Ah Yin, I Dragged You Down

"Hmm..."

"Why did I feel like this soul skill was kind of... underhanded?"

"Geez, how tough would someone's scalp have to be to become my enemy?"

With this soul skill, he would not have to worry about Tang Hao hiding and lurking around the next time they met.

The more Soul Power he expended while condensing a sword seed, the stronger its concealment became, the farther its sensing range extended, and the more terrifying the damage it dealt.

Once it was successfully detonated, its destructive power would be immeasurable. If it exploded at a vital spot, the consequences would be even more unthinkable.

"Hehehe, Tang Hao, Tang Hao... You'd better hide yourself well," he muttered to himself.

For some reason, Tang Hao was precisely the person he most wanted to test this soul skill on.

He always felt that old bastard was hiding somewhere in the shadows, ready to suddenly jump out and ambush him at any moment.

If Tang Hao targeted him, that would be one thing. But if he targeted the people around him, then Ye Feiyang could only take it out on Tang San...

Just as he mentioned Tang Hao, the Lan Yin Grass hanging from his waist suddenly tightened its vines around him, wrapping his waist so tightly that he could barely breathe.

"Heh? Big Sis Lan, are you throwing a tantrum?"

"Oh? It feels like you've gotten stronger again! What, are you thirsty? Want me to get you some water right now?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the constricting force suddenly loosened, as though it had never tightened at all.

Ye Feiyang chuckled. This Lan Yin Grass's reactions were still so easy for him to manipulate.

"Teacher, why are you smiling so... uh, meaningfully?" Seeing Ye Feiyang awake, Ning Rongrong pounced over like a little bird.

"How are you talking to your teacher? Do you want extra training again?" Ye Feiyang raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of threat.

"Ah, n-no! I meant that your smile is very handsome, as bright as spring flowers..." Ning Rongrong hurriedly changed her tune. She did not want to receive "special treatment" in front of so many people.

She quickly changed the subject. "Teacher, I'm level 32 now! So is Senior Sister Zhuqing! Well? We didn't embarrass you, did we?"

Mentioning their levels, Ning Rongrong could not help feeling a little proud. Rising six levels in such a short time would make anyone proud.

Ye Feiyang grinned and patted her shoulder. "Impressive! But when I was your age, I was already level 39..."

The smile at Ning Rongrong's lips instantly froze, and she could no longer smile. Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing silently wiped the joy from her face as well.

Not only had they received no praise, they had been dealt a crushing blow instead.

Xiao Wu covered her mouth and snickered nearby. Serves you right for showing off. Now Teacher shut you down, didn't he?

Only after absorbing the soul ring did Ye Feiyang realize that the Sky Azure Bull Python had not retreated into the lake. It was still coiled in the same spot.

Remembering that Ah Yin at his waist had never been very cooperative, he asked the Sky Azure Bull Python, "Da Ming, do you know where the Lan Yin clan lives? Look at this Lan Yin Grass in my hand..."

The Sky Azure Bull Python had long noticed that this Lan Yin Grass was anything but ordinary. Now, it recognized it at a glance. "This is the aura of the Lan Yin Emperor? How did it end up in your hands?"

As soon as those words were spoken, the three girls froze, staring at Ye Feiyang in disbelief before lowering their heads to look at the Lan Yin Grass at his waist.

They never would have imagined that the seemingly ordinary Lan Yin Grass Ye Feiyang had brought back that day was actually the legendary Lan Yin Emperor.

No wonder their teacher carried it with him whenever he went out and often muttered strangely to a blade of grass.

Now, all their doubts finally had an answer.

"Teacher! Just how many things have you been hiding from us?" Ning Rongrong could not help asking, her tone full of shock.

Ye Feiyang had no time to deal with them. He pushed the three girls clustered in front of him aside and continued looking at the Sky Azure Bull Python. "How it got into my hands isn't important, and I wasn't the one who turned it into this. I want to send it back to its clan, so do you know the exact location?"

The Sky Azure Bull Python's enormous bull head nodded. "I do. But you can just ask it directly. You don't need me to show you the way."

"Alright, human. I'll leave Xiao Wu in your care! Consider it a favor I owe you. If there's nothing else, leave this place early."

As soon as it finished speaking, the Sky Azure Bull Python sank straight into the lake without another word.

Since it was already seeing them off, Ye Feiyang could not very well force himself to stay. Besides, after all this commotion, dawn was nearly here.

He could roughly guess why the Sky Azure Bull Python was so eager to send them away, but he did not take it to heart. His gaze turned once more toward the Lake of Life, as if he wanted to see through its waters.

A peerless powerhouse was hidden beneath the lake. He had heard that not only was she extraordinarily powerful, but she was also stunningly beautiful. If he had the chance, he definitely had to get to know her.

He wondered if it was possible to abduct this legendary existence and make her his wife.

In terms of status, strength, and looks, she was top-tier in every way. Conquering someone like that would surely be quite fulfilling, wouldn't it?

Just wait. Once he broke through level 90, he would come back here for a "visit."

If he could lure that big shot out ahead of time, things would get interesting...

As Ye Feiyang let his imagination run wild, Ning Rongrong pulled him back to reality. "Hey! Teacher, you're spacing out again? Are we leaving now?"

"Teacher, Er Ming said he'll escort us out," Xiao Wu added.

Ye Feiyang chuckled. "Sure, have him take us to the Lan Yin Grass clan's territory."

"Uh, but Er Ming said he can't lead the way, or Da Ming will scold him..." Xiao Wu said awkwardly.

"We're not asking him to lead us. Don't we still have the Lan Yin Emperor? Just let it point the way..."

The three girls thought about it and found it reasonable. In any case, following their teacher was always right, and being accessories was not so bad.

Along the way, Ye Feiyang's mouth never stopped moving as he chattered away at the Lan Yin Grass around his waist.

"Big Sis Lan, are you looking forward to returning to your clan? I think the things you left behind in the clan should be used by you. It's not worth it for that son who lost his soul..."

"I really want to see what you look like in human form. You must be beautiful, right?"

"It would be nice if you were a little younger. I don't want to call you 'Auntie.'"

He always took every opportunity to "brainwash" Ah Yin, though he had no idea how much she had actually taken in.

Since she had already come here, Ah Yin truly did want to return to her clan.

But this hateful man clearly knew she could not resist, yet he deliberately said such things to anger her!

Returning to the clan was fine. If she could cultivate here in peace, she could accumulate strength more quickly.

Once she could condense a soul body, she would definitely jump out at the first opportunity and have a proper shouting match with Ye Feiyang!

This damned bastard made her feel like she had "breast hyperplasia" and "endocrine disorders" every time he spoke to her. He also kept wanting to piss on her. She would remember this grudge...

If she had a physical body right now, she would probably have already been so angry that she "hemorrhaged."

Under Er Ming's seemingly unconscious guidance, they arrived at another breathtaking spot in the forest.

No one could tell whether this big fellow was truly stupid or merely pretending. He said he could not lead the way, yet his actions did not hesitate in the slightest as he headed straight toward the clan's territory.

Had Ah Yin really pointed the way? Of course not. Yet they had somehow arrived.

The ground here was covered in Lan Yin Grass glowing faintly in the dark. Perhaps sensing Ah Yin's bloodline aura, when they arrived, the fields of Lan Yin Grass seemed to come alive and swayed toward Ah Yin.

"This should be the place. Xiao Wu, have Er Ming go back first. With his size, who knows how many Lan Yin Grass plants he'd crush with one step..." Ye Feiyang said.

"Uh, Teacher, doesn't that count as using someone and then tossing them aside?" Xiao Wu muttered softly.

Ye Feiyang rolled his eyes at her. "Why are you speaking such painful truths?"

Xiao Wu shrank back and obediently turned to speak with Er Ming.

Er Ming was clearly reluctant to leave. Its huge palm gently rubbed against Xiao Wu's side.

Xiao Wu stepped forward and patted Er Ming's massive palm, comforting it. "Be good. Go back first. I'll come visit you often in the future."

Only after much persuasion did Er Ming reluctantly turn and leave, looking back several times before going.

