"Chew, chew... next, I should... chew, chew... plan for my soul rings."
In his room, Ye Guixu had just finished a hot bath and changed into clean clothes. He was feasting on the roast chicken and roasted beef leg delivered by the hotel, his mouth stuffed full.
As he gnawed on a drumstick, he worked through his next steps in his head.
The most pressing matter was obtaining soul rings.
The advantage of having level-twenty innate soul power was that he could absorb two soul rings in succession.
Moreover, his level-twenty innate soul power far exceeded an ordinary person's reserves, washing through his body, widening his meridians, and strengthening his physique.
This also meant that his first soul ring's age limit was far higher than an ordinary person's.
But he wanted far more than merely "good enough."
Since he had inherited the Void Star God's name, he could hardly let that prestige lose its worth in his hands.
A cosmic star god that Creation God Aotian had created using a black hole as the model, absorbing a mere hundred-year first soul ring? People would laugh their teeth out if word got around.
Granted, divine trials existed during the Douluo I era, so as long as a soul ring suited him, its age did not matter too much.
But what god would take a fancy to a soul master following the standard yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black route?
Without divine trials, he could not increase his soul rings' ages.
That led straight back into a vicious cycle.
He did not have twin martial souls, so he could not wait until becoming a Titled Douluo, then slap ten-thousand-year-or-older soul rings onto his second martial soul to gain a burst of levels.
That made raising his soul rings' ages from the very beginning particularly important.
Older soul rings brought far too many benefits.
Greater soul power reserves, more levels gained, and less time spent cultivating.
The power and effects of soul skills would also rise to another level.
More importantly, older soul rings strengthened a soul master's physique far more than ordinary soul rings.
To absorb a soul ring beyond one's limit, martial soul quality, physical strength, attribute compatibility, willpower, and spiritual power were all essential.
And soul rings younger than ten thousand years had no Soul Shock, so a powerful body, attribute compatibility, and willpower alone could raise the age of the soul rings one could absorb.
Fortunately, this was the Douluo I timeline, and resources were plentiful.
Ten-thousand-year whale glue, for instance-no one in this era recognized its true value. They all treated it as something to spice things up in the bedroom.
Still, that stuff could only raise the age limit into the thousand-year range at most, and taking too much would build up resistance.
"I'll have to check the auction house for ten-thousand-year whale glue..."
Ye Guixu was gnawing on his drumstick when inspiration suddenly flashed through his mind.
Speaking of body tempering, how could he forget the top-ranked must-eat item on the Douluo Continent-
The immortal herbs in the Ice and Fire Mandarin Duck Pot?
Especially those two core ice and fire immortal herbs.
Once he mastered the Ice and Fire Golden Body, he would gain immunity to both ice and fire, and be impervious to all poisons.
But speaking of being impervious to all poisons, he remembered a detail.
Poisons on the Douluo Continent could actually be suppressed by ultimate power.
Dugu Bo was the best example.
As his level rose, his Jade Phosphorous Serpent martial soul would continually accumulate toxins within his body. If he had not found the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and used its extreme ice and fire powers to batter and suppress those toxins, he would probably have died of poisoning long ago.
That old poison fiend had to spend some time at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well at regular intervals.
As long as Ye Guixu figured out his routine and found a window when he was away, he could slip in while the place was unguarded.
Once he got the immortal herbs and cultivated the Ice and Fire Golden Body, his physical strength would soar.
Plan complete.
Ye Guixu finished the last roast chicken, gulped down some of his drink, and wiped his hands. Then he suddenly remembered something else.
That pick-four-out-of-eight post on Tieba...
He already had the Galaxy Star, the Void Star God Sauron martial soul, and level-twenty innate soul power, so where was the "Beauty Illustrated Guide"?
He frowned in puzzlement, then sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and sensed within himself.
A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes, a bronze-colored booklet now in his hand.
He opened the cover. For now, he could only see the first page.
A world was clearly marked on it-
The Legend of Qin.
The two names recorded on the first page were "Yan Lingji" and "Tide Siren."
Ye Guixu blinked.
To be honest, The Legend of Qin did have plenty of beauties, but in terms of combat power, Yan Lingji and Tide Siren both belonged in the lower-middle ranks.
Even if he summoned them, they would not be much help in his current circumstances.
