As the Snake Lady spoke, Fu Ye pretended to ponder for a moment—though in truth, he was merely putting on a show.
After all, he didn't consider himself a good person. At best, he was a playboy who fell for every beautiful woman he met. At worst… well, that was better left unsaid.
"I can agree to let your granddaughter join the Tianshui team," Fu Ye finally said, "but she'll start as an auditor. If, within two months, the members of my team recognize both her strength and character, she can officially join."
Note that he said team, not academy.
If Meng Yiran wanted to enroll in the academy, her talent alone would guarantee her a spot. But joining a team was different—her abilities, in Fu Ye's eyes, were only on par with Hai Rou's, if not slightly inferior.
The Snake Lady understood his implication and nodded in agreement.
"Yiran, starting today, you'll study under this instructor at Tianshui College," she said, patting her granddaughter's shoulder. "Staying cooped up in the sect won't do you any good."
Meng Yiran, however, was still bewildered.
Why did she feel like her grandmother had just sold her off with a few words?
"Little girl," Fu Ye said, his tone teasing, "are you sure you want to train with me? The Tianshui team's regimen is brutal."
He lied without a hint of shame. The kitten curled up in his arms stiffened in disbelief.
'Brutal?' Since when?'
Every day, they feasted on high-quality spirit beast meat, trained in a perfectly simulated environment, and had access to top-tier techniques, footwork, and even yoga to accelerate cultivation.
Aside from mandatory group sparring in the afternoon, their only real training was evening yoga.
Their daily schedule?
2:00 PM to 4:30 PM—practical combat. The rest of the time? Free to allocate as they pleased.
Yet, the girls in the team were famously diligent, squeezing in extra practice whenever they could. After all, with such ideal conditions—and such a handsome, gentle instructor—who wouldn't be motivated?
"I—" Meng Yiran hesitated, still reeling. She glanced at her grandmother, only to see unwavering resolve in her eyes—and a flicker of disappointment when their gazes met.
"I'll join!" she blurted out.
Relief washed over the Snake Lady. Her judgment had been right—this young man was a prodigy who'd reached Titled Douluo level at an astonishing age. Training under him would undoubtedly bring immense benefits!
"Good," Fu Ye said. "Then stay still. Let me assess your physique."
Since Meng Yiran was now a provisional member of his team, it was only natural to evaluate her condition.
Fu Ye approached with Zhuqing in tow. Meng Yiran remained motionless—she'd met Fu Ye and Zhu Zhuqing before and didn't fear any ill intent.
"Sizzle."
A faint electric current spread from his fingertip at her brow, coursing through her limbs and bones. As the energy feedback reached him, Fu Ye gleaned a full understanding of her physique.
'Huh. Meng Yiran's actually a hidden gem—C-tier potential. And her hips… ahem!'
What he meant was that her body could safely absorb spirit rings up to 1,800 years, and her mental resilience was impressive. Nothing more! Though, if we're comparing letters, Zhuqing's elder sister Zhu Zhuyun was at least an E, maybe even an F.
Thankfully, Zhuqing still had room to grow—her current D-rank firmly placed her second among Fu Ye's women, trailing only her sister.
Truly, the Star Luo Zhu family's genetics were exceptional.
Fu Ye: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 'Very nice!'
"Your body's in excellent shape," he declared. "Go ahead and absorb this 1,700-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider's spirit ring. It's perfectly suited for you."
Meng Yiran nearly called him a pervert on the spot—until she registered the rest of his words.
"Grandmother…" she murmured hesitantly.
Dragon Duke, too, voiced his concern. "But the conventional limit for a second spirit ring is around 1,200 years."
Fu Ye scoffed.
"Are you her teacher, or am I? If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility."
Stubborn old man. If they'd already agreed to let him lead, why second-guess now?
"You—!" Dragon Duke clutched his chest, incensed.
The Snake Lady, however, stood firm. "Old man, if Yiran is under his guidance now, we must trust His Excellency's judgment!"
'His Excellency.'
The title gave Dragon Duke pause. Indeed—how could someone who could effortlessly overpower a high-level Soul Master like him not be extraordinary?
