The outer edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Ye Qiu and Xiao Wu stood far away under a tree.
A half-meter-long skunk, out hunting at night, was already firmly entangled by Ye Qiu's Blue Silver Emperor.
The skunk looked harmless.
It had small eyes, short, round ears, and short limbs, with its front paws longer than its hind paws.
Its body was mainly black fur, except for a white stripe running from the back of its head to its tailbone, and a thick, brush-like tail.
It looked surprisingly cute, with delicate features.
But Ye Qiu hesitated to approach.
The smell was just too strong!
Skunks have a special gland that emits an extremely unpleasant odor
to avoid being eaten by predators. After
hesitating for a long time, Ye Qiu held his breath and took a step.
"Xiao Qiu~ are you really going to catch this dirty thing?" Xiao Wu pinched her nose with one hand and pulled Ye Qiu with the other.
Her eyes were filled with surprise, and her voice was nasal.
"..." Ye Qiu nodded, a fragrant aroma suddenly emanating from his body,
masking the stench emanating from below.
He then spoke.
"Okay! Wait here for me a moment."
Xiao Wu nodded without hesitation, quickly leaving Ye Qiu behind and taking a few steps back.
This action made Ye Qiu's eye twitch.
"Xiao Qiu... I... I'm not disgusted by you." Xiao Wu took a few more steps back, lowering her hand and breathing heavily.
"I know!" Ye Qiu smiled wryly.
With a wave of his hand, the Blue Silver Emperor grew rapidly, wrapping the skunk like a dumpling.
Only a pair of small, dark eyes were visible.
The Blue Silver Emperor also continuously emitted a fragrance, battling against the skunk's body odor.
Ye Qiu didn't get too close, just enough to control it with his Sharingan.
A soul beast less than a hundred years old wouldn't have any ability to resist and was immediately and completely controlled.
He activated his long-range Kamui in his left eye, directly storing it in his Kamui space.
"Phew~" Ye Qiu breathed a sigh of relief.
I wonder what kind of changes would occur to Tang San's Blue Silver Grass if this little cutie were sacrificed to him.
Perhaps he could better follow in the footsteps of his beloved teacher, Yu Xiaogang!
"Xiao Qiu!"
Seeing Ye Qiu turn around, Xiao Wu ran over at the opportune moment.
She stood a little far away, bending over and craning her neck, sniffing Ye Qiu's neck.
"Swoosh~"
"Xiao Wu~ What are you doing?" Ye Qiu reached out and pushed Xiao Wu away from his neck, who was sniffing incessantly, looking at her with annoyance.
"Hehe~ Luckily, I didn't smell bad!" Xiao Wu grabbed Ye Qiu's hand that was pressing against her face and rubbed her cheek against his palm.
Reassured, she nestled into Ye Qiu's arms, burying her face in his neck.
"Alright, we should go find Zhu Qing and the others!" Ye Qiu was a little ticklish from her, and a smile appeared on his face as he affectionately ruffled her hair.
"Mmm!" Xiao Wu nibbled on Ye Qiu's neck and softly hummed in agreement.
Holding his beloved, they disappeared into the night.
...
Seeing Zhao Wuji and the others arrive, Tang San finally relaxed.
"Little San, how are you? Oscar, sausages!" Dai Mubai quickly came to his side and helped him up.
"Coming!"
Oscar also stuffed the sausages he had prepared earlier into Tang San's mouth, filling it completely.
With Oscar's breakthrough to Soul Master, the sausages' regenerative ability had also improved slightly.
Tang San's complexion visibly improved.
Seeing Zhao Wuji and his group appear, the Dragon Duke and his wife's expressions remained unchanged.
Times had changed.
The peerless dragons and snakes had gathered together, completely disregarding the little Immovable King!
On the contrary, the young men and women who came with him made Dragon Duke Meng Shu frequently glance at them.
Apart from a chubby boy and the girl in green, they were all Soul Masters! They were all younger
than his granddaughter!