"I didn't expect you to be so close," Ye Feiyang teased.

"They've always taken care of me and treated me well." Xiao Wu's tone was somewhat melancholy, and her eyes were full of nostalgia.

Ye Feiyang did not want to bring up her past, so he changed the subject directly. "Are you coming in with me, or waiting here?"

"W-we're obviously going in with you!" the three girls answered in unison.

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Although there should not be any danger with Xiao Wu around, following Ye Feiyang still felt safer.

Now that Ah Yin's identity had been exposed, Ye Feiyang no longer hid anything. He spoke directly to the Lan Yin Grass. "Big Sis Lan, we're already on your turf. Do you have any way to escape from my side?"

Before meeting Da Ming and Er Ming, Ah Yin might truly have mobilized her clansmen to help her escape this man's clutches.

But now, she had to consider her people. If she really escaped, would this man send Er Ming over to wreak havoc? How would that be any different from exterminating her clan?

Perhaps in a deliberate attempt to please him, her vines gently curled around Ye Feiyang's arm with a touch of intimacy.

After listening to his "nagging" every day for so long, she did not actually hate Ye Feiyang quite as much anymore.

Ye Feiyang's feelings toward her had also changed. At first, he had only treated her as a shield. By now, his desire for revenge had mostly faded.

Now, he wanted more to nurture Ah Yin and help her take human form as soon as possible.

After all, talking to a person was much more interesting than talking to grass.

"What, you still don't want to talk to me? How about calling out the Lan Yin King? I'll have a chat with it..."

"You don't need to be afraid. I'm not planning to do anything to it. I just want to persuade it to voluntarily sacrifice itself to you and help you take human form faster..."

Ah Yin suddenly fell silent and gave no further response.

Unable to get an answer, Ye Feiyang did not dwell on it and continued walking deeper into the expanse of Lan Yin Grass.

The three girls were soon drawn in by the strange flowers and exotic plants around them. They darted excitedly through the flowerbeds like three curious little deer.

Before they had gone far, an aged yet excited voice suddenly rang out. It belonged to the Lan Yin King.

"Your Majesty! Has our Emperor returned? How did you become so weak?"

"It's humans! Humans must have harmed you like this!"

"Human! Return our Emperor to our clan! Otherwise, you will regret it!"

They heard only its voice and saw no figure. But within their field of vision, an especially tall and unusual Lan Yin Grass plant glimmered with a faint blue light as it gently swayed. The voice came from there.

If the Sky Azure Bull Python had not helped him solve the problem of his eighth soul ring back then, Ye Feiyang might really have considered the Lan Yin King as an alternative. After all, this had originally been one of Tang San's opportunities.

But now that he had a better choice, it would be better to persuade the Lan Yin King to fulfill its own "Emperor."

If he succeeded, he could sever Tang San's opportunity while helping Ah Yin recover quickly. Wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?

In the original story, Ah Yin had not made use of these opportunities. But who could say that they could not help her recover faster?

They slowly walked up to the Lan Yin King. Ye Feiyang gently placed Ah Yin on the ground. "Big Sis Lan, perhaps you should think more about yourself. You already gave your life for the Tang family. You don't owe them anything anymore..."

He looked up at the special Lan Yin Grass and continued, "Lan Yin King, your Emperor was not turned into this by me. On the contrary, I saved her out of kindness."

"If not for me, who knows how many years she would have remained in some remote corner."

"Now that your Emperor can appear here, you should be thanking me instead."

"If you don't want to see your Emperor continue suffering, shouldn't you do something for her?"

"For example, sacrifice your eighty-five thousand years of cultivation to her. You come from the same lineage anyway, so it's not like you'd be benefiting an outsider. Why not?"

He did not care whether Ah Yin and the Lan Yin King were communicating in secret. He only needed to cast out the bait, guide the Lan Yin King with his words, and at the same time do some "psychological work" on Ah Yin by instilling the idea of thinking for herself.

What if it worked? If Ah Yin intercepted Tang San's opportunity herself, he would not have to bother with it.

"Alright, Big Sis Lan, we'll go cultivate somewhere else and won't interrupt your reunion. I'll come see you tomorrow. Whatever you decide then, it'll be entirely up to you."

