The woman referred to as Aunt Mei looked at Qian Renxue's weary posture, a trace of reluctance flashing through her eyes. However, this quickly gave way to a peculiar expression. Perhaps due to the deep trust Qian Renxue placed in her, Qian Renxue, even at such close proximity, didn't sense anything unusual about the person beside her.
Observing Qian Renxue in this state, a hint of internal struggle appeared in Aunt Mei's gaze, but it soon reverted to her usual benevolent expression.
"Young Mistress, with your noble status, how can you waste energy on such trivial matters? A mere soul master from a small place who stumbled upon some fortuitous opportunities—who can say how far his potential will take him in the future?"
"If you wish to pay attention to him, you might as well have someone express goodwill. Surely he would not refuse the favor of the Crown Prince. If you are too busy to bother, it wouldn't hurt to wait and assess his talents later before making a decision."
"Ah…" Qian Renxue shook her head and remained silent, though inwardly she agreed with Aunt Mei's suggestion.
For most factions, obtaining a thousand-level second soul ring was an extraordinary feat requiring luck or rare opportunities. However, for the Spirit Hall, it wasn't particularly challenging—it was merely a question of whether it was worth the effort.
The Spirit Hall, with its ancestry tracing back to the Angel God, boasted successive generations of Ultimate Douluo serving as high priests of the Angel God. The Hall of Worship and Elder Hall housed Titled Douluo gathered from all corners of the continent over millennia.
Such a deep heritage is incomprehensible to ordinary people.
Qian Renxue thoroughly understood the factors influencing a soul master's ability to absorb soul rings. She also knew that enhancing the physical constitution could increase the age limit of soul rings absorbed. However, for members of the Angel lineage, this method held little necessity.
With the Seraphim Martial Soul, one is born with innate level 20 soul power. By absorbing two hundred-level soul rings, they would achieve at least level 23 soul power and could become a Soul Elder within two years by absorbing their third soul ring.
Although their cultivation speed slows down after level 30 due to the martial soul's potent attributes, it remains faster than that of ordinary innate full soul power individuals. Coupled with the immense resources and heritage provided by the Spirit Hall, this advantage becomes even more pronounced.
A Seraphim Martial Soul wielder could typically obtain their third ring and become a Soul Elder by age 8, reach the Soul Ancestor level by around age 12, and achieve Soul King status by 17 or 18.
But what if Qian Renxue wanted to absorb a thousand-level second soul ring?
She awakened her Martial Soul at age 6 with level 20 soul power. However, due to the world's natural constraints, only 10 levels of soul power are visible before the first soul ring is absorbed. Only after obtaining the first ring does her level rise to 20.
At age 6, despite undergoing various medicinal baths since infancy and bearing a divine-level martial soul, her body was still underdeveloped.
The stimulation of soul power is a long-term gradual process. The same soul power and martial soul produce different results at different ages. The accelerated development seen in individuals essentially relies on the consistent stimulation of soul power.
For children, physical constitution improves significantly with each passing year. After one year of soul power nourishment, a 7-year-old soul master's physique would far surpass that of a 6-year-old who had just awakened their martial soul.
If Qian Renxue wanted to absorb a thousand-level second ring, she would need at least two years of physical development and conditioning after absorbing her first ring. To be cautious, three years of preparation would be advisable.
Even then, upon absorbing a thousand-level second ring, her soul power level would likely plateau at around 27.
Although cultivation can still accumulate soul power after reaching the level cap, allowing for a surge in levels upon obtaining the next ring, this method of compressed cultivation can never match the efficiency of a standard progression.
And what if she simply followed the conventional route, absorbing soul rings and training step by step?
If we assume only two years, by that time, the owner of the Seraphim Martial Soul would already be at least a level 33 Soul Elder, leaving a gap of about seven or eight levels.
In Douluo Dalu, a major rank only spans ten levels. Who would willingly sacrifice their precious golden years and a nearly one-major-rank soul power gap just for a soul ring that's a few hundred years older?
For members of the Qian family, suppressing their rank to improve their physical constitution simply to carry higher-aged soul rings in the earlier stages is a thankless endeavor.
Moreover, with the Angel God's legacy in the Spirit Hall, even if the early soul rings have lower ages, they can be directly boosted to thousand or ten-thousand-year levels during the divine trials later on.
Spending effort for a mere two- or three-hundred-year increase in soul ring age is, in essence, a counterproductive approach.
Talented soul masters often have soul power levels surpassing their physical readiness. Unless their martial soul is highly specialized, they are typically limited to hundred-year rings during this stage.
Meanwhile, soul masters who've cultivated for about a decade develop superior physical attributes due to prolonged soul power nourishment. In theory, they are more capable of enduring higher-aged rings.
However, the issue is that such soul masters often lack high-quality martial souls to provide sufficient physical enhancements. Additionally, due to various factors, their bodies may suffer from minor ailments, and they may not have the strength to hunt thousand-level soul beasts.
Even if they can hunt such beasts, not all dare to attempt an over-limit soul ring absorption. And even among those who dare, success is not guaranteed. These compounding factors make cases of thousand-level second rings exceedingly rare.
To Qian Renxue, however, who understands the underlying principles, such occurrences are not mysterious. If she desired, she could even artificially create such geniuses.
In her eyes, Chen Ming likely just had some fortuitous encounter, consuming rare herbs or the blood and flesh of a precious soul beast, resulting in his current achievements. While his martial soul has evolved, his innate level 5 talent is still too mediocre to warrant her attention.
After all, in her estimation, no matter how hard Chen Ming works, his limit would likely be at the Soul Sage level. With extreme effort, he might barely reach the level of an entry-level Soul Douluo.
Unless he experiences some highly unusual fortune or unforeseen circumstances, he probably wouldn't even come close to the realm of a Titled Douluo in his lifetime.
And even if, by a string of extraordinary opportunities, he manages to become a Titled Douluo…
Qian Renxue considered the timeline. By then, she figured that even if she hadn't yet ascended to godhood, she would likely at least be approaching her grandfather Qian Daoliu's level as a demigod Ultimate Douluo.
A mere ordinary Titled Douluo would struggle to withstand even her first spirit skill.
Still, as the visible Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, with Xue Ye sending this dossier directly to her, Qian Renxue couldn't outright ignore it.
After all, while a genius destined to be no more than a Soul Douluo might mean nothing to Qian Renxue as the Spirit Hall's heir, such a talent would be significant for the Heaven Dou Empire, a nation severely lacking in high-level combat strength.
As the Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, Qian Renxue knew she had no reason to overlook someone who might one day become a Soul Douluo.
Sitting in her chair in silence for a long time, Qian Renxue contemplated her recent schedule. At last, she made her decision.
"In half a month, send someone to bring him. As for the location… the top floor of the Seven Treasures Restaurant."