Chapter 58: Establishing His Own Forest
That old vine tree was none other than Qi Tian himself—transformed through his first soul skill.
Those two Soul Elders never even noticed the deception; their spiritual perception was far inferior to his.
Once they stepped into the Blue Silver Grass's domain, it was already too late.
They were instantly slain by his Blue Silver Spear Array—without even a chance to react.
Still, Qi Tian's expenditure wasn't light. His soul power, at a little over rank twenty, was nearly drained dry.
"Tch, what a loser—trying to rob me?" Qi Tian muttered disdainfully as strands of Blue Silver Grass wrapped around his short dagger. With two swift, precise strikes, he ensured neither of them could ever stand again.
Only after confirming there was no trace of life did Qi Tian approach to check their belongings.
"Damn it, how can there be nothing?" he frowned.
As Soul Elders, they should receive at least a hundred gold soul coins a month from Spirit Hall. There's no way they'd be completely broke… right?
Then his gaze fell upon a silver-white bracelet on the wrist of the slightly fatter Soul Master. The bracelet gleamed faintly with an embedded sapphire.
"Wait… could it be?"
Qi Tian removed the bracelet and channeled a wisp of soul power into the gem.
Immediately, his energy sank into the sapphire, revealing a spatial pocket—roughly three meters in diameter!
"A storage soul tool!"
Qi Tian's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected these roadside bandits to be carrying something so valuable!
He eagerly examined the contents.
Inside were a small pile of gold soul coins, a soul master's notebook, some unidentified powders… and a heap of colorful women's undergarments.
"…Perverts."
He tossed aside the useless junk and slipped the bracelet onto his own wrist.
"From today onward, I'm finally someone who owns a storage soul tool," he grinned in satisfaction.
He then grabbed the two corpses and hurled them deep into the forest, where a patch of Bloodthorn Vines writhed ominously.
The blood-red vines shivered hungrily, coiling and tightening until the two bodies vanished without a trace.
Qi Tian turned away, unfazed. After all, having spent time in the Slaughter City, such sights hardly stirred his emotions anymore.
Those who kill… are destined to be killed in turn.
Still, this encounter reminded him he needed to improve quickly. Next time, the enemies he met might not be such weaklings.
Qi Tian sat cross-legged at the forest's edge, surrounded by his Blue Silver Grass domain. He activated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, letting the flow of energy restore his soul power and spirit.
Just then, a gentle yet commanding mental voice echoed within his mind.
"Child, come to me."
It was the Blue Silver King.
Qi Tian opened his eyes, slightly surprised. He wasn't sure what the Blue Silver King wanted, but he didn't hesitate—stepping deeper into the forest to meet it.
"Blue Silver King, what's the matter?" he asked respectfully.
The Blue Silver King's massive vines swayed faintly as its calm voice resonated:
"Child, your martial soul has already undergone a second awakening. You should not remain here any longer."
Qi Tian frowned slightly.
Was it… asking him to leave?
"As a ruler, you must nurture your own kin. Only by doing so will your cultivation advance faster."
Qi Tian's eyes widened in sudden realization. Ah, so that's what it meant—he'd misunderstood earlier.
He bowed deeply. "Please guide me, Blue Silver King."
"Seek a forest without a ruler. There, cultivate your Blue Silver Domain and release your origin aura. The Blue Silver Grass and plant-type soul beasts there will evolve under your influence. In return, you will gain immense benefits."
As it finished speaking, the Blue Silver King's aura dimmed, sinking into silence as though falling into deep slumber.
Qi Tian couldn't help but smile.
"Soul beasts sure are carefree—sleep whenever they want, and it somehow still counts as cultivation."
Not wanting to disturb it, he quietly turned and left the forest.
Thanks to the Blue Silver King's guidance, he now knew exactly what to do.
He didn't go far—just about ten li away, he found another forest. That way, if danger struck, he could always retreat to the Blue Silver Forest for safety.
Qi Tian went into town, bought a set of tools, and built a simple wooden cabin deep within the forest. He intended to settle down here, turning this place into his own base of operations.
