Chapter 241: The reversal is too fast, which makes people unexpected
The reason Qian Daoliu took the Angel Divine Sword was because he knew the Clear Sky Sect's Great Sumeru Hammer was extraordinarily powerful, especially when Tang Hao detonated all nine of his spirit rings. Even if he could withstand it, it wouldn't be easy or pleasant.
To intimidate the Spirit Masters of other forces present and to maintain the Spirit Hall's dignity, Qian Daoliu took up the Angel Divine Sword and unleashed an overwhelming strike.
"Qian Daoliu?"
In an instant, Tang Hao recognized the youthful figure before him.
Originally, before coming to Spirit City, Tang Hao thought he could contend with Qian Daoliu, but he never expected Qian Daoliu to be so powerful. With just one sword strike, he broke his ultimate move?
Where there's life, there's hope! So Tang Hao was very straightforward. Without a second thought, he immediately scooped up Tang San beside him and fled.
Watching Tang Hao hastily flee, Qian Daoliu did not pursue.
If Qian Daoliu had pursued them, Tang San and Tang Hao would definitely not have escaped. After all, the Seraphim Spirit itself has wings, and Qian Daoliu's strength was superior to Tang Hao's. How could he let Tang Hao escape?
However, Qian Daoliu knew that regarding the matter of his son, Qian Xunji, Tang Hao truly couldn't be blamed.
The reason Qian Xunji died was because he coveted another person's wife's spirit ring and Spirit Bone. If his strength was inferior, how could he blame others for severely injuring him? Moreover, his eventual death was due to Bibi Dong's finishing blow.
From beginning to end, it was the Spirit Hall bullying others; Tang Hao was merely forced to retaliate.
Furthermore, although Tang Chen of the Clear Sky Sect was missing, there was no clear news of his demise on the continent. Qian Daoliu, out of deference to Tang Chen, allowed Tang Hao to remain at large under the Spirit Hall's pursuit for so many years.
If it were anyone else, even someone stronger than Tang Hao, they would have long been dead. Did they really think his 99th level Titled Douluo strength was for show?
Moreover, Qian Daoliu was no ordinary super Douluo. He had undergone the Angel's Eight Trials, and as the High Priest of the Angel God, he could mobilize a portion of the Angel God's divine force. His strength was by no means comparable to that of an ordinary super Douluo.
"Greetings, High Priest!"
Upon seeing Qian Daoliu appear, all seven Titled Douluo belonging to the Spirit Hall, except for Bibi Dong, immediately saluted Qian Daoliu.
The aloof Qian Daoliu said nothing, merely nodding.
"Hmph~, Qian Daoliu, you just let Tang Hao, who has the grudge of killing your son, go?"
Bibi Dong sneered at Qian Daoliu.
Qian Daoliu: "..."
"Hmph~"
Qian Daoliu snorted, showing no intention of speaking to Bibi Dong. He turned to glance at Xue Qinghe, who was avoiding the aftermath of the previous battle in the distance, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, then returned to the Hall of Offerings.
"Uncle Jian, is that the High Priest of the Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu?"
After Qian Daoliu left, Ning Fengzhi asked Chen Xin beside him with a solemn expression.
"Indeed, he is Qian Daoliu."
Chen Xin sighed deeply, looking in the direction Qian Daoliu had left, saying with some reluctance.
Chen Xin and Qian Daoliu had a considerable conflict. Back then, Chen Xin's father, in order to break through his bottleneck, went to the Spirit Hall to challenge Qian Daoliu, who was already a 99th level Titled Douluo at the time. The result, needless to say, was a crushing defeat, and he eventually died of his injuries.
Thus, the grudge was formed.
Unfortunately, Qian Daoliu's strength was too great, and Chen Xin knew he was no match, so for all these years, Chen Xin never thought of delivering himself to his death.
However, Ye Chen had previously given him a semi-mature Immortal Herb, allowing him to break through to 97th Level Titled Douluo. There was hope for him to break through to 98th Level in the future, so Chen Xin's thoughts naturally became active.
But after witnessing that sword strike just now, Chen Xin's active thoughts immediately felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured on them.
He couldn't even block Tang Hao's final hammer, let alone Qian Daoliu, whose strength was even greater.
"Alas~, this is a true powerhouse of the current era!"
Even though Ning Fengzhi was not a Titled Douluo, he still felt the immense power of 'invincible in the sky.' If the Spirit Hall were to cause trouble for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School one day, what would become of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School?
"Fengzhi, don't be discouraged! The future belongs to the young generation!"
Chen Xin quickly adjusted his state and comforted Ning Fengzhi.
"You're right, we are old, but the future belongs to the young generation!"
