Tang San gritted his teeth, his body trembling slightly.
He was still continuously circulating his prized Xuan Tian Gong. He
exerted great effort, but there was no reaction.
"How could this be?" His lips twitched slightly, cold sweat on his forehead washing away the bloodstains on his face.
His third ring had already been absorbed?!
How could this be!?
His cultivation level had only just barely passed the level 30 mark!
How could this thousand-year soul ring provide so little improvement compared to the second and first rings he absorbed!
There was no sound in his ears.
Zhao Wuji and the others were stunned speechless by the scene before them, unable to recover for a long time!
Gradually, Tang San also lost patience.
After the physical pain completely disappeared,
he regained consciousness and felt the weight in his arms.
He raised his hand; it was a furry touch, still slightly warm.
After only a couple of touches, the stench surrounding his nose became even stronger.
This seemed to be a soul beast?
"A soul beast!?" Tang San's mind went blank, buzzing from the word.
His eyes snapped open, and the skunk's dull, slightly dazed eyes met his gaze.
"It's a skunk!"
Having some knowledge of soul masters, he immediately recognized the little cutie in his arms.
Tang San's face contorted in shock; he finally understood where the stench was coming from.
But he had no time to ponder where the skunk had come from.
His eyes flashed with panic and a hint of relief.
However, his third soul ring delivered a devastating blow.
His pupils dilated violently, bloodshot veins appearing.
He screamed in terror,
"White! How could it be white? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Tang San was filled with shock and anger, unable to believe what he was seeing. He even forgot to throw the skunk away.
The stench was irrelevant;
his heart was trembling!
"I clearly absorbed the thousand-year spirit ring of the Human-Faced Demon Spider!"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Tang San kept muttering to himself, unable to accept this cruel and absurd fact!
He summoned his Blue Silver Grass, still clinging to a last glimmer of hope.
The white spirit ring glowed slightly.
However, no miracle occurred.
The Blue Silver Grass remained unchanged; only the stench Tang San smelled intensified.
"Pfft!"
Tang San immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, screaming to the sky.
"No!!" He
then collapsed straight down.
Already tormented by forcibly absorbing the two-thousand-year spirit ring, he was at his limit.
Now, seeing his unprecedented and unparalleled spirit ring configuration, he finally couldn't hold on any longer.
His eyes rolled back, and he fainted from excitement.
Before closing his eyes, he still couldn't understand where things had gone wrong.
What on earth happened!?
In his last moment before collapsing, he seemed to see Xiao Wu covering her nose, looking disgusted.
A sliver of joy welled up in his heart—Xiao Wu was back!
When he saw Ye Qiu, with one woman on each side and a cold smile on his lips,
an overwhelming hatred surged within him.
His intuition told him that Ye Qiu, that damned man, had definitely tampered with his third spirit ring.
He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids were too heavy.
He wanted to say something, but the blood was already stuck in his throat.
*Pfft!*
From the moment he screamed to the moment he collapsed, only a few breaths had passed.
"Tang San!"
Zhao Wuji finally reacted.
His anxiety made him oblivious to the foul smell in the air.
He rushed towards Tang San
, holding him in his arms and checking his vital signs. He
examined him thoroughly, inside and out, and thankfully, there was no danger to his life.
Holding his breath, his face dark, he tossed the skunk in Tang San's arms aside.
He called out towards Ma Hongjun and the others, "Ma Hongjun, quickly use your fire to burn this soul beast!"
"Oscar, come here quickly! Get your sausage!"
"Coming, coming, Teacher Zhao!" Oscar pinched his nose and walked over, laboriously chanting his lewd soul incantation.
Two soul rings rose from Ma Hongjun's feet. He pinched his nose and spat out a phoenix fire line, instantly igniting the skunk's body.
The others stood at a distance,
their eyes filled with strange expressions. This was truly an eye-opener for them.
Ye Qiu's lips curled into a cold smile.
Xiao Wu also had a hint of schadenfreude in her eyes.
Their expressions were both observed by a single gaze.
"Huh?" Ma Hongjun, who had just burned the skunk's corpse, suddenly widened his lewd little eyes.
He asked Zhao Wuji beside him,
"Teacher Zhao, why can't this skunk be burned clean? There seems to be something inside?!"
His voice also drew the attention of the others.
The well-informed Dragon Lord Meng Shu narrowed his eyes, and upon seeing the object clearly, his heart trembled!
"How is this possible?! This is a soul bone!"
"What? A soul bone!" Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang was also astonished.
"A soul bone!" Zhao Wuji's eyes widened as well.
The others were no better off.