They could only serve as pretty ornaments.
Forget it... I'll just treat it as collecting cards.
I might not use them, but I have to have them.
According to the Beauty Illustrated Guide's notation, anyone summoned would not necessarily be madly in love with him.
At the very least, their loyalty was guaranteed. They would absolutely never betray him.
At worst, I'll spend some resources training them.
After all, activating the Beauty Illustrated Guide comes with rewards. I wonder what they are.
He closed the booklet and casually put it into his storage space. His current priorities were clear.
He had to secure the immortal herbs at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and get his soul rings as soon as possible. Raising his level was the way forward.
In this world, the strong devoured the weak.
The strong held power; the weak had no truth.
A cold light blazed in Ye Guixu's eyes.
He had not forgotten that damned rat who, not long ago, had threatened to kill him and make him a dog under Tang San.
That bastard had already given him cause to kill him!
But ultimately, he was still too weak.
He had only escaped disaster by hiding high in the sky, beyond even a Titled Douluo's reach.
After thinking for a while, Ye Guixu put it out of his mind.
He rinsed his mouth, washed his hands, and went to bed.
Early the next morning, Ye Guixu went on a shopping spree in the city, filling his Storage Soul Tool with food, drinking water, medicine, rope, and other daily necessities.
However, a child who looked only six or seven, spending lavishly and carrying a Storage Soul Tool-
It was hard for that not to attract certain people's attention.
He had barely turned into a secluded alley before three tails followed him in.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
After three dull thuds, three bodies lay sprawled in the alley, blood slowly seeping along the gaps between the bricks.
"Tsk, tsk... sure enough, wherever I go, there's scum like this."
Deep in the alley, two points of crimson light slowly lit up.
"Do I have some kind of 'attracts villains' label stuck on me?"
He expertly stripped the three men of their valuables. Then two crimson laser beams suddenly shot from his eyes, burning the three bodies to nothing.
With that done, the thrusters on the back of the Void Star God Armor erupted with emerald flames, sending him shooting into the sky like a rocket and racing toward his destination.
Meanwhile, Tang San was in a miserable state.
After that day, he wandered aimlessly through the mountain forests in a daze, like a walking corpse.
He neither ate nor drank, neither slept nor rested, as though he meant to wear himself to death.
At last, he collapsed in a dense forest, his face pale and his lips cracked, his body curled up amid a pile of dead leaves, his breathing so faint it was barely perceptible.
Tang Hao, who had followed closely behind, emerged from the shadows. His heart suddenly trembled at the sight before him.
He hurriedly crouched down, took Tang San's icy hand, and slowly channeled his soul power into him, nourishing that body already on the verge of collapse.
Then he took water and food from his Storage Soul Tool and fed them into Tang San's mouth, little by little.
This child hasn't eaten or drunk for days. If this goes on, his body will definitely give out.
After doing all this, Tang Hao did not leave. He merely lowered his head beside him, his eyes filled with self-reproach and guilt.
He remembered what had happened six years ago.
That night, evil thoughts had risen in his heart. He had flaunted Ah Yin through the streets, drawing Spirit Hall's pursuit and bringing about everything that followed.
Even then, he had felt some guilt and self-reproach.
But once Pandora's Box had been opened, there was no turning back. Spirit Hall's Qian Xunji had come after them with Titled Douluos.
To protect him, and for their child, Ah Yin had chosen to sacrifice herself.
He had also obtained the hundred-thousand-year soul ring he wanted.
Yet it was only at the moment she was about to sacrifice herself that he discovered how terribly his heart hurt.
How ironic.
He was the one who had wanted to use her.
He was also the one who had achieved his goal and reaped the benefits.
Yet in the end, he had sunk into endless self-reproach and regret.
What that kid had said.
He was a worthless fool who could not even protect his wife!
But the truth was far more ironic than what that kid had said.
He was a beast!
He was a beast!
And now, he had pushed even his son into the abyss with his own hands.
Tears silently slid down his weathered face, dripping onto the dry earth.
Tang Hao covered his face with both hands and murmured hoarsely:
"Ah Yin... I've wronged you..."
At that moment, Tang San, lying in the pile of dead leaves, was trapped deep in a nightmare.
In his dream, an icy voice rang out:
"Tang San! You disgrace to the Tang Sect! Thief!"
Before you continue