Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

Prince Xuexing's face immediately darkened, but at the last moment Yan stopped, his fingers resting in front of Emperor Xueye's palm.

Emperor Xueye couldn't help but glance at Yan again. As the owner of this treasure, he knew better than anyone how attractive it was. He hadn't expected the child to calm down so quickly.

Emperor Xueye circulated his soul power, and the soft blue light gradually receded, revealing an exquisite sapphire triangle in front of Yan, reflecting the image of the Vast Ocean Universe Cover in his eyes.

This treasure is indeed extraordinary. Emperor Xueye carries it with him at all times and communicates with it with his soul power, which is equivalent to cultivating anytime and anywhere.

Emperor Xueye originally didn't have high talent as a Soul Master, and with the power of his pillow, he rarely cultivated. Normally, it would have been impossible for him to break through to the third-ring Soul Master level, but because of this treasure, he was able to break through the upper limit of his talent.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

A hint of bewilderment flashed across Yan's eyes, then he bowed slightly to Emperor Xueye, "The Empire and the Spirit Hall have always been friendly. I hope Your Majesty will fulfill your promise as soon as possible; it will be good for everyone..."

After he finished speaking, he turned around, and the group of people who had come with him left as well. After they left, some people came to Prince Xuexing's side and whispered something to him.

After these people reported some matters, Prince Xuexing gave them a look, signaling them to leave. At this moment, Emperor Xueye slowly turned around and said in a deep voice, "Have you taken care of everything?"

Prince Xuexing stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, everything has been cleaned up. The matter of selling slaves will not involve the royal family."

Emperor Xueye nodded and turned to leave. "Hmm, tell those people to be careful in the future, and not to openly release their martial spirits..."

After Emperor Xueye left, only Prince Xuexing remained in the auction house to handle affairs. Dugu Bo stood to the side, his eyes flickering unreadable, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Prince Xuexing walked to Dugu Bo's side and lowered his voice to say, "Mr. Dugu, do you have a way to make someone die without anyone knowing?"

"Your Highness, it's best not to act rashly. Tang Hao's example is a stark reminder. Don't forget, the Pope hasn't even made a move yet."

After saying this, Dugu Bo ignored Prince Xuexing and left. Although the latter had been kind to him, he had also repaid the royal family handsomely. It was best not to get involved in certain matters.

……

On the carriage leading to the east gate of Tiandou City, Yan suddenly spoke to Yang Wudi: "The affairs of the Tiandou Empire have been basically settled. Once the Tiandou City branch of the Mercenary Guild is established, a suitable candidate will be needed to serve there. What does Clan Chief Yang think of Clan Chief Titan?"

“Holy Son, although Titan is capable enough, he has deep feelings for the Haotian Sect. I’m afraid he might have too many selfish motives and mess things up. Holy Son, you should entrust this matter to a suitable person.”

After thinking for a while, Yang Wudi shook his head. He was upright and honest, but that didn't mean he was stupid. Because he had worked with Titan for many years, he understood the old gorilla's feelings for someone in the Haotian Sect.

Yan's decision to let Titan stay and serve as the branch president was indeed a sign of trust, but it was also a test. He was afraid that the old gorilla might make a mistake or cause trouble.

"It's alright, I believe the Titan patriarch can distinguish between public and private matters."

Yan shook his head, then continued, "Things here are almost settled. We can't stay in Tiandou City any longer. I'd appreciate it if Patriarch Yang could make arrangements when he gets back and inform everyone to prepare to head to Wuhun City."

"clear."

Yang Wudi nodded silently. After spending so many days together, he understood how much Yan valued his clan. He knew that Yan's mindset was unchangeable. The Po clan and Yan had no blood feud, so he could only accept the arrangement. Whether it was feigning compliance or betraying him later, at least they had to find a way to survive.

Chapter 92 Returning to the Spirit Hall

At the north gate of Wuhun City, when the massive procession of tens of thousands of people gathered there, the Wuhun Hall had already dispatched special personnel to welcome and arrange for their arrival.

Yan looked at the familiar streets and sounds behind the city gate, and a smile couldn't help but appear on his lips. He stretched his muscles a little, but he felt extremely tired.

