The events of this day had a tremendous impact on Xu Xiaoyan.
For the first time, she truly understood what it meant to kill—and be killed.
When Bai Chen had been slaughtering the sea soul beasts earlier, she had actually felt sympathy for them.
Watching those creatures die without much resistance made her feel they were pitiful.
But when the one who might die was someone she cared about, she finally realized something.
This was a battlefield.
A place where pity had no place.
Mercy toward an enemy could become cruelty toward oneself.
Misplaced compassion could easily place the people she cherished in mortal danger.
At the same time, she also clearly realized how powerless she was.
Bai Chen could severely injure even a ten-thousand-year soul beast.
But when she faced a mere ten-year soul beast, she had been so frightened that she could barely even hold her dagger.
Although she liked calling him "Brother Bai Chen," the truth was that their age difference was less than two months.
Yet compared to him…
She felt completely inferior.
The thought filled her mind:
I need to become stronger.
Next time danger comes, I don't want to tremble helplessly behind others again.
"I see…"
After meeting Xu Xiaoyan's gaze for a moment, Bai Chen smiled.
She was fine.
He could tell from her eyes.
He had seen similar eyes in his previous life.
Children who possessed such determination did not require worry.
For someone like that, the only thing he needed to do was acknowledge them and give them the greatest encouragement possible.
"I believe in you," Bai Chen said gently.
"You'll definitely be able to do it."
"Mm!"
Xu Xiaoyan nodded vigorously.
After receiving Bai Chen's approval, the lingering fear on her face faded noticeably.
With that, the main objective of their trip—helping Bai Chen and Xu Xiaoyan obtain their soul rings—had been successfully completed.
Aside from the soul rings, Bai Chen had also confirmed his suspicion about innate Level 20 soul power and personally experienced the terrifying effects of the devouring ability.
Overall, the harvest from this journey was immense.
After drifting at sea for two more days, the hunting ship began returning toward the mainland.
During the return trip, Xue E received a call through a soul communicator.
It was from Bai Jiaming.
After briefly discussing a few matters, Bai Jiaming asked him to pass the communicator to Bai Chen.
"Hello?"
Bai Chen took the device.
His father's energetic voice immediately came from the other side.
"Hey there, son! I heard from Xiao Xue that you gained quite a lot this trip. I purposely didn't ask him for details—I wanted to hear it directly from you."
"I broke through Level 20."
"Oh, Level 20? That's great—wait, what? Level 20?"
"More precisely, Level 23."
Leaning casually against the ship's railing, Bai Chen continued calmly.
"For some reason, my martial soul seems to have innate Level 20 soul power."
"—Hiss!"
A sharp inhalation sounded from the communicator.
That reaction was perfectly understandable.
In an era where god-granted martial souls had practically disappeared, hearing about innate Level 20 soul power would shock anyone.
Bai Chen then calmly explained the effects of his two soul skills, along with everything that had happened over the past few days.
After listening, Bai Jiaming let out a long sigh.
"To be honest, I had a feeling you'd become a top-tier genius someday… but I never imagined you'd be this monstrous."
He paused briefly before his tone became cheerful again.
"So, Xiao Chen—have you decided what second profession you want to pursue?"
In the third era of Douluo, every soul master typically cultivated a secondary profession.
Each profession focused on different fields.
Ultimately, the purpose of cultivating these professions was to assist in forging battle armor.
Without hesitation, Bai Chen answered:
"Blacksmithing."
Come on—blacksmithing was the protagonist's profession in the third era.
It was practically born superior compared to the others.
Among the various secondary professions, high-level blacksmiths were clearly far more valuable.
Early in the series, it was said there were three Divine Blacksmiths, but later the setting changed until only Zhen Hua remained.
Regardless of the era, a blacksmith's ability to refine and evolve metals was extremely valuable.
And most importantly—
In every era, Bai Chen possessed something crucial for blacksmithing:
Raw strength.
The Three-Eyed Golden Ni, a branch of the Dragon God's lineage, inherited part of the Dragon God's bloodline. Wang Qiu'er in the second era had even simulated the Golden Dragon martial soul using it.
Although the Three-Eyed Golden Ni itself wasn't known for extreme strength, its physical power was still formidable.
As for the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff, there was no need for explanation—its power was simply monstrous.
And the Dark Demon Evil Tiger?
When its power became Zhou Weiqing's abilities, it granted him the strength attribute.
Even Tang San once judged it to be a strength-type soul beast.
Later, when Zhou Weiqing ascended to the God of Destruction, the external god position he received—Great Strength God—was also related to the Dark Demon Evil Tiger.
In short, when it came to physical strength, Bai Chen had more than enough potential to become a blacksmith.
"Hmm… blacksmithing, huh…"
Bai Jiaming muttered thoughtfully before giving a reminder.
"I should warn you first. The path of a blacksmith is the hardest among all professions. It's exhausting work, and you must endure long periods of solitude."
"Are you really sure you want to walk this path?"
"I'm sure."
Bai Chen nodded without hesitation.
"Alright. I understand."
Hearing the determination in his son's voice, Bai Jiaming smiled with satisfaction.
His son had never disappointed him.
And since that was the case, it was his duty as a father to fulfill his responsibilities.
"I'll start looking for a teacher right away. By the time you return to shore, I should have someone suitable lined up."
With his connections, he might not be able to invite Divine Blacksmith Zhen Hua, but hiring an eighth-rank Saint Blacksmith wouldn't be difficult.
Of course, it would cost a great deal of money.
But for his son's future—
It was worth every cent.
"Thanks, Dad."
Bai Chen knew clearly how much his father was doing for him.
A small smile appeared on his lips.
Bai Jiaming chuckled warmly.
"That's what a father is supposed to do. Alright, I've got a big deal to negotiate, so I'll hang up now."
"Okay."
"Beep—beep—"
When the call ended, Bai Chen handed the communicator back to Xue E and gazed out toward the vast ocean.
With that, the first two soul rings of his third-era self, along with his secondary profession, were settled.
Now it was time to focus on something else.
Soul spirit research.
His study of the soul spirit contract ritual was almost complete.
At most, it would take another day or two before he fully mastered it.
Although the ritual itself didn't directly increase his strength, it could bring him many other advantages.
Most importantly—
He could teach this technique to the Silver Dragon King and Tianmeng Ice Silkworm in the first era.