"Not bad," Fifteen Ton Douluo said as he patted Chen Ming on the shoulder, a faint smile of approval appearing on his face. "Young one, I hear you provided the Spirit Hall with a new cultivation method—the Douluo Heart Method."
"My brother and I have looked through it, but there are still some aspects we don't fully understand. Would you be willing to clarify them?"
This was clearly a test—to see whether Chen Ming was truly the creator of the method. But faced with such a trial, Chen Ming remained completely at ease.
"If there is anything in my answers that falls short, I ask that the seniors offer their guidance," he replied respectfully.
"Good." Fifteen Ton Douluo nodded.
The three Titled Douluo pulled over chairs and sat beside him. Falling Devil Douluo and Fifteen Ton Douluo began asking questions based on their understanding of the technique.
As Chen Ming answered each one in turn, their expressions gradually shifted from curiosity to delight, and the admiration in their eyes grew stronger with every response.
"Good, good, good!"
"Excellent—truly excellent!"
The two worship elders made no attempt to hide their appreciation, even applauding openly.
"Clear yet profound, structured yet accessible—you not only understand how it works, but why it works. A true prodigy. Not just rare in a thousand years—perhaps ten thousand."
"I hear your Martial Soul is of the dragon attribute," Fifteen Ton Douluo continued. "In that case, consider this a gift from the two of us."
With a casual swipe across his storage soul tool, a long box—about the length of an arm—appeared in Chen Ming's hands. When he opened it, he found inside a blood-red dragon horn radiating a dense, powerful dragon aura.
"This is a material I obtained when I hunted my ninth Spirit Ring—from an eighty-thousand-year-old Great Tyrant Dragon," Fifteen Ton Douluo explained. "Within this horn lies a trace of its essence blood. It will be of great benefit to your cultivation."
The Great Tyrant Dragon was not a true Tyrannosaurus, but rather a subspecies that had branched off through countless generations—much like the relationship between the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear and the Terror Claw Bear. It inherited the tyrannical strength of its progenitor, along with certain additional traits.
It bore a massive crimson horn upon its head, its body resembling a giant lizard while its skull echoed the shape of a tyrant dragon. Known for its immense strength and ferocious, battle-hungry nature, it possessed no elemental attributes—only pure, overwhelming physical power. Hence its name, Great Tyrant Dragon. Because of its distinctive horn, it was also referred to as the One-Horned Tyrant or the Crimson Horn.
Though environmental adaptation had diluted the purity of the Golden Dragon blood within it—making it far less refined than that of a true tyrant dragon—it still possessed an exceptionally powerful lineage among sub-dragons, ranking among the elite of top-tier Spirit Beasts.
As Chen Ming held the horn, he could feel his Martial Soul stirring faintly within him, as though something inside the broken horn resonated deeply with his very being.
"Thank you, Seniors," he said, cupping his fists in gratitude toward Fifteen Ton Douluo and Falling Devil Douluo.
A treasure containing the essence blood of such a high-level Spirit Beast might not be as valuable as a Spirit Bone of the same age, but this single horn alone could easily be exchanged for a high-quality thousand-year Spirit Bone.
More importantly, within this horn lay a trace of purified golden essence blood—something that would be of considerable benefit to his Martial Soul.
"No need to thank us," Fifteen Ton Douluo said with a dismissive wave. "It's just a small gift for a junior."
In this era, cultivating as a Spirit Master was an extremely difficult endeavor.
At the beginning of Douluo Continent II, a watershed appeared at Level 95 in a Spirit Master's cultivation. Beyond that point, every single advancement required additional insight and comprehension before one could break through.
But in the present era, that requirement for insight had already begun at Level 90 instead.
Aside from rare cases like Dugu Bo, who had stumbled into the rank of Titled Douluo by chance, many who possessed the talent to reach that level ultimately found themselves stuck at Level 89 for life, lacking just a sliver of insight.
Talent, comprehension, and fortune—none could be missing. This limitation meant that even the most powerful sects in the world, such as the Upper Three Sects, typically only had one or two Titled Douluo as their ultimate combat strength.
Other than relying on exceptional talents like twin Martial Souls to forcefully push one's cultivation forward through rapid Spirit Ring acquisition, the only way for a Titled Douluo to increase their Spirit Power without comprehension was by absorbing high-quality Spirit Bones.
For veterans like Fifteen Ton Douluo, who had already been a Titled Douluo for over fifty years, a material like this—taken from a Spirit Beast when obtaining a ninth Spirit Ring—was of little practical use.
"My brother and I have come under orders from the Grand Worship Elder to take you to the Spirit Hall," Falling Devil Douluo said to Chen Ming. "Leave a note behind, then come with us."
"May I ask, Seniors—does the Grand Worship Elder refer to the legendary one of the 'Two Peaks' of the Spirit Master world, known as the 'Invincible Under the Sky,' Qian Daoliu?"
"Indeed."
"Then may I ask why he wishes to summon me to the Spirit Hall?"
Under normal circumstances, the two brothers preferred action over explanation. But Chen Ming's talent—and his respectful demeanor—earned him a rare answer.
"We've reviewed the Douluo Heart Method you provided to the Spirit Hall," Falling Devil Douluo said. "It is undoubtedly a treasure capable of shaking the entire Douluo Continent."
"But the Grand Worship Elder is concerned that a mere youngster like you, wandering outside, might attract unwanted attention—or worse, fall prey to unsavory individuals. So he has sent us to bring you to the Spirit Hall. There, before the entire world, we will make it clear that you are under our protection."
Falling Devil Douluo patted Chen Ming on the shoulder, a hint of approval in his eyes. "Kid, for the Grand Worship Elder to value someone this much—you're the first."
"Thank you, Seniors," Chen Ming replied sincerely. He quickly took out paper and brush, leaving behind a note on the table.
Once he had finished, Fifteen Ton Douluo grabbed him by the shoulder. Together with Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had been silently observing all along, the four of them vanished from the Heaven Dou Emperial Academy's library.
Only after a long while did the old Spirit Saint in charge of the library cautiously poke his head out from below. Feeling the oppressive, invisible barrier disappear, he finally let out a breath of relief.
Moments earlier, he had been minding his own business when a voice suddenly transmitted directly into his mind, accompanied by a faint aura that suppressed him completely, leaving him unable to move. Only when the pressure lifted did he regain control of his body and dare to investigate what had happened.
But upon seeing that Chen Ming—who had been reading just moments ago—had vanished, leaving only an open book and a single note on the table, his expression changed drastically.
Picking up the note and reading its contents, he immediately summoned his Martial Soul, boosting himself with Spirit Power before rushing frantically toward the mountaintop, intending to report the matter to the three Board of Education members—and to the visiting Poison Douluo.
When Dugu Bo heard that Chen Ming had been taken away without a word by members of the Spirit Hall, he felt a twinge of irritation, as though he himself had been disregarded.
After instructing the three board members to take good care of his granddaughter, Dugu Bo wasted no time, setting off at once toward the Spirit Hall.