Chapter 25: Two Treasure Chests

It seems the attribute changes brought about by the Divine Art's Internal Energy cannot be underestimated; at times, they might have miraculous uses.

Since the martial soul did not show signs of hardening, the matter of the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo must be reconsidered.

Attention returned to the system.

Just as Shi Quan had anticipated, following his absorption of the second Spirit Ring, the system's familiar mechanical voice sounded once again within his mind.

"Ding, congratulations to the host for breaking through to the Great Soul Master realm, successfully triggering the Soul Master Treasure Chest. It has been opened for the host; congratulations to the host for obtaining one Four-Dimensional Pocket."

After briefly understanding Shi Quan's situation, the three of them did not continue to linger. It was already night, and if they did not return now, they would have to spend the night in the depths of this Hunting Soul Forest.

System Space.

While on the road, Shi Quan curiously summoned the System Space, because the item this time seemed different from the previous ones; judging by the name, it should be some kind of spatial Soul Guidance Device.

Looking at the white, semi-circular pocket in the System Space, this thing looked familiar no matter how he viewed it, but he just couldn't recall for a moment where he had seen it.

When he saw the notes for this Four-Dimensional Pocket, Shi Quan's expression became somewhat strange.

Four-Dimensional Pocket: Also known as the Hundred Treasure Bag or Four-Dimensional Space Bag, originating from the anime Doraemon, a special technological product. The other side of the pocket connects to a four-dimensional world and can store an infinite number of items.

Note: This is an empty Hundred Treasure Bag.

If there were Doraemon's gadgets inside this, wouldn't I be able to walk sideways across the Douluo Continent?

Although there were no gadgets, the Hundred Treasure Bag itself was a good thing. According to the explanation of four-dimensional space, besides the length, width, and height of the normal world, it also possessed an additional time axis.

This meant that there was time within the four-dimensional space, which signified that the Hundred Treasure Bag could not only store inanimate objects but also things that possessed life. In the original work, the only Soul Guidance Device capable of storing living things was the Wishful Hundred Treasure Pouch given to him by the Poison Douluo.

However, the Poison Douluo's Wishful Hundred Treasure Pouch had limited space and could not hold too many things, but the dimensional space inside the Hundred Treasure Bag was almost infinite; the difference in quality was immediately obvious.

The Hundred Treasure Bag was definitely a good thing. On the way back, Shi Quan considered whether he should use a Critical Hit Card to trigger a critical hit on it.

After thinking for a while, Shi Quan dismissed this idea. After all, the description of the Critical Hit Card stated that the reward would double or become a better reward. If it triggered a critical hit and turned into two Hundred Treasure Bags, a perfectly good Critical Hit Card would be wasted.

Late at night, the three of them returned to the station.

The next day, at the break of dawn, the three of them set off to return to Nuoding City.

After returning to Nuoding City, having completed the registration just like last time and receiving the new Spirit Master rewards, Shi Quan returned to Notting Academy with Maerde.

"The first Spirit Ring is five hundred and fifty years, the second Spirit Ring exceeds a thousand years. What will you choose for your third Spirit Ring next?" In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, Daosen watched Shi Quan's gradually receding figure, his eyes full of brilliance. "A Blue Silver Grass with Innate Soul Power of level one has actually reached this point. It's possible that this small place of Nuoding City might really produce a dragon."

"However, whether this dragon of yours can truly soar is hard to say."

As his voice fell, Daosen looked at the Deputy Hall Master in the office and said with a smile, "Prepare to make another trip."

Notting Academy.

Upon returning to the academy, Shi Quan did not rush to perfect his theory as he had the first time, but instead looked at Maerde with a serious face.

Maerde looked at Shi Quan in confusion, "What is it? Is something the matter?"

"For our safety, you may need to make a trip to Heaven Dou City yourself."

"Heaven Dou City?" Maerde's expression was puzzled, but seeing Shi Quan's serious look, he gradually became earnest and asked, "What is it, Xiao Quan? Why do you want me to go to Heaven Dou City?"

"Teacher, with this experience, my theory can be preliminarily perfected. Once the theory is perfected, as long as we are careful, it can be put into use. I am worried that after the Spirit Hall understands and confirms my theory, they will want to monopolize it. Just in case, after I perfect the theory, I hope you can take it to Heaven Dou City and use the power of the Empire to spread my reputation and theory. At that time, even if the Spirit Hall wants to monopolize it, it will be impossible."

"Xiao Quan, how can a child like you have so many things in your head?" After Maerde sighed, his brows locked tight, because he knew that what Shi Quan said was not impossible.

"Xiao Quan, if you do this, you are very likely to offend the Spirit Hall," Maerde warned.

"Once my theory is spread, it will not actually have a substantial impact on the Spirit Hall. The Spirit Hall is so large, surely it can accommodate a martial soul theorist like me."

"Indeed." Maerde nodded slightly, but his tightly locked brows did not relax in the slightest. "It's just that, with my status and strength, it won't be easy to meet the Emperor once I reach Heaven Dou City."

Shi Quan quickly said, "Teacher, I have thought about this matter as well. I want you to go see someone else; perhaps it will be simpler."

"Who?"

Shi Quan slowly spat out five words, "Crown Prince... Xue Qinghe!"