Where did these prodigies come from? As for
Zhao Wuji, looking at the eight soul rings at Dragon Duke's feet, he secretly groaned in his heart.
Facing Dragon Duke, let alone his prime, he was no match.
Now that he had used his Martial Soul True Body, all his attributes had been halved, leaving him powerless to fight back.
He probably wouldn't even be able to handle Snake Granny Chaotianxiang!
Forced by circumstances, Zhao Wuji lowered his stance, clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Junior Zhao Wuji has long admired Senior Dragon Duke's name!"
One doesn't hit a smiling face, and Dragon Duke Meng Shu coldly glanced at him.
"You, Immovable King, don't be so polite! You've certainly produced a group of good students; are you taking advantage of my Meng family's lack of talent?"
"Senior, what do you mean?" Zhao Wuji was somewhat bewildered.
"Hmph! The Phoenix Tail Crested Snake matter is over, and I don't want to dwell on it, but now you've once again stolen my granddaughter's soul ring!"
"Shouldn't you give us, the three of us, an explanation!"
*Bang!* Dragon Duke slammed his dragon-headed cane into the ground again, white soul power flowing continuously on it.
He seemed ready to fight at the slightest provocation.
Hearing his words, Zhao Wuji, who had been unaware of what had happened, felt a little ashamed.
Meng Yiran's luck was truly terrible!
However, he also breathed a sigh of relief, thankfully he hadn't offended her too much.
If it had been anyone else in the group who had stolen Meng Yiran's prey, he would have had a very difficult time dealing with it, and might have even had to fight.
But Tang San was different; he had a protective and powerful father!
Understanding these implications, Zhao Wuji repeatedly smiled apologetically, "Not at all, Senior Long Gong, you flatter me. I think there must be some misunderstanding!"
"If Tang San knew this was your granddaughter's prey, he certainly wouldn't have been so ruthless! Besides, Tang San's true teacher is someone else entirely; I wouldn't dare claim that title."
Seeing Zhao Wuji's sullen expression, Meng Shu felt a chill run down his spine!
His deep eyes narrowed involuntarily.
Could this Tang San have some amazing background or origin?
Seeing the suspicion on Meng Shu's face, Zhao Wuji immediately followed. "Hehe... Senior Long Gong, may I have a word with you in private?"
Long Gong frowned. Now that he had an absolute advantage, he wasn't afraid of Zhao Wuji's schemes.
With a tap of his dragon-headed cane, he moved more than twenty meters to the side in the blink of an eye!
Seeing this, Zhao Wuji quickly followed, even taking the time to nod and smile at Chao Tianxiang, completely different from when they last met.
Chao Tianxiang watched coldly, curiosity flashing in her eyes.
She saw Zhao Wuji lean down and whisper something, and her husband's expression changed repeatedly.
Indifference, shock, and ugliness
followed Zhao Wuji and Meng Shu's conversation.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong had already reached Tang San's side.
Meng Yiran also moved closer, wanting to ask something, but was too shy to speak.
Tang San, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground meditating, heard a cold voice beside him.
"Tang San, where are Ye Qiu and Xiao Wu?!" Zhu Zhuqing, her pretty face frosty, helped the pale-faced Ning Rongrong to his side.
"Ye Qiu? Wasn't he with you? How would I know!" Tang San was stunned.
"How could you not know? After you and Xiao Wu were captured, Ye Qiu clearly chased after them?" Ning Rongrong's eyes were red, her breathing was disordered, and her emotions became somewhat agitated.
Tang San frowned, not expecting Ye Qiu to dare to chase after them alone, and now he was nowhere to be found. He couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
"Say something!" Ning Rongrong urged, her face covered in mud and sweat, looking very haggard.
"Ning Rongrong, what's the rush? Tang San needs to rest now!" Dai Mubai, who was supporting him, was also somewhat pleased.
