Hmph! Still Trying to Trick Me into Taking an Aphrodisiac?

Shui Bing'er habitually lay on her side in bed.

Then...

She found herself face-to-face with Lin Ye.

They could even feel each other's warm, gentle breaths.

The next second,

Shui Bing'er awkwardly turned her back to him.

But when she remembered him saying, "Stick your butt out when you're ready," she immediately rolled onto her back instead.

She hadn't come to sleep in Lin Ye's tent tonight because Shui Yue'er's tent was broken.

The real reason was that the elders in their group had privately scolded Shui Yue'er and told her not to drag Shui Bing'er off to sleep with her. It would interfere with Shui Bing'er and Lin Ye making a baby.

So...

No matter what Shui Bing'er said, Shui Yue'er refused to sleep beside her tonight.

A moment later,

Shui Bing'er broke the silence in the tent. "Can you tell me how you absorb Soul Rings beyond your level?"

She was far too curious.

Lin Ye managed to absorb a Soul Ring beyond his level almost every time.

His fifth Soul Ring this time had even surpassed the limit by a full eighteen thousand years.

She would be lying if she said she wasn't envious.

Lin Ye paused, then said, "The upper limit for absorbing a Soul Ring depends on a Soul Master's physical strength. You just need to take cultivation resources that strengthen your muscles and bones."

Shui Bing'er nodded.

She understood the principle behind what he said.

But...

Few people dared risk their bodies exploding to absorb a Soul Ring beyond their level.

Only a thin line separated a genius from a madman.

She pressed on. "What herb did you take to absorb Soul Rings beyond your level?"

"Whale Rubber!"

It strengthened the body, widened the meridians, and replenished blood and vitality. It was the safest cultivation resource for absorbing Soul Rings beyond one's level.

Eating Whale Rubber was how he had gained a thousand-year second Soul Ring and a five-thousand-year third Soul Ring.

"Whale Rubber?"

Shui Bing'er frowned slightly.

Wasn't that stuff an aphrodisiac?

She had never used it, but she knew plenty of people used Whale Rubber to arouse desire.

"Ordinary Whale Rubber only works as an aphrodisiac, of course."

"But Whale Rubber from a whale over a thousand years old can noticeably improve a Soul Master's strength."

"Don't believe me?"

"Buy a piece and try it."

Lin Ye wore an amused smile.

He had already seen what Shui Bing'er was thinking.

"No!"

Shui Bing'er's tone was utterly firm.

What was this guy trying to do, tricking her into taking an aphrodisiac?

She wouldn't touch that disgusting stuff with a single finger.

Shui Bing'er asked another question. "Then what about your ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring?"

Even if Lin Ye was telling the truth, that would only explain how he had absorbed his first three Soul Rings beyond his level.

A Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring carried a powerful Soul Shock.

"Doesn't your family have any cultivation resources that strengthen mental power?"

Back then, a stroke of luck had led Lin Ye to an herb that strengthened mental power.

That was how he had gained his ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring.

"Madman!"

That was the only way Shui Bing'er could describe him.

He had dared risk absorbing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring on the strength of a single herb that boosted mental power.

Lin Ye was probably the only person on Douluo Continent who would dare do that.

"What improvements did those three ice-type herbs you took on our wedding night bring you?"

Shui Bing'er was gradually realizing that Lin Ye wasn't so bad.

Mm...

If they could talk like this all night,

sharing a cramped tent wasn't nearly as unbearable as she had imagined.

Lin Ye said, "You ask too many questions."

"Sorry."

Shui Bing'er suddenly realized she had overstepped.

They weren't that close yet.

Why would Lin Ye tell her all his secrets?

After all,

those were the trump cards a Soul Master relied on to stay alive.

After Shui Bing'er's apology, a deathly silence settled over the tent.

Who knew how long passed...

"Shui Bing'er."

"Hmm?"

"Give me your hands."

"What for?"

"To cultivate together, of course!"

The Shui Family had said that his Martial Soul and Shui Bing'er's resonated strongly. Cultivating together had a good chance of increasing the speed at which their Soul Power circulated.

Though he and Shui Bing'er had been married for over half a month, they had never tried cultivating this way.

So, while they had the chance...

He pulled Shui Bing'er upright.

They sat cross-legged, facing each other.

Lin Ye activated his Ice Dragon Soul Power first. Once their palms touched, he slowly channeled his Soul Power into Shui Bing'er's body.

Shui Bing'er understood what to do.

She relaxed her body and let Lin Ye's Soul Power flow into her without pause.

The next second,

Shui Bing'er's brow furrowed sharply.

The turbulent cold energy buried deep within her suddenly erupted and began resisting the incoming Ice Dragon Soul Power.

That turbulent cold energy had troubled her ever since her Martial Soul Awakening. It was also the true reason her foundation was unstable.

Seeing this, Lin Ye poured in more Ice Dragon Soul Power.

The two energies clashed wildly inside Shui Bing'er. In the end, the Ice Dragon gained the upper hand.

Once the turbulent cold energy was suppressed,

Shui Bing'er activated her Ice Phoenix Soul Power. She gently wrapped it around the incoming energy, guided it through a full circuit of her meridians, then sent it back into Lin Ye's body through her other palm.

At that moment, the two formed a closed circuit of Soul Power.

The Shui Family had been right!

Cultivating together was a full twenty percent faster than painstaking meditation.

The night passed without further conversation.

The next morning, they brought their first joint cultivation session to an end.

"Your foundation is unstable because your Martial Soul's quality is impure. That's also why your Innate Soul Power was only at level nine."

Lin Ye had found the cause.

If Shui Bing'er's Martial Soul could be purified, their joint cultivation might become another ten percent faster.

"Oh."

A trace of displeasure crossed Shui Bing'er's face.

What did he mean, only level nine?

Level-nine Innate Soul Power was a top-tier talent!

Of course,

Lin Ye wasn't wrong.

According to ancient texts...

The upper limit for top-tier Beast Martial Souls like dragons and phoenixes was Innate Full Soul Power.

"Then do you know a way to purify it?"

"I do."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

Shui Bing'er could barely contain her excitement.

Ever since her Martial Soul Awakening, the Shui Family had been searching for a way to stabilize her foundation.

Yet...

More than ten years had passed,

and the family elders still hadn't found a way.

She had only asked on a whim, never expecting Lin Ye to actually have a solution.

Mm...

She could tell from his expression that he wasn't lying.

She asked eagerly, "What is it?"

"I can't tell you yet."

The solution was actually simple.

A single Aromatic Silk Beauty would solve the problem of Shui Bing'er's impure Martial Soul.

But...

Should he give her one?

One immortal-grade herb could boost his future cultivation speed by another ten percent.

It sounded like a worthwhile trade.

Still, he had to think it over carefully. At the very least, he should get the Shui Family to offer some cultivation resources.

And even setting all that aside...

He hadn't even gotten his hands on the immortal-grade herbs yet, damn it.

Until then, he absolutely couldn't let anyone learn the secret of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

"..."

Shui Bing'er fell silent.

Damn it!

He'd gotten her hopes up, only to refuse to say another word.

It was unbearable.