Douluo: In an extraordinary world, with unparallel understanding!

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"Two clear?"

Leaving the Star Dou Forest, as Su Yu reflected on the gains from this trip, he felt a mix of joy and, naturally, a bit of exhaustion.

When it comes to fate, how could it possibly be resolved through something as simple as repaying a favor?

"The fate between me and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion has been unraveled, but the ties between me and the soul beasts have only grown stronger," Su Yu said with a wry smile.

Even though he still didn't fully understand fate, he knew that such matters couldn't be easily resolved.

Having repeatedly heard the title "master" from the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, Su Yu understood that this time, the Silver Dragon King was involved.

Within his Sea of Spirits, a glowing orb formed from the power of fate emitted radiant light. Strands of fate energy slowly unraveled from it.

"Fate!" New runes were drawn into existence.

After leaving the Star Dou Forest, Su Yu naturally made his way to Shrek City.

"Old Qian."

"Haha, Su Yu."

Qian Tong greeted him with a broad smile, waddling over with his chubby figure, sizing up Su Yu.

"Looks like you didn't disappoint me after all."

His decision to invest in Su Yu had undoubtedly been the right one.

"I really owe you a lot, Old Qian."

Back when Su Yu was still recruiting soul masters to help him hunt his first soul ring, the two reliable soul masters who assisted him had been introduced by Qian Tong.

He also owed his second soul ring to Qian Tong.

A thousand-year soul ring, a purification-type soul skill, and an enhancement to his physique.

At that time, Su Yu didn't have nearly enough Gold Soul Coins. Even the internal prices at the Wan Hu Lou were still controlled by Qian Tong.

The difference had certainly been covered by Qian Tong.

Obtaining those first two soul rings had been crucial for Su Yu, and it didn't stop there. After Su Yu had arrived in Sun-Moon, Qian Tong had also provided him with a thousand Gold Soul Coins.

It may have seemed like Su Yu had never been short of Gold Soul Coins, but all of that had been built on his initial capital.

Qian Tong's investments were always precise, making Su Yu's cultivation much easier.

"Hahaha, don't mention it. It's still your hard work that counts," Qian Tong said, not taking all the credit for himself, while constantly praising Su Yu's talent.

The initial investment in the first soul ring had been something Qian Tong had made simply because he found the Blue Silver Grass soul master to be intriguing.

After all, it was the first time he had seen someone with a Blue Silver Grass that cultivated so quickly.

As Su Yu continued to demonstrate his talent, Qian Tong's investments in him grew even larger.

After chatting for a while, Su Yu received an unexpected but unsurprising piece of information from Qian Tong.

That was, Qian Tong's uncle was none other than Qian Duoduo.

"Old Qian, I didn't expect your Wan Hu Lou to have such background," Su Yu said with a look of surprise.

"Sigh, what background? The Qian family severed ties long ago, back in my grandfather's generation. Qian Duoduo and the others are close to the Three Douluo Nations, while the direct line of Wan Hu Lou has a different stance," Qian Tong explained.

"I came to Shrek to take up this position because I wanted to persuade my uncle. It's been over a year since I arrived here, and I've spoken to him ten times."

Su Yu admired Qian Tong. He truly was a good nephew.

"So, has Qian Duoduo changed in any way?" Su Yu asked.

"At least, he's not as hostile toward me as before," Qian Tong replied.

Despite this, he didn't look happy.

"I can sense that when he talks to me, he's after something. He just feels too embarrassed to ask."

Su Yu then told Qian Tong about Qian Duoduo's time in the Sun-Moon Hall prison.

"I see now," Qian Tong said, understanding.

"It seems my uncle wants me to help gather intelligence for him. But although Wan Hu Lou has some influence in the Sun Moon Empire, we still can't infiltrate the Sun-Moon Hall."

"Old Qian, I can help connect Wan Hu Lou and the Sun-Moon Hall. After all, the Sun-Moon Hall also needs to sell some soul tools to the Three Douluo Nations for profit."

Qian Tong's eyes lit up.

By directly working with the Sun-Moon Hall, it would be easier to restock, and the quality of the soul tools would be much higher.

Moreover, gaining a steady supply of soul tools from Sun-Moon Hall would allow Wan Hu Lou to expand rapidly.

The quality of the soul tools from Sun-Moon Hall was unquestionable in the Three Douluo Nations.

It was precisely because they were enemies that they were more aware of the quality of Sun-Moon Hall's soul tools. If there were any flaws, the Three Douluo Nations would have already started to degrade the Sun Moon Empire's soul tools.

Of course, Qian Tong also sensed Su Yu's ulterior motive.

"Are you trying to turn my uncle against us? I'm telling you, that's not going to happen. The reason I've been trying to persuade him is so that he won't get involved and drag the Qian family down with him," Qian Tong said with a bitter smile.

He hadn't come here to have casual chats with Qian Duoduo.

The Qian family had already split, so what was there to contact about?

It was more out of concern that if Qian Duoduo offended the Sun Moon Empire too much, Wan Hu Lou might face a ban. Ever since the incident with the Martial God Douluo Xian Lin'er attacking the Sun Moon Royal Team, Wan Hu Lou had become more cautious.

