Flender

Could it be that Xiao San's martial soul had some unknown problem?

Or perhaps it was Xiao San's half-human, half-beast bloodline?

No, that wasn't right. After a soul beast reincarnates, it becomes a true human, and Ah Yin had already entered her mature stage when she gave birth to Xiao San.

Tang Hao was utterly baffled.

Yu Xiaogang didn't dare breathe too loudly, afraid that Tang Hao would vent his anger on him.

At the same time, he carefully observed the shifts in Tang Hao's expression.

Suddenly, Tang Hao looked up, and their eyes met.

The violent rage in Tang Hao's gaze made Yu Xiaogang's heart tremble with fear, his body turning ice-cold, as if his heart had skipped a beat.

Just as he was panicking, believing disaster was imminent, Tang Hao left.

That's right, he left without a word.

Though Tang Hao was furious to the extreme, he also understood that this time, the fault couldn't be blamed on Yu Xiaogang.

He wanted to kill Yu Xiaogang to vent his anger, but since the matter had already happened, killing him wouldn't change anything.

Moreover, Yu Xiaogang wasn't without backing. His father was Yu Yuanzhen, the Sect Master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan, a veteran Titled Douluo whose strength was no weaker than his own.

Furthermore, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan, the Clear Sky Sect, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were known as the Upper Three Sects, always united in spirit.

To avoid breaking that bond of unity, he couldn't truly kill Yu Yuanzhen's son.

After Tang Hao left, Yu Xiaogang collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air, his back soaked with sweat.

He had managed to get through Tang Hao's ordeal, which let the stone hanging over his heart finally settle.

Next was Xiao San. It was clear that Xiao San had been growing more distant from him lately.

At the root of it all was the matter of the First Soul Ring. Tang San believed that Yu Xiaogang's theory had harmed him—that a plant-type martial soul couldn't absorb an animal-type soul ring.

What Yu Xiaogang needed now was to prove his theory correct.

He already had an idea: find another volunteer with a plant-type martial soul and have them absorb an animal-type soul ring.

If the volunteer's soul ring age didn't decrease after absorption, it would prove that his theory was right.

It would also show that Tang San's situation was purely his own fault, no one else's to blame.

That way, Tang San wouldn't hold a grudge against him as his teacher.

Three years later.

The Barack Kingdom, located in the southern part of the Heaven Dou Empire, bordered the Fasnuo Province. Though called a kingdom, its land area was only three-quarters that of Fasnuo Province.

The Lima Plain had fertile soil and produced abundant grain.

Suotuo City, built in the center of the Lima Plain, was thus known as the Barack Granary.

At noon, the weather was scorching hot, the sun blazing like fire.

At the west gate of Suotuo City, a group of four descended from the sky, landing lightly on the ground.

Three years had passed, and Lin Ye's height had reached one meter seventy. He had short black hair, clean and neat, and red eyes like gems adorning his handsome face.

On his shoulder, Lin Qiu'er looked around.

Beside him were two big shots, one tall and one short.

Xue Di remained unchanged for a thousand years, her white dress purer than snow, her temperament cold and noble.

Bing Di had her hair in twin tails, wearing a black-and-white maid outfit, with white stockings under her skirt and black leather shoes.

Six years had passed, and Bing Di had come to understand human society, learning the meaning of a maid outfit. But she didn't abandon it for that reason—it looked good, and that was enough.

In her own words, she dressed for herself to see; other people's opinions were none of her damn business.

As for Xiao Wu, her smooth black hair was combed into a neat Scorpio Braid, the braid hanging past her calves. She wore a pink top that tightly wrapped her developing figure.

Her brows curved gently, her big, watery eyes paired with a slightly round face—not only beautiful, but also giving off a cute and charming impression.

With Lin Ye at the lead, the group passed through the city gate and followed the bustling crowd into Suotuo City.

Compared to Notting City, Suotuo City was much larger and more lively.

The streets were lined with shops, crowded with people, a scene of prosperity.

Having nothing urgent to do, the group decided to stroll around Suotuo City.

Suotuo City was the second-largest city in the Barack Kingdom after the royal capital, reaching the level of a main city, so it was very prosperous. As they walked, they saw all kinds of shops, a dazzling array of goods.

Sharp-eyed Xiao Wu pointed at one shop and said, "That place seems related to soul masters."

Following the direction Xiao Wu pointed, they saw a shop not far away. Its storefront was small and unremarkable, but its signboard was distinctive.

It was engraved with a sword, a hammer, and a dragon.

These three symbols represented the Upper Three Sects, and they also appeared on the tokens of Martial Soul Hall.

Lin Ye's heart stirred. Could this be that profiteer Flender's shop?

"Let's go, let's head inside and take a look." Lin Ye led the group toward the shop.

As soon as he entered the shop, Lin Ye sensed a peculiar fluctuation of soul power. With his extensive experience, he quickly recognized it as the fluctuation of a Soul Tool.

Every Soul Tool has its own unique soul power fluctuation. Only after being bound to an owner is this fluctuation concealed; otherwise, it continuously radiates outward, allowing soul masters to detect it.

Following the source of this soul power fluctuation, he saw a wall covered with items that looked very ancient.

So many Soul Tools?

Lin Ye was taken aback. The art of crafting Soul Tools had been lost in this era.

All the Soul Tools currently circulating on the market were relics passed down from ancient times—true antiques.

For this shop to produce so many antiques was an impressive display of wealth.

Marveling at the shop owner's deep pockets, Lin Ye grew curious about what kind of person ran the place—someone clearly dripping with riches.

Inside the shop, a middle-aged man lay on a recliner, feigning sleep, his body gently swaying with the chair's motion.

The man appeared to be in his fifties, with a sturdy build.

His face had very distinctive features: a protruding chin, broad cheekbones, a flat visage, and a slightly hooked nose.

If one had to describe it with something, the only fitting comparison was that his face resembled the sole of a shoe. Though his eyes were closed, he still gave off a somewhat sly and cunning impression.

He wore a pair of black-framed crystal glasses, the frames rigidly square.

Good heavens, was the world this small?

He just stumbled into a random shop and ran into Flender?

After seeing the middle-aged man's appearance, Lin Ye was certain this was Flender—after all, few people could be this ugly.

And ugly in such a distinctive way.

Setting aside Flender's looks, Lin Ye swept his gaze around the shop.

Finally, his eyes landed near the shop's entrance, where a piece of yellow crystal hung.

Unlike most crystals on the market, which were clear and translucent, this one was filled with large amounts of dull yellow impurities, completely lacking luster.

Judging purely by its appearance, this crystal was utterly inferior.

But Lin Ye had a different opinion. If he wasn't mistaken, this should be the very crystal that Tang San would later buy in the original story, the one used to craft the Hidden Weapon Board Crystal Dragon Whisker Needle.