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After the judgment of the Titan Clan, the Moon Pavilion, and Tang Yue-hua, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo took Ning Rong-rong and Zhu Zhu-qing to bid farewell to Ye Lan.
Seeing the lingering tears of Zhu Zhu-qing and Ning Rong-rong, Ye Lan realized that his bonds within the Douluo Continent were growing deeper. For those who loved him and those he loved, he knew he had to increase his strength and eventually ascend to Godhood.
"Uncle Wolf, notify Platinum Bishop Salas to negotiate with the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. In a few days, we will head there to host an exchange conference."
"Now that the Temple has the strength of the Power Clan, it's time to start recruiting fresh blood," Ye Lan murmured, sitting cross-legged in his cultivation room.
"Xiao Lan, rest easy. Uncle Wolf will handle it. You focus on your cultivation," Silver Wolf replied, his voice fading as he vanished into the shadows.
Afterward, Ye Lan immersed himself once more in his spiritual world to begin his "Mimicry Cultivation."
Several days later, outside Heaven Dou City, at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
A golden meteor streaked across the blue sky. Countless students and Spirit Masters at the academy looked up in astonishment at the gold-and-silver streak.
Boom!!
Debris and soil exploded outward as a blonde youth and a man in silver armor leaped from the deep crater.
"Cough, cough... Uncle Wolf, was that a bit too fast?" Ye Lan coughed, choked by the rising dust.
"Hahaha! Xiao Lan, your mental energy is becoming more abundant by the day. You can maintain 'Flash' for so long now that I didn't even notice we had already reached the academy!" Silver Wolf laughed heartily.
Ye Lan waved his hand at the thick yellow mist of dust. Seeing it refuse to settle, he steadied his mind, and an invisible barrier rippled outward from his body.
In an instant, a square corridor was carved through the dust—a path created by Ye Lan's "Form of the Formless."
As the passage opened, Ye Lan realized the crowd at Heaven Dou Royal Academy was terrifyingly large. Students and teachers from every spirit academy near the city had come in groups for this exchange. Even many commoners watched with eyes full of worship, hoping to catch a glimpse of the greatest Spirit Master of the era—Ye Lan.
"Look! It's Grandmaster Ye Lan!!"
"I heard he was the most handsome man in all of Douluo Continent, and I didn't believe it at first! Now I see it... I guess I'll have to settle for being the second most handsome," a flamboyant Spirit Master lamented.
"Get lost! If you're second, where does that leave me?" another Spirit Master barked, kicking the first one in the rear.
"Grandmaster!! Grandmaster!!"
"Ahhh! He's so handsome I could die!!" A female fan was so overcome with excitement that she fainted on the spot, prompting nearby Spirit Masters to rush to her aid.
"My idol!! His entrance was so cool! I've seen high-and-mighty nobles arrive in carriages, but my idol arrives via a Title Douluo!" a devoted fan shouted.
Hearing the screams of Xiao Lan's fanatical followers, a giant question mark appeared over Silver Wolf's head. When did I become a carriage?
"Hahaha, Uncle Wolf, they're praising you~" Ye Lan teased.
"Go join your fans! This old man is leaving!" With a flash, Silver Wolf vanished into the darkness.
Once Silver Wolf was gone, the fanatical crowd surged toward Ye Lan like a tide.
"Idol!! Sign this for me!!"
"Over here! Me next!!"
"Idol... I'll let you touch me right here!!"
Ye Lan forcefully averted his gaze from the "grand proportions" being offered and immediately used "Form of the Formless" to create a cubic barrier. The fans were instantly halted three meters away, shocked to find they couldn't advance another inch.
"One at a time, please. Form an orderly line," Ye Lan said calmly. He picked up a pen and began signing for his fans.
Soon, because the crowd was simply too vast, Ye Lan activated "Exquisite Eight-Sided Heart," "Exquisite Seven-Aperture Heart," and "Consciousness Acceleration."
