Enjoying the story? Support the translation and get early access to future chapters here: www.patr eon.com/c/FanficTranslator
Thanks for reading!
I have 100+ advanced chapter now on Patreon.
**
To speak of it, back when he first arrived in this Douluo Continent and intended to join Spirit Hall, he still felt a lingering fear toward Tang San. After all, in his memories, Tang San was the one who ultimately attained Godhood and destroyed Spirit Hall.
That man was truly blessed by the heavens, enjoying an endless streak of good luck. Immense amounts of Immortal Herbs and treasures, as well as high-level Soul Beast rings and bones, seemed to fall into his hands as if they were being handed out for free.
Even enemies powerful enough to kill him seemed to suffer a collective drop in intelligence, showing him mercy and allowing him to take every advantage.
It truly was a bizarre phenomenon.
However, as Ling Xiao grew within the Spirit Hall Academy over the years and gained a deeper understanding of Martial Souls and the cultivation of Soul Masters, he developed a new perspective on Tang San.
Although he didn't understand why Tang San seemed to carry a "stupidity halo"—causing many who were clearly stronger than him to be easily defeated, often in a trivial, "countered" fashion—Tang San no longer seemed as threatening as Ling Xiao had once imagined.
In his current view, Tang San had completely squandered his natural talent in the way of Soul Masters. Putting aside the fact that his temperament was ill-suited for the Clear Sky Hammer, he had even led the Blue Silver Grass—or rather, the Blue Silver Emperor—down a crooked path.
While Tang San might possess multiple one hundred thousand year soul rings in the future, his over-fixation on the age of his soul rings at the expense of mastering his Martial Soul meant he would ultimately struggle to become a truly peak powerhouse among Soul Masters.
He was merely a mediocre talent who relied on the power of his rings.
In Ling Xiao's memory, Tang San had always lived off his past gains; even after becoming a God, it was the same. He constantly used the achievements of those before him, never creating a peerless technique of his own.
This was perhaps due to him taking Yu Xiaogang as his teacher, or perhaps due to his innate, extreme arrogance. He looked down on the lineage of Soul Masters, believing that the Tang Sect secret techniques he had stolen could surpass everything in the world.
He thought that as long as his hidden weapons were deployed, he would be invincible under heaven; thus, he never put much heart into his Martial Soul.
Therefore, the only thing Ling Xiao needed to be mindful of was preventing Tang San from obtaining the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud—the Heart of the Sea God.
This would stop him from heading to Sea God Island to participate in that "divine trial" inheritance, which was essentially a total power-infusion.
Ling Xiao didn't understand why the token to open the Sea God's inheritance was in the hands of the inland Heaven Dou Imperial Family, nor why Tang San, whose two Martial Souls had nothing to do with the power of the sea, would be chosen as the successor.
The Sea God even violated the rule that Gods cannot interfere with the lower realm multiple times to help Tang San, showing such a feverish desire to help him attain Godhood.
However, as long as Tang San didn't pass that cheating divine trial to reach Rank 100 in a few short years, the threat he posed alone was far less than the threat caused by Spirit Hall offending every power on the continent.
By then, the problems brought by the latter would be what Ling Xiao needed to focus on—a prospect that truly gave him a headache. After all, treating the symptoms is easy, but curing the root is hard.
The root of the problem lay in how to change the final decisions of Pope Bibi Dong and the Consecration Palace. If Spirit Hall remained determined to launch its plan to rule the entire continent, Ling Xiao feared he would be powerless to turn the tide alone.
As for preventing Tang San from obtaining the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, that wouldn't be difficult. The shroud was in the hands of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family; all that was needed was to let the Imperial Family see exactly what level Tang San's true strength actually was.
As long as the Heaven Dou Imperial Family wasn't blind, why would they act as they did in his previous life's memories?
Back then, even though Tang San was a mere Soul Emperor, they gave him a princely title, handed him a national treasure, and made him the tutor to the Crown Prince. It was essentially a "gift bag" falling from the sky—giving him every benefit imaginable.
It was truly speechless.
Shaking his head with a self-deprecating smile, Ling Xiao leaned his back against a large tree.
He stopped thinking about Tang San.
Now that he had promoted to the Soul Ancestor realm, he could finally begin to work on many things. He was no longer like before—having the will but lacking the strength.
