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A year and a half later.
On a mountain ridge somewhere in the Heaven Dou Empire, a waterfall hundreds of meters high thundered down.
The roar was tremendous — astonishingly, the bottom fifty meters of the two-hundred-meter waterfall were completely severed. The falling water turned into a sheet that sprayed outward above that fifty-meter gap, forming a watery curtain that poured around the area.
Below the fall, Tang San was relentlessly swinging a small black hammer.
With both hands he snatched up the Haotian Hammer and spun it again and again, striking upward toward the waterfall above his head.
Each hammer strike stacked and pushed the waterfall's vacuum zone several meters higher.
Fifty-two meters... fifty-four...
When the waterfall's vacuum zone finally rose to sixty meters, it could rise no further.
At that moment, the Haotian Hammer in Tang San's palms began to condense black soul light.
The power accumulated from the eighty previous strikes was released in full. A black shockwave slammed into the waterfall, instantly blasting the vacuum zone up to one hundred meters.
For a few seconds, all that water poured down and struck Tang San with tremendous force.
The heavy blows left Tang San's back reddened, but no pain registered on his face. Instead, he was elated.
"Father!! I did it!!" Tang San cried out in excitement.
Tang Hao nodded in satisfaction. At Tang San's age, he himself had been able to blast a waterfall a hundred meters back. After two years of Tang Hao's training, Tang San was barely up to the task.
Neither of them knew that if Ye Lan hadn't intercepted Tang San's immortal herb, Tang San would have been able to blast the full two hundred meters. Don't underestimate that one-hundred-meter difference — it was as wide as heaven and earth.
"Not bad, not bad. Little San, what's your soul power now?" Tang Hao asked.
"Father, I've reached Soul Ancestor rank fifty!!" Tang San shouted with excitement. "It turns out that when you used the Eight-Spider Spear to absorb spirit beast vitality before, you weren't able to fully utilize that power. Two full years of waterfall training forced out all that soul power you failed to absorb earlier."
"Thanks, Father!! Waterfall training is far more useful than the teacher's running drills. Before, in two years I could only advance five ranks; these two years I advanced seven!" Tang San could hardly contain his joy.
Tang Hao nodded. "Waterfall training tempers your body and purifies mixed soul power. Another big reason for your increase is the soul power absorbed by the Eight-Spider Spear.
"If you keep training hard from now on, using the Eight-Spider Spear to absorb spirit beasts' life force is indeed an effective fast path to raising your soul power."
"All right, I understand, Father!" Tang San clenched his fists in excitement. "Father, how shall we train next? Should we try to obtain soul rings?"
Tang Hao nodded. "Yes. Although Ye Lan has now become our greatest enemy, his theories are still worth referencing.
"The soul power a Soul Ancestor absorbs and the soul power a Soul King absorbs are incomparable in both quality and quantity. So the true path is to strive to break through to Soul King as soon as possible."
"Father, what did you mean when you said Ye Lan has become our greatest enemy?" Tang San asked, puzzled. Although he and Xiao Wu bore enmity with Ye Lan, he could not imagine Ye Lan becoming their greatest enemy. Wasn't the Spirit Hall supposed to be their main foe?
"I didn't tell you the outside news to avoid affecting your training," Tang Hao said.
"Ye Lan… he is now the Spirit Hall's Saint Son," Tang Hao said with complex eyes.
He had never expected that the spirit-plant user he had once dismissed — a Blue Silver Grass spirit master — would rise to be the Spirit Hall's Saint Son.
"What! That can't be! Isn't he just a Soul Venerate?" Tang San's face was full of disbelief.
"Little San, even though this training session was very successful, don't become arrogant."
"This world has changed enormously. In the finals of the 'All-Continent Advanced Academy Elite Spirit Master Tournament,' the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team led by Ye Lan defeated the Wan Shou Academy."
"You might not know what Wan Shou Academy is," Tang Hao continued, "but you only need to know their captain had soul rings totaling a full one hundred thousand years. Such a terrifying Wan Shou Academy was defeated by Ye Lan, so it's only natural that Ye Lan became the Spirit Hall's Saint Son." Tang Hao's expression was complicated.