The most troublesome part of this trip to Heaven Dou City was the last leg of the journey, which involved leading a large number of Soul Masters and their families from the outer sect of Haotian across a significant portion of the Heaven Dou Empire back to the territory of Spirit City.

Although the thousands of Soul Masters and their families from the outer sect of the Clear Sky Sect have all been incorporated into the Spirit Hall, there are certainly some like Titan among them who harbor ulterior motives. It would be far too troublesome to search for these people one by one within the Heaven Dou Empire.

Yan then devised a plan: first, he left Titan and a few others who were too conspicuous to be in charge of running the mercenary branch in Tiandou City, since the Tiandou City Martial Soul Temple was keeping an eye on things and there would be no mistakes; then he led these tens of thousands of people back to Martial Soul City.

Of course, some people tried to cause trouble along the way, but Yan dealt with them all one by one, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted. Now he just wants to return to the city and rest for a while. As for how to get these Soul Masters and their families back on track, the higher-ups of the Spirit Hall will handle that, and he doesn't need to do it personally.

Suddenly, a rather agile figure darted out from the city wall, approached Yan, and bowed slightly. "Holy Son, the Pope requests that you come to the Papal Palace to report on the progress of this operation."

"I see."

Yan nodded and rode his tall horse into Wuhun City. After a bumpy ride, he finally arrived at the low hill where the Papal Palace was located. After handing the horse over to the guards, he stepped into the Papal Palace.

In the side hall of the Papal Palace, the Pope's daily office, Bibi Dong, who was bent over her desk, suddenly raised her head slightly. In less than two breaths, footsteps were heard outside the door, and then the arched door of the side hall was pushed open.

"Greetings, Your Holiness."

Yan approached Bibi Dong and bowed slightly, his face showing great fatigue.

"You've arrived. You must be very tired. I didn't think things through. Why don't you go back and rest first?"

Bibi Dong spoke to him in a very gentle tone, and when she noticed the fatigue on his face, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, revealing a hint of apology.

"It's alright, let me give you a brief report first..."

Yan shook his head to indicate that he was fine, and then spoke loudly about the series of things he had done inside and outside Tiandou City: forcing Haotian Sect to close its doors and go into seclusion, capturing four single-attribute outer sect clans, splitting the alliance of the seven sects, and winning over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Then there were the matters concerning muskets, mercenary guilds, and improving crop varieties. Some of these had already begun to be implemented, while others were only just getting started. Finally, there were the negotiations with the Heaven Dou royal family and the follow-up arrangements for the Soul Masters brought back. He explained everything clearly, and as Bibi Dong listened to his words, a hint of surprise flashed across her beautiful eyes.

"You've made excellent arrangements. As for him back then... well, if I had had your vision and insight, I might have already made a name for myself in the Spirit Hall."

Bibi Dong seemed to have thought of someone, and the smile on her face became slightly stiff, but she still expressed her approval of Yan. Then she said, "The firearm you developed is quite powerful. Although you left a trap, it's not like you're just exposing it like that. Surely there are some smart people in the two great empires."

Yan shook his head and replied, "Once this kind of thing is developed, it will be used. If it is used, it may be exposed. It cannot be hidden. We just need to delay their development."

Solving this problem completely is also easy: we need to crack the technology of soul tools as soon as possible. Once we can manufacture soul tools ourselves, we will be in charge of the soul master world in the future.

I've already made some progress in this area, but I need more soul tools for reference. I also need to assign someone to excavate and explore ancient ruins in various locations; you'll have to make those arrangements separately.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. You can stay in Wuhun City and focus on your cultivation and research."

Bibi Dong had already made some arrangements for these matters. After discussing them with Yan, she noticed that his eyelids were drooping. She couldn't help but reach out and hold him in her arms, saying gently, "Go and rest well first."

As she spoke, she got up, carried Yan into a small room in the side hall. The room had a large bed, which was her usual place to rest, a nice treat for the little guy in her arms.

