Yan Lingji chuckled softly, turned her head, and leaned close to Bibi Dong's ear.
"Dong'er, my husband wants me to give him a hundred children."
"When you come join us later, you can help share the burden. We'll have fifty each."
"Who wants to have his children..." Bibi Dong's face flushed as she turned away. "And fifty in one go... That's far too many..."
Seeing her both shy and stubbornly denying it, Yan Lingji couldn't help laughing.
She let go of their clasped hands, patted the back of Bibi Dong's hand, then looked at Zhao Linchuan. Her smile faded somewhat, and she said seriously:
"Husband, go absorb your Soul Ring. Dong'er and I will stand guard for you."
"Mm."
Zhao Linchuan replied, then turned and headed toward the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
About an hour later.
Zhao Linchuan sat cross-legged beside the spring as a blood-red Soul Ring phantom slowly solidified around him.
At the same time, a pale-yellow Soul Core shaped like a diamond crystal was slowly taking form in his chest.
The Soul Core was only the size of a thumb, yet it gave off a heart-stirring energy fluctuation. It was as if a star had been compressed into a tiny crystal and embedded in his chest.
Standing not far away, Bibi Dong stared at the Soul Core without blinking, her eyes filled with envy.
She unconsciously edged closer to Yan Lingji and asked, "Sister Ling Ji, is that the Soul Core you mentioned?"
"With one of those, can you kill a Titled Douluo while still at the Soul Saint stage?"
Yan Lingji's gaze rested on Zhao Linchuan as she replied calmly:
"What my husband said should be true. Only Soul Masters with an Ultimate Attribute can form a Soul Core, and Soul Masters with an Ultimate Attribute often possess an innate domain."
"With one side increasing while the other decreases, killing a Titled Douluo isn't impossible."
Bibi Dong pursed her lips, her gaze lingering on the Soul Core for a moment longer. Her voice carried a hint of jealousy.
"My Martial Soul evolved... I hope I can form a Soul Core too when I obtain my Seventh Soul Ring."
Yan Lingji didn't respond. She simply patted the back of Bibi Dong's hand, signaling her to be patient.
As they spoke, the blood-red Soul Ring around Zhao Linchuan had fully solidified, shining in harmony with his other six Soul Rings.
Yan Lingji gazed at the blood-red ring, her eyes flickering slightly as she murmured, "My husband's Seventh Soul Ring is only a hundred thousand years old, while mine has already reached two hundred thousand years."
"Looks like I'll have to protect him from now on..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Linchuan slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze was deeper than before, and a faint golden light seemed to shimmer within his pupils, like two drawn swords hidden there.
He lowered his head to look at his hands, then clenched his fists, feeling the abundant power within him. A delighted smile crept across his face.
That power surged like a mighty river, coursing freely through his meridians. His Soul Power climbed steadily, only slowing to a halt when it reached level seventy-three.
"Linchuan, where are we going next?"
Seeing Zhao Linchuan wake, Bibi Dong hurried over, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Zhao Linchuan rose from the bluestone and brushed the dust from his robes before replying slowly:
"Next, we'll buy a residence near Heaven Dou City. Then we'll go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's ancestral grounds and 'borrow' a few things..."
Seven days later.
Eastern District of Heaven Dou City.
Dawn had only just broken. Morning mist still drifted through the streets and lanes, bathing the distant eaves and treetops in a hazy blue-gray veil.
The Eastern District of Heaven Dou City was home to the powerful and wealthy. Its streets were broad and smooth, and grand residences stood close together on either side.
At the very back of the Eastern District stood a sprawling estate covering roughly five hundred mu.
It had once been the residence of a prince. After he ran afoul of the law, the estate was confiscated and made state property. Passing through several hands, it had finally ended up with Zhao Linchuan.
In the main hall.
Zhao Linchuan, Yan Lingji, and Bibi Dong sat around a broad table.
Storage Soul Tools were piled high across its surface.
Dozens of Storage Rings, bracelets, and belts in all sorts of styles lay scattered across the table.
More than a dozen Soul Bones of varying colors had been arranged in the center. They lay quietly on the tabletop, each giving off its own unique energy fluctuation. Together, they formed an almost imperceptible pressure throughout the hall.
Several goose-egg-sized gemstones had been tossed carelessly onto the floor, their surfaces reflecting tiny glimmers in the candlelight: rubies, sapphires, emeralds...
Every one of them was priceless, yet they'd been casually thrown at their feet like a handful of worthless stones.
Bibi Dong toyed with a ten-thousand-year-old right arm bone, turning it over several times before muttering, "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect really is rich. They didn't even remove the Soul Bones from their former sect master to preserve them as a legacy. They just let them rot in the coffin."
"Maybe they had so much money they didn't know what to do with it."
Zhao Linchuan replied casually, his hands busy sorting Soul Bones into boxes.
"Besides, they're only ten-thousand-year Soul Bones. Losing a few from one generation of sect masters isn't something the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect can't accept."
"True."
Bibi Dong tossed the Soul Bone in her hand onto the table and turned to Zhao Linchuan.
"Didn't you say you were going to build an intelligence organization? Is this money enough?"
"It's definitely enough. More than enough."
Zhao Linchuan looked up and held Bibi Dong's gaze. His voice grew more serious.
"It's just... aren't you going to take a share?"
"One should know when to be satisfied."
Bibi Dong waved a hand. Then she leaned back, sinking into the broad chair, and folded her hands over her stomach. She lounged like a cat basking in the sun.
"I've already received priceless Immortal Herbs. I can't covet these things too."
"And there's the Soul Ring, too."
Yan Lingji's voice drifted over from beside them, light and airy, yet it hit the mark.
"Little Sister Dong'er is almost at level seventy. Don't leave her behind."
"Ah!"
Bibi Dong's face flared red. The color spread from her cheeks to her ears, then burned down her neck, as if a fire were blazing beneath her skin.
She sprang up from her chair, her voice rising several pitches as she protested, flustered and embarrassed: "I have no idea what you're talking about!"
She spun around indignantly and strode out of the hall, her steps quick and hurried.
"I'm going to rest. Don't bother me unless it's important!"
By the time she finished speaking, she had vanished beyond the doorway. Her footsteps faded down the corridor, then were cut off by a door closing.
The hall fell quiet. Zhao Linchuan slowly turned his head and gave Yan Lingji a dangerous look.
There was something threatening in his gaze, like a hunter fixing on his prey—or dry kindling eyeing a flame.
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