Devouring a Soul Ring! You're Thanking Me Too Soon

A yellow soul ring floated above the Datura Snake's corpse, its gentle glow illuminating the devastated forest around it.

Tang San lay some distance away, his gaze fixed firmly on the soul ring as his breathing involuntarily quickened.

This should have been his first soul ring.

To kill this Datura Snake, he had gone all out and had nearly died in the process.

But now, the Datura Snake was indeed dead, yet Qian Renyuan had delivered the final blow.

No matter how unwilling Tang San was, he knew he had no right to draw in the soul ring before him.

He gritted his teeth, slowly clenching his left hand at his side until his nails nearly dug into his palm.

Qian Renyuan did not leave immediately. Standing beside the Datura Snake's corpse, he looked up at the yellow soul ring, a trace of interest gradually appearing in his eyes.

This soul ring of roughly four hundred years was naturally nothing remarkable to someone who possessed a two-hundred-thousand-year soul ring.

Yet the moment the soul ring rose, the Twelfth-Grade World-Destroying Black Lotus within him sent out a faint tremor.

The feeling was crystal clear. The Black Lotus wanted to devour it.

Feeling the desire emanating from his martial soul, Qian Renyuan's mood immediately improved.

He had only intended to destroy Tang San's chance at obtaining his first soul ring. He had not expected this soul ring to become nourishment for the Black Lotus as well.

Tang San had fought for his life for so long, only to end up working for him.

That was far more interesting than simply letting the soul ring dissipate.

"Since it's been delivered right to my mouth, it would be a waste not to take it."

Qian Renyuan raised his left hand.

A wisp of black light surged from his palm, and the surrounding light dimmed by several degrees.

The Twelfth-Grade World-Destroying Black Lotus slowly emerged, its layers of petals spreading outward as light flowed across its body.

The instant the Black Lotus appeared, the yellow soul ring above the Datura Snake's corpse began to tremble violently.

Jiangmo Douluo looked over. With his eyesight, he could naturally tell that Qian Renyuan was not preparing to absorb this soul ring.

Tang San also sensed that something was wrong.

He stared at the Black Lotus in Qian Renyuan's palm, a flicker of shock and suspicion passing through his eyes.

"What is that?"

Qian Renyuan did not even spare Tang San a glance.

The Black Lotus slowly rotated, and a powerful devouring force erupted from its core.

The yellow soul ring floating in midair was pulled by that force. Its once-complete halo began to distort, and Soul Power streamed toward the Black Lotus like flowing water.

Tang San's pupils contracted. A soul ring could be absorbed like this?

In his understanding, a soul master needed to draw in a soul ring and then have it attach itself to the martial soul. The entire process not only took time, but also required enduring the impact of the residual power within the soul ring.

But Qian Renyuan did not draw it in at all. Under the Black Lotus's devouring, the yellow soul ring continued to break apart.

In just a few breaths, the intact soul ring was torn into countless tiny motes of light, all of which sank into the Black Lotus.

Buzz!

The Black Lotus trembled lightly. A stream of refined, pure power flowed through the martial soul and into Qian Renyuan's body. Though it was not enough to noticeably improve his cultivation, it made the Black Lotus's aura more solid.

Qian Renyuan closed his eyes and carefully sensed the changes within his body.

The soul ring's power had been directly devoured, becoming nourishment for the Black Lotus.

The feeling of being able to refine it simply by swallowing it, without needing to consider the soul ring's age or soul skill effect, left Qian Renyuan thoroughly satisfied.

He opened his eyes, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from rising.

"Not bad."

With a thought from him, the Black Lotus turned back into black light and disappeared into his body.

Tang San stared blankly at the empty air.

It was gone. The first soul ring he had desperately wanted had been devoured cleanly by Qian Renyuan just like that.

Everything he had done just now seemed as though it had merely exhausted this soul beast's strength for Qian Renyuan's sake.

That thought made Tang San's chest tighten, and the blood and qi he had just suppressed surged up again.

"You already have soul rings. Why did you devour it?"

Tang San glared at Qian Renyuan, unable to conceal the anger in his voice.

Qian Renyuan turned around, the pleasure of devouring the soul ring still lingering on his face.

"I devoured it because I wanted to."

"Do I need your permission?"

Tang San was immediately rendered speechless, but he remained unwilling to accept it.

He had been the one to find the Datura Snake first, and he had been the one to force this soul beast into a corner despite his injuries.

Qian Renyuan had only acted at the very end, yet he had effortlessly taken all the benefits.

Tang San was silent for a long while before finally forcing himself to sit up.

He glanced at the Datura Snake's exposed venomous fangs, then looked at Qian Renyuan. No matter who had taken the soul ring, if not for that bolt of lightning earlier, he would already be dead.

Tang San did not want to owe Qian Renyuan a favor. No matter how much resentment he held in his heart, he had to make this clear.

"Earlier..."

Tang San's voice was somewhat stiff. "Thank you for stepping in."

Qian Renyuan was slightly taken aback. He had not expected Tang San to thank him even at a time like this.

Looking at Tang San's awkward appearance—clearly hating him to the core yet forced to lower his head—Qian Renyuan finally could not hold back his laughter.

"Thank me?"

Hearing the laughter, Tang San's expression turned even uglier.

"You saved my life. I don't like owing people."

"Saved you?"

Qian Renyuan looked as though he had heard something utterly ridiculous, the malicious amusement in his eyes growing stronger.

He walked up to Tang San and looked down at this Child of Destiny, covered in blood and filth.

"Did you misunderstand something?"

"I acted only because I didn't want you to die so early in a snake's jaws."

Tang San raised his head, a trace of vigilance appearing in his gaze.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't understand?"

Qian Renyuan reached out and patted Tang San's bloodstained shoulder, utterly unconcerned that the motion made Tang San's body tremble in pain.

"If you died, how would the rest of the show go on?"

A bad premonition suddenly arose in Tang San's heart.

"So don't rush to thank me." Qian Renyuan smiled as he straightened up. "You'll soon regret that I stepped in just now."

Tang San's heart sank slightly. "What else do you want to do?"

Qian Renyuan did not answer. He turned to look at Jiangmo Douluo.

"Jiang Mo."

Jiangmo Douluo immediately stepped forward and respectfully lowered his head.

"This subordinate is here."

Qian Renyuan glanced at the surrounding forest, then swept his gaze over Tang San, who was still seated on the ground. The smile on his face did not fade in the slightest.

"Drive every soul beast that can move from this outer region into the inner region."

"Then notify the soul masters stationed here to seal off the routes into the inner region."

At that point, Qian Renyuan deliberately paused. "Without my command, do not let Tang San enter."

"Yes!"

Jiangmo Douluo accepted the order without the slightest hesitation.

Tang San abruptly raised his head and glared at Qian Renyuan.

"You're going to drive away all the soul beasts here? Why?"

Tang San could no longer suppress the anger in his heart. "You've already killed the Datura Snake, and you've devoured its soul ring. What more do you want?"