Chapter 78: Tianmeng Iceworm's Benefits, Yet You Remain Unmoved?!
Hu Bai heard that voice and felt a strange sense of familiarity. Then, when he heard the other party say he was a million-year Soul Beast, wasn't Tianmeng Iceworm the closest to a million-year Soul Beast in the Star Dou Great Forest at the moment?
Soon, a white, fluffy figure appeared in his Spiritual Sea.
"Yo, kid. I didn't expect that you, merely a Soul Grandmaster, have already opened your Spiritual Sea. Not bad, not bad at all. As expected of someone I favor."
Hu Bai looked at the big bug in front of him and deliberately said, "You? A million-year Soul Beast? Aren't you just an ordinary Iceworm?"
"Bastard! What do you mean by 'just an ordinary Iceworm'?" Tianmeng Iceworm was provoked by Hu Bai's extremely nonchalant attitude.
Hu Bai, of course, knew that the Tianmeng Iceworm in front of him would be a million-year Soul Beast ten thousand years later, but for now, he quietly looked at Tianmeng Iceworm's body. Strictly speaking, there were only nine golden rings, and the tenth one was very faint, indicating he was still a little short.
"Oh. So if you're a million-year Soul Beast, you must be very powerful, right? Why would you take a liking to a Soul Grandmaster like me? Could it be... that you're not strong enough?" Hu Bai smiled teasingly.
Tianmeng seemed to have been hit where it hurt and retorted stubbornly, "How could that be? Your Brother Tianmeng is very powerful. It's just that this world doesn't allow the appearance of million-year Soul Beasts. I was forced to become your wisdom soul ring, and only a kid with good talent like you would do! Otherwise, Brother wouldn't even bother!"
Hu Bai: "Oh."
"Kid, what do you mean by that?" Tianmeng saw Hu Bai's indifferent attitude and truly became agitated.
Normal Soul Masters, upon encountering a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast, if they had the strength, would absolutely desire its soul ring and Soul Bone.
But this kid, he was a million-year Soul Beast, yet he showed no interest at all?
Little did he know, Hu Bai was faking all of this.
Although Tianmeng Iceworm's strength was not great, he was at least a million-year-old Soul Beast. If Hu Bai could possess his soul ring, he would have four soul skills to enhance his mental power.
Although he initially didn't plan to absorb a mental attribute soul ring, there were exceptions to everything.
After all, soul rings of ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts and above were not easy to obtain. Since Tianmeng himself came knocking, how could Hu Bai let him run away?
Moreover, ten thousand years later, Tianmeng Iceworm's own origin was basically absorbed by the Fierce Beasts, which is why he didn't bring a Soul Bone to Huo Yuhao. But now it was ten thousand years ago—perhaps Tianmeng Iceworm could bring him a million-year mental (spiritual) type Soul Bone?
Then he would make a huge profit!
It was just that Tianmeng Iceworm was limited by racial disadvantages, and perhaps he himself wasn't very good at using mental power, which is why he appeared so weak.
Otherwise, Hu Bai couldn't think of any other reason why Tianmeng's strength was even inferior to some hundred-thousand-year-old Soul Beasts. If a mental storm swept through, could hundred-thousand-year-old Soul Beasts really block it?
There's a saying that goes: if such a good opportunity is given to a pig, even a pig can climb a tree, but given to Tianmeng, he's still weak.
However, if Tianmeng really granted him a million-year Soul Bone, could it still provide a slot for another ice-attribute Martial Soul?
If so, then he might not be able to temporarily forget some of the disgusting plot points involving Tianmeng in the original work.
After all, he didn't have a system, and Tianmeng, this million-year Soul Beast, was actively delivering himself. He couldn't just reject him because of the plot points in the original work, could he?
As long as he was strong enough, Tianmeng would ultimately just be a tool.
Of course, besides the soul ring, Soul Bone, and Martial Soul, Tianmeng, as a tool, had another use: the essence he left behind could be used to increase the age of soul rings, allowing the age of nine soul rings to be raised to the level of a hundred thousand years—if he remembered correctly.
In this era of Douluo Dalu 1, unless one accepted a divine assessment, there was no other way to increase the age of soul rings, and Tianmeng was that exception.
Although he was a grown man and didn't particularly like a male Soul Beast residing in his Spiritual Sea, with so many benefits, it wouldn't be impossible to let him stay for a few years. But once he had serious matters to attend to later, Tianmeng wouldn't even have a chance to stay in his Spiritual Sea and peek!
"Oh? Since you say you're a million-year Soul Beast, words alone are not enough. How do you prove yourself?"
Hu Bai knew that Tianmeng Iceworm's real body was probably still near the Lake of Life, guarded by others. If this Tianmeng Iceworm dared to attack him, he definitely wouldn't get too much of an advantage.
Tianmeng pointed to the ten golden rings on his body: "See? Our Iceworm clan, as long as we have ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts, will have one golden ring, and I basically have ten now."
"Moreover, if you're willing to let me be your wisdom soul ring, besides providing you with a million-year soul ring, I can also give you a million-year Soul Bone, and even grant you a slot for an ice-attribute Martial Soul, and help you increase the age of your soul rings!"
"How about it? Consider it? If you get it, you won't lose out at all." Tianmeng Iceworm said with his head held high and chest puffed out.
Hu Bai's heart beat much faster. Tianmeng Iceworm was indeed weak, but he offered too many benefits. However, he remained calm: "Someone who offers kindness for no reason is either a traitor or a thief. What do you want in return?"
Tianmeng hadn't expected that even at this point, this kid still hadn't been swayed by the massive benefits. Was this really a child?
Tianmeng's face suddenly fell: "Alright, kid. I'll tell you how I reached nearly a million years of cultivation. If it weren't for the predicament I'm in now, plus your extraordinary luck, perhaps with a chance to bring me eternal life in the future, I wouldn't have chosen you."
A moment later, Tianmeng recounted his experiences.
Many of them, Hu Bai already knew.
"So, you mean you haven't actually reached a million years of cultivation yet, and you're still a few thousand years short? I don't even know where I'll be in a few thousand years. How about, Tianmeng, you wait for the next fated person?" Hu Bai continued to tease him.
"Hey, don't! Aren't you from Spirit Hall? Spirit Hall might have some precious herbs or something. Although I'm only a spiritual body now, I can still digest them. Once I reach a million years of cultivation, I'll be able to fulfill what I said before." Tianmeng Iceworm was anxious.
"But, if you, a big bug, become my wisdom soul ring, you'll be residing in my Spiritual Sea as a spiritual body, right? If you were a girl, it would be fine, but unfortunately, you're a male, and I'm a bit reluctant."
Tianmeng: ...
He was already speechless. 'I'm a million-year Soul Beast, offering so many benefits, and you're refusing with such a flimsy excuse as not wanting a male in your Spiritual Sea?'
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T/N: I think Tianmeng can't produce Soul Bone due to his racial limitations, even with his million-year cultivation (this is what I think)
End of Chapter