Bang!!
A massive boulder crashed and left a deep pit in the ground.
From the pit, a fist stained with blood punched out. Tang San's pupils turned blood-red as he roared,
"What right!! Why is Ye Lan so strong!! What the hell is a full one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring!!?"
"What have I trained all this time for!!?"
"Why am I so weak!!!"
"Little San!! Calm down!!" Tang Hao barked sharply.
Tang San's body convulsed and he immediately feared his father's anger above all.
When Tang San finally calmed, Tang Hao spoke earnestly, "Little San, don't belittle yourself. Have you forgotten? You are the successor to the Asura God Trial. As long as you follow my plan and complete the God Trial, you will become the future Asura God.
"Then what are those full one-hundred-thousand-year soul rings? What is the Saint Son of the Spirit Hall? None of that will matter."
"Keep working hard and we will overthrow the Spirit Hall!"
Hearing Tang Hao, Tang San's restless heart finally quieted. Yes — he was the future Asura God. He did not need to fear Wan Shou Academy or Ye Lan.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Tang San said, "Father, I'll do as you say!! I will become the Asura God!!"
"All right, 'waterfall training' is complete. Come with me." Tang Hao said.
"I'll take you to awaken your spirit!" Tang Hao added. "Awaken the king of Blue Silver Grass — the Blue Silver Emperor."
Tang San's face filled with eagerness. "I always knew my Blue Silver Grass couldn't be so weak!! So my Blue Silver Grass is actually the Blue Silver Emperor? No wonder it awakened along with the Haotian Hammer!"
When Tang Hao mentioned the Blue Silver Emperor, his eyes revealed a streak of longing as he looked toward the waterfall.
Tang San saw Tang Hao's wistful expression but asked nothing.
A moment later the two ran down the mountain together.
After they left, at the lake's edge, countless strands of Blue Silver Grass swayed and trembled.
Spirit City — the Spirit Hall's Papal Palace.
Unlike previous days when Bibi Dong worked alone in the Papal Palace, today the main hall was unusually lively. All kinds of clerks, papal warriors, Douluo warriors, red-robed cardinals, platinum cardinals, Soul Douluos, Title Douluos, and Spirit Hall elders had gathered in the main hall.
A figure wearing a nine-curved purple-gold crown, with purple hair, clad in a platinum robe and holding a jeweled scepter, stepped out from the rear chamber.
The main hall instantly fell into silence.
Except for the Spirit Hall elders, everyone half-kneeling spoke in one voice, "Hail the Pope!!"
"Hail the Spirit Hall, long live, long live, long, long live!!"
"Stand up. Chrysanthemum Douluo, report on the latest situation in the Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou Empire, and the Star Luo Empire!" Bibi Dong said from the papal throne.
"Yes, Your Holiness." Chrysanthemum Douluo answered.
He cleared his throat and began to report the recent situation across Douluo Continent.
"Your Holiness, the situation within the Spirit Hall's controlled territories is much more severe than we imagined.
"As we further exert control over spirit beast forests like the Soul-Hunt Forest and Sunset Forest, it's become exceedingly difficult for spirit masters to obtain soul rings. They must be screened by the Spirit Hall, and getting a ten-thousand-year soul ring has become nearly impossible."
"But if we stop controlling those spirit beast forests, the situation would become even worse."
"By controlling the forests we can barely sustain the soul ring supply for spirit masters close to the Spirit Hall."
"If we release control, countless spirit masters will flood the forests to kill the few remaining spirit beasts. In a few years we cannot guarantee soul ring supply for Spirit Hall spirit masters, and we will gradually lose control of the cities under various kingdoms."
"That is unacceptable!"
"But if we don't open up the forests, many neutral spirit masters will lean toward anti-Spirit Hall factions."
"Right now, the Heaven Dou Empire is already showing signs of resistance; many spirit masters are taking to the streets to protest our forest controls."
"Solving the soul ring acquisition problem is the most urgent matter."
"By contrast, the Star Luo Empire — specifically Wan Shou City, where the Wan Shou Sect resides — is flourishing."
