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Back in Heaven Dou City, at the prince's mansion, Qian Renxue had dropped her disguise. She lounged on her throne, one leg crossed over the other, a glass of red wine in hand, savoring a quiet moment.
A knock broke the calm, followed by a deep, polite voice. "Young Master."
Qian Renxue cracked an eye open, frowning slightly. "Come in," she said, her voice crisp and firm.
A tall, lean man in golden armor stepped inside—Snake Lance Douluo, one of her two Titled Douluo guards.
He bowed behind a golden screen. "Young Master, we've got info on Ning Tian. Male, from Emperor Soul Village, twelve years old. Martial soul: Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword. Innate soul power: half a level. Enrolled at Nuoding Primary Spirit Master Academy six years ago under vice dean Zhu Qing. Hit Spirit Master at seven, Great Spirit Master at nine, and Spirit Elder at twelve, five months back."
"Half a level innate soul power? Huh," Qian Renxue murmured, a small smile tugging at her lips. Full innate soul power wouldn't have fazed her, but half a level? That was wild. How did someone with such a weak start become a Spirit Elder at twelve with two thousand-year soul rings?
She thought of the man her mother fixated on for twenty years, another half-level talent who'd cracked martial soul secrets.
"Ning Tian, you're full of surprises. I can't wait to see how she reacts when she hears about you at the Elite Competition in two years," Qian Renxue mused, picturing Bibi Dong's frustration with a grin.
.........….
Meanwhile, Tang Hao had brought Tang San to the Star Dou Great Forest. With his Titled Douluo power, he tracked down a two-thousand-year Diamond Tiger in no time.
After Tang San absorbed its soul ring with his Clear Sky Hammer, his soul power shot past level thirty-two, landing at thirty-three.
"How do you feel, Little San?" Tang Hao asked.
Tang San grinned. "Father, the Diamond Tiger's soul ring gave me a skill, Diamond Pestle. It boosts my strength by a hundred and fifty percent."
He felt strong again. His soul power was close to Ning Tian's now, and he had a solid attack skill to cover the Blue Silver Grass's flaws. Even with Ning Tian's thousand-year soul rings, how long could he hold out? One hit? Two?
He couldn't wait to see Ning Tian eat dirt.
Tang Hao's brow creased, though. He'd wanted Tang San's first Clear Sky Hammer soul ring to be fifty thousand years old at least. Yu Xiaogang's mess-up had forced this early move.
He scanned Tang San's body with his soul power. "One strength-based soul ring might not hold back the poison from those three soul rings. We'll rest for two days. If the side effects don't kick in, we'll head back."
Tang San stiffened.
The wait dragged on, tense and heavy. A night passed, and both held their breath. Normally, Tang San would've been hit by now, but nothing came. Maybe Ning Tian's trick was working.
Just as they eased up, Tang San's stomach growled. He yanked down his pants and let loose right there.
.........…..
One day, Sun Buyu called them to the academy's main field. Unlike Shrek's patchy excuse for a field, this one was huge—miles wide, with top-tier setups. There, Ning Tian met the Imperial Combat Team: leader Qin Ming, captain Yu Tianheng, vice-captain Dugu Yan, and members Shi Mo, Shi Mo, Osler, Yu Feng, and Ye Lingling.
Aside from the cool, detached Ye Lingling, the team looked rough—like they'd just taken a hard hit. Qin Ming alone seemed steady.
"You're Ning Tian, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong, right? I'm Qin Ming, leader of the Imperial Combat Team. Martial soul: Blazing Wolf. Level sixty-two assault-type Battle Spirit Emperor," he said, introducing himself.
He gestured to the team. "These are the Imperial Combat Team members. Get to know each other, then we'll head to Heaven Dou City for a welcome dinner."
Yu Tianheng frowned, giving the trio a quick, dismissive glance. "Teacher Qin Ming, sure, we lost to Shrek in Suotuo City, but the Imperial Combat Team isn't a free-for-all. If they're here through connections, they can leave."
"Yeah, we don't carry dead weight," the others piped up.
Dugu Yan's green eyes narrowed. "Little brother and sisters, I'd suggest you walk away now. I can't promise you'll be safe otherwise."
"Safety's not your call, it's about strength," Ning Tian said, stepping in front of Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong. "If the captain can force me to use a soul ring skill, I'll go. As for Shrek, they're just a bunch of losers to me."
"What'd you say?" Dugu Yan snapped. She moved to step forward, but Yu Tianheng cut in.
"Sounds like you're sure of yourself. Let's see it. Yu Tianheng, Imperial Combat Team captain. Martial soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Level thirty-nine assault-type Battle Spirit Elder," he said, settling into a stance. Blue light flared from his forehead, spreading fast. Lightning crackled around him as two yellow and one purple soul rings rose up.
Qin Ming didn't stop them, he waved everyone back, curious about this prince-backed talent.
"Ning Tian, martial soul: Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword. Level thirty-five assault-type Battle Spirit Elder," Ning Tian said. Green light flashed from his hand as his martial soul appeared.
Then, to Qin Ming's shock, Ning Tian's soul rings lit up: yellow, purple, purple—two thousand-year rings.
He couldn't believe it..
The team gasped too. Who'd expect a Spirit Elder with two thousand-year soul rings?
Dugu Yan lost it. "No way! How do you have two thousand-year soul rings?"
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