Eight "Ancient Beast Tentacles" and dozens of slender Blue Silver Grass strands instantly snatched up dozens of pens. Combined with his "Normalised Instant Step," he began signing at a speed that shattered the fans' perception of reality.
Every time Ye Lan flickered, less than half a second passed before dozens of signatures were completed. In just three minutes, he had signed twenty thousand autographs!
"I got it! My idol's signature!!"
"Me too!!"
"Look at this!!"
"Is our idol a God?!"
"Even his handwriting is handsome!!"
On the other side, near the main gate of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, three elderly men watched the scene in total shock.
Meng Shen-ji sighed with emotion. "Such control over his Spirit! Even a Title Douluo might only achieve this much."
Bai Bao-shan added, "I still find it hard to believe Xiao Lan came from our academy. Having him as a student is perhaps the greatest honor in our history."
Zhi Lin remarked, "I also have a plant-type Spirit, yet I cannot achieve a thousandth of what he does. It is truly humbling."
Behind the three board members, the talented youths of Ye Lan's generation stood mouth agape. Dozens of signatures per second? Was he even human?
Just from this small display, they realized the gap between them and Ye Lan was widening. Even more absurdly, despite his rapid growth in power, he still found the time to research "Artificial Spirit Rings." They were supposed to be the top geniuses of their respective schools, but standing before Ye Lan, the difference felt like that between a paramecium and a True Dragon.
Minutes later, Ye Lan finished the last of the signatures and let out a sigh of relief. He was glad he didn't waste too much time, as he didn't want to disappoint those who had traveled thousands of miles to see him.
He looked up at the academy gates. A giant banner, dozens of meters long, hung above the entrance with flamboyant calligraphy:
A Hearty Welcome to Douluo Continent's Number One Theoretical Grandmaster, Young Lord of Spirit Hall, Master of the Temple, and the Strongest Spirit King—Ye Lan!!
Below the banner was a temporary obsidian stage, a hundred meters wide and long. Ye Lan nodded inwardly; the academy had put a lot of heart into this.
Spotting the three elders at the center of the stage, Ye Lan's eyes brightened, and he flickered over to them instantly.
"Elder Meng, Elder Bai, Elder Zhi—it's been a long time!" Ye Lan said warmly.
"Xiao Lan, it has only been two years, yet the changes in the continent make this old man feel as if millennia have passed," Meng Shen-ji lamented.
"I never expected that at my age, with one foot in the grave, I would see such a historical leap for our world," Zhi Lin added.
"Compared to you, the previous 'Number One Grandmaster' seems like a child playing house," Bai Bao-shan chuckled.
"Being able to do something for the Douluo Continent has always been my ideal," Ye Lan replied.
The elders' gazes became even more fervent; they were immensely proud that Heaven Dou Royal Academy had produced a man like Ye Lan.
Meng Shen-ji then stepped forward to host the "Artificial Spirit Ring Exchange Conference."
"Fellow Spirit Masters who have traveled so far, I know you are all here for the continent's top theorist. I will not overstay my welcome." He flipped his hand, and a sheet of paper covered in dense writing appeared.
"This questionnaire contains a selection of the most frequently asked questions regarding 'Spirits' and 'Artificial Spirit Rings.' You will hear the answers directly from Grandmaster Ye Lan! Of course, if a question involves secrets or other theories he isn't ready to share, he has every right to refuse. I hope you will all be understanding," Meng Shen-ji said earnestly.
Ye Lan felt a surge of warmth at Elder Meng's protective words. "Elder Meng, please ask. I will do my best to clear everyone's doubts."
The moment Ye Lan spoke, the crowd of over a hundred thousand Spirit Masters fell silent. Not a whisper of white noise remained. This was their respect for knowledge—and for the man standing on stage.
Meng Shen-ji cleared his throat and asked: "Grandmaster Ye Lan, how does the competitiveness of 'Artificial Spirit Rings' compare to the 'Spirit Soul System'? Artificial rings can be absorbed at the limit of their age, but it is said Spirit Souls allow for 'over-limit' absorption. What is your view on this?"
