Encountering the Protagonist Group

"Didn't you already try that just now?" Qingxi poured two cups of hot water, not even lifting her head.

Dugu Yan recalled the move she had attempted earlier and shook her head, dismissing the immature thought.

Indeed, some things could not be judged by rank alone.

"Guests, here is your food." The waiter brought the dishes over one after another. "Also, the rabbit takes a bit longer to roast, so you'll need to wait a moment."

"That's fine, as long as it's roasted well," Qingxi replied.

The two picked up their chopsticks and began to eat.

"By the way, Master, do you have any connection to Spirit Hall?"

At the dinner table, Dugu Yan asked curiously.

The body tempering method her master had given her was something she had only shared with her friends. As for the cultivation techniques, her master had stated that different spiritual roots were required; otherwise, one might suffer from qi deviation.

Yet, not long after, Spirit Hall released an identical formula.

Dugu Yan felt a bit disgruntled—not because her master had given the formula to others, but out of resentment toward Spirit Hall.

"Hmm... I gave it to them." Qingxi buried her head in her meal; these past few years of sleeping in the open had been hard on her.

"Why? Spirit Hall is such an evil force! They act like tyrants, suppressing the two great empires..." Dugu Yan stood up, filled with righteous indignation.

"And then?" Qingxi lifted her gaze slightly to look at the indignant young girl. Her clear, bright eyes made the rest of Dugu Yan's words die in her throat.

"So, does that make them villains?"

Qingxi swirled the wine cup in her hand, her eyes deep and inscrutable.

They were sitting in the furthest corner, and their voices were low. With only a few sparse tables occupied in the entire shop, they didn't fear being overheard.

"I only know that they help commoners awaken their spirits for free, take in orphans, and spread such an attractive formula across the continent, charging only a single Silver Soul Coin."

Just enough to cover the cost of the basic medicinal herbs.

That Body Tempering Pill Formula wasn't particularly profound; it simply involved a wide variety of ingredients.

She did not consider such a force to be evil.

"When the state thrives, the people suffer! When the state falls, the people suffer! You are still young, and your perspective is too narrow. You view Spirit Hall only from the standpoint of the nobility, not the commoners themselves. But in this world, the ones who suffer, who toil, and who have no hope of ever rising, are the commoners."

Whether it was the inheritance or the awakening of spirits, it was mostly the preserve of established noble families. Commoners rarely had the chance to awaken a spirit, and even if they did, it was almost always a useless one.

The two great empires were not even willing to help commoners awaken their spirits.

Therefore, leaving that prescription for her cheap foster father was a test.

"Those who cultivate immortality must engage with the world to understand its truths. You should observe this human realm as an ordinary person."

Qingxi turned the wine cup in her hand. She possessed far better things—techniques that could allow even a person without spiritual roots to become a Martial Master—but now was not the time to reveal them.

This continent was not at peace; bringing such things out prematurely would only lead to heresy, cults, or war.

The hundred thousand inheritances of the Slanted Moon Three Stars Cave had been refined over generations, discarding the dross to become a sacred ground of the Dao.

"I..." A flicker of uncertainty shone in Dugu Yan's green eyes.

"Sit down and eat." Qingxi patted the stool beside her, her expression light and breezy.

Dugu Yan let out a breath and sat back down.

"Let's get this straight: once we're done, you're accompanying me to find my fifth spirit ring."

"Rest assured." Qingxi picked up a piece of dry-pot rabbit. The meat was fried until crispy and mixed with Sichuan peppercorns and chili; it was exceptionally delicious.

Just then, a group of people entered the doorway.

Leading them was a middle-aged man nearing forty with black and white hair and a sturdy build. Behind him followed four men and three women, all appearing to be around twelve or fourteen years old.

As if sensing something, Qingxi paused in the act of drinking and lifted her eyes to land on one of the boys and one of the girls in the group.

A hundred-thousand-year spirit beast and a soul from another world with beast-man blood?

"Master, what is it?" Sensing Qingxi's change in demeanor, Dugu Yan whispered, also noticing the group that had entered.

Noticing the two women's gazes, the fatty following behind them felt his eyes light up. Beauties!

One was a mature, curvaceous beauty, and the other was a cold, delicate young girl with a mark between her brows; they would certainly be exciting to play with.

When Tang San caught sight of those pitch-black eyes, his heart gave a sudden, violent thud for no apparent reason, and he frowned almost imperceptibly.

He activated his Purple Demon Eye, yet she appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary girl. However, the woman beside her was shrouded in a faint, pale green light.