He wished Ye Qiu, who dared to cheat on him, was really dead!
"We didn't ask you!" Zhu Zhuqing stared coldly at him, her sharp claws already extended.
"Zhu Zhuqing, what do you mean?"
"Alright, Boss Dai!" Tang San pulled Dai Mubai back from his rage and explained, "I just woke up and encountered this soul beast. After encountering the Titan Giant Ape, I haven't seen Ye Qiu again! Believe it or not!"
"What!? You actually dared to lie to me just now! Didn't you say Ye Qiu was captured by a soul beast?"
Meng Yiran, who was standing nearby, heard Ning Rongrong's voice and came over, her face showing anger and hostility.
Tang San glanced at her, sneered inwardly, but showed a hint of apology on his face.
"Miss Meng, although I used a little trick, it's very likely that Ye Qiu is indeed with that Titan Giant Ape!"
"You bastard!" Meng Yiran's curse was interrupted by Meng Shu before she could finish.
"Yiran, come here! That soul ring is his." Meng Shu had already finished talking to Zhao Wuji.
After relaying the message to his wife, the couple both looked solemn and fearful.
Zhao Wuji stood aside, wiping away non-existent sweat from his forehead.
The title of Haotian Douluo was indeed very useful!
"Grandpa! In that case, let's set off to find Ye Qiu!" Meng Yiran ran back to Meng Shu's side, grabbing his hand and urging him on.
"Yiran, don't be ridiculous! Do you know how strong that soul beast is? Even a Title Douluo might not be its match!"
Meng Shu's face darkened.
Although Grandpa encourages you to fight for your own happiness, it doesn't mean you have to risk Grandpa's old life!
Are you trying to make me die of filial piety?!
"The fact that a soul beast like the Titan Giant Ape has appeared in the outer area makes me think we should finish our business and leave as soon as possible!"
Chao Tianxiang no longer indulged her.
"Then, then you go first, I'll go find Ye Qiu with them!" Hearing this, Meng Yiran no longer insisted, but pointed to Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing looked at Meng Yiran in surprise.
They didn't expect that she could do so much after only meeting Ye Qiu once.
Tang San had no time to watch the excitement; he had already heard what Long Gong had said.
This spirit ring belonged to him!
Although he didn't know what Zhao Wuji had said to him,
the spirit ring waited for no one; if he waited any longer, the Human-Faced Demon Spider's spirit ring would dissipate!
"Brother Dai, please protect me!"
"Don't worry, there are so many people here, no outsiders will disturb you!" Dai Mubai patted his chest; without Ye Qiu around, he felt much easier to breathe.
"Yiran! You're really being ridiculous!" Just as Meng Shu was about to forcibly take Meng Yiran away, his aged face suddenly changed.
He turned sharply, looking behind him, his spirit power surging.
"Who's there?! Come out!"
From the dense forest behind them came rustling footsteps.
"Rongrong, Zhuqing! Are you alright?" A man and a woman ran out of the woods.
Although somewhat disheveled, the man was handsome and the woman beautiful.
Seeing the two, Zhao Wuji and the others were stunned.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, upon hearing that familiar voice,
rushed forward without hesitation, their faces filled with joy, almost bursting into tears.
"Ye Qiu!"
*Thump!* Two muffled sounds.
The two girls bumped into the young man in white.
"Hmm! I'm back." Ye Qiu gently patted their backs, his hands adorned with vibrant greenery, his body emanating a faint fragrance, dispelling their fatigue.
"Rongrong, Zhuqing, aren't you going to look at me?" Xiao Wu, pushed aside by them, looked resentful.
Unfortunately, the two girls were completely absorbed in Ye Qiu's warm and comfortable embrace and genuinely had no time to pay attention to her.
"Damn! Ye Qiu, Xiao Wu, you're still alive!" Oscar, regaining his senses, stared wide-eyed, his face still showing disbelief.
"Oscar, how dare you talk like that? Do you believe Xiao Wu will tear your mouth apart?!" Xiao Wu, feeling slighted, raised her fist and glared at him fiercely.
"Cough cough... I, I didn't mean it! I just want to know how you escaped back!" Oscar's expression changed, and he immediately pulled the fat Ma Hongjun in front of him.
His face was filled with fear and curiosity.
"Damn it, Oscar, why are you pulling me? I don't want to know." Ma Hongjun was also a little apprehensive; he really didn't want to experience being ganged up on by several girls again.
Although he said he didn't want to know, the fat man's curious look betrayed him.
Dai Mubai, standing beside Tang San, looked at them strangely, his face full of annoyance and hatred.
Zhao Wuji was also very curious. "What Oscar wants to ask is what I want to ask too!"
"This..." Xiao Wu didn't know how to explain for a moment.
Having almost calmed the two girls down, Ye Qiu delivered his prepared explanation.
"Actually, I hadn't chased them far when the Titan Giant Ape threw Tang San and Xiao Wu in different directions. I followed those directions and managed to find Xiao Wu!"
"No wonder Tang San said he woke up here; he was thrown here!" Oscar, recalling Tang San's earlier words, immediately believed this explanation.
"So that's how it is." Even Zhao Wuji couldn't find a better explanation.
After all, the Titan Giant Ape's strength was undeniable; Ye Qiu and his group alone couldn't have escaped.
"This is Ye Qiu?" Meng Shu looked at the suddenly appearing youth; his appearance was indeed impressive.
He had seen so many talented young men, and in terms of looks alone, none could surpass him.
Moreover, his cultivation was already top-tier at his age, perhaps even monstrous! His
granddaughter's judgment was excellent!
Meng Yiran also stared blankly at him, hesitating whether to go forward and greet him.
"Oh no! It seems like Tang San's absorption of the spirit ring has gone wrong!"
Just then, Dai Mubai's exclamation rang in everyone's ears.
He had just been immersed in the resentment and regret that Ye Qiu had returned alive, but in the blink of an eye, he noticed that Tang San's face had turned black.
Fine beads of blood had begun to seep from the skin exposed outside his clothes.
"What!? How could this happen?" Zhao Wuji's heart tightened, and without thinking about Ye Qiu and the others, he immediately rushed to Tang San's side.
If this guy died, his life would be over too!
Ye Qiu, holding the two girls, also noticed Tang San absorbing the spirit ring out of the corner of his eye.
Fortunately, there was still time!
Tang San's accident at this moment created an opportunity for Skunk's actions.
Looking at the two girls in his arms, Ye Qiu slowly lowered his head and traced their cheeks.
Ning Rongrong cooperated by bringing her face closer.
Zhu Zhuqing, however, blushed and cried softly with her head down.
"Ye Qiu~ You're dirty."
"It's alright." Although both women were covered in dirt, their skin was still smooth and soft to the touch.
Ye Qiu gently kissed their cheeks and whispered in their ears that he had something to do.
He then let them go.
Unexpectedly, they were quite in sync, each grabbing one of Ye Qiu's arms and pulling them into their own.
"Then, then is it okay to hold hands?" Ning Rongrong blushed, looking at him cautiously, unsure of what he was going to do, and a little afraid of delaying him.
Ye Qiu glanced at the two women, even Zhu Zhuqing, who usually didn't show affection to him in public, was suppressing her shyness and refusing to let go.
"Alright." He could only nod with a smile, since everything was arranged anyway!
"Hmph!" Xiao Wu snorted and followed Ye Qiu and the others who had already walked towards Tang San.
"Old man, should we go?" Chao Tianxiang glanced at Meng Yiran, who looked somewhat envious, undecided.
"Let's wait and see. Since Yiran really likes that kid, I'll help her out!"
Meng Shu stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming as he watched Ye Qiu's retreating figure.
