A Little Story After the Rain

"Lin Ye."

"What is it?"

"I've reached Soul Ancestor. Take me to find a Soul Ring?"

"No problem."

"..."

The two had just stepped beyond the Poison Barrier.

A sudden rustling came from the woods.

Then...

A Man Faced Demon Spider leaped out of the trees.

"Yanyan."

"Your Soul Ring is here."

They had worn out their iron shoes searching for one, only to find it without the slightest effort.

"Huh?"

"That's a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."

"How could I possibly absorb its ring?"

Dugu Yan knew Lin Ye had made history with a ten-thousand-year Fourth Ring.

But...

She wasn't Lin Ye.

The Jade Phosphorous Serpent was not a top-tier Beast Martial Soul, and she had not been born with Innate Full Soul Power.

"Trust me!"

"You've already eaten an herb that strengthened your mental power."

"And you just took the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone."

"You can absolutely absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring now, even above your level."

As soon as he finished speaking,

Lin Ye stepped forward.

The five Soul Rings around him flared at once.

"When did you become a Soul King?"

Dugu Yan's eyes flew wide in shock.

She had no idea what had happened to Lin Ye during his time in Skywater City.

But now...

He had clearly stumbled into a tremendous opportunity.

"Fifth Soul Skill—Ice Dragon Abyss-Shattering Strike!"

A phantom Mystic Ice True Dragon soared skyward, then plunged down carrying a bone-eating chill.

The Man Faced Demon Spider bent its legs and sprang up to meet it.

Yet...

It had barely reached midair when the dragon blasted straight through it.

A terrible cold exploded outward.

The spider's body and its eerie human face froze instantly, along with the air around them.

He had done more than merely become a Soul King.

After taking the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, his Soul Power had already reached level fifty-four.

If he had not wanted to preserve the Soul Ring for Dugu Yan, he would have blown the spider into shards of ice.

"Hiss..."

"He's that strong?"

Dugu Yan stared, stunned.

In just a few days, Lin Ye had been transformed from head to toe.

It seemed...

The Shui Family really had given Lin Ye ample cultivation resources. Otherwise, he could never have sold his body.

Rumble!

Lightning split the sky.

Even the heavens seemed unable to stomach Lin Ye's absurd life.

"It's raining," Lin Ye said. "Let's shelter in a cave."

As he spoke,

he remembered to bring the Man Faced Demon Spider along.

Dugu Yan used that time to secure her Fourth Ring.

She looked at the pulsing black Soul Ring beneath her feet and felt as though she were dreaming.

She had never imagined she could absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring while still a Soul Ancestor.

It was all thanks to Lin Ye!

The Man Faced Demon Spider's Soul Ring had given her an offensive skill: Jade Phosphorous Spider Shadow Slash.

She had originally followed the control-oriented cultivation path her grandfather had laid out.

But Lin Ye said offense was the answer in the current meta.

And then...

She had bought into it completely.

Her grandfather had been furious when he learned she had gone on the offensive, but after seeing the skill's effects, he gradually accepted it.

"Lin Ye."

"Have you already slept with Shui Bing'er?"

Dugu Yan felt it was a pointless question.

Lin Ye was a man!

How could he not make a move on a girl as beautiful as Shui Bing'er?

"No."

At that,

Dugu Yan suddenly grew excited.

"Really?"

"You're not interested in her?"

"Or won't Shui Bing'er let you touch her?"

"..."

From Lin Ye's expression, Dugu Yan could tell he was not lying. The two really had only been putting on an act.

Her Lin Ye was still a virgin!

Their eyes met...

As lightning flashed and thunder rolled outside, the mood inside the cave quietly changed.

Dugu Yan pressed her lips together.

The next moment,

she wrapped her arms around Lin Ye's neck and kissed him.

She couldn't wait any longer!

Otherwise, some other nasty woman really would steal Lin Ye's first time.

"Ptui—"

Lin Ye spat into his palm, rubbed it in, and treated her to a round of peach milk with extra cream.

The next day,

Lin Ye returned to the academy.

He had barely sat down when Osler came hurrying over.

"Captain," Osler said, panting, "the chief says you need to run."

"What happened?" Lin Ye asked.

"Poison Douluo is here."

"He looks ready to kill. He's obviously come for you."

"Get out of here!"

To outsiders, Dugu Bo was a moody man who did whatever pleased him.

If something upset him...

He could turn someone into a puddle of poison with a flick of his finger.

"He got here that quickly?"

"I'm not worried!"

Not only did Lin Ye have no intention of hiding, he meant to face Dugu Bo himself.

After all, he had touched what Dugu Bo held most dear.

He might dodge this confrontation today, but he could not dodge it forever.

"He's lost his mind!"

"The captain's lost his mind."

Osler could do nothing more.

He had warned Lin Ye of the danger. What happened next was in Lin Ye's hands.

So,

he even clasped his hands in prayer.

Inside the Education Committee office,

Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin stood in a triangle.

Facing them stood Dugu Bo.

Though Dugu Bo was alone, he held all three committee members firmly at bay.

"I know Heaven Dou Imperial Academy treasures Lin Ye."

"But!"

"If you don't hand him over today, you'll get a taste of my Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Poison."

As Dugu Bo finished speaking, an invisible pressure burst from him.

The three committee members were forced back several steps, their breathing heavy.

Dugu Bo was furious.

Upon returning from the Balak Kingdom, the first thing he had done was check on the Immortal-Grade Herbs after the storm.

And then...

Every damn one was gone!

After a careful search, he had caught Lin Ye's and Yanyan's scents beside the spring. The two had even spent the night in a nearby cave.

"Dugu Bo."

"Do you intend to make an enemy of the entire Heaven Dou Empire?"

"If you know Lin Ye is precious to the academy, then you should know we can't hand him over."

All three stepped forward together.

They joined forces against the invisible serpentine pressure Dugu Bo exerted.

Just then... the door opened.

Lin Ye walked in, looking fresh as a daisy, under the gaze of all four men.

"What are you doing here, kid?"

Meng Shenji's face turned grim.

Osler must have been fooling around instead of delivering his message.

Once this was over, he would hang that little brat up and beat him within an inch of his life.

"If I didn't come, what would you do?"

Meng Shenji's mouth twitched violently.

Did the three of them really need some little brat to come to their rescue?

Yet!

After saying that, Lin Ye turned his gaze to Dugu Bo.

"Senior Dugu."

"I know why you're here."

"You discovered all the Immortal-Grade Herbs were gone, didn't you?"

"That's right..."

"I dug them up!"

"But I didn't take them all for myself. I did it for you, for Yanyan, and to ensure the Dugu Family's bloodline lives on."

Meng Shenji understood now.

Lin Ye, that little brat, had dug up Dugu Bo's herbs. No wonder the old poisoner was so angry.

No need to panic!

At worst, they would compensate him.