The sight filled her with satisfaction.
Xia Ran turned around and met Zhu Zhuqing's gaze, smiling faintly.
"Nothing's wrong. Go back to sleep! I broke through a bottleneck and made a bit of noise."
He didn't mention merging the Soul Bones. It wasn't that he didn't trust her; he simply didn't think there was any point in telling her.
Besides, with him around, Zhu Zhuqing was unlikely to run into any danger.
The figure on the bed rolled over and came up to Xia Ran.
Whenever he used Martial Soul Possession, Zhu Zhuqing felt an overwhelming sense of closeness that made her want to approach him without even thinking.
It was the same now. Before, she would have suppressed the urge to use Martial Soul Possession herself, but today she decided to give in to her instincts.
Her Martial Soul, the Hell Spirit Cat, possessed her. She had cat ears and a tail just like Xia Ran, though hers were purple.
The girl's movements had made her blanket slip away. Now she lay naked on the bed, and the sight made Xia Ran's blood run hot.
"Xia Ran, why is it that every time you use Martial Soul Possession, I can't help wanting to use it too?"
"Do you think we might have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
Zhu Zhuqing had come up beside Xia Ran. She carefully savored that familiar aura, a natural affinity that came from instinct.
As long as she was near him, her Martial Soul grew especially excited.
Xia Ran didn't feel the same way. If he had to name anything, it was perhaps a faint sense of familiarity.
He had already tested Zhu Zhuqing's theory. They both had cat-type Martial Souls, and while there was a connection between them, it wasn't strong enough for them to fuse.
"Martial Soul Fusion Skills aren't that simple. Maybe our Martial Souls just resonate a little. I'm not sure either."
"No! I need to check properly. Keep using Martial Soul Possession, and don't undo it, okay~"
As she spoke, the girl pounced straight into Xia Ran's arms like a little cat...
Chapter 46: Tang San's Third Soul Ring
Elsewhere.
After traveling for a full day, Tang San finally reached the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest.
Along the way, Yu Xiaogang had told him how Spirit Hall had forced his mother, Ah Yin, to sacrifice herself and gravely wounded his father, Tang Hao, leaving him no choice but to retreat into seclusion with Tang San in Holy Soul Village.
And throughout those years, his father had secretly protected him. He had even met Yu Xiaogang once.
Tang San couldn't help feeling deeply moved!
With the truth revealed, Tang San's hatred for Spirit Hall reached its peak.
After collecting ten Gold Soul Coins from the Spirit Hall Branch in Suotuo City, he swore to destroy that evil organization one day.
"Just wait! One day, I'll make everyone who ever humiliated me pay!"
Resolute, Tang San walked into the Star Dou Forest. This time, he would hunt for his third Soul Ring alone!
The familiar scent of grass in the air brought back bad memories. Tang San was so tense that he could almost feel phantom pain in his limbs...
"Xiao San, why don't we hire a Soul Hunting group? With just the two of us, isn't this too risky?"
Yu Xiaogang followed behind Tang San, looking timid and barely daring to breathe.
Ever since the two of them left Shrek, their relationship had turned rather complicated.
Tang San resented Yu Xiaogang for hitting him over Xia Ran. At the same time, learning Tang Hao's identity had made him somewhat arrogant.
He had completely lost the image of Yu Xiaogang as a loving father. If the man hadn't still known something about Martial Souls, Tang San would have left him behind long ago.
As for Yu Xiaogang, his hopes of taking Xia Ran as a disciple had fallen through. He still had to rely on Tang San to put his theories into practice, so he couldn't help trying to placate him when met with his coldness.
Their relationship had completely reversed!
"Teacher, I've been at Level 30 for a while now, but I still haven't gotten my third Soul Ring."
"Once I get it, maybe even Xia Ran won't be able to beat me. Why won't you think about what's best for me?"
"And that bastard Xia Ran took all my money. You're not even helping me get it back. How are we supposed to afford a Soul Hunting group?"
Tang San still called him teacher, but the impatience in his voice was unmistakable.
Yu Xiaogang could only shut his mouth in embarrassment. He was walking behind Tang San, and with those strange Hidden Weapons at hand, they should be fine as long as they didn't venture too deep.
He silently reassured himself several times before his nerves finally eased.
But Yu Xiaogang didn't know that his dear disciple's target this time was the Man Faced Demon Spider, infamous for its cruelty and cunning.
And Tang San had other plans for his "teacher," who had come along with him.
