"My Nine Provinces State-Guarding Cauldron can split off a total of eight smaller cauldrons. Aside from the Seventh Soul Ring, every Soul Ring I obtain lets me split off one small cauldron."
"This cauldron can anchor an individual's fortune, or the fortune of a faction or territory."
"For individuals, it can enhance their cultivation speed according to their fortune, lower the risk of cultivation deviation, ward off calamities, and increase their chances of finding fortuitous opportunities."
"For factions and territories, it keeps mountains and rivers stable and drives calamities away; it unites people's hearts and ensures lasting fortune."
"Overall, I gained a lot this time."
Xiao Xiao finished with an emphatic nod, speaking with utmost solemnity.
"A lot? This was an absolutely monumental gain."
Niu Tian looked at Xiao Xiao with envy. No one had expected a single Earth Dragon Golden Melon to bring her such tremendous benefits.
A martial soul capable of anchoring the fortune of individuals, factions, and territories!
The soul beasts had something similar, called the Emperor Auspicious Beast. Within her habitat, soul beasts grew twice as fast and had twice the chance of breaking through bottlenecks. It was precisely because of her presence that quite a few hundred-thousand-year soul beasts had emerged in the Star Dou Great Forest over the years.
For that very reason, the Emperor Auspicious Beast held the status of a little ancestor in the Star Dou Great Forest, protected by the ferocious beasts. Even when she wanted to hunt other soul beasts to fill her stomach, her prey were forbidden to fight back. They could only try to flee and see whether they could survive.
"Xiao Xiao~~~"
"Look my way! I was the one who picked out the Earth Dragon Golden Melon for you."
Youyou's wheedling voice rang out. How could she not understand the effects of fortune? If a small cauldron settled here, they might have several more companions in a thousand years. Heavenly tribulations simply took too great a toll on them.
"Ahem, I only have two right now."
Xiao Xiao cleared her throat twice. Sure, you recommended the Earth Dragon Golden Melon, but doesn't this place belong to the Tang family?
With a sweeping gesture from Xiao Xiao, the Nine Provinces State-Guarding Cauldron trembled violently and split off a small cauldron. It instantly appeared above Tang Wulin's head, then gradually vanished into the air.
As Tang Wulin felt the effects of the Nine Provinces State-Guarding Cauldron, his breathing involuntarily quickened.
Previously, he still hadn't been able to fully control his strength, but a sudden flash of inspiration had just shown him what to do. Even the circulation of soul power within his body had become much smoother.
"Xiao Xiao, want a hug? As a thank-you?"
Tang Wulin teleported in front of Xiao Xiao, his face flushed red and his fingers twisting together before him, awkwardness written all over him.
He had just refused Xiao Xiao's hug because he couldn't control his strength. Now that she had helped him solve the problem, it only made sense to give her a hug.
...Right?
"Hehehe, I should be thanking you! How else could I have gained so much?"
Having sorted out her thoughts, Xiao Xiao naturally wasn't so reserved anymore. Besides, Tang Wulin was still young; anything serious would have to wait quite a few years. She simply pulled him into her arms and took a deep, greedy sniff of him.
"Wulin, you're pretty handsome."
Xiao Xiao released Tang Wulin, who was already dazed by her fragrance, and studied his little face with a beaming smile.
People on the Douluo Continent had always matured early. On top of that, Tang Wulin had continually absorbed the Golden Dragon King's power and had just received a baptism from the essence of the two great Dragon Kings' remnant souls. Not only was he much taller than boys his age, but much of the childishness in his face had also faded.
"Tsk."
Standing to the side, Wang Dong watched the scene with amusement. After all, Tang Wulin was her younger brother. Seeing him caught in a situation like this, of course she had to laugh mercilessly and enjoy the show!
Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, remained silent, watching the two play around with a somewhat distracted expression. This infuriated Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who rolled around incessantly in the Sea of Consciousness, shouting incomprehensible things like, "Yuhao, grow a spine!"
"L-let's pick an immortal herb for Sis-Big Brother first. Big Brother's the only one left."
Tang Wulin had only just recovered from his fragrant stupor. Cuddling with a girl was still a little beyond what he could handle, but he was too embarrassed to simply teleport away. That would hurt Xiao Xiao's feelings far too much, so he hurriedly changed the subject.
"Me?"
Wang Dong pointed at herself. She had just been enjoying their budding romance-how had it suddenly become her turn?
"That's right, little Dong. Of everyone here, your soul power is the lowest."
After watching Xiao Xiao and Tang Wulin's interaction with a fond, doting smile, Niu Tian earnestly reminded Wang Dong.
His examination had revealed that Huo Yuhao had already reached rank thirty. Once he absorbed his Soul Ring, he might even gain another two ranks.
The same was true for Xiao Xiao. That Earth Dragon Golden Melon had close to a hundred thousand years of cultivation. Although it hadn't developed intelligence, its medicinal potency was genuine. It had sent her soaring straight to rank thirty, leaving her just one Soul Ring short of breaking through.
Tang Wulin had also gained a great deal. He was stuck at the rank-twenty bottleneck, but his situation should be similar to Huo Yuhao's.
Of their four-person team, only Wang Dong was still at rank twenty-one, bringing up the rear.
"What?!"
Wang Dong cried out in shock. After hearing Niu Tian's analysis, she felt as though the sky had collapsed.
She had always prided herself on being the big brother, yet everyone had caught up to her in soul power.
"I want an immortal herb too."
Panic appeared on Wang Dong's face, and she hurriedly urged Youyou to continue introducing the immortal herbs.
"This one, then. Even if I can't beat you in a fight, I should at least rank first in cultivation."
Wang Dong made her choice as she looked at the herb before her, white as jade from tip to root and shaped much like ordinary grass.
"Big Brother, once you choose this one, absorbing other immortal herbs will be very difficult."
Tang Wulin frowned. Although he didn't want to strip this place bare of immortal herbs, he was willing to ask them for a favor for his biological older sister, securing another immortal herb for her in the future to help her grow. After all, his sister was a lazybones, both in daily life and in cultivation.
If he didn't help her, what would happen if she couldn't keep up with them?
But if Wang Dong ate this immortal herb, he wouldn't know how to help her anymore.
"It's fine. Don't you already know what it does? It directly raises your soul power level and helps condense a soul core, making your soul power recovery speed skyrocket."
"My two martial souls are the Light Goddess Butterfly and the Clear Sky Hammer. None of the immortal herbs here give me the feeling that they could evolve my martial souls. I might as well overwhelm everyone with soul power instead. It'll save me the trouble of cultivating, too."
Wang Dong wasn't discouraged by this. She knew she was a lazybones. Otherwise, excluding the one rank of soul power she had gained from absorbing a Soul Ring, she wouldn't have gained only ten ranks in five years.
Even Huo Yuhao, who had worked every day at the Duke's Mansion and couldn't cultivate properly, had gone from rank one to rank ten over five years. His innate talent had only been rank one, which was enough to show just how lazy Wang Dong was.
Not to mention that Wang Dong had eaten a mountain of heavenly treasures. Who knew how many ranks she had actually earned through cultivation?
"All right, then. But once we get back, I'm going to make sure you cultivate. You absolutely can't keep slacking off like this."
Tang Wulin spoke with righteous conviction. Since Wang Dong wanted to remain first in soul power, and he didn't want to slow his own cultivation, he would simply have to spur her on.
"Ah!"
Wang Dong's face fell. She had no idea how her own little brother planned to make her cultivate.
Still, she was decisive. Having made her choice, she immediately sat cross-legged and swallowed the immortal herb.
Before you continue