Li Sen asked for a Soul Bone, Tang San's Martial Soul evolved

Whoosh!

Without hesitation, Tang Hao flew down and landed beside Li Sen. "Teacher Li, thank you for teaching my son."

Li Sen waved a hand. "Little San is my disciple. Naturally, I'll take responsibility for him."

"Please, just tell me what brings you here."

Tang Hao smiled, his expression sinister. "Teacher Li, leave me a way to contact you, or tell me where you're headed next."

"In the past few years, I couldn't find Little San even when I wanted to see him. You should know I'm from the Clear Sky Sect. Little San has twin martial souls, including the Clear Sky Hammer.

"Once he grows a little stronger, I'll teach him the Clear Sky Sect's secret arts."

Hearing this, Li Sen handed him a Blue Silver Tree Branch. "This is a product of my martial soul. When you want to find us, you can infuse it with soul power."

"Once I sense it, I'll have my martial soul guide you."

Tang Hao nodded, put away the Blue Silver Tree Branch, and made to leave.

Seeing this, Li Sen hurriedly spoke up.

"Wait."

When Tang Hao stopped, Li Sen immediately said, "Little San is at a critical stage right now. I know you have a Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone. If circumstances allow, give it to him."

Boom!

Tang Hao frowned at those words. His expression changed abruptly as he unleashed powerful soul power and bone-chilling killing intent.

"Li Sen, do you know what you're saying?"

"I absorbed that soul bone long ago. Taking it out would mean severing a limb!"

He had reacted defensively, and the first thing out of his mouth was a lie.

The Hundred Thousand Year Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone was a keepsake left by his departed wife, as well as a supreme treasure every soul master would risk their life to pursue.

Giving it to Tang San was naturally no problem, but Li Sen asking for it was another matter.

He feared Li Sen would kill for the treasure!

Faced with Tang Hao's suddenly icy attitude, Li Sen showed no fear whatsoever.

He said calmly, "Don't get worked up. I have no designs on the soul bone."

"It's just that Little San's cultivation has stalled. With this soul bone, he could evolve his martial soul, improve his cultivation, training speed, and strength, and even absorb a ten thousand year soul ring as his fourth ring."

"As his teacher, I should consider how to give him a better future. Naturally, I had to ask."

"If you've already absorbed it, forget it. If not, you could give it to Little San."

Li Sen knew Tang Hao feared he would kill for the treasure. He said calmly, "If you're afraid I'll kill him for it, you can stay by Little San's side."

Tang Hao fell silent.

He was tempted, but also wary.

Giving the soul bone to his son to improve his talent would naturally be wonderful.

But a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone was far too precious, and it suited Li Sen as well. He feared Li Sen would kill for the treasure.

Rumors in the city claimed Li Sen's strength rivaled a Titled Douluo's, but that posed no threat to him.

A Titled Douluo and a Soul Saint were two entirely different things, with an astonishing gulf between them.

Tang Hao could roughly sense Li Sen's soul power. It was inferior to his own.

Li Sen's physical strength could contend with a Soul Saint, but his soul power was not high. Tang Hao was confident he could easily suppress and kill him. The main problem was that he could not remain by Tang San's side forever.

As for martial soul evolution, his son possessed the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline and could restore it through a special method anyway.

After much hesitation, Tang Hao said, "I'll be staying in the city for the next two days. Let me think it over."

With that, he turned and left.

Li Sen returned to the Soul Fighting Arena.

Zhu Zhuqing had recovered, but the sight of him brought a blush back to her face.

Having made her decision, she felt no regret, and her heart had settled somewhat. She approached him of her own accord and embraced him, though shyness kept her silent.

Holding the voluptuous Zhu Zhuqing, Li Sen felt his blood boil, but it did not overwhelm his reason.

If he took her, he would take responsibility.

He began considering how to train Zhu Zhuqing.

Her Hell Spirit Cat martial soul had little ability to heal, so she could not improve her body through the crushing-pressure training he and Tang San used. She would have to rely on medicine and sensible exercise.

Of course, there were still plenty of little tricks for developing her martial soul and increasing her soul power.

After a while, Li Sen said, "Sit properly with your legs crossed. Today, I'll teach you the soul power circulation method I created—the Origin Return Art!"

Twenty-six years had passed since he transmigrated, and he had possessed an extraordinary mind from the start.

His body and the Eight Inner Gates were merely Li Sen's strongest weapons. He had also developed methods for cultivating martial souls and circulating soul power.

