Ye Yingling

[Note: Venom boosts all attributes proportionally on top of any Soul Skill enhancement!]

I forgot to mention that earlier.

"Heaven Dou City, your old girl's back!"

At the gates of Heaven Dou City, three figures emerged from the morning mist.

Liu Erlong planted her hands on her hips, looked up at the familiar city walls, and grinned.

After leaving the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, she, Ye Yingling, and Jiang Ce had spent another half month in Sunset Forest, specifically searching for high-level Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.

After a long search, they finally ran into that fifty-thousand-year-old Earth-Splitting Blazing Dragon.

Not only had they obtained a fifty-thousand-year Soul Ring after killing it, but it had unexpectedly dropped a left leg bone, too.

After absorbing the Soul Ring and Soul Bone, the remaining medicinal power of the Immortal Herb inside her was thoroughly unleashed, and Liu Erlong broke through to level fifty-nine in one fell swoop.

Her fifth Soul Skill,

Dragon Emperor Gaia Cannon:

A long-range, dual fire-and-earth attribute charged attack. When fired instantly, it deals damage of both fire and earth attributes equal to twice the attack power!

At full charge, its damage increases to six times the attack power, and its range triples,

while also scorching the path it travels and causing a large-scale explosion at the endpoint.

Left Leg Soul Bone Skill,

Heart of the Earth:

When standing on the earth, all attributes increase by thirty percent, and two percent of Soul Power and stamina are recovered every second.

All attacks gain an additional thirty percent fire-and-earth attribute damage.

The first time Jiang Ce heard Liu Erlong announce the name "Dragon Emperor Gaia Cannon," he nearly thought he'd tuned into the wrong channel.

He'd even teased that if she added Dragon Beast Nemesis, Liu Erlong could go straight off and become Battle Dragon Warrior.

Speaking of Dragon Beast Nemesis, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear had Behemoth blood and loved attacking dragons. Maybe if they hunted one down later, it really would drop a conceptual skill.

Liu Erlong was overcome with emotion.

In less than two months, she'd gone from a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster to a level-fifty-nine Soul King. It was practically a dream.

"That's all you've got to say?" Jiang Ce slapped her pert bottom, grinning mischievously.

"What do you think? I nearly died out there back then. Who would've thought that meeting you would turn everything around?"

Liu Erlong wrapped both arms around his strong arm, pressing her ample chest against it without the slightest inhibition. It had grown even fuller after all the wanton groping.

Ye Yingling stood to the side, likewise filled with emotion.

She'd gone from a level-twenty weakling to level forty-five. It was just as incredible.

Her Soul Beasts had been much easier to find than Liu Erlong's, since their required age was lower.

Jiang Ce had formed wings out of Venom and searched from the air,

targeting places where Plant-type Soul Beasts liked to dwell,

and specifically looking for Plant-type Soul Beasts with attack or enhancement abilities.

She was now a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor. The curse on her Martial Soul had been completely lifted, and in a short time she'd been transformed from the inside out. She owed it all to her teacher.

Though she did thank him with her body every day.

"You've looked long enough. How could these little things in front of us possibly block your way?"

Jiang Ce patted both their pert bottoms and led the two women toward the city gates.

The two women's mature, voluptuous air and stunning figures drew plenty of attention along the way.

But the murderous, blood-soaked aura surrounding them, along with their thoroughly unapproachable demeanor, kept anyone from provoking them.

The three of them had slaughtered their way through Sunset Forest during this time. Ordinary people wouldn't even dare meet their eyes when faced with that killing aura.

The three first went to the Mercenary Guild to turn in the commission they'd taken earlier.

Liu Erlong also had the manager post a task to collect special herbs, as Jiang Ce had requested.

Since one year of growth in the medicinal garden at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was equivalent to more than a hundred years outside,

they naturally needed to collect as many different herb seeds and seedlings as possible and plant them there to expand the variety.

The manager had long since learned to keep his mouth shut. He quickly recorded the task details and respectfully watched the three of them leave.

They walked out with hundreds of thousands of Gold Soul Coins, to the astonished gazes of the many mercenaries.

However, some of those mercenaries watched the trio's backs, eyes flickering as they pondered something.

The three of them went straight to the best restaurant in Heaven Dou City and ate their fill.

Soul Beast meat tasted good out in the wild, but they'd been eating the same few dishes again and again. Since they were back in the city, they naturally had to treat their stomachs.

After eating and drinking their fill, Ye Yingling looked at Jiang Ce with a trace of hesitation.

"What's wrong, Lingling?" Liu Erlong noticed that something was off.

"Teacher... I want to go see my parents."

After all, she'd been away from home for quite a while and hadn't gone back once.

"Sure. If you want to go back, then go."

Ye Yingling was instantly overjoyed.

Ye Yingling led Jiang Ce and Liu Erlong through the gates of the Ye Clan residence.

Mother Ye was drying medicinal herbs in the courtyard, her brow furrowed with worry.

Her daughter had gone out to look for a Soul Ring some time ago and still hadn't returned. She'd been anxious every single day.

She sighed and looked up. When she saw the figure at the gate, the herb basket in her hand clattered to the ground.

"Lingling?"

But when she saw how her daughter was dressed, she could hardly believe her eyes.

When she'd left, her daughter had been so timid she wouldn't even dare speak loudly. Now the young woman standing at the gate wore a tight-fitting black latex suit, and her figure had grown a full size more voluptuous than when she'd left.

The black latex suit clung tightly to her curves, outlining her feminine fullness and softness for all to see.

The valiant air between her brows, something only a Soul Master who'd experienced life-and-death battles possessed, made her seem like a completely different person.