Previously, with insufficient power, he could only continuously study and cultivate within the Spirit Hall Academy. With his current cultivation and strength, he had already reached the standard required to graduate from the Spirit Hall Academy.
Of course, in order to represent the academy in the Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament four years from now, they would likely continue their studies there and wouldn't officially take up positions within Spirit Hall in the short term.
Even if they remained in the academy to continue their cultivation, their autonomy would be far greater than before. For someone like Ling Xiao, aside from continuing his studies under his teacher Mu Chen, the standard curriculum taught by ordinary academy teachers was no longer necessary to attend.
This period was exactly what he needed to set in motion the plans he had been refining for a long time. Those matters were critical; they would benefit both his own growth and the future of Spirit Hall.
As this thought crossed his mind, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Ling Xiao's mouth. Suddenly, the sound of roaring reached his ears. Turning toward the source, he saw the first wave of over a dozen spectral shadows returning from the depths of the Star Dou Forest.
Working in groups, the ghosts had bound several Soul Beasts.
These creatures, once fierce and powerful, were now forcibly restrained. Though their faces were filled with defiance and rage, their bodies seemed paralyzed; the invasive Nether Ghost Qi had frozen their very bloodlines, stripping them of the power to resist.
"Elder Ghost's strength is truly extraordinary," Ling Xiao remarked inwardly.
At the same time, he couldn't help but recall that Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear—a creature truly deserving of the title "Beast King"—which had fought Chrysanthemum Douluo years ago.
According to Elder Chrysanthemum, its cultivation was estimated to be around ninety thousand years, enough to defeat the majority of Titled Douluo. He could hold it at bay for a time, but defeating it was impossible, let alone killing it.
He wondered how Elder Ghost's strength compared to that Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear and whether he could truly suppress it. Ling Xiao was curious, but knowing Ghost Douluo's taciturn and eccentric nature, he didn't dare ask aloud.
He planned to ask Chrysanthemum Douluo about it later.
"See if any of these Soul Beasts are suitable for you."
Once the ghosts had dropped all the captured beasts onto the ground, Ghost Douluo's raspy voice rang out. Ling Xiao and the others immediately sharpened their focus and stepped forward to inspect them.
It had been quite some time since the four of them had broken through to the Soul Ancestor realm. Had they not been trapped in the Mystic Trace Canyon—where the Evil Beasts were unsuitable for their soul rings—they would have sought out their fourth rings long ago.
Moreover, they were eager to finish absorbing their soul rings to see exactly what level their Soul Power had reached. Even after hitting Rank 40, they hadn't neglected their cultivation; the growth simply hadn't manifested because they lacked that fourth ring.
Seven days later, Ghost Douluo arrived back at Spirit City with Ling Xiao and the other three.
Having spent a year tempering themselves in the Mystic Trace Canyon, they had lived a life of sleeping in the wild and constant danger. The canyon was a desolate place, devoid of human life and crawling with Evil Beasts.
Returning now to the bustling prosperity of Spirit City, they actually felt a brief sense of displacement. However, they quickly regained their composure and headed toward their respective residences.
As the Pope's disciple, Hu Liena went straight back to the Pope Hall. Yan, coming from a distinguished background, returned to his family home, while Ling Xiao and Xie Yue headed back to the academy.
Stepping through the gates of the Spirit Hall Academy, the familiar paths and scenery stirred a sense of nostalgia within Ling Xiao and Xie Yue.
Perhaps because of this familiarity, although their auras remained intimidating, they no longer felt as high-strung as they had been in the Death Canyon.
Along the way, the students they encountered cast strange looks at them. Both men frowned slightly, annoyed by the scrutiny, but they didn't lose their tempers. After all, every student in the academy was dressed in a clean, crisp uniform.
By contrast, the two of them were in tatters, their clothes stained with dried blood and reeking of a metallic, slaughter-filled scent. They looked nothing like students of the academy; it was only natural for people to stare.
It was only because of their cold, murderous expressions that no one dared to approach them.
In truth, had they not already spent several days away from the Death Canyon—
Allowing their minds to relax and stabilize—the sheer killing intent and baleful aura radiating from them would have been enough to traumatize these students, who had lived under protection and never experienced the baptism of true slaughter.
**
Enjoying the story? Support the translation and get early access to future chapters here: www.patr eon.com/c/FanficTranslator
Thanks for reading!
I have 100+ advanced chapter now on Patreon.