Ye Yan could tell at a glance that Xiao Wu was genuinely angry. He secretly winked at her, signaling that he would explain everything in detail later.
But how could an angry woman possibly listen to reason?
Seeing that Xiao Wu was still seething, Ye Yan had no choice but to take a risk. He told her that he was inheriting the Sea God Godhood and promised he would resurrect Ah Rou once he became a god.
Only then did Xiao Wu calm down a little. She lay quietly against his chest and asked why he had brought her out.
Meow, meow, meow.
Everyone said Xiao Wu was a fool for love. Surely she wouldn't hit me just because I wanted to screw over her two younger brothers?
Ye Yan quietly pinned down her soft little hands before telling her his plan to put Da Ming and Er Ming to sleep.
Sure enough, Xiao Wu wanted to clench her fists and punch him as soon as she heard the first part. Those are the younger brothers I've depended on for a hundred thousand years! And you actually want me to put on an act with you to deceive them?
"Sister Xiao Wu~"
Ye Yan called out sweetly in a deliberately coy voice, winding a large, fluffy tail around her waist.
Xiao Wu's gaze instantly changed. She happily hugged the fox tail and rubbed against it, murmuring things like how comfortable it was and how naughty Xu Xiaoyan was.
Ye Yan suppressed the strange sensation stirring inside him and brushed the tip of his tail across Xiao Wu's nose, making her sneeze several times in a row.
"Xu Xiaoyan, you seem to be having quite a bit of fun. What, does cheating right in front of your teacher give you a thrill?"
Just as he was about to tease Xiao Wu further, Bibi Dong's cool voice reached his ears, making Ye Yan shudder.
While Xiao Wu wasn't looking, he put on a pitiful expression and leaned close to Bibi Dong's ear.
"Teacher~ I wouldn't dare. I just want the Sky Azure Bull Python's soul ring. He's an extremely rare lightning-attribute hundred-thousand-year soul beast. As far as I know, he's the only one on the entire continent.
"But my body can't absorb it yet. That's why I thought of using Xiao Wu."
Bibi Dong snorted coldly. Her little disciple's explanation sounded reasonable, but judging by his body's reaction, he was clearly enjoying himself.
An unruly, naughty disciple like this ought to be locked in the basement and thoroughly disciplined!
Still unaware that the dragon slayer had become the dragon, Ye Yan turned back and gently stroked Xiao Wu's hair, looking like a creepy older man coaxing a little girl.
"Xiao Wu, look, Teacher is already a Limit Douluo. Even if you refuse to help, she can still kill Da Ming and Er Ming for their bones. Rather than that, why not have Da Ming sacrifice himself to me? He could help me become a god sooner, and I could resurrect them sooner too."
After hearing him out, Xiao Wu hugged the fox tail and sank into thought. Although she couldn't bear to part with her two younger brothers, Ye Yan was right. Rather than have both of them killed by her enemy Bibi Dong, having them sacrifice themselves to Ye Yan would be better.
He was her lover, after all. But she couldn't agree so easily. Her big eyes darted about as she came up with a brilliant idea.
"Hmph ╯^╰ Xu Xiaoyan, do you realize that Da Ming and Er Ming are my dearest loved ones, my own brothers?"
Meow?
You want to be the 'pay me extra' guy too?
"Sister Xiao Wu, then what would it take for you to help me?"
Xiao Wu cackled wickedly and said that if Ye Yan let her play with his fox tail every day from now on, she would agree to help trick Da Ming.
You impudent subject! How dare you open your lion's maw and demand so much!
After some thought, Ye Yan agreed anyway. Once I get the soul ring, I'll go back on my word and run. Bleh, bleh, bleh! Beat me to death if you can! ᕙ(•̀ᗜ•́)ᕗ
Xiao Wu eyed him suspiciously. You're agreeing just like that? No bargaining?
In truth, she would have settled for about a year. After all, she knew Xu Xiaoyan was a slippery fellow.