After seeing Zhu Zhuqing's External Soul Bone, Tang San had grown even more certain that his Blue Silver Grass was the right path for him.
That terrifying ability to Devour, together with its unparalleled boost to Speed, was exactly what Tang San needed most right now!
If he could gain that kind of power too, Xia Ran would be nothing more than an ant he could crush with a wave of his hand!
Following the route he remembered, the two returned to the place where Zhu Zhuqing had absorbed her Soul Ring.
In only a few days, saplings had already sprung up in the forest trampled by the Titan Giant Ape. The place was alive with greenery once more.
That was the vitality of a primeval forest. Every plant here could thrive in the best possible conditions.
Yu Xiaogang had never been here before, but the oppressive atmosphere made him uneasy. He instinctively hunched his shoulders and summoned his Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao.
"Xiao San, why don't you give me one of those Hidden Weapons you're carrying?"
Tang San, walking ahead, suddenly heard the voice behind him and felt a flicker of displeasure.
He was already carefully watching his surroundings. Why did this useless man have to cause trouble?
"You wouldn't know how to use it. I'm afraid you'd hurt me by accident!"
"Don't worry. I'm here. Nothing will happen."
With that, Tang San ignored the man behind him and continued exploring on his own.
He had a strong feeling that there would be another Man Faced Demon Spider here, or even a Soul Ring better suited to him.
Sure enough, after the two had searched for a long while, a sudden rustle came from behind them.
Tang San had just caught the rustling in the bushes when a figure lunged straight at Yu Xiaogang.
It was even faster than the Man Faced Demon Spider. Yu Xiaogang was struck in an instant, and its huge, jagged mouth clamped tightly around his legs.
"Perfect!"
Tang San seized the opening and fired the Godly Zhuge Crossbow!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of mechanical clicks rang out as several crossbow bolts shot toward the figure!
Tang San had stayed completely focused throughout. He had deliberately put Yu Xiaogang behind him as bait, all to lure the beast into a trap.
In an instant, the unidentified Soul Beast was riddled with bolts.
At the same time, Yu Xiaogang screamed. His agonized wails echoed through the nearby woods.
"Xiao San! Save me! Save me!"
"I can't take it! It hurts so much!"
Faced with the scene, Tang San knocked Yu Xiaogang unconscious with a single chop.
If he let him keep shouting, he would surely attract more Soul Beasts.
"So annoying!"
Only after that did he turn to look at the figure that had attacked Yu Xiaogang.
A bright purple spider lay lifeless on the ground. The Godly Zhuge Crossbow had pierced its abdomen, and a pale purple Soul Ring slowly took shape above it.
It was a Ghost Demon Spider. Like the Man Faced Demon Spider, it was an evil Soul Beast, despised by both humans and other Soul Beasts.
But it was much smaller. The one before them looked less than half a meter long.
Tang San knew, however, that a Ghost Demon Spider's size didn't reflect its strength. What mattered most was its mouthparts.
The reason Yu Xiaogang had been screaming in agony was that this Soul Beast had extremely sharp mouthparts and a toxin that amplified its victims' pain.
The Ghost Demon Spider's prey often lost their ability to fight from the pain, only to be devoured.
"Great! My third Soul Ring is finally here!"
Tang San's lips curled into a smile. It wasn't a Man Faced Demon Spider, but this Ghost Demon Spider suited him just as well.
And after seeing this Soul Beast, the yearning intuition in his heart grew even stronger, as if someone were guiding him to absorb this Soul Ring.
He dug a large hole in the ground, tossed Yu Xiaogang and the Ghost Demon Spider's corpse inside, then jumped in himself and covered the top with Blue Silver Grass.
With that done, Tang San prepared to absorb the Soul Ring.
Just then, the sound of a group approaching came from the distance. The traces here were so obvious that they immediately caught the newcomers' attention.
Their curiosity brought the group to the edge of the pit to investigate.
Pushing aside the Blue Silver Grass, the young man immediately spotted the unconscious Yu Xiaogang in the hole!
"Uncle?"
Chapter 47: Farewell, Shrek!
The newcomer was Yu Tianheng!
He had entered the Star Dou Forest with the students of Heaven Dou Royal Academy to take part in a training exercise.
He had happened to detect the activity in this direction. He never expected to run into the uncle who had left the family so many years ago...
After talking for a while, Tang San learned that the two were uncle and nephew and heard about Yu Xiaogang's past.
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