"Having a storage soul tool really makes life easier," Qi Tian sighed with satisfaction.
This time, he'd stocked up on everything—daily necessities, tools, and enough food to sustain him through a long period of secluded cultivation.
Once everything was prepared, Qi Tian took out the Whale Rubber, softened it over a gentle flame, and consumed it.
The essence within the Whale Rubber would strengthen both his True Dragon Physique and his body martial soul, laying the groundwork for the day he would truly emerge from his cocoon as a butterfly.
---
Douluo Calendar, Year 2632.
Qi Tian once again awoke from within Qian Renxue's body.
Unknowingly, more than a year had passed since they began sharing consciousness.
During that time, they had grown accustomed to each other's presence.
Having lost her father, Qian Renxue had gradually come to see Qi Tian as her only emotional support.
"Has anything happened in Heaven Dou City lately?" Qi Tian asked casually.
Since he only possessed her body once every three days, he often had no idea what occurred in between.
"There has," Qian Renxue replied softly. "Dugu Bo's Serpent venom has been fully stabilized. Not only that, but he's had a blessing in disguise—his soul power has broken through to Rank Ninety."
Qi Tian's brows rose slightly.
"That's great news! Congratulations—you've gained another Titled Douluo-level protector."
In the original timeline, Dugu Bo's cultivation had stagnated for over a decade after reaching the Title Douluo realm.
But now, with Qi Tian's butterfly effect at play, it seemed he might be able to push his cultivation all the way to Rank Ninety-Five. Whether he could reach ninety-six, however, would depend entirely on his comprehension.
"Anything else?" Qi Tian asked again.
Qian Renxue nodded. "Yes. Dean Liu Erlong of Thunder Academy has broken through to Soul Douluo. She's even founded a new academy called Sky Dragon Academy, and she's invited me to attend the inauguration ceremony."
"Wait—who?" Qi Tian froze in place.
"Liu Erlong," Qian Renxue repeated. "According to Spirit Hall's records, she's the illegitimate daughter of Yu Luomian from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Qi Tian blinked in disbelief.
Liu Erlong—Soul Douluo realm? And the dean of a newly founded academy?
But wasn't she supposed to establish Blue Tyrant Academy? Where did this "Sky Dragon Academy" come from?
Could this, too, be part of the butterfly effect caused by his interference?
Qi Tian and Qian Renxue chatted a while longer before he rose from bed, washed up, and transformed into his Xue Qinghe disguise—heading toward the Royal Academy for classes.
He had already completed the lower division ahead of schedule and now attended the intermediate division.
All of these divisions were branches of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, so aside from the curriculum, little else had changed.
Interestingly, Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and even Ge Zhan, Xue Qinghe's loyal attendant, had also graduated early and entered the intermediate division with him.
When Qi Tian stepped into the classroom, he immediately spotted a familiar figure seated beside his desk—a strikingly beautiful young woman with emerald-green hair and a cool, serpentine allure—Dugu Yan.
After her Jade Phosphor Serpent Venom had been purified, her hair had surprisingly remained light green instead of turning black again, though her pupils and lips had returned to their natural color.
"Senior, you're here!"
Dugu Yan's frosty expression melted into a rare, radiant smile.
Qi Tian maintained his gentle, spring-breeze-like demeanor.
"Yan'er, we're classmates now. I'm no longer your senior."
"Hehe, I'm used to calling you that. But if you don't like it, I can always change," she teased playfully.
Standing behind her, Ge Zhan watched the scene with wide eyes, his skin crawling.
He simply couldn't believe it— the same venomous snake girl who once poisoned him without blinking… could smile like that?
"No need," Qi Tian replied with a calm chuckle. "Call me whatever you like."
He took his seat beside her, chatting casually for a while before glancing toward the front.
"Alright, Yan'er. Class is about to start. You should head back to your seat," he said gently.
"Mm." Dugu Yan rose gracefully and returned to her desk.
Ge Zhan nearly wept with relief.
Finally—his seat was free again!
"Ah, if only I were a woman," he muttered dramatically, "then maybe even I could win the Crown Prince's favor…"
—
End of Chapter