I Want to Keep Both Hands in My Pockets

Her perfect backside was on full display.

She held a long sword and swung it from side to side, battling Hu Liena in the courtyard.

After wielding a sword for so long, Bibi Dong's movements had become exceptionally crisp and precise.

Fox Fire continually sprang from Hu Liena's hands as she fought fiercely against Bibi Dong.

Throughout the battle, Bibi Dong would occasionally point out Hu Liena's shortcomings.

Not far away, Su Wen lounged lazily in a chair, a pink-and-white rabbit nestled in his arms.

He held the Immortal Herb Catalog in his hands, carefully savoring its contents.

On the table stood a Blue Silver Emperor, swaying its body without pause. Its leaves had woven themselves into a plantain-leaf fan, gently waving to bring Su Wen a cool breeze.

It was only after reading the Immortal Herb Catalog that Su Wen learned a person could consume multiple Immortal Herbs in their lifetime. It wasn't as Xiao Sanzi had said—that a person could only take one.

There was simply a matter of tolerance. After consuming the first herb, one had to fully absorb its medicinal effects before taking a second Immortal Herb.

The second Immortal Herb would have a weaker effect, retaining at most sixty to seventy percent of its potency. The third would be weakened even further, until the herbs eventually had no effect at all.

Of course, Immortal Herbs that complemented one another were an exception. A person could consume more of them, and there was no tolerance buildup.

"Still researching Immortal Herbs?"

"You really think you'll find any more?"

Bibi Dong walked over and snatched the book from his hands. She skimmed it casually, then set it down on the table.

"Maybe I really will find some!"

Su Wen grinned as he put the Immortal Herb Catalog into his Soul Tool.

Bibi Dong glared at him, too lazy to argue.

"You're at level twenty now. Tomorrow, I'll take you to Star Dou Forest myself to get a Spirit Ring. Once you become a Soul Grandmaster, you'll study at a Soul Master Academy for a while. You'll need followers of your own eventually. You can't keep living all alone in this little courtyard."

"Teacher, Senior Brother isn't alone. He has Nana!"

Hu Liena stood nearby and spoke up softly.

Bibi Dong rolled her eyes at her. Hu Liena pursed her lips.

"A Soul Master Academy, huh?"

Su Wen thought it might be good to go and learn a few things.

The strong weren't raised in greenhouses.

He just didn't know whether his situation would scare the others.

"Teacher, I'll ask Aunt Ye to accompany me to get my Spirit Ring!"

Su Wen knew it was time to collect the Immortal Herbs. If he waited any longer, something might go wrong.

Seeing Bibi Dong furrow her brows, he hurriedly added, "Teacher, you work so hard. You manage Pope Hall every day and still teach us. As your disciple, I can't make you go to the trouble of getting a Spirit Ring for me too—especially when it's only my Second Spirit Ring. You can come along personally when I get my Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Ring someday."

Bibi Dong's furrowed brows gradually relaxed. She reached out and kneaded Su Wen's face a few times. "Heh. A Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Ring, is it? You certainly have ambition..."

As she spoke, Bibi Dong couldn't help glancing at the Blue Silver Emperor. "Come to think of it, this Blue Silver Grass you contracted really is unusual. It has a few golden markings that the Blue Silver Grass outside doesn't."

Bibi Dong reached out to touch it, but just as she was about to make contact, the Blue Silver Emperor turned into a wisp of blue mist and drifted into Su Wen's body.

"Teacher, she's shy. She usually doesn't let people touch her."

Su Wen smiled as he explained.

Bibi Dong didn't pay it any mind. It was only a plant.

As soon as Bibi Dong left, Hu Liena immediately hugged Su Wen's arm and sat down. Her pink lips parted. "Senior Brother, Nana wants to go to a Soul Master Academy with you too."

"Then hurry up and cultivate!" Su Wen patted her head.

"Hey, hey, you Fox Spirit!"

Hu Liena was enjoying the pat when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

She turned around angrily and saw Tian Yue standing at the courtyard gate with her hands on her hips.

She held her snow-white neck high, her cheeks puffed out slightly. "Hmph! Let's have another match!"

Tian Yue had come to challenge Hu Liena many times over the past year or so.

She had even challenged Su Wen once, but after Ghost Bride had scared her to tears, she had never dared to challenge him again.

Su Wen and Hu Liena had grown used to her appearances.

Hu Liena puffed out her rosy cheeks too.

She was very unhappy that Tian Yue had shown up just then.

Su Wen watched as the two looked ready to fight again.

He simply picked up the rabbit in his arms and headed for Elder Hall.