Glancing at his dear daughter and Ye Chen in the distance, Ning Fengzhi showed a faint smile.
...
'Tsk~, I always feel like it started strong but ended weakly!'
Back at his residence, Ye Chen lamented the sudden turn of events.
He had greatly anticipated Tang Da Chui to overturn the Supreme Pontiff Palace, but unfortunately, although events were developing in the direction Ye Chen hoped, Qian Daoliu suddenly appeared at the end.
One moment Tang Hao was exuding an aura of dominance, the next he was fleeing. The rhythm reversed too quickly, catching people off guard.
"Forget it, it has nothing to do with me anyway."
Shaking his head, Ye Chen returned to his room and took out the Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull, the reward for winning the championship, from his spirit tool.
The Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull was over fifty thousand years old, which meant that as long as he spent half a small fortune in gold coins, Ye Chen could raise its age to one hundred thousand years.
He had made a good fortune during the preliminary rounds at the Tiandou Great Spirit Arena, so raising the Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull's age to one hundred thousand years was more than enough.
Now he was a 66th Level Spirit Emperor. A one hundred thousand-year Spirit Bone could at least increase his spirit power by about three levels. After refining it, he wouldn't be far from 70th Level.
And once he reached 70th Level, with the Creation Body Tempering Art and the powerful physical qualities gained from refining multiple one hundred thousand-year Spirit Bones, he would be able to withstand the pressure brought by ultra-high-year spirit rings.
As long as he had enough gold coins, by greatly increasing the age of each spirit ring, he could quickly advance to Eight-Ring Spirit Douluo, or even Titled Douluo.
Once he became a Titled Douluo, he thought, as long as no Divinity appeared, he would pretty much be invincible in the world, right?
"Uh~, I can just lie flat?"
After thinking about it, Ye Chen realized that it seemed the only thing separating him from being invincible was gold coins?
gold coins? Wouldn't he just get them by lying flat? Just thinking about it made him a little excited!
Just as Ye Chen was about to refine the Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull, Xiao Wu's voice came from outside the door: "Brother, Crown Prince has come to see you!"
'Qian Renxue is here to see me?'
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, put away the Spirit Bone in his hand, got up, and left his room to go to the hotel lobby.
"Brother Qinghe!"
"Mm, congratulations, worthy brother, on winning this competition!"
Qian Renxue congratulated Ye Chen with a smile on her face.
"Haha, congratulations to you too!"
Ye Chen smiled, not caring much. Winning the Soul Master Competition, wasn't it something anyone could do?Chapter 242: Obtaining Another Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone
"…"
Qian Renxue couldn't help but twitch her lips.
If she were the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, then it would indeed be a shared joy.
After all, Shrek is a high-level Spirit Master academy of the Heaven Dou Empire. Shrek Academy defeating Star Luo Royal Academy and Spirit Hall Team to win the championship is not just their good news, but also good news for the Heaven Dou Empire.
But unfortunately, Qian Renxue is not the real Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire; she is the Young Master of Spirit Hall.
And in this Soul Master Competition, among Heaven Dou, Star Luo, and Spirit Hall, Spirit Hall suffered the most devastating loss.
Not only were the three Spirit Bones awarded to the champion team provided by Spirit Hall, but even the Spirit Hall Team's ranking ended up being only third. It could be said they lost everything.
If it weren't for High Priest Qian Daoliu's intervention at the end, even the Supreme Pontiff Palace, which symbolized the prestige of Spirit Hall, would have been reduced to ruins.
"By the way, my dear brother, you said earlier that if the younger generation of Spirit Hall could defeat you, you would really join Spirit Hall?"
Speaking of this, Qian Renxue's eyes sparkled with an inexplicable light.
She had been defeated by Ye Chen in the Star Dou Great Forest, and Qian Renxue felt that she had been careless.
If she had activated her Angel True Body from the start, Ye Chen probably wouldn't have been able to do anything to her, right?
After all, there was no reason for her, who possessed the divine Spirit: Seraphim, to lose to Ye Chen, who was one ring weaker than her.
Moreover, the most significant increase in strength after advancing in rank occurs at the Soul Sage and Titled Douluo (9 Rings) levels.
The difficulty of a Level 59 Spirit King challenging a Level 61 Spirit Emperor is definitely much lower than a Level 69 Spirit Emperor challenging a Level 71 Soul Saint or a Level 89 Spirit Douluo challenging a Level 91 Titled Douluo.
In addition, after observing for some time, Qian Renxue realized that she might not be without a way to deal with Ye Chen's disgusting Spirit Abilities.
For Ye Chen's Spirit Abilities to be effective, the prerequisite is that they must hit the opponent.
