A Shaky Foundation? Properly Reinforced!

"This is heaven's favor upon me! You could never envy that, little golden furball!"

Lu Yuan immediately burst into smug laughter.

"Kehehe..."

"I'm not jealous of you! This Auspicious Beast's talent is no worse than yours!"

Hearing that strange laugh, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion could not help but shudder. She complained, "Your laugh is way too creepy, isn't it? Who taught you to laugh like that?"

"And another thing! I'm not called little golden furball!"

"Then what's your name?"

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion froze.

She seemed not to have a name. Ever since her birth, Sister Bi Ji, Uncle Di Tian, Lord Bear, Scarlet King, and the others had all called her the Auspicious Beast.

"You can just call me Auspicious Beast."

Lu Yuan nodded solemnly. "All right, little golden furball."

"..."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion raised a paw and swatted Lu Yuan. "You're not allowed to call me that!"

What little golden furball? It sounded awful!

It made her, the noble Imperial Auspicious Beast, sound like a dog.

"If you dare call me that again, I'll bite you to death!"

Lu Yuan shrugged, ducking behind Gu Yuena and boldly using her as his backing. "Go on, try biting me."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion snorted indignantly.

Why was this guy even more of a little demon than she was?

Gu Yuena and Bi Ji exchanged amused glances.

With these two little ones together, it seemed the Star Dou Forest would be lively from now on.

Bi Ji was even more emotional inside.

She and the Auspicious Beast were not related by blood, yet their bond surpassed blood itself. She had always regarded the Auspicious Beast as her own daughter.

With over five hundred thousand years of cultivation, she naturally understood the loneliness and tedium that came with endless years.

She was happy for the Auspicious Beast, because she might have a companion in the future and no longer be so lonely.

After the joking ended, Lu Yuan looked at Gu Yuena and said, "Sister, I think I broke through again. I need another Soul Ring!"

"What?!"

Gu Yuena was startled. "Isn't that far too fast?"

Bi Ji seemed to realize something and explained, "My lord, perhaps it is because Xiao Yuan had already absorbed a Soul Bone close to three hundred thousand years old before absorbing his Soul Ring. He had accumulated quite a bit of Soul Power already."

"If a Soul Master reaches the level ten bottleneck, their Soul Power is locked down by the shackles of their realm. All the accumulated power is compressed and stored within the body, rather than directly raising them to the next level."

"Once a Soul Ring is absorbed and the shackles are broken, the stored Soul Power will be released all at once, allowing them to leap through levels directly."

"Xiao Yuan also absorbed a thousand-year Soul Ring beyond his level. The Soul Power accumulated in his body is already terrifying, so jumping directly from level ten to level twenty is normal!"

"I can even speculate that after Xiao Yuan absorbs his second Soul Ring, his Soul Power may not be far from the level thirty bottleneck."

The corners of Lu Yuan's lips lifted slightly as he spoke calmly. "This beautiful sister's explanation is perfectly reasonable!"

"Ordinary Soul Masters accumulate Soul Power bit by bit through meditation, so their foundations are unbearably shaky."

"But me? I've been crazily stockpiling Soul Power with the foundation of my Soul Bone, steadily reinforcing my base bit by bit, building up a deep and solid foundation step by step!"

"The difference is obvious!"

Gu Yuena, Bi Ji, and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion: "..."

Although Gu Yuena was delighted to have raised such a genius, seeing how smug Lu Yuan looked left her both amused and exasperated.

"Xiao Yuan, tone it down a little!"

"Are you sure you want to absorb your second Soul Ring already? Isn't that a little too hasty? Your realm might be somewhat unstable."

Lu Yuan shook his head and said confidently, "Don't worry, Sister. I know what I'm doing!"

"It's all pure Soul Power piled up anyway, so there's nothing unstable about it! If you're still worried, I can do some consolidation training after absorbing my second Soul Ring!"

Gu Yuena nodded. "That's true."

"Di Tian!"

A tall figure instantly appeared before them.

"My lord!"

Gu Yuena instructed, "Xiao Yuan still needs a Soul Ring. Go find one."

Di Tian paused and glanced at Lu Yuan.