"Yiran, let's go check on him first." Meng Shu was also worried about that child; it wouldn't be good if he got angry.
"Okay!" Meng Yiran nodded, and the three of them moved closer to Tang San.
Ye Qiu arrived a short distance in front of Tang San.
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing leaning against him like a little bird, Dai Mubai's face immediately turned ashen.
"Ye Qiu~ What's going on?" Ning Rongrong looked at Tang San's current state; it was simply terrifying!
At this moment, Tang San's brows were furrowed, his lips were bleeding, and his convulsing body was shrouded in a thin mist of blood.
The powerful force contained within this spirit ring was incompatible with his physical body, and blood beads began to seep from his body, evaporating into the air with his spirit power.
"Teacher Zhao, won't Tang San die if this continues?" Ma Hongjun looked at Tang San, who had become a blood-soaked figure, and couldn't help but swallow hard.
He had never seen anyone absorb a spirit ring like this before; it was truly agonizing!
Just as Zhu Zhuqing was whimpering, Xiao Wu, who had clung to her arm, saw the corpse of the Human-Faced Demon Spider lying nearby and let out a soft exclamation.
"Xiao Qiu~ This Human-Faced Demon Spider..."
"I know! It's a two-thousand-year-old Human-Faced Demon Spider!"
"Two thousand years!?"
Ye Qiu's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Zhao Wuji's head, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his eyes revealing terror.
"Ye Qiu, are you sure you didn't see wrong?"
Zhao Wuji knew very well that the limit for the third spirit ring should be seventeen hundred years.
Tang San's physical condition was not at its peak, and even his spirit rings were far beyond the limit; something unexpected could happen!
"No mistake. I read in a book that the cultivation level of a Human-Faced Demon Spider can be judged by the length of its legs. This Human-Faced Demon Spider's legs are over three meters long, a sign that its cultivation level is over two thousand years."
Ye Qiu nodded affirmatively, while one hand slowly moved into his pocket amidst Zhu Zhuqing's blushing expression.
Inside was a glass marble.
Ye Qiu's words made Meng Yiran turn her head, and Xiao Wu also smiled at her man with her eyes crinkled.
"Xiao Qiu~ You're so amazing!"
Ye Qiu was a little embarrassed by Xiao Wu's praise.
After all, he had overstepped his bounds, stealing the words that Xiao Wu was supposed to say.
"This is actually a two-thousand-year-old human-faced demon spider, thank goodness..." Meng Shu was shocked upon hearing Ye Qiu's words, followed by a wave of fear.
Thankfully, he hadn't succeeded in hunting it, otherwise his granddaughter would most likely have perished!
"Wouldn't Tang San explode and die?"
Ning Rongrong's soft words resonated like a booming bell in everyone's ears.
Boom!
"Ah!" Ning Rongrong closed her eyes in terror and threw herself into Ye Qiu's arms.
Meng Yiran also screamed, burying her head in Chao Tianxiang's arms.
Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Dai Mubai were also terrified, quickly retreating, almost wetting themselves.
Meng Shu and his wife's eyelids twitched, and Zhao Wuji felt a chill in his heart, thinking Tang San had exploded, but his eyes were filled with terror as he looked towards the distant location of the explosion.
"What on earth is going on?"
While everyone was shocked by the distant explosion, they didn't notice that Tang San had been suddenly disturbed, spitting out a mouthful of blood and even pausing his spirit ring absorption.
A skunk quickly pounced into Tang San's arms, its body emitting a white light that surged into his body, resuming the spirit ring absorption process.
The purple spirit ring floating above his head was already swaying, seemingly about to dissipate!
Ye Qiu's lips curled into a cold smile.
He hugged Ning Rongrong tighter, wishing he could immediately give her a long kiss.
Her unintentional remark had been a brilliant assist.
His plan to use the gunpowder explosion to divert their attention was proceeding very smoothly.
The effect was outstanding!
