Douluo: Divine Dragon Pattern Staff

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"Hah—let's end practice here for today. There's nothing left in the academy that can help me grow stronger. Simply grinding away might make me a Spirit King in six years, but I need to go out and seek opportunities."

Li Luochen had made up his mind to venture out and seek his fortune.

First, he went to see his grandfather, Li Yusong. Li Yusong was growing younger by the day, despite his hair turning gray and accumulating more white strands. Nevertheless, he remained energetic and spirited.

"Grandpa, I plan to travel across the continent. My cultivation has reached a plateau here, so it's a good time to explore the world."

Li Yusong gazed at his only grandson with deep emotion. When Li Luochen was young, he had been somewhat muddled after a fall, but ever since awakening his martial soul, he had soared to incredible heights.

The family's inherited martial soul, the Dragon Pattern Staff, had begun showing signs of evolution under Li Luochen's mastery. His Dragon Pattern Staff was already stronger than the one Li Yusong had used, making it one of the finest high-tier martial souls.

If it evolved further, it could reach the level of a top-tier martial soul. If that happened, Li Luochen would undoubtedly become a Title Douluo—he had the potential to achieve such greatness.

"Alright, go ahead. Just be safe. Xiao Chen, you've always been clever since you were young—you know how to avoid becoming prey in this dog-eat-dog world. Grandpa will wait for you to return safely."

Li Yusong smiled as he watched his grandson. Though reluctant to see him go, Li Yusong had long known that his grandson was destined for greatness. Ever since awakening his martial soul, Li Luochen had shown that he was no ordinary person, and one day, he would have to leave and forge his own path.

After bidding farewell to his grandfather, Li Luochen went to see Flender, his principal. Since showcasing his talent, Flender had spared no effort in helping him—hunting soul rings, sparring, medicinal baths, Whale Glue, and other cultivation resources. 

In fact, Li Luochen had enjoyed the best cultivation resources of any student in Shrek Academy's history. Aside from not experiencing simulated training environments, he lacked nothing else.

Li Luochen reflected on how much Flender had spent on him—it was likely even better than what the main team of the Tian Dou Imperial Academy received. Fortunately, Li Luochen had proven himself worthy, bringing great pride to Flender.

Flender was truly Li Luochen's first benefactor in this world. While Flender certainly had his flaws—and quite a few of them—his character was solid. He was tactful in dealing with people and matters, and his strength was formidable. In about three years, he would likely break through to become a Spirit Douluo.

Why was the Barak Kingdom so powerful? Because they had two Spirit Douluos backing them. Without Title Douluos stepping in, Spirit Douluos were at the pinnacle.

At this point in time, Title Douluos were still rare. The Spirit Hall publicly acknowledged only four Title Douluos. Each of the top three clans had one, the Star Luo Empire's royal shrine had one, and the Tian Dou Empire had Dugu Bo as their offering. That was it—the currently active Title Douluos were limited to these.

If Flender became a Spirit Douluo, his status would soar dramatically. Both empires and even the Spirit Hall would try to win him over.

Li Luochen arrived outside Flender's office. Inside, eight-year-old Oscar and six-year-old Ma Hongjun were sparring, exchanging blows back and forth.

Oscar was a Food System soul master with weak combat abilities, but he harbored the heart of a Battle Soul Master. Li Luochen knew that Oscar's talent was extraordinary—second only to the Tang San's innate gifts. If he didn't slack off, he might even surpass Tang San before his awakening.

Oscar had always dreamed of becoming a Battle Soul Master, yearning to fight. However, reality dealt him a harsh blow—Food System soul masters were meant to support others, always staying behind the front lines. This had discouraged him, causing him to lose focus on cultivation.

Li Luochen had given him some advice: "It's not impossible for an auxiliary system to gain combat capabilities, especially if you acquire spirit bones. But the Food System might differ from ordinary auxiliary systems.

Oscar, your innate full-spirit-power Food System talent might allow you to gain combat abilities. From what I understand, there are two soul beasts that could help. One is the Silver Shadow Beast, which has the ability to imprint others' attacks onto you. Another is the Mirror Beast, which can replicate others' abilities. These soul beasts might grant you combat skills, but they should ideally be your fifth and sixth soul rings.

A ten-thousand-year soul ring brings qualitative changes. For your first four rings, focus on enhancing your auxiliary abilities. This way, you'll possess both combat and support skills, making you an all-rounder. Of course, from now on, you should train alongside Hongjun to build a solid foundation as a Battle Soul Master."

This was Li Luochen's plan for Oscar. None of the teachers at Shrek Academy objected—after all, Li Luochen's knowledge of martial souls surpassed theirs. Teaching Oscar and Ma Hongjun was straightforward.

Oscar's first soul ring was a limit-breaking five-hundred-year soul ring. Flender had once given Oscar a century-level Whale Glue to improve his physique, enabling him to absorb higher-level soul rings.

Why not millennium-level Whale Glue? Oscar's cultivation wasn't strong enough yet. As a Food System soul master, millennium-level Whale Glue could cause excessive stimulation, leading to uncontrollable desires. Even with century-level Whale Glue, Oscar had undergone significant changes.

His second soul ring could potentially absorb an eight-hundred-year soul ring. Limit-breaking absorption would greatly benefit his body.

As for Ma Hongjun, his spirit power was currently at level 12. His first soul ring was close to the limit for his level. He couldn't consume Whale Glue right now—its aphrodisiac properties could easily cause trouble for him. 

For Ma Hongjun, Li Luochen didn't want him to turn into a "brothel phoenix," burning with excessive energy. Instead, he suggested sending him to an isolated place to deplete his spirit power completely—to the point of exhaustion. Let's see if he'd still be so energetic then.

When Ma Hongjun collapsed, Oscar would carry him back. This was also a form of training for Oscar—weighted endurance training.

Absorbing soul beasts with phoenix bloodlines would greatly benefit Ma Hongjun. Once his phoenix bloodline stabilized, he wouldn't risk exploding before reaching his third ring.

His energy levels were slightly elevated, but it wasn't a major issue—just something to manage. Li Luochen held high hopes for Ma Hongjun.

A top-tier fire-attribute Beast Martial Soul like his, once stabilized and refined into the path of ultimate fire, would become an extraordinarily powerful martial soul. With such talent, he couldn't afford to be the weakest link among the Seven Treasures of Shrek.

The Shrek Seven Monsters still needed to be formed. Tang San's rise was inevitable—a destiny orchestrated by the gods. He was the chosen one, destined to ascend to godhood.

However, while the grand trend couldn't be altered, smaller trends could be adjusted. Snatching some key opportunities from Tang San wasn't out of the question. Even if he found alternatives, they wouldn't necessarily be better than what he was originally meant to obtain.

Moreover, even if the Shrek Seven Monsters were formed, they wouldn't necessarily fall under Yu Xiaogang's control. At the very least, Oscar and Ma Hongjun were under Li Luochen's influence.

Li Luochen didn't believe that Tang San, who had been misled by Yu Xiaogang—a Great Soul Master—to cultivate Poison Blue Silver Grass, could surpass the Ma Hongjun personally trained by him.

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