That sudden male voice in their ears was like a drop of cold water falling into a pot of boiling oil.
Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu whipped around almost at the same time, their sharp, knife-like gazes locking onto the source of the voice.
The window of a private room on the second floor of a teahouse overlooking the street, not far away.
A handsome man in splendid clothes stood leaning against the window, perfectly at ease. A faint smile played on his lips as he gazed down at them with interest.
He even held a cup of hot tea in his hand, sipping it leisurely.
It was Lin Yue.
"It's him?!" Huo Wu's anger flared even hotter, her willow brows shooting up. That voice had been calm to the point of sounding mocking, as though he were laughing at them for fighting tooth and nail over a mere Hundred-Year Soul Beast.
She was already seething over the Lightning Rabbit's escape, and now she turned her anger on this mysterious man who had appeared out of nowhere. "You're the one who said you had..."
Before she could finish, Shui Bing'er stopped her.
Shui Bing'er was calmer than Huo Wu, but her icy blue eyes were filled with wariness and scrutiny.
"That's right. I've been waiting here for you to come up!"
"Only the two of you may come up."
Lin Yue chuckled again.
After Shui Bing'er stopped her, Huo Wu calmed down as well. She knew that if she'd said "Soul Beast" just now, the situation would have spiraled out of control again, and the other party might have left.
Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er exchanged a glance. In the end, they still couldn't resist their desire for Soul Beasts, so they tacitly slipped away from the others and went to meet Lin Yue.
"Who are you, sir? Do you really have Soul Beasts?" Shui Bing'er's voice remained cool, with a hint of caution that was difficult to detect.
Lin Yue's gaze swept over the two girls, so different in style yet equally striking, and a hint of amusement entered his eyes. "Of course!"
Snap—
Lin Yue snapped his fingers, and a spatial vortex appeared before him.
A moment later, a thousand-year Soul Beast fell out.
"A thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider!"
Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu stared in surprise at the Soul Beast that had fallen out.
But that wasn't all. One Soul Beast after another tumbled out of the spatial vortex.
Some were hundred-year Soul Beasts, and some were ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts.
Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu were completely stunned, staring at the scene before them in disbelief.
This man really did have Soul Beasts.
And they weren't merely Ten-Year Soul Beasts belonging to those who had just awakened their Soul Power. He had hundred-year, thousand-year, and even ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts.
In the past, they wouldn't have been so surprised to see these Soul Beasts.
But times had changed. In this era, Soul Beasts were all but extinct!
Snap—
Lin Yue snapped his fingers again, and all the Soul Beasts on the ground vanished.
"Who are you, exactly? What about that Lightning Rabbit just now? Did you release it?" Huo Wu might have been brash, but she wasn't stupid. She immediately thought of the Lightning Rabbit and planted her hands on her hips, demanding sharply.
Shui Bing'er stood a step behind her, her gaze as clear as ice crystals fixed on Lin Yue. She said nothing, but an invisible chill spread through the private room, lowering the temperature by several degrees.
She, too, had realized that Lin Yue might have released the Lightning Rabbit. At the same time, she was assessing his strength and intentions.
Lin Yue leisurely swallowed a bite of pastry and took another sip of tea before looking up at the two girls. The playful smile on his face deepened. "Who am I? That's not important. What matters is that I can give you the Soul Beasts you want."
"What do you want?"
Shui Bing'er asked calmly.
Lin Yue leaned back, settling comfortably against the chair. His gaze shifted between Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu, and the corner of his mouth curled into a meaningful smile.
"I have Soul Beasts of any cultivation level you want. As for the price..." He deliberately drew out the last word, his eyes roaming over the two girls with a hint of boldness. "That depends on what you can offer."
The implication was almost painfully obvious.
"You want us? You lecher!"
Huo Wu understood and immediately burst into a stream of curses.
Shui Bing'er's face turned icy, her expression filled with shame and anger.
"That's up to you. As long as you're willing to pay the price, I have all the Soul Rings you'll need for your future cultivation—and they all have the quality of the optimal Soul Ring Configuration. They aren't like the one-year Soul Rings in circulation now, which grant no Soul Skills even after they're absorbed!"
Lin Yue spoke at an unhurried pace.
"You..." Huo Wu's face burned with shame and anger. She wanted to lash out, but felt that it wouldn't be appropriate.
"Aren't you afraid we'll tell everyone right now that you have so many Soul Beasts?" Shui Bing'er was far calmer and even knew to threaten Lin Yue.
Of course she wanted Soul Beasts, but she didn't want to give herself up.
"That's right! If you don't give us Soul Beasts, we'll expose you right now and let everyone know you were behind that whole farce just now!" Huo Wu's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly joined in the threat.
"You think you can threaten me?"
Lin Yue scoffed.
BOOM—
Then Lin Yue released the terrifying Soul pressure within him.
Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu's expressions changed instantly. They toppled to the ground with a thud, pinned down by Lin Yue's Soul pressure and unable to move.
"How is this possible..."
Both Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu were stunned, staring at Lin Yue in a daze.
They knew Lin Yue might be powerful, but they hadn't imagined he was this terrifying. His Soul pressure alone had rendered them completely immobile.
Even their dean, a Soul Douluo, was nowhere near his level.
A Titled Douluo. This man standing before them was definitely a Titled Douluo.
Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu immediately judged Lin Yue's strength, and their fear only deepened.
They had never imagined that a Titled Douluo would take an interest in them.
They didn't know whether they should be happy or cry.
"I don't like forcing people into anything!"
"I'll give you this one chance. If you refuse, don't expect to see me again!"
"From now on, you'll be like all the other Soul Masters, scrambling for Ten-Year Soul Beasts that have only just awakened their Soul Power—and you might not even get one."
Lin Yue withdrew his pressure and added, "I'll give you ten seconds to choose!"
Tap... Tap...
After speaking, Lin Yue said nothing more, only tapping the table lightly with his fingers.
When Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu had recovered and heard what Lin Yue said, their expressions shifted again and again.
In the past, they would have refused Lin Yue without hesitation.
Even if he was a Titled Douluo, they would never have sold themselves for a few Soul Beasts.
But times were different now.
"I accept!"
The cool, composed Shui Bing'er was the first to speak.
She truly couldn't bear to let this opportunity slip away.