At that moment, Meng Yiran had no trace of grievance left. She was playing with the weapons, happier than she'd ever been!
Just then, Zhu Zhuqing also finished absorbing her third Soul Ring, and everything went very smoothly.
"Senior, leave Yiran's third Soul Ring to me. I have an aircraft that can take us into the sky. That'll make finding a suitable Soul Beast much easier!"
Lin Fan's helicopter shocked the three members of the family all over again!
They climbed aboard with some doubt, and only when they watched the scenery below gradually shrink did they believe what Lin Fan had said!
"Little friend Lin Fan... did you make all these things yourself?!"
Dragon Duke's voice even trembled a little. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought he was dreaming.
"Yes. When I have nothing to do, I like tinkering with little inventions. I hope you'll forgive me for showing off, Senior."
Lin Fan modestly showed off.
"This boy can't be described as a genius anymore. He's practically a monster!"
"He treats Yiran pretty well. Perhaps..."
Dragon Duke had already started entertaining some ideas. He naturally noticed the peerless beauty of Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong, and he could tell that their relationships with Lin Fan were far from ordinary!
But Dragon Duke didn't think this would shortchange Meng Yiran. It was perfectly normal for men in the Douluo Continent to have several wives and concubines, especially if they were powerful enough!
With the helicopter searching from above, Lin Fan and the others locked onto another target!
It was a five-meter-long serpent Soul Beast, crimson from head to tail. A peculiar pale-red flame burned over its body, and wherever it crawled, the ground was scorched black!
"I never thought we'd run into a Red Fire Spirit Snake! It's even more suitable for Yiran than the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was!"
Dragon Duke looked delighted. This serpent was not only highly poisonous, but its attacks also had a fire attribute!
If it became a Soul Ring, perhaps she could inherit both attributes. That would be a tremendous boost for Meng Yiran!
"Good. I'll take care of it!"
Lin Fan raised the AWM and locked onto his target. With a gunshot, a bloody hole appeared in the Red Fire Spirit Snake's body. It writhed and rolled on the ground in agony, scorching the surrounding flowers and grass black!
Lin Fan lowered the helicopter and brought it down to the ground. Meng Yiran was practically beaming with excitement as she walked over to the Red Fire Spirit Snake, Serpent Cane in hand, and ended its life in one blow!
A dazzling purple Soul Ring appeared, and Meng Yiran sat down to begin absorbing it!
With her grandparents right there, she didn't have a thing to worry about!
"Little friend Lin Fan truly is a heaven-sent genius. At such a young age, not only is he powerful, but he's also invented so many things!"
While they waited for Meng Yiran to absorb the Soul Ring, Dragon Duke struck up a conversation with Lin Fan.
"You flatter me, Senior."
Lin Fan responded very politely.
"I wonder if you'd be interested in joining our family. If you agree, I'm willing to devote our entire family's resources to cultivating you."
Dragon Duke's repeated, enthusiastic invitations left Lin Fan at a loss. He was just thinking of an excuse to decline when a muffled groan came from Meng Yiran beside them!
"This... This is bad!"
Dragon Duke turned toward Meng Yiran, and his expression changed drastically!
Chapter 31: Unexpected Turn
Meng Yiran's pretty face was contorted with pain. Powerful energy surged from her delicate body as it began to swell. Her veins bulged like earthworms, as if they might burst at any moment!
"I misjudged it! This Red Fire Spirit Snake is more than three thousand years old. With Yiran's current physical strength, she can't withstand it!"
Dragon Duke looked grave, his voice full of regret and self-reproach!
"Old man, what do we do now?!"
Snake Granny was equally anxious. Meng Yiran was her precious granddaughter. Since she was little, Snake Granny had held her in her palm for fear of dropping her, and kept her in her mouth for fear she might melt!
"I can only force the berserk energy out of her body. But..."
"Ah..."
While they were talking, a pained cry escaped Meng Yiran's lips, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
"Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and do it!"
Snake Granny urged him.
"But... But I'm not completely sure I can do it. If I accidentally detonate the energy inside Yiran, she'll explode and die in an instant..."
Dragon Duke had completely lost his composure. Usually so stern and reserved, he was now pacing frantically like a headless fly!
Pfft!
A vein in Meng Yiran's arm suddenly burst, spraying out a stream of blood!
"Enough. I can only try!"
Dragon Duke knew that if they kept waiting, Meng Yiran would die. A forced intervention was risky, but at least there was a chance!
"Heavens, please keep my granddaughter safe. I'll pay any price!"
Snake Granny couldn't help, so all she could do was pray over and over.
"Let me do it!"
Just then, Lin Fan stepped forward and spoke.
"What? You're sure you can do it?!"
Dragon Duke froze. But the hope in his eyes soon died away. Lin Fan was only twelve years old. So what if he was a cultivation prodigy? Even a Soul Douluo like Dragon Duke couldn't handle the situation, let alone Lin Fan!
"Senior, I'm eighty percent sure I can save Yiran and ensure she successfully absorbs the Soul Ring. If you're more confident than I am, you can do it yourself."
Lin Fan spoke urgently.
"Eighty percent?!"
The Dragon-Snake Couple exchanged a look, astonishment in both their eyes. While they hesitated, another vein in Meng Yiran's right hand burst!
"You do it. If you really can save Yiran, the lives of both of us are yours!"
Knowing they couldn't afford to delay, Dragon Duke gritted his teeth and spoke!
