Ye Wen was well-read and had a clear understanding of his own limitations, unlike a certain self-proclaimed "master" who enjoyed courting disaster.
Any transmigrator familiar with Douluo III and IV knew that dragon-type soul beasts were the strongest among all soul beasts and represented the ultimate answer for soul masters seeking soul rings.
The true dragon soul beasts were at the very pinnacle—among the rarest and most powerful. Even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, one of the top three sects, struggled to locate their traces.
Next came the sub-dragon soul beasts, hybrids born from true dragons and other soul beasts. Though their bloodlines weren't pure, as long as they weren't born with congenital defects, virtually every one of them possessed the ability to fight across tiers.
The most common examples were century-level beasts capable of challenging millennium-level ones, or ten-thousand-year beasts taking on twenty-thousand-year ones.
Initially, Ye Wen had planned to search for a suitable six- or seven-hundred-year-old soul beast in the official Spirit Hunting Forest. Multi-elemental soul beasts were rare, but if he searched carefully in these controlled forests, he could find some.
Moreover, these artificial hunting grounds had an advantage—they rarely produced millennium-level soul beasts, which significantly ensured Ye Wen's safety.
With his secret weapon and Nana's martial soul greatly enhancing his physical capabilities, Ye Wen was confident he could dominate within such a forest.
However, plans often changed.
"Troublesome," Ye Wen muttered with a wry smile. "It seems I'll have to eat this soft rice after all."
There was no helping it. The target for his second soul ring had to be at least a sub-dragon. A six- or seven-hundred-year-old sub-dragon could easily rival a millennium-level beast. Even with his secret weapon, Ye Wen wasn't confident he could take it down alone.
But when he went to discuss the matter with Huo Yu'er the next day, surprisingly, he felt no psychological burden.
Ye Wen couldn't help but reflect: once you've eaten soft rice once, it becomes easier to do so repeatedly.
Huo Yu'er decisively assured him there was no problem, and the two hurriedly headed to the Huo residence.
All Ye Wen could think was: having a wealthy, respectful wife made eating soft rice feel truly delightful!
As soon as Ye Wen entered the Huo residence, he saw something extraordinary.
Huo Rui was currently squatting while carrying two small mountains of iron. Sweat poured down her body, accentuating her fiery figure, yet Ye Wen felt not a trace of disrespect toward her.
If Ye Wen remembered correctly, a cubic meter of iron weighed close to eight tons—or roughly sixteen thousand jin (approximately 17,600 pounds). Each of the small iron mountains on either side was about two to three cubic meters. That meant just half of one mountain weighed nearly fifty thousand jin.
Combined, the total weight approached one hundred thousand jin!
Good heavens! Even as a Soul Douluo, Huo Rui already possessed the strength to challenge lifting the Sea God's Trident.
If her power increased further upon breaking through to become a Title Douluo, she might even wield Tang San's future super divine artifact effortlessly.
The Huo family was truly terrifying!
Upon seeing her favorite granddaughter and grandson-in-law arrive, Huo Rui immediately stopped her exercise, her face lighting up with joy as she warmly greeted them.
"Ah, it's Yu'er and Xiao Wen! You sent word earlier that you wouldn't be back this year, and I was sad about it for a while. What brings you here to visit this old woman now?"
"Hmph, can't a girl miss her grandma?" Huo Yu'er replied coyly.
Though not particularly cunning, Huo Rui saw right through her granddaughter's little act. Rolling her eyes playfully, she teased:
"Don't beat around the bush. Tell me, why are you really here?"
Unfazed by having her intentions exposed, Huo Yu'er explained the purpose of their visit.
...
Upon hearing her granddaughter's explanation, Huo Rui's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Ye Wen with increasing affection. How could an elder not be delighted to see their descendant paired with such an excellent partner?
"A mere six- or seven-hundred-year-old wind-element sub-dragon soul beast, you say? No problem—it's as good as done! This is much easier to find than that nearly extinct parasitic fungus you mentioned earlier. Let me ask around among my old friends to see if anyone has spotted such a beast.
In a couple of days, I'll take you to hunt it. For now, stay here—I haven't had a proper chat with you, Xiao Wen, in a long time." Huo Rui declared boldly.
Ye Wen readily accepted. As an orphan in his past life, being treated so warmly by such a caring elder was irresistible.
Still, Ye Wen couldn't help but marvel at how power smoothed the path to success. What seemed like an insurmountable task for him or an ordinary person could be resolved with a simple inquiry within Huo Rui's network. Even without direct leads, her experienced friends could likely narrow down a direction.
After all, sub-dragon soul beasts hadn't yet reached the level of dominating the Star Dou Great Forest—they still had defined territories.
Perhaps in the past, Huo Rui's friends wouldn't have shared such valuable resources with her when she was merely a Soul Sage. But now, as a formidable Soul Douluo, they would gladly lower themselves to curry favor with her.
Moreover, Ye Wen had heard rumors that the Tian Dou Imperial City intended to offer Huo Rui an official position and elevate her noble rank upon learning of her breakthrough to Soul Douluo.
Though she had yet to achieve any significant feats, in this era where Title Douluos rarely appeared, a Soul Douluo was considered a true top-tier powerhouse. It was no wonder the Tian Dou Imperial Family sought to win her over with high positions and honors.
At first, Ye Wen had planned to subtly remind Huo Rui to avoid entanglement with the Tian Dou upper echelons to prevent future retaliation from the Spirit Hall.
But Huo Rui, wise and experienced, needed no such advice. She understood the dark underbelly of Douluo Continent far better than Ye Wen.
True to form, she outright declined their offers, stating she was content with her current life. However, she added that she would be willing to assist in the event of a war against the Star Luo Empire.
This response skillfully avoided the complications of power while signaling her stance toward the Tian Dou Imperial Family—a masterstroke that left no room for criticism.
Furthermore, noble families weren't filled with fools. Tianxin City's status among nearby cities had been steadily rising, and its trade environment was visibly thriving. It was clear that neighboring cities were eager to curry favor with Huo Rui, a powerful expert.
Additionally, many nobles had discovered that Huo Rui had a supremely talented granddaughter—but one who was already spoken for, and to a commoner of low birth, no less. This revelation left them wringing their hands in frustration.
Though the new semester hadn't officially begun, Ye Wen wondered if they might send someone to stir trouble at the academy.
But at this moment, Ye Wen harbored no fear of such challenges. He was now a genius in his own right, backed by a powerful figure like Huo Rui. No one dared to openly target him.
Otherwise, they'd face Huo Rui's wrath!
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