"Haha, this is all thanks to Grandpa." Jin Yue'er proudly puffed out her chest. With the maturation of her Spirit Ring, her physique was no longer as frail as before. Though she still appeared slender on the surface, her foundation had become remarkably sturdy. Her pale golden almond eyes fixed intently on Ye Tian as she giggled playfully, tugging at his sleeve like a child begging for attention.
With a hint of coyness, she asked, "Ye Tian, aren't you curious about what level I've reached now?"
"Oh?" Ye Tian responded with a teasing smile. He knew that after breaking through level ten, Jin Yue'er had spent an additional month tempering her physical strength to prepare for absorbing a higher-year Spirit Ring. Her Soul Power had already accumulated substantially, not to mention the Spirit Ring itself. From the moment he saw her, Ye Tian had already deduced the quality of her first Spirit Ring—otherwise, she wouldn't be so delighted and proud.
Maintaining basic conversational courtesy, Ye Tian met her gaze and guessed with interest, "I'd say you're at level thirteen, right?" After speaking, he glanced at Qian Renxue, who had approached, and asked with a smile, "Am I correct, Little Xue?"
"Probably right," Qian Renxue replied softly, her lips curving into a gentle smile. The feeling of not being overlooked was truly wonderful, especially when it was Ye Tian who acknowledged her. She glanced at the stunned Jin Yue'er and couldn't hold back a laugh. "Next, we'll have to see if Yue'er can break through to level fourteen right away." With that, she turned a mischievous look toward her side. "Isn't that right, Yue'er~"
"Ah—! Sister Xue, that's impossible!" Jin Yue'er exclaimed in frustration, tilting her face up to look at Ye Tian with a trace of hope. "Ye Tian, can't you guess wrong just once? You always do this—it makes Sister Xue and me look so silly!"
"Yue'er~ I'm not silly!" Qian Renxue immediately frowned in protest. Though Ye Tian had looked at her like she was an idiot twice before, those incidents were long in the past! She had always been exceptionally clever since childhood.
"Hehe~ Compared to Ye Tian, we both seem a bit silly," Jin Yue'er admitted with an embarrassed laugh. Qian Renxue opened her mouth to retort but found herself at a loss for words. Fine—compared to Ye Tian, she was indeed a little slow.
"Alright, Yue'er, stop flattering me. I'm just a bit older than you two," Ye Tian said, pulling his sleeve back from her grasp. For once, he spoke from the heart, even touching upon his greatest secret.
But Qian Renxue wasn't having any of it. "Cut the nonsense! You're actually a few days younger than me—you're just a little brother." She shot him an exasperated glare, her cheeks flushing slightly as she mustered a rare assertiveness. "Actually, I should have made you change how you address me long ago. Just like Yue'er and Nana, you should call me 'Sister Xue.'"
"Great! I fully support that!" Jin Yue'er clapped her hands in delight, egging them on as she watched Ye Tian squirm.
"Fine, forget I said anything," Ye Tian conceded with a helpless shrug, quickly steering the conversation away from the topic.
"Tch~" Jin Yue'er scornfully stuck out half of her pinky finger in disdain.
Ye Tian rolled his eyes so hard they nearly reached the back of his head. "Hmph~"
Qian Renxue let out a soft hum.
Sooner or later, she would make Ye Tian call her "sister."
Just the thought alone brought a faint blush to Qian Renxue's cheeks.
Dealing with someone like Ye Tian gave her a strangely thrilling feeling, as if she were forcing a virtuous person into corruption.
"!"
Ye Tian shuddered.
He glanced around suspiciously but found nothing out of the ordinary.
Yet he could clearly sense it—that chilling feeling of being watched by Bi Bi Dong.
"Ye Tian, what's wrong?" Qian Renxue looked at him, puzzled by his sudden wariness.
Had he sensed her thoughts?
"Ah, it's nothing." Ye Tian quickly shook his head, suppressing his unease and deciding not to linger any longer.
It was better to leave early and keep his appointment.
But before that, Ye Tian was curious about Jin Yue'er's Soul Skill.