Ye Lan nodded and answered directly: "The most obvious advantage of Artificial Spirit Rings over the Spirit Soul system is the breadth of choice. As long as the spirit beast exists, a corresponding ring can be manufactured. To my knowledge, Spirit Souls cannot do this. Furthermore, while a Spirit Soul provides multiple rings, they all originate from the same beast. This results in the Spirit being stimulated in almost identical ways. Artificial rings offer higher diversity, which leads to better Spirit evolution."
"As for 'over-limit' absorption, Spirit Souls indeed allow it, but there is a limitation: your mental energy must be high. From my research, a thousand-year Spirit Soul requires the 'Perceptive Realm,' a ten-thousand-year one requires the 'Spirit Sea Realm,' and a hundred-thousand-year soul requires the 'Spirit Abyss Realm.' The members of the Myriad Beast Team can absorb such power only because their mental energy far exceeds the norm."
Hearing this, the crowd finally understood the pros and cons. Artificial rings were not inferior; in many ways, they were superior.
"Thank you for the clarification! Even this old man finds these theories refreshing. Truly the number one grandmaster!" Meng Shen-ji exclaimed.
The sight of a Spirit Douluo openly praising a youth didn't draw any eye-rolls; no one thought he was losing his dignity by flattering a junior. In their hearts, Ye Lan was more prestigious than even a legendary Title Douluo.
"The next question," Meng Shen-ji continued, "is: Do Artificial Spirit Rings truly have no flaws? Though they have been out for a month without any incidents of body-bursting, the timeframe is short. They are easy to absorb and come in many varieties—but is there really no catch? This doubt is why many traditional Spirit Masters are still waiting to see the long-term effects over the next few years."
"That is a great question," Ye Lan replied. "Though I am called a Grandmaster, my theories are not necessarily absolute. I hope everyone maintains a sense of skepticism; only through questioning can we progress. Currently, Artificial Rings do have a downside: they only increase your rank by one level. As for flaws, as long as you purchase the correct age and follow the 'Limit Ring Absorption Method,' they are flawless. This involves the fundamental principles of the rings which I cannot disclose, but I can tell you they are virtually indistinguishable from natural rings."
Hearing his honest answer, many hesitant Spirit Masters finally made up their minds to visit the Spirit Hall stores after the conference.
Question after question was posed, and Ye Lan answered each in detail. Through this one-on-one session, the crowd realized the vastness of the gap between their knowledge and his. Ye Lan was like an encyclopedia—an omniscient deity answering every doubt.
Nearby, a girl with ice-blue hair held a thick notebook, frantically recording every word he said. Her eyes shone with a fervent, pious, and admiring light.
Before they knew it, the sun had begun to set. Meng Shen-ji tucked the crumpled paper away and shouted excitedly, "The Artificial Spirit Ring Exchange is a complete success! Let us applaud Grandmaster Ye Lan!"
Thunderous applause shook the clouds. Then, as if sharing a single soul, the crowd began to chant a single word:
"Teacher!" "Teacher!" "Teacher!"
Amidst the reverent shouts of over a hundred thousand people, Ye Lan was led off the stage. Suddenly, a red-haired girl rushed toward him.
"Idol!! Can I have an autograph?!"
Huo Wu, tall and well-proportioned, puffed out her chest in her white shirt, gesturing for him to sign right there. Seeing the impressive curve, Ye Lan feigned indifference and signed the fabric.
Huo Wu's cheeks flushed crimson. "Thank you, idol!!"
Watching from the side, Huo Wu-shuang patted Feng Xiao-tian's shoulder. "Brother, there's nothing I can do about this."
Feng Xiao-tian smiled bitterly. He had known for two years that Huo Wu's heart belonged to Ye Lan. Seeing her so enthusiastic toward another man hurt, but he felt no resentment toward Ye Lan. He might envy a peer, but the gap here was so vast he couldn't even conjure the desire to compete.
Five more people approached.
"Captain Ye! Long time no see!" Yu Tian-heng said. "Captain! Why do you look even more handsome?" Oslo asked. "It's not just a feeling, it's a fact," Yu Feng added. The Shi brothers simply patted his shoulders.
