qin Ming told me to warn you to be careful when you go out lately."

Nan Feng put the newspaper away. If the Soul Power fluctuations were so deep that even Qin Ming could not touch their edge, the man was at least a Titled Douluo.

There were quite a few Titled Douluo on the continent, at least forty or fifty in the open. Spirit Hall's Elder Hall had around twenty, and the Worship Hall had seven great worshippers, all above Level 95.

But few in the Elder Hall were willing to come forward and carry out a task like this. This person was at least Level 95.

That evening, someone stopped Nan Feng at the academy's back gate.

The man was tall and slender, dressed in a white robe with pale gold chrysanthemum patterns embroidered along its hem. A Spirit Hall Elder Token hung at his waist.

Nan Feng's Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light issued a warning the instant he appeared.

The man's Soul Power fluctuations were vast and profound. The Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light could not probe their depths; they were like a bottomless lake. His level was higher than both Qin Ming's and Liu Erlong's, above level ninety-four.

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan.

Old Huai's voice drifted out of the crack at the bottom of the tower, carrying a gravity Nan Feng had never heard before.

"A Level 95 Titled Douluo. An elder of Spirit Hall's Elder Hall, with the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum as his Martial Soul. One of the very best among Plant-type Martial Souls."

"The chrysanthemum's fresh, bitter scent in his Soul Power fluctuations is so thick it won't disperse. That's the presence that spills out when a Martial Soul Origin has been cultivated to its utmost limit. You're a full sixty levels below him. He could crush you with one finger."

Nan Feng's breath stopped for a beat.

Yue Guan ranked near the top of the Elder Hall. He supported Pope Bibi Dong, oversaw punishments, and was partners with Ghost Douluo Gui Mei.

"You're Nan Feng?" Yue Guan spoke in a gentle, clear voice, with a natural elegance. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is Yue Guan, an elder of Spirit Hall. I came to see you today because I wanted to have a chat."

Nan Feng stood where he was, motionless.

The white robe gleamed faintly gold in the dusk. The presence spilling out of Yue Guan pressed down on Nan Feng, making his dantian tremble.

His Third Soul Ring jolted.

"About what?" Nan Feng said.

The corner of Yue Guan's mouth curved upward. His gaze lingered on Nan Feng's face for a beat, then dropped to his dantian.

His perception was more than ten times stronger than Qin Ming's. Mingled with the Bronze Tower's Soul Power fluctuations was an ancient presence that did not belong to the category of Soul Power, and its Soul Ring Configuration exceeded the upper limit.

Both the warm light spilling out of the Tower Realm and the Primordial World Imprint left traces within his perception.

"What you said during the individual competition interested me greatly." Yue Guan took a step forward, standing closer.

The chrysanthemum's fresh, bitter scent grew stronger, and the circulation of Soul Power through Nan Feng's meridians slowed by nearly twenty percent.

"You said Yu Xiaogang's theories were stolen, and that the age limits for Soul Rings could be surpassed. Those words caused quite a stir in the Soul Master World. Spirit Hall takes this very seriously and sent me to learn more about you."

Nan Feng looked at him. Yue Guan's tone was polite, but there was weight behind it.

When Spirit Hall wanted to "learn more," it usually meant recruitment or elimination. He had fought people from Spirit Hall in Suotuo City. Chrysanthemum Douluo had come in person, and his manner was gentler than it had been that time, but the nature of it had not changed.

"My situation is simple," Nan Feng said. "Bronze Tower Martial Soul, level thirty-five, a three-ring Soul Elder. An independent cultivator, with no background and no master. I hunted my Soul Rings myself and verified the theory myself. If Spirit Hall wants to know about those things, you can check my competition records. They're written there quite clearly."

Yue Guan's smile deepened a little. He tilted his head and looked Nan Feng over.

