Missing Out on a Soul Ring

She was extremely confident in her Po Hun Dao. Everyone on the Douluo Continent relied far too heavily on their Martial Souls.

Meng Yiran was clever by nature. Though she was nothing special when it came to cultivation, she spent every day studying ways to become stronger.

Ever since she was little, she had practiced throwing knives every day, all so she could catch her enemies off guard in battle.

She couldn't say she didn't care about things like kissing him once or twice. She could only say she'd never even considered that she might lose.

Chao Tianxiang walked over to a tree, preparing to shake down its leaves with Soul Power.

"There's no time to waste. If you're ready, let's begin."

Meng Yiran was right. The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent didn't look like it had much longer to live. If they kept arguing, no one would get to absorb it.

Tang San was like a tool with no say in the matter. He took the throwing knives Meng Yiran handed him.

"I'm ready, Senior."

Behind him, Xiao Wu's brows were tightly furrowed. All she could do now was hope Tang San would refuse Meng Yiran outright.

In the distance, Chao Tianxiang swung her Snake-headed Staff and struck the tree trunk hard. A shower of leaves rustled down.

Meng Yiran gave a sharp cry and threw with both hands. In the blink of an eye, all eighteen knives had sunk into the trunk.

Afterward, she couldn't resist looking at Tang San with a smug smile.

Tang San gave a cold snort and flipped his wrist.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Every knife streaked through the air in a flash of light, arcing toward the tree trunk.

For once, after all these days, Xia Ran had something he couldn't beat me at. And for a contest like this, he still needed me to step in.

Tang San was a hundred times more serious than usual. He meant to show off in front of everyone.

Chapter 28: Missing Out on a Soul Ring

The result was just as expected: Tang San thoroughly outclassed Meng Yiran with his Hidden Weapon techniques.

Chao Tianxiang stared at the tree trunk, her expression incredulous.

"How is this possible?!"

If she hadn't watched Tang San do it right in front of them, she might have thought he'd prepared it in advance.

Meng Yiran saw the result too. She clearly couldn't accept it; her delicate face had gone pale.

"Why? You must have cheated!"

"I've practiced the Po Hun Dao since I was little. How could I lose to you?"

Tang San's lips curled into a confident smile. He walked up to Meng Yiran.

He was just about to say something when Xia Ran cut him off.

"Senior Snake Granny, what about the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent...?"

Chao Tianxiang sighed inwardly. She hadn't expected to be outmaneuvered by this boy after all these years.

They had simply been too confident about Meng Yiran, who had practiced the Po Hun Dao since childhood.

"Fine. A bet is a bet!"

"Oscar, come over here and thank Senior!"

Oscar hurried over, excitement plain on his face, and bowed to Chao Tianxiang.

"Thank you for yielding it to me, Senior!"

With that, he raised his hand to kill the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.

He could hardly wait. A thousand-year third Soul Ring would be a qualitative leap from his first two hundred-year Soul Rings.

And this was a flying Soul Beast known for its speed. He wondered what kind of skill he'd gain from absorbing its Soul Ring.

Meanwhile, Tang San, the overlooked tool, glared resentfully. He'd tried to show off again and again, only to be interrupted each time. He stared fixedly at Xia Ran's back.

He had been the one who won the contest, yet he wasn't even allowed to say a word.

Unable to bear it, he stepped forward and put himself between the others.

"A mere Po Hun Dao dares to show off its paltry skills before my Hidden Weapon techniques!"

"Now that I've won the contest, will everyone honor their bet?"

Tang San was referring to the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent. He wanted to claim all the credit for himself.

But Chao Tianxiang had already given her word. To Meng Yiran, his remark sounded like a taunt from the victor.

She remembered how decisively she'd agreed to the extra conditions earlier, and humiliation surged through her.

But she had always been stubborn and proud. She couldn't bring herself to go back on her word.

Her heart twisted with conflict and misery.

She looked at Tang San's smug face, steeled herself, walked up to him, and closed her eyes. Then she kissed his dirt-smeared face.

"Ah!"

Chao Tianxiang, Oscar, and Xiao Wu all cried out at once!

Chao Tianxiang couldn't believe her precious granddaughter had just given her first kiss to some stranger!

