Douluo: I Can Choose My Own Soul Skills

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"Sir, we were wrong! We'll leave right now—we'll never cause trouble again! Please spare us this once, sir! We swear we'll never set foot in Hanhai City again!"

Wang Gao pressed the heads of the fat and skinny men to the ground as all three of them knelt and kowtowed repeatedly.

Three streaks of blood were left on the white stone slabs.

These three had always been arrogant and domineering, offending countless people. Whether they could avoid retaliation from their enemies and even survive after this was uncertain.

Ye Lan didn't want to see them any longer and said directly, "You may leave."

After dispersing the crowd, Ye Lan stayed for dinner at the fisherman's house.

To show his gratitude, the fisherman brought out all his most treasured food and drink to treat Ye Lan.

Ye Lan was fortunate to taste many rare seafood delicacies—truly a feast of local flavors unique to Battle Douluo.

Over the next few days, Ye Lan remained in Hanhai City to handle the aftermath.

From his landlady, Lily, Ye Lan learned about the backgrounds of Wang Gao and the other two. As he expected, they had no notable family history or connections.

Wang Gao had the most talent among them, with innate level 5 soul power. The three had grown up together in the western district of Hanhai City and had been bullies since awakening their soul power, only picking on ordinary families.

Their families had no soul masters to speak of. These three were the most talented individuals in their bloodlines for generations.

Now that Ye Lan had crippled their soul power and expelled them from Hanhai City, they would no longer stir up any trouble.

"Grandpa, here—take this. It's my Soul Master badge. Once I return to Nuoding City and register, they'll issue me a new one," Ye Lan said, handing over his golden badge.

"Why give this to me? It's your identity proof," the fisherman said, puzzled.

"This badge is mostly for civilians to recognize us. Soul Masters have another token used for official identification," Ye Lan explained.

"Keep this with you. If you ever run into trouble, show it. Most people wouldn't dare offend someone with a Soul Master badge."

"Will it really help? Not many people know you!" the fisherman said doubtfully.

"Don't worry. In a few years, I'll be famous across the Heaven Dou Empire! By then, this badge will be worth a fortune," Ye Lan replied confidently.

The fisherman believed in Ye Lan's words and laughed heartily.

"Then I'll have Xiaodie keep it safe! If a Soul Master bullies her, she'll show them your name!"

Xiaodie took the golden badge from her grandfather, her face blushing bright red. She clutched it tightly with both hands as though it were the world's most precious treasure.

To prevent even the slightest chance of Wang Gao and his gang seeking revenge after losing their powers, Ye Lan had the fisherman and Xiaodie move near one of the Lily family's properties.

The area was well-guarded, so the two wouldn't be easily harassed.

The Lily family was very attentive toward Ye Lan, their talented long-term tenant.

After all, they had seen with their own eyes how Ye Lan rose from an 11th-level Soul Master to a Grand Soul Master in just three and a half years. They took his requests very seriously.

Once all the matters in Hanhai City were handled, Ye Lan bid farewell to the fisherman, Xiaodie, and Lily and began his journey back to Nuoding City.

"Soul Master, we've arrived at Nuoding City. Please watch your step as you get off," the coachman said respectfully, bowing slightly.

"No need to be so formal. Here are fifteen silver soul coins. Please keep them," Ye Lan replied, handing over a small bag.

The journey from Hanhai City to Nuoding City took a week by carriage. Fifteen silver soul coins were the proper fare.

The coachman accepted the heavy pouch without counting and bowed deeply in thanks, smiling brightly.

Ye Lan waved his hand and turned toward the city gate.

"What's your purpose for entering the city?" the guard asked, stopping him.

"The Nuoding City Martial Soul Sub-Hall," Ye Lan replied.

"You're a Soul Master?" The guard perked up at the mention of the Martial Soul Hall and gave Ye Lan a thorough look. This young man's demeanor was extraordinary, and the guard's tone became more respectful.