Bibi Dong placed Yan on the bed, but the latter fell asleep as soon as his head hit the covers. Before he even had a stiff neck, he was already breathing softly. She was slightly taken aback, then smiled gently and carefully covered him with the blanket.

She sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Yan who had fallen into a deep sleep, and couldn't help but smile. She watched him for a long time before leaving the room to arrange some matters.

……

"I slept really well this time."

After an unknown amount of time, Yan looked up again. When she opened her eyes, it was already broad daylight. Although the sunlight falling on the head of the bed was blocked by the curtains, the room still felt rather hot.

"Cuckoo..."

Yan moved his hands and feet, feeling weak all over, as if all his strength had been drained by the female demon. His stomach rumbled, and after calculating the time, he realized that he had probably slept for most of the day. It was now around ten o'clock the next day.

He sat there blankly for a while before finally getting out of bed. After washing up a bit, he went to the long table in the side hall. Just as he was about to devour the prepared food, a figure appeared and sat down in front of him.

"Waaah... Great, Great Offering..."

Yan looked up and saw the man, wanting to speak, but with food still in his mouth, his words were muffled and incoherent. He was so hungry that stopping to eat and talk to someone would be worse than killing him.

Qian Daoliu glanced at Yan and then gently comforted him, "Eat slowly."

"Great Master, what business do you have with me?"

After Yan tore off a large bite of soft bread and swallowed it with milk, the acid in his stomach finally calmed down, and he was able to talk to Qian Daoliu.

Qian Daoliu said meaningfully, "You did a great job this time. You thought three steps ahead for every step you took and made many strategic moves. I didn't misjudge you. You are indeed the most suitable person to succeed her and will be Xue'er's most capable assistant in the future."

Yan shook his head and smiled, saying, "I think they will handle the matter between Sister Xue'er and the Pope. As for the Spirit Hall, I am still too weak. I will not be able to take it over within the next twenty years."

"Think this over carefully yourself. I will do my best to assist Xue'er in her cultivation. You can also help look after the general affairs of the Offering Hall."

As he spoke, Qian Daoliu placed a token in front of Yan, and without waiting for him to say goodbye, his figure slowly disappeared from the original position.

Yan looked at the token in front of him, which represented one of the highest powers of the Spirit Hall, and couldn't help but smile. After so much effort, he had finally obtained enough power. His future plans and sneaky development should be much easier.

Chapter 93 Mimicry Cultivation

In the center of Wuhun City, behind the Papal Palace.

This is a relatively remote valley, where light red mist rises and swirls around, and upon closer inspection, it turns out to be water vapor glowing red.

Deep within the hazy red mist, the temperature rises as you descend, until, hundreds of meters underground, a fiery, reddish river of magma flows slowly.

The crimson liquid bubbled intermittently, and a pungent odor permeated the surroundings. Viewed from above, the crimson lava resembled ribbons of red silk, forming a ring that enveloped the small, dark reddish rocky island in the center.

The temperature here is extremely high, yet in such an unsuitable place for human habitation, there is still a figure—or rather, not a human figure, but a figure engulfed in flames.

Flames surrounded Yan, countless flames converged, and wisps of fire spread in all directions. The air around him distorted. In this simulated environment, the rate at which he absorbed fire-attribute energy increased exponentially, and his cultivation level grew even faster.

The cultivation of a martial spirit is a process in which a soul master continuously accumulates energy and goes further and further on the path to the extraordinary. Although many people jokingly call Douluo Continent a fantasy world where you can kill indiscriminately with a martial arts manual, in reality, there is still a difference between soul power and internal energy.

In the world of martial arts, apart from a few advanced techniques, most internal energy does not have any special attribute bonuses and can only be honed through hard work during cultivation.

However, the soul power of a soul master is different. The cultivation of a soul master is a process of evolving their martial soul. In this process, the soul power they cultivate will naturally be mixed with the unique aura of their own martial soul, and will have more advantages in some environments suitable for their martial soul.

Just as Blue Silver Grass Soul Masters prefer dense forests and bushes, Rock Turtles like rocky terrain, and Swimming Fish like abundant water, the cultivation speed of different types of Soul Masters varies depending on the environment, especially after breaking through to level 30 Soul Master.

