Picking Up the Dragon Whisker Needles! Taking Xiao Wu Home, Nearly Running Into the Peerless Dragon and Snake!
The blazing sun hung high in the sky, its scorching rays spilling across the earth.
A handsome young man, as radiant as jade, walked along the streets of Suotuo City. Passersby turned to look, all because he had two beauties of completely different temperaments at his side.
"Big brother~"
Tang Shan glanced at the crowd by the roadside, glaring at Lan Yu with gritted teeth. An idea struck her. She raised her brows at Xiao Wu, reached out to take Lan Yu's arm, and began cooing softly.
"Hmm?"
Xiao Wu caught the signal at once and immediately took Lan Yu's other arm, her voice sweet as honey. "Brother Yu~"
"Stop fooling around."
Just then, a blond-haired young man came toward them. It was Dai Mubai, who had recently joined Shrek Academy.
Dai Mubai stopped dead in his tracks and drew a sharp breath. After passing the three of them, he immediately turned around, his eyes fixed on Lan Yu's back.
There's an even more impressive one?!
Dai Mubai was a Star Luo Prince, and his Soul Power had reached level 25 at the age of twelve. Yet he had never had beauties like these at his side.
The young man before him looked even younger than he was, and yet he had a peerless beauty tucked under each arm.
Thinking of this, Dai Mubai couldn't help but let out a long sigh and sincerely exclaim, "A true man should be like that!"
Meanwhile, Lan Yu led the two girls to a shop hung with signs depicting various Martial Souls. He raised a brow and smiled. "All right, are you two going to let go of me now?"
With that, he walked into the shop alone.
The shop door stood open, but the interior was dim, lit only by sunlight streaming through a skylight in the roof. In its beam stood a woman wearing thin-framed glasses, her head bent over a drawing.
"The prices are marked on everything. Have a look for yourself," the woman said without looking up.
Gender-swapped Flender
Lan Yu paused, then quickly accepted it. In this inverted world, even something this bizarre wasn't out of the ordinary.
He looked around the shop and soon spotted his target.
Found it!
Lan Yu went to the wall and lifted a mottled, translucent crystal. "I'll take this."
"I'll take this!"
"One hundred Gold Soul Coins. Put them on the table."
Lan Yu nodded, took a bag of Gold Soul Coins from his storage ring, and placed it on the table.
As he turned, his gaze unconsciously swept over the drawing board. It showed a woman in black, with five words written beneath her: Beloved, Liu Erlong.
Lan Yu's mouth twitched.
"Something wrong?" Flanyue paused her brush and looked up, frowning. Her tone turned a little colder.
"Nothing." Lan Yu shook his head, put the crystal into his storage ring, and turned to leave the shop.
The two girls outside saw him come out and immediately went to meet him.
Before either of them could speak, Lan Yu smiled and said, "Let's go first. We'll get a hotel room, and I'll show you a great treasure!"
A hotel room?! A great treasure?!
Tang Shan and Xiao Wu exchanged glances, each harboring her own thoughts, then let Lan Yu lead them into a nearby hotel.
Under the jealous stares of the staff, the three went upstairs and entered a guest room.
"Xiao Shan, you're definitely going to like this!" Lan Yu shut the door behind him, his voice tinged with excitement.
"I...I'm going to like it?" Tang Shan froze. Her pretty face instantly flushed red, her heart pounding so hard she could barely get the words out.
"Lan Yu... It's still broad daylight!" Xiao Wu looked at Tang Shan, who had completely short-circuited, and tried to suppress her own strange feelings. Her voice trembled.
"What are you two babbling about?"
Lan Yu set the crystal on the floor. At their words, he stopped and turned to look at them, bewildered.
Never mind!
Martial Soul Possession!
As Soul Power surged, a pair of curved dragon horns rose from Lan Yu's forehead, and his hands transformed into dragon claws. Two purple Soul Rings slowly rose from beneath his feet.
"Second Soul Skill, Roaming Dragon Qi Wall!"
As he spoke, a translucent barrier appeared around the crystal.
This Soul Skill could freely switch between a shield enveloping the body and a directional wall. The Qi Wall naturally circulated to disperse force, could nullify seventy percent of physical attacks, and consumed very little Soul Power over time.
"First Soul Skill, Dragon Strike Claw!"
