Tang San and his family were still fleeing toward Soto City, their escape route surrounded by the encroaching forces of the Spirit Hall. But with Tang Hao's strength, even burdened with two companions, breaking through the encirclement wasn't a problem.
Meanwhile, Ye Tianxing was enjoying a different kind of life in the Spirit Hall—peaceful, comfortable, and unhurried.
In the simulated training area, Wind and Thunder Valley...
Ye Tianxing, still only six years old, sat cross-legged atop a mountain, bare-chested. Dark clouds churned in the sky above, and arcs of purple lightning danced through the heavens.
With a deafening crack, a bolt of lightning struck Ye Tianxing square in the back.
Then another. And another.
The lightning came in waves, unrelenting.
In his hand, he held a withered wooden bow. With every strike, the bow absorbed the lightning, gathering power, while Ye Tianxing let the searing energy course through his body, forging his physique in fire and thunder.
Tempering the Body with Heavenly Thunder.
This method had been hidden away in the archives of the Spirit Hall, forgotten by most. A thousand years ago, an ordinary man with no soul power and only a Blue Silver Grass spirit had created the technique. He had slowly forged his body with lightning until it became a treasure strong enough to battle soul beasts—and in time, he rose to become a general and was granted nobility.
Yet, soul masters had dismissed the technique. Why temper the body when soul rings could provide strength more easily?
Only Ye Tianxing saw its value.
And so, his days became a cycle: struck by lightning in the day, soaked in medicinal baths at night. It was excruciating. It was hellish.
But he endured.
One day, Ye Tianxing approached Qian Daoliu with a question.
"Master, is it possible for a soul master to absorb a soul ring far beyond their current limit?"
Qian Daoliu raised an eyebrow and gave Ye Tianxing a curious look. "Why are you asking this? Don't tell me you're thinking of—"
"You see through everything, Master," Ye Tianxing said with a sheepish grin. "I'm about to break through to level 20. The teacher arranged a 700-year-old soul beast for me. But I remember reading about people in history who absorbed soul rings far beyond the limit. I want to try."
"So that's why you've been tempering yourself with lightning..." Qian Daoliu nodded, his eyes softening. He'd watched Ye Tianxing's efforts over the past three months and had grown fond of him, almost like a grandfather toward his grandson.
He hadn't felt that way since Qian Renxue left on her undercover mission to the Heaven Dou Empire.
"You're far ahead of where I was at your age," Qian Daoliu said with a nostalgic smile. "The human body is a treasure trove of energy. Whether or not you can tap into that potential depends on your own will and effort."
He paused, then added, "I'll assign Qianjun to escort you to the Star Dou Great Forest. He and others will protect you from danger, but they won't interfere with your attempt unless it's absolutely necessary. If things get too risky, absorb the 700-year ring. Do not be reckless."
"Thank you, Grandpa," Ye Tianxing replied. His trip to the Spirit Hall had not been in vain.
Soon after, Ye Tianxing's soul power finally broke through to level 20. With the help of Qian Daoliu, three Titled Douluo—Qianjun, the Demon Bear, and the Ghost Leopard—were assigned to escort him to the Star Dou Great Forest for his second soul ring.
Soul beasts and soul masters: two sides of the same coin. One could not live without the other, yet the hatred between them had lasted for centuries.
The Star Dou Great Forest, spanning both the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires, was the largest soul beast habitat in the world. It housed soul beasts ranging from a few decades to hundreds of thousands of years in age. It was the first choice for soul masters seeking soul rings—and often, their last.
A carriage rolled out of the gates of Spirit City, kicking up a trail of dust. Inside were Ye Tianxing and the three Titled Douluo. The carriage, though driverless, moved steadily, pulled by a thousand-year-old Red Dragon Horse with a trace of dragon blood in its veins. Once given a destination, it would arrive without fail.
They departed in the early morning. By noon, under a glaring sun, they reached the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
A wooden sign marked the edge: Xingdou Great Forest Ahead—No Trespassing.
Here, the forest was calm. No soul beasts roamed the outskirts.
"Ye Tianxing was here," the boy scribbled on a tree trunk, grinning.
In his past life, he never took photos or signed guestbooks. But now, in this foreign world, it felt oddly satisfying.
Qianjun Douluo chuckled. It was the first time he'd seen someone do such a thing. Maybe, a thousand years from now, someone would see that name and wonder who Ye Tianxing was.
The group stepped into the dense forest. Towering trees, massive trunks—so thick that four or five people couldn't wrap their arms around one. Lush undergrowth carpeted the ground. The grass almost swallowed Ye Tianxing whole.
With no choice, he mounted his Azure Dragon Sword and soared into the air, bored but relaxed. His control had improved with his soul power—his speed and stability now more refined.
"Tianxing," Qianjun Douluo asked, "are you still planning to try absorbing a thousand-year soul ring?"
The Demon Bear and Ghost Leopard exchanged surprised glances. Most second rings hovered around the 700- to 800-year mark. Going for a thousand was courting death.
But Ye Tianxing grinned. "I'll try. And if I mess up, I've got you three, haven't I?"
"You brat..." Qianjun Douluo sighed. "If something happens to you, Fifth Brother is going to kill me."