And her second Spirit Ability, Virtualization, allows her to enter a virtual state. In this virtual state, she can be immune to all physical attacks and also immune to 50% of energy attacks.
Invincible defense and attack immunity are not the same concept.
If it's just invincible defense, then when facing control-type Spirit Abilities, one will only not suffer damage, but the control effect will still exist.
But if it's attack immunity, then it can be completely nullified.
Presumably, Ye Chen's stick that taps people's foreheads should be a physical attack, right?
Although the duration of Virtualization is very short, in the Martial Soul True Body state, Spirit Abilities below seven rings can be released without limit.
In this way, wouldn't she be able to defeat Ye Chen and then make Ye Chen join Spirit Hall, becoming her subordinate enforcer?
Well, in summary, Qian Renxue felt that her defeat by Ye Chen back then was just an accidental misstep.
If she had used her Martial Soul True Body and Virtualization from the start, Ye Chen might already be her subordinate!
'Could it be that this little girl still wants to counterattack me?'
Listening to Qian Renxue, Ye Chen thought to himself.
"Brother Qinghe, you can rest assured! We are good 'brothers'! I am on your side! Besides, the young Spirit Masters of Spirit Hall are definitely not my match!"
Ye Chen patted his chest and promised.
"Hmm, that's good!"
Although she didn't get a clear answer, Qian Renxue generally understood Ye Chen's thoughts.
Since Ye Chen said so, whether he knew her true identity or not, Ye Chen would definitely not be her enemy in the future.
After dismissing Qian Renxue, Ye Chen instructed Xiao Wu and the others not to let anyone disturb him, then returned to his room to begin refining the Spirit Bone.
...
Time gradually passed, the sun set in the west, and by evening, Ye Chen finally refined the Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull.
After waking up, Ye Chen didn't immediately feel the changes in his spirit power and mental force. He directly opened the System Shop and bought five black ten-thousand-year Spirit Bone year-boosting cards.
Subsequently, with the use of the five black Spirit Bone year cards, the Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull quickly increased to a hundred-thousand-year lifespan.
As the Spirit Bone's age increased, Ye Chen could feel his spirit power and mental force surging again.
After a long while, when his spirit power and mental force gradually calmed down, Ye Chen opened his attribute panel.
[Attribute Panel]
[Host: Ye Chen]
[spirit power: Level 69]
[Spirit: Qingjing Bamboo Staff]
[spirit rings: Black, Black, Black, Black, Black, Black]
[First Spirit Ability, Imprisonment]
[Second Spirit Ability, Fixed Awareness]
[Third Spirit Ability, Banning God]
[Fourth Spirit Ability, Blindness]
[Fifth Spirit Ability, Silence]
[Sixth Spirit Ability, Weakness]
[Spirit Bones: Creation Green Lotus (external Spirit Bone), Thorn Iron Tree Left Arm Bone, bloodthirsty demon vine right arm bone, Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull]
[Domain: Qingjing Domain]
"Not bad, not bad!"
Looking at his attribute panel, Ye Chen nodded with satisfaction.
After refining the Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull, his spirit power level, as expected, directly increased by 3 levels, reaching Level 69 Spirit Emperor.
Perhaps because the head Spirit Bone primarily focuses on enhancing mental force, the spirit power contained within it was not very much, and his spirit power level barely reached Level 69, still far from Level 70.
Based on Ye Chen's current cultivation speed, if he were to cultivate honestly, it would probably take at least three more months to reach Level 70 quasi-Soul Saint.
This is after Ye Chen had consumed one Immortal Herb, plus a semi-mature Immortal Herb, which significantly boosted his talent and potential, thus eliminating the bottleneck for advancing to a Soul Sage.
Otherwise, for an ordinary Spirit Master, trying to advance from Level 69 Spirit Emperor to Level 70 quasi-Soul Saint within a few months would be wishful thinking!
However, Ye Chen was not too anxious to advance to Level 70. He did not intend to rely on increasing the age of his spirit rings to boost his spirit power level, because the target for the seventh spirit ring is not easy to find.
Even though no matter what kind of spirit ring is absorbed, the seventh Spirit Ability is Martial Soul True Body, different spirit rings produce different Martial Soul True Body effects, and the quality can vary greatly.
For the target of his seventh spirit ring, Ye Chen needed a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast, and preferably a bamboo-type hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast.
However, hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts on the continent are basically only found in the Star Dou Great Forest, the Far North, and the ocean.
The Far North is covered in ice and snow, so it's unlikely for bamboo-type hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts to appear there. The same goes for the ocean. The only possibility is the Star Dou Great Forest.