Without hesitation, he asked, "By the way, Yue'er, how is your Spirit Ring?"
"Haha!" Jin Yue'er couldn't hold back her laughter, bursting with excitement. "Hmph, Ye Tian, you finally asked!"
She placed her hands on her hips, puffing up with pride—she had been dying to show off!
Ye Tian couldn't help but smile gently. "I'm looking forward to it."
"Then you better watch closely~" Jin Yue'er said playfully before her expression suddenly turned serious.
Buzz—!
A golden light erupted around Jin Yue'er as her Golden Crocodile Martial Soul transformed into a golden wheel spinning behind her.
At the same time,
a purple glow bloomed at her feet, spreading outward
and forming a purple Spirit Ring!
"Haha, bet you didn't expect this! I also obtained a Thousand-Year Spirit Ring—from a Plate Armor Mad Crocodile with just under 1,100 years of cultivation!" Jin Yue'er was brimming with pride.
Aside from learning that Ye Tian's Pills could help repair her body,
she had never been this excited before.
This was a Thousand-Year First Ring!
In the past,
she was just a sickly girl who hardly dared to dream of awakening her Martial Soul!
Who would have thought that one day
she would possess a purple First Spirit Ring!
"…"
Ye Tian remained silent,
gazing at Jin Yue'er's Spirit Ring with a look of understanding.
As expected, it was purple!
Clap clap clap!
"Yue'er, you're amazing~" Qian Renxue applauded, her face beaming with joy.
Noticing Ye Tian's unsurprised expression, she found it hard to hold back her laughter.
Yue'er seemed to have chosen the wrong person to show off to—
Ye Tian had clearly anticipated this all along.
But hmph, there was no way Ye Tian could guess Yue'er's Soul Skill.
As Qian Renxue clapped,
she was already looking forward to seeing Ye Tian's astonished reaction.
Jin Yue'er stared intently at Ye Tian, pouting slightly,
dissatisfied with his lackluster response.
However,
she wasn't finished yet!
Holding back her frustration, Jin Yue'er curled her lips into a confident smile and declared,
"Ye Tian, I can protect you now!"
As she spoke,
Jin Yue'er playfully dropped into a horse stance.
"Now, let me show you my First Soul Skill—Explosive Gilded Armor!"
Explosive Gilded Armor?!
Ye Tian's obsidian-like eyes lit up, fixed intently on Jin Yue'er.
He watched as she clenched her fists at her waist,
maintaining her horse stance,
while the Golden Crocodile Martial Soul behind her, now a golden wheel, flowed smoothly
like a fish returning to water,
twisting and turning until it surged from top to bottom into Jin Yue'er's body!
Martial Soul Possession!
Golden patterns instantly crisscrossed Jin Yue'er's skin.
Crack!
A faint shattering sound echoed.
The purple Spirit Ring at her feet suddenly turned gold,
appearing as though it were breaking apart!
"Roar!"
A low beastly growl rumbled.
The golden ring shattered,
Golden scales swept over Jin Yue'er's body like a whirlwind.
A flash of golden light.
Jin Yue'er was now clad head to toe in golden scales.
The first impression was one of heaviness, followed by ferocity!
Bony spikes protruded from her elbows, knees, fists, and other joints.
Her pair of golden vertical pupils were filled with coldness.
She had transformed from a slender young girl into a humanoid beast!
Except for the triangular area on her face,
Even her scalp was covered in golden scale armor!
To look at her,
She appeared completely different from before!
The fierce aura washed over Ye Tian, who couldn't help but freeze momentarily, exclaiming in admiration:
"Truly worthy of the Golden Crocodile Martial Soul..."
"Impressed, aren't you!"
Jin Yue'er squatted in a horse stance, grinning as she spoke, her voice slightly hoarse.
Slap!
Her right foot stomped on the ground.
Jin Yue'er transformed into a golden afterimage.
A pair of wild, golden vertical pupils quickly closed in before Ye Tian's eyes.
Almost level with Ye Tian's own eyes.
After activating her First Soul Skill,
Jin Yue'er's already increased height had grown even more.