Hearing the familiar voice outside, Lin Fan suppressed the irritation in his heart.
He opened the door of the Zerg Nest and saw Yan kneeling straight in front of it.
"Isn't this Yan? Why aren't you staying in the Spirit Hall?"
Lin Fan was a bit surprised by Yan's sudden appearance. He wondered if the Spirit Hall had made some move and sent Yan to report it.
"Master Dominator, please grant me greater power."
Yan's voice trembled with fervor. In Lin Fan's eyes, he looked no different from a fanatic believer kneeling before a god.
"Greater power? Do you feel that your current strength isn't enough?"
Lin Fan raised an eyebrow. Among the younger generation, Yan was already at the very top. He couldn't quite understand why Yan suddenly desired more power.
"Master Dominator, I want to tear Tang San apart with my own hands! That defeat at the Spirit Master Tournament was the greatest humiliation of my life."
Yan pressed his hands against the ground, slowly lifting his head. His bloodshot eyes burned with fury and obsession.
"So Tang San left that deep of a mark on you, huh? Very well—if you're willing to sign a contract, I can grant you power far beyond what you currently possess."
Lin Fan knew Yan's temperament well—stubborn, unyielding, and unwilling to stop until he achieved his goal. But that was exactly the kind of person Lin Fan could use.
"Master Dominator, I am willing! Please, grant me that power!"
Yan raised his hands high, as if awaiting divine blessing.
"Write your name here, then drop your blood on the contract. Soon, you'll surpass Tang San."
Lin Fan handed him a parchment inscribed with writhing symbols. Yan did not hesitate for even a second.
A massive magic array instantly appeared beneath their feet, lines of power intertwining like veins of light. Within moments, countless thin threads of bio-energy emerged from the formation, wrapping around Yan's entire body like a cocoon—until he resembled a Terracotta Warrior encased in hardened chitin.
"From this moment forward, you are a true Knight of the Broodmother."
Watching the cocoon tremble as if something inside was about to emerge, Lin Fan's lips curved into a sinister smile.
Although Yan had already made a pact with the Broodmother before, this new contract was on an entirely different level—an evolution of their connection.
"Master Dominator… I… I feel like I have endless power flowing through me!"
Yan broke free from the cocoon, his body engulfed in blue flames. His aura surged, far stronger than before. He could feel the increase in soul power granted by the Broodmother. Without a shred of exaggeration, he now had full confidence that he could crush Tang San in battle.
"Your bond with the Broodmother is now more than a spiritual one. You can even summon her physical projection for a short time… though I advise you to use that sparingly."
Lin Fan's tone was calm, but there was a hint of warning in his words.
"Yes, Master Dominator. Next time, I won't bring you shame again!"
Yan clenched his fists, clearly eager to find a Soul Beast to test his newfound power.
Meanwhile, back at the Spirit Academy, Oscar and Ma Hongjun had been promoted into the elite class of the Spirit Hall.
This sudden leap caused great unease in Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's hearts.
"Fatty, Little Ao… that weirdo really increased your soul ring years?"
Dai Mubai asked in a hushed tone during a break, his curiosity barely contained.
"He's not a weirdo, he's our Master Dominator! Dai Mubai, if you dare insult him again, don't blame me for being rude to you!"
Ma Hongjun's anger flared instantly at the insult to Lin Fan.
Behind him, four pitch-black soul rings pulsed faintly—a clear sign that Lin Fan had successfully elevated their soul rings to the ten-thousand-year level.
"Ten… ten-thousand-year soul rings!?"
Even though Dai Mubai had mentally prepared himself, seeing them with his own eyes still left him stunned.
"Dai Mubai," Ma Hongjun warned coldly, "the Master Dominator's methods are beyond your imagination. If I were you, I'd be on my knees right now, begging for forgiveness for your earlier disrespect."
Oscar, also bearing four ten-thousand-year rings, stepped forward beside Ma Hongjun.
If Dai Mubai showed proper respect to Lin Fan, they could still remain friends.
But if he continued to insult Lin Fan… then the line between them would be cut cleanly.
"You two… Fine. I'll see for myself just how capable this Lin Fan really is."
With a scoff, Dai Mubai took Zhu Zhuqing and headed toward the Sunset Forest.
Since Lin Fan had become a Spirit Hall elder in name, there were secret guards stationed around his territory.
Though they claimed to be there for his protection, in truth, Bibi Dong simply wanted to keep him under observation—to prevent any possible cooperation with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Meanwhile, within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, chaos reigned. Ever since the news of Tang San's engagement to Ning Rongrong spread, the entire clan had been busy preparing for the wedding.
"You people! What is this mess supposed to be? My disciple's wedding with the clan princess is in seven days! If outsiders see this disaster, won't they laugh their heads off?"
Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang barked orders arrogantly, pretending to direct everyone.
Though most within the clan disliked him, they tolerated his attitude out of respect for Tang San.
"Are you a pig? You can't even hang a lantern properly—and you call yourself a Soul Emperor?"
Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands behind his back, smirking smugly as he scolded higher-ranked soul masters. For him, this was the kind of authority he had only dreamed about.
"Xiaosan, Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo—what do you think of this?"
Ning Fengzhi placed a Spirit Hall leaflet on the table, his expression solemn.
"From the information Spirit Hall released, it seems a large number of Soul Douluos are hunting Spirit Beasts for breakthroughs. Most likely, they're trying to send us a warning."
Tang San quickly analyzed the situation and extracted the underlying intent.
"Indeed. Spirit Hall's motives couldn't be clearer."
Sword Douluo nodded gravely. Everyone knew this was Spirit Hall's way of demonstrating power—and intimidation.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was strong, but nowhere near as powerful as Spirit Hall.
If Spirit Hall unleashed its full might, even an army of Titled Douluos could appear overnight—enough to utterly annihilate their sect.
"I'm planning to liquidate the clan's external assets and withdraw our forces… to seal the mountain," Ning Fengzhi said after a long silence, his tone heavy with resignation.
Though it pained him to abandon a foundation built over a hundred years, there was no other choice.
If they continued expanding, Spirit Hall would inevitably crush them.
"Once Tang San and Rongrong are married, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan will announce its seclusion. I don't like it either, but there's no better way."
Having said that, Ning Fengzhi left quietly, his shoulders heavy with the burden of leadership.
No one would have ever thought that the proud Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would end up like the Clear Sky Clan decades ago—forced into isolation by the overwhelming power of Spirit Hall.
And if Lin Fan were to hear about all this, he would only laugh coldly and mutter one word:
"Serves them right."
In truth, if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan hadn't overstepped so many times, Bibi Dong would never have sought Lin Fan's help this early.
****
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