A year later

"Ah! So hot!" Gui Mei suddenly cried out.

Seeing him wake, Qian Xunji withdrew his finger. The golden flames enveloping Gui Mei slowly faded as well, leaving only a faint glow.

Jun Yan, however, did not stop. He continued channeling his own life energy into Gui Mei until his body, burned by Angel Holy Light, had healed.

By then, Jun Yan's face was pale, and he nearly stumbled. Fortunately, Yue Guan reached out to steady him. He had simply exhausted too much Soul Power, though; a stroll through the forest later would put him right.

After learning that Jun Yan was fine, Yue Guan hurriedly asked, "Old Ghost, how do you feel?"

"I felt terribly hot just now, as if I were about to burn to death. I'm much better now. My whole body feels warm."

Gui Mei answered first, then asked, "Where am I? Wasn't I fighting Evil Soul Masters?"

Yue Guan explained, "This is the Pope Hall. Before, you were...

"It was thanks to His Holiness the Pope and little brother Jun Yan that your life was saved."

"So that's what happened. Thank you for saving me, Your Holiness." Gui Mei hurriedly bowed to Qian Xunji in thanks.

"You risked your life for Spirit Hall. Naturally, I had to do my utmost to save you." Qian Xunji returned to his throne and asked with some interest, "But how did you come to be so badly injured by Evil Soul Masters? Could it be that an exceptionally powerful Evil Soul Master appeared?"

"No, but those two Evil Soul Masters were both madmen. One gave up his life to curse me, and the other directly blew himself up. That was how I ended up so badly hurt."

Even now, Gui Mei shuddered at the memory.

Qian Xunji said calmly, "Most who become Evil Soul Masters have already gone mad. Nothing they do is surprising. But the intelligence was wrong this time as well. I must write to reprimand the hall master of Afaluo City."

A red-robed elder beside him hurriedly interceded. "Your Holiness, the Evil Soul Masters were Soul Douluos, after all, while the hall master of Afaluo City is only a Soul Saint. A slight error in the information is only natural."

Gui Mei also said, "The elder is right. Hall Master Luse simply lacked the strength; it wasn't that he failed to do his work conscientiously. Please don't be too hard on him, Your Holiness."

Qian Xunji had never intended to blame him too harshly. With Gui Mei, the victim himself, speaking up, he went with the flow. "Very well! I'll write and give him a warning instead!"

He then said to Gui Mei, "I wasn't the only one who saved you today. Jun Yan did a great deal too. You should thank him properly."

"I understand," Gui Mei said with a nod.

"Go on!" Qian Xunji waved a hand, signaling for them to leave.

"We take our leave," Gui Mei and Yue Guan said in unison.

Jun Yan bowed as well and followed them out of the Pope Hall. It couldn't be helped. He was still a small fry, and when the big shots spoke, he couldn't get a word in.

After leaving the Pope Hall, Gui Mei and Yue Guan escorted Jun Yan back to the Jun Family.

Outside the Jun Family home, Gui Mei thanked Jun Yan a thousand times over, saying he would surely repay him properly for saving his life. Yue Guan nodded in agreement beside him.

Finally, Gui Mei thumped his chest and told Jun Yan, "From now on, you can cultivate at home. You don't need to worry about the Enforcement Corps. Whenever I carry out a mission, you'll get a share of the credit."

Yue Guan also promised, "It won't be long before we break through and become Titled Douluos. As long as we have some standing in Spirit Hall then, we won't let you live poorly."

Jun Yan smiled and cupped his hands. "Then let me thank you both in advance, elders."

Gui Mei laughed. "Too soon, too soon! We're not elders yet!" Yue Guan covered his mouth and laughed beside him.

In the days that followed, things were indeed just as Gui Mei had said. Jun Yan could go to the Enforcement Corps if he wished, or stay away if he didn't.

He also checked his mission record. Although he rarely showed up, the number of missions kept climbing.

But with Yue Guan and Gui Mei on the verge of breaking through to the Titled Douluo realm, becoming elders, and taking command of the Enforcement Corps, no one would be so blind as to accuse them of abusing their authority.

In the blink of an eye, a year passed, and Jun Yan made astounding progress. He had broken through to Level 70. Once he obtained his Seventh Soul Ring, he would be a Soul Saint.

"You've reached Level 70?"

Jun Kuang's first reaction was disbelief, but the fact was that Jun Yan had never lied to him.

Immediately afterward, he asked, his face full of concern, "Did you take some medicine that overdrew your potential?"

Nine levels in one year was beyond what even the word "monstrous" could describe. With Bibi Dong's terrifying talent, gaining four levels in a year would have been exceptional.

Even the Shrek Seven Devils in the original story, after taking Immortal Herbs, had only reached that rate.

Jun Yan said, "Don't worry, Father. How could I make a joke of my own future? My Martial Soul should be starting to show its power. Besides, ever since I obtained my Sixth Soul Ring, I've felt my Soul Power growing quite a bit faster."

"Is it an effect of the Sixth Soul Ring?" Hearing Jun Yan say that, Jun Kuang became considerably more convinced.

Ever since he learned what Jun Yan's Sixth Soul Ring could do, he had suspected that it also had the effect of increasing Soul Power.

"Since you've broken through to Level 70, you'll need to obtain a Soul Ring. Shall I take you to the Star Dou Great Forest this time?"

Jun Yan refused without even thinking. "No need. I'll go by myself."

With a hint of envy in his voice, Jun Kuang said, "That's right, I heard Yue Guan and Gui Mei have already broken through to Level 90. An elder will probably take them to obtain their Soul Rings.

"Aren't you close to them? Why not go along? Killing a Soul Beast for you would be no more than a simple favor for them."

But Jun Yan still shook his head. "There's no need for that either. I want to try on my own."

"But Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts are far too powerful. If anything happened to you, wouldn't people worry?"

Jun Kuang asked, "Have you forgotten the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger from last year?"

Jun Yan shook his head. "Surely my luck can't be so bad that I run into it every time!"

Jun Kuang patiently urged him, "A careful hand can steer a ship for ten thousand years!"

"Then how about this? I won't go to the Star Dou Great Forest. I'll go to the Sunset Forest. There aren't any particularly powerful Soul Beasts there, so going there should be safe enough."

"The Sunset Forest outside Heaven Dou City?"

The Sunset Forest lay a hundred li east of Heaven Dou City and was one of the Heaven Dou Empire's major wild Soul Beast habitats. Although it was not as vast as the Star Dou Great Forest, it had no shortage of high-level Soul Beasts, though they were not very old. Moreover, because of its location, it was exceptionally rich in plant-type Soul Beasts.

When obtaining Soul Rings for people from Spirit City, the first choice was usually the Star Dou Great Forest. For one thing, it was nearby and convenient; for another, the Star Dou Great Forest had a great variety and number of Soul Beasts, making it possible to obtain a suitable Soul Ring.

If Jun Yan hadn't suddenly brought it up, Jun Kuang really wouldn't have thought of the Sunset Forest for the moment. He stroked his beard and considered it for a while before relenting. "If you're going to the Sunset Forest, I can let you go alone."