The Agreement Made with the Sky Azure Bull Python, A Special Token of Gratitude

This trip to the Star Dou Great Forest was truly worth it!

Lin Qing felt a bubbly joy inside, the corners of his mouth nearly splitting to his ears.

His three daughters, Wu'er, Qing Zhu, and Rou Rou, harvested an explosive haul each.

Soul bones, which others begged for in their dreams, were in their hands by the piece or two, and all of them were a perfect fit.

Their first soul rings were already at the thousand-year level, and their soul skills were of the absolute finest sort.

Saying it aloud could scare someone to death.

Yet, it was far more than just the daughters who harvested a huge haul.

He, Lin Qing, truly struck it rich this time, feeling so exhilarated he could fly!

Now, four soul rings hung neatly and evenly upon his Golden Dragon Martial Soul.

Each one glowed dazzlingly red, like hot iron brands or a boiling sea of blood.

Those were precisely four hundred-thousand-year soul rings!

His soul power soared from Level 83 to Level 93 in a flash, like riding a rocket.

If word of this speed spread to the soul master world, those so-called Titled Douluos would probably have their jaws drop in shock.

Oh right, there was also an external soul bone.

Its base age was three hundred thousand years, and it could continue to grow alongside him after fusion. This kind of item was unattainable by mere chance.

Not to mention those strange mind methods and cultivation techniques rewarded by the system.

Awesome!

Lin Qing couldn't help shouting out, feeling every pore in his body cheer.

Yet, exhilarated as he was, his head remained cool, and his heart was crystal clear.

The good days were temporarily over, and the path ahead would be difficult.

Where should I go to find the fifth soul ring, the sixth soul ring...

He rubbed his chin, somewhat troubled.

The sound of his murmurs was exceptionally clear in the quiet forest.

The soul-beast species over a hundred thousand years old that could openly be found in the Star Dou Great Forest either had attributes fundamentally incompatible with his Golden Dragon Martial Soul, making a forced match pointless.

Or else they were...

Un-freaking-touchable.

Lin Qing sighed, a few terrifying figures flashing through his mind.

There were suitable ones among the fierce beasts.

For example, Xiong Jun, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, a pure strength-type overlord. Its soul ring would definitely suit the Golden Dragon.

There was also Zi Ji and the Beast God Di Tian. Soul rings from the dragon clan with their powerful bloodlines would undoubtedly provide the greatest enhancement to his Martial Soul.

Yet, what kind of existence levels were two of those three at?

How was him going over now any different from delivering takeout?

And delivering it right to their doorstep, at that.

There were also suitable choices in the ocean.

Such as the Evil Orca King and the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King. Both were apex predators in the ocean, and their strength was more than sufficient.

Yet, setting aside the vastness of the sea where searching was like looking for a needle in a haystack—

Just take the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King: with cultivation approaching a million years, it had half a foot stepped into the god rank.

Go provoke it now?

That would be pure stubbornness, being tired of living too long.

The Extreme North Land likewise held two alternatives: the Titan Snow Demon King and the Ice Bear King.

Both were equally the crème de la crème among strength-type soul beasts.

Yet, the problem arose.

They had the Snow Empress backing them.

The entire Extreme North Land was solid as a rock and terrifyingly united.

Going there probably wouldn't mean a single duel, but rather getting jumped by a pack of fierce beasts. Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle.

Heading to the Sun Moon Continent was also an idea.

Yet, according to his memories, the two continents hadn't collided yet. Separated by an endless ocean, searching there wouldn't be any easier than fishing a needle out of the sea floor.

Whatever, let's leave it aside for now. When the boat reaches the pier, it will naturally go straight through.

Lin Qing shook his head, deciding not to split hairs anymore.

Destiny obtained by force wasn't sweet, and neither were soul rings.

Anyway, given his current configuration—Level 93 soul power plus four hundred-thousand-year soul rings, alongside a powerful external soul bone and the ultimate martial soul, the Golden Dragon.

Furthermore, he already held the record of going toe-to-toe with the King of the Forest and independently slaying a hundred-thousand-year flood dragon.

He estimated that he could walk sideways anywhere against Titled Douluos below level ninety-seven or ninety-eight.