Reaching level 30, the Soul Master level, is a crucial threshold in the Soul Master world. If one fails to break through this threshold before the age of 30, no matter how hard one tries afterward, it will basically be a waste of effort. Ordinary resources are unlikely to help those with insufficient talent cross this insurmountable barrier.

After a Soul Master breaks through level 30, they will become more sensitive to energies similar to their own attributes, and their Martial Soul will naturally become more sensitive. Under certain special and beneficial environments, their cultivation speed can increase significantly. Such special environments are known as simulated cultivation grounds.

The simulated training ground is a marker that distinguishes ordinary soul master forces from advanced soul master forces. All the well-known advanced soul master academies and major soul master clans and sects on the continent have their own simulated training grounds.

In other words, the simulated training ground has become one of the hallmarks of advanced soul master academies. Without such a training ground, you would have no way to attract outstanding geniuses.

As the number one power in the Soul Master world, the Spirit Hall has the best facilities in all aspects, and naturally it also has its own simulated training ground.

While this kind of training environment may not guarantee a synergistic effect, it certainly provides significant support. Especially for those with beast-type martial souls, a favorable simulated environment might even allow them to complete their transformation during the mid-stage of cultivation.

However, the specific auxiliary effects of mimicry cultivation are closely related to the Soul Master's own Martial Soul. Generally speaking, the stronger and more potential the Martial Soul is, the more benefits one will gain from cultivating in a mimicry environment.

Furthermore, Soul Masters with Beast Souls differ somewhat from those with Weapon Souls or Plant Souls. They must consider not only the attributes but also the racial characteristics of the Soul. While mimicry training grounds for Plant-type and Food-type Soul Masters are relatively easy to establish, constructing mimicry training grounds for various Beast Soul Masters is far more challenging.

Most advanced academies' simulated training grounds are actually quite rudimentary, merely providing a training environment roughly suitable for a certain type of Soul Master. After all, an academy has a large number of students, and it's impossible to build a simulated training ground for every Soul Master with every type of Beast Soul.

However, due to differences in status and resources, people can obtain different things. Yan now possesses a unique environment that more than 99% of the soul masters on the continent envy: his own simulated cultivation ground.

Indeed, the simulated training ground where Yan is currently located is a simulated training ground with magma and fire attributes, specially built for his martial soul, which consumes a great deal of resources and comes at a great cost.

Such an enormous expense would only mean that if he were merely a personal disciple of Pope Bibi Dong, he would at most enjoy an ordinary fire-attribute simulated training ground. A simulated training ground specifically built to match the characteristics of a martial soul, requiring massive resources, would be unthinkable.

But given his current status, everything seems perfectly reasonable, and no one would question whether he is qualified to have the Spirit Hall build a simulated training ground specifically for him.

On the black rock island surrounded by a river of lava, Yan looked at the flickering flame in his palm, shook his head and sighed, "Alas! My cultivation as a second-ring Great Soul Master is still too low. I can't stay in this simulated training ground for long. Oh well, too much of a good thing is bad. Anyway, for now, I still have time."

Yan leaped away from Black Rock Island and ascended the mountainside using ropes to reach the misty valley. Sunlight streamed down, bathing his half-exposed upper body in a golden hue.

His golden skin was covered with faint red lines. Upon closer inspection, one would find that his skin seemed excessively dry, and the areas covered with red lines even showed faint signs of charring. This was a sign of over-cultivation.

Soul Masters can indeed cultivate at a very high rate in simulated training grounds, but many simulated training grounds for powerful martial souls have extremely harsh environments, such as environments with raging flames and thunderstorms, which can even be fatal.

Therefore, before reaching the level of a two-ring Grand Soul Master, most Soul Master factions and academies generally did not support cultivation in simulated environments. Even two-ring Grand Soul Masters or three-ring Soul Venerables had to be careful of changes in the external environment, lest they suffer permanent injuries.

Yan paid special attention to this, with the Dawn AI constantly monitoring his physical condition and always stopping his cultivation and leaving just before anything went wrong. Over the past year, although he had faced several dangerous situations, he always managed to get through them safely, and his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds.