Taking Ah Yin

The grandfather and grandson strode swiftly and soon returned home.

On the way, they saw Tang San returning in the distance hand in hand with Xiao Wu.

The latter merely glanced at the grandfather and grandson without coming over to greet them, heading straight home instead.

Old Jack's footsteps paused slightly.

Jiede added insult to injury. "Grandpa, see? What did I tell you? You raised an ungrateful wretch."

Old Jack said nothing, seemingly lost in thought.

"People are the most complicated things. Even if you rush to offer yourself up, they may not appreciate it.

"When helping someone, you can only help when they take the initiative to ask you. Only then does it mean something."

"Hmph."

Old Jack snorted coldly. "You just got back, and you're already lecturing your grandfather?"

Over the next few days, Tang San never came to visit Old Jack.

Instead, he spent several days playing outside the village with Xiao Wu. After confirming their sibling relationship, they left Holy Soul Village directly.

A few more days passed.

Jiede found an excuse and left Holy Soul Village.

After winding around for some time, Jiede successfully arrived beneath a waterfall.

"Pretty hard to find, but I finally found it."

Jiede stared at the waterfall before him and muttered to himself.

"Ah Yin, I'm here."

Jiede summoned Big Bear.

By now, the little bear cub had changed dramatically.

Its fur was golden, and its massive body stood over three meters tall, making it look exceptionally imposing.

After years of being fed Spirit-Feeding Pellets, Big Bear's strength had reached the level of a ten-thousand-year soul beast.

Accordingly, the first Soul Ring of Jiede's Beast-Taming Art Martial Soul had turned black.

"Big Bear, go check whether there's a cave entrance behind the waterfall."

At Jiede's command, Big Bear moved at once, leaping into the waterfall.

Before long, Big Bear returned.

Through the mental link of the Beast-Taming Orb, Jiede learned that there really was a cave entrance behind the waterfall.

He jumped onto Big Bear's shoulder, and man and bear entered the cave together.

The cave was spacious and dimly lit.

After walking for around five minutes, the view suddenly opened up ahead into an enormous karst cavern.

At the very top of the cavern was only a small hole, barely letting in a sliver of light that fell upon the plant at the center below.

Other than the plant in the middle, there was only some moss inside the cavern and no other living creatures. Even Blue Silver Grass, the common soul beast found all across the continent, was absent.

Jiede slowly approached the plant in the center.

This Blue Silver Grass differed from ordinary Blue Silver Grass in its color. Golden patterns ran across it, but the plant itself was small and weak.

Sensing an unfamiliar presence approaching, Ah Yin curled her entire body into a ball.

Jiede looked around the cavern and clicked his tongue.

"Is this protection or imprisonment? That old bastard Tang Hao is really something."

There was not even any other Blue Silver Grass nearby. Ah Yin could not communicate with her own kind even if she wanted to.

Jiede was in no hurry to act against Ah Yin. He circled the cavern and eventually found a black lead box above a recess in the cave.

Jiede turned the opening of the lead box outward and cautiously kicked off the lid. An extremely gentle energy surged out, filling the entire cavern with vitality and life.

"Not bad. That old bastard didn't set any traps. Is he too confident, thinking no one could find this place?"

"The Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone is mine."

Jiede excitedly ran his hands all over the leg bone.

Big Bear rolled his eyes at his master's pathetic appearance, as though he did not know him.

What garbage. Not even as good as a lollipop from the White Sugar Factory.

Jiede fondled it for quite a while before reluctantly tossing it to Big Bear for safekeeping.

Then he returned to Ah Yin's side and squatted down.

"I know you can hear me.

"Your name is Ah Yin, right? Before, Spirit Hall hunted you down, and with no other choice, you sacrificed yourself to Tang Hao."

Hearing Jiede recount her experiences without a single error, Ah Yin's curled body trembled in fear.

Jiede continued, "Now, I'm giving you two choices."

He summoned a Beast-Taming Orb and held it out before Ah Yin in one hand.

"First, agree to my terms and become my beast.

"Second, I kill you right now, and you can still become my beast.

"I don't really like the second method. Although it's simple and brutal, we'll have to spend every day together in the future and fight side by side.

"So, to avoid any lingering resentment between us, I suggest you choose the first method."

Ah Yin suddenly unfurled her branches and leaves, wrapping them around Jiede's fingers and gently stroking them, trying to soften his heart.

Feeling the gentle touch, Jiede actually felt that Tang Hao's life in the past must have been very blissful.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Jiede waved away Ah Yin's branches and pointed at Big Bear beside him.

"Look at him yourself. Five years ago, he was still a bear cub less than ten years old.

"Now? He's already reached ten thousand years.

"That's the benefit of following me.

"If you still want to take human form, sign a contract with me."

Jiede tossed a Spirit-Feeding Pellet beneath Ah Yin. "Absorb it and feel it for yourself."

Ah Yin's body trembled. She could sense the Soul Power fluctuations within the Spirit-Feeding Pellet.

It was a pure aura of life. As long as she could obtain a large supply of such things, she could grow rapidly and take human form again.

But the price was...

Losing her freedom.

"Quickly. Before I lose my patience, you'd better make your choice immediately."

Jiede's Soul Power surged as he released the Mystic Core Martial Soul.

Three Soul Rings—yellow, purple, and black—encircled his body and slowly pulsed.

The third black Soul Ring in particular radiated extremely dense Soul Power, forcing Ah Yin directly to the ground.

Jiede looked down at Ah Yin from above. "In your current state, you still want to see your son?"

Her son!

Upon hearing those two words, Ah Yin struggled desperately, but she remained suppressed by the terrifying Soul Power.

"I'll tell you the truth. Your son is about the same age as me now. He's probably on the way to Shrek Academy at the moment.

"If you want to see him, you can only come with me. If there's a chance in the future, I'll let you see him with your own eyes."

Ah Yin remained motionless, still hesitating inwardly.

Jiede continued to tempt her. "Did Tang Hao tell you that once your son grew up, he would bring him here to see you?"

Ah Yin trembled twice.

"Stop hoping. Tang San is already in his teens, yet Tang Hao still hasn't brought him here to see you, and he never will.

"Do you really not want to see your own son?

"You know very well that humans have limited lifespans.

"Once your son lives a few more decades and dies of old age, you'll never see him again."

After saying that, Jiede withdrew the pressure of his Soul Power.

Ah Yin collapsed to the ground without moving.

Jiede was stunned. "Did I kill Ah Yin? I didn't even use that much Soul Power..."

A moment later, Ah Yin straightened her stem and leaves, rolled up the Spirit-Feeding Pellet on the ground, and absorbed all of its life energy.

In just a few breaths, Ah Yin's stem and leaves grew noticeably taller, two more leaves appeared, and the Soul Power within her body became more solid.

Jiede immediately held out the Beast-Taming Orb.

"I'll ask one last time, Ah Yin. Have you made up your mind?"

Ah Yin hesitated no longer. She activated her stem and leaves, pulled herself up by the roots, and burrowed straight into the Beast-Taming Orb.