In the clearing, Zhao Wuji saw the pleading look Lin Yan shot him and suddenly grinned crookedly.
The next second, his Martial Soul, the Vajra Bear, possessed him. Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, and black—seven Soul Rings swept across the clearing, carrying the unique pressure of a Soul Saint.
The ferocity in Chao Tianxiang's eyes vanished at once.
"What? A Soul Saint!"
She instinctively shielded Meng Yiran behind her, her expression shifting from its earlier scorn and anger to solemnity.
At that moment, Zhao Wuji stepped forward.
"You say we stole your granddaughter's Soul Ring? Why not say that all the Soul Beasts in this entire Star Dou Forest belong to you?"
Chao Tianxiang's expression darkened—not because her unreasonable attitude had been exposed, but because she feared Zhao Wuji's strength.
A Soul Emperor against a Soul Saint had almost no chance of winning. Unless she summoned Dragon Duke, who was some distance away, she and Meng Yiran would both be done for today.
Faced with such a dangerous situation, she chose to be "wise to the times."
"I am Chao Tianxiang. May I ask your name, sir?"
Chao Tianxiang bowed slightly and cupped her hands toward Zhao Wuji.
Zhao Wuji's expression froze. "Chao Tianxiang? One of Dragon Duke and Snake Granny?"
She did not answer, which made it clear that he had guessed correctly.
Seeing this, Zhao Wuji straightened up, the playfulness leaving his face.
It was said that Dragon Duke and Snake Granny never acted alone. Wherever Snake Granny was, Dragon Duke was sure to be nearby.
One was a Soul Emperor, the other a Soul Douluo, and together they possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with power comparable to a Titled Douluo's. They were famous across the continent.
To tell the truth, Zhao Wuji had just been about to take care of these two fools and vent some of the anger he'd been carrying lately. After all, he used to be a fugitive who killed without batting an eye.
But now...
Considering that Dragon Duke was nearby, he put away the killing intent in his eyes and cupped his hands in return.
"I am Zhao Wuji!"
"Lady Chao, this Soul Beast was killed through the combined efforts of these young fellows. How did it become your granddaughter's Soul Ring?"
Chao Tianxiang felt slightly relieved. It seemed Zhao Wuji had realized Dragon Duke was nearby. The tension gradually eased, shifting from the earlier hostility to a point where they could talk normally.
Chao Tianxiang pointed her Serpent Cane at the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.
"There are wounds on its belly. Turn it over and you'll see."
At her words, Zhao Wuji signaled Dai Mubai to turn the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent over.
Rumble~
The enormous serpent's body was flipped, exposing its belly. Sure enough, everyone saw two wounds there that matched the Serpent Cane.
"This..."
Zhao Wuji furrowed his brow slightly. "Lady Chao, since things have come to this, what do you think...?"
The two began speaking in low voices. At that moment, Lin Yan noticed Meng Yiran.
"Gray skin. Is that because of her Martial Soul?"
"I didn't expect it to give her such a strange kind of beauty. And she's at least a D cup, right? Do people on Douluo Continent all develop this well?"
Looking at her rather bewitching beauty, he found himself sneaking a few extra glances.
Who would've thought Ning Rongrong, standing beside him, would notice? She leaned toward Lin Yan and lowered her voice, speaking in a threatening tone.
"If you're interested in her, I'll have Sword Grandpa kill you!"
"Huh?"
Lin Yan was taken aback. Before he could figure out what she meant, Ning Rongrong's little hand had already pinched his lower back.
"Stop, stop, stop! What are you doing?"
Lin Yan winced in pain and pulled away. Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes and let out a cold snort.
Meanwhile, Zhao Wuji and Chao Tianxiang quickly reached an agreement. In the end, Zhao Wuji agreed to owe her a favor, and the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent went to Oscar.
After all, the Soul Beast was already dead, and they were all Soul Saints and Soul Emperors—people with standing. There was no need to let things turn ugly.
Once the discussion was over, Meng Yiran glared fiercely at Oscar before Chao Tianxiang led her away. The two disappeared into the forest.
Zhao Wuji looked at Oscar.
"Get to absorbing your Soul Ring!"
"You should thank Lin Yan. If he hadn't urged you to act and finish off the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent early, things afterward definitely wouldn't have been so simple."
Oscar grinned at Lin Yan.
"Thanks, brother!"
"I'll keep you supplied with Big Sausages from now on!"
Lin Yan pursed his lips and joked, "If you repay my kindness like that, don't blame me for not letting you absorb your Soul Ring!"
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun burst out laughing. The others couldn't help smiling, either.
With that, Oscar's Soul Ring was finally settled.
Evening came before long.
Oscar finished absorbing his Soul Ring. Now they only had to find a suitable one for Lin Yan. Of course, if Lin Yan waited until Xiao Wu was taken away by Er Ming tonight and disappeared for a while, all the problems would be solved.
After that, it would be time for him to make his mark at Shrek, in Suotuo City, and throughout the Soul World...
The Evil Fire Demon Dragon Martial Soul! It was destined to shine brilliantly across this continent.
At the campsite.
A few campfires had been put out. Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Lin Yan volunteered to take the first watch. The others, who knew nothing of the relationship between the three, had no objections. Before going to sleep, Oscar even reminded Lin Yan to wake him if he got tired.
In the darkness, Lin Yan and Zhu Zhuqing were leaning against each other. They weren't doing anything too outrageous, but neither of their hands was behaving itself.
Just then, Ning Rongrong suddenly came over.
"What exactly is your Second Martial Soul?"
Lin Yan looked up. With the towering trees of the primeval forest blocking the sky, not even moonlight could get through. He could only make out Ning Rongrong's direction by listening.
"The Evil Fire Demon Dragon. Why?"
Ning Rongrong didn't answer. Instead, she asked, "Is it powerful? Can it attack?"
"It can! You've seen Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire Phoenix, right? Mine's a little stronger than his."
"Oh~ Then why aren't you troubled by the evil fire?"
"Didn't I say before? I didn't cultivate my Second Martial Soul for the past few years. I only started thinking about adding Soul Rings to it these past couple of days..."
They went back and forth, question and answer. During their conversation, Lin Yan even occasionally toyed with the cherry in his hand, while Zhu Zhuqing could only grit her teeth and keep herself from letting out a muffled moan.
In the original plan, Ning Rongrong wasn't supposed to be on watch tonight. Zhu Zhuqing had even been ready to try out her cultivation method. Who could've expected Ning Rongrong to get involved, too?
And Lin Yan had no idea how to handle himself.
"I think I understand. So you can become a Battle Soul Master, too? And a powerful one at that!"
Ning Rongrong edged a little closer to Lin Yan. Now, not only Lin Yan but even Zhu Zhuqing could smell the perfume on the little princess.
Without realizing it, Lin Yan tightened his arms around Zhu Zhuqing.
"You could put it that way. What are you trying to say?"
At that, Ning Rongrong turned her gaze toward Zhu Zhuqing. Though she couldn't see the other girl's expression in the darkness, the little princess's own face was full of seriousness.
"Zhuqing, I can keep it a secret that you stole the person I have a crush on."
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