"Wan Shou Sect was formed only two years ago and already cooperates with the Star Luo Empire. Dragon Rise City was even renamed 'Wan Shou City.' Wan Shou City is now larger than the Star Luo capital, Heaven Dou City, and even Spirit City."
"And Wan Shou Sect's city expansion rests on their 'Soul-Spirit System.'"
"The 'Soul-Spirit System,'" an insider reported, "grants spirit masters who pass an exam entry into Wan Shou Sect, and those who join receive Soul Spirits from the sect."
"Soul Spirits are divided into 'hundred-year Soul Spirits,' 'thousand-year Soul Spirits,' 'ten-thousand-year Soul Spirits,' and 'one-hundred-thousand-year Soul Spirits.'"
"Obtaining a Soul Spirit isn't difficult. After testing, any spirit master with innate soul power above rank one can join Wan Shou Sect, and the sect directly awards inner disciples with Soul Spirits."
"Spirit masters with innate soul power above rank one make up more than ninety percent of all spirit masters; awakening innate soul power at half-level to one-level is quite common."
"Those with innate soul power of level two, three, or four are the majority."
"Once a spirit master reaches level ten, Wan Shou Sect grants them a 'hundred-year Soul Spirit,' which bestows two yellow soul rings."
"That was previously unthinkable. In the past, even within our Spirit Hall, most people's first soul ring was only white, except gifted geniuses."
"Some common spirit masters even had two white rings."
"If a spirit master's innate soul power is at levels five through eight, Wan Shou Sect grants 'thousand-year Soul Spirits,' providing three purple soul rings."
"If a spirit master with innate soul power above seven joins Wan Shou Sect and reaches level forty-plus, they are given a 'ten-thousand-year Soul Spirit.'"
"A Ten-Thousand Soul Spirit provides four ten-thousand-year soul rings! That's why the Wan Shou Academy's first, second, third, and fourth soul rings for many students were ten-thousand-year rings — they absorbed a 'ten-thousand-year Soul Spirit.'"
"Now, spirit masters with innate soul power nine or above who join Wan Shou Sect will receive a 'ten-thousand-year Soul Spirit' upon reaching level ten."
"It is precisely this 'Soul-Spirit System' that created the miracle of Wan Shou City."
"Countless spirit masters yearn to join Wan Shou Sect and live in Wan Shou City, even spirit masters within the Spirit Hall."
Chrysanthemum Douluo finished and cast a sweeping glance over the clerks and warriors behind him.
Under his penetrating gaze, those who longed for Wan Shou City shifted their eyes guiltily.
"Of course, it's understandable. If I were a few decades younger, I would also long for Wan Shou City. Who wouldn't want a 'one-hundred-thousand-year Soul Spirit'?" Chrysanthemum Douluo sighed.
"A 'one-hundred-thousand-year Soul Spirit' gives four one-hundred-thousand-year soul rings!" he added.
Bibi Dong waved a hand. "Chrysanthemum Douluo, how stands the border pressure?"
"Your Holiness, because the 'Soul-Spirit System' is overwhelmingly attractive, border pressure is tremendous."
"To prevent our spirit masters from flocking to the Star Luo Empire, we've cooperated with the Heaven Dou Empire to control the border."
"The Spirit Hall sent high-end combat forces, and Heaven Dou dispatched large numbers of troops to jointly manage the frontier."
"Even so, the pressure remains immense."
"Many spirit masters sneak across at night, risking everything to go to the Star Luo Empire."
"I predict we will inevitably clash with the Star Luo Empire; Wan Shou Sect's expansion is too rapid."
"Moreover, the 'Soul-Spirit System' is not just about getting over-aged rings. Each Soul Spirit can summon spirit beasts to aid in battle. While that might not change the prospects for genius spirit masters much, for ordinary spirit masters an extra spirit beast greatly increases their combat power. If more of Star Luo's spirit masters obtain Soul Spirits, their lower-tier spirit masters will gradually overwhelm our low-tier spirit masters in the Spirit Hall and Heaven Dou Empire."
"Even more critical is the disappearance of the ten-thousand-year spirit beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest."