Oscar was surprised. Meng Yiran was so proud that anyone could see how unwilling she was, yet she'd still honored the bet. He'd only tossed out the condition as a joke.

Xiao Wu:

Brother, where's your Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track? Why didn't you dodge? Do you really care about me? You promised you'd only ever comb my hair!

Her pink eyes were instantly flooded with tears. Xiao Wu bit her lower lip, trying her best not to cry out loud.

Meanwhile, Tang San, the one at the center of it all, was still savoring the fragrant breeze left by Meng Yiran's hair as she pulled away.

[Xiao Wu's aversion to Tang San: 30%]

[Reward for the host: Second Martial Soul—Dark Attribute Control]

At last, Xiao Wu couldn't hold back her sobs. She had been behind everyone already, so she broke away from the group and ran into the forest.

Only then did Tang San realize that his good little sister had witnessed everything.

"Xiao Wu! Listen to me..."

As he spoke, he chased after her in the direction she'd gone.

Chao Tianxiang's expression was as if she'd swallowed a fly.

So her precious granddaughter's first kiss had gone to a man who already had a girlfriend. A moment later, Meng Yiran's eyes began to redden too.

But the stubborn girl turned and headed back the way they had come. Chao Tianxiang glared at Tang San and followed her granddaughter.

And with that, the matter of who would get the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was finally settled.

Even though the interruption had thrown everything into chaos, Oscar was consumed by the joy of getting his third Soul Ring. He didn't spare Tang San and Xiao Wu's situation a thought.

He picked up a dagger and moved to absorb the Soul Ring.

But just as he was about to stab the serpent's fleshy crest, purple light flickered across its dying body, and a thousand-year Soul Ring slowly took shape!

Zhao Wuji looked stunned. He could clearly sense that only he could absorb this Soul Ring.

Oscar had obviously missed his chance to kill it. If only he'd acted a second earlier! Even half a second!

"No! No! Why?!"

The Soul Beast he'd fought so hard to obtain had died right in front of him.

Oscar couldn't accept it. He drove his dagger into the giant serpent's fleshy crest again and again, as if he could wrest the Soul Ring away by force.

But it was all futile. The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent had been badly injured when Zhao Wuji caught it.

And Zhao Wuji, who was usually rough and heavy-handed, had failed to control his strength when a Soul Saint fought a thousand-year Soul Beast, hastening its death.

The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent had lasted this long only because it was so tenacious.

"What a coincidence!"

Even Ning Rongrong, perched on the tree trunk, couldn't help exclaiming. Oscar had missed his chance by a mere instant.

Zhao Wuji watched Oscar lose control and stepped forward to comfort him.

"Let it go, Oscar. Maybe you and this Soul Ring just weren't meant to be."

No one could have imagined that events would line up so perfectly.

Thinking back over everything that had just happened, if anyone present had said even one less thing, the outcome might have been different.

"Tang San! He just had to show off his Hidden Weapon techniques in front of everyone. He just had to make Meng Yiran honor the bet."

"Xia Ran had already worked things out with Chao Tianxiang. She'd already given up the Soul Beast. Why did Tang San have to butt in?"

All Oscar could think about now was Tang San's confident expression and that attention-seeking face.

His anger surged. If Tang San hadn't interrupted him just as he was about to absorb the Soul Ring, how could this have happened?

Xia Ran hadn't expected things to turn out this way either. He'd already noticed that the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent didn't seem able to hold on much longer.

That was why he'd immediately asked Chao Tianxiang for it as soon as the contest was over.

As for letting Meng Yiran honor the bet, he had another plan in mind.

He hadn't expected Tang San to be so impatient to show off in front of everyone!

It was all just too much of a coincidence.

As Xia Ran pondered this, Dark Attribute energy surged around him and began gathering in his right eye.

The system's reward had finally arrived.

Zhao Wuji and the others stared, wondering if Xia Ran had broken through again.

Xia Ran's lips curled upward. Ever since they entered the Star Dou Forest, he had been planning this bet with Meng Yiran.

He was determined to get the Man Faced Demon Spider, so he had to move up the stakes from the second contest in the original story. That was why he'd gotten involved in the fight over the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.

He'd achieved his goal, and the reward had arrived. Xia Ran smiled as he let the dark energy wash over him...