Chapter 17: Soul Power Surge, Call Me Benefactor?
The sudden eruption of soul power from Qi Tian's body startled Tang San and Xiao Wu awake from their sleep.
Both of them turned toward the source of the fluctuation—only to see Qi Tian sitting by the window, his body faintly glowing with soul energy.
Tang San's eyes widened in shock.
"He actually broke through that fast?"
They had been in the academy for less than a month, yet Qi Tian's cultivation speed was astonishing.
"Didn't Teacher say that the quality of a Martial Soul is directly proportional to one's innate soul power? The higher the quality, the faster the cultivation?"
Tang San frowned in confusion. He himself possessed full innate soul power, yet even after obtaining a four-hundred-year soul ring, his soul power had only advanced to level twelve.
But Qi Tian—without saying a word—had broken through again.
"I'll have to ask the teacher about this," Tang San thought to himself.
His Purple Demon Eyes hadn't reached the Mustard Seed Realm yet, so he couldn't see through Qi Tian's soul power level. He simply assumed Qi Tian had advanced by one level.
Xiao Wu, however, only glanced once before losing interest.
She was already level twelve herself, and with her soul ring, her soul power had also advanced further. To her, Qi Tian's breakthrough wasn't worth any attention.
---
Qi Tian, on the other hand, could feel the surging power roaring inside his dantian, his heart trembling with excitement.
If he had relied solely on cultivating his Blue Silver Grass, it would've taken him a full year just to raise his soul power by one level.
Yet now, in a single night, he had broken through five levels in a row. How could he not be thrilled?
The fiery soul energy within him was continuously drawn into the whirlpool at his dantian, being refined and transformed into an even larger Ice and Fire Vortex.
His entire body was being tempered by this miniature Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well.
"Hopefully, before I reach level ten, this extreme ice-and-fire energy will refine my body enough to withstand stronger soul rings!"
He currently lacked the money to buy whale rubber for body strengthening, so his physical training progress was limited.
Qi Tian could only hope that this unique ice-fire soul power would continuously temper his body, enhancing his endurance so he could absorb higher-year soul rings in the future.
"I didn't visit Bibi Dong yesterday… I wonder what she's thinking right now?"
Twenty Years Ago — City of Slaughter
Bibi Dong hadn't registered for the Hell Slaughter Arena in two days.
Her usually cold and composed mind was now restless, constantly calling Qi Tian's name in her heart.
"Where did that guy go? He hasn't appeared in two days…"
"Could something have happened to him in the future?"
She had already come to believe Qi Tian's words—that he was a soul from the future, who had arrived here through some mysterious manipulation of time and space.
"It's all his fault. If only he'd told me where to find him in the future."
"With my power, could I not protect a newly awakened soul master like him?"
From Qi Tian's previous actions, she had determined he was still a beginner—someone who didn't even know how to meditate or cultivate properly.
Unfortunately, he had refused to tell her the exact time and place where he existed in the future.
If he had, she would have found him immediately—protected him, even taken him as her disciple.
For the past two days, she had been sleepless and anxious, not even bothering to enter the Hell Slaughter Arena. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Qi Tian.
And at some point… she realized something terrifying—
She had already become dependent on him.
"It should be nighttime again. Maybe if I sleep, he'll appear when I wake up," Bibi Dong murmured.
Forcing herself into meditation, she waited for that familiar feeling to return.
---
The next morning, that long-awaited sensation finally returned. She exhaled in relief.
"You bastard, where have you been these past few days?"
Before Qi Tian could even reach out and grope her chest, Bibi Dong's sharp voice questioned him.
The oppressive aura of corruption and killing intent surged around him once more—Qi Tian instantly knew he was back in the City of Slaughter.
Qi Tian was momentarily dazed by Bibi Dong's emotionally charged question.
"A few days? Wait… how many days has it been since I last possessed you?" he asked.
Though the City of Slaughter was eternally shrouded in darkness, with no distinction between day and night, Bibi Dong had long prepared a special device to track time.
"It's been three days," she replied softly.
Qi Tian frowned slightly. Three days? That meant the flow of time here was three times faster than in his world.
'Could it be… that every time I possess someone, the time ratio increases by one fold?' he wondered inwardly.
After thinking for a moment, he explained to Bibi Dong,
"Bibi Dong, from now on, I might only be able to appear once every three days."
"Once every three days? Why?" she asked, clearly puzzled.
Qi Tian shook his head with a helpless smile.
"I don't know either. Why? Don't tell me… you'll actually miss me?"
"Hmph! Who would miss you? I wish you'd never come back!" Bibi Dong huffed, turning her head away.
Of course, Qi Tian could easily tell that her words didn't match her heart.
So tsundere… that's not quite right, Bibi Dong. You're supposed to be half lovestruck, half yandere, not just tsundere!
He teased lightly,
"If I don't show up, won't you feel lonely? Maybe… a bit empty inside?"
"Hmph, who cares!" she snorted again, refusing to admit it.
Qi Tian chuckled softly.
"Alright, then. I'll appear once every three days. Make sure you adjust your cultivation schedule accordingly."
"Mm… I understand," Bibi Dong murmured.
Though a trace of reluctance flickered in her eyes, she also knew this strange power of time and space was beyond both of their control.
The two chatted for a while longer. Qi Tian told her a few stories from the outside world—lighthearted tales meant to ease the killing intent and corruption that always lingered in her heart.
In the City of Slaughter, even friends and family couldn't be trusted. Yet, Bibi Dong placed her absolute faith in Qi Tian.
Thanks to his influence, her emotions were far more stable than before. She hadn't sunk into the same madness and depravity that consumed most people here.
After calming her heart, Qi Tian finally left her consciousness—using Bibi Dong's body to gain more real combat experience within the Slaughter Arena.
---
The next morning—
Outside Heaven Dou City, in a quiet village, Liu Erlong had just woken up. She was preparing to feed her mother medicine when she suddenly froze.
Her body… wasn't responding to her commands.
"Is that you… Benefactor?" Liu Erlong asked hesitantly.
Qi Tian nodded, his voice echoing softly in her mind.
"Yes, it's me. How's your mother doing?"
"She's much better now," Liu Erlong said with a relieved smile. "She can even walk and do some chores again."
But her smile quickly faded.
Though her mother's illness was cured, she refused to rest and insisted on working again. As a Soul Elder, Liu Erlong's monthly allowance of a hundred gold soul coins was already enough for them to live comfortably for years—yet her mother still pushed herself tirelessly.
"What if she overworks herself and gets sick again?" Liu Erlong worried aloud.
Qi Tian comforted her gently,
"Don't worry. The root of her illness has already been removed—she won't fall ill like before."
Her mother had once been a woman of the streets before turning over a new leaf for Liu Erlong's sake, becoming a hardworking laborer. After more than a decade of such toil, she had long grown accustomed to it.
To stop her from working entirely would make her feel useless—restless even. It might hurt her more than it helped.
"You can find her some easier, indoor work instead," Qi Tian suggested. "That way, she won't be exposed to wind and sun all day."
"Alright… I'll do as you say, Benefactor," Liu Erlong replied softly.
That one word—Benefactor—made Qi Tian's mood soar with satisfaction.
He smiled faintly and continued,
"Since your mother has recovered, shouldn't you go hunt for a soul ring now?"
"Of course!" Liu Erlong's eyes brightened with determination.
She had long dreamed of becoming a Soul Ancestor. With her mother's health restored, she was finally free to focus on her own path—whether as a mercenary or by joining the Heaven Dou Empire. Either way, she could earn far more than before.
—
End of Chapter