Two days later, Maerde took the theory he had preliminarily perfected from Shi Quan and left Notting Academy under the cover of night.

Before Maerde left, Shi Quan repeatedly urged him to do his best to give the theory to Xue Qinghe. Although Maerde was puzzled, he agreed.

Three days later, Shi Quan then unhurriedly submitted his theory to Daosen.

Wuhun City, Pope Palace.

"Your Holiness the Pope, a secret letter has arrived from the Nuoding City branch of the Heaven Dou Empire." A soldier wearing iron armor knelt on one knee, holding a letter sealed with red wax high above his head with both hands, bowing respectfully and shouting toward the front of the hall.

"Nuoding City?" A soft voice sounded within the great hall. The speaker was a woman, not tall, wearing a luxurious black robe with gold patterns, a Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown on her head, and holding a scepter about two meters long inlaid with countless gems. Her skin was fair. Her face was nearly perfect. She was noble and elegant.

It was none other than the Pope, Bibi Dong.

"Your Excellency, the Nuoding City branch also sent a secret letter two years ago regarding Spirit Ring year limits and the Blue Silver Grass martial soul." Seeming to detect Bibi Dong's confusion, a hoarse voice explained from the side. This figure could not be seen clearly; from afar, it looked like a black shadow.

Although the figure could not be seen clearly, if Shi Quan were here, he would certainly recognize this person as one of the Elders of the Spirit Hall, the Ghost Douluo, Gui Mei!

"It seems to be the child named Shi Quan, right?" After recalling for a moment, Bibi Dong remembered. She raised her hand in a beckoning gesture, and the letter in the iron-clad soldier's hand floated up and slowly landed in Bibi Dong's hand.

She opened the letter.

"Hmm?" When Bibi Dong saw the contents of the letter, a trace of surprise could not help but appear in her expression.

Seeing Bibi Dong's reaction, Gui Mei, who was to the side, also curiously tilted his head to look at the letter in Bibi Dong's hand, and his eyes widened as well.

"A thousand-year second Spirit Ring?" After Bibi Dong murmured in surprise, she carefully examined the theory in the letter. After a long while, Bibi Dong spoke again, "Gui Mei, go and retrieve Shi Quan's detailed information, and also bring the secret letter from the Nuoding City branch from last time."

"As you command, Your Excellency."

The ghost shadow dissipated, but after only a moment, Gui Mei reappeared with two sets of documents.

After carefully reviewing all the letters and documents, even Bibi Dong could not help but sigh, "If this Shi Quan is truly as the letter says, he is indeed a genius."

Gui Mei could not help but praise, "Indeed, to be able to reach this point with level one Innate Soul Power, his achievements can already be called unprecedented and unrepeatable."

"It would be a pity to let such talent go," Gui Mei let out a hoarse laugh.

Bibi Dong's fingers moved slightly. She looked at Shi Quan's name on the letter without speaking, as if recalling something or thinking about something. After a long while, Bibi Dong spoke again, saying indifferently, "Just have someone keep an eye on him. Ensure that once his theory is verified, the Spirit Hall can obtain it immediately."

Gui Mei was somewhat surprised and confirmed, "Your Excellency, have you thought this through?"

"Arrange a group of people to verify the theories in this letter first." Bibi Dong handed the theories in the letter to Gui Mei.

"Understood, Your Excellency." Gui Mei smiled, took the letter, and vanished from where he stood.

The great hall suddenly fell silent.

Looking at the empty hall, Bibi Dong murmured to herself after a long while, "Xiaogang, this child is very much like you..."

Shi Quan certainly had not expected that Bibi Dong would only arrange for people to keep an eye on him; if that were the case, he would not have needed to go to the trouble of having Maerde make that trip.

There was no other way; in a situation like Tang San's, even Gu Rong had developed murderous intent. For someone like him with no support, being too abrupt would not just attract the gazes of others, but genuine murderous intent.

The tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind.

Having lived a second life, how could he not understand that there is a saying in novels: only a genius who has fully grown is a true genius.

With the system's help, his rise was inevitable, but to rise safely, he still had to rely on himself; after all, his system was unreliable.

To say Shi Quan was deeply calculating would be inaccurate; in his previous life, he was just an ordinary person.

His current situation was simply what he considered to be the optimal position after much thought.

As for being perfect, he was truly sorry; his brain could only think of so much, and he could only do his best to ensure everything was covered.

He definitely needed to find a backer, and Xue Qinghe, who was actually Qian Renxue, was the best backer.

Behind Xue Qinghe was the Heaven Dou Empire, her master was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and behind Qian Renxue was the Spirit Hall.

The Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Clear Sky Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family, and the Spirit Hall.

If he had the protection of Xue Qinghe, it would be equivalent to obtaining the protection of three of the six most powerful forces in the Douluo world simultaneously.

It was undoubtedly the best choice for the early stages.

"Ding, congratulations to the host for your initial fame. You have received a Prestige Treasure Chest. It has been opened for the host. Congratulations to the host for obtaining Nightmare."

Shi Quan, who was in the middle of cultivation, was startled by the sudden sound of the system in his mind.

"Triggered a treasure chest?..."

(End of this chapter)