What! Someone?!
The sudden voice behind them made Tang Yin and Tang San's hair stand on end.
They spun around, Soul Power instinctively surging through them.
Tang Yin immediately shielded Tang San behind him. His Mysterious Jade Arm glimmered faintly with a jade-white sheen as he stared warily toward the source of the voice.
They had been completely focused on the battle and absorbing the Soul Ring. They hadn't noticed anyone approaching at all!
That meant the newcomer was either far stronger than they were or exceptionally skilled at concealing their presence.
"Who are you?!"
Tang Yin demanded, his eyes full of wariness.
At the same time, he couldn't help worrying.
How much had the other party seen? Were they friend or foe?
Ye Zhilan wore a gentle, friendly smile, trying to ease the tension.
"Young man, there's no need to be nervous. We're not bad people."
Her voice was soft and soothing.
"We were passing nearby when the commotion drew us over. We didn't expect to witness such an astonishing sight."
"You two are so young, yet you managed to kill this Vajra Overlord Tiger together. It's truly remarkable—you're prodigies among the younger generation."
Then Ye Zhilan introduced herself.
"My surname is Ye, and my name is Zhilan. I'm from the Nine-Heart Begonia Family."
"These two are my family."
She gestured to the white-haired old woman and the cool, aloof girl whose bangs covered her eyes.
The Nine-Heart Begonia Family?
Tang Yin's heart stirred. He knew that name well.
In the original story, they were the continent's foremost healing Martial Soul family, with an extraordinary status.
Judging by this "Aunt Ye's" bearing and manner of speaking, she probably held a very high position in the family. She might even be the clan head herself.
And that cool, aloof girl beside her, with her deep blue hair...
Could she be Ye Lingling, the one from the original story who possessed the Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul?
For a moment, thoughts raced through Tang Yin's mind.
His original plan had been to help his younger brother Tang San obtain a Soul Ring, then head to Heaven Dou Imperial City.
He would find a way to join Heaven Dou Royal Academy and get close to Dugu Yan.
By winning Dugu Yan over, he could make contact with Poison Douluo Dugu Bo.
His ultimate target was the Immortal Herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!
But now, an even better opportunity seemed to have presented itself.
In the original story, Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan were close friends, practically inseparable.
The Nine-Heart Begonia Family and the Jade Phosphorus Dugu Family were probably on good terms, too.
Aunt Ye clearly admired the talent of the two brothers and seemed intent on recruiting them.
If they went to Heaven Dou Imperial City with her help, they could use the Nine-Heart Begonia Family's connections to meet Dugu Yan. That seemed like a good option, too.
They would certainly owe the Nine-Heart Begonia Family a great deal during that time.
But Tang Yin could repay that debt.
For one thing, he could have his younger brother Tang San make Hidden Weapons in the future and sell them to the Nine-Heart Begonia Family at a discount. That alone would be more than enough!
After the fight against the thousand-year-old Vajra Overlord Tiger, Tang Chuan had felt the dangers of the Star Dou Great Forest keenly.
Though they had escaped unharmed, the forest was clearly fraught with peril.
If they could get help from Ye Zhilan—Aunt Ye—it would certainly be a good thing for his younger brother Tang San as he hunted for his Second Soul Ring.
Having made up his mind, Tang Yin's wariness eased a little, though he didn't let his guard down completely. He cupped his hands.
"So you're Senior Ye of the Nine-Heart Begonia Family. Please forgive my discourtesy."
"I'm Tang Yin, and this is my younger brother, Tang San."
"We came here to hunt Soul Beasts for Soul Rings. We were lucky enough to succeed just now. I hope we haven't made fools of ourselves in front of you, Senior."
Seeing Tang Yin's attitude soften, Ye Zhilan was quietly pleased and continued warmly,
"You're too modest, Tang Yin."
"The Star Dou Great Forest is full of danger, and the deeper you go, the more perilous it becomes."
"Although you're quite strong, you're still young and may lack experience."
"If you run into an even more powerful Soul Beast, your lives could be in danger."
"I've always admired talented people, and I can't bear to see you put yourselves at risk."
"If you still need to hunt for Soul Rings, why not travel with us?"
"We're also here to hunt a Soul Ring for my daughter. We can look for suitable Soul Beasts for you along the way. After you obtain your Soul Rings, we can escort you safely out of the forest."
"What do you say?"
Ye Zhilan's invitation was entirely sincere.
Her words made her sound like someone who deeply admired and cared for talented people.
Tang Yin wore a suitably hesitant expression. He looked at Tang San, then at Ye Zhilan and her companions, as though weighing the pros and cons.
After a moment, he seemed to reach a decision and cupped his hands.
