Ji Ye's voice was calm.
"At least a dozen of its joints are bruised. It won't be able to exert any strength for two days."
"What?!"
Xiao Wu fell silent for a while.
"Why are you taking me with you?"
Ji Ye stopped and glanced back at her.
His gaze was calm, and a faint smile played at the corner of his mouth.
"Because you're useful to me."
Xiao Wu opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Ji Ye turned back and continued walking.
"Don't worry. I won't make you into a Soul Ring. At least, not for now."
Xiao Wu followed behind him, head lowered.
Even if he wanted to kill her, what could she do?
A week later.
Spirit City.
Ji Ye and Xiao Wu climbed down from the carriage.
Xiao Wu looked up at the magnificent city, her heart tightening.
Spirit City. The center of the human Soul Master World, and the headquarters of Spirit Hall.
Her mother had been killed by Bibi Dong, the pope of Spirit Hall...
Ji Ye kept walking and said without looking back, "Keep up. Don't get lost."
Xiao Wu gritted her teeth and followed him.
The two passed through Spirit City's towering gates and continued along the main street.
When people on the road saw Ji Ye, many stepped aside to make way for him. Some young women blushed as soon as they spotted him from afar, whispering among themselves.
Xiao Wu noticed their gazes and felt a little uncomfortable, but said nothing.
Before long, the gates of the Worship Hall appeared before them.
Ji Ye pushed open the door and led Xiao Wu inside.
The Worship Hall was livelier than usual.
Several offerings sat together in the hall, all smiling.
The instant Ji Ye and Xiao Wu entered, everyone turned to look at them.
"Little Ye's back!"
Demon Subduing Douluo was the first to stand. He strode over to Ji Ye, threw an arm around him, and hugged him so tightly that Ji Ye nearly couldn't breathe.
"You rascal! You've been gone for so many days. It's about time you came back!"
He let go of Ji Ye and looked him up and down.
"You're not hurt, are you? You've lost a little weight, but you still look lively."
Ji Ye pulled free of his arm and rolled his shoulders.
"Senior Demon Subduing, squeeze me any harder and I'll suffocate."
Demon Subduing Douluo burst into laughter. Only then did he notice the person standing behind Ji Ye.
A girl in pink, with a long scorpion braid hanging down her back. Her eyes were still a little red, and she looked timid.
Yet she gave off the aura of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
"Huh?" Demon Subduing Douluo blinked, then jolted in surprise.
"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?!"
The other offerings gathered around as well.
Mighty Lion Douluo came over too and looked at Xiao Wu.
"She's the transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast from outside Shrek Academy that day. I didn't expect you'd actually capture her."
"By rights, after I spotted her, shouldn't this Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast have left Shrek Academy?" Mighty Lion Douluo looked baffled.
At his words, Ji Ye's lips curved slightly.
Love Continent.
What did you expect?
Before he could explain, steady footsteps sounded from inside.
Golden Crocodile Douluo emerged from the inner hall. His short hair was combed to perfection, and he looked to be in an excellent mood, the smile on his face wider than usual.
"Xiao Ye, you're back." Golden Crocodile Douluo walked up to him and patted his shoulder.
"Perfect timing. I have good news for you."
Seeing the undisguised smile on Golden Crocodile's face, Ji Ye had already guessed what it was.
He smiled faintly.
"Looks like Senior Golden Crocodile came back with quite a haul."
Golden Crocodile Douluo raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a hint of amusement.
"Did you already know what was there, you little brat?"
Ji Ye didn't answer, only smiled.
Golden Crocodile Douluo didn't press him. He picked up the teacup beside him, took a sip, and began speaking at an unhurried pace.
"I followed the location you gave me and found the cave behind the waterfall. That place really was extraordinary. It had a naturally formed Soul Power barrier, and ordinary Soul Masters would never have noticed it."
He set down his teacup, his expression turning serious.
"Once inside, I found a Ten Thousand Year Blue Silver King."
The offerings present nodded slightly.
When Golden Crocodile had first told them about it, they hadn't believed him either.
After all, a Ten Thousand Year Blue Silver King was a rare sight in the Soul Beast Realm.
"So I captured it," Golden Crocodile Douluo continued.
"But then, just as I'd pulled up the Blue Silver King, a powerful surge of Soul Power suddenly rose from the soil beside it—a Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor burst out of the ground and tried to stop me."
He paused, glanced across those present, and lowered his voice.
"That Blue Silver Emperor was badly wounded and its aura was unstable, but I can say for certain it was the same one from back then."
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Everyone knew who Golden Crocodile meant.
Back when former Pope Qian Xunji pursued Tang Hao, Tang Hao's wife had sacrificed her life, turning into a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and a Soul Bone so Tang Hao could break through to Titled Douluo.
Everyone had thought that Blue Silver Emperor had died for good. No one had expected it was still alive, recuperating in that cave.
"I'd intended to bring that Blue Silver Emperor back too."
Golden Crocodile Douluo sounded regretful.
"But just as I was about to act, Tang Hao showed up."
A cold smile lifted the corners of Golden Crocodile Douluo's mouth.
"Tang Hao was already injured. When he sensed the Blue Silver Emperor's aura disappear, he charged out in a frenzy. Seeing that he didn't know his place, I fought him."
"He already had old injuries, and his emotions were out of control, so his moves were full of openings. It took me only three strikes to sever his left arm and right leg."
Gasps rang out around the hall.
"What surprised me even more..." Golden Crocodile Douluo's smile widened.
"...was that each of his left arm and right leg had a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. I took both Soul Bones from him. After losing them, Tang Hao's strength fell to the Soul Saint level. He's no longer a threat."
Azure Luan Douluo nodded slightly.
"It's just a shame we didn't kill Tang Hao."
Golden Crocodile Douluo's smile faded somewhat.
"When I was about to finish Tang Hao off, that Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor threatened to self-destruct and forced me to back down to protect him. I didn't want a Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor to blow itself up for nothing, so I had no choice but to give way for the time being. Tang Hao escaped while I hesitated."
Mighty Lion Douluo slapped his thigh.
"Ah, what a pity!"
"I said it when I fought Tang Hao back then: there was no way that fellow could have come through so easily. His injuries had to be worse than mine."
Golden Crocodile Douluo waved a hand.
"It's fine. Tang Hao has lost an arm and a leg, along with two Soul Bones. His Soul Power has fallen to the Soul Saint level. He won't be able to make waves."
He looked back at Ji Ye, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration.
"Xiao Ye, I'm curious. How did you know about that place? That cave was extremely well hidden, and it was covered by a natural barrier. Even I nearly failed to find it."
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