Ye Lingyuan couldn't help rolling her eyes.
She was speechless.
That was way too crude.
But after she drank the cold water, the side effect did gradually fade.
She focused on refining the power.
A moment later, Ye Lingyuan opened her eyes and looked at her palm in surprise.
She could clearly feel that her physical strength had increased.
It wasn't by much, but at the Soul King stage, it was already quite impressive.
"Little guy, how did you know this stuff had that effect?"
"I really thought you wanted to haul a big cart!"
Ye Lingyuan was genuinely shocked.
Somehow, this boy knew what something no one had discovered in all these years could do.
She suddenly felt that all those nobles had been squandering a treasure.
If word of this got out...
The price of Whale Rubber could increase dozens of times, or even become impossible to buy at any price.
Where there was business, there would be trade. The Sea Soul Beasts in the ocean would inevitably suffer.
The Sea Soul Masters who lived in Vast Sea City and made their living off the sea would certainly be the first to take action.
Su Chen was also taken aback. Ye Lingyuan seemed to have read quite a few books.
He gave her a strange look.
"Ahem..."
Ye Lingyuan realized she had let something slip.
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
She coughed a few times, looking very uncomfortable.
She did read when she had free time.
But she only read proper books.
As for little carts and big carts like these, she had only read a dozen or so.
"Big Sis is going to absorb a Soul Ring."
Ye Lingyuan steadied herself and went straight to the cage holding the Soul Beast.
Five Soul Rings rose from beneath her feet.
Ye Lingyuan used a Soul Skill to kill it outright. As the Soul Beast died, a black Soul Ring appeared above its corpse.
She slowly sat down. Before absorbing it, she reminded him, "Keep watch for Big Sis, okay? I'm counting on you to keep me safe."
Before Su Chen could reply, Ye Lingyuan began drawing the black Soul Ring toward herself.
Su Chen watched quietly from the side. There was nothing to worry about. Ye Lingyuan would certainly become a Titled Douluo in the future. As long as he didn't interfere, she wouldn't run into any danger during the process.
A full hour passed before Ye Lingyuan's Sixth Soul Ring finally took shape.
Two yellow, two purple, two black.
As a wave of Soul Power swept in all directions, Ye Lingyuan officially became a Soul Emperor.
Ye Lingyuan slowly opened her eyes, a fierce flame flashing through them.
"I did it... Hm?"
Ye Lingyuan had just been about to show off her progress when she saw Su Chen suddenly holding out a flower.
Her expression turned bewildered. She'd just been wondering if Su Chen had ulterior motives.
And now he was giving her flowers?
Ye Lingyuan looked him over. "You still say you're not interested in me..."
"It's not like I'd refuse."
"But on one condition..."
Su Chen's mouth twitched. Were people in this world really so precocious?
Did she even know how old she was?
"This Immortal Herb is the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower. Anyone who takes it can cultivate at the speed of someone with Innate Full Soul Power. With its help, if you train hard, you can reach the Titled Douluo realm before you turn thirty."
"Your Martial Soul's aura matches that of the Immortal Herb, so you can draw out its full effects."
A Titled Douluo at thirty!
Ye Lingyuan was stunned. That meant she would have the cultivation speed of someone with Innate Full Soul Power.
All from this one flower?
But after what had just happened with the Shark Glue, Ye Lingyuan didn't dismiss it outright.
Besides, her Martial Soul did seem to be stirring.
"Is it true? There's only one way to find out."
"But you have to agree to one condition."
"What happened today stays between us. You can't tell anyone."
"Even if the Pope asks, you have to say your Soul Ring triggered a sudden mutation, that your bloodline returned to its ancestral form, or something like that..."
"Under no circumstances can you mention the Immortal Herb or me."
"If you agree, it's yours."
Su Chen held out the Immortal Herb.
Ye Lingyuan took it without the slightest hesitation.
For her, agreeing or not made no difference.
But if it was real—
No, it seemed it really was.
When Ye Lingyuan touched the Immortal Herb, her Martial Soul let out a tremor.
It was yearning for it.
The fact that it could stir her Martial Soul meant the flower was definitely no ordinary thing.
"Big Sis is starting."
Following Su Chen's instructions, Ye Lingyuan began absorbing the Immortal Herb.
The instant the Immortal Herb entered her body, heat flared up around Ye Lingyuan.
To Su Chen's astonishment, her clothes caught fire.
They turned to ash.
Leaving behind a breathtaking sight.
"Buzz!"
Ye Lingyuan's Martial Soul appeared behind her, letting out a phoenix's cry.
What Su Chen saw was no longer a Ling Yuan, but a phoenix wreathed in flames.
As time passed, Su Chen lost track of how long he had waited. At last, Ye Lingyuan opened her eyes. A phoenix seemed to burn faintly in her pupils.
"Level sixty-five. I actually rose four levels in a row."
"That's way too fast!"
Ye Lingyuan could hardly believe it. Absorbing the Soul Ring had just raised her one level.
The Immortal Herb had raised her four.
What incredible Soul Power growth!
"Ling Yuan, it's not just your Soul Power. Take another look at your Martial Soul."
Su Chen felt a wave of heat. This flame was far hotter than the one Ling Yuan had wielded before.
As expected.
The Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower was a perfect match for Ye Lingyuan.
It was even more powerful than it had been for that fat guy.
His Martial Soul had too many flaws.
The Immortal Herb's medicinal power had almost entirely gone toward making up for them.
Ye Lingyuan didn't need that.
She had no flaws at all.
The Immortal Herb could focus all its power on enhancing her bloodline.
"My Martial Soul... it's mutated!"
Ye Lingyuan sprang to her feet, no longer able to keep her composure.
She had heard of Martial Souls mutating innately, but never of one mutating after birth.
"This is a phoenix..."
Ye Lingyuan's eyes shone with delight. Su Chen had been right.
She really might reach the Titled Douluo realm before she turned thirty.
She'd just circulated her Soul Power.
Her cultivation speed had multiplied several times. This was clearly the speed of someone with Innate Full Soul Power.
And with a top-tier Martial Soul, she might become the youngest Titled Douluo on the continent.
"This Immortal Herb really is miraculous!"
"Su Chen, you really are my lucky star."
"From the first moment I saw you, Big Sis knew there was something special about you."
"I never thought... Hehehe!"
"You've made Big Sis very happy."
Ye Lingyuan was brimming with joy.
She threw her arms around Su Chen.
Her laughter rang out like silver bells.
She liked him more and more.
She planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Why's your face turning red, little guy?"
Ye Lingyuan left a wet mark on his face.
And yet, she saw his face turn red.
She couldn't help giggling.
"Ahem, Ling Yuan, why don't you look down?"
Su Chen felt as if he were covered in fragrance and color.
Ye Lingyuan froze.
Looking down, she could barely see her feet.
"Hm? That's not right!"
"Ah!"
Ye Lingyuan blushed furiously.
She instantly let go of Su Chen.
Her fingers moved hurriedly as she pulled clothes out of her Soul Tool.
Only after she had dressed did she let out a quiet breath.
"Su Chen!"