"Star Luo and Wan Shou have Soul Spirits, but our ten-thousand-year spirit beasts are being killed off."
"In the past, most spirit masters of Soul King rank and above would hunt ten-thousand-year spirit beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest. With those beasts disappearing, the remaining spirit beast forests cannot support the consumption of ten-thousand-year soul rings for long."
"If we weren't controlling the spirit beast forests, the shortage would be even worse!"
As Chrysanthemum Douluo laid out the full, dire situation to the Spirit Hall's senior officials, a clamorous murmur rose.
Everyone's faces showed worry, sorrow, yearning and avoidance. They realized the Spirit Hall's crisis was deeper than imagined. No wonder a year earlier they had dispatched Soul Douluos and Title Douluos to lock down spirit beast forests and Heaven Dou's borders — the supply of ten-thousand-year rings was insufficient to sustain spirit masters' needs.
What would happen to their descendants?
Would they be stuck forever at Soul Ancestor or Soul King ranks?
Or would future Soul Emperors and Soul Saints only be able to absorb thousand-year rings?
More terrifying was the steady decline in the quality of soul rings among Spirit Hall and Heaven Dou forces, while the Star Luo Empire and Wan Shou Sect's spirit masters continued to improve theirs.
If that continued, the Spirit Hall could face catastrophe — they might become casualties of the great tide of history.
Bang!
Bibi Dong tapped the floor with her jeweled scepter. The great sound silenced the room.
"Serve Elder Chrysanthemum a cup of tea," she said coolly.
"Thank you, Your Holiness," Chrysanthemum Douluo replied gratefully.
Despite the impact of the 'Soul-Spirit System' on the Spirit Hall and Heaven Dou Empire, Bibi Dong did not panic. If necessary, she would herself pursue god-level cultivation and use god-ranked power to subdue Wan Shou Sect.
She then said, "Don't be anxious. Have you forgotten who the Spirit Hall's Saint Son is?"
"The Saint Son is the continent's top theoretical master. It won't be long before he tackles the ten-thousand-year soul ring issue."
"As for the 'Soul-Spirit System' and fears the Star Luo Empire might one day wage war to unite the continent — don't worry."
"Our Spirit Hall's power is far more terrifying than you think. I can tell you this: two years ago our Great Offering Angel Douluo fought the Wan Shou Sect's leader to a standstill."
"So do not fear the Spirit Hall's destruction."
"Besides, the Wan Shou Sect's most talented young sect leader, Gu Yuena? The Saint Son had already defeated her two years ago."
"So our Spirit Hall still has hope."
"As for that coveted 'one-hundred-thousand-year Soul Spirit,' a year ago Wan Shou Sect offered it to the Saint Son."
"Offered it?!" the clerks exploded. "That's four one-hundred-thousand-year soul rings!!"
"Why is the Saint Son still with the Spirit Hall? Did he refuse the one-hundred-thousand-year Soul Spirit?"
"He was stopped by Your Holiness. After all, the Saint Son's teacher is the Pope — it is hard to disobey a teacher's orders," a clerk whispered.
Bibi Dong spoke, "You think the one-hundred-thousand-year Soul Spirit is priceless, but the Saint Son didn't accept Wan Shou Sect's offer because he is the Spirit Hall's Saint Son."
"After Wan Shou Sect requested it, they later promised the Saint Son dual status — both Wan Shou Sect young sect leader and Spirit Hall Saint Son."
"Have we secretly made a pact with Wan Shou Sect?" many spirit masters wondered aloud.
"Do you suppose the Saint Son agreed?"
"No. The Saint Son still has not accepted."
"The one-hundred-thousand-year Soul Spirit may seem precious to most spirit masters, but the Saint Son spurned it. He is confident he can defeat those who rely on the Soul-Spirit System."
"You don't know the extent of the Saint Son's power — that is Spirit Hall secrecy. But I can tell you he's far more terrifying than you suppose."
"It has been nearly two years since the All-Continent Advanced Academy Elite Spirit Master Tournament ended, and the Saint Son's level has already reached fifty — he is on the verge of breaking into Soul King!"