"It's nothing." Qingxi withdrew her gaze and took a sip of clear wine.

Holding to the principle that it was none of her business, she had no intention of meddling.

Still, for a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast to dare run into the human world—that was truly bold.

"Hmm." Dugu Yan nodded and stopped looking at them.

"We'll stay here for the night and set off tomorrow morning. You'll cover your own lodging and food expenses." The middle-aged man in the lead booked a room and went upstairs, paying no mind to the rest of the group.

The main characters booked their rooms at the front desk and prepared to find a table to eat.

"Boss Dai, let's sit over there."

The fatty had long been impatient, choosing a seat in a corner near the master and disciple.

"Waiter, bring the menu over." Once they were seated, Boss Dai, who led the group, spoke up, "It's my treat today, everyone eat your fill. Consider this a welcome banquet."

"Boss Dai is mighty! Then I won't stand on ceremony." Ma Hongjun cheered, his facial fat trembling as he laughed, his eyes squinting into mere slits.

The waiter handed over the menu, and he didn't stop until he had ordered over a dozen dishes.

After sitting down, his lecherous eyes swept over Dugu Yan from time to time, focusing especially on her more prominent features.

Dugu Yan's expression darkened; she gripped her wine glass with enough force to make her knuckles white, a flash of anger crossing her face.

That gaze made her feel nauseated.

She was on the verge of standing up to beat the living daylights out of that dead fatty, but just as she prepared to act, Qingxi held her down.

"This is a place for eating; don't start a fight."

Dugu Yan let out a cold snort and released her soul power. Two purple and two black soul rings manifested around her, carrying an intense, venomous aura. "Dead fatty! Keep looking and watch out, or I'll gouge your eyes out!"

The people at the neighboring table were all startled, not by the soul power Dugu Yan displayed, but by those two purple and two black soul rings.

After all, Dai Mubai himself was a level 37 Soul Grandmaster, and since he was quite a bit younger than Dugu Yan, he was confident that his future achievements would surely surpass hers.

"Two... two purple and two black..." Oscar stammered, and even Ning Rongrong, who had been keeping her head down lost in thought, looked up.

They had never seen such a soul ring configuration before.

Tang San couldn't help but show an expression of surprise. He remembered his teacher explicitly stating that the optimal soul ring configuration was yellow-yellow-purple-purple-black, and that exceeding the age limits would result in the body exploding.

How could this be...

Dugu Yan let out a cold snort and retracted her soul rings.

Ignorant bumpkins, haven't seen anything like this before, have you? she thought with a touch of haughty pride.

Ever since she absorbed that drop of spiritual liquid, her soul rings had undergone a heaven-shaking transformation. Her first and second soul rings had evolved directly from century-level rings into thousand-year rings. Consequently, she had attempted to absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring for her third, and to her surprise, she had succeeded.

"Hmph, what's there to be so proud of?" Xiao Wu linked her arm with Tang San's and snorted, "In my eyes, Brother San is the most amazing one."

A warmth flickered in Tang San's eyes as he ruffled Xiao Wu's fluffy hair.

"Guests, your roasted rabbit is here." At that moment, the waiter emerged from the kitchen carrying the roasted rabbit and placed it on the table where Qingxi and the other woman sat. "Please enjoy!"

"You!!" Seeing this, Xiao Wu's eyes flashed with anger, and she stood up, wanting to teach these two women who were eating rabbit a lesson.

"Xiao Wu." Tang San pulled her back and shook his head at her.

His intuition told him never to provoke those two, especially the woman in the green-blue dress with green hair; the poison on her body was terrifyingly powerful.

"Hmph!" Xiao Wu snorted, but she still listened to Tang San and sat back down.

"Tch, what's the big deal?" Ma Hongjun looked at the intense poison surrounding Dugu Yan, got scared, and turned around to slump over the table. After a while, he muttered in a wronged tone, "It was just a look, so stingy..."

He had played with more women than he could count on both hands; if it weren't for the fact that the woman used poison, he would have definitely forced himself on her.

"It's just a measly Soul Ancestor, what's there to be so arrogant about?" The fatty rolled his eyes in disdain and spoke up loudly.

"Dead fatty, keep acting like this and you'll die on a woman's belly sooner or later." Dai Mubai patted Ma Hongjun on the shoulder, then cupped his hands toward Dugu Yan. "My brother is young and ignorant; I hope the two of you will forgive him. I'll cover the bill for today as an apology."

After all, they were two beauties, and he still had to show some face.