What's the rush?

"Increase the age of the Soul Rings we can absorb?"

"Is that really possible?"

"Aren't the age limits for Soul Rings already fixed?"

"Unless the circumstances are extremely unusual, absorbing a Soul Ring beyond your limit should be impossible, right?"

"..."

Everyone immediately began discussing it.

"I don't think it's fake. Didn't you all see it? Boss absorbed a thousand-year second Soul Ring, and his third was almost ten thousand years old!"

"Think about it. Isn't yellow, yellow, purple the ideal combination for a Soul Elder recognized throughout the soul master world?"

"Boss has yellow, purple, purple. Doesn't that prove something?"

With that reminder from Fatty Ma Hongjun, everyone recalled that Yang Jian was, indeed, a monster through and through.

Could someone who overturned a universally accepted truth of the soul master world possibly have no tricks others knew nothing about?

"You're saying Bastard Yang can absorb Soul Rings beyond his limit not because of his talent or physique, but because he took something?"

Dai Mubai sounded stunned.

"Scruffy Tiger, you're right, but you're also wrong."

The moment Yang Jian spoke, everyone's attention turned back to him.

"What part is right? What part is wrong?"

"It really isn't my talent, but it is because of my physique. Taking this stuff improves your physique."

"Isn't that pretty much what I meant?"

"It's completely different. You said it wasn't my physique, right?"

"Right."

"Then let me ask you: am I the one absorbing the Soul Ring, or is this stuff absorbing it?"

"You, obviously. Do you even need to ask?"

"Good. Since I'm the one absorbing the Soul Ring, isn't the age of the ring directly tied to my physique?"

"Uh..."

"Then on what grounds can you say it isn't my physique? Applaud if you understood."

Yang Jian finished speaking.

Everyone wore a speechless expression, as though countless crows had flown over their heads.

Huh?

Not even a little emotional fluctuation?

Or is a fluctuation this small no longer enough for the system to register?

Sigh.

Sure enough, what people miss most is always their first time.

Once that first time is gone, it's gone for good.

"Quit the nonsense!"

Ning Rongrong grabbed Yang Jian. "Simply put, we come up with a moderately difficult challenge for you to choose-oh, no, to make a decision about, right?"

"It should be something we think you can't do, but you think you can, right?" the usually silent Zhu Zhuqing asked.

"Bingo! Exactly. Kitty really is smart." Yang Jian gave Zhu Zhuqing a thumbs-up.

Faced with Yang Jian's praise and the approving looks from everyone else, Zhu Zhuqing's expression remained unchanged.

[Ding! Zhu Zhuqing's heartbeat has accelerated, and she has been emotionally affected. Reward: permanent 10% increase to current speed.]

Huh?

Sure enough, most cool, mature women hide a fiery heart!

The readers hadn't lied to me.

"Then it's simple. We just need to find something I can't do and raise the difficulty a little."

"Zhu Zhuqing, that's a great suggestion!" Dai Mubai followed Yang Jian's example and gave Zhu Zhuqing a thumbs-up, but she clearly had no intention of acknowledging him.

The atmosphere became painfully awkward.

"Qingqing, you're so smart!"

"Let's do that. Come on, let's go talk it over first. We can't let him hear us."

Ning Rongrong turned, hugged Zhu Zhuqing's arm, and walked farther away with her.

Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar could only give wry laughs and follow.

Soon.

The group walked back toward Yang Jian, all wearing mischievous grins.

Although Yang Jian was blindfolded and couldn't see their expressions, their heartbeats and footsteps told him they definitely weren't brewing anything good.

Still.

That didn't matter.

The reason Yang Jian dared to make this bet was to give them confidence that they could win. Otherwise, how would they contribute emotional points when they lost?

There was some risk involved, but the rougher the waves, the pricier the fish. What was there to fear?

"Brother Yang, we've decided! Qingqing and I will stand about three meters away on either side of you and toss leaves. If you catch every leaf before it lands, you win. Otherwise, you lose."

"To ensure everything is fair, impartial, and transparent, we'll mark the leaves."

"What do you think of our proposal?"

With her hands behind her back, Ning Rongrong leaned forward. As she spoke, her little face almost touched Yang Jian's forehead.

"One extra condition: neither of you can throw them sideways, only up into the air, and you can't use soul power."

"Huh? How are we supposed to beat you, then? No, no! Unless-unless you raise the stakes." As she spoke, Ning Rongrong immediately winked meaningfully at Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing understood at once and said, "Rongrong, if that's the case, we can't win at all. What good would raising the stakes do?"

"Exactly. You have to raise the stakes and remove those two restrictions. Otherwise, we won't bet."

Dai Mubai chimed in as well.

"All right, then. What stakes do you want?" Yang Jian asked.

Upon hearing that.

Their eyes immediately lit up, and they thought to themselves that their plan was already halfway to success.

"Simple. If you lose, besides giving us the stuff that improves our physiques, you have to wash clothes and cook for each of us for six straight months. If we lose, we'll wash your clothes and cook for you for six months too. How about it?"

"How could six months be enough? Let's make it a full year, starting now and ending at this time next year," Yang Jian said with a smile.

"Okay! It's a deal!"

Seeing that, Ning Rongrong immediately agreed, giving Yang Jian no chance to change his mind.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Yang Jian accepted, and smiles spread across their faces.

Even Zhu Zhuqing, with her cool, mature air, couldn't help lifting her brows slightly.

She really couldn't imagine any way Yang Jian could win.

At the thought of being able to order Yang Jian around for the entire coming year, Zhu Zhuqing almost hummed aloud.

If there hadn't been so many people around, she probably would have.

"All right, let's get ready to begin."

Ning Rongrong finished speaking.

Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, and Dai Mubai all moved at once. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing stood roughly three meters to either side of Yang Jian, while Oscar and Dai Mubai each stood beside one of them.

"Ready-"

"Go!"

The moment Ning Rongrong's voice rang out, she gathered her soul power, bundled the leaves in her hand into a ball, and tossed it upward. Dai Mubai, standing beside her, immediately caught the ball of leaves, rapidly channeled his soul power, and ran left.

The next moment.

Oscar, who had likewise received a ball of leaves, ran right.

"Hahahahaha..."

Seeing their plan succeed, Ning Rongrong clutched her stomach and laughed. "Brother Yang, now it's your turn to fall into a trap!"

"Pfft..."

Zhu Zhuqing also chuckled. "Brother Yang, walk by the river often enough, and your shoes are bound to get wet. Have you given up?"

"Boss, it's not that I didn't want to tip you off. They really had me firmly in their clutches."

Ma Hongjun stepped forward as he spoke.

Seeing this, Ning Rongrong raised her delicate hand and pushed Ma Hongjun aside. She crouched in front of Yang Jian, propped her chin in both hands, and looked up at him. "That's right, that's right! Brother Yang, why haven't you gone after those two yet? Have you decided to give up? That's not like you."

"What's the rush?"