Six Years Later, a Soul King

"Is this... a divine artifact?"

Xu Xiaonian stroked the shaft of the Angel Holy Spear, sensing the fluctuations of a formidable power within it.

This power stood above all soul power. It had to be the divine power of legend.

"A demi-divine artifact, or a Quasi-Divine Artifact," Bibi Dong corrected him, then added:

"But with the nourishment of your angel martial soul and bloodline, it might become a divine artifact someday. Of course, that depends on the rank of your martial soul and the purity of your angel bloodline."

"A demi-divine artifact... and it's for me?" Surprise crossed Xu Xiaonian's face. "Is this compensation for all my hard work over the past two months?"

"In your dreams." Bibi Dong rolled her eyes. "You want a Super Divine Artifact after just two months? Twenty years would be more like it."

"Then what are you..."

"It's for Nana." Bibi Dong pointed at Hu Liena, who stood quietly and obediently beside her. "Give Nana one of your blessing marks, and this Quasi-Divine Artifact is yours."

"Sure."

Xu Xiaonian barely hesitated. He still had eleven Retainer Marks available, so giving one away would do no harm.

Besides, while he was still weak, exchanging a mark for a Quasi-Divine Artifact capable of growing stronger was certainly a deal with everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Perhaps Hu Liena would even become his true retainer in the future.

If it really came to that, he would effectively have gained a Quasi-Divine Artifact at no cost.

Without much hesitation, Xu Xiaonian had Hu Liena stand before him and quickly finished granting her a Retainer Mark.

"Ah!"

Hu Liena looked at the Dark Purple Fox-Head Mark right in the center of her chest, and her cheeks immediately flushed.

"Why... why is the mark here? This is so embarrassing."

"Uh..." Xu Xiaonian scratched his head. "I can't control that. The mark chooses its own spot. Maybe it has something to do with your constitution?"

"Oh." Hu Liena reluctantly accepted that explanation. Then, to her excitement, she discovered that the speed at which her soul power circulated had increased by twenty percent.

"Thank you so much, little brother Xiaonian." Overjoyed, Hu Liena picked Xu Xiaonian up, held him against her chest, and planted a kiss on him.

"Mmph... it's... it's fine." Xu Xiaonian felt a little suffocated. Maybe there's a reason the Retainer Mark went for this spot.

She really was exceptionally gifted there.

A few days later, Zhu Zhuyun arrived in Spirit City.

To Xu Xiaonian's surprise, Zhu Zhuqing came as well.

The two sisters, one older and one younger, with strikingly similar features, moved into Xu Xiaonian's courtyard beside the Papal Palace together.

Zhu Zhuqing soon accepted Xu Xiaonian's Retainer Mark too, and, like her older sister Zhu Zhuyun, treated him with great respect.

Apparently, this was the Netherworld Zhu's particular reverence for the wielder of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger martial soul?

That reverence was truly carved into their bones, buried deep within their clan's cultural heritage.

From then on, whenever Xu Xiaonian went out, these two lovely sisters attended him, much to the displeasure of Xu Xiaotang, who had been watching from the sidelines.

In the courtyard, beneath the sunlight, on a reclining chair.

"Master~ here, open wide. Ah—"

Zhu Zhuyun placed a peeled grape in Xu Xiaonian's mouth and gave him a gentle smile. "Well done, Master! Here, have another."

"M-Master, does my pounding feel comfortable?"

Zhu Zhuqing carefully asked as she gently pounded Xu Xiaonian's legs.

"Mm... you're improving. Keep it up," Xu Xiaonian commented casually.

"Yes! I will." Having received praise, Zhu Zhuqing was like a child given candy, unable to keep the delight from her face.

"Hmph!" Xu Xiaotang emerged from the room and curled her lips at the sight. "This brat certainly has no shortage of luck with women."

At the same time, an inexplicable pang of jealousy welled up in her heart. It felt as though her little brother no longer needed her.

Then, with courage she found from who knew where, Xu Xiaotang stepped forward, shoved Zhu Zhuyun aside, and fiercely stuffed a peeled grape into Xu Xiaonian's mouth.

"Ptooey, ptooey! You shoved it down my throat!"

Xu Xiaonian looked utterly speechless. "Big Sister Xiaotang, I've worked hard for months. Can't you let me enjoy myself for a while?"

"Keep the music playing, keep the dancing going!"

And so, under Xu Xiaotang's fierce glare, Zhu Zhuyun rose with a blushing face and began to dance awkwardly.

After that, Xu Xiaonian quietly built up his strength, devoting himself to cultivation as he traveled between school, the courtyard beside the Papal Palace, and home.

Six years later, Xu Xiaonian was twelve. His features were handsome and clear-cut, his frame tall and slender. Already standing at 1.75 meters, he looked like a spirited young man of fifteen or sixteen.

Zhu Zhuqing had also blossomed into a beautiful, alluring young girl, while Zhu Zhuyun possessed a touch more mature charm than her younger sister.

Xu Xiaotang had grown up as well. Her beauty surpassed both of theirs, and her bearing was like a lotus rising from the water: ethereal, pure, untouched by dust, with a faint air of an immortal fairy.

"After six years of cultivation, my soul power has reached rank fifty-eight. It's time to head to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."

Confidence shone in Xu Xiaonian's eyes.

With the powerful soul skills provided by Holy Spirit Purcell's five Soul Rings and the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's three Soul Rings, he no longer feared anyone's challenge.

"Who stands at the peak at the end of the Soul Dao?"

"One glimpse of Xiaonian, and all other paths come to naught!"

Finished showing off, Xu Xiaonian glanced left at the two alluring beauties attending him, then right at the Begonia Fairy, who sat cross-legged in meditation.

After two sacrifices, Zhu Zhuyun's soul power cultivation speed had received a net increase of over fifty percent. At nineteen, her soul power had now reached rank fifty-one.

Although Zhu Zhuqing had undergone only one sacrifice, she had broken through the rank-thirty threshold at just twelve, becoming a rank-thirty-four Soul Elder.

But Xu Xiaotang's improvement after three sacrifices and six years of cultivation was the most terrifying of all. At eighteen, her soul power had reached rank fifty-four, overtaking Zhu Zhuyun, whose soul power had previously been higher than hers.

On this trip, Xu Xiaotang would bring the three women along as helpers.

"Next destination: Sunset Forest."

"Before going to Sunset Forest, we can stop in Shrek City for a rest."

He had not forgotten the potential threat that was Tang San. It was time to deal with him before it was too late.

Meanwhile.

Star Luo Empire, Star Luo City, the imperial palace.

"Your Majesty, we've taken a desperate risk by contacting the Clear Sky Sect again. What if..."

"There are no buts!"

The Star Luo Emperor interrupted the grave-faced Chancellor and swept his sleeve, imperial dominance radiating from his entire body:

"Since Spirit Hall thinks nothing of us, rather than sit and wait for Spirit Hall and Heaven Dou to join forces and swallow our Star Luo Empire, we should strike first!"

"Second Brother has already led the Clear Sky Sect's sect master, Tang Chen, and five of its Titled Douluo elders to Sunset Forest. They intend to use it as a base and catch the Heaven Dou Imperial Family off guard!"