Ye Yan pretended not to notice her reaction and moved the fox tail in her arms, distracting her.
Crack.
Unable to watch any longer, Bibi Dong turned her hand into a blade and chopped Xiao Wu on the back of the neck. Her vision flashed white, and she passed out again.
Ye Yan looked sheepishly at Bibi Dong and quietly asked whether they could make peace.
Bibi Dong said nothing. She reached out and gripped his unruly fox tail. It stinks. It's covered in that old rabbit's scent. (｀⌒´メ)
She was far stronger than Xiao Wu, and her practiced hands knew all his sensitive spots. Before long, Ye Yan collapsed into her arms.
Useless Xiao Wu. X﹏X
By the time she woke again, they had entered the Star Dou Great Forest, and two Big Sisters she had never seen before had joined them.
Xiao Wu rubbed her head and asked why she had suddenly passed out.
Ye Yan laughed it off, saying she might have been exhausted from cultivating and had slipped into a deep sleep the moment she relaxed.
For real?
Xiao Wu was dubious, but Ye Yan's sincere gaze didn't look like he was lying. She could only ask him curiously about the two Big Sisters.
She wasn't sure whether she was imagining it, but she sensed a familiar aura from the two Big Sisters. Were they soul beasts in human form? Yet their auras were very different from her own.
"Oh, them? The white-haired one is Snow Empress, and the one with jade-green hair is Ice Empress. They're both your seniors."
Snow Empress heard their whispered conversation and gave a slight nod. So even rabbits in the Star Dou Great Forest could reach a hundred thousand years?
Xiao Wu hurriedly returned the greeting. She remembered Da Ming once mentioning Snow Empress, saying she was the ruler of the Far North. He had even recited two lines about her.
Sword and palm command the heavens' ice and snow; Emperor Sword, Emperor's Palm, Emperor's Cold Heaven!
Stealing a glance at that peerless figure, Xiao Wu felt her heart grow unsettled. So these were the powerful people Xu Xiaoyan spent his days with.
"Enough chatting, Xu Xiaoyan. There's a sixty-thousand-year Soul Power Sacred Tree ahead. He's a fairly good match for your life-attribute Blue Silver Emperor. However, Soul Power Sacred Trees are mid-tier soul beasts. This one was lucky to reach his current age. Should we keep looking?"
Soul Power Sacred Tree?
This was one of the few soul beasts Ye Yan knew about. They had a pure attribute and powerful vitality, but most importantly, there was an excellent chance he would provide Ye Yan with a soul power amplification soul skill.
And that was precisely his biggest problem at the moment. He had too many ultimate moves, and the little soul power restored by Purple Spirit Sun was only a cup of water against a blazing cartload of firewood.
"No need to go to all that trouble, Teacher. This one will do."
"Mm. Follow me."
Bibi Dong gently stroked the top of his head, then turned and sped northwest, with Ye Yan and the others following close behind.
After traveling several li, they came upon an ancient tree towering over a hundred meters tall. By Ye Yan's estimate, it would take at least twenty or thirty people joining hands to encircle him.
His leaves were unusually broad, like banana leaves. As Ye Yan approached the ancient tree, he felt as though both his body and mind were being cleansed.
The reason was simple: the soul power here had condensed into liquid, and that balanced, peaceful vitality was a healing balm that nourished everything.
Unfortunately, he needed the tree's soul ring. Otherwise, converting this place into a cultivation room would surely yield half the results for twice the effort.
"Snow Empress, sorry for the trouble this time~"
Ye Yan felt a little embarrassed about making Bibi Dong work for him for so long. He decided to put his newly recruited enforcer, Snow Empress, to use and see what she could do, which would also help him make plans in the future.
Snow Empress agreed impassively, gathering tiny ice crystals in her palm. She turned her hand over and pressed down lightly, and an enormous palm of solid ice spanning hundreds of meters descended from the sky.
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