Mother Ye's eyes reddened on the spot, and she pulled her daughter into her arms.

Father Ye heard the commotion and came out of the main room. He froze when he saw his daughter's appearance. His lips moved, and it took him a long while to force out, "You're back... You're back."

Once the three of them were seated in the main room, Mother Ye held her daughter's hand and couldn't bear to let go.

"What happened to you? What about the Black Wolf Mercenary Group? Why are you dressed like this?"

Her daughter had always been a proper young lady in long skirts. She'd never dressed like this before.

Ye Yingling began speaking softly, briefly explaining how she'd encountered the Golden-Armored Blazing Dragon and how the Black Wolf Mercenary Group had been wiped out.

When she mentioned that she'd nearly died beneath the dragon's claws, Mother Ye's hand trembled as she gripped hers.

She didn't reveal anything about Jiang Ce or the Symbiote,

saying only that her senior, Liu Erlong, had saved her, and that she'd later become Jiang Ce's disciple.

Not only had he resolved the generations-old curse on her Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul, but he'd also helped her break through her Soul Power bottlenecks.

"The curse on your Martial Soul... has been lifted?" Father Ye asked in a trembling voice.

Ye Yingling stood and held out her palm. The phantom of Nine-Heart Begonia: Sacred Chant bloomed above it.

Layer upon layer of white petals unfolded, and a halo took shape at the center of the flower. Rune-like markings, like a sacred chant, flowed within it.

Immediately afterward,

four Soul Rings lit up beneath her feet: one yellow and three black.

Father Ye stared at the three especially eye-catching black Soul Rings beneath his daughter's feet and was completely dumbfounded.

"Your second Soul Ring is already a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring? How is that possible!"

In the Soul Master World, Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts had already gained intelligence, and their Soul Rings carried Soul Shock.

Generally speaking, only Five-Ring Soul Kings could equip one.

His daughter's second Soul Ring was already a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring? What kind of joke was this?

Mother Ye covered her mouth, tears running through the gaps between her fingers.

Their daughter had encountered a true benefactor!

Ye Yingling withdrew her Martial Soul and sat back down.

"Teacher tempered my body, and I also took heavenly treasures. My body is strong enough to bear a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

"The curse on the Nine-Heart Begonia has been completely resolved, too. From now on, I'll gain a new Soul Skill every time I break through a level. I won't be limited to healing anymore."

Father Ye's lips trembled for a long while before he managed to say four words: "Heaven has shown mercy."

Ye Yingling took her parents' hands and solemnly urged them, "Mom, Dad, although I broke the curse on my Martial Soul with my teacher's help and obtained this Soul Ring configuration, you absolutely must not tell anyone."

The generations-old curse on the Ye Clan's Nine-Heart Begonia had been broken. If word got out, every faction would inevitably set its sights on them.

Father Ye nodded repeatedly, while Mother Ye wiped away her tears and agreed.

They understood the reasoning, too. The Ye Clan was only a family of support and healing Soul Masters, with no combat ability like Battle Soul Masters.

Even though many Soul Masters owed them favors because of their Healing Ability,

something this unbelievable would absolutely make people covet them.

Only by keeping the secret could they wait for their daughter to grow stronger. Then they wouldn't have to be afraid anymore.

That evening, Father Ye hosted a banquet, thanking Jiang Ce and Liu Erlong profusely throughout the meal.

He thanked them for saving his daughter's life, for teaching her, and for freeing her Martial Soul.

Jiang Ce put on his teacher's airs and handled the formalities throughout, saying that Ye Yingling was a well-behaved and clever disciple.

She knew how to respect her teacher.

And respect her parents!

Liu Erlong had to suppress her laughter so hard that she pinched her thigh until it turned purple.

What was all that about knowing how to respect her teacher?

And respect her parents!

Jiang Ce sensed what she was thinking and immediately gave her a Phantom Dragon strike, nearly making her embarrass herself on the spot. She could only grit her teeth and hold it in.

Father Ye respectfully toasted Jiang Ce, addressing him as "Teacher" with the utmost reverence every time.

He personally arranged the two best guest rooms for them, right next to Ye Yingling's room.

Late that night.

Ye Yingling sat alone at the edge of her bed, moonlight spilling across the floor through the window lattice.

She lowered her head to look at the layer of black latex suit still faintly writhing over her body and felt the presence of Phantom Dragon!

Then she raised her head and looked out at the countless lights of Heaven Dou City, sighing softly.

In just over a month, she'd gone from a frail healing Soul Master who could only stand in the back to a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor capable of hunting Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts on her own.

The curse on her Martial Soul had been completely lifted, and the shackles that had bound the Ye Clan for generations had finally broken in her generation.

She held out both hands and turned them beneath the moonlight, feeling the brand-new power surging within her.

Then the black latex suit on her body turned into tentacles and bound her tightly.

Ye Yingling clenched her teeth fiercely, forcing the cry that had risen to her throat back down.

Jiang Ce climbed in through the window with Liu Erlong. Before they'd even landed, black tentacles had hoisted Ye Yingling up by the doorway!

"Your parents are right next door, so take it easy tonight. Don't wake them."

Jiang Ce's voice brushed against her ear, full of mischief.

"Teacher..." Ye Yingling whispered, her face so red it looked ready to drip blood.

Under the moonlight, Liu Erlong folded her arms and watched Jiang Ce's thoroughly mischievous behavior. She curled her lip and muttered, "Bastard."

Then she turned around and shut the window, casually sliding the bolt firmly into place as well. When she turned back, the corner of her mouth lifted slightly.

"Move over a little. One person can't handle this bastard alone. With two of us sharing the burden, we'll suffer a little less."