Then he vanished in a flash.

While they waited.

Grrr...

Lu Yuan's little stomach suddenly growled.

Gu Yuena and the others could not help but find the sight amusing.

Lu Yuan rubbed his stomach somewhat sheepishly.

He had been in Douluo Continent for so long, yet it seemed he had not eaten anything at all!

Bi Ji covered her mouth and chuckled. "Xiao Yuan, you're hungry, aren't you?"

"I'll go find you something to eat."

"Thank you, beautiful sister!"

Bi Ji smiled faintly. "No need to be so polite. Just call me Bi Ji!"

"Okay, Sister Bi Ji!"

The smile on Bi Ji's face grew even brighter.

This child really had a sweet mouth!

Not long afterward, Bi Ji flew back from the forest.

She carried a large handful of plump, round fruits in several broad leaves.

A faint, elegant fragrance drifted from the fruits with her every step.

She first walked up to Lu Yuan and gently placed over half the fruits into his arms. "Eat some to fill your stomach. These Golden Jade Fruits nourish the body and Soul Power, and they will greatly benefit your cultivation."

The enticing fruity fragrance lingered at Lu Yuan's nose, making his eyes light up slightly. He hurriedly accepted them with both hands. "Thank you, Sister Bi Ji!"

Then Bi Ji picked out three or four round, plump fruits and bent down to offer them to the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, who was sitting obediently nearby.

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion affectionately rubbed herself against Bi Ji's fair, slender legs.

Then she took several in her mouth and began chewing them with relish.

Lu Yuan selected one fruit from those in his arms. It was entirely green and perfectly round, speckled with tiny golden points of light. Its rich fragrance lingered thickly in the air, making it exceptionally tempting.

"What kind of fruit is this?"

Bi Ji's gaze fell upon the Golden Jade Fruit in Lu Yuan's arms as she softly explained, "This is a Golden Jade Fruit, an exceedingly precious fruit. It is an extremely rare natural treasure that enhances one's physique and Soul Power."

"But do not be greedy. Even a Soul Master with the most robust Soul Power can consume at most one at a time. Otherwise, the body will be unable to fully absorb its medicinal potency, and it will instead accumulate in the meridians, damaging one's foundation."

Lu Yuan nodded upon hearing this, raised the Golden Jade Fruit, and took a bite.

The flesh was springy, tender, and juicy, with a slightly astringent taste that was not overly sweet.

Before long, a gentle, warm current slowly flowed from his stomach, spreading through his limbs and bones. Without any deliberate guidance from him, it circulated through his meridians on its own.

Lu Yuan stretched his limbs, feeling his blood and vitality brim over as his essence, energy, and spirit instantly rose to their peak. The emptiness in his stomach gradually faded.

He picked up the remaining fruits and ate them as well.

Not long after he finished the last fruit, Di Tian returned.

His spatial ability was immensely powerful, and he appeared before them in an instant.

He was carrying a gigantic bird several zhang long, covered in jet-black scales and feathers.

It was a Black Feather Flame Dragon Falcon. Its eyes were tightly shut, and its muscles and bones had been shaken limp by Di Tian. It had long since fallen completely unconscious.

He casually threw the dragon falcon onto the clearing, looked up at Gu Yuena, and bowed as he reported, "My lord, this Black Feather Flame Dragon Falcon has seven thousand years of cultivation. It possesses both fire and darkness attributes, making it perfectly suited for Xiao Yuan's second Soul Ring."

Gu Yuena nodded gently, then turned to Lu Yuan at her side and spoke softly. "Do it. There is no need to hold back."

Lu Yuan stepped forward. The Martial Soul Lord of Erosion's Sourceflame silently activated, and Sun-Chopping Flame appeared in his right hand.

Without the slightest hesitation, he thrust his sword into the Black Feather Flame Dragon Falcon's vital point.

The dragon falcon twitched weakly twice, and a deep-purple thousand-year Soul Ring rose into the air, its surface encircled by fine patterns of black feathers.

Lu Yuan sat down cross-legged and drew the Soul Ring into himself.

Power flowed through his meridians and spread across his body, leaving his limbs and bones faintly numb.