Those present weren't ignorant; they already knew the preciousness of soul bones.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, holding Ye Qiu, glanced at their lovers strangely.
Suddenly, things became clear!
Ye Qiu, not wanting to expose himself, glared at them irritably. He
even gave them a playful pinch, signaling them to look away.
The two girls blushed and gave him a reproachful look before discreetly averting their eyes.
"This is a soul bone? But it doesn't seem like one?" Upon hearing that it was a soul bone, Ma Hongjun immediately picked it up.
What he held
was an irregularly shaped columnar object, mottled with black and white stripes, only about ten centimeters long.
It emitted a faint fluctuation of soul power.
"This is indeed a soul bone! It seems to be a right arm bone. The reason it looks like this is because its age is too low, its quality is too poor, it only has the shape of a forearm!"
Upon seeing the quality of the soul bone, Long Gong Meng Shu's eyes immediately dimmed.
This level of soul bone was truly...useless!
Not worth the trouble.
"Damn! Why does this soul bone smell bad?!" Ma Hongjun had never seen such a high-end thing as a soul bone before.
He couldn't help but hold it close to his face, admiring it.
Only when he got closer did he smell the stench emanating from the skunk.
He quickly threw the soul bone back onto the ground
and vigorously rubbed his chubby face.
"Ugh~ I'm doomed, Boss Dai, I'm unclean! My hands and face stink!"
"Get away from me, Fatty! What time is it? You're already smelly!" Seeing the fat man about to pounce, Dai Mubai kicked him away with a look of disgust.
"Pfft, you fatso, of course this skunk's soul bone stinks. I bet its soul bone skill is to knock people out with its stench!" Xiao Wu
couldn't help but laugh at the fat man's comical appearance.
The stench in the air gradually dissipated.
But Tang San and the skunk had been inseparable for a long time, so he inevitably picked up its scent.
Therefore, Zhao Wuji's expression was still very unpleasant.
At the same time, he was also full of doubt; this matter was really too strange.
"What on earth is going on? A soul beast that's less than a hundred years old actually dropped a soul bone for the first time ever!?"
It's common knowledge that the higher the age and strength of a soul beast, the greater the chance of it dropping a soul bone.
A 100,000-year-old soul beast has a 100% chance
of dropping a soul bone. But for a soul beast only a few decades old, the probability of dropping a soul bone is almost zero!
Meng Shu was also very puzzled.
"Maybe it's just that this little brother Tang San is lucky... cough cough!" Chao Tianxiang started coughing before she could finish speaking.
The others also looked at her strangely. Her
third soul ring, by some twist of fate, became white—can that be called good luck?
"Actually, besides the certainty of a 100,000-year-old soul beast dropping a soul bone, there are two other possibilities!"
Ye Qiu's voice attracted everyone's attention.
"Oh? What are they?" Meng Shu immediately became interested upon hearing this.
Under Ning Rongrong's disapproving gaze
, Ye Qiu, after considering for a moment, decided to pull his hand out of Ning Rongrong's arms.
He held up two fingers and explained in detail.
"Both of these conditions are extremely demanding. One is that the soul beast possesses extreme resentment! The other is that the soul beast voluntarily allows itself to be killed by the soul master, either as a sacrifice or by giving up hope of survival!"
"Extreme resentment?" Meng Shu frowned.
He knew a little about sacrifice, after all, he had heard about Tang San's father!
But this extreme resentment was something he had never heard of before.
What constitutes extreme? How
extreme does it have to be?
"So you mean..." Zhao Wuji wasn't sure if what he said was true, but it was at least half credible.
After all, he had also heard of sacrifice!
"Maybe this soul beast voluntarily sacrificed itself to Tang San!" Ye Qiu suppressed a laugh, speaking calmly and sarcastically, not forgetting to glare at Xiao Wu who was secretly laughing.
"What did Xiao San do that made a soul beast willingly sacrifice itself to him?" Dai Mubai was stunned for a moment, then felt a little regretful.
It was a pity that it was only a soul beast less than a hundred years old.
"Maybe this human-faced spider was going to eat this skunk, and then Xiao San just happened to save it?" Oscar stroked his white stubble.
"Would any soul beast even dare to eat something like that?" Ma Hongjun, still slapping his stinky face, expressed his doubt.
The smell was just too pungent!
"Sigh~! Alright, there's no point in saying more. What's done is done! Let's get out of here first!"
Zhao Wuji didn't want to dwell on these things that were beyond repair.
This is truly a headache.
Tang San has survived,
but his Blue Silver Grass spirit has encountered a major problem.
Randomly selecting spirit rings could have long-term negative effects.
