"Young Master Gu, would you like to hear your little brother's story?"
"No, thank you."
"Ah, speaking of my... your little brother's struggles, they truly shook heaven and earth and moved ghosts and gods to tears!"
"..."
"I was born in the bitterly cold northern reaches of the great silkworm continent. We ice silkworms are naturally soul beasts that cultivate both the mental and ice attributes, with acting cute as our special talent.
But because we're slow, we're lousy fighters, just ordinary soul beasts. And being sluggish, with so many natural enemies...
...I ate and slept, slept and ate underground, surrounded by ten-thousand-year cold marrow. Until the first golden band appeared on my body. That golden band meant my cultivation had reached the hundred-thousand-year level! And thanks to the Ice Silkworm Clan's luck, I actually escaped heavenly punishment and kept growing without a hitch!
In the end, I became a mighty nine-hundred-thousand-year soul beast!" As he finished, his face brimmed with excitement and boundless pride!
"Oh, so basically, you ate until you were full, slept until you were rested, and kept eating for nine hundred thousand years."
Gu Qingnian spoke blandly.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's old face instantly reddened. Then he said awkwardly, "What's wrong with sleeping? What's wrong with it? What's wrong with it! Sleeping has its dignity too! Sleeping for that long, you... Young Master Gu, could you sleep for that long?"
Gu Qingnian merely chuckled, with a mocking undertone whose meaning was obscure yet somehow impressive, making Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's old face redden again.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm insisted on showing off, and Gu Qingnian didn't mind chatting with him.
"Finally, one day, I finished all the ten-thousand-year cold marrow, slipped out through a crack in the seabed, and drifted south along the edge of the continent. Although I had a million years of cultivation, my fighting strength couldn't even match an ordinary hundred-thousand-year soul beast. The moment I reached land, a soul beast caught me and took me back to its lair.
...And just like that, I was at their mercy for several thousand years...
With my mental attribute, I was confident I could preserve my consciousness and seek revenge on those bastards who tormented me. I even found a powerful fellow, a Titled Douluo, for that purpose. But he couldn't bear your little brother's greatness, and it ended in tragedy." The miserable Sky Dream Ice Silkworm found a little sweetness amid his suffering.
"Pfft." Gu Qingnian couldn't help laughing. For a moment, he didn't know whether to call him lucky or unfortunate.
"Do you know why that Titled Douluo couldn't bear your greatness?" Gu Qingnian suddenly asked.
"Hmph, obviously because my mental power was too strong, and so was my soul ring. But Young Master Gu's talent, tsk, tsk, is truly terrifying. All I had to do was put a few seals on myself, and Young Master Gu could withstand me.
You're way more badass than that damned Titled Douluo!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm changed his tune, grinning cheerfully at Gu Qingnian.
"You're not wrong, but a person can only have nine soul rings. A Titled Douluo already has all nine. Setting aside whether his attributes matched yours, and whether he could withstand your power...
With all nine of his soul ring slots full, were you planning some grand relocation to swap yours in?" Gu Qingnian asked in puzzlement.
"..."
"Forget it. You're a bit dim, kid. It's not your fault." Before his words had quite faded, Gu Qingnian frowned slightly.
"Those two outside seem pretty nervous. Young Master Gu, do you want to take a look?" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm asked.
Gu Qingnian nodded slightly, glanced at the gray sphere, and returned to consciousness.
"You're awake... Qing... Qingnian..."
A somewhat shy voice, tinged with a trace of awkwardness, reached his ears. Gu Qingnian opened his eyes slightly.
"Tang Ya?"
"!" Tang Ya's little mouth fell open. For a moment, she didn't know what to say, because she still had no idea how to treat Gu Qingnian.
Although what had happened earlier was an accident... But... ah... forget it, forget it! I won't worry about it! Tang Ya shook her head.
"Four soul skills, just as expected." As Gu Qingnian opened his eyes, information about four soul skills surfaced in his mind, and a sheen slowly flowed through his eyes.
"Such beautiful eyes..." Tang Ya had kept her head lowered while thinking, so their eyes met directly. The instant Gu Qingnian opened his eyes, she saw them in their entirety.
Those azure-blue eyes veiled in white mist caught Tang Ya's heart and mind, drawing her in completely for a moment.
"Teacher Xiaoya, what's wrong? Is Little Brother Qingnian awake?" Noticing something amiss, Bei Bei walked over, with a boy following beside him.
Gu Qingnian glanced over. The boy was none other than Huo Yuhao, who now wore a helpless, wry smile, though his gaze lingered curiously on Gu Qingnian.
Then he suddenly started. "You're that sis... big brother from earlier!"
"...Yes," Gu Qingnian said after a moment of silence.
"Are you all right, Little Brother Qingnian? Teacher Xiaoya, you should let him get up now." Bei Bei gently patted Tang Ya, who came back to her senses and hastily stood.
But she forgot that Gu Qingnian was still in her arms. The two sprang up, then collided from the momentum and stumbled back several steps.
"Are you two all right?" Bei Bei hurried forward to check on them.
"I'm fine," they said at the same time, making Bei Bei look slightly surprised.
"Little Brother Qingnian, did something happen to you? Why were you unconscious here?" Bei Bei asked, rubbing his chin.
"I just obtained a soul ring too. I passed out while absorbing it," Gu Qingnian said directly.
"Oh? Surely it wasn't that Ten-Year Baboon!" Bei Bei couldn't help frowning slightly, and Tang Ya looked over as well.
Gu Qingnian was also curious about how many years' worth of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's soul ring he had managed to withstand, so he simply released it.
Boom!
Light flickered through Gu Qingnian's eyes. Then a purple soul ring appeared, radiating an intimidating aura that sent a shock through everyone present.
