Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

"Level 35 Soul Elder? I remember you're only 12 this year, right? Weren't you just at level 24 when you left the academy last year?" Upon hearing Chen Ming's introduction, the senior named Xiong Xin was immediately astonished and quickly revealed Chen Ming's information.

"Hm?" Chen Ming made a sound of confusion, not quite understanding why this senior he had never met before seemed to know so much about him.

Sensing Chen Ming's gaze, the burly Xiong Xin felt a little awkward.

"Cough, cough, no, junior, I—"

"Well, actually, although we were out training last year, we heard about you when we returned. I'm just a curious person, so I asked around. I promise I didn't mean anything else by it."

As Xiong Xin spoke, he pulled over a female soul master who was slightly shorter than him but just as robust in build.

"Junior, look, I'm already married! I'm not thinking anything improper!"

Getting married in one's early twenties was considered normal even in Chen Ming's previous life. In the world of Douluo Dalu, however, it was already considered late marriage and late childbirth.

Although Chen Ming still wasn't quite used to this married while still in school situation, he nodded politely to the soul master.

"Hello, senior sister."

"Hello, Junior. My name is Zhu Zhen, martial soul: Storm Wild Boar, level 42 assault-type soul master." Zhu Zhen patted Xiong Xin on the shoulder and explained to Chen Ming, "Little Bear doesn't have any bad intentions; he's just curious."

"Little Bear."

Looking at Senior Xiong Xin's over two-meter-tall frame, Chen Ming felt that this nickname didn't quite fit, but he refrained from saying anything.

"Curiosity is only natural."

"By the way, Senior Xiong Xin, Senior Sister Zhu Zhen, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, it's like this." Xiong Xin pointed to a group of teammates who were sneaking laughs at his awkwardness nearby.

"We're the previous generation's battle team. You know, even though our Royal Academy has two teams, one of them is directly seeded into the finals. But let's be real, everyone knows that the second team is just there for show. If they make it past the first round, that's considered lucky. The team that fights its way up is the real main force."

"During our year, we defeated the Nether White Tiger of Star Luo Empire's Royal Academy, but because we were too drained afterward, we couldn't beat the Spirit Hall team."

Although, realistically, even in full condition, Xiong Xin's team might not have been able to beat the Spirit Hall team. But in front of his junior, Xiong Xin had to save face.

As the saying goes, you might lose the game, but you can't lose the pride.

Moreover, if the Spirit Hall team had gone up against Star Luo Empire's Nether White Tiger, and had faced the Spirit Hall team's previous opponents, it wasn't impossible that they could have beaten the Spirit Hall team instead.

"Because we performed well, the elders called us back from the Star Dou Forest. They want us to help guide this year's team."

"Junior, you're joining the team, right? The glory of the Heaven Dou Empire will rest on your shoulders in the future!" Xiong Xin scratched his head as he looked at Chen Ming, who had already reached level 35 at the age of twelve. He couldn't even imagine what kind of strength Chen Ming would display in this competition.

Even with the slowest progress, he would surely reach the level of a Soul Ancestor.

And even if they couldn't win the championship this year, in another five years, his soul power would likely approach the level of a Soul King!

A Soul King! That would be a level unseen in the past hundred years of the Soul Master Competition!

Moreover, a Soul King at the age of twenty wouldn't just have the potential to reach the level of a Titled Douluo someday—it would be a certainty.

Although Xiong Xin himself had decent talent, looking at Chen Ming, he couldn't help but feel a bit envious.

It was obvious that, as an ordinary soul master, Xiong Xin couldn't possibly imagine that, according to the original story, the next Soul Master Competition would feature three Soul Kings and numerous Soul Ancestors. The seemingly peaceful continent now would undergo earth-shattering changes in the next ten years.

On the side, Dugu Yan had a lot she wanted to say to Chen Ming, but because the current setting was filled with battling soul masters, she had to fulfill her responsibilities as team captain. After agreeing with Chen Ming to have a proper chat in the evening, she returned her focus to observing the selection process for the team members.

Zhu Zhen, noticing that Xiong Xin wanted to talk more with Chen Ming, chose not to interfere. Instead, she took over Xiong Xin's responsibilities and led the team to continue observing the situation, leaving space for Xiong Xin and Chen Ming to talk.

Through their conversation, Chen Ming learned that Senior Xiong Xin came from a Heaven Dou Empire military family. His father was a Soul Sage and his grandfather, a Soul Douluo, had once been one of the two great marshals of the Heaven Dou Empire alongside Ge Long. However, due to injuries sustained on the battlefield in his early years, his grandfather had to retire early and now lived a peaceful life at home.

Xiong Xin and Zhu Zhen were childhood sweethearts, both from military families. They had grown up together and entered Heaven Dou Royal Academy together. Because of their outstanding performance, they became members of the academy's battle team, eventually serving as captain and vice-captain.

Although their martial souls were too different to achieve a martial soul fusion skill, the two fought with incredible synergy, achieving a combined strength greater than the sum of their parts. They were considered the academy's strongest students.

When Chen Ming enrolled, Xiong Xin and Zhu Zhen happened to be away from the academy.

After over a year of roaming, the education elders sent someone to the Star Dou Forest to bring them back to guide the new team. Upon their return, Xiong Xin and Zhu Zhen even teamed up to defeat a Soul King-level teacher.

Perhaps due to his upbringing, Xiong Xin showed none of the arrogance often associated with nobles. He was straightforward, competent, and unpretentious—qualities that Chen Ming found very agreeable. After chatting for a bit, the two quickly became friends.

Xiong Xin showed no interest in prying into what kind of training Chen Ming had undergone with the Poison Douluo or how he had managed to raise his soul power by 11 levels in just over a year. Instead, he enthusiastically shared stories of how his team had fought their way through the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, occasionally adding insights he had gained during his time roaming the continent.

As the conversation progressed, Xiong Xin realized that Chen Ming seemed remarkably knowledgeable about combat. Occasionally, Chen Ming would casually mention soul power and soul skill manipulation techniques that even Xiong Xin found surprising.

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Spoiler:

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In Chapter 206, Chen Ming bang Dugu Yan. xD