"It's great to see you all! Tonight, we drink our fill!" Ye Lan was genuinely excited to see his old teammates.
"Idol, you don't mind if we join, do you?" several members of the Elemental Academies chimed in, including Huo Wu-shuang, Yu Tian-xin, and Feng Xiao-tian.
"Hahaha, of course! I actually have something to discuss with you all. We'll talk business after we've had our fun!"
Then, a cheerful girl with ice-blue hair led a shy, snow-princess-like girl toward him. Ye Lan's eyes widened slightly. Shui Yue-er had become even more vivacious, like a little sprite. Shui Bing-er, however, had grown even more beautiful—like a goddess of the ice peaks.
"Idol, I brought my sister for an autograph!" Shui Yue-er dragged her sister forward.
Shui Bing-er's cheeks and ears were burning. When she first met Ye Lan, she had some courage, but now the gap felt like that between a mortal and a god. She hadn't dared to hope for a close encounter, but her bold sister had given her no choice.
"That's easy. Join us for the banquet!" Ye Lan took the card Yue-er offered, signed it, and handed it back.
Shui Bing-er's fingers trembled as she took it. Ye Lan noticed a thick black book in her arms. "Bing-er, what's that?"
She blushed harder. Yue-er spoke up for her: "That's her record of everything you said during the exchange. She took very careful notes!"
"May I see?" Ye Lan asked, reaching out.
Shui Bing-er's pupils flickered. "Of course, I don't mind!"
Ye Lan opened the book. It was a meticulous record—every question and answer, written in a clear, elegant, and perfectly organized hand. Her attention to detail impressed him.
"This is very complete. Bing-er, would you do me a favor?"
She was so excited she agreed without thinking. "Yes! What can I do?"
"Help me organize these questions. Group similar ones together, break down the complex ones, and turn this into a definitive book on 'Artificial Spirit Ring Theory.' Let's call it The Ye Lectures. We'll publish it for those who couldn't attend today."
Shui Bing-er nodded vigorously. This was a token of his trust; she would give it her all! "I'll finish it as soon as possible!"
Nearby, friends who knew her as the "Ice Goddess" were shocked to see her so earnest.
As they chatted, they headed toward the banquet hall. Long tables were draped in luxury cloths, adorned with oil lamps, exquisite food, and dark fruit wines. At the center, a red carpet marked the dance floor where a prestigious orchestra played classical melodies.
Under the influence of the music and wine, hidden feelings began to surface. Couples began to appear on the dance floor. Ye Lan and Yu Tian-heng laughed seeing Oslo and Yu Feng acting so bashful in front of their juniors. Soon, the usually stoic Yu Tian-heng was invited to dance as well—and surprisingly, he was quite good.
As Ye Lan sipped his wine and chatted with the Shi brothers, a "flame" appeared before him. Huo Wu stood there in a scarlet gown that accentuated her curves, her dark red hair flowing like fire.
She reached out a slender hand. "Idol, would you care for a dance with this young lady?"
Faced with her bold invitation, Ye Lan didn't refuse. He took her warm hand and led her toward the floor.
As they walked away, the two "honest" Shi brothers looked at each other. "Brother, should we go up and dance together?" Shi Mo asked. "Get out!" Shi Mo (the elder) barked, punching his brother.
Suddenly, just as they reached the stage, Shui Yue-er—seeing her sister's hesitation—gave Bing-er a nudge with a flicker of spirit power. The ice-blue figure was sent stumbling right into Ye Lan's arms.
Looking at the ethereal, fairy-like Shui Bing-er in his arms, Ye Lan's eyes softened. She looked up at his exquisite face, remembered their first meeting, and found her courage.
"Together?" she whispered.
"Of course! Come on, Sister Bing-er!" Huo Wu invited happily. Huo Wu knew that if she wanted to move Ye Lan's heart, she would need the help of the ice beauty, Shui Bing-er.
(End of Chapter)