"Ah… perhaps I'm just getting old," he sighed.
As Meng Yiran began absorbing the spirit ring, Fu Ye lounged in the shade with the kitten, keeping a watchful eye. The Snake Lady and Dragon Duke, meanwhile, watched their granddaughter with bated breath.
A 1,700-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider was no joke.
Though they'd initially considered hunting it for her, they'd misjudged its age. Now, knowing the truth, anxiety gnawed at them—even if they trusted Fu Ye's judgment.
Minutes ticked by. Beads of sweat formed on Meng Yiran's forehead.
"Drip."
A droplet fell to the ground. Her face was taut with concentration.
Fu Ye observed calmly. In his estimation, she'd succeed without issue—but if trouble arose, he'd step in.
For now, though, he wanted to test her willpower. After all, in the soul land 1, this very spirit ring had nearly cost Tang San—the so-called Son of Destiny—half his life to absorb.
...
Just like Meng Yiran absorbing the Man-Faced Demon Spider and Zhuqing absorbing the Dark Night Dragon, the soul rings of these soul beasts carried remnants of the soul beasts' lingering spirits.
In the Soul Land 1, Tang San suffered greatly from this ordeal—but at the time, he was only twelve years old.
As a soul master grows, their physical strength and bone development naturally strengthen. This progression is clearly reflected in their resilience.
Meng Yiran, a girl who trained daily in hidden weapons and physical conditioning, was no exception.
Her physical fitness was not much weaker than Tang San's in the original story. However, her mental fortitude might not have been enough to withstand the spiritual erosion of the Man-Faced Demon Spider.
"Brother Fu Ye, do you think Meng Yiran can successfully absorb this soul ring?"
Zhu Zhuqing, a kind and empathetic girl, couldn't help but feel distressed seeing the pained expression on Meng Yiran's face.
"It's fine. I've already assessed her. Her body is strong enough—as long as she can endure the mental assault from the Man-Faced Demon Spider's remnant spirit, she'll be fine."
Hearing Fu Ye's words, both the Snake Lady and the Dragon Duke grew anxious for their granddaughter.
After all, soul backlash typically only occurred when absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul beast—yet this 1,700-year Man-Faced Demon Spider also carried a spiritual backlash!
"Your Majesty, my granddaughter—"
Unable to remain still any longer, the Dragon Duke spoke up. This was his precious granddaughter—without the cultivation of a Soul King, how could she possibly withstand such a spiritual shock?
"Don't worry. The soul backlash from a thousand-year Man-Faced Demon Spider is far weaker than that of a ten-thousand-year soul beast."
Fu Ye observed the expressions of the Dragon Duke and Snake Lady, and they visibly relaxed at his reassurance.
…
An Hour Later
Meng Yiran's clothes were drenched in sweat, and the ground around her was slick with moisture. Her brows were tightly furrowed, her once-rosy face now deathly pale.
Yet, within her spiritual sea, a fierce battle raged.
A grotesque spider loomed before her—eight spear-like legs, each over three meters long, razor-thin and needle-sharp.
Its body was encased in a glossy black exoskeleton, shimmering with a faint purple hue under the spiritual light.
Most horrifying of all was the human face etched in white lines across its abdomen.
This was the Man-Faced Demon Spider she had killed.
And now, its remnant soul was furious—having been knocked unconscious by a single slap, only to awaken and find itself being absorbed.
Man-Faced Demon Spider: "I've been wronged worse than Dou E!"
Meng Yiran's spiritual form was already ensnared in the spider's steel-like web. She had lost the battle.
Sensing the situation through his own methods, Fu Ye stood and strode toward Meng Yiran. The Snake Lady and Dragon Duke tensed, their eyes locked on him.
"Tsk. This little thing is stubborn."
Muttering to himself, Fu Ye pressed a finger between Meng Yiran's brows.
"Om—"
A streak of nine-colored light surged into her spiritual sea like a raging dragon.
Inside, Meng Yiran—on the verge of being devoured—suddenly felt an overwhelming presence.