But the number of hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest is very small, and plant-type Spirit Beasts, due to their immobility, are absolutely few and far between that can survive for a long time and successfully grow into hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts, let alone a hundred-thousand-year bamboo-type Spirit Beast suitable for Ye Chen.
However, fortunately, while a hundred-thousand-year bamboo-type Spirit Beast might not exist, the Star Dou Great Forest is so vast that there should still be some bamboo-type Spirit Beasts stuck at the hundred-thousand-year bottleneck.
At that time, spending a small fortune in the System Shop to buy an Immortal Spirit Grass should make this possible.
Although there is only a difference of ten million gold coins for Ye Chen between a ninety-thousand-year spirit ring and a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring, because the seventh spirit ring is special and will only produce one Martial Soul True Body.
But the biggest difference between a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast and a ninety-thousand-year Spirit Beast is that a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast will definitely yield a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone, and it will be for a part of the body that the user is missing.
This alone is enough for Ye Chen to recover his costs.Chapter 243 Soul Bone Skill: Creation Light
However, for a 90,000-year Spirit Beast, it's not a certainty. Even with the Lucky Card's boost, Ye Chen might not be able to get a Spirit Bone.
Furthermore, even if this non-original 100,000-year Spirit Bone's age is later increased to 100,000 years, it will still lack a 100,000-year Soul Bone Skill compared to a normal 100,000-year Spirit Bone.
With an additional 100,000-year Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull, Ye Chen's gains were not just his spirit power increasing to a Level 69 Spirit Emperor.
In terms of mental force, Ye Chen was already comparable to an Eight-Ring Spirit Douluo. After the Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull was upgraded to 100,000 years, Ye Chen estimated that he was almost at the Titled Douluo level.
Additionally, with this head Spirit Bone, his powerful mental force finally had a use.
Although Ye Chen's mental force was impressive before, the Creation Soul Forging Art was only a cultivation technique for mental force and did not provide mental force Spirit Abilities. And Ye Chen was busy cultivating, so he didn't have time to create his own mental force Spirit Abilities.
So, even though his mental force far surpassed ordinary Spirit Masters, Ye Chen had not been able to leverage this advantage.
But now it was different. The Soul Bone Skill: Light of Spirit, attached to the Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull, was a powerful mental force offensive Spirit Ability.
It could be said that with the Soul Bone Skill: Light of Spirit, combined with mental force strength comparable to a Titled Douluo, Ye Chen was capable of instantly unleashing an attack comparable to a Titled Douluo expert.
Moreover, the Spirit Masters on the continent generally had weaker mental force, and the Soul Bone Skill: Light of Spirit was a mental force attack. Those Titled Douluo at the bottom of the power rankings, such as Snake Lance Douluo Sha Long and his ilk, had a very high chance of falling to this move.
Of course, Ye Chen wasn't arrogant; he wouldn't foolishly challenge a Titled Douluo.
"Light of Spirit? Uh~, the name doesn't sound very good. Let's call it Creation Divine Light instead!"
After some thought, Ye Chen changed the name of his Soul Bone Skill. Anyway, it was just a name change and didn't affect the skill's overall effect.
...
Subsequently, thinking about his seventh spirit ring, Ye Chen found Xiao Wu.
"Xiao Wu, do you know where in the Star Dou Great Forest there are bamboo-type Spirit Beasts that are 100,000 years old or close to 100,000 years old?"
Instead of aimlessly searching in the Star Dou Great Forest later, Ye Chen decided to ask Xiao Wu first.
Plant-type Spirit Beasts are not easy to move and generally don't change their location. Xiao Wu had lived in the Star Dou Great Forest since childhood, so she might know something.
"Bamboo? I don't know~! Most bamboo-type Spirit Beasts aren't very strong, and there are rarely high-year bamboos in the forest. However, I do know of a Demon Eye Magic Tree that is very close to 100,000 years old."
"Demon Eye Magic Tree?"
Ye Chen was stunned. Wasn't this the same species as the Myriad Demon King, one of the Ten Great Fierce Beasts that appeared in the Star Dou Great Forest in later generations of Douluo?
After some thought, Ye Chen did not intend to give up searching for bamboo-type Spirit Beasts, but this Demon Eye Magic Tree, which was close to 100,000 years old, could be considered for his eighth spirit ring later on.
...
Evening.
In a room not too far from the Shrek people, Qian Renxue sat by the window, gazing at the Supreme Pontiff Palace on Supreme Pontiff Mountain in the distance.
"Sigh~, tomorrow I'll be leaving Spirit City again!"
Suddenly, Qian Renxue sighed.
The Soul Master Competition had successfully concluded, and tomorrow was the Heaven Dou Empire's participating team's departure from Spirit City.