"Aunt Ye, have you broken through?"

Su Wen pushed open Ye Yuan'er's bedroom door and walked right in.

He didn't see anyone, but water could be heard rushing in the bathroom.

"Who is it?"

A cold, wary voice came from the bathroom.

The next moment,

the voice softened.

"Xiao Wen, is that you?"

"Mm!"

Su Wen walked to the bed, flopped down onto it, and burrowed into the soft, warm bedding. He couldn't help narrowing his eyes in comfort.

The Soft Bone Charm Rabbit lay beside his neck, occasionally brushing him with its tail and making him feel ticklish.

"Creak!"

Ye Yuan'er came out of the bathroom and saw Su Wen lying on her bed, petting the rabbit.

She walked over with a grin, swung one long leg onto the bed, and knelt on it. Her thin gauzy skirt shifted down a little, revealing her delicate collarbones and slender, snow-white neck.

"Xiao Wen!"

"Are you here to get your Spirit Ring?"

Ye Yuan'er fixed her fiery gaze on him.

"Aunt Ye, let's go get the Immortal Herbs. Let's see if I can get a five-thousand-year Spirit Ring for my Second Spirit Ring... Aunt Ye..."

Before Su Wen could finish, Ye Yuan'er pulled him into her arms and gave him a fierce squeeze.

"Five thousand years? You've really got nerve. You might as well ask for five thousand years from me! One day, when you show off your Spirit Rings, I'll come out and help you beat people up!"

Ye Yuan'er was so exasperated she nearly laughed.

This kid dared to ask for a five-thousand-year Second Spirit Ring. Would he want a ten-thousand-year one for his third?!

"Mmmph—"

The Soft Bone Charm Rabbit was caught between them. It struggled a couple of times to no avail.

In the end, it turned into pink smoke and drifted into Su Wen's body.

"Aunt Ye!"

Su Wen breathed in the fragrance and lifted his head from her cleavage. "I've eaten plenty of Whale Rubber, almost every month. I'm nearly sick of it. And there are Immortal Herbs specifically for body tempering beside the spring at Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. If we combine the two, the effect..."

"Heh!"

Ye Yuan'er's heart gave a slight tremor. Immortal Herbs really were unfathomable, but she still let out a cold laugh.

Seeing her reaction, Su Wen dropped the subject. "Aunt Ye, have you broken through to level ninety-five?"

When Ye Yuan'er shook her head, Su Wen said in disappointment, "Why so slow?"

Ye Yuan'er's eyelid twitched. She grabbed his face and tugged at it. "This old lady went from level eighty-nine to level ninety-four in less than two years and became a Titled Douluo. If that's slow, the people in Elder Hall will probably bang their heads against tofu."

Ye Yuan'er rolled her eyes at him in annoyance. "And do you think Super Douluos grow on trees? You can't just reach out and grab one!"

"Levels ninety-one to ninety-four are ordinary Titled Douluo ranks. Level ninety-five is the dividing line for Titled Douluos, also known as Super Douluo. The gap in strength is like that between a Soul Saint with a Martial Soul Avatar and a Spirit Emperor. You can imagine how much Soul Power it takes to break through, so it's extremely difficult. But..."

Ye Yuan'er spoke with a hint of pride. "I have a Spirit Bone. Once I reach the peak of level ninety-four, I can use it to break through the bottleneck and reach Super Douluo."

Ye Yuan'er had traded an eighty-thousand-year Blue Silver King Spirit Bone at Pope Hall for a sixty-seven-thousand-year fire-attributed Spirit Bone. It suited her very well.

Having the same attribute let her bring out the Spirit Bone's full power.

"Then you'd better work hard, Aunt Ye. Once you get stronger, I'll be able to keep both hands in my pockets!"

At his words, Ye Yuan'er gave a tinkling laugh. She lay back on the bed, pulled Su Wen into her arms, and told him about the different Spirit Ring options.

Time passed. As the sun rose,

a Fire Phoenix shot out of Spirit City and flew toward Sunset Forest.

A few days later,

Ye Yuan'er and Su Wen arrived at Sunset Forest.

Having been there once before, Ye Yuan'er quickly found the valley shrouded in poisonous mist.

Ye Yuan'er conjured flames to protect herself and Su Wen.

The two of them slowly descended into the valley.

The poisonous mist that drifted toward them all evaporated in the intense heat.

At the same time,

in a gloomy cave, a white-haired old man whose beard and hair were both green was meditating. The moment Su Wen and Ye Yuan'er entered the valley, he abruptly opened his snake-like eyes.

"Heh. I thought they were just passing by. Who knew they'd come right in?"