The Man-Faced Demon Spider's fangs were a mere 0.001 centimeters from her neck… yet it froze.
"ROAR—!!!"
A deafening dragon's roar shook her spiritual sea.
Then, she saw it—a colossal dragon, its majesty blotting out the sky. Its disdainful gaze made her feel like an insignificant ant.
Her entire spiritual sea was cradled in its claws.
[Imagine standing in the palm of Ultraman Tiga.]
With a flash of nine-colored light, the Man-Faced Demon Spider's remnant soul disintegrated into ash.
The dragon vanished, and her spiritual sea returned to normal.
Outside, Fu Ye withdrew his diluted aura. Behind Meng Yiran, three soul rings materialized.
Yellow. Yellow. Purple.
The 1,700-year Man-Faced Demon Spider's soul ring had been successfully absorbed!
"Hah… Cough, cough—!!"
Gasping for air, Meng Yiran's face remained pale, but the ordeal was over.
The Snake Lady and Dragon Duke sighed in relief—but Meng Yiran's first action was to lock eyes with Fu Ye.
"That dragon in my spiritual sea… Was that you?"
Though exhausted, she forced herself to stand, her voice unwavering.
Fu Ye smirked. "Your willpower is decent—85 points. But if you're joining my team, you'll need to train your mental resistance."
Meng Yiran's spiritual power was only around 300—far from elite standards.
Compared to later generations, even geniuses of this era seemed lacking. For instance, Tang Wulin—with the Golden Dragon King's bloodline—struggled against a mere hundred-year Man-Faced Demon Spider.
'Pathetic.'
The Soul Land 3 era's Man-Faced Demon Spider would've laughed: "Line up. I'll take you all on!"
"Thank you. If not for you, I'd have been killed and devoured."
The memory of being bound and helpless still sent chills down her spine.
Fu Ye shrugged. "You're part of my team now. Say your goodbyes—we're leaving soon."
...
"Pfft!"
"Click!"
At that moment, the fabric on Meng Yiran's back tore apart as eight dark-blue spider legs burst forth from her spine!
Sensing the unnatural movement behind her, Meng Yiran instinctively turned her head to look—
"What—?!"
She was horrified by the sight of her own mutated soul bone.
"Granddaughter!"
Neither Dragon Duke nor Snake Lady had ever witnessed such a phenomenon. Seeing their granddaughter's transformation, their aged eyes filled with alarm.
"Tsk, so it really does exist."
Fu Ye muttered under his breath, drawing a curious glance from Zhuqing. 'Really? What does he mean?'
"Alright, settle down for a moment."
Fu Ye guided Zhuqing forward, approaching Meng Yiran. However, the girl had no control over her newly manifested Eight Spider Lance, the dark-blue limbs flailing wildly in front of her.
But such erratic movements were no threat to Fu Ye.
With a mere wave of his hand, the external soul bone froze in place. Then, pressing three precise acupoints on Meng Yiran's body, he forced the spider legs to retract automatically.
"Crackle—"
The sound signaled the full fusion of Meng Yiran and the soul bone.
"Little girl, you're quite lucky. You've accidentally absorbed an external soul bone."
Fu Ye lightly pinched her chin. Now that the Eight Spider Lance had withdrawn, Meng Yiran's soul power plummeted by 40%.
This was the early-stage drawback of external soul bones—while they granted a 100% boost to all attributes when active, they drained 40% of the user's power upon retraction.
In the Soul land 1, this flaw was only resolved after Tang San evolved the Eight Spider Lance into the Eight Wings of Sea God. Still, its advantages far outweighed the side effects, making it an unrivaled asset.
"An external soul bone?!"
Dragon Duke and the Snake Lady tensed. Though they had heard legends of such things, they had never seen one—let alone witnessed it merging with their granddaughter!
"No need for panic. Once fully integrated, an external soul bone can't be taken away. And I've just ensured this little girl's complete fusion with it."
Fu Ye sighed inwardly at their distrustful glares.
"I… this is…"
Meng Yiran was still in disbelief. She knew of soul bones, but external ones? That was unheard of.
