Six Months Later
Shen An, accompanied by his three little companions, once again set off toward Heaven Dou City. With the Soul Master Tournament drawing near, all qualified academies within the borders of the Heaven Dou Empire were rushing to register.
"Teacher Tom, if you're tired, Na'er can walk on her own," she said softly.
After six months of living together, Na'er had come to understand many things. One of them was this: a cat couldn't give birth to a dragon, nor to a human.
So, she wasn't Tom's child.
Tom shook his head, indicating he wasn't tired, and began kneading Na'er's little face like dough.
Chewing gum casually, Shen An smiled warmly at the heartwarming scene.
Over the past six months, Shen An had traveled across nearly half the territory of the Heaven Dou Empire.
His first stop had been the Balak Kingdom. Initially, he'd gone to settle a minor grudge, only to find out that Xiong Cheng was already dead.
Frustrated, Shen An had donned a mask and quietly given the emperor a good beating.
The Balak Kingdom, with only a single Soul Douluo in the entire nation, had no hope of catching Shen An, who had long since mapped out his escape route.
Without a target after that, Shen An wandered aimlessly with the three little ones in tow, building up his reputation along the way.
After six months of effort, Shen An had advanced his cultivation to the fiftieth level. To obtain his fifth soul ring, he needed five million reputation points.
This number was still within Shen An's acceptable range. Even though he had spent one million points on the lottery during the past six months, he still had 1.9 million remaining.
Based on his estimation, with the scale of the upcoming Advanced Elite Soul Master Tournament, he was likely to gain an unprecedented amount of reputation.
From Balak to the outskirts of Heaven Dou City, he'd heard constant chatter about the Soul Master Tournament.
By then, not only would he be able to exchange for his fifth soul ring, but he might even be able to summon a mysterious figure and possibly reach the Soul Emperor realm.
After all, this was the most prestigious tournament in the entire continent.
Reputation equates to strength. The day my name is known throughout the world will be the day I stand invincible.
Shen An smiled to himself, deeply anticipating that moment.
"Brother Shen An, could you give Na'er some soul coins? I want some candied hawthorn," Na'er said, blinking her big eyes.
Tom didn't carry money—or more accurately, any money he was given somehow mysteriously disappeared.
Shen An glanced at the guilty-looking cat wiping drool from its mouth. This cat… why didn't she just ask him directly? It wasn't like he would say no.
The area around Heaven Dou City was bustling, filled with countless young faces.
Many of them glanced at the three little ones. Even putting aside Tom and Jerry, Na'er alone—with her silver hair and violet eyes—was eye-catching enough.
"Grandpa, that kitty is so pretty!" Meng Yiran said playfully to the elderly man beside her.
Old Dragon Meng Shu also fixed his eyes on the three little ones, his gaze filled with astonishment.
"Old man, that little girl isn't ordinary. Though she has no strength, I can sense a bloodline suppression emanating from her," said Granny Long, Zhao Tianxiang, in surprise.
Old Dragon nodded silently, his eyes burning with intensity. "Judging by her age, she likely hasn't awakened her martial soul yet, but I'm sure that even among dragon-type martial souls, hers would be royalty."
Yiran had decent talent, but her chances of reaching the peak were slim. If he could take this girl as his disciple and raise her well, the Meng clan's future would be secure.
Meng Yiran pouted when her grandparents ignored her.
Looking at the current grand spectacle of Heaven Dou City, she thought to herself, Tang San should be here too, and found herself oddly expectant.
Old Dragon watched as the three little ones bought a skewer of candied hawthorn and walked while eating. They approached a young man who exuded an ethereal aura, though he showed no signs of soul power.
Tom casually slurped down an entire skewer of candied hawthorn, spitting out seeds that flew everywhere, with a few even landing on Old Dragon's head.
Old Dragon didn't mind. He calmly brushed them off and strode forward.
"Young man, I find this little girl quite fated. Would you be willing to let her become my disciple?"
Before Shen An could respond, Na'er rushed to reject him.
"Na'er already has a teacher! I don't want to take you as my master!"
Old Dragon frowned slightly, but quickly smoothed his expression. A child's words weren't necessarily trustworthy.
Such a rare gem—if she had truly been accepted by a powerful master—would certainly have protection.
Old Dragon stroked his white beard and laughed. "Little girl, who's your teacher then?"
Na'er pointed at Tom and declared, "Teacher Tom is my master! He taught me so much—how to fish, catch fish, roast fish, and catch mice!"
Tom folded his arms smugly. Those were indeed his best skills, and he planned to teach Na'er even more in the future.
Jerry was dumbfounded. He even taught her to catch mice? No wonder Tom had been sneaking off with Na'er lately.
Old Dragon's mouth twitched. What kind of nonsense is this? Who's ever heard of a cat being a teacher?
Looks like just an ordinary family, playing pretend with their cat. But that makes things easier.
"This old man, as you can see, Na'er isn't interested in taking a master. We've got things to do, so we'll be on our way," Shen An said calmly.
In the past six months, he had come to view Na'er as someone close to his heart. How could he let a stranger take her away?
Old Dragon raised his four-meter-long dragon-head staff and slammed it to the ground. Eight soul rings appeared, pulsating in perfect rhythm.
"Young man, I haven't introduced myself. I am Meng Shu, also known as Old Dragon. My cultivation is Soul Douluo."
"Seeing that this girl is no ordinary child, I wished to take her as my disciple. Would you reconsider?"
Old Dragon wore a hint of pride. A Soul Douluo was considered a powerhouse in the soul master world, second only to Titled Douluos.
He was certain that this seemingly powerless youth before him would make the wise choice.
Shen An shook his head lightly. "Na'er doesn't want to take another master. Please leave, elder."
Old Dragon's face darkened slightly. Why isn't this boy impressed? I'm a Soul Douluo, damn it!
"Wait. I, Old Dragon, am famed throughout the soul master world. If this little girl follows me, I'll grant you a lifetime of wealth and prosperity!"
Old Dragon's eyes narrowed. If Shen An refused again, he was prepared to set aside all dignity to take the girl by force.
"Meng Shu, oh Meng Shu... Do you even know who you're offering your riches to? A lifetime of prosperity? What a joke."
Old Dragon looked up, annoyed at being interrupted. Who would dare call me by my name in the soul master world?
Then his eyes widened in shock.
"P–Poison Douluo... Your Grace," he stammered, barely believing it.
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect Dugu Bo himself to step forward to support a boy with no soul power.
Wearing a gray robe, Dugu Bo looked at Shen An with a smile. "Kid, you're finally back. Planning to show off at the Soul Master Tournament?"
Seeing Dugu Bo, Shen An also smiled. "You know me—I've always liked a little fame."
Old Dragon's face turned gloomy after being ignored. But before a real Titled Douluo, he dared not speak rashly.
That famed Dragon Snake Duo may have matched a Titled Douluo in brief combat, but once the fight dragged out, they were nothing.
"Alright, Old Dragon, run along now. I've got some catching up to do with my young friend here."