Qian Duoduo seemed to have clashed with Sun-Moon Hall before and had been detained for over a year.

Once Wan Hu Lou learned that Qian Duoduo had returned to Shrek, they quickly arranged for Qian Tong to meet with him.

Su Yu shook his head.

"It's not about turning him against anyone. I just want him to stay out of things in the future."

Qian Tong was struck by a thought. Wasn't this the same goal he had?

However, he wasn't fully convinced that this was the only motive Su Yu had.

"Wan Hu Lou can start doing business with Sun-Moon Hall, but you should continue communicating with Qian Duoduo. Occasionally send him signals that you can help raise his status within the Sea God Pavilion."

Qian Tong's gaze sharpened.

"Are you planning to make a move against the Sea God Pavilion?"

Su Yu shook his head and said, "I don't have the strength for that. I'm simply planning to help Qian Duoduo improve his personal soul tool skills."

Qian Duoduo was a genius when it came to soul tools. Despite not having much support from the academy, he had managed to reach the level of an eighth-grade soul engineer.

In fact, the Soul Tool Department at Shrek Academy was largely his own creation.

Although there had been a soul tool department before, it didn't have the same standing as the Martial Soul Department.

It was only after Qian Duoduo became an eighth-grade soul engineer that the soul tool department's position skyrocketed.

The soul tool department started generating massive profits, providing substantial funding for the academy. Naturally, it gained recognition and became an independent department.

As for Xian Lin'er, she was just someone who was parachuted in to oppose Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Martial Soul Department.

Xian Lin'er didn't know anything about soul tools.

Relying solely on her strength as a Super Douluo, with her mental and soul power not weak, she barely managed to reach the level of a sixth-grade soul engineer by following Qian Duoduo's blueprints.

"..."

Qian Tong roughly understood Su Yu's intentions.

Su Yu wanted to support Qian Duoduo to help him advance in rank.

Then, this would become one of Qian Duoduo's leverage points.

However, these things were still potentially out of Su Yu's control. What else did Su Yu have to restrain Qian Duoduo?

Qian Tong thought about Qian Duoduo's counterpart, Qian Bumo.

But would just having Qian Bumo be enough?

Qian Tong didn't think there was anything wrong with Su Yu's plan.

Even if persuasion failed, simply helping Qian Duoduo advance to the ninth-grade soul engineer would increase his value.

A ninth-grade soul engineer, as long as they weren't a major force opposing the Sun Moon Empire, would likely not be sanctioned.

Moreover, with Su Yu's connections, even if Qian Duoduo caused significant harm to the Sun Moon Empire, there would still be ways to maneuver and resolve the situation.

"Old Qian, this is a Pei Yuan Dan I made, and this is the surplus."

Finally, Su Yu took out a jade vial and handed it to Qian Tong.

Pei Yuan Dan was a pill that could help even a Soul Emperor increase their soul power by one level. Of course, if one ignored their foundation, a single Pei Yuan Dan could guarantee a Soul Emperor's soul power to reach one level higher.

However, very few people would choose such a path.

The pill was meant to solidify one's foundation, but if it was used recklessly, it would damage one's roots—quite the waste.

Su Yu handed over five Pei Yuan Dan to Qian Tong.

With Qian Tong's soul power at level 37, he should be able to break through to level 40 at the very least.

"Take one every three months, don't rush the process, and focus on solidifying your foundation. Reaching Soul King within five years should be no problem."

Qian Tong carefully received the jade vial and stored it in his soul tool, listening intently to Su Yu's advice.

Wow.

Reaching Soul King in five years.

For someone like him, who was still struggling at level 37 as a Soul Respect, this was a miraculous pill.

At 35 years old, Qian Tong had hopes of breaking through to Soul King before he turned 40.

And once he reached Soul King, there was still potential for further improvement.

Achieving Soul Emperor before 60 wouldn't be a problem.

The key was that this was just the beginning of Su Yu's return on investment.

The cooperation between Wan Hu Lou and Sun-Moon Hall would serve as a crucial intermediary, and there was no doubt that Qian Tong might have more opportunities and gains in the future.

Becoming a Soul Sage in this lifetime was not out of reach.

A Soul Sage—this was already an absolute pinnacle of power on the Douluo Continent.

For a businessman like Qian Tong, someone who originally would have been content to reach Soul Zong, the possibility of achieving Soul Sage was now within sight.

Su Yu had no intention of staying long in Shrek City.

After meeting with Qian Tong, he immediately headed toward the city outskirts.

"Hmm?"

In the Sea God Pavilion, the elder, Er Ming, who had been in deep thought, made a quiet exclamation.

"Senior, what happened?" a voice asked.

"An Enshrined Douluo has arrived in Shrek City. He's carrying something I can't quite pinpoint, but I can feel a sense of danger, even I."

"What!"

Xuan Zi's face turned pale with shock.

A fixed-installed soul tool cannon!

Grade 8 or even 9!

