Tang Ya furrowed her brow, instinctively wanting to argue back, but she held her tongue.
Tang Ya looked at the worry and doubt on Beibei's face, then glanced at Tang An, who stood beside her with a calm expression. Suddenly, an indescribable feeling welled up inside her.
She used to think Beibei was the person who treated her best, but now, looking back...
Whenever she brought up taking revenge, Beibei always said, "Let's talk about it once we're stronger." When she went around begging people to join the Tang Sect, Beibei always accompanied her, but hardly ever spoke up on her behalf. When there was a hidden problem with her Martial Soul, Beibei said, "It's probably not a big deal."
She had never seriously thought about those empty promises, not even after hearing them time and time again.
And what about Sect Master? On the very first day they met, he had seen through the problem with her Martial Soul, helped her find a path to strength, hunted down the Soul Beast best suited to her, and even used his Origin to guide her through absorbing it.
The comparison suddenly sent a chill through Tang Ya's heart.
"Beibei." Tang Ya's voice had grown much calmer, but it held a coldness Beibei had never heard from her before.
"If you don't understand anything, don't go talking nonsense. The Soul Beast Sect Master chose for me is an excellent match. Even if there's a risk, it's my choice to make."
Tang Ya paused, then added, "Besides, as a member of the Tang Sect, you should address Tang An as Sect Master. You need to respect the hierarchy of the sect. Understood?"
Beibei furrowed his brow. "But the effect of this Soul Skill..."
"Beibei, that's enough!" Tang Ya suddenly rebuked him sharply.
"If you don't understand anything, don't go talking nonsense. What do you mean, it leans toward Evil Soul Masters? Don't you know what kind of person I am, after all these years?"
Beibei was stunned by Tang Ya's scolding. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but couldn't get a single word out.
Tang An lifted a hand and gently patted Tang Ya on the shoulder.
Tang Ya gradually calmed down and obediently stepped aside.
Tang An looked at Beibei and said earnestly, "Beibei, I understand your concern, but remember this: there's no such thing as an evil power, only evil people who use it.
"People control power; power doesn't control people. Devouring can be used to destroy, but it can also be used to protect. The difference lies not in the power, but in the human heart."
"I trust Tang Ya's character. I believe she can handle it."
Beibei wanted to argue, but he had to admit that Tang An's words made sense. He looked up at Tang An, then glanced at Tang Ya.
Tang Ya was watching him, displeasure in her eyes.
Beibei finally sighed and nodded. "I was overthinking it. Ya... Tang Ya, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have questioned your judgment or the Sect Master's."
Only then did Tang Ya's expression soften a little. She snorted. "Good. Don't question the Sect Master again. If you do, you won't be a member of my Tang Sect anymore."
"And you'll see just how powerful Sect Master is one day."
Beibei could only smile wryly. He could see that Tang Ya was already full of admiration for Tang An—so much so that she was practically hanging on his every word.
Tang Ya turned and walked over to Huo Yuhao. Her usual warmth had returned to her face. "Yuhao, Sister Tang Ya's Soul Ring is taken care of. Now it's your turn."
Huo Yuhao's little face was full of anticipation, but he lowered his head bashfully. "Sorry for the trouble, Sect Master..."
Tang An waved a hand. "From now on, just call me Big Brother Tang An. You're a disciple of my Tang Sect. This little thing is nothing—it's just a small welcome gift for joining."
Huo Yuhao looked up at Tang An's face, made especially handsome by the sunlight, and her heart gave a flutter. She nodded firmly. "Mm, Big Brother Tang An!"
But things didn't go smoothly after that.
The group wandered around the Star Dou Forest for most of the day. The sky gradually darkened, yet they still hadn't found a Mental Attribute Soul Beast suited to Huo Yuhao.
Forget a Mental Attribute Soul Beast—they hadn't even run into one with the slightest connection to the attribute.
Tang An used Life Perception Resonance to scan several times, but there wasn't a single Soul Beast with a spiritual fluctuation within several thousand meters. Instead, Soul Beasts with strength-based abilities were running all over the place, a hundred or a thousand years old.
Tang An sat by the campfire, looking calm on the outside, but couldn't help muttering to himself.
...Something was wrong.
Huo Yuhao was supposed to be the protagonist blessed by fortune. Even if Tang An had snatched Sky Dream Ice Silkworm from him, surely that didn't mean he couldn't find a single Mental Attribute Soul Beast. Had stealing Sky Dream thrown her fortune into disarray too?
Huo Yuhao crouched by the campfire, turning Silver Scale Fish over as it roasted while sneaking glances at Tang An's expression.
Seeing his brows slightly furrowed, she felt even more guilty. Biting her lip, she said softly, "Big Brother Tang An, why don't we just find a Soul Beast that's close enough? It doesn't have to be a Mental Attribute one. I'm fine with anything."
Huo Yuhao spoke very quietly, cautiously testing the waters, afraid of causing Tang An trouble.
Tang An raised an eyebrow and looked at Yuhao, his tone suddenly stern.
"What do you mean, 'close enough'? A disciple of my Tang Sect can't just make do with any old Soul Ring! Yuhao, if you don't believe in yourself, at least believe in me. With my help, you'll definitely become a powerful Soul Master."
"One measly Mental Attribute Soul Beast won't give your Big Brother Tang An any trouble."
Huo Yuhao was stunned.
The campfire crackled. Sparks leapt up and drifted away, flickering in the darkness.
Looking into Tang An's serious eyes, Huo Yuhao felt something ignite in her chest. A warmth she had never known before welled up from the bottom of her heart.
Huo Yuhao nodded firmly. Her eyes stung a little as she looked straight into Tang An's eyes. Her voice was much louder than before.
"Mm! I believe in you, Big Brother Tang An!"
Only then did Tang An withdraw his gaze with satisfaction, thinking, Little Yu Tong's almost mine too. You won't get away.
Tang An took the grilled fish Huo Yuhao handed him and bit into it.
The fish melted in his mouth. The skin was crisp and fragrant, while the flesh inside was as tender as tofu. It tasted savory and fresh, with a hint of herbal fragrance and not the slightest trace of fishiness. It was even better than he'd expected.
"It tastes fantastic."
Tang An praised it sincerely, looked at the grilled fish in his hand, then at Huo Yuhao. "From now on, you're my personal grilled-fish chef."
Huo Yuhao's face lit up with an innocent, radiant smile. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she nodded hard. "Mm! Whenever you want some, Big Brother Tang An, I'll grill it for you!"
Xiao Wu rolled her eyes beside them. "Hey, at least save some for me! You can't monopolize the chef."
Tang Ya chimed in, joining the teasing. "Exactly! Yuhao belongs to all of us. Sect Master, you can't keep her all to yourself!"
The two made Huo Yuhao blush even more. She hurriedly divided the grilled fish among everyone, and laughter filled the air around the campfire.
Even Niu Tian and Tai Tan each snatched two fish, eating until their mouths were greasy.
Tang An finished the grilled fish in a few bites and was just about to wipe his hands when he suddenly froze.
Within the range of Life Perception Resonance, two terrifying auras were racing toward them at astonishing speed.
One was a vast, pure Spiritual Origin fluctuation, much like Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's aura, but with a more carnal, wild quality.
A hundred-thousand-year level.
The aura chasing it was even more hair-raising: dark, evil, and murderous. The three attributes intertwined into a bizarre presence unlike anything he had ever encountered.
Its strength was only at the ninety-thousand-year level, but the quality of its evil Origin was absurdly high.
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