With the location of the second soul ring confirmed, Guang Ling led the way while Azure Luan summoned his Martial Soul Avatar. Qian Daoliu, Yue Guan, and Tang Yue sat on the Azure Luan bird's back. As for why Qian Daoliu did not fly himself when he had wings, perhaps he was simply lazy.
"We're here."
After flying only a few miles, they reached the central region of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Spiritual energy swirled through the central region, and the soul beasts nearby looked noticeably more intelligent than those on the outskirts. Sensing the presence of Titled Douluos, they scattered and fled. Tang Yue had barely landed, yet she could not find a single soul beast within fifty meters.
"Where's the Light Butterfly?" Tang Yue looked left and right but saw no butterflies anywhere, so she could not help turning toward Guang Ling.
Guang Ling winked at her and said, "I was worried that little butterfly would run away, so I knocked it out and buried it in the dirt. If I remember correctly, it should be buried right under Big Brother's feet!"
"..." Suddenly singled out, Qian Daoliu hurried aside. He gave Guang Ling a speechless look, unable to fathom how his mind worked. Since he had already knocked it out, why had he not simply brought it back? Why make them come all this way?
Qian Daoliu was not the only one thinking this. Apart from Tang Yue, who immediately started digging, the other two were also somewhat speechless.
Yue Guan practically rolled his eyes into the heavens.
Azure Luan shook his head helplessly and treated it as exercise.
Tang Yue had not dug very deep before she spotted a white butterfly flapping its wings, pleading for help. She scooped it up and found that it was a pure-white variety. It was small, with wings shaped rather like a bird's, which looked somewhat strange. Doubt inevitably stirred in Tang Yue. She looked at Guang Ling, pouting and furrowing her brows as she asked, "Grandpa Guang Ling, is this the one?"
Do not ask why she needed to make sure. She was simply afraid Guang Ling would lead her into a ditch without her even realizing she had fallen in.
"That's the one!"
Guang Ling confirmed it.
"Oh!" Tang Yue replied, preparing to kill the butterfly.
Just then, Yue Guan spoke up.
"Wait."
Yue Guan stepped forward and crouched down to inspect the butterfly in Tang Yue's hand. He could not help frowning. "This isn't a purebred Light Butterfly. Although it's white all over, it has a poison marking on its abdomen."
"A poison marking?" Tang Yue instinctively turned the butterfly over to look. Sure enough, there was a long, eerie marking on its abdomen, vastly different from the spiritual markings she had seen on the Ice Scorpion's body earlier.
If those spiritual markings had given Tang Yue a feeling of warmth, this poison marking did precisely the opposite.
Seeing this, Qian Daoliu fell silent for a moment. "Perhaps we should find another one."
Poison markings were no good, but Light Butterflies were difficult to find, and this butterfly was the most suitable one for Tang Yue.
"Big Brother, a poison marking won't affect the soul ring or soul skill, will it?" Guang Ling spoke with a pout. He had painstakingly found this for his precious little darling. How could they simply discard it? "Besides, this Light Butterfly's poison marking isn't very deep. If she absorbs it now, it shouldn't affect the quality much. What's more, you can hardly find a single Light Butterfly in the entire Star Dou Great Forest. I trudged around diligently for over an hour before finally catching it..."
Realizing Guang Ling was about to start chanting his endless litany, Tang Yue immediately interrupted him. "Oh, all right, all right, Grandpa Guang Ling. I really like this butterfly. Maybe my second soul ring will give me a flight-type soul skill. That would fulfill a wish of mine."
"Are you sure you want to absorb this Light Butterfly?" Although there was a ninety-nine percent chance that the poison marking would not affect the soul skill or soul ring, Qian Daoliu still worried about that remaining one percent. He asked Tang Yue again, wanting her to think it through.
That fifth brother really wasn't reliable.
Tang Yue hesitated for a few seconds. As she gazed at the butterfly in her hand, she kept feeling as though some power within it was drawing her in.
"I want to absorb it!"
Tang Yue nodded and drew a dagger from her waist. Just as she was about to strike, she seemed to remember something and looked up at Qian Daoliu.
Understanding her meaning, Qian Daoliu reminded her, "Its vulnerable point is its head. Just thrust the dagger into its head."
"Mm."
Not wanting this adorable little butterfly to suffer a third injury, Tang Yue intended to finish it in a single strike. "Shhk-"
The dagger sliced into the Light Butterfly's head. A flash of white light shone, and moments later, the yellow soul ring belonging to Tang Yue appeared before her.
Tang Yue steadied her mind, sat down to meditate, and began absorbing the soul ring.
This absorption was not as quick or smooth as the last, but with four Titled Douluos guarding her, Tang Yue did not feel too uncomfortable. Still, within the illusion she experienced while absorbing the soul ring, she seemed to see some strange things.
"..."
Her brows were tightly knitted, and her complexion looked poor. Guang Ling could not help worrying at the sight. He approached Tang Yue, wanting to reach out and check her forehead, but he could not. In the end, all he could do was stand there and wait.
Absorbing a soul ring always carried risks for a soul master, especially when it was a poor match.
Although this Light Butterfly did not exceed the age limit for a second soul ring, it was not particularly compatible with Tang Yue's martial soul. Apart from sharing the light attribute, they had nothing else in common. Worse still, it was not even a purebred Light Butterfly.
The sun sank behind the western mountains, its evening glow fading, and night soon descended upon the Star Dou Great Forest.
Towering trees with dense foliage obscured the bright moon in the sky. Qian Daoliu and the other three sat around Tang Yue, one in each direction, guarding her. Seven or eight hours had already passed. Since this was still within the normal time frame, Qian Daoliu and the others meditated calmly. Only Guang Ling remained restless, seemingly worried that something might happen.
A gentle night breeze stirred Tang Yue's long, jet-black hair. Finally, in the ninth hour, she slowly opened her eyes. A trace of pink radiated from them, and the pupil of her right eye seemed even more distinctly pink.
"Xiao Yue'er, you're finally awake!" Guang Ling's voice rang out, and the other three emerged from their meditation.
"Yueyue, how do you feel?" Qian Daoliu rose and approached Tang Yue, asking with concern.
Yue Guan and Azure Luan also stood up, one after the other, and gathered around Tang Yue.
"..."
Finding herself surrounded by four powerful men the instant she opened her eyes, Tang Yue did not know how to describe her feelings.
She met each of their gazes in turn and pressed her lips together. "I think..."
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