Danger, Yan Fei's Shock

The three returned to the main hall.

Zhao Linchuan sat in the primary seat, his fingers tapping rhythmically against his knees.

The chain reaction triggered by Tang Hao's death was arriving faster and spreading wider than he had anticipated.

This small place of Nuoding City would likely soon become a chessboard for various factions to contend in the shadows.

Today, only scouts had arrived; tomorrow, or the day after, it was possible that Soul Saints, Contra-level masters, or even... Titled Douluo might come personally to investigate.

His gaze swept over Yue Shen and Yan Fei, who stood in attendance on either side.

They possessed peerless talent, superb methods, and iron-willed minds; they were indeed rare assets.

However, they had yet to obtain their soul rings. While they possessed the soul power foundation of a Soul Saint, they could not fully unleash their strength, and they lacked powerful soul skills.

To deal with an ordinary Titled Douluo, they might be able to maneuver or even create an opportunity to kill them using their bizarre techniques.

But if two or more came at once, or if someone at the level of a Super Douluo arrived, they would likely be out of their depth.

Although he had the Puni Martial Soul and the system, he was still just starting out.

Before he could truly grow, he needed more reliable safeguards.

He weighed the options in his mind for a moment before suddenly speaking, "I possess a resource."

Yue Shen and Yan Fei immediately looked up, their gazes focusing on him.

"This resource is enough to allow a person to be reborn, to lay an unprecedentedly solid foundation, and to truly possess the potential to ascend to the peak of this world and look down upon all living beings."

He paused, his gaze moving slowly across their faces. "I can grant this resource to one of you."

Yue Shen and Yan Fei's breathing hitched almost simultaneously, and an uncontrollable, burning light erupted in their eyes!

They both understood the implication behind Zhao Linchuan's words—this resource likely concerned a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone, or perhaps... something even more inconceivable!

But Zhao Linchuan's next words were like a bucket of cold water. "However, how can I be certain that the person who receives this resource and gains the potential to reach the summit will not choose to leave, or even... turn against me, once their power becomes sufficiently strong in the future?"

The air in the main hall seemed to freeze.

Yue Shen and Yan Fei both fell silent, thinking rapidly.

A moment later, Yue Shen took a deep breath, as if having made a certain resolution. She raised her head, her cheeks flushed, and said in a tone that sounded almost like she was staking everything:

"Young Master, this subordinate... this subordinate is already yours!"

"My body and soul belong to the Young Master; this vow shall never waver, as the heavens can bear witness!"

"You..."

"Wait!" Zhao Linchuan raised his hand abruptly, interrupting Yue Shen's earth-shattering declaration, a look of astonishment on his face. "Yue Shen, when did you become mine? Where is this coming from?"

Beside them, Yan Fei's beautiful eyes widened instantly, and she looked back and forth between Zhao Linchuan and Yue Shen with a mixture of confusion and shock.

What did Yue Shen mean by that?

Could it be that they had already...?

This... how could that be possible?!

Seeing that Zhao Linchuan seemed to have "forgotten," Yue Shen's cheeks turned even redder. She bit her lower lip with her teeth, reminding him with a mix of shyness, annoyance, and grievance:

"Young Master, have you forgotten... that day in the Hunting Soul Forest, you... you... took liberties with me!"

The shock on Yan Fei's face turned into one of incredulous horror!

Her gaze toward Zhao Linchuan was filled with sheer disbelief.

The Young Master... actually did that to Yue Shen...?

This... how on earth did he manage that?!

Could it be that the Young Master is actually...?

Reminded by Yue Shen, Zhao Linchuan recalled the day he had teased her to "taste the lip balm."

At the time, he had mostly been acting out of mischief and testing her, never expecting that Yue Shen would interpret it as a sign of "belonging body and soul"?!

So that makes her mine? Isn't this leap in logic a bit too much?! Are the ancient concepts of chastity really this heavy? A single kiss seals a lifetime?

Zhao Linchuan felt speechless, but looking at Yue Shen's blushing face and the shocked expression on Yan Fei's face—as if she had discovered a new continent—he suddenly felt that... things were becoming interesting.

He rubbed his brow, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration, but now was not the time to dwell on this.

His gaze lingered on Yue Shen's face for a moment, then shifted to the complex expression on Yan Fei's face, his thoughts racing.

Suddenly, he stood up and said to Yue Shen, "Yue Shen, take me to your room."

Upon hearing this, Yue Shen was stunned for a moment, then a look of immense, joyful surprise erupted in her eyes! Was the Young Master... going to speak with her alone? Or was he going to...?

She suppressed her pounding heart and stood up quickly, her voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Yes! Young Master, please follow me!"

She walked to Zhao Linchuan's side, turning slightly to lead the way, her posture respectful yet tinged with an undisguisable spring in her step as she turned toward the direction of her living quarters.

Zhao Linchuan followed, leaving Yan Fei alone in the main hall. She watched their retreating backs, her red lips slightly parted, the expression in her eyes shifting uncertainly, eventually settling into a sense of urgency tinged with unease.

Inside Yue Shen's room, Zhao Linchuan sat on a chair by the table, his eyes lowered, seemingly admiring the wood grain of the tabletop, while his mind raced.

According to his original plan, core resources like soul rings and soul bones were meant to be bestowed gradually only after Yue Shen and Yan Fei had accumulated more merit and their loyalty had become more solidified.

Although the system's basic binding ensured they could not directly attack him, it did not force them to remain by his side.

Their current following stemmed more from curiosity about an unknown world, a thirst for power, and the "mystery" and "resources" he had displayed.

To put it bluntly, it was a union of interests with shallow foundations.

However, the ripples caused by Tang Hao's death arrived faster and more violently than he had anticipated.

Nuoding City was about to become the eye of the storm, and relying solely on two Soul Saints without soul rings and himself, having just obtained his first soul ring, carried too much risk.

He needed a powerful guardian who could truly deter others and ensure his safety, at least in the short term.

He calmly pulled up the system shop interface, his gaze sweeping rapidly across it:

[100,000-year Adaptive Soul Bone, Price: 20,000 points/piece.]

[God-Bestowed Soul Ring (100,000-999,999 years), Price: 20,000 points/piece.]

[God-level Adaptive Soul Bone, Price: 200,000 points/piece.]

[God-level God-Bestowed Soul Ring, Price: 200,000 points/piece.]

His gaze landed on his point balance: 371,000.

Exchange for a God-level soul bone?

One piece would cost two hundred thousand, instantly consuming more than half of his points; the cost-effectiveness was too low.

As for the God-level God-Bestowed Soul Ring, that was even less of a consideration for now.

Weighing the pros and cons, while a 100,000-year soul ring or soul bone was not the absolute pinnacle, it was already a treasure that the vast majority of soul masters in this world dreamed of, enough to forge a powerhouse with terrifying foundations.

Moreover... he glanced at the "Tears of Remidios" resting quietly in a corner of the system space, and a vague idea flashed through his mind.