Drawing on the Meridian Compendium from his previous life, the Origin Return Art used many circulation routes. It could continually compress soul power and open meridians, increasing the speed of soul power cultivation.

Tang San had the Mysterious Heaven Skill, so Li Sen had not taught it to him.

Li Sen traced his fingers over Zhu Zhuqing's body, marking her meridians with soul power.

"Circulate your soul power. Follow my lead."

Zhu Zhuqing fought back her body's sensitive reactions and circulated her soul power.

Within seconds, she said in confusion, "Teacher Li, my soul power can't get through here."

Li Sen smiled. "That meridian is blocked. Just work at it slowly. Memorize all the routes first."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded and spent two hours barely managing to memorize the technique.

After she clumsily completed a full cycle, her pupils suddenly widened.

For cultivating soul power, the Origin Return Art was more than twice as efficient as the meditation method passed down through the Zhu Family.

Smack!

Zhu Zhuqing finished cultivating and pressed her red lips to Li Sen's cheek without another word.

Just as she was about to express her excitement further, someone knocked on the private room's door.

Knock, knock, knock!

Tang San, having finished four battles, had arrived. He asked respectfully,

"Master, are you there?"

Li Sen summoned his Blue Silver Tree, sending a branch out to open the door.

"Little San, you're here. Have a seat."

Tang San entered the private room and immediately noticed Zhu Zhuqing sitting in Li Sen's lap. He instantly understood that he had another master's wife.

Tang San glanced at Zhu Zhuqing. "Master, my father gave me something and told me to speak with you alone."

Just moments earlier, after he finished soul fighting, Tang Hao had sought him out and produced a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone. He had told Tang San to find Li Sen and say it could evolve his martial soul.

A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone was far too precious. He was not sure whether he could trust Zhu Zhuqing, who might only just have become his master's wife.

Seeing through his thoughts, Li Sen said, "Zhuqing is mine from now on. There's no need to hide anything from her."

The two had already been intimate. Zhu Zhuqing no longer had a choice.

If the Star Luo Imperial Family learned of it, they would hunt her down. She could only rely on him.

As he spoke, Li Sen raised a hand and erected a Soul Power Barrier.

"You can start absorbing the soul bone now. Remember to prioritize supplying its energy to your martial soul."

Earlier, when Tang Hao gave him the soul bone, he had warned him to beware of Li Sen taking it and to test him first.

Tang San had scoffed at that and mentioned the soul bone outright.

Between the master who had raised him for six years and the father who had left him to fend for himself until he nearly starved, he did not need to think about whom to listen to.

Thanks to the knowledge Li Sen had imparted, he had already guessed his origins.

His father was the Clear Sky Douluo, and his mother was a soul beast who had taken human form.

A Titled Douluo had raised him and nearly let him die. Could anyone believe that?

Toward Tang Hao, Tang San felt only the respect owed to a father, without much affection.

To Tang San, Li Sen was the parent who had given him a second life.

At a word from Li Sen, he took out the Hundred Thousand Year Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone right in front of Zhu Zhuqing without the slightest hesitation, then sat cross-legged to absorb it.

Powerful fluctuations of soul power spread from the soul bone, and Zhu Zhuqing's pupils abruptly widened.

"This is... a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone!"

As realization struck, Zhu Zhuqing felt profoundly moved and shocked.

Soul bones were something every soul master would risk their life to pursue. Never mind taking one out in front of someone—even letting others know about one could spark a fight to the death.

Yet she, someone who had traded her body for strength and was no different from a mistress, had not been exposed as such. Instead, she enjoyed the standing of a concubine and was addressed as his disciple's master's wife.

They had only just confirmed their relationship, and he had already let her see a treasure like this.

For a moment, Zhu Zhuqing felt Li Sen's deep trust, closeness, and respect. Warmth filled her heart, along with a trace of emotion she could not put into words.

This man felt more like family than her own family did.

Tang San paid Zhu Zhuqing no mind. Full of anticipation, he placed the soul bone against his right leg. His soul power wrapped around it to refine it, and it instantly merged into him.

Hum!

A powerful surge of vitality filled the entire spectator box. Tang San's black hair turned blue at a speed visible to the naked eye.

His Blue Silver Grass manifested on its own, absorbing vast amounts of vitality as it grew. Roots and stems multiplied, the blades expanded, and black markings signifying a king appeared across them.

His soul power hummed, unleashing three violent fluctuations in succession as his body and soul rose together.