"That's right. I have business with Grand Soul Master Su Yuntao," Ye Lan said, revealing a Blue Silver Grass sprouting from his palm.

Upon seeing the golden Blue Silver Vine, the guard realized this blonde youth was no ordinary Soul Master.

His tone became even more respectful: "Please enter, Soul Master!"

Walking quickly down Nuoding City's main avenue, Ye Lan picked up his pace—he needed to reissue his Soul Master badge.

Giving it to the fisherman had caused some inconvenience. Without it, he had to explain himself more often and deal with tedious procedures.

He also didn't want his soul ring configuration to be publicly exposed and cause panic.

As for why he didn't register his Grand Soul Master badge in Hanhai City—well, millennial soul rings were too rare. Ye Lan didn't want to waste time explaining everything to a stranger.

If the branch hall master in Hanhai City took an interest in his talent, he might get dragged into trouble—reported to the main Martial Soul Hall, told to wait for instructions, and so on.

So Ye Lan chose to return to Nuoding City instead. After all, Grandmaster Ma Xiu Nuo knew him well.

Clearing his mind, Ye Lan arrived at the Gothic-style building that had once awed him years ago.

After greeting the guards, he went straight to the main hall of the Martial Soul Sub-Hall.

Inside, Grandmaster Ma Xiu Nuo lounged on a luxurious seat, absorbed in a book with a lavish cover.

"Grandpa Ma Xiu Nuo!" Ye Lan called out.

Ma Xiu Nuo looked up, his eyes scanning the golden-haired youth whose face had lost much of its youthful roundness. He searched his memory and soon recalled Ye Lan's image. "Xiao Lan?!"

"Yes, it's me," Ye Lan nodded slightly.

"You're back from Hanhai City already? Did something go wrong?" Ma Xiu Nuo remembered Ye Lan had left for Hanhai City three years ago to cultivate.

"Do I look like someone who failed? Guess why I came back," Ye Lan teased, pretending to be mysterious.

"Don't tell me… you came to register as a Grand Soul Master?" Ma Xiu Nuo blurted out, not really believing that a Blue Silver Grass with innate level 3 soul power could progress that far.

"Do I have the answer written on my face?" Ye Lan scratched his head.

"Wait, seriously? Xiao Lan, you're a Grand Soul Master?" Ma Xiu Nuo's kindly, wrinkled face was filled with disbelief.

Ye Lan nodded.

"Xiao Lan, summon your soul rings! Don't lie to an old man just to make me happy," Ma Xiu Nuo urged, trying to believe him.

A yellow ring and a purple ring emerged from beneath Ye Lan's feet as thick Blue Silver Grass coiled around his body.

Seeing Ye Lan encircled by the glowing golden Blue Silver Grass and the flickering purple light, Ma Xiu Nuo was momentarily stunned.

At that moment, Ye Lan seemed like the king of all plants—radiating nobility and majesty.

"A millennium ring?!"

Ma Xiu Nuo shot out of his seat and hurried closer. A second millennium soul ring was simply too incredible—he had never seen such a case before.

"Yes, exactly one thousand years. You know the Blue Silver Grass has poor quality as a martial soul. I pushed myself to the limit for its growth, and unexpectedly, I succeeded!"

"I didn't expect the Blue Silver Grass to evolve so dramatically either!" Ye Lan deliberately left out the existence of the Ancient Beast's Touch and the fact that his martial soul had evolved by absorbing sunlight.

Even though his second soul ring had already been exposed the previous year, which posed some risk, the skill Blue God's Insight gave Ye Lan a significant combat advantage—he couldn't afford not to use it.

"That must've been dangerous. As far as I know, every soul master who tried to obtain a millennium ring as their second soul ring has died," Ma Xiu Nuo said gravely.

"It was close—I almost died. Fortunately, the soul beast wasn't too powerful, so the energy in the ring wasn't too overwhelming," Ye Lan downplayed the experience, making it seem like a narrow but manageable escape.

Ma Xiu Nuo listened and finally nodded with a knowing look on his face.

(End of Chapter)