"Since you put it that way, thank you for your kindness, Senior Ye."
"My brother and I do still need to find a suitable Second Soul Ring for Xiao San. We'd be deeply grateful for your help."
"It's just... I'm afraid we'll be imposing on you."
"Not at all. Meeting is fate."
"You don't have to call me Senior. Just call me Aunt Ye!"
Ye Zhilan smiled even more brightly, a weight lifting from her heart.
Their willingness to travel together was a good start.
Tang San, for his part, was puzzled about why his big brother had agreed to let these three strangers accompany them on their hunt for Soul Rings.
But this clearly wasn't the right time to ask.
Tang Yin had worked miracles time and again, so Tang San trusted and believed in him completely.
And so Tang Yin and Tang San continued deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest with Ye Zhilan and the others.
Traveling with Aunt Ye, who was clearly an expert, and the unfathomable old woman certainly made them feel much safer.
The Hundred-Year Soul Beasts they encountered along the way—and even some weaker thousand-year Soul Beasts—kept their distance, not daring to approach.
On the way, Ye Zhilan casually asked what type of Soul Ring Tang San needed.
Tang Yin pondered briefly, then decided to answer honestly.
The other party had probably seen him absorb the Soul Ring of the thousand-year-old Vajra Overlord Tiger.
With the Nine-Heart Begonia Family's knowledge, they could certainly tell how old the Soul Ring was.
Hiding it would only seem petty. It was better to be upfront, which would make him seem more sincere and earn their trust.
"Aunt Ye, to be honest..."
Tang Yin sighed as he spoke.
"You probably saw that the Soul Ring I absorbed just now came from a thousand-year-old Vajra Overlord Tiger."
"I've also set a thousand-year Soul Ring as Xiao San's target for his Second Soul Ring."
"Ideally, it would be a top-tier Plant-type Soul Beast, with attributes that complement his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. It should have powerful vitality, as well as the ability to restore Soul Power."
"A thousand-year Second Soul Ring?"
Although Ye Zhilan had witnessed Tang Yin absorb the thousand-year Soul Ring from the Vajra Overlord Tiger, hearing him calmly say it—and that he had set a thousand-year Second Soul Ring as Tang San's target, too—still shocked her.
She couldn't help asking,
"Tang Yin, as far as I know, Soul Masters generally can't absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring as their second."
"How did you manage to withstand it? And how will you ensure your brother Tang San can absorb one, too?"
Tang Yin looked confident and proud. He had already thought of an explanation.
"Aunt Ye, I'm nothing special. My First Soul Ring had a lightning attribute, so I created a body-tempering technique called Thunder Body Tempering. It uses lightning to strengthen the body."
"My body is a little stronger than that of a Soul Master at the same rank. With a bit of luck, I just barely succeeded."
"After I created Thunder Body Tempering, naturally I used it to temper my younger brother Xiao San's body, too!"
The secret of Whale Rubber was far too important.
For now, Tang Yin had no intention of revealing everything about it.
But he could tell them about Thunder Body Tempering.
After all, it sounded simple enough, but carrying it out was another matter!
If Tang Yin hadn't fused with the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone and gained the second Soul Bone Skill, Wildfire Never Dies, Spring Wind Brings Life, its powerful healing ability would not have been there to support him.
Without that support, Thunder Body Tempering could easily damage the body.
But the Nine-Heart Begonia Family had Soul Masters with the peerless healing power of the Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul. Perhaps they could recreate Thunder Body Tempering.
In a way, this was Tang Yin's advance repayment to the Nine-Heart Begonia Family.
"Thunder Body Tempering?"
"Using the power of lightning to temper the body?"
At that, Ye Zhilan and Granny Yan exchanged a look, both of them deeply shaken.
In the Soul Master World, no one had ever thought of tempering the body this way to let themselves absorb Soul Rings beyond their limits!
This child truly had extraordinary talent—and astonishing wisdom!
Once Ye Zhilan learned about Thunder Body Tempering, she immediately had another thought.
Thunder Body Tempering might damage the body.
But their Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul had peerless healing abilities. If the Nine-Heart Begonia Family's healing power could support Thunder Body Tempering...
Wouldn't their family be able to do the same?
Could they let their own prodigies absorb Soul Rings beyond their limits?
Ye Zhilan's heart burned with excitement, and she couldn't help feeling a little ashamed before Tang Yin.
She had intended to show Tang Yin kindness and recruit him.
But she hadn't expected him to reveal the secret of Thunder Body Tempering, which allowed one to absorb Soul Rings beyond one's limits, right from the start.
Hadn't she ended up owing him an enormous debt of gratitude instead?!
Before you continue