"Your Soul Ring Configuration is indeed recorded quite clearly. The first ring is nine hundred and twenty years old, the second is two thousand one hundred, and the third is twelve thousand. All three Soul Rings far exceed the limits for a normal Soul Master. This has never happened in the history of the Soul Master World. Spirit Hall is very interested in this abnormal phenomenon and would like to invite you to Spirit City for a comprehensive assessment."

"Invite?" Nan Feng said.

"Invite," Yue Guan repeated, his tone even. "Of course, you can also understand it as Spirit Hall hoping for your cooperation. Your Martial Soul and Soul Ring Configuration are of great value to Soul Master research. Spirit Hall is willing to provide all the resources necessary to support your growth." He paused, and the cold light in his eyes brightened a fraction.

"But if you're unwilling to cooperate, Spirit Hall has its own rules."

Nan Feng was silent for two breaths. A Level 95 Titled Douluo coming in person to "invite" him was no different from an order. He understood the consequences of refusing.

But he could not go to Spirit City. The tower's existence, the Primordial World Imprint, the Power of Creation, and those memories of the future would be exposed by any in-depth investigation. When that happened, he would not be a guest, but an experimental subject.

"I'll think about it," Nan Feng said.

Yue Guan looked at him, his gaze resting on his face for three breaths before he nodded. "Very well. I'll give you three days. If you still haven't decided after three days, Spirit Hall will formally send someone to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to pick you up."

He turned and walked deeper into the alley. After a few steps, he turned his head and glanced back.

"Nan Feng." Yue Guan spoke his name softly, every word landing clearly. "Your Martial Soul is very interesting. If you're willing to cooperate, Spirit Hall won't treat you poorly. But if you're unwilling, Spirit Hall won't let you become someone else's source of support, either. You understand what I mean."

He walked into the shadows of the alley, his white figure flashing once before vanishing.

The deep black glow of the Soul Ring in his palm pulsed against his skin, rising and falling in response to the blue-green light in the crack at the bottom of the tower. In three days, he would either go to Spirit City or face Spirit Hall's formal measures. He could neither go nor stay.

Back in his guest elder's room, he closed the door and sank into the space inside the tower. Old Huai poked his head out, and blue-green light flashed.

"Chrysanthemum Douluo has his eye on you. A Level 95 Titled Douluo, a member of Spirit Hall's Elder Hall. He alone could flatten Heaven Dou Royal Academy. What are you planning to do?"

"First, go to the Blacksmith Association and have a new weapon forged," Nan Feng said. "Then leave Heaven Dou City."

Old Huai narrowed his eyes at him. "Where to?"

Nan Feng was silent for a breath. Bi Ji had said there were ruins at the bottom of the Lake of Life and a stone stele beneath the Ancient Tree of Life. The key to the third-floor door might be there. Spirit Hall's hands could not reach that far.

"The Star Dou Great Forest. The Lake of Life."

Old Huai grinned, showing a few sparse teeth.

"That place is extremely dangerous. But Bi Ji promised to help you stabilize your Spiritual Power, and the Life Origin of the Lake of Life resonates with your Power of Creation. If you can push the third-floor door all the way open at the Lake of Life, Spirit Hall won't be able to stop you."

"Chrysanthemum Douluo gave you three days. You must leave Heaven Dou City within those three days, or Spirit Hall's formal measures will begin. If a Level 95 Titled Douluo acts in person, you won't even have a chance to escape."

Nan Feng withdrew his consciousness and lay down on the bed.

The Elder Hall had nearly twenty more Titled Douluo like that. The seven great worshippers of the Worship Hall were all above Level 95, and Qian Daoliu was Level 99. Nan Feng could not defeat a single one of them.

But he had the tower's third-floor door. Once his Soul Power reached level forty, the door would open completely and the Power of Creation could be released, allowing him to help Xiao Wu evolve her Martial Soul. Three days were enough to leave Heaven Dou City and reach the outskirts of Star Dou.

Moonlight slipped through the crack in the window. Nan Feng turned over to face the wall.

Tomorrow he would go to the Blacksmith Association. The day after, he would leave Heaven Dou City.