Tang Hao: Tang San Looked Like a Clown!

Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing stared at Ye Lin's right hand.

Zhao Wuji looked down at his own fist, then at Ye Lin's right hand. His lips moved twice, but he said nothing.

He was jealous. Bitterly jealous!

His Martial Soul was already the Mighty Vajra Bear. If he had that too, his strength would soar!

Ye Lin slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze fell first on his right hand and its five long, dark-gold claws. Then he lowered his head and flexed his fingers.

The claws bent and straightened with his knuckles, as though they had grown there naturally.

He clenched his fist. The five claws came together with a crisp metallic click.

He opened his hand, and the claws spread naturally, gleaming dark gold in the firelight.

Tang San sat beside the fire with his hands on his knees, his knuckles pale from gripping too hard.

He watched Ye Lin's right hand, watched those five dark-gold claws retract and extend in the firelight, over and over.

It felt as if someone had stuffed a wad of red-hot cotton into his chest, leaving him unable to breathe.

In his mind, he screamed,

"Fuck! Ye Lin really did get a Spirit Bone from the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear—and it's the most powerful kind, a Dark Gold Claw External Soul Bone!"

"Seriously, how is Ye Lin this lucky? How can anyone have luck this ridiculous?"

"If his third spirit skill is another enhancement skill, I don't want to live anymore."

"I'm a reincarnated God King, and even my luck can't match Ye Lin's?"

"I never suffered humiliation like this in my past life. If I still have to put up with it after reincarnating, what was the point?"

After that tirade, he took a deep breath and pulled his lips into something close to a natural smile.

"Ye Lin, congratulations. You even got an External Soul Bone. What an unexpected bonus."

"Your strength must have grown tremendously. Congratulations."

The others began offering their congratulations as well.

Dai Mubai patted Ye Lin on the shoulder.

"Not bad, kid. This trip was worth it! An External Soul Bone and a third Spirit Ring? You might leave even me behind."

Ma Hongjun came over and circled Ye Lin's right hand twice, clicking his tongue.

"Those claws look amazing. Flash them out in close combat, and your opponent probably won't even have time to dodge."

Ye Lin smiled and nodded at everyone as he listened to their congratulations.

Then his gaze passed through the crowd and settled on Xiao Wu.

Without hesitation, he crossed the distance in two steps, opened his arms, and pulled Xiao Wu into a hug.

He rested his fingers gently against her back and his chin atop her head.

"Xiao Wu, you're back. This isn't a dream, is it?"

Xiao Wu froze for an instant when he embraced her. Then she buried her face against his shoulder, wrapped her arms around his waist, and held on tighter.

Her voice was muffled against his shoulder, with a faint nasal edge.

"Brother Lin, it's not a dream. Of course it's real. I'm back."

She paused, then added, "Sorry I made you worry."

They held each other for a long while. Neither let go.

Sitting beside the fire, Tang San watched Ye Lin and Xiao Wu embrace. The corners of his mouth twitched twice despite himself.

The composure he had only just managed to recover seemed to be yanked away at the roots.

He cursed inwardly.

"Shit!"

That single curse reached the ears of several people nearby.

A few of them burst out laughing.

They exchanged glances.

"All right, you two, that's enough hugging. There are other people here."

Only then did Xiao Wu blush and let go of Ye Lin.

Every one of them was pretending.

Pretending they were happy for Ye Lin and Xiao Wu, pretending that brief burst of laughter had been about the newly reunited pair.

But they were all thinking the same thing.

When Tang San had rushed forward earlier, Xiao Wu had dodged him, and he had hugged the wrong person.

When Ye Lin walked up to her, the two of them held each other tightly.

The same gesture, the same "you're back." With Tang San, it was a joke. With Ye Lin, it felt only natural.

Ye Lin released Xiao Wu, looked down at her, and tucked a windblown strand of hair behind her ear.

"What matters is that you're back. You're back."

"As long as you came back, I don't care if they laugh me to death."

Watching from the shadows, Tang Hao frowned slightly.

Strange. Was all of this really part of Tang San's plan?

It doesn't look like it.

Tang San looks like a clown.

Too bad I'm too far away to hear his thoughts. Otherwise, I'd know what he's thinking.

My cultivation must simply be too weak. Tang San is a reincarnated God King, after all. He stands higher and sees farther.

I only fail to understand because I haven't reached his level.

Flender stood at the front of the crowd. Once the voices died down, he asked,

"Ye Lin, how's your third spirit skill? What does it do?"

Ye Lin lowered his head and sensed the new power within him, then flexed his fingers.

"My third spirit skill is called Goliath Giant."

"Its passive effect increases my defense, attack, strength, and Life Recovery speed by forty percent each."

He paused, as if checking the figures, before adding,

"Once I activate it, all those passive boosts rise to one hundred and fifty percent."

Flender nodded.

"Good. Another enhancement skill."

"You may not have any other means of attack, but one punch from you is already comparable to someone else's offensive spirit skill."

Ye Lin scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

"I'm not good at much. I just hit a bit harder."

Tang San still sat beside the fire with a smile on his face, but the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

His thoughts erupted again.

"No! I can't believe this! Another enhancement skill!"

"All three of Ye Lin's spirit skills are enhancements! Great Strength, Soul-Transformed Strength, and Goliath Giant!"

"Were these skills custom-made for him or what?"

"How is his luck so absurdly good? Why don't I have luck like that?"

"And Ye Lin has a Body Martial Soul. These skills may not deal damage on their own, but for him, they translate directly into attack power."

"For anyone else, having only enhancement skills would mean a weak early stage and a strong late stage. But for Ye Lin—"

"Fuck, he's strong in the late stage and the early stage!"

Everyone laughed as they heard Tang San's impotent rage.

Tang San really is going to make me laugh myself to death!

That's what you get for being so scheming.

Why would good luck ever come your way?