What will happen to him when his father, Tang Hao, finds out?
He can only leave it to fate!
"Everyone, rest for half an hour, then we'll leave the Star Dou Great Forest!" Zhao Wuji settled Tang San under a large tree and instructed the others.
Since encountering the Titan Giant Ape, he hadn't opened his eyes, leading his students through the forest. He was
physically exhausted, mentally tense, and utterly worn out.
"Understood, Teacher Zhao!"
"Ma Hongjun, remember to pick up that spirit bone and take it back!" Glancing at the spirit bone on the ground, Zhao Wuji told Ma Hongjun to put it away.
Although it wasn't anything special, it was still a spirit bone.
Even if Tang San didn't want it, he could sell it for some money.
"Rongrong, Zhuqing, you should sit down and rest for a while! And Xiaowu too."
"Okay!"
Ye Qiu gestured for the girls to sit down, then took out a lot of food from his divine space and handed it to them.
"Ye Qiu~"
Ye Qiu was sitting on the ground when a pair of straight, shapely long legs suddenly appeared in front of him.
Meng Yiran had already walked up to him, looking shy and timid.
"Miss Meng? Would you like some?" Ye Qiu looked up at her and handed her the pastries he was holding.
"No, no." Meng Yiran was stunned for a moment, then waved her hands repeatedly, as if she was about to say something.
The Dragon and Snake couple also stood up beside her.
"You are Ye Qiu?" Dragon Lord Meng Shu held a dragon-headed cane, looking at Ye Qiu with admiration and appreciation in his eyes.
"Senior Dragon Lord, this junior is indeed Ye Qiu!" Ye Qiu didn't sit down anymore, put the pastries in Ning Rongrong's mouth, and stood up.
Ning Rongrong and the others also looked at the family of three with curiosity.
Zhao Wuji and the others were also paying attention to this side.
Having just found Tang San and the others, he didn't want any more accidents to happen!
"Haha, you truly are a handsome and talented man. No wonder my Yiran couldn't forget you after just one meeting!" Meng Shu stroked his beard, nodding in deep agreement.
"Grandpa! What nonsense are you talking about?" Meng Yiran stamped her foot in embarrassment, but her eyes were fixed on Ye Qiu's reaction.
"Uh... haha." Meeting Meng Yiran's watery eyes, Ye Qiu chuckled dryly and scratched his head.
"Miss Meng is too kind!"
"Whether it's too kind or not, now that I've seen you in person, do you think I can't tell?"
Seeing Ye Qiu's self-deprecating manner, Meng Shu was even more satisfied.
With such talent, yet so humble and composed, his temperament was also quite good!
"I wonder if there's anything you need, Senior?" Ye Qiu didn't waste any more time arguing with him; he knew his own strength.
Since Meng Shu had come to talk to him personally, it certainly wasn't just a casual chat.
Perhaps he'd try to recruit him into his clan, just like he did with Tang San!
Meng Shu's next words confirmed Ye Qiu's guess.
"I have high hopes for your future. Would you be willing to join my clan?"
"Senior."
Seeing Ye Qiu about to speak, Meng Shu raised his palm to interrupt him.
"Don't rush to refuse. If you join my clan, resource allocation will be one aspect, but we will also hunt souls for you and protect your growth. If you and Yiran can get together, the position of clan leader is not out of the question!"
Clan leader!?
Oscar and Ma Hongjun's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing these two words.
They wished they could replace Ye Qiu.
"I'm sorry, Senior Long Gong, I still prefer to be free!"
Under Meng Yiran's expectant gaze, Ye Qiu smiled wryly and politely declined Meng Shu's invitation.
This pie was really big and round.
However, Ye Qiu didn't lack any of the things he mentioned.
Not counting the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, he still had the Poison Douluo as his backer outside, and in the Star Dou Great Forest, he also had two brothers-in-law who were 100,000 years old.
"Oh? Aren't you going to reconsider?" Meng Shu was also a little surprised, not expecting him to refuse so decisively.
His gaze then fell on Xiao Wu and the other two girls who were still sitting on the ground.
"If you care about these girls, there's absolutely no need. There are plenty of people in this world with three wives and four concubines. You can bring them along to join."
"Huh?"
Ye Qiu thought he had misheard!
What kind of outrageous words were these?
This old man's appetite was too big!
Not to mention that Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were both Soul Masters around twelve years old, Ning Rongrong's status was not something his small temple could accommodate.
"Pfft~!"
"Damn it! Little Ao, what are you doing? Do you need a beating?"
Oscar, who was drinking water not far away, couldn't help but spray Ma Hongjun's face when he heard these words.