Even though he didn't quite believe Lin Fan's claim that he had an eighty-percent chance, he had no other choice. If he acted, he wasn't even two-percent sure!
Lin Fan didn't waste a word. He went straight to Meng Yiran and quickly unfastened her top!
"You..."
Dragon Duke started to speak, then forcibly swallowed his words!
Lin Fan's expression was grave. Even with a perfect expanse of snowy-white skin before him, he had no time to admire it!
Lin Fan circulated his Soul Power and pressed both hands directly against Meng Yiran's back!
"Master only needs to use his Soul Power to draw the energy in her body into his own."
Daji's voice rang in Lin Fan's mind.
According to Daji, Lin Fan's constitution was incredibly special. With the system, he could improve his strength through dual cultivation with a woman—in other words, through Yin-Yang Complementarity!
For that to work, the two people's Soul Power had to fuse completely, so that each contained the other!
Put another way, when Lin Fan cultivated with a woman, he could completely drain her Soul Power and use it to strengthen himself. But he hadn't chosen to do that. Instead, he divided the energy formed by their union equally, allowing both of them to improve!
Under Lin Fan's careful control, Meng Yiran's body seemed to merge with his, their meridians connecting as one!
In an instant, the berserk energy inside Meng Yiran surged down both arms and poured into Lin Fan's body, like water released from a floodgate!
That energy was deadly to Meng Yiran, but it had practically no effect on Lin Fan. It was like a raging river flowing into the sea, its waves swallowed without a ripple!
"It actually... It really worked?! What kind of freak is this boy?!"
Meng Yiran's flushed face gradually returned to normal. The pained moans escaping her lips slowly stopped, and the blood flowing from her wounds began to lessen!
The energy circulated endlessly through both their bodies. Lin Fan controlled it, keeping it within the limits Meng Yiran could withstand and continually helping her absorb the excess energy from the Soul Ring!
About half an hour later, Soul Power burst from Meng Yiran. Light flashed beneath her feet, and three Soul Rings appeared: two yellow and one purple!
"I... did it?!"
Meng Yiran slowly opened her eyes, her expression full of surprise!
Just moments ago, she'd nearly been knocked unconscious by the berserk energy inside her. Then she'd felt a chill across her back, and her body had suddenly felt much better!
"I really did it! That's wonderful, Grandpa!"
When she saw the brilliant purple Soul Ring at her feet, Meng Yiran leaped for joy and threw herself at Dragon Duke!
"Ahem... Yiran, you'd better put your clothes back on first..."
Dragon Duke gave a dry cough, looking a little embarrassed.
"Ah!"
Meng Yiran looked down and let out a startled cry. She hurriedly and flusteredly put her clothes back on!
While she was doing so, she saw Lin Fan grinning lecherously. He even held his hands beneath his nose and sniffed them, looking like he still hadn't had his fill!
What a shame. I was so busy saving her that I didn't even get to savor it properly...
Lin Fan sighed inwardly. But then he felt a murderous glare coming from Meng Yiran's direction!
"Lin Fan, how dare you... I'll kill you!"
Meng Yiran's pretty face was as red as the sunset. She puffed out her cheeks and charged at Lin Fan, only for Dragon Duke to stop her.
"Yiran, if Lin Fan hadn't stepped in, you would've exploded and died!"
"Lin Fan didn't just save your life. He also helped you absorb a three-thousand-year Soul Ring, and you're thanking him with a light little 'thanks' while trying to kill him?!"
Dragon Duke's expression turned stern as he spoke with complete seriousness.
"He saved me? Wasn't the Soul Ring I absorbed two thousand years old? How could it be?!"
Meng Yiran was utterly confused, with so many questions she didn't know where to start.
"To be fair, Grandpa was at fault here. I misjudged the Red Fire Spirit Snake's age!"
"Little friend Lin Fan is truly incredible. Not only is he powerful, but he also has a unique way of saving people!"
Dragon Duke made no effort to hide his admiration for Lin Fan!
Meng Yiran circulated her Soul Power and took stock of her strength. The depth of her Soul Power really was greater than what a two-thousand-year Soul Beast could provide!
"Lin Fan... thank you!"
Now that she understood the truth, Meng Yiran felt a little embarrassed. She lowered her head, placed her hands in front of her chest, and quietly thanked Lin Fan.
Chapter 32: Zhao Wuji
"It's nothing. Any man who saw a beautiful girl like you in danger would risk his life to save you, Yiran."
Lin Fan smiled.
"Yiran, Lin Fan saved your life, and he even gave you all those guns earlier. A light little 'thanks' isn't enough to repay him!"
Dragon Duke stepped forward and patted Meng Yiran's shoulder.
"Then how should I thank him?!"
Meng Yiran nodded in agreement, but after thinking for a long time, she couldn't come up with anything she owned that Lin Fan would want.
"The most precious thing a girl has is, of course, her first time!"
Dragon Duke said meaningfully.
"Grandpa, you shameless old geezer! What are you saying? I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Dragon Duke's words made Meng Yiran's face turn so red it could drip blood. Lin Fan beside her was just as dumbfounded!
Is this grandpa really in such a hurry to let his granddaughter get taken by a pig? Even if I'm a handsome pig, this is way too rushed!
"Senior, isn't this a little too soon... I do like Yiran, but out here in the wilderness, I don't think this is a good idea!"
Lin Fan swallowed and spoke.
Before you continue