"A thousand years!" Tang Ya couldn't help exclaiming.
"Little Brother Qingnian, this is your first soul ring!?" Bei Bei couldn't help asking either.
Gu Qingnian was a little surprised. He hadn't expected his mental power to withstand a thousand-year soul ring, but it suited his wishes perfectly.
Huo Yuhao lacked strength, so he could take the Tang Sect's admission slot, while Gu Qingnian would enter through the assessment, which would be more interesting... Though snatching the slot wasn't out of the question, he suddenly felt like doing things the other way around.
"Hiss... How terrifying..." Huo Yuhao trembled slightly.
"Wait, your martial soul is your eyes-a body martial soul!" The observant Bei Bei couldn't help speaking up again.
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao could no longer stay still and hurriedly looked at Gu Qingnian. Tang Ya also stepped forward.
Gu Qingnian's exceptionally handsome face remained calm and unruffled, while the thousand-year soul ring flickered before him, suffused with purple light.
Huo Yuhao's face filled with excitement. "Your martial soul is your eyes too!?" Then, apparently realizing he had lost his composure, he quickly took a step back.
After that, Gu Qingnian made up a small lie to muddle his way through... until evening.
The four sat by the campfire, chatting.
"Little Yuhao, Qingnian, do you have any brothers or sisters at home?" Bei Bei suddenly asked.
At his words, Tang Ya also turned her gaze toward Gu Qingnian and Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao's expression grew somewhat downcast. "No... I don't have any family left... I'm the only one..."
"No," Gu Qingnian said calmly.
"Then that's wonderful!!!" Tang Ya instantly clenched her fists in excitement as she looked at them.
"...?..." Huo Yuhao and Gu Qingnian both fell silent.
"Hey, hey, what kind of thing is that to say!?" Bei Bei couldn't help breaking into an embarrassed sweat.
"Since neither of you has any plans, why not join our sect? In a certain sense, our sect was once the greatest on the entire continent! And our sect's secret arts are very, very suitable for you!" Tang Ya said, patting her small chest.
"Sister Xiaoya, your sect is...?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
"The Tang Sect! Once the greatest sect on the continent!" Tang Ya's expression abruptly turned solemn.
"The Tang... Tang Sect..." Huo Yuhao sank into thought.
Gu Qingnian frowned slightly. Tang San's Tang Sect... To be honest, he had no particular interest in it, nor any favorable feelings toward it.
"Little Yuhao, Qingnian, have you heard of the Tang Sect?" Bei Bei asked again.
"Our Tang Sect has indeed declined, but I won't boast
or deceive you. We still have our cultivation methods and secret arts! And Shrek Academy, the best academy on the continent, gives us one admission slot without an entrance exam every year.
Bei Bei and I have already joined Shrek Academy. If you're willing to join the Tang Sect, that slot will be yours, but whether you can stay will depend on your own efforts!
As for Qingnian, you can pass on your own strength. I'll teach you our cultivation methods too..." Tang Ya continued.
"Joining a sect is no small matter. Although our Tang Sect has declined, it was, after all, once the greatest sect in the world. If you regret it in the future and want to betray the sect and your teachers, neither Tang Ya nor I will spare you!" Bei Bei added solemnly.
"I understand, Brother Bei. I no longer have any family, and I'm young, but I've experienced the dangers of the outside world... Besides, I believe in you. You're willing to tell me all about the Tang Sect's difficulties, and I can feel your sincerity toward me. I'm willing to work with you to restore the Tang Sect's glory!" After carefully considering it, Huo Yuhao slowly knelt and kowtowed.
"Your disciple, Huo Yuhao, greets his teacher!" Both smiled in gratification, then turned their gazes toward Gu Qingnian, who had been watching all along.
Gu Qingnian shook his head. "I won't be joining any sect for now."
"Why!?" Tang Ya asked blankly.
"I can't tell you that for now. Thank you very much for the invitation. If you need help later, I'll do everything I can as a friend!"
After some back-and-forth, the two could only give up, their gazes filled with reluctance.
"By the way, Qingnian, how old are you?" Bei Bei couldn't help asking.
"Ten."
"...!! What!?" All three couldn't help exclaiming at once!
"Then what level is your soul power now?"
"Level fourteen." Gu Qingnian didn't hide it and answered casually. Thanks to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's soul ring, he had successfully reached level fourteen.
The three clicked their tongues slightly, at a loss for words.
"Little Nian, speaking of which, why are you here? Did you just hunt down your soul ring?" Bei Bei asked curiously.
"No, I came here to gain experience and train," Gu Qingnian said. He couldn't very well say he had come to hunt a soul ring. Hunting a thousand-year soul ring alone? No matter how one looked at it, that wasn't realistic. As for how exactly he had obtained it, that was private!
The night passed quietly.
Gu Qingnian leaned against a tree, keeping watch as he contacted the system in his mind.
System, where are my rewards?
[Ding, they have been placed in the system inventory. Host, you may view them with a mental command.]
View system inventory, Gu Qingnian silently commanded.
"Hum."
A humming sound rose, and a glowing blue screen appeared in Gu Qingnian's field of vision. There was nothing special about it, only forty slots laid out like a game's inventory interface.
The first two slots held two question marks, one with an eight in the middle and the other with a nine.
Gu Qingnian gave a silent mental command. The question mark in the first slot shook, and a ray of light flashed.
[Ding, congratulations to the host on obtaining one Titled Douluo and inheriting a random ability from them.]
His gaze shifted again.
[Ding, congratulations to the host on obtaining a hundred-thousand-year three-piece set: soul beast, soul ring, and soul bone! Claim it?]
"Claim it!"
What a windfall! Gu Qingnian was instantly overjoyed!
[Ding, drawing a Titled Douluo... Draw successful!]