Even Dai Mubai looked over with a mocking expression.
He didn't think much of the so-called family of the Peerless Dragon Snake.
Moreover, since they actually planned to associate with Ye Qiu, he had even less of a good impression of them.
However, Meng Shu was still somewhat oblivious, unaware of the strange atmosphere around him.
"You heard me right, as long as my family remains powerful, that's all that matters."
"Grandpa!" Meng Yiran's face showed a hint of panic.
She hadn't even gotten close to Ye Qiu yet!
How could she say something so offensive?
"Why! Why should she be powerful!? We don't care about your so-called bullshit family!"
Before Ye Qiu could even speak, Ning Rongrong couldn't hold back anymore. She
stood up directly, grabbed Ye Qiu's arm, and retorted.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing nodded in agreement.
They were also quite confident in Ning Rongrong's 'fighting power,' sitting on the ground watching her perform.
Ning Rongrong huffed and puffed.
She hadn't even had a chance to become a big shot, and this guy who'd only met Ye Qiu twice already had such grand ambitions!
This was outrageous!
"Where did this little brat come from, so ill-mannered?" Meng Shu's expression changed.
His family, while not as powerful as the three upper sects, was still somewhat stronger than the four lower sects!
How could he tolerate being slandered!
"Ugh!"
"Ye Qiu, don't speak, let me handle this! Hmph." Seeing Ye Qiu about to speak, Ning Rongrong stuffed the dry rations she'd already eaten into his mouth.
"You ask me where I'm from? I'll tell you right now! I'm from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
Ning Rongrong stretched out her small hand, and a seven-story, seven-colored glazed pagoda appeared in her palm, adorned with two yellow soul rings.
"What! You're actually from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?!" Meng Shu's eyes widened.
He hadn't expected that the seemingly ordinary girl in blue among this group would have such an extraordinary background.
She was a direct disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!
He was only slightly surprised; the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had many disciples, and their statuses varied greatly.
"Hmph! Even if you are a disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, that's not enough for you to spout such arrogant nonsense!"
"Why not? If my father, Grandpa Sword, and Grandpa Bone knew you actually wanted me to join your family and become someone else's concubine, let's see if your family could still exist! Hmph!"
"Ah! Ye Qiu~ I didn't mean to,"
Ning Rongrong said, noticing Ye Qiu seemed to choke, and quickly patted his back gently.
Sword! Bone!
These words made Meng Shu's head buzz, and cold sweat broke out on his back.
Besides those two, he really couldn't think of anyone else!?
Meng Shu looked at Ning Rongrong with a serious expression.
"Who exactly are you!?"
"Cough cough~" Ye Qiu finally caught his breath, and Miss Ning also reappeared.
"My name is Ning Rongrong, and my father is Ning Fengzhi, the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School!"
"What!?" Meng Shu trembled, almost dropping his dragon-headed cane.
Who the hell were these people Zhao Wuji brought?!
Each one had a more powerful background than the last!
Chao Tianxiang beside him was also shocked, not expecting another powerful figure.
Meng Yiran stared blankly at Ye Qiu, the so-called young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, bowing respectfully.
Her eyes held an indescribable strangeness; the contrast was too great!
Meng Shu also stared at Ye Qiu in disbelief. This kid had actually managed to hook up with the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
No wonder he was unmoved by his conditions.
His face darkened, somewhat resentful that Ye Qiu hadn't said so sooner.
In the end, he had made a fool of himself!
Making the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School his concubine—this matter was both trivial and serious.
It was just a few words.
Meng Shu wouldn't abandon his dignity as a powerful figure for such a thing.
However, embarrassment was inevitable.
He was too ashamed to stay any longer and decided to finish quickly.
"So you're Sect Leader Ning's beloved daughter! It seems Brother Ye Qiu has found a better match. In that case, I won't disturb you any longer!"
"Yiran! Let's go,"
Meng Shu called out, turning to leave.
"Yiran!" Chao Tianxiang tugged at her twice, but couldn't budge her.
Ye Qiu looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Grandpa, why don't you rest here for a bit?" Meng Yiran turned back and said.
Meng Shu's face darkened; he still felt his earlier words had made him lose face.
But seeing his granddaughter's hopeful eyes,
he nodded.
He gestured to Chao Tianxiang, and together they found an open space to sit down.
Meng Yiran's expression brightened. She turned to look at Ye Qiu, her beautiful face blooming with happiness.
Clenching her delicate fists, her expectant, spring-like gaze fixed on Ye Qiu.
His voice was tense, as if he were using a lot of force, and trembled slightly.
"Ye Qiu~ I... can we talk alone?"