"Don't be ungrateful. This is a treasure soul masters dream of—its worth rivals even a 100,000-year soul bone."
At Fu Ye's words, Meng Yiran's pupils shrank. 'These grotesque spider legs… are that valuable?!'
"Old man, I'll ask one last time—will you let this girl come with me?"
…
Three minutes later.''
"Hello, nice to meet you again. I'm Meng Yiran. My martial soul is the Snake Staff (Serpent Cane)."
"I'm Zhu Zhuqing. My martial soul is the Hell Spirit Cat (Netherworld Spirit Cat)."
Fu Ye walked briskly, one arm cradling Zhu Zhuqing while the other held onto Meng Yiran's sleeve.
'What can I say? There's a clear distinction between my woman and a student.'
Shrouded in Fu Ye's soul power barrier, the trio felt no wind resistance as they sped toward Heaven Dou City''.
Soon, the system's navigation led Fu Ye to Xiao Wu and the others.
…
A rotund nobleman, draped in gaudy gold and flanked by a Soul Emperor bodyguard and dozens of Soul Ancestor thugs, leered at the Tianshui Academy team as they exited the arena.
Shui Bing'er and Xiao Wu noticed them immediately, but—
"Ladies, you're all quite lovely. How about accompanying this uncle home?"
"Pfft! ×12"
Before he could finish, a towering figure wreathed in black mist erupted from the shadows beneath Xiao Wu's feet. In an instant, twelve chests were hollowed out, their organs utterly erased.
It was the Black Armor Puppet—a Peak Douluo-level guardian'' that had sensed hostility toward Xiao Wu and eliminated every threat preemptively.
The crowd, initially eager for entertainment, recoiled in horror.
Then, they noticed something worse—nine pairs of crimson eyes gleaming from the shadows of every Tianshui member, scanning the surroundings.
'One shadow was terrifying enough… but multiple?'
The nobles who had planned to harass the girls broke into a cold sweat.
But before they could react, the shadows beneath Xiao Wu's group surged upward, and over a dozen dark figures slaughtered every corrupt noble in the vicinity.
"Pfft! Pfft!"
It was a one-sided massacre. Guided by the system's precision, the 100% loyal puppets exterminated every conspirator.
Flesh and blood littered the ground. Shui Bing'er and her teammates were stunned—but Xiao Wu, having seen worse, recognized this as Fu Ye's protective measure.
Fortunately, the corrupt nobles had driven away bystanders earlier, leaving no witnesses except Xiao Wu's group.
Well… except for a few minor nobles who had tagged along for fun. They lost limbs but barely escaped with their lives.
"Sister Xiao Wu… what just happened?"
Shui Bing'er, ever the composed captain, was the first to recover.
Before Xiao Wu could answer, a familiar voice cut in—
"Tsk. Finally made your move, huh? I almost thought you'd given up."
Fu Ye had tracked them via the puppets' locators.
Surveying the scene, he noted they were near the arena's central passage, surrounded by the corpses of those who had provoked his orders.
"Brother Fu Ye! You're back!"
Shui Bing'er was the first to react, lunging into a bear hug before shooting Zhu Zhuqing a playful smirk.
Her eyes seemed to say: "You kept him for four days. Now it's my turn."
...
Late at night, chaos erupted within the Heaven Dou royal family.
The grand hall was adorned with intricate carvings of dragons and phoenixes on towering pillars, its floor paved with polished marble.
At the center of the hall, an old man sat upon the throne, his imposing presence sending shivers down the spines of the officials kneeling below.
"Xue Xing," the old man finally spoke after a long silence, his voice icy. "Are you telling me that someone openly slaughtered members of our royal family in the Great Fighting Spirit Arena—and that the few survivors had their hands and feet brutally severed?"
The cunning-faced middle-aged man beside him nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Their methods were ruthless. According to the survivors, the attackers were students from Tianshui Academy."
Had Fu Ye been present, he would have recognized the two men immediately—Xue Ye, the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, and his younger brother, Xue Xing, the empire's prince.
"Explain. What was the reason?" Xue Ye was no fool; he knew exactly what his brother was scheming.
