"So you see, even though it looks like we have the support of the royal family and our own trade guild, in reality, every year we're barely able to maintain the operation of the entire alliance. There's not even enough left to save as gold soul coins…"
Tian Ling's tone suddenly turned plaintive. Ignoring Luo Qinghan's protests, she leaned against his shoulder and continued:"At the auction in Tiannan City, I finally found a ten-thousand-year Overlord Crocodile soul bone suited for me, but sadly, my pockets were empty, and I could only watch it get sold to someone else…"
"So for us soul masters, gold soul coins may seem like an external luxury, but in truth, they are very useful.""I might not need them for everything, but I absolutely cannot do without them—that's the lesson I've learned over all these years."
Shu Yan smiled and shook his head, scanning the group before resting his gaze on Luo Qinghan."You've broken through to level fifty?" he asked softly.
Luo Qinghan paused slightly, then nodded."I was stuck at forty-nine for almost a month and a half. I had some new realizations a few days ago, meditated for two days, and then broke through."
"That's excellent. Seventeen years old, a Soul King… if nothing unexpected happens over the next three years, you very well might become a Soul Emperor."
Shu Yan praised her gently. Considering Luo Qinghan's lower-body paralysis, achieving Soul King at seventeen was extraordinary. Being a spiritual-attribute soul master made it even rarer.
Luo Qinghan only shook her head, saying nothing further.
Shu Yan's gaze lingered on her legs hidden beneath her dress. He finally asked:"Is there no chance your legs can be healed? What did Master Yi Xian say?"
At his words, Luo Qinghan's expression darkened slightly. Even the others, normally chatty, fell silent, and even Tian Ling didn't dare speak.
"Sort of," Luo Qinghan replied. "The problem with my legs occurred when I awakened my soul at age six and absorbed my first soul ring. My family's inherited soul, Qing Luan, mutated from its original wind attribute into a powerful spiritual attribute. That should have been a good thing, but the problem arose here."
"Because of an unknown reason, when I obtained my first soul ring, my spiritual power surged uncontrollably. It spread through my meridians at near Grand Soul Master level, and at that time I had no control over it. My parents were there, but even they were baffled by this unprecedented event. They could only use their own spiritual energy to restrain mine and protect my brain and other critical parts."
"When it finally settled, more than sixty percent of my meridians were completely damaged. Even after treatment, much of it recovered—but the issue in my legs persists to this day."
"Master Yi Xian once examined my legs. Although she is the world's top healer soul master—able to save anyone with a single breath—facing my legs, where the meridians were nearly destroyed and deformed, she did not dare to risk direct intervention. Too much time had passed, and the twisted meridians had developed pathological changes. To fix my legs, she would need to remove the damaged meridians and generate new ones—a process so delicate that even a tiny mistake could permanently ruin the legs."
"This isn't something that can be healed simply by pouring in life energy. It requires someone to surgically remove the damaged meridians and affected tissue… Even now, Master Yi Xian, despite being a Super Douluo, is less than seventy percent confident. This isn't her specialty, and she wouldn't risk a potential full recovery."
Shu Yan listened quietly and gradually understood the key issue.
In Douluo Continent, most healing soul masters work by infusing life energy into patients, relying on the body's natural restorative ability. This is the mainstream healing method—but it has limits. For issues like Luo Qinghan's, involving nerves and meridians, simply pouring life energy maintains the muscles and cells, but cannot repair the damage.
Even in the original story, Huo Yuhao's case seemed more severe, but he had the "Life of All Beings" energy, which allowed him to recover without Master Yi Xian's help. Without it, even he could barely survive, and full recovery would be extremely difficult. Luo Qinghan's situation is far more complex.
The only potential solution might be deep analysis with advanced Soul Guidance Technology from the Sun Moon Empire. Shu Yan twitched slightly at the thought—it seemed unbelievable, but considering he was in Douluo Continent now, perhaps it wasn't impossible. The bloodlines here were strong enough for such strange phenomena.
After pondering for a moment, Shu Yan said:"Don't worry. This problem can be solved. While it might be difficult in the original Three Kingdoms, in the Sun Moon Empire, there should be a method."
Luo Qinghan shook her head."It doesn't matter anymore. I've fully specialized in spiritual attributes, giving up the wind attribute of my soul. Being able to walk again doesn't matter to me. As long as my spiritual power is strong, it doesn't matter whether I stand or sit."
Shu Yan didn't argue; she had a point. He decided not to push it and said finally:"We'll deal with it later. Plans can't always keep up with changes."
Luo Qinghan nodded and returned to her usual composed demeanor, her beautiful eyes lowered.
Shu Yan looked around at everyone and said:"Now, what are everyone's plans? Speak freely."
The group exchanged glances. Chen Ming spoke first:"My family wants me to stay in Xingluo City to train with you. That's all."
Wang Lin nodded. Shu Yan's performance that day had completely impressed him; following Shu Yan, an unparalleled genius, was highly beneficial.
Hu Yanhao and Meng Ning also expressed their wish to stay in Xingluo City. Luo Qinghan naturally needed no persuasion. Qian Gu Yueyin thought for a moment and said:"I need to stay in Xingluo City to learn the remaining techniques of the Unyielding Staff from my grandfather. I can't leave for the next few years."
As for Tian Ling, she had guild matters that required attention—there was no chance of leaving.
Shu Yan smiled lightly, unsurprised."Very well. I won't let you suffer. There's a large mansion in the south under my name—you can stay there for now. Hotels will suffice for short-term stays, but long-term living is unsuitable. As for training resources, staff will provide them—train diligently. Especially you, Tian Ling. Your innate soul power is already high, around level seven. Don't let trivial matters hinder your cultivation—leave them to others."
"My efforts need to show results. In the future, whether it's conquering the other three empires or the war with Shrek Academy, you and your families must contribute. The empire is strong, but honestly, in terms of top-tier soul master strength, it's somewhat lacking."
"At that time, I alone could affect the battlefield, but in a prolonged war, one person can't manage everything. That's why the empire, and I personally, need to cultivate more—and stronger—new forces. Your elders are already allied with the royal family; Qian Lao is one of them. This is part of why I value and am willing to nurture you. In some ways, the reason I value you is similar to why the empire values your ancestors…"
"Enough for now. The rest is up to your own understanding. In a while, we'll leave Xingluo City to travel. Luo Qinghan, you'll come with us. We'll acquire your fifth soul ring along the way and arrange for your return to Xingluo City."
"This time, the only soul saints accompanying you are two—security is enough—but the soul hunting setup might seem a bit sparse."
Luo Qinghan was slightly surprised but didn't refuse, nodding gently.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at patreon.com/c/Xentronix