Lan Yu gave a low shout. A half-meter-tall Purple Gold Dragon Claw phantom crashed down, slamming hard into the crystal.
The crystal burst into dust. Countless tiny golden glints shot out from within, ricocheting around inside the Qi Wall before raining down a moment later.
Only then did Lan Yu dismiss the Qi Wall and step forward to collect the golden threads from the ground, putting them into his ring.
Hair Gold was a valuable material. With a surge of Soul Power, it could transform into Dragon Whisker Needles—and Dragon Whisker Needles were the bane of astral energy.
Only then did Xiao Wu and Tang Shan come to their senses. First, they both breathed a sigh of relief; then, for some inexplicable reason, a trace of disappointment welled up in them as they slowly walked over.
"Big brother, this is the great treasure you were talking about?"
Tang Shan puffed out her cheeks and glared at him, the end of her words soft and sweet.
"Dragon Whisker Needles. Doesn't that count?" Lan Yu asked in confusion, taking out a few golden beads and handing them to her.
Tang Shan took them and gave him a resentful sideways glance, then turned to explain to the utterly baffled Xiao Wu.
Lan Yu stood to the side, watching the two of them, completely at a loss.
After resting for a while, the three set off for the Star Dou Great Forest.
Throughout the journey, Xiao Wu remained rather downcast in the carriage. Even Tang Shan, who usually loved sticking close to Lan Yu, sat quietly beside them.
Half a day later, the three arrived at a small town on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Brother, it's getting dark. Why don't we stay here for one night and go in tomorrow?" Xiao Wu looked at the darkening sky, her voice carrying a hint of pleading.
"All right."
Late at night
Lan Yu lay on the bed, with Tang Shan and Xiao Wu resting their heads against his chest, one on either side. None of the three could sleep; each had their own thoughts.
The next morning, knowing she could no longer avoid it, Xiao Wu got up early.
"Brother, would you and Xiao Shan come for a walk with me?"
Seeing Lan Yu hesitate to speak, Xiao Wu smiled. "Don't worry. The moment I stepped into the Star Dou Great Forest, Er Ming could sense my presence."
The three walked along a path through the forest in the outer region. They encountered several Hundred-Year Soul Beasts along the way, all of which Lan Yu dealt with casually.
Suddenly, the trees ahead shuddered, and a Datura Snake, estimated to be over seven meters long, darted out.
The Datura Snake spotted Xiao Wu at once and lunged at her, baring its venomous fangs.
"First Soul Skill, Gravity Dragon Might!"
Tang Shan's eyes sharpened. In an instant, a dark-yellow gravity vortex appeared beneath the Datura Snake, pinning it tightly to the ground.
Even so, the Datura Snake kept flicking its tongue and writhing as it struggled toward them.
"You vile beast, you've earned your death!"
"First Soul Skill, Dragon Strike Claw!"
Lan Yu gave a low shout and swung both claws. Several faint purple blades tore through the air, striking precisely at the Datura Snake's vital point, seven inches below its head.
The Datura Snake, which had been thrashing wildly moments before, went limp on the ground in an instant. It lay motionless, with only its tongue slowly flicking in and out of its mouth.
Lan Yu stepped forward, ready to finish it off.
"Wait!"
Two figures suddenly burst out from the woods, followed by an old woman's sharp, hoarse voice.
At the sound, Lan Yu immediately retreated a step and shielded Tang Shan and Xiao Wu behind him, watching the newcomers warily.
He leaned toward Xiao Wu and lowered his voice. "Get Er Ming here. Quickly."
After seeing that the newcomers were an old woman and a young girl, Xiao Wu understood. She quietly roused her own aura.
Both newcomers were female. The elderly woman's hair was white as frost, and she held a snake-headed cane. The girl looked about twelve or thirteen and wore a practical outfit.
"Greetings, young ones. I am Chao Tianxiang."
The elderly woman glanced at the Datura Snake on the ground and slowly spoke. "Would you be willing to give this Datura Snake to us?"
Her words sounded like a request, but her tone left no room for refusal.
Chao Tianxiang?!
Lan Yu's heart jolted.
The Peerless Dragon and Snake!!
His heart sank at once. All he could do was hope that Dragon Duke Meng Shu wasn't nearby.