That thought immediately flashed through his mind.

"It's only a faint sense of danger, though. It won't affect me much, but if you face it head-on, you might be seriously injured," Er Ming said, speaking calmly.

"Senior, are you certain of the person's location?" Yan Shaozhe, his face serious, asked.

Er Ming shook his head.

"He's gone. I didn't sense any malice from him."

"Gone?"

Xuan Zi, Yan Shaozhe, and the other Sea God Pavilion members fell silent.

They didn't question why he hadn't kept the person around.

In times of crisis, there could also be opportunity. This was a principle they believed in. The Enshrined Douluo who had arrived was very likely carrying a high-grade fixed-installed soul tool cannon and its accompanying ammunition. If their plan succeeded in dealing with him, and they could seize the soul tool cannon and ammunition, it would be a huge opportunity for Shrek's Soul Tool Department.

However, Er Ming was not one of Shrek's strongest figures.

He belonged to the Clear Sky Sect, and his purpose for coming to Shrek was to oversee matters there.

Since the Enshrined Douluo hadn't been kept in Shrek, what could they do?

Er Ming closed his eyes again, entering a meditative trance.

He kept the strict instructions he had been given in mind.

Shrek would not intervene unless it faced a genuine crisis.

After leaving Shrek City, Su Yu traveled eastward.

The Sunset Forest.

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes.

Su Yu had returned here once again.

"Su Yu, you've come back?"

The fragrant, ethereal plants of the Immortal Herb Garden swayed, greeting Su Yu's arrival.

In just a year, the seeds left by the few immortal herbs Su Yu had taken before had already started to sprout.

"Su Yu, have Bajiao and the others become soul spirits now?"

"Not yet. My friends' soul power is still a bit low. The Chicken Crown Phoenix Sunflower and the Qi Luo Yujinxiang have already been absorbed by my teacher, though."

"..."

Su Yu didn't spend too much time talking with the immortal herbs.

This time, his visit to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes was focused on peaceful cultivation.

Jumping into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes, Su Yu took out the blood essence he had obtained from the Three-Eyed Golden Lion. He began to refine it.

As he absorbed the blood essence and refined the bloodline power of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, Su Yu used the power of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes to integrate the bloodline into his body, tempering the strength of this power.

After all, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion was only a ten-thousand-year soul beast; its bloodline was still too weak.

The power of Ice and Fire directly tempered the bloodline, with the immortal spirit power being integrated into the bloodline by Su Yu.

Three days later.

Su Yu finally sensed the spirit within the bloodline power and began to form his bloodline soul ring.

Three circles of red-golden, blue-golden, and red-golden bloodline soul rings appeared, and a rose-gold light ring slowly began to form around them.

Far in the extreme north.

"Snow Empress, have you met Su Yu?"

The Snow Empress had already transformed and reached the level of Soul Sage. The Ice Empress, realizing this, had to abandon her idea of persuading the Snow Empress to join their divine creation plan.

After a simple exchange, the transaction between the Snow Empress and Su Yu inevitably came to the attention of the Ice Empress and the others.

After all, the Snow Empress had been in the extreme north, yet after her transformation, she had broken through to Soul Sage.

"Yes."

"His ultimate life force is highly beneficial to my cultivation. We reached an agreement—he helps me cultivate, and I help him explore the secrets of soul ring condensation."

"The secrets of soul ring condensation?"

Huo Yuhao seemed to have caught the keyword he needed and interrupted the Snow Empress.

"Wait, Snow Empress, can I ask what Brother Yu's goal is?"

The Snow Empress paused and glanced at the Ice Empress.

The Ice Empress nodded.

Only then did the Snow Empress continue, "This involves his privacy, but he never asked me to keep it a secret, so it's fine to tell you. When he broke through to Soul Sage, he needed to obtain his seventh soul ring. However, instead of hunting a soul beast for it, he wanted to condense the soul ring by himself."

Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up.

He finally understood!

Second Trial: Condense the Destiny Soul Ring, reward: all soul ring ages increased by 5,000 years!

Huo Yuhao had always been unable to understand the concept of the Destiny Soul Ring mentioned in the second trial of the God of Life. Now, he had some insight.

The Destiny Soul Ring should be the soul ring one condenses on their own.

But... is that even possible?

Huo Yuhao recalled Su Yu's seventh soul ring, which had a very complicated color. It definitely didn't seem like it was obtained from hunting a soul beast.

At the time, he had only wondered if Brother Yu had encountered some opportunity and hunted a special soul beast.

But now, it seemed that ring was one Su Yu had condensed himself!

"Snow Empress, did Brother Yu achieve anything in the end?" Huo Yuhao quickly asked.

He could seek out Su Yu later, but since they had just parted ways and they probably wouldn't meet again for another year, asking the Snow Empress was the most convenient.

"Are you going to try to condense your own soul ring too?" The Snow Empress was confused about why both Huo Yuhao and Su Yu were pursuing this.

Huo Yuhao chuckled bitterly.

"I don't know why Brother Yu is doing this, but for me, it's a trial requirement."

(End of chapter)