Chapter 39: The Eighteen Year Old Soul Emperor
Ye Buyi gazed with admiration at the venerable and imposing Blue Silver King. "I never thought I'd live to see a soul beast of ten thousand years. Truly a blessing," he murmured.
Ye Wen approached and spoke earnestly, "Grandfather, you should move here permanently. This Blue Silver Forest not only speeds up soul master cultivation but also extends life."
Ye Buyi's face remained calm, though he wore a gentle smile. "Very well, we'll make our home here. After all, this old man hopes to see you and Ah Yin give me a great grandchild. I can't go just yet." He chuckled, a warm glint in his eye.
Hearing this, Ah Yin blushed and quickly excused herself to practice. Watching her retreat, Ye Wen felt a rare peace. All his efforts over the years hadn't been in vain. In a few more years, Ah Yin would mature enough to avoid detection by Title Douluo level threats. By then, they could finally marry and walk the path of cultivation together.
His nine disciples, though not all exceptionally gifted, showed steady promise. Given time, they would grow strong.
When Qian Qian learned that Lan Lan, despite her innate soul power of only one, had been accepted as Ye Wen's unofficial disciple, she pleaded to be accepted as well. Ye Wen, not one to reject such a sweet, endearing girl, agreed to take her in. "One sheep or a whole flock either way, I'm shepherding," he thought with a sigh. Besides, he couldn't refuse Qian Qian's gentle persistence.
Once he reached Title Douluo and gained the foundation of 300 years of life, establishing a top tier force on the continent was only a matter of time. As for Tang San and the Shrek Seven Monsters who would be born fifteen years later, with his prior knowledge, Ye Wen could easily intercept their most valuable opportunities.
(Note: This fanfiction follows the original timeline closely. According to canon, Tang San is born in the year 2631 of the Douluo calendar. Our protagonist is currently fifteen, going on sixteen, placing us in the year 2616.)
The only lingering concern was whether the gods would interfere from their lofty heights. Judging by the lackluster interest the gods usually showed toward the Douluo planet, however, Ye Wen suspected it was unlikely except perhaps for the Asura God King, who might get involved.
After all, there were theories that Tang San's arrival was his doing. But then again, as fate would have it, Douluo's will could also bring people to this world. It would come down to who was more skillful. By the time Tang San was born, Ye Wen would likely already be a Title Douluo. Besides, it wasn't as if Tang San would call on Tang Chen to deal with him. Tang Chen was still a captive, barely retaining his sense of self.
If things got difficult, Ye Wen mused, he could always try to obtain the Sea God's Heart from the Heaven Dou royal family. With his talent as a twin martial soul user and innate full soul power, it would be hard for the Sea God to overlook him. After all, the Sea God's spirit was bound to leave sooner or later; better for him to take it than anyone else.
Letting go of his scattered thoughts, Ye Wen returned to his focused, daily routine of cultivation. Life in this remote village offered the perfect peace for uninterrupted growth. With his rare talent, Ye Wen's soul power surged without the need for rare resources.
In the blink of an eye, three years passed. Ye Wen was now eighteen, his growth having steadied but his body showing the strength of refined maturity. He wore his long, black hair loose, and his calm, handsome features and dignified attire gave him a scholarly air. "Finally, I've reached Soul Emperor," he said to himself. "Although physical training is getting harder. My strength seems stuck at eighty five thousand pounds."
Exhaling a slow breath, Ye Wen surveyed the vast Blue Silver Forest.
"Blue Silver King, do you know where I could find a Battle Drum Toad with a cultivation of fifty thousand years or more?" he inquired.
After a pause, the Blue Silver King formed its aged face from the surrounding vines and branches and responded, "Your Excellency, with your current strength, attempting to absorb a fifty thousand year Battle Drum Toad would be dangerous. Most soul emperors can barely handle a thirty thousand year ring. However, I know of a Battle Drum Toad around that age."
Ye Wen responded calmly, "Blue Silver King, I'm not like most. My fifth ring was a thirty thousand year Thunder Ant King, and I have a solid theory for absorbing higher rings. My physical strength could handle even an eighty thousand year soul ring. I sought a Battle Drum Toad because its unique attributes would complement my abilities perfectly. If you don't know of any, I'll just continue my search."
The Blue Silver King hesitated, seemingly surprised by Ye Wen's capabilities. After a moment, it nodded deferentially.
"My apologies, Your Excellency. I underestimated you. I don't know of a toad that powerful, but about a thousand years ago, there was a Battle Drum Toad King in a gorge in the northwestern part of the Mixed Zone in the Star Dou Forest. It had a cultivation of sixty thousand years. I haven't sensed its presence recently due to the lack of Blue Silver Grass in that area, so I can't be certain it's still alive."
Ye Wen's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected such a find.
Thanking the Blue Silver King, he called Ah Yin over. They established a mental link, allowing Ah Yin to pinpoint the precise location through her Blue Silver connections in the forest. Ah Yin's eagerness was clear. It had been years since the two of them had hunted soul beasts together, and she hadn't ventured beyond the village in a long time.
This time, Ye Wen didn't refuse. Though Ah Yin usually displayed a serene elegance, she was innately active and adventurous. Having spent these past years quietly training in a remote village had been hard on her, so he gladly agreed to bring her along.
Over the past three years, Ye Wen had also developed a method to cultivate spiritual power. Ironically, he had to thank Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes for the inspiration.
He had begun absorbing the first rays of the morning sun to enhance his vision and sharpen his mind. For ordinary people, gathering and cultivating enough of this energy took years, but Ye Wen had found a simpler way. With Form Between Forms, he could recreate the unique qualities of this "violet energy" himself, producing an endless supply of artificial purple energy.
Manufacturing purple energy wasn't even costly, as it primarily required vitality energy, which Ye Wen had in abundance, thanks to the vast Blue Silver Forest. He produced enough for himself, Ah Yin, and his disciples to train in mental strength.
(End of Chapter)
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