Mu Ye's warning was stern. "Too much of a good thing is bad. Even machines have limits. Rest, get rid of the malevolent aura on your body, or you will hurt yourself and others."
Zhangting nodded. As he walked away from the Earthly Fiend Cave, the plants around the narrow paths withered and turned to ash simply by being in his presence. The "evil aura" was a physical toxicity, a byproduct of two years of constant erosion and forced regeneration.
Han Tianyi appeared like a ghost at his side. "Both physical strength and mental power are now sufficient to support a ten-thousand-year soul," she observed. "You should return to the Spirit Pagoda headquarters and use the Spirit Ascension Platform to upgrade your soul rings. Your grandfather is eager to see your progress."
"No rush, teacher," Zhangting replied calmly. "My strength has only reached the threshold. I want to wait another year. Let my foundation settle into stone."
Han Tianyi didn't argue. She vanished, leaving Zhangting to pursue his own curriculum. Instead of resting, he entered the Body Sect's Library. While the disciples of the sect focused solely on the "how" of power, Zhangting was obsessed with the "where" and "who."
The Strategy for the Yuanen Family
Inside the quiet, dusty library, Zhangting began drafting a document titled "The Spirit Transmission Tower's Plan for the Yuanen Family."
He knew what the current leadership did not. The Yuanen Family, with their Titan Giant Ape martial soul, was a sleeping giant.
Yuanen Zhentian: A Demigod-level Limit Douluo.
Yuanen Tiandang: A Super Douluo destined for Limit status.
In the original timeline, they had been a surprise obstacle for his grandfather, Qian Gu Dongfeng, siding with Shrek. Zhangting saw a golden opportunity to rewrite that history.
The catalyst was Ye Hui, the wife of the young clan leader. She possessed a Fallen Angel martial soul that acted as a gateway to the Demon Dimension. In one year, her power would reach Level 90, involuntarily opening the Demon Gate and inviting an invasion that would nearly destroy her family.
Zhangting's logic was cold and precise:
Intervention: The Spirit Pagoda could provide the military might to suppress the demon legion.
Resource Research: Demonic creatures could be used as a new frontier for Soul Spirit research.
Human Nature: By saving Ye Hui and her daughter, Yuanen Yehui, from the Demon Dimension's curse, they wouldn't just be allies—they would be "bound by blood and debt."
As for their ancestor, the Beast King Er Ming? Zhangting dismissed the legendary soul beast's influence. Humans are driven by the interests of the living. Once the Yuanen family's survival and prosperity were tied to the Spirit Pagoda, a "monkey ancestor" from ten thousand years ago would have little room to sow discord.
Chapter 25: The Proposal
As the sun set, Zhangting emerged from the library and handed his proposal to Han Tianyi.
"The Yuanen family?" Han Tianyi's brows furrowed as she scanned the cover. "I've never heard of them. Zhangting, your time is precious, you shouldn't—"
"I 'accidentally' found records here that matched our internal sales data," Zhangting interrupted smoothly. "Owners of the Titan Giant Ape martial soul have been buying soul spirits in bulk for years, yet they stay low-profile. They are a semi-reclusive powerhouse. Establishing relations now costs us nothing and could gain us a family of Super Douluos."
Han Tianyi flipped through the pages. Seeing it was a standard diplomatic proposal—nothing as extreme as Zhangting's own "hostage" deal with the Body Sect—she nodded.
"I will send this to the Pagoda Master immediately."
Zhangting watched her go, a faint smile playing on his lips. He had one year left in the Body Sect. One year to finish his transformation before the "Demon Gate" opened and the first pieces of his global chessboard began to move.
Next Chapter: Cold Wind Blows in the Valley of Despair — The Final Year of Tempering
How do you think the Spirit Pagoda will react to Zhangting's suggestion? Will they take a six-year-old's "speculation" seriously, or will it require more direct proof of the Yuanen family's strength?