"What?! The Saint Son will soon become a Soul King?!" a clerk exclaimed.
"So fast!! Eleven ranks in two years!?" another papal warrior exclaimed.
"Normally, even a genius with full innate soul power can only rise five ranks in two years. With soul ring absorption, perhaps seven ranks. But the Saint Son advanced eleven!!" said another.
As the clerks gaped in admiration, Bibi Dong continued, "Do you think eleven ranks in two years is amazing?"
"I'll tell you: when the Saint Son was fifteen he was only a twenty-fourth-rank Great Spirit Master."
"Fifteen and level twenty-four? This year the Saint Son is twenty — he increased twenty-six ranks in five years???"
"The Saint Son is my god!!!"
"I swear eternal loyalty to the Saint Son!!"
"Not surprisingly — the Saint Son is a miracle!!"
"Even more terrifying, his combat strength has grown even faster."
"When he was just a Soul Venerate he led the Heaven Dou Royal Academy to victory over Wan Shou Academy. Once he becomes Soul King, how terrifying will his power be?!"
"We have been underestimating ourselves. What's the 'Soul-Spirit System'? What's Wan Shou Sect? Once the Saint Son is fully grown, we will level Wan Shou Sect and seize their Soul-Spirit System!"
"Hail the Saint Son!!"
Sensing the Spirit Hall's morale surge, Bibi Dong nodded in satisfaction.
This was precisely the time to bring out Xiao Lan. If not for protecting Xiao Lan, once the hall knew that Ye Lan had obtained a one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring at his fourth soul ring, they would go utterly mad.
From Bibi Dong's understanding of Wan Shou Sect now — except for Gu Yuena, the girl she felt a certain resemblance to — most of Wan Shou's genius pairings for Soul Spirits required Soul King-level mastery before using the one-hundred-thousand-year Soul Spirit. Besides conserving the Soul Spirit's four one-hundred-thousand-year rings, its use likely had additional constraints that prevented its absorption at the first soul ring.
So Xiao Lan obtaining a one-hundred-thousand-year ring at the fourth ring had already broken the Soul-Spirit System's limits.
Chrysanthemum Douluo then asked, "Your Holiness, where is the Saint Son? Is he still buried in the library researching the relationship between spirit spirits and soul rings?"
"Should I take the Saint Son to the Sunset Forest to choose a suitable ten-thousand-year spirit beast?" he added.
Bibi Dong replied, "The Saint Son has his own plans. He has departed for the Heaven Dou Empire, accompanied by Star Douluo, so there's no need to worry about his safety."
"Good. If not for the Saint Son's 'soul core system,' our Spirit Hall would have had it even harder," Chrysanthemum Douluo sighed.
Indeed, he and many Title Douluo elders had now formed 'cores of soul power.' These cores greatly improved spirit attributes and the speed of soul power recovery.
Most of the Spirit Hall's platinum cardinal Soul Douluos had condensed soul cores. After condensing a soul core, they could attempt compressing liquid soul power into solid soul power.
If they could compress part of their liquid soul power into solid, the probability of breaking through level ninety would increase greatly.
This was once unimaginable. Only Title Douluos could previously compress liquid soul power into solid.
Under the 'soul core system,' in a few years the number of Title Douluos in the Spirit Hall would likely explode.
The current shortage of seventy-thousand-year spirit beasts posed a real problem; absorbing high-level spirit beast rings had become difficult.
Not only were Soul Douluos benefitting from the 'soul core system,' but those Title Douluos stuck at level ninety-five now had hopes of breaking through.
According to Xiao Lan, if they condensed a 'spirit core' and paired it with a 'soul power core' to form a yin-yang dual core, then breaking to ninety-six would be achievable; they might even glimpse ninety-seven.
Remember: beyond level ninety-five, the gap between each level doubles. Each rank becomes a massive chasm. Fortunately, even without condensing the 'spirit core,' the level-ninety-six barrier had loosened considerably — thanks to Xiao Lan allowing him to observe the celestial-grade wonder 'Asi Si Duan Chang Hong.'
(End of Chapter)