Her current identity was the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. Too many people, both openly and secretly, were watching her in the Heaven Dou Empire. Disappearing for a day or two was fine, but a prolonged disappearance was absolutely not allowed.
And Heaven Dou City was so far from Spirit City. So, for so many years, Qian Renxue could only secretly return to Spirit City to see her grandfather when she went out to acquire spirit rings.
As for Bibi Dong? Because the mother and daughter were mutually disgusted, this was the first time they had met since she went to the Heaven Dou Empire.
"Knock knock--"
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Who is it?"
"Your Royal Highness, your subordinate has something to report!"
A subordinate's voice came from outside the door.
"Come in!"
The door opened, and a plain-looking, thin subordinate walked in.
"Young Master, a letter from the Supreme Pontiff Palace!"
The subordinate handed a letter to Qian Renxue.
As the number one spy of the Spirit Hall, among the subordinates Qian Renxue brought from the Heaven Dou Empire, there were naturally also people planted by the Spirit Hall.
Originally, reporting news was the responsibility of Sha Long and Ci Xue, her two bodyguards. However, Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin were also staying at the hotel, and Sha Long and Ci Xue dared not wander near Chen Xin, lest they be discovered.
"Supreme Pontiff Palace? What does that woman want?"
Upon hearing that the message was from the Supreme Pontiff Palace, Qian Renxue immediately frowned.
"This~, your subordinate does not know!"
The subordinate shook his head; he dared not secretly check Qian Renxue's letter.
"Never mind, you may leave!"
Taking the letter, Qian Renxue waved her hand at the subordinate.
"Yes!"
The subordinate responded and then left, leaving Qian Renxue alone in the room again.
Subsequently, Qian Renxue opened the letter.
"Hmph~, remembering me now?"
After reading the letter, Qian Renxue's dissatisfied voice echoed in the room.
The letter was indeed written by Bibi Dong, with no other meaning than to ask Qian Renxue to find an opportunity to defeat Ye Chen and recruit him into the Spirit Hall's camp.
Qian Renxue wasn't dissatisfied with Bibi Dong's request, but rather with the fact that after so many years of not meeting formally, there wasn't even a single intimate word, which made her feel a little sad.
If her father and grandfather hadn't told her from a young age that Bibi Dong was her mother, Qian Renxue would have doubted that she was Bibi Dong's biological daughter.
After all, what mother in the world would treat her biological daughter like this? Even a stepmother wouldn't be like this, would she?
Of course, Qian Daoliu had not told her the truth of the matter, leading Qian Renxue to mistakenly believe that Bibi Dong disliked her for no reason.
...
Early the next morning, the Heaven Dou Empire's participating team, plus the Royal Knights who had been stationed outside the city, left Spirit City together and returned to the Heaven Dou Empire.
Before leaving, as Ye Chen got into the carriage, he always felt like he had forgotten something.
It wasn't until after leaving Spirit City that Ye Chen remembered: the little fox still owed him a request!
When the Shrek Team faced the Spirit Hall Team, they had made a bet: the loser had to grant the winner a request. It was just that Ye Chen had forgotten about it at the time.
Yesterday, he had watched a big show and acquired a 100,000-year Spirit Bone, so Ye Chen also failed to remember.
'Forget it, we'll meet again anyway!'
Ye Chen shook his head helplessly. They had already left Spirit City, so it wasn't good to go back.
Moreover, for the moment, Ye Chen didn't seem to have any requests to make. He couldn't just directly tell Hu Liena, "I just want you," could he?Chapter 244 Do you want to consider it?
After more than half a month, a magnificent procession of over a thousand people finally arrived outside Heaven Dou City.
Because Shrek Academy won the championship in this Soul Master Competition, the Heaven Dou Empire had the last laugh, sweeping away the gloom of Heaven Dou's lack of good results in recent competitions. Emperor Xue Ye specially organized a welcoming ceremony.
From afar, Ye Chen, sitting in a carriage, saw Emperor Xue Ye leading various high-ranking officials and military generals of the Heaven Dou Empire to welcome them outside Heaven Dou City.
Of course, such a grand occasion naturally attracted a crowd of onlookers.
"Citizens of the Empire, let us welcome our heroes home!"
Emperor Xue Ye's shout immediately brought the scene to a climax.
"Ye Chen! I want to have your babies!"
"Hanyue Fairy! I love you!"
"Nine-Colored Fairy! You are the best!"
"Nether Queen! Come and whip me to your heart's content!"
"Evil Fire Phoenix! We'll give you an 80% discount forever in Heaven and Earth!"
"Big Sausage Brother, I want to eat Sausage!"
"Headmaster Flender, my aunt is still unmarried, would you consider her?"
...
