"Is that so? Mu Yang, why don't we be Xiao Bing's daddy and mommy! Xiao Bing~, daddy and mommy will go get you something to eat right away."
Extending a finger to tap Xiao Bing's small head, Shui Bing'er gave Mu Yang a meaningful glance. Although the words out of her mouth were in the form of a question, she hadn't given him any chance to refuse.
Seeing that meaningful look in Shui Bing'er's eyes, Mu Yang froze for a moment, then suddenly came to a realization.
Understood — this was his fiancée urging him to get married!
Indeed, the once youthful maiden was now already a young woman just over twenty years old. If this were an ordinary family on the continent, not to mention already married, they would most likely have more than one child by now.
"Bing'er, once the matter of the God Test comes to an end, let's go back and hold our wedding."
Stepping forward and taking Shui Bing'er's jade-like, slender hand, Mu Yang spoke with eyes full of deep affection.
Although they were still very young, they had known each other for nine years, confirmed their relationship for eight, and had now entered their ninth year — it was indeed time for their love to bear fruit.
Ending this long romance with a grand wedding was not only an explanation to her, but also an explanation to himself — this was as it should be.
Looking at the deeply affectionate Mu Yang before her, a blush crept over Shui Bing'er's cheeks, and she heavily nodded. "Mm."
A proposal ceremony?
No need for that — shortly after the Soul Master Tournament ended, Mu Xiyue, as the groom's elder, had already gone to the bride's home to present the betrothal gifts and arrange the engagement. The two had long been an engaged couple.
Mu Yang felt that his blushing fiancée was the most charming woman of all. Reaching out to pull her into his arms, their eyes met for a moment, and they began a passionate kiss.
However, not long after, their passion was interrupted by an external factor.
"Chirp chirp chirp—!"
Held in Shui Bing'er's arms and squeezed between the two of them, Xiao Bing, feeling the pressure, struggled in dissatisfaction and cried out.
Sensing the struggle of Xiao Bing in her arms, Shui Bing'er pushed Mu Yang away and, to ease the awkwardness, said, "Mu Yang, if our future baby were like Xiao Bing, all girls, would you not like that?"
Yes, that's right, the hundred-thousand-year Ice Luan was female, and after nirvana rebirth, the little Ice Luan was also a girl.
And the preference for sons over daughters was a commonly existing mindset on the Douluo Continent.
"Of course not! You know, daughters are daddy's little cotton-padded jackets!"
Mu Yang said righteously.
Mm, provided that little cotton-padded jacket doesn't let the wind in, and hasn't turned into black-hearted cotton.
After hunting a ten-thousand-year Ice Bear and preparing a large amount of frozen fresh meat to serve as Little Bing's rations, the two left the Great Snow Mountain.
"Senior Shang said there are two hundred-thousand-year soul beasts in the secret realm, the other one living in the sea. Why don't we go take a look at the situation?"
In midair, Shui Bing'er spoke to Mu Yang.
A hundred-thousand-year soul beast meant a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and a hundred-thousand-year soul bone — something that could not be missed.
After all, Mu Yang possessed twin martial souls, and the gap for hundred-thousand-year soul rings was not small, unless this hundred-thousand-year soul beast's compatibility with both of Mu Yang's martial souls was too low to be suitable for attachment.
After thinking for a moment, Mu Yang nodded. "Alright. The secret realm's space is limited, and that stretch of sea isn't very big. If there's a hundred-thousand-year soul beast living there, just one round will tell us where it is."
Over two hours later, above the sea area, looking down at the three-zhang-long azure figure that surfaced from time to time to frolic, Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er exchanged glances.
"If I remember correctly, in the Ocean Soul Beast Compendium, its name is the Azure Dolphin? Isn't the year limit for this kind of sea soul beast usually below fifty thousand years? How has it cultivated into a hundred-thousand-year Beast King?"
Rubbing his chin, Mu Yang spoke with a face full of surprise.
When it came to martial souls and bloodline inheritance, soul masters and soul beasts had great differences.
With the same martial soul, the gap between the strong and the weak could be very large; even excluding the rarest of exceptions, the upper and lower limits were extremely far apart.
But soul beasts were different. Within the same species, excluding special opportunities, their cultivation upper and lower limits were relatively even, with the difference in strength not being too large.
For example, without external influence, Azure Dolphins could generally cultivate into ten-thousand-year soul beasts, but up until now, there had never been a recorded Azure Dolphin exceeding fifty thousand years.
And the cultivation boundary from ten thousand to fifty thousand years, when converted into the soul master system, was equivalent to the fifth to seventh rings.
Undoubtedly, there was no soul master family on the continent who could guarantee that every member awakening the family's inherited martial soul would, without exception, have a strength limit exactly
between the fifth and seventh rings.
"Perhaps this Azure Dolphin once obtained some special fortuitous encounter? Like the immortal-grade herbs we took back then?"
Glancing at the frolicking Azure Dolphin on the sea surface below, Shui Bing'er spoke with some uncertainty.
Mu Yang shook his head. "Forget it, there's no real point in looking into this.
It's just that I don't know if Senior Shang would allow me to take soul beasts from the secret realm out into the outside world. If possible, this Azure Dolphin would be quite suitable for Yue'er."
Both being of the dolphin category, although Shui Yue'er's Glimmering Jade Dolphin martial soul and this hundred-thousand-year Azure Dolphin were not completely identical, their compatibility was absolutely very high — second only to a one-hundred-percent-compatible god-bestowed soul ring. Whether used as her seventh or eighth soul ring, the resulting soul skill's effect would definitely not be poor.
Moreover, since a hundred-thousand-year soul beast was bound to possess Domain power, there was even a chance Shui Yue'er could replicate Shui Bing'er's gains — not only obtaining a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone, but also awakening a martial soul innate domain.
For ordinary soul masters, whether or not they had Domain power wasn't particularly critical.
After all, if one's own cultivation talent was lacking, then no matter how good the effect of Domain power, it could not change the fact that they were just a weakling.
Furthermore, since the vast majority of soul masters did not master Domains, there was no obvious disadvantage when fighting against those of the same rank.
But for a genius soul master like Shui Yue'er, Domain power was very important.
With a combat-oriented Domain, aside from the gap being too great between Rank 98 and Rank 99, a Domain could at least allow a Title Douluo to improve their strength by one whole level.
In addition, Domain power was the true hallmark of the continent's top-tier soul masters. Without a Domain, wouldn't that make others look down on you?
Three days later, once Shui Bing'er, who had advanced to a seventh-ring Soul Sage, had slightly adapted to her skyrocketing strength, Mu Yang and she sought out "Shang," preparing to begin the second trial.
The time limit for the second trial was only one month, there was no time to waste.
On the way to the assessment site for the second trial — the true Hell Road, thinking back to that hundred-thousand-year Azure Dolphin in the secret realm's ocean, Mu Yang asked "Shang," "Senior, can I take soul beasts from the secret realm out into the outside world?"
Hearing this, "Shang" smiled and said, "Your Highness has taken a liking to that little dolphin? All resources within the secret realm are prepared for the examinees. In principle, they cannot be taken into the outside world."
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
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