"Pfft!"
Zhu Zhuqing acted swiftly. With Fu Ye's claw technique clearing the way, she drove her own claw straight into the Dark Night Dragon's skull. A deep purple soul ring slowly rose from the massive corpse.
Her eyes shimmered with barely contained excitement as she gazed at the soul ring.
This was her first thousand-year soul ring—no, even more than that. A three-thousand-year soul ring, far surpassing the ordinary limits!
The sheer power radiating from it was overwhelming. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and prepared to absorb it. But before she began, she glanced at Fu Ye, her expression eager yet seeking reassurance.
"Don't worry. With your physique, absorbing this soul ring won't be a problem," Fu Ye said, stepping closer and ruffling her hair with absolute confidence.
"Okay!"
She sat cross-legged, channeling her soul power to draw the soul ring's energy into her body.
At first, the ring resisted fiercely, as if unwilling to submit. But Zhu Zhuqing refused to yield.
Her will was ironclad, her determination unshakable. She poured more soul power into the struggle, and gradually, the resistance weakened. The absorption had begun.
Yet, trouble always arrives uninvited.
Fortunately, Fu Ye had already sensed the intruder—a little pest creeping into his domain.
"Sizzle."
A massive, purple-black spider burst through the trees, charging straight at Fu Ye. It moved so fast that it barely registered his presence until it was nearly upon him.
Fu Ye smirked. "A 1,750-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider? I might've let you go if you'd stayed hidden, but since you're so eager to die, not even the Asura God could save you now."
A golden barrier instantly encased Zhu Zhuqing, shielding her. Then, Fu Ye's fist collided with the spider's armored abdomen.
"BOOM!"
The impact sent the creature flying into an ancient tree trunk—though the tree didn't shatter. Fu Ye had held back.
Because he had noticed something else: the Dragon Duke, the Serpent Granny, and their entourage were closing in.
"Shh!"
A moment later, the Dragon Duke lunged from the shadows—only to meet a humiliating fate.
Thirty seconds passed.
"Tap. Tap."
An elderly man and a young girl emerged from the undergrowth, only to freeze at the sight before them. The once-mighty Dragon Duke, his face battered and bruised, lay pinned beneath Fu Ye's foot.
"Old man, if you don't start talking, don't blame me for being impolite," Fu Ye said, grinding his heel into the Dragon Duke's face without mercy.
The elder had seen the unconscious Man-Faced Demon Spider and, in a mix of fury and shame, tried to reason with Fu Ye.
The result? A one-sided beatdown. Fu Ye's persuasion was more than enough to humble the stubborn Dragon Duke.
"Ugh—!"
Fu Ye pressed down harder, watching as the old man struggled in vain.
"Still refusing? Then don't say I didn't warn you."
"BOOM!"
With that, Fu Ye stomped the Dragon Duke's head straight into the dirt, leaving Meng Yiran and the Chao Tianxiang stunned.
"Grandfather!"
"Old man!"
Their cries snapped Fu Ye out of his amusement. He turned, feigning ignorance.
"Hmm? Aren't you the little girl who challenged Zhuqing?"
Then, he casually stepped on the Dragon Duke's back.
"You—! Let my grandfather go!" Meng Yiran was beside herself. She'd spent so long searching for a suitable soul ring, only for her grandfather to get beaten to a pulp the moment they found one!
Fu Ye smirked. "Oh? So this is your grandpa? Well, even if he is, attacking me comes with consequences."
Fu Ye was usually easygoing—polite, even. But he had zero tolerance for arrogant old men or troublemakers who thought they could throw their weight around.
Take Dugu Bo, for example. Sure, Fu Ye had thrashed him like a dog, but hadn't he also cured his poison and gifted him immortal herbs for guarding the medicine garden all those years?
Dugu Bo: "Uh, yeah, sure."
Dugu Yan: "And what about me? You promised to marry me!"
Fu Ye: "Flirting ≠ being a scumbag. Leading someone on and abandoning them is scummy. But me? I shower every girl I meet with divine soul bones, god-tier rings, immortal herbs, and a squad of Extreme Douluo bodyguards as dowry."
"Old man," Fu Ye said, pressing down again, "if you don't explain yourself, I'll bury you right here."
Looking at the Dragon Duke now, battered and humiliated, Fu Ye couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
'Maybe next time I see Dugu Bo, I'll relive the good old days with a little sparring.'
"Young friend, I—ugh!"
"BOOM!"
Another stomp. The Dragon Duke's mind went blank. He was a Soul Douluo! Yet this brat had suppressed him so thoroughly he couldn't even summon his martial soul!
"Young friend, this was my—"
"BOOM!"
"This old man was wrong! Truly!"
"BOOM!"
"Brother, please! This this humble one's bones can't take this!"
Finally, the old man's tone shifted from condescending to pleading. Fu Ye hated these self-important elders who called him kid one moment and young friend the next—only showing respect when they were at his mercy.
Now? Old man had become this humble one, and young friend had turned into brother.
"Tch. Was that so hard?" Fu Ye yanked his foot free from the Dragon Duke's dirt-caked face and glanced at the stunned Meng Yiran and Snake Lady.
"Little girl, your grandpa's too stubborn. Teach him some manners, or next time, he might not walk away."
Stretching lazily, Fu Ye returned to Zhu Zhuqing.
By now, she was nearing the end of her absorption. A mysterious, potent soul power surged through her. Her hands transformed—nails sharpening into blades, dark scales creeping up her skin like dragonhide.
…
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