Some wanted to have children with Ye Chen, some liked Xiao Wu, some praised Ning Rongrong, some offered Ma Hongjun discounts, some wanted to eat small whips and big Sausages, and some even thought of Flender as an uncle-in-law.
Listening to the cheers of the onlookers, Ye Chen and the others were fine, but Flender, who had been smiling and ready to receive the cheers, felt a bit awkward, especially since the 'tigress' was sitting right next to him!
"Flender, why don't you consider that person's aunt?"
Liu Erlong said to Flender with an unkind expression.
"Erlong sister, don't you know what kind of person I am? I, Flender, will only love you in this life!"
Almost instantly, Flender transformed into a fawning dog, patting his chest and pledging to Liu Erlong.
"Get out of here, the children are watching!"
Liu Erlong blushed slightly, then awkwardly glanced at Ye Chen and the others, who were preparing to watch the drama unfold.
"Ahem~, well, Erlong teacher, just pretend we're not here!"
Ye Chen immediately spoke up.
"Exactly, exactly, Erlong teacher, we didn't see anything, nor did we hear anything!"
Ma Hongjun also pretended to be deaf and blind on the side.
"Go away, go away, why are you all joining in?"
Flender glared at everyone.
...
After the lively welcoming ceremony, some of the participating teams dispersed, each returning home to their families.
However, the teams from Shrek, Shenfeng, Leiting, Blazing Fire Academy, and Tianshui academies came to the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
There was no other reason; the Soul Master Competition was over, and it was time for Emperor Xue Ye to fulfill his promises.
Witnessed by various high-ranking officials and military generals of the Heaven Dou Empire, Emperor Xue Ye officially conferred the title of viscount upon the vice-captains of the Shenfeng, Leiting, Blazing Fire Academy, and Tianshui teams, and the title of baron upon their other members.
As for the Shrek Team, because they won the championship of the finals, their title rewards were elevated by one rank compared to the other four teams.
Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, Tai Long, Jiang Zhu, Jing Ling, and Huang Yuan were all conferred the title of viscount, while Ye Chen and Ning Rongrong received the title of earl.
Furthermore, the titles conferred by Emperor Xue Ye this time were all substantive titles with attached fiefdoms.
A baron might only receive a small town, but a viscount could receive a small city similar to Nuoding City.
And Ye Chen and Ning Rongrong's earl titles allowed them to acquire medium-sized cities as fiefdoms, second only to large cities like Soto City within the Balak Kingdom.
Moreover, the titles obtained by Ye Chen and the others were different from the honorary titles received by Spirit Masters who joined the Heaven Dou Empire's official ranks; the Heaven Dou Empire would not impose mandatory requirements on them.
Of course, while the Heaven Dou Empire seemed to pay a considerable price, it was negligible compared to the gains.
Those who could represent their academies and achieve good results in the Soul Master Competition were all Spirit Masters with excellent talent; their current strength might not be very strong, but in the future, they would definitely become high-level Spirit Masters, not to mention Ye Chen and Xiao Wu from Shrek Academy.
It was foreseeable that many years later, when Ye Chen and the others achieved the esteemed rank of Titled Douluo, even if they were not loyal to the Heaven Dou Royal Family, Heaven Dou could still leverage their influence, as they were all nobles of the Heaven Dou Empire.
After all, who could be sure if they would lend a hand when Heaven Dou faced a crisis?
Additionally, Shrek Academy also received financial support from the Heaven Dou Empire, so Flender would no longer have to worry about educational expenses.
...
After the title conferment ceremony, the Shrek members returned to the academy first, while Ye Chen sought out Ning Fengzhi, who was preparing to return to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
"Uncle Ning, Grandpa Sword!"
Seeing Ye Chen approach, Ning Fengzhi immediately understood his intentions.
"Uh, nothing can be hidden from you~"
Shrugging his shoulders, Ye Chen said somewhat helplessly.
Ning Fengzhi smiled: "Haha~, you only come to me when you need something. Tell me, what do you need?"
"I want to ask you to help me find a hundred-thousand-year bamboo-type Spirit Beast."
Ye Chen stated his purpose.
Since Xiao Wu didn't know where to find his target, Ye Chen decided to ask Ning Fengzhi for help.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was a long-standing power, possessing not only the visible experts but also extraordinary foundations.
For example, if experts from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School went to the Star Dou Great Forest to search for spirit rings, they certainly wouldn't find the exact spirit ring they needed immediately. Along the way, they would definitely discover some Spirit Beasts that weren't suitable for them but were of considerable age.
Rogue Spirit Masters might ignore them, but Spirit Masters from Sect powers would often record the locations of these Spirit Beasts to facilitate more efficient spirit ring searches for other experts within the Sect.
