The Stolen Soul Ring

However, Feng Qingluan and Feng Baiyu had arrived too late.

By the time they arrived, the 760-year-old Blazing Spirit Kite had already been slain by a boy who looked to be about eight or nine years old.

"You dare kill it!" The aura of a Title Douluo erupted from Feng Qingluan, directed squarely at the boy who had killed the Blazing Spirit Kite and his accompanying teacher.

"Did you not see the mark I placed on it?" Feng Qingluan pointed at the Qingluan Token hanging from the Blazing Spirit Kite's leg and said coldly, "You must have the guts of a bear to dare snatch a soul beast I had already claimed!"

"Y-Your Majesty."

The Soul Emperor leading the group and the boy who had killed the Blazing Spirit Kite were crushed by Feng Qingluan's pressure, forced directly to their knees.

"Please, Your Majesty, calm your anger! Please, Your Majesty!" The teacher was filled with agonizing regret.

Of course, he had seen the token on the Blazing Spirit Kite's leg earlier and knew it belonged to someone. However, not knowing who had placed it there, he had let greed get the better of him.

After all, it wasn't just his student who needed a soul ring; it was his own nephew.

He had intended for his nephew to absorb the ring and leave immediately, leaving no evidence behind. He simply hadn't expected the owner of the marked beast to arrive the moment they finished the kill.

Worse, the man was a Title Douluo!

They were dead.

The teacher, Yin Qi, knelt on the ground, trembling. He kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy: "Your Majesty, I am willing to make amends. Please, show mercy!"

As for his nephew, he had already fainted, unable to withstand the opponent's pressure.

Feng Qingluan was not a man who enjoyed slaughter.

If the man had only offended him, he would have killed him and been done with it.

But the man had committed the unforgivable sin of stealing his grandson's soul ring; even wiping out his entire family would hardly vent the anger in his heart.

"Grandfather, wait." Seeing that his grandfather intended to kill them, Feng Baiyu spoke up. "This Blazing Spirit Kite is already dead, and I can no longer use its soul ring. Since that is the case, we might as well let them have it."

"Baiyu." Feng Qingluan did not agree with his grandson's words. "Do not be soft-hearted!"

Feng Qingluan did not oppose his grandson's kindness; in his eyes, kindness was an excellent quality.

However, these two nobodies had offended them. If he let them go just like that, others would think he was easy to bully!

"Grandfather, he said he would make amends!" Feng Baiyu soothed his grandfather, then turned to the kneeling Soul Emperor. "Today is a good day for me to obtain a soul ring, and I don't want to kill anyone. However, since you snatched my ring, you will have to compensate me with another."

"Thank you, young master! Thank you for your mercy!" Yin Qi thanked him repeatedly. No matter how difficult the compensation, it was better than losing his life here.

As for the difficulty of the compensation?

Could it be any harder than death?

"Go and catch me a phoenix!" Feng Baiyu looked at Yin Qi and said indifferently, "An Ice Phoenix, Light Phoenix, Dark Phoenix—anything will do! Remember, within three years, you must bring me a pure-blooded phoenix over five thousand years old! If it is merely a soul beast with a trace of phoenix bloodline, I will not accept it."

"Ah?" Hearing Feng Baiyu's exorbitant demand, Yin Qi was left stunned.

I only killed your seven-hundred-year-old Blazing Spirit Kite, and you want me to compensate you with a pure-blooded phoenix?

Even loan sharks weren't this predatory!

A pure-blooded phoenix was a top-tier soul beast; regardless of its attribute, it possessed strength far exceeding its peers!

Even a five-thousand-year-old phoenix had power that far surpassed an ordinary ten-thousand-year-old soul beast. In a fight, he, a mere Soul Emperor, might not even be able to win.

Moreover, this young master wasn't just asking him to kill a phoenix, but to capture one alive!

The difficulty had risen by several levels; one wrong move, and he could easily become the beast's next meal.

Yin Qi looked troubled and said, "Young master, a pure-blooded phoenix..."

"Agree, and you and your student can leave today," Feng Baiyu said calmly. "Refuse, and you can stay here forever!"

"I agree, I agree, I agree!" Yin Qi nodded repeatedly. He said, "Young master, rest assured, even if I have to risk my old life, I will catch a phoenix for you."

If he agreed, he would live for at least three more years, and in those three years, he might find a chance to escape.

As long as he used the excuse of hunting for the soul beast to flee, he would be as free as a bird.

He knew exactly what choice to make.

Feng Baiyu naturally saw through his thoughts but didn't care. He said nonchalantly, "Give me your name and identity information. 'While parents are alive, one should not travel far; if one does, one must have a destination.'"

"If you die while hunting the phoenix within these three years, our debt is settled. But if you try to run, then your relatives and friends will have no reason to exist!"

Yin Qi had no choice but to provide his information.

He was an ordinary teacher at the Wuhun Hall Academy, and his identity was clean. But when he mentioned that the unconscious boy was his nephew, Yan, Feng Baiyu's expression shifted.

"Yan?" Feng Baiyu realized.

Possessing a powerful martial soul like the Flame Lord, it was no wonder he had reached level twenty at only nine years old.

Come to think of it, Yan was quite a decent genius.

It was just a pity that, like Feng Xiaotian, he was a sycophant who failed to fully tap into his potential.

Hmm... he was actually worse than Feng Xiaotian!

At the very least, Feng Xiaotian had eventually succeeded in his pursuit, while Yan ended up with nothing.

"Your nephew has decent talent," Feng Baiyu said, glancing at Yan. "Wake him up first."

Feng Baiyu spoke, tossing a porcelain bottle to the other man.

Yin Qi did not think twice; he poured the pill inside out and fed it to his nephew.

Before long, Yan stirred from his unconscious state.

Still dazed, he muttered, "What happened to me?"

"You're awake, then?" Feng Baiyu looked at Yan and pointed to the spirit ring nearby. "This spirit ring hasn't dissipated yet. Do you want to absorb it?"

"Ah?" Hearing the voice beside him, Yan became a bit more clear-headed. He cast a fiery gaze at the spirit ring before looking toward his uncle.

Yin Qi dared not defy the other party's intentions. Now that the spirit ring had been recovered, he hurriedly said, "Yan, since His Excellency and the young master have no objections, you should absorb it."

"Very well." Yan was no fool; he could tell from his uncle's attitude that the two men before him were of significant standing.

He addressed them, "Many thanks, Your Excellency. Many thanks, Young... Young Master."

Once he had finished speaking and made a few simple adjustments, Yan began to absorb the spirit ring.

Feng Qingluan watched everything unfold. He did not say a word, waiting to see how his grandson would handle the aftermath.

As the only remaining bloodline of the Feng Family, the entire family's assets would sooner or later be handed over to Feng Baiyu. He had protected his grandson too well in the past; today, he wanted to observe his grandson's ability to handle affairs.

Just as Yan began absorbing the spirit ring, Feng Baiyu said to Yin Qi, "How about the two of you pledge your loyalty to my Feng Family?"

"A Title Douluo's threshold—that's not too much to ask, is it?"