Demon-Exorcising Divine Thunder

"Da Ming, take Xiao Wu and run. I'll hold her off!"

Ye Yan, who had been silent for a long time, stepped forward with a jade-green longsword in hand. The two red soul rings threaded with gold around him secretly startled Da Ming.

"Xu Xiaoyan, I would never cling to life without you!"

Xiao Wu hugged Ye Yan tightly. She wasn't the sort of rabbit who would abandon her partner. Then, holding back her tears, she turned to Da Ming with a look of acceptance.

"Da Ming, as long as the green mountains remain, there will always be firewood. She's here for me. I've already lost Er Ming. I can't lose you too."

"Sister Xiao Wu..."

The Sky Azure Bull Python was moved to tears. Even the pain of the ice spikes piercing his body seemed to ease considerably.

Then his gaze settled on Ye Yan, whom she was hugging. This man had brought Sister Xiao Wu all the way here while being pursued by their enemy, so he must have possessed formidable means of staying alive.

Moreover, his love for Sister Xiao Wu ran deep, and he was willing to give his life to cover their retreat. He was someone worth entrusting her to.

"Sister Xiao Wu, goodbye. You must take good care of yourself from now on. I'm so badly injured that I can't escape anyway. Let me protect you one last time."

A pillar of light reaching into the heavens erupted from the Sky Azure Bull Python and enveloped Ye Yan. He slowly closed his eyes. Ah Rou, little brother, I'm coming to join you.

"No! Da Ming, don't do anything foolish!"

Utterly grief-stricken, Xiao Wu lunged toward him, only to be repelled by the soul power barrier. She fell helplessly to her knees.

Outside, the Ice Empress also shouted anxiously.

"Damn it! You're actually sacrificing yourself to a human!"

A blazing red soul ring gradually solidified around Ye Yan. Behind him, his ink-wash-style fox tail swished uncontrollably, growing even fluffier.

The Ice Empress opposite him also noticed a pair of white fox ears sprouting from his head. He looked even more appetizing now... meow?

Wait, why did I suddenly want to get close to a human, and even eat him?

He must have used a charm-type soul skill. Damn it! I kindly helped him put on this act, and this was how he treated me?

Bad fox. It looked like I would have to teach you a proper lesson. ˵>ㅿ<˵

Once the sacrifice was complete, Ye Yan picked up Xiao Wu, who was still silently weeping, and gently wiped away her tears.

"Sister Xiao Wu, don't cry. It won't be long before we can resurrect them. Here, play with my fox tail. It's evolved to the hundred-thousand-year level now, so it should feel much nicer."

"That tickles! Naughty Xu Xiaoyan."

Ye Yan had also learned the naughty fox's tricks. He slipped a hand beneath her clothes and tickled her tummy. Unable to bear it, Xiao Wu hugged his belly and refused to let go.

He gave her a couple of gentle shakes. When Xiao Wu still wouldn't get down, Ye Yan carried her over to the Ice Empress to thank her. Her acting really had been excellent.

The Ice Empress regarded him teasingly and asked whether this was how he intended to thank her.

Puzzled, Ye Yan followed her gaze and finally realized that another pair of furry fox ears had appeared on his head. Fine, you were the star of the show, after all~

Ye Yan obediently nestled against her chest, letting her delicate hands play with him as she pleased. Perhaps it was because she was a soul beast, but she kept folding his fox ears.

Meanie, that really hurt!

Only after the two women had played their fill did they head back to find Bibi Dong and the others. Absorbing a soul ring was different from receiving a sacrifice. A sacrifice took only a few minutes, while absorbing a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring took several days at the very least. There was also a hundred-thousand-year left leg bone.

Speaking of which, Da Ming had provided a hundred-and-eighty-thousand-year left arm bone through his sacrifice this time. As before, it would be saved for his senior wife, Bo Saixi.

When the Snow Empress saw them return, she asked how things had gone. Had they managed to fool him?

Ye Yan summoned the Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords. Unlike before, crackling golden arcs of electricity danced over them.

"Of course, it was a complete success! And Da Ming's soul ring not only granted me two soul skills, Nine Heavens Thunder Evolution Array and Thunder Mountain Sword Shield, but also helped awaken my martial soul's innate divine ability-Demon-Exorcising Divine Thunder."

"A martial soul's innate divine ability?"

The Snow Empress and the other two all produced question marks at once. [・ヘ・?]

Since when had the Soul Master World come up with another new term? Little kitty, don't think we were ignorant.

"Just as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon can alter the weather, and the Noble Ring comes with its own domain, my martial soul, the Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords, is no ordinary thing either. I simply hadn't absorbed a lightning-attribute soul ring before, so I couldn't activate it."

"Oh~"

Xiao Wu nodded thoughtfully. "Then is this Demon-Exorcising Divine Thunder really powerful?"

Now that was a subject that got him excited.

"As the name suggests, Demon-Exorcising Divine Thunder specializes in destroying demonic energy and evil things. With this, handling evil-attribute soul masters, soul skills, or soul bone skills will be as easy as grabbing something right out of my palm."

It was an even more absolute counter to something like Divine Slaughter's Domain, which could practically be called a demonic art. Killing Little Scumbag early would be best, but even if that bastard Asura protected him until he inherited the divine position, it could still counter him.

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. It was actually that powerful? Da Ming, you hadn't died in vain~

"So, does that mean even your teacher won't be a match for you in the future?"

Bibi Dong had just finished absorbing her soul ring when she heard her little disciple's explanation. There probably weren't many martial souls in this world more evil than hers, were there?

Ye Yan shuddered at her ominous voice, then plastered his face with a smile.

"How could that be, Teacher~? The sun and moon can bear witness to my loyalty to you. I would never harbor any disloyal thoughts."

Bibi Dong gave a soft snort. (.-`ω´-) As if I didn't know you, you little rascal. You acted so meek now, but who knew what you were saying about me in your head?

"That had better be true. Come on, we're heading back."

After returning to Spirit City, Ye Yan began considering when to go to Sea God Island. After all, he had already broken through to level fifty. The reason he hadn't continued absorbing soul rings was that he hoped to use Sea God's Light to consolidate his foundation.

There was also the question of whether he should whisk away the Little Demoness before leaving.

His other wives would be fine; arriving at Sea God Island sooner or later made no difference. But the Nine-Colored Goddess, Ning Rongrong, was different. Her support effects were still very powerful.

Then again, Rongrong was still just a little girl. If he really took her there, what would she do about the assessments?

After thinking it over, he decided to take her along anyway. If he remembered correctly, the difficulty of a divine trial was determined by the participant's cultivation, and the red level assessment was guaranteed to be passed.

The only question was whether lacking a Head Soul Bone would affect her assessment level.

To be safe, he would ask for the Head Soul Bone intended for the Soul Master Tournament. Qian Xunji had obtained it while he was still alive anyway, and it had long since ended up in Bibi Dong's hands.

With his plan settled, Ye Yan began indulging in some lovely, long sleeps. He had needed to cultivate before because his soul power level was too low. Now, though, he had two two-hundred-thousand-year rings, a hundred-and-eighty-thousand-year ring, and a sixty-thousand-year ring. Add the soul ring he still needed to absorb after breaking through to level fifty, and he was guaranteed to shoot straight up to Soul Emperor. Why the hell should I still cultivate?

Time to slack off, time to slack off. ꒰ᐢ๑＞ᴥ＜๑ᐢ꒱

After sleeping until he lost all sense of day and night, Ye Yan stretched mightily. Proper rest really was better. Replacing sleep with meditation simply wasn't something a human should do.

He, the great lord Ye Yan, simply had to enjoy life to the fullest!