Even if Ah Yin decided to remain with her clan, that was fine. If she was willing to leave with him, he might take her to the Yin Yang Well. The environment there was more suitable for her recovery.

He looked down at the Lan Yin Grass and said softly, "Don't disappoint me..."

After saying that, he did not speak again and led the three girls away.

They had just broken through, so this was the perfect opportunity to consolidate their cultivation. The three girls offered no opinions on Ye Feiyang's actions and quietly followed behind him as accessories.

"Let's cultivate here."

They found a suitable place nearby to cultivate, sat down cross-legged, and began circulating their cultivation techniques.

They now had several cultivation techniques to practice. If they truly wanted to focus on cultivating, there was simply never enough time.

Meanwhile, in Holy Soul Village.

Tang Hao had spent more than half a month barely nursing his injuries back to health.

What Ye Feiyang had dealt him this time was not merely physical injury, but an even greater blow to his spirit. Even the "heart of a strong man" he had always taken pride in had been completely shattered in that battle.

For the first time in battle, he felt stifled. For the first time, he experienced helplessness. For the first time, fear arose in his heart.

In the past, he had never even known what fear was. Yet that youth's seemingly casual attacks and indifferent attitude had completely overwhelmed him in every aspect.

It had to be known that Ye Feiyang had only been a Soul Saint at the time!

He had once believed himself powerful enough to challenge Spirit Hall and had never regarded any "weaker person" as worthy of notice. Yet he had truly been defeated by a youth.

After his injuries improved slightly, he suddenly missed home—he missed Holy Soul Village, and he missed Ah Yin.

Dragging his still-unhealed body along, he returned to Holy Soul Village. Passing his dilapidated wooden house, he headed straight beneath the waterfall.

"Ah Yin, I came to see you..."

Before he could finish, he abruptly stopped. Terror appeared on his face. Where Ah Yin had originally been planted, there was only empty soil, without even a trace of root left behind.

Messy footprints remained on the ground. Someone had clearly come here not long ago.

"Ah Yin, where is my Ah Yin?"

Staring at the empty patch of ground, he felt as if struck by lightning and froze in place.

"Ah—"

"No, don't..."

"Who was it? Who stole my Ah Yin?"

"Who was it~~~~"

Tang Hao roared himself hoarse, unleashing the pressure of a Titled Douluo without restraint. It instantly blanketed the entire village.

The villagers wanted to come out and see what had happened, but under that terrifying pressure, they trembled so badly that they did not even dare touch their doors.

Tang Hao was nearly insane as he released his spiritual power without reserve, trying to find the lingering traces of Ah Yin's aura.

But he had come too late. There was no trace of Ah Yin left in the air.

He began knocking on doors and interrogating households one by one, asking whether any outsiders had come to the village recently.

In the end, from the villagers' scattered descriptions and familiar physical features, he basically confirmed that Ye Feiyang had come here the day after his battle with Ye Feiyang.

"Ye Feiyang? How did he know Ah Yin existed?"

But this was not the time to dwell on that. Finding Ah Yin was what mattered most.

"Ye Feiyang, I will make you pay!"

Filled with hatred, he left Holy Soul Village—the place that had once held his last thread of hope and was now completely empty.

He rushed to Supreme Academy at top speed, only to find the place long deserted, without even a single person in sight.

Fortunately, they had not left long ago, and he could still faintly sense that Ah Yin's aura had lingered here.

Following that weak aura, he found the place where Ah Yin had once been planted and fell to his knees, weeping. "Ah Yin, I'm sorry. I dragged you down. I failed to protect you..."

"Don't worry. I will definitely save you..."

An unprecedented gloom and killing intent appeared on his face. He wanted nothing more than to tear Ye Feiyang into pieces immediately.

Touching Ah Yin had clearly crossed his bottom line.

Now that he had tracked them here, the lingering aura in the air was enough for him to determine Ah Yin's destination.

He hated Ye Feiyang to the extreme. Before leaving, he smashed Supreme Academy's wall apart with one palm strike, then pursued at full speed toward the Star Dou Great Forest.