Even if he faced that Tang Hao, as long as the other party didn't use that freakish Ring Explosion technique to hit him, he felt confident enough to trade blows.

Alright, enough thinking. It's time to go home.

Lin Qing turned around and called out to his three daughters, who were playing to their hearts' content.

"Girls, pack up! We're getting ready to pull out!"

Wu'er was currently sticking her bottom out while observing a glowing bug. Hearing this, she bounced up.

"Ah? Dad, we're leaving already? I haven't played enough yet!"

Qing Zhu quietly put away the flower crown she was weaving, carefully hiding it behind her back, and nodded gently.

"Okay, we're heading back~"

Rou Rou, the most composed of all, patted the non-existent dust off her hands like a little adult.

Right at that moment, a heavy and slow crawling sound came from behind.

A slight tremor rippled through the ground, and leaves drifted down in a rustle.

A gentle yet incomparably vast aura quietly descended.

The Sky Azure Bull Python's head, larger than a house, slowly emerged from the dense forest.

Emerald scales gleamed in the sunspots filtering through the leaves, and its vertical pupils, deep as ancient pools, quietly gazed at Lin Qing.

"Lin Qing."

Da Ming's voice was very low, rolling across the earth like muffled thunder, thick and full of power.

Lin Qing halted his movements.

He turned around to face one of the true kings of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Da Ming, something else?"

He held a good impression of these two soul-beast kings, and they had helped a lot this time.

Even without the connection through Xiao Wu, he kept this favor in mind.

He would never shirk anything he was capable of doing.

"There's something Er Ming and I would like to ask a favor for."

Da Ming's tone was very solemn.

"Speak, I'm listening." Lin Qing also put away his casual expression.

"After you return to the human world, you'll probably go save Big Sister Xiao Wu, right?"

Da Ming asked this somewhat cautiously.

Its huge eyes carried a trace of hard-to-detect anticipation.

"That's right."

Lin Qing answered resolutely, without the slightest hesitation.

Even though he knew that according to the original plotline, Xiao Wu wouldn't face mortal danger in the human world for the time being.

Yet, how could his future wife stay under someone else's surveillance all the time?

Not to mention staying together with that Tang San; just thinking about it felt annoying.

Hearing Da Ming's words, Lin Qing had a guess.

"The favor you want to ask me concerns Xiao Wu?"

Lin Qing's affirmative reply caused a trace of a relieved look to flash through Da Ming's huge vertical pupils.

It nodded slowly, its voice deep. "Yes."

"I hope that after you rescue Xiao Wu, you can find a time to bring her back to the Lake of Life once."

Deep longing saturated its voice.

"Er Ming and I miss her very much, and by then, we will also prepare a token of gratitude for you."

Lin Qing smiled, waved his hand, and spoke in a very casual tone.

"Bringing Xiao Wu back to visit is only right; what kind of favor is that?"

"Thanks to you guys taking care of my girls these past few days, I'm already too late in thanking you."

He paused, then continued, "As for a token of gratitude, there's no need to even mention it. With our friendship, bringing up tokens of gratitude feels distant and overly polite."

Da Ming looked at him deeply.

It didn't insist, but the words it spoke carried a profound meaning.

"When the time comes... you will accept it."

These words caused a slight stir in Lin Qing's heart, yet he didn't dwell on it.

"Fine, then it's settled."

Lin Qing smiled. "I'm off. The next time we meet, I'll probably be bringing Xiao Wu along."

He circulated his soul power, and dazzling golden light surged from within his body, like a layer of warm light shield gently enveloping him and his three daughters.

The light shield slowly rose into the air.

"Waah! We're flying again!"

Wu'er danced about in excitement, not scared in the slightest, instead finding it super fun.

Rou Rou grew somewhat nervous, her little hands gripping the corner of Lin Qing's clothes tightly.

Yet her eyes also shone brightly as she looked at the rapidly shrinking forest below.

Qing Zhu was the calmest, only curiously peering over the edge of the light shield and overlooking the green sea flashing past underneath.

"Goodbye, Uncle Da Ming! Goodbye, Uncle Er Ming!"

The girls' crisp voices came from the air, echoing over the forest.

The Sky Azure Bull Python raised its head, watching those distant golden dots of light.

After a long while, it slowly sank back into the Lake of Life.