"Chen Ming claims his poison abilities came from a fortuitous encounter. It seems he was telling the truth after all. The world is vast, filled with countless miraculous opportunities. Every year, many soul masters experience transformations due to such fortuities. Among the titled Douluo of history, it's not uncommon for them to have gained their strength from rare encounters in their youth. Who would've thought that this year, Heaven Dou Royal Academy would enroll a student blessed with such luck?"
Standing just four feet tall, Bai Baoshan was the first to speak. His eyes held a touch of envy, but there was no bitterness or resentment.
"There are as many heroes in this world as there are fish in the river. Rare encounters and unique phenomena are hardly unusual—most people just keep them secret. The three of us wouldn't be where we are today without some experiences others might call 'miraculous encounters.' Still, haven't we relied more on hard work than luck to reach this point?" added Zhi Lin as he stroked his beard in agreement.
The exploration of the Douluo Continent by its inhabitants is only a small part of the world's mysteries. Soul masters have continuously studied Martial Souls for generations.
When humanity first awakened Martial Souls, they had no idea how to cultivate soul power. Only geniuses born with innate full soul power could absorb soul rings. It wasn't until people discovered how to cultivate soul power that the profession of soul master was truly born.
Ten thousand years ago, it was normal for the third and fourth soul rings to be yellow, and only by the fifth ring would they become purple. Back then, those able to absorb a purple soul ring by the fourth were considered geniuses.
With generations of study and experimentation, modern soul masters now know that the third ring can safely be a thousand-year ring, and exceptionally talented soul masters can attempt a ten-thousand-year ring for their fifth.
How much of this ten-thousand-year evolution stems from lucky encounters? No one can say for certain.
Since ancient times, there have been countless soul masters whose power came from strange and serendipitous experiences. Any high-ranking soul master inevitably carries their own secrets.
It's true that some instructors, driven by jealousy, may feel deeply unsettled when their students encounter great fortune, even wishing to steal such opportunities for themselves. But the three Deans of Heaven Dou Royal Academy were not such men.
Even across the entire soul master world, these three were considered venerable elders. As Deans for decades, they had taught countless students and earned the respect of thousands. Their lives were testaments to the phrase "teaching yields countless disciples."
Upon learning of Chen Ming's fortuitous gain, their first instinct was to protect him, to ensure he could train in peace and one day become a powerful high-tier soul master.
Should anyone attempt to test Chen Ming or meddle with him, the three would have no qualms about flexing their strength to break the hands that reached too far.
After a brief discussion, the trio came to a consensus regarding Chen Ming's situation.
Though it was already late, none of the three showed any signs of retiring for the night. Taking advantage of the darkness, they quietly began their work within the Academy.
Meng Shenji compiled Chen Ming's information; Bai Baoshan went to the palace to meet with Emperor Xue Ye; and Zhi Lin inspected the Academy grounds, ensuring everything was in order and coordinating with the faculty.
Half an hour later, Chen Ming's dossier was laid out on Emperor Xue Ye's desk.
Due to news of an exceptionally gifted new student, Xue Ye, who would normally be relaxing in his harem quarters, sat instead in his study, reading Chen Ming's file under the light of a soul tool lamp excavated from ancient ruins.
Xue Ye lightly tapped his fingers against the desk as he pondered the information. Various expressions flickered across his face before he finally set the folder down gently.
"Biluo City, the Chen family... That godforsaken backwater produced a genius? Hard to believe. But the potency of this poison… could it be the birth of another Poison Douluo?"
"Genius, genius… Fortuitous encounter, fortuitous encounter… The world has no shortage of either. But how many end up serving my Heaven Dou Empire—no, my royal family, the House of Xue?"
"In the past hundred years, over twenty people have been born with innate full soul power, but how many became titled Douluo? I've seen many who seemed destined for that rank… and yet, how many actually made it? Bah."
"He absorbed a thousand-year soul ring for his second ring, breaking limits. His Martial Soul evolved to the King level… I only hope he truly has the potential of a titled Douluo—not just the appearance of one."
After mentally simulating the effects of Chen Ming's poison, Xue Ye's gaze turned sharp.
Although Dugu Bo had never showcased his venom in an actual battlefield, both Xue Ye and Prince Xue Xing had run countless theoretical simulations in secret. They understood well how devastating Dugu Bo's poison could be in practice.
If the average titled Douluo was equivalent to ten thousand fully armed elite soldiers on the battlefield, then a Poison Douluo's impact was at least ten times that—akin to a force of ten titled Douluo or two hundred thousand elite troops.
While poison might not affect high-level soul masters greatly, it was lethally effective against armies of ordinary men. A single Poison Douluo could match the military strength of the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Still, despite Dugu Bo being a nominal vassal of the Heaven Dou Empire and having close ties with Prince Xue Xing, Emperor Xue Ye couldn't fully trust him. As emperor, he preferred that the Empire cultivate its own Poison Douluo rather than relying on outsiders.
"Eunuch Tang, have someone secure Chen Ming's dossier. Then send the Shadow Guard to Biluo City… discreetly. Make sure no one suspects the royal family is behind the investigation."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The aged eunuch bowed respectfully in response.
"One more thing…" Xue Ye narrowed his eyes, lost in thought, before letting out a soft sigh.
"Send a copy of Chen Ming's file to Qinghe as well. As Crown Prince, he should be able to understand what I mean."
Xue Ye was well aware of the rumors that Xue Qinghe had schemed against his own brothers to secure the title of Crown Prince. Unlike others who merely suspected, Xue Ye had no doubt that Qinghe was involved—even if he didn't know the details.
Yet, ever since becoming Crown Prince, Qinghe had performed admirably. In all areas, he handled affairs with excellence. Aside from being somewhat immature—like angering nobles over trivial commoner concerns—he had no major flaws.
Emotionally, Xue Ye didn't like him. But rationally, he believed that Qinghe had the ability to surpass even himself and lead the Heaven Dou Empire into a glorious era.
As for Xue Beng…
Xue Ye didn't think his playboy son could compare to Qinghe at all. While he might display the occasional cleverness and perhaps even deliberately hide his talents, his tricks paled next to Qinghe's competence.
Moreover, as a prince, Xue Beng was far too close to Prince Xue Xing. Rather than seeming like the Emperor's son, he resembled the Prince's child. His loyalty to Xue Xing even surpassed his affection for his own father.
Xue Ye found this… distasteful. If the Emperor is close to a Prince, that's politics. But for a Prince to be close to a Prince… that was something else entirely.
He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, sighing quietly.
He trusted Qinghe—trusted that Qinghe would understand what this move signified.
Still, he couldn't help but worry. As the Crown Prince's influence grew, what role would he, the Emperor, play in the future?
He was still in his prime. He might not live another fifty years, but twenty more was not unreasonable. And twenty years from now… with Qinghe's power at its peak…
All Xue Ye could do was hope that the decisions he made today wouldn't become the regrets of tomorrow.
End of Chapter