Douluo; Zhongli Adventures in Mortal World with Paimon

Zhu Zhuqing's words made Shi Nian frown, plunging him into deep thought.

What this little girl said wasn't without reason.

She had only gone up on the stage once and was instantly defeated by Dugu Yan—what kind of genius was that?

Wait a minute...

As if realizing something, Shi Nian looked at Zhu Zhuqing with a gaze filled with astonishment.

"Young lady, are you the youngest member of the Shrek team?"

"Fourteen years old and already a Level 35 Soul Elder—how is that not considered a genius?"

Come to think of it, it was quite strange. Logically, with innate soul power of only Level 7, Zhu Zhuqing shouldn't have been able to cultivate so quickly.

Take Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan, for example. They were innate Level 9 geniuses, and even at this age, they were at a similar level.

And that's without Zhu Zhuqing consuming any immortal herbs.

Her innate talent was indeed weaker than many others, but being part of the protagonist group, she carried the power of destiny.

Reaching the Soul Saint stage was no easy feat. Shi Nian himself, despite not having a weak innate talent, was now old and had only reached Level 72.

And yet, this little girl dared to claim she wasn't a genius!

"Hah! Who'd believe that?"

Shi Nian certainly didn't.

"I..."

Could Zhu Zhuqing admit that she had already cultivated once in her dreams?

After all, she possessed memories of cultivating to the Title Douluo stage, naturally giving her an edge over others in terms of cultivation speed.

What puzzled Zhu Zhuqing was that the immortal herbs she had in her past life seemed to have vanished.

As for where those herbs went, she had a vague suspicion...

"Shameless old thief! Bullying the weak and abusing your power—today, I, Wang Chen, shall rid the world of a scourge like you!"

Suddenly, a voice rang out, interrupting their thoughts.

Shi Nian froze. He was a Soul Saint, yet he hadn't sensed anyone approaching!

If the man hadn't spoken, he wouldn't have noticed him at all.

Taking a closer look at the "young man" named Wang Chen, Shi Nian's eyelid twitched, and he couldn't help but sneer.

Just a hot-headed youth, thinking he could play the hero?

"You brat, people like you—who get a bit of power and start thinking they're invincible—always show up."

"Dreaming that you're the chosen one of the Douluo Continent."

"Unfortunately, reality is cruel!"

"Unripe geniuses—I've killed countless of them. They were all just like you in the beginning, shouting their defiance. In the end, without exception, they groveled on the ground like dogs, begging me for mercy..."

"I don't know how you managed to approach me unnoticed, but you made the biggest mistake of your life by speaking to a Soul Saint like this!"

Shi Nian clasped his hands behind his back, slightly tilting his head, not even bothering to look directly at Wang Chen.

To him, this was just a naive young soul master, unaware of the dangers of the world.

Shi Nian was the danger. So what?

As long as those stronger than him couldn't find evidence, he could continue hiding in the shadows, quietly indulging in his "hobbies."

"Run!" Zhu Zhuqing shouted instinctively. She knew how troublesome a Spirit-type Soul Saint like Shi Nian could be.

This young man didn't stand a chance against him!

"No need for that. Just protect yourself," Wang Chen replied, expressionless. After saying this, he stomped his right foot on the ground.

Instantly, his aura transformed.

It was as if the very power of the earth converged on him. His legs began to change first.

A layer of earth-yellow "armor" spread upward from his feet, covering his entire body. Every joint was adorned with sharp spikes, and his figure grew taller.

At the center of his chest, on the "heart shield" of his armor, an amber-colored divine eye gleamed brilliantly.

"Heart of the Earth, attach!"

With a loud roar, Wang Chen's figure grew even larger, his eyes turning blood-red. His arms, limbs, and torso were now as sturdy as an iron tower.

His martial soul was a wild boar, but after merging with the Vision, it had undergone terrifying evolution!

And this wasn't just a one-time evolution—each time he developed the power of the Vision, his martial soul would evolve again...

Wang Chen's terrifying mastery of earth elemental power was something even he couldn't fully understand, but it was clearly connected to the earth. Hence, he named his current martial soul Heart of the Earth.

(Used Earth Element because it's better for Douluo)

"Hm?"

As this terrifying aura erupted, Shi Nian frowned slightly and muttered, "It seems this is the kind of genius I should have been looking for!"

"Yellow," "yellow," "yellow"…

When Wang Chen's soul rings appeared, Shi Nian couldn't help but chuckle. So this is what he called a genius?

To his surprise, Wang Chen didn't even have a thousand-year third soul ring!

"Tch..."

Suddenly, Shi Nian froze. His eyes widened in shock, and his pupils shrank.

"The fourth..."

"The fifth..."

At such a young age, Wang Chen had five soul rings. Even though they were all "yellow" and seemed to be hundred-year soul rings, who could claim he wasn't a genius?

Alright, a genius it is!

"The sixth..."

Shi Nian gulped, a trace of bewilderment flashing in his expression.

A Soul Emperor?

No, at his age, how could he possibly be a Soul Emperor...

"The seventh..."

"A... A Soul Saint???"

Shi Nian instinctively took a step back, rubbing his eyes. As someone who had played with illusions since he was young, he felt like he might have fallen into one himself.

This... This couldn't be real, could it?

A Soul Saint at such a young age?

However, Wang Chen's "soul rings" weren't ordinary yellow hundred-year rings.

To be precise, they were amber-colored rock-elemental soul rings, each bearing elemental markings identical to the ones on his Vision.

These soul rings weren't obtained by hunting soul beasts but were condensed from the power of the earth during cultivation.

Whether or not they could be considered "soul rings," Wang Chen's current cultivation level had indeed reached that of a Soul Saint!

And he also possessed the Vision!

With his current power alone, Shi Nian had no chance against him, even if she had completed a second Silver-tier awakening.

Zhu Zhuqing stared at the familiar color of the rings, momentarily stunned.

This hue—she had seen it countless times in her dreams.

This man was highly likely connected to Zhongli!

Because the markings on his soul rings and chest were unmistakable—Earth Elemental Seals!

After his martial soul possession, Wang Chen gave Shi Nian a cold glance, as if looking at a dead man.

This so-called Soul Saint named Shi Nian seemed weaker than most of the soul beasts Wang Chen had defeated—judging purely by his aura.

"Friend, playing such tricks on me isn't very amusing," Shi Nian said, feigning composure.

A young Soul Saint?

Don't be ridiculous!

His appearance and soul rings—everything had to be a disguise.

"You and I are both Soul Saints. Surely you've heard of my name. Leave now, and I'll pretend this never happened."

Wang Chen: "???"

He understood each word Shi Nian said, but something about it felt fundamentally off.

Without bothering to respond, Wang Chen took a single step forward. As he clenched his right fist, a terrifying force field instantly enveloped Shi Nian.

Even a strong opponent like Shi Nian was caught off guard, nearly collapsing under the overwhelming pressure.