Perhaps the territories of animal-type Spirit Beasts might not be very fixed due to various factors, but the territories of plant-type Spirit Beasts were relatively stable because plant-type Spirit Beasts were not convenient for relocating their growing areas.
It's possible that many of the recorded Spirit Beasts might have perished due to being hunted by Spirit Masters or other Spirit Beasts, but a definite portion of the information would be accurate.
"A hundred-thousand-year bamboo-type Spirit Beast? Why are you thinking so far ahead, kid?"
Chen Xin was a little puzzled; was Ye Chen thinking too far ahead?
To attach a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring, according to the optimal spirit ring configuration, one would need to be a level 90 quasi-Titled Douluo, right? Even with exceptional talent, capable of absorbing spirit rings across ranks, one would still need to be level 80. Currently, Ye Chen was only a Five-Ring Soul King; was it necessary to start considering this so early?
"...Uncle Ning, Grandpa Sword, I am already a level 69 Spirit Emperor, and in a few months, I will become a level 70 quasi-Spirit Saint. At that time, I will be able to attach a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring."
After a moment of contemplation, Ye Chen removed the disguise necklace's concealment of his aura.Chapter 245 Ye Chen's Commission
No matter which power, as long as the person in charge is not brain-damaged, after knowing Ye Chen's talent and strength, their first thought will definitely be to win him over.
As for eradicating him? That's something to consider if winning him over fails.
And Ning Fengzhi, as the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, is undoubtedly very qualified.
Coupled with his relationship with Ning Rongrong, Ye Chen isn't worried that his exceptional talent will make Ning Fengzhi have any ideas about him.
After all, excluding blood relatives, a father-in-law and son-in-law are considered the closest relationship, and often, when a son is not up to the task, a son-in-law inheriting the family business is also very common.
"Hiss~, you brat, are you really a Level 69 Spirit Emperor?"
Instantly, Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin both widened their eyes.
"No wonder you brat could defeat the Spirit Fusion Skill unleashed by two Spirit Kings from Spirit Hall; so you're a Six-Ring Spirit Emperor! That explains it."
Chen Xin had a look of sudden realization. He had thought that Ye Chen's strength displayed in the Soul Master Competition was abnormal, far exceeding the level a Five-Ring Spirit King should have. So he was a Six-Ring Spirit Emperor!
It wasn't that the Spirit Fusion Skill wasn't powerful enough, but that Ye Chen was too strong!
Although there are spirit tools or special Spirit Abilities on the continent that can conceal spirit power level auras, these methods of concealment are merely hiding, not disguising; the concepts are not the same.
When hidden, in the eyes of a Spirit Master with strong mental force, two situations can occur.
One is that the true spirit power level can be seen through, and the other is that it cannot be seen through, appearing as an ordinary person with no spirit power.
As for disguise, in Ye Chen's impression, only his own and Xiao Wu's disguise necklaces, as well as Qian Renxue's Seraphim head Spirit Bone, could achieve it.
Hmm, Qian Renxue's Seraphim head Spirit Bone is even more advanced; it can not only disguise her figure, aura, spirit ring, and spirit power, but also her Spirit, turning the Seraphim into a clumsy goose.
After a while, Ning Fengzhi recovered from his shock.
"Although you brat are almost Level 70, you can't withstand the pressure of a 100,000-year spirit ring, can you?"
Ning Fengzhi sized up Ye Chen and didn't believe Ye Chen could absorb a 100,000-year spirit ring.
"Uncle Ning, my sixth spirit ring was already 50,000 years old.
And I was lucky enough to also acquire a Spirit Bone at that time. Plus, I've refined the head Spirit Bone rewarded from the Soul Master Competition. So, absorbing a 100,000-year seventh spirit ring will definitely not be a problem."
"Is that so?"
Ning Fengzhi raised his eyebrows.
Although it might sound incredible, since Ye Chen's sixth spirit ring was 50,000 years old, then when he reaches Level 70, attaching a spirit ring under 100,000 years should not be a problem.
Moreover, with the boost from these two high-quality Spirit Bones, the 100,000-year threshold might not be insurmountable.
In the eyes of low-level Spirit Masters, they might only know that Spirit Bones are highly coveted by Spirit Masters, but they might not necessarily understand the specific functions of Spirit Bones. However, Ning Fengzhi is very clear about the specific effects of Spirit Bones.
It's just, can a 100,000-year Spirit Beast really be found in the Star Dou Great Forest? And a bamboo-type 100,000-year Spirit Beast at that?
"100,000-year Spirit Beasts are already rare, and you also want a bamboo-type one. It's impossible to find one even if you search the entire Star Dou Great Forest."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head at Ye Chen.
