Most importantly, because this Spirit Ring didn't have a Mental Attribute, Brother Sky Dream couldn't use the source power sealed inside his body to raise its age.
In other words, he had completely wasted one of his Spirit Ring slots.
"Brother doesn't care what happens. For your safety and mine, you absolutely must not tell him—or anyone else—anything about me."
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm warned him solemnly.
"Don't worry, Brother Sky Dream. I'll keep this secret."
Huo Yuhao might have been simple-minded, but he wasn't stupid enough to need Sky Dream Ice Silkworm to tell him not to reveal that a million-year Soul Beast had sacrificed itself for him.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm gave him an approving look. "That's more like it. Your aptitude might be a little lacking, and you even absorbed a useless Ten-Year First Soul Ring, but your Spirit Eye is a mutated Body Martial Soul with decent potential. Your body is holding you back, though. If I get the chance, I'll find some rare heavenly treasures for you to eat."
"Brother Sky Dream, I know my First Soul Ring is terrible, but could you please stop bringing it up?"
Huo Yuhao's face darkened. He hadn't really blamed Feng Piaoling before, since it had been his own choice.
But after listening to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm nag, he found himself starting to feel a little resentful toward Feng Piaoling.
"Heh heh, I'm just trying to make sure you watch out for that sly brat. All right, you should go now. Those two humans outside—and that sly brat—have been watching over you this whole time."
As Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's words faded, Huo Yuhao felt himself being drawn into a massive vortex before sinking into darkness.
When he came to, the first thing he saw was Tang Ya's nearly flawless, delicate face.
"Little Yuhao, you're finally awake! You scared me to death. You have no idea—in the middle of absorbing the Wind Baboon Spirit Ring, a powerful Soul Beast suddenly appeared. Luckily, Little Piaoling lured it away, so you came through safe and sound."
Seeing Huo Yuhao open his eyes, Tang Ya was overjoyed and blurted out the story she had imagined.
Lured away a powerful Soul Beast? Huo Yuhao glanced at Feng Piaoling, who was still cultivating nearby, and a flicker of displeasure passed through his eyes. According to Brother Sky Dream, Feng Piaoling had been driven off by him.
He could understand that. Facing a powerful Soul Beast, Feng Piaoling had still tried to protect a friend he'd known for only a few days. That was already commendable.
And it was only natural to flee when outmatched.
But Feng Piaoling had told everyone else that he had lured Brother Sky Dream away to save him.
Already feeling resentful toward Feng Piaoling because of the Ten-Year Wind Baboon First Soul Ring, Huo Yuhao now felt even more dissatisfied.
Keeping his promise to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, Huo Yuhao said nothing. He sprang to his feet and circulated his Soul Power.
At once, two white Spirit Rings rose from beneath his feet.
Realizing that he truly had received the sacrifice of the million-year Soul Beast Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and had really advanced to Soul Grandmaster, Huo Yuhao leaped with joy. "I did it! I did it! I finally became a Soul Master—and I'm even a Soul Grandmaster..."
"A Ten-Year Second Soul Ring." Tang Ya was instantly stunned. With her impulsive temper, she couldn't help complaining to Feng Piaoling. "Little Piaoling, how could you do this? The First Ring was bad enough, but you let him absorb another Ten-Year Spirit Ring for his second!"
Bei Bei sighed and shook his head. A Ten-Year First Soul Ring might still have been understandable, but having a Ten-Year Second Soul Ring would surely have a huge impact on the future. He might even be stuck at level twenty-nine for the rest of his life, unable to break through to Soul Elder.
Feng Piaoling didn't bother explaining. After using Huo Yuhao, the Child of Destiny, to find a suitable Third Soul Ring for himself, he would leave anyway.
"Now that you've finished absorbing your Spirit Ring, let's go. I still need to get my Third Soul Ring. If you're willing to help me, come along. If not, I'll go by myself."
As he spoke, Feng Piaoling got up and continued deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest alone.
"Teacher Xiao Ya, you've misunderstood Big Brother Feng Piaoling. I never told him I was going to absorb a Second Soul Ring, and I chose to absorb this Spirit Ring myself."
By now, Huo Yuhao had come down from the excitement of becoming a Soul Grandmaster.
But how could he put it? Perhaps he was covering up Sky Dream's sacrifice, or perhaps he resented Feng Piaoling for making him absorb a Ten-Year Wind Baboon Spirit Ring.
Either way, he sounded downright catty as he said it.
And Tang Ya and Bei Bei actually fell for it, glaring at Feng Piaoling in solidarity with Huo Yuhao.
They completely forgot how they had earlier imagined Feng Piaoling bravely drawing away a powerful Soul Beast to protect Huo Yuhao.
Feng Piaoling kept walking without a care. A little green tea was nothing; he had endured years of humiliation and hardship.
He could put up with this a little longer. Once he got his Third Soul Ring, he'd show them what a true master of the sharp tongue looked like.
Seeing Feng Piaoling act like that only made the three of them angrier. Tang Ya took the lead, Bei Bei followed behind with Huo Yuyao by the hand, and all three quickened their pace toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
They soon passed Feng Piaoling, who had been strolling along at an easy pace.
Feng Piaoling didn't mind. He simply kept following at a steady pace, always about one step behind them.
Perhaps she wanted to show Feng Piaoling and Huo Yuhao those so-called Tang Sect Secret Arts. As they traveled, Tang Ya would occasionally use some old-fashioned Hidden Weapons to kill Wind Baboons that tried to attack them.
Meanwhile, Bei Bei also began explaining from time to time just how great the Tang Sect had once been, how powerful its Hidden Weapons were, and so on...
Feng Piaoling wasn't so narrow-minded as to think that having the Green Lotus Sword Art, Heaven-Reaching Demon Eye, Nine Gale Swords, and Clone Shadow meant he could look down on the martial arts in the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record.
Instead, he quietly observed Bei Bei and Tang Ya's movements and the paths along which they circulated their Soul Power, taking what was useful and discarding the dross to improve himself.
Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, was delighted by what he heard.
If he hadn't worried that the Tang Sect wouldn't accept a Soul Grandmaster with two white Spirit Rings, he would have wanted to kneel and become their disciple on the spot.
Just like that, an hour passed quickly.
"Xiao Ya, watch out!" Bei Bei's expression suddenly changed. He abruptly raised his right hand and made a grasping motion toward Tang Ya.
Tang Ya and Bei Bei had long since developed a tacit understanding. Hearing him, she lightly tapped her toes against the ground and floated up, pulled toward him by his force.
That was the so-called Tang Sect Secret Art: Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon.
The instant Tang Ya was pulled away, a long black shadow slammed to the ground with a soft thump.
A rich, sweet fragrance immediately filled the air.
Feng Piaoling recognized the black shadow at a glance. It was the thousand-year Datura Snake that Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei had hunted for Tang Ya's Third Soul Ring in the original story.
He couldn't be bothered to waste any more time with them.
Whoosh!
The moment the Datura Snake hit the ground, he was already airborne. His left hand pressed against the sword's scabbard, activating the lightning shield, while his right hand drew the Thunder Tribulation Sword.
His figure darted toward the Datura Snake like a ghost.
Seeing Feng Piaoling charge alone without even releasing his Martial Soul, the Datura Snake spat a mouthful of pink poisonous mist at him.
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