Stealing Fortune

In a clearing in the dense forest ahead, Huo Yuhao stood in bewilderment.

A voice suddenly rang through his mind. "At last, I've found a human with a mental attribute! Heaven hasn't forsaken me!"

Huo Yuhao shuddered and looked around in panic, but there was no one nearby.

The ground trembled and split open. Golden-white light surged out, and bone-piercing cold spread in every direction. The enormous Sky Dream Ice Silkworm burst out of the earth, his body a lustrous white adorned with ten golden bands. His massive bulk seemed to bring even the air between the trees to a standstill.

Huo Yuhao turned deathly pale. He clutched the White Tiger Dagger in his hand, his heart filled with fear and unease.

"Don't be scared. I won't hurt you."

As soon as Tian Meng finished speaking, he wasted no more time. The golden-white patterns around him blazed brighter, his million-year origin surged at full force, and his sacrifice thundered into motion.

At the most critical instant of the sacrifice, Chen Jie, who lay hidden in the shadows farther back in the forest, quietly activated the Fortune-Stealing Die.

The Fortune-Stealing Die's charge instantly dropped to zero.

An invisible force of fortune subtly shifted, utterly disrupting Huo Yuhao's destined opportunity!

The void shook violently, sending out layer upon layer of spatial ripples! Drawn by the disrupted fluctuations of destiny, the remnant soul of Electrolux, the Holy Necromancer, suddenly broke through the boundary between worlds and plunged straight into Huo Yuhao's fragile Sea of Consciousness!

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who was pouring everything into his sacrifice with his entire origin exposed, was shocked and enraged. His million years of pure spiritual power instantly ran wild, launching a fierce counterattack against Electrolux's remnant soul, which had intruded into the Sea of Consciousness.

The two different powers began a deadly battle within that cramped Sea of Consciousness!

Spiritual power collided madly, annihilating and exploding. The terrifying storm in the Sea of Consciousness spiraled completely out of control. The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm exhausted his origin and dissipated entirely, while Electrolux's remnant soul was forcibly ground into oblivion. Both supreme souls were destroyed, vanishing from the world forever!

With no one left to control it, the berserk spiritual power went completely wild, ravaging Huo Yuhao's body.

A muffled, explosive boom rang out!

Huo Yuhao's flesh could not withstand such a terrifying backlash. Before even the slightest trace could remain, his entire body exploded into a skyful of fine blood mist that drifted through the dense forest on the wind. His body and soul were utterly annihilated!

At that moment, the Fortune-Stealing Die's power firmly locked onto every collapsing opportunity and all the dispersing energy in the area.

Tian Meng's remaining million-year pure spiritual origin and the complete power of the Holy Necromancer's inheritance escaped their fate of dissipation. They became two brilliant streams of light, pierced the forest shadows, and poured into Chen Jie's Sea of Consciousness.

The vast spiritual power refined his soul, instantly transforming and vastly strengthening the foundation of his divine sense. Electrolux's light inheritance and secret arts were all imprinted upon him.

At the same time, Tian Meng's remaining frost origin merged into the foundation of his martial soul, awakening a new unformed ice-attribute martial soul.

A translucent, lustrous white Million-Year Tian Meng Wisdom Soul Ring, encircled by ten sacred golden bands, slowly emerged from the void. It hovered steadily around Chen Jie, its radiance gentle yet immense.

A cold wind rustled through the forest, scattering the last wisp of blood mist.

Chen Jie slowly stepped out of the shadows. Looking at the empty clearing, he curled his lips into a smile.

"Heh heh heh!

Huo Yuhao, rest in peace. I'll take good care of Tang Wutong for you."

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, host! Fortune stolen successfully!]

[Successfully plundered the supreme fortune of the child of destiny, Huo Yuhao!]

[Obtained: heaven's favor and the blessing of heaven-defying opportunities!]

[Forced contract uses ×3]

[Talent acquired: succubus constitution. Initial favorability of all members of the opposite sex fixed at 30%.]

[Access acquired: all of Tian Meng's million-year pure spiritual power, freely available for use at will.]

[Supreme dual-cultivation constitution acquired-pure yang sacred body.]

As the system notifications faded from his mind, Chen Jie reined in the fluctuations around him, concealed the million-year Wisdom Soul Ring inside his body, and turned to leave.

By the time he returned to the place where they had parted earlier, Tang Ya had just finished absorbing her Soul Ring.

The faint purple glow slowly receded from her body, and the fluctuations of her soul power rose and stabilized. Her long eyelashes fluttered gently before she slowly opened her eyes. Bei Bei had been keeping watch beside her and hurried forward when he saw her awaken.

Tang Ya let out a long breath of stale air. Feeling the new soul skill within her, she showed a hint of delight, then looked up and spotted Chen Jie returning.

"Chen Jie, where did you go just now?"