It wasn't that he didn't want to help, but that it was simply impossible!
"It doesn't necessarily have to be 100,000 years; as long as its age is very close to 100,000 years, that's fine."
"Hmm, in that case, it should still be possible to find one if we search."
Ning Fengzhi nodded. A 100,000-year bamboo-type Spirit Beast was impossible, but a 90,000-year bamboo-type Spirit Beast close to 100,000 years might still be found with a careful search.
"By the way, Uncle Ning, if you send people to search, definitely don't go to the Lake of Life in the core circle of the Star Dou Great Forest. That's the headquarters of the Spirit Beast clan, and the strength of the fierce beasts there far exceeds what human Spirit Masters on the continent can imagine. Don't let them get trapped."
The reason Ye Chen didn't want Ning Fengzhi to send people to search near the Lake of Life was for the sake of the lives of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's experts.
If Da Ming and Er Ming, who live by the Lake of Life, were discovered, Ye Chen could guarantee that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School would suffer heavy losses in the future.
If two 100,000-year Spirit Beasts were discovered, and their lives weren't lost, what would the experts of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School think? They would definitely report it home immediately!
If someone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School needed a 100,000-year spirit ring later, they would definitely target the two of them.
Although Chen Xin and Gu Rong, with Ning Fengzhi's assistance, should have no problem taking down Da Ming and Er Ming, the problem is that there aren't just the two of them at the Lake of Life.
Even if Tianmeng Iceworm hadn't been caught by the fierce beasts and used as a power bank at that time, the Silver Dragon King was sleeping in a different dimension within the Lake of Life, and the Golden-eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian would definitely be guarding it there.
In the original work, when Bibi Dong led a team to hunt Da Ming and Er Ming, Di Tian and other fierce beasts didn't make a move. Ye Chen speculates that it was likely because Bibi Dong was the Rakshasa God's inheritor and was close to becoming a Divinity.
If Di Tian and them had acted, and Bibi Dong died, the Rakshasa God in the God Realm would definitely pay attention. And if Bibi Dong didn't die, she would certainly be curious why so many fierce beasts gathered at the Lake of Life.
No matter the outcome, the secret beneath the Lake of Life would have a chance of being exposed.
And the Silver Dragon King they guard, which concerns the fate of the future Spirit Beast race, absolutely cannot be exposed. Compared to the Silver Dragon King's safety, two 100,000-year Spirit Beasts seem insignificant.
But the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is different. Without a Divinity inheritor, as long as they act fast enough and annihilate the entire group, there's no risk of exposure.
Furthermore, Di Tian and the others have a very poor impression of human Spirit Masters. If someone comes knocking on their door and their 'gatekeeping' little brothers are about to be killed, as long as it doesn't concern the Silver Dragon King, they will definitely kill every single one who comes.
"You mean the fierce beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest are hidden in the Lake of Life in the core circle?"
Ning Fengzhi said in surprise. Ye Chen had previously educated Ning Fengzhi about fierce beasts, so he understood what the concept of a fierce beast was.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School did have records of the Lake of Life. Over thousands of years, it wasn't that no Spirit Masters had ventured in there, but very few Spirit Masters who had seen the Lake of Life came out alive.
"That's right."
Ye Chen nodded.
"Fierce beasts? What are fierce beasts?"
Chen Xin asked with a confused expression.
"Grandpa Sword, after our human Spirit Masters break through to Level 91 Titled Douluo, their spirit power level corresponds to a 100,000-year Spirit Beast.
But Spirit Masters aren't just Level 91 Titled Douluo; even 99th level Titled Douluo exist.
Similarly, within the Spirit Beast race, it's naturally impossible for there to only be 100,000-year Spirit Beasts. Spirit Beasts of 800,000 to 900,000 years, or even a million years, also exist. And Spirit Beasts whose age exceeds 200,000 years are called fierce beasts."
"Tsk tsk~, I haven't even seen a 100,000-year Spirit Beast with my own eyes yet! I didn't expect there to be fierce beasts in this world?"
Chen Xin clicked his tongue, a look of wonder on his face.
'You have seen one; Xiao Wu is one!'
Ye Chen thought to himself.
"Alright, I'll send people to search. If there's any news, I'll let you know."
Ning Fengzhi said to Ye Chen.
"Thank you, Uncle Ning."
Ye Chen thanked Ning Fengzhi. This wasn't just simple help; if things went wrong, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School could very likely suffer heavy losses.
"Hmph~, it's good that you brat know. Treat Rongrong well in the future, or I'll never forgive you!"
Ning Fengzhi glared at Ye Chen.
"You can rest assured! I will definitely treat Rongrong well."
Ye Chen immediately patted his chest and promised.