However, Tianshui Academy had previously rejected the royal family's overtures, leaving him with little goodwill toward them.
"Your Majesty, no matter their justification, slaughtering dozens of royal family members is inexcusable. Grant me your command, and I will personally see them arrested!"
Xue Xing's words snapped Xue Ye back to reality. Though he could guess the truth—that his brother was likely at fault—he would not punish him. Blood ties ran deep, but the dignity of the royal family could not be ignored.
"Very well. Handle this cleanly. I won't clean up your mess again."
With a flick of his dragon robe, Xue Ye dismissed the trembling officials.
"Leave."
…
By four in the morning, Xue Xing had summoned two Soul Emperor-level priests from the royal family.
His investigations had revealed that Han Ruyan, Tianshui Academy's dean, was absent—leaving only a young man and woman in charge of the team.
To Xue Xing, a Soul King was already an impressive rank for their age. Confident in his advantage, he led the two Soul Emperors to capture the entire Tianshui team.
"Uncle, you're really taking action against them?" A young man clutching a folding fan grinned eagerly, his eyes alight with excitement.
Xue Xing smirked. "Just a academy full of girls. I offered them an alliance, but that woman dared to threaten me. Now, I'll make her understand true suffering."
A lecherous grin twisted his aged face. The Tianshui team's members were all exquisite beauties—once in his grasp, they'd be his to play with as he pleased.
"Uncle, I want Shui Bing'er!" the young man hissed. "That little wretch tried to attack me before. Once I have her, I'll cripple her cultivation and make her kneel before me like a dog!"
Xue Beng's lips curled into a cruel smile.
"Hah! They act so pure and untouchable now, but once their spirit power is gone and they're drugged… they'll be nothing but obedient playthings."
At five in the morning, the sun had yet to rise.
On the top floor of Tianxiang Hotel, Fu Ye was engaged in a heated battle with the little rabbit, Xiao Wu.
As warmth surged between them, the one-versus-four duel reached its climax.
"Brother Fu Ye… you cheated."
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[Product: One-hour Time Barrier Experience Card (24-hour version)]
[Effect: 1 hour outside = 48 hours inside.]
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Fu Ye marveled at the array of time-manipulation cards. His initial worry—balancing time with his women—was now solved.
Originally, he had sought a suitable god for them, but the God of Time's abilities—rewinding, accelerating, and warping time—had caught his eye.
"I didn't cheat. I promised to defeat all three of you in three hours, and I did. Look—it's not even dawn yet."
Xiao Wu could only glare weakly before succumbing to exhaustion.
"Hmph… Brother Fu Ye is playing dirty."
Three hours inside the barrier equaled six days outside. Fu Ye had spent six full days with them, while only six hours passed in reality.
When Xiao Wu protested, Fu Ye simply smirked. "My cheat is officially approved. No take-backs."
Just as he settled between his women to rest, he sensed three approaching auras.
"Hm? The Heaven Dou royals move faster than I expected."
His senses sharpened. Two Soul Emperors… and Xue Xing himself.
A sly grin spread across Fu Ye's face.
"If it were just the Soul Emperors, I'd kill them and be done. But since Xue Xing is here… he'll regret it."
Xue Xing's depravity surpassed even Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun's. Targeting Fu Ye's girls?
He'd wish for death instead.
Three lavender talismans materialized in Fu Ye's palm—the same Bewitching Charms he'd used on Yu Xiaogang and Tang Chuan.
"Pity only three came. Xue Xing got off easy."
As the charms dissolved into mist, Xue Xing and the two Soul Emperors froze mid-step outside Tianxiang Hotel.
By ten in the morning, the imperial city buzzed with scandal.
An old rhyme came to mind: "Outside the imperial walls, beneath the sky, Snow Star's artillery fires high."
"Disgraceful! Absolutely disgraceful!" An elderly woman covered her face and stormed off.
"Damn! Prince Xue Xing's got guts!"
"Pfft—who knew the prince was packing peanuts? No, wait… corn kernels!"
"We knew the royals were corrupt, but this is too much!"
…
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