Before returning, Ye Qiu had also used his Sharingan to control a fire-breathing insect-like spirit beast, the Fire Flossworm!
When he crushed the glass ball in his pocket, it would ignite the gunpowder packet Ye Qiu had left behind.
The explosion they had just heard was caused by the Fire Flossworm.
The echoes of the explosion had not yet faded.
Xiao Wu was the first to be unable to stand it, covering her nose and backing away.
"It stinks!"
"What...? Yue~"
Zhao Wuji also came to his senses, and after being frightened, he habitually took a deep breath, almost fainting.
"Grandma, it stinks!"
Chao Tianxiang also quickly led Meng Yiran back, her old face wrinkled with worry.
The others also moved away from Tang San one after another.
Fortunately, Ye Qiu quietly activated Blue Silver Fragrance, so that he and the two girls wouldn't feel too uncomfortable.
"What is that?!" Zhao Wuji covered his nose and looked into Tang San's arms.
"It looks like a soul beast!" Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang squinted, finally seeing the thing underneath!
"It's a skunk!" Long Gong Meng Shu, standing to the side, also turned pale. "Where did this skunk come from?"
Long Gong frowned, how could he have not noticed it at all?!
And how could a soul beast of this level appear near the mixed zone?!
"Look! Xiao San broke through! Did he succeed?!" Dai Mubai exclaimed.
"What!?" Zhao Wuji was overjoyed.
He had thought he was likely to perish with them, but his eyes lit up again!
The Dragon and Snake couple also looked at Tang San in surprise.
Only Meng Yiran looked at Ye Qiu with curiosity and a strange expression .
In the distance, Tang San sat cross-legged on the ground, his hands clasped around his dantian, a Blue Silver Grass floating in his hands.
The expression on his face was no longer ferocious, but relaxed.
A slight smile even appeared on his lips.
Just now, he had been trying to absorb the powerful energy within the Human-Faced Demon Spider's soul ring, constantly being washed over by that energy, suffering unbearable pain, and almost fainting!
Unexpectedly, after a loud bang,
although it distracted him and
almost caused him to fail, he managed to firmly hold onto the soul ring.
After that, absorbing the soul ring suddenly became exceptionally easy, and his cultivation slowly increased.
Just when he thought he had overcome it, a foul stench filled his nostrils, making him want to vomit!
His expression turned grim again, his bloodshot face concealing a twisted, bluish-green face.
He was at a crucial moment in absorbing the spirit ring.
His increased cultivation level prevented him from moving,
forcing him to maintain smooth, steady breathing.
He endured the churning in his stomach, remaining meticulous.
Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, and the cold indifference of Ye Qiu and the women,
what happened in just a few breaths felt like an eternity.
Tang San's cultivation had finally surpassed level 30, reaching level 31, officially becoming a Soul Master!
The purple spirit ring above his head dissipated in the air just in time.
"Great! He succeeded!" Zhao Wuji excitedly pumped his fist, even happier than if he had broken through himself.
This was like escaping death, incredibly exciting!
But Long Gong Meng Shu frowned. He didn't share Tang San's life-and-death bond, so he was naturally more clear-headed.
His perception was also much stronger.
"Something's wrong! His cultivation level and that spirit ring are both off!"
"What's wrong?" Zhao Wuji looked at him strangely, his heart, which had just settled, now pounding again!
"Teacher Zhao!" Oscar suddenly cried out in terror, his words stammering. "Look! White...white!"
"What...!?" Zhao Wuji turned around to ask Oscar, but his body froze.
He looked as if he had seen a ghost, his voice trembling, and his eyes bloodshot from the shock.
"White...white! How can it be white?!" Everyone stared blankly at Tang San, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, holding a Blue Silver Grass in his arms. Three spirit rings slowly emerged
from beneath his feet. Yellow...yellow and white! The third one was actually a white ten-year spirit ring! Tang San, sitting cross-legged on the ground, twisted his face again. He too had realized something was wrong!