"Something like that can happen?"
Jiang Mo wore the look of someone who'd seen everything and still couldn't believe it. He doubted the story was true, but thinking it over, Lin Beiya's physique couldn't have improved so rapidly otherwise.
After a moment's thought, Jiang Mo said seriously:
"I'll tell the Grand Pontiff when I get back. Then I'll send someone to the seaside to bring back some Whale Rubber and test it."
"But you, kid—you really will try anything!"
Jiang Mo raised an eyebrow and looked at Lin Beiya teasingly. His gaze made Lin Beiya's scalp tingle, but there was nothing he could do about it. After all, he'd need them to get more Whale Rubber later.
"Haha, young people have to be willing to try new things."
"That's true."
The Soul Hunt was over, and there was no reason for them to stay. They took off on their staffs again and immediately headed back toward Spirit Hall.
In the garden, Qian Renxue and Lei Ying were having dinner after finishing their afternoon training.
Watching the Little Angel prop her chin up with one hand while using her utensils to wreak havoc on the food on her plate, Lei Ying rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"I'm telling you, stop worrying about Bei Ya. He wouldn't do something unless he was fairly confident."
"He even accepted my challenge only after assessing his own strength."
Qian Renxue listlessly raised her eyelids. She understood all that, but just thinking about him taking a thousand-year Soul Ring at the Soul Grandmaster level made her heart pound with fear.
If something happened to Lin Beiya, she... where would she find such a good punching bag?
"Let's hope so. By then, I doubt either of us will be able to beat him."
"Uh..."
At that, the smile vanished from Lei Ying's face. She'd been utterly helpless against Lin Beiya when he was still a Soul Master. If he became a Soul Grandmaster, he'd surely grow even stronger, and she'd stand even less of a chance against him.
As the two women talked, the subject of their conversation came hurtling toward the table like a dark shadow. Without a word, he began devouring everything in sight.
For the past two and a half days, he'd only been able to gnaw on some dry rations up in a tree. He'd been starving.
"Bei Ya!"
The Little Angel came to her senses and realized it was Lin Beiya. Delight shone in her eyes, while Lei Ying, still unaccustomed to Lin Beiya's table manners, looked disgusted again.
"Seriously, how many days have you gone without eating? Can't you watch your manners?"
"Bei Ya, did you absorb your Soul Ring successfully?"
Lin Beiya nodded slightly, without slowing down his eating. The two women had no choice but to wait until he was done.
A few dozen minutes later, Lin Beiya leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach, wearing a satisfied expression.
"I'm stuffed!"
"Tsk. Someone was so busy eating that he didn't notice my little princess was worried sick about him!"
"Hm?"
Hearing Lei Ying, Lin Beiya half closed his eyes and looked at the Little Angel beside him. Her cheeks were red, and she was glaring furiously at Lei Ying across the table.
"Thanks for worrying about me, Xiao Xue!"
"It's... it's nothing. How did the Soul Hunt go?"
Without saying more, Lin Beiya summoned the Divine Statue. A yellow and a purple Soul Ring rose into view.
Though they'd been prepared for it, Qian Renxue and Lei Ying were still deeply shaken when they saw it with their own eyes.
"Oh my god, you really did it!"
"Bei Ya, you're a real monster."
Lin Beiya rolled his eyes. I'll take that as a compliment.
After a brief moment of surprise, anticipation appeared on Qian Renxue's face.
"Bei Ya, does that mean there's a new Sacred Cloth to wear?"
"That's right. A new Sacred Cloth has indeed been born."
"Quick, quick, let me see!"
Nothing delighted a girl more than new clothes, and Gold Cloths were no exception.
Lin Beiya didn't hold back. As the purple Soul Ring lit up, a beam of light shot into the sky, and a Golden Bull slowly appeared before the three of them.
"Th-this is a bull?"
The Little Angel asked Lin Beiya uncertainly, while Lei Ying's eyes lit up.
Lin Beiya nodded, confirming Qian Renxue's guess, then entered the Sacred Cloth Possession state. With the Taurus Gold Cloth on, he looked considerably more imposing.
"That's right. This is the Taurus Gold Cloth, the embodiment of pure strength."
After showing it off briefly, Lin Beiya turned the Sacred Cloth into a Gold Card and tossed it to Qian Renxue.
"Here, give it a try."
"Okay!"
Taking the Gold Card marked with Taurus, Qian Renxue immediately channeled her Soul Power into it.
Just like the Aries Sacred Cloth, when the Taurus Gold Cloth attached itself to Qian Renxue, the waist and hips formed a skirt, making it more suitable for a woman to wear.
Lin Beiya had imagined that Qian Renxue would love the new Sacred Cloth too, but after looking it over, she pouted and said:
"Bei Ya, this Sacred Cloth is so ugly!"
Hearing that, Lin Beiya staggered and nearly fell over.
The Taurus Gold Cloth wasn't as beautiful as the Aries Sacred Cloth, but how could anyone call it ugly?
And hadn't she felt how it boosted all her attributes by twenty percent? Hadn't she felt the powerful battle skill it gave her? Was all she cared about the way it looked?
Qian Renxue was deeply unhappy with the two pairs of horns on the helmet and shoulders. And wearing that chest plate made her feel imposing and powerful—hardly a look a girl would like.
"Uh, why don't you try the battle skill before you judge it?"
"Okay, I'll give it a try."
The three of them quickly headed to the Training Ground. Lei Ying, who was very interested in the new battle skill, naturally became the sparring partner and stood opposite the Little Angel.
Qian Renxue closed her eyes and felt the battle skill granted by the Taurus Gold Cloth. Then she crossed her arms over her chest and took a stance for Iai.
"Great Horn!"
The golden Wild Ox phantom charged out, surging toward Lei Ying with a savage momentum.
Feeling its force, Lei Ying didn't dare take it lightly. She hurriedly used her second Soul Skill and entered the Explosive Flame Possession state.
"Bang!"
The golden Wild Ox phantom slammed into Lei Ying, who had crossed her arms in front of her to block. She flew back as if hit by a truck, then slid dozens of meters across the ground before coming to a stop.
"Ptooey!"
Spitting the sand from her mouth, Lei Ying looked warily at Qian Renxue, who was still standing opposite her with her arms crossed and delight in her eyes. The power of the Soul Skill had left her shaken.
Her arms, which had just taken the brunt of the force, were trembling nonstop. The skin at the base of her thumbs had split open, and blood was slowly trickling out.
"That's incredibly powerful!"
Seeing Lei Ying hurt, Qian Renxue's delight faded. She hurried over to her in three quick steps and asked anxiously:
"Sister Yingying, are you okay?"
"I'm... I'm fine. Just a minor injury. I'll go see a healing Soul Master in a bit."
"Phew."
The Little Angel let out a sigh of relief, then looked warily at the Taurus Gold Cloth she was wearing.
"I didn't expect this ugly outfit to be so strong."
At that, Lin Beiya and Lei Ying both rolled their eyes. How could a Soul Master care so much about whether something was ugly or beautiful?
"Forget whether it's ugly. Just tell me if it's strong. If you really don't like it, you don't have to wear it."
"Uh..."
Qian Renxue looked conflicted. After a long while, she looked timidly at Lin Beiya and asked:
"Um, could you wear the Taurus, while I wear the Aries?"
Before you continue