A Si and Xiao Xue

Seeing Qian Renxue approach, Lan Si immediately displayed the flustered expression appropriate for his age. He first froze for a moment, a shy blush creeping onto his face, before stammering in a flustered, incoherent manner, "Um, Miss, hello, my name is Lan Si. I'm so sorry about just now, it was because..."

Watching Lan Si's shy and panicked demeanor, Qian Renxue looked him up and down once more. A flicker of smugness crossed her heart, and she covered her red lips with a jade-like hand, letting out a soft, giggling laugh. She pointed toward the dead Soul-Eater Demon Spider in the pit and said with a smile, "Are you trying to say that you were hunting this Soul-Eater Demon Spider and accidentally drove it to the spot where I was absorbing my spirit ring, nearly disturbing me, right?"

Qian Renxue was quite confident in her own appearance; she believed that, apart from that one woman, no other female could compare to her. Since Lan Si was just a young boy experiencing his first stirrings of love, it was no surprise that he would act shy and flustered upon seeing her beauty.

"That is exactly what I meant. I am truly sorry." Lan Si stood straight and bowed slightly, not rising back up.

Seeing Lan Si's 'sincere' apology, a subtle, imperceptible curve touched Qian Renxue's beautiful face. She nodded and smiled, "You didn't do it on purpose, and the Soul-Eater Demon Spider didn't harm me. Besides, you acted as my guard while I was absorbing my spirit ring, so let's just call it even."

As she spoke, Qian Renxue walked to the side of the Soul-Eater Demon Spider and asked casually, "Your name is Lan Si, right? If I'm not mistaken, your spirit power has already reached level thirty, and you intended to use the spirit ring formed by this Soul-Eater Demon Spider, didn't you?"

"Yes." Lan Si nodded slowly and stood beside Qian Renxue.

"I advise you not to do that. I admit you are impressive to have killed it with level thirty strength, but this spirit beast's age far exceeds two thousand years—somewhere between two thousand and twenty-five hundred. This greatly exceeds the tolerance limit for a third spirit ring; if you absorb it rashly, you will be blown apart by the massive energy within the ring." Qian Renxue sighed softly, attempting to dissuade him.

Having learned that Lan Si possessed Twin Martial Souls, and given the decent impression he had made, a desire to cherish talent stirred in Qian Renxue's heart. If possible, she did not want this genius with Twin Martial Souls to perish prematurely.

"I know." Lan Si said solemnly.

"Then why..." Qian Renxue frowned, her beautiful brows knitting together. Before she could finish, Lan Si continued, "I know you mean well, but in my view, danger and opportunity often coexist. Furthermore, the limit for a third spirit ring only applies to ordinary people."

"I have read quite a few theories regarding how Soul Masters absorb spirit rings. In my opinion, the maximum age a Soul Master can absorb is related to the strength of their own physical constitution. The stronger the physique, the higher the age of the spirit ring they can withstand. This is also why the limit for spirit rings increases as one's cultivation level rises, because your physical constitution strengthens alongside your spirit power."

"I have placed great importance on tempering my physique since I was young. My first spirit ring was a Red Feather Eagle between four hundred and four hundred and thirty years old, and my second was a Shadow-Splitting Beast reaching nine hundred years. Both exceeded the limits known to the spirit master world, so I have confidence."

Qian Renxue nodded repeatedly after hearing this, and couldn't help but ask, "Who is your teacher?"

"Myself." Lan Si said with a smile.

"Pfft, if you don't want to say, then don't. I'm not that curious anyway." Qian Renxue relaxed for a rare moment and pouted.

"I've said so much, yet I still don't know your name. I can't just keep calling you 'Miss' forever!" Lan Si looked up at the darkening night sky, sat cross-legged beside the carcass of the Soul-Eater Demon Spider, and asked Qian Renxue.

Qian Renxue pondered for a moment, then slowly replied, "Leng Xue." She gave a fake name.

"Leng Xue?" Lan Si raised his eyebrows imperceptibly and smiled amusedly, "It suits you."

"Why?" Qian Renxue asked curiously.

"You are so beautiful, your skin is as white as snow, and you are quite cold and aloof. Leng Xue, Leng Xue—doesn't that describe you perfectly?" Lan Si smiled.

"You are an interesting fellow." A smile touched the corners of Qian Renxue's mouth. Suddenly, her expression sharpened, and she said in a low voice, "Are you really planning to absorb this spirit ring?"

Lan Si nodded slowly.

"Aren't you worried that I might harm you while you are absorbing the spirit ring?" Qian Renxue looked at Lan Si, who was sitting by the Soul-Eater Demon Spider and preparing to absorb the ring.

"To say I'm not worried would be a lie, but I am just a small quasi-Spirit Elder, and you are a Spirit Emperor. If you wanted to kill me, any ten-thousand-year spirit skill could wipe me out instantly. Besides, I already apologized, and you forgave me. You don't strike me as someone who kills the innocent indiscriminately. As long as there is no conflict between us, you won't attack me." Lan Si spread his hands.

"That's not necessarily true. What if you misjudged me?" Qian Renxue covered her red lips with her hand, the corners of her mouth curling upward.

"Then I'll just have to consider myself unlucky. I can't beat you, and I can't escape." Lan Si looked helpless.

"Alright then, you win. Before you absorb the spirit ring, I want to ask you one last question?" Qian Renxue said.

"Ask away, you're making it sound like a final farewell." Lan Si pouted.

"Don't be ungrateful for my kindness. I wanted to ask where your home is, so if you get blown apart by the Soul-Eater Demon Spider's ring, I can at least call your parents to collect your corpse." Qian Renxue glared at Lan Si indignantly.

"You can rest easy on that front; my parents passed away long ago. But if you really want to know about my background, just go to Nuoding City, one thousand li to the northwest, and ask around. It's nothing shameful anyway." As he spoke, Lan Si closed his eyes, circulated the Supreme Universe Art and the Five Thunders Heart Art, and began to absorb the spirit ring.

He spoke lightly, but in reality, he had no certainty in his heart. Facing a Soul-Eater Demon Spider with an age exceeding two thousand, or even reaching twenty-five hundred years, it would be a lie to say he had ten-tenths of confidence. However, since Tang San in the original story could absorb a Man Faced Demon Spider over two thousand years old using only the Mysterious Heaven Skill, if he—possessing two top-tier, complementary arts—couldn't do it, then he might as well just die. How could he talk about becoming stronger? How could he talk about being invincible at his level?

Watching Lan Si enter the meditative state of absorbing the spirit ring, the smile on Qian Renxue's face gradually faded. After a moment of silence, she suddenly spoke, her ethereal and melodious voice giving one a strange feeling of being spiritually cleansed.

"Come out."

As the girl's voice fell, two black shadows—one fat and one thin—mysteriously emerged from a large tree behind her. These two shadows were none other than Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo, who were secretly protecting Qian Renxue.