"I heard something unusual in the forest, so I went to investigate. It was just some ordinary wild animals. Nothing serious." Chen Jie waved a hand casually, his expression unchanged.

After speaking, he looked at Tang Ya and got straight to the point.

"Xiao Ya, I really admire Third Brother. I want to join the Tang Sect."

Surprise and delight instantly filled Tang Ya's eyes. She readily nodded and said, "All right! From now on, you're a member of our Tang Sect!"

"As luck would have it, the Tang Sect happens to have a recommendation slot for Shrek Academy. With your talent, it would be a real shame not to go. Would you like to attend Shrek?"

Chen Jie's heart stirred, and he immediately answered, "I would."

Bei Bei, standing nearby, also smiled warmly and nodded his approval of Chen Jie joining.

With a new member joining the Tang Sect, the atmosphere was especially relaxed. As evening approached, Bei Bei took the initiative to get up and prepare the ingredients, planning to light a fire and grill fish for everyone's dinner.

Everyone was tired from traveling and cultivating along the way, so Tang Ya first headed to a clean stream in the forest to wash and bathe, refreshing both body and mind.

While the two of them were busy with their own tasks, Chen Jie sat alone beneath a tree. With a thought, he tried activating his new soul skill.

Spiritual Detection

The next instant, his spiritual perception spread like a net blanketing heaven and earth, covering the entire forested valley. His spiritual power sensed every movement around him: Bei Bei lighting a fire and grilling fish at the nearby cooking spot, and Xiao Ya bathing beside the stream. Everything appeared clearly in his mind.

Using Spiritual Detection, Chen Jie carefully scanned the wooded corners around the stream for hidden soul beasts and other dangers. After observing for a while and confirming that there was no danger anywhere near Tang Ya, he finally relaxed.

He marveled inwardly that, as the Tang Sect's leader, Tang Ya possessed not only a spirited personality but also an outstanding presence and appearance. More remarkably, she even had the attributes of a white tiger-a hairless pubic region.

Chen Jie looked toward Bei Bei.

Bei Bei was hurriedly lifting a grilled fish off the fire. Its entire surface was charred black, and wisps of black smoke still rose from its skin.

He turned and spotted Chen Jie. His eyes lit up, and he raised the blackened fish in his hand.

"Chen Jie, you're just in time. Try the fish I just grilled."

The smell of burning wafted toward him on the evening breeze. Chen Jie's eye twitched as he stared at the nearly carbonized fish. He stepped forward and gestured for Bei Bei to hand it over.

"Let me do the grilling."

Looking at the ruined fish in his hand, Bei Bei flushed with embarrassment and gave a sheepish smile. He handed both the grilled fish and the remaining fresh ingredients to Chen Jie.

Chen Jie took the cleaned fresh fish, set the charred failure aside, and crouched down to adjust the campfire. He deftly threaded the fish onto the grilling rack. While Bei Bei turned away to tidy the scattered items on the ground and was not paying attention, Chen Jie quickly took a little fine white salt from his storage space and secretly sprinkled it over the fish.

Once that was done, he continued turning the rack over the fire. Before long, the enticing aroma of fresh grilled fish began to spread.

The campfire crackled. Fat dripped from the fish onto the glowing coals, sending up little puffs of white smoke.

"I never imagined Chen Jie would be so good at grilling fish!"

The fish was golden and glistening, cooked to perfection. Chen Jie took the whole grilled fish off the rack and offered it to Bei Bei first.

"It's ready, Brother Bei Bei. Have a taste."

A short while later, Tang Ya returned from the stream in the forest.

Fresh from her bath, she looked radiant and untouched by worldly dust. Her skin was moist, fair, and luminous, with every trace of travel-worn fatigue washed away. Her wet black hair hung over her shoulders, and crystalline droplets slowly slid down her slender neck. A few damp strands clung lightly to her delicate collarbones and shoulders, adding a touch of languid allure.

Years of martial training and cultivation had given her an exquisitely proportioned figure, with narrow shoulders, a slender waist, and full, generous curves. She stood tall and graceful, her flesh and bone balanced just right, revealing the mature, lovely contours of a young woman. Her understated clothes were slightly damp and clung to her body, outlining every exquisite curve and the smooth, elegant lines of her waist with captivating charm.

Tang Ya caught the tempting fragrance of fish from afar. Her eyes brightened and her lips lifted, her appetite already awakened.

"What smells so good?"

Bei Bei took a large bite of tender fish and hurriedly waved Tang Ya over.

"Xiao Ya, come here! It's the fish Chen Jie grilled. It tastes really good."

Chen Jie kept working, slowly turning another fresh fish over the fire as its glistening fat sizzled. He looked up at the full-figured, beautiful Tang Ya with a faint smile, though deep in his eyes, the corners of his mouth turned subtly downward.

"Xiao Ya, wait just a moment. I'm grilling this one especially for you."