Yu Xiaogang cleared his throat twice before saying, "Xiao Tian, you're truly a special case. Generally, ordinary soul masters struggle even to absorb a 400-year soul ring, let alone a thousand-year-old one like yours. But you reminded me that, among my ten core competencies, I never mentioned anything about physical fitness. That's because I believe children simply can't reach that level... even disciples of the sect struggle with it."
Yu Xiaogang's last words were actually meant for Tang San's benefit.
It wasn't that Yu Xiaogang didn't want to help Tang San absorb a millennium soul ring, but Tang San's physique was a bit beyond what he had expected.
What could Tang San say? If he had the chance, he'd definitely try absorbing spirit rings beyond the third level—he didn't want to fall too far behind Xiao Tian. The gap was just too big.
Four years passed, and finally, Xiao Tian and the others were about to graduate from Notting College.
It's worth mentioning what happened in those four years.
After Xiao Tian's strength reached level 30, he set out to obtain his third soul ring and bid farewell to Tang San and the others.
Originally, Yu Xiaogang, Xiao Wu, Tang San, and the rest wanted to accompany him, but Xiao Tian rejected them outright.
He already possessed a divine soul ring granted by the system, so he didn't need to hunt soul beasts for power. He just wanted to use this opportunity to deal with Tang Hao and head to Holy Soul Village. (Many readers pointed out earlier that Tang Hao didn't know formations, so that's been changed here~~)
Xiao Wu had privately approached him, insisting on going no matter what. But Xiao Tian had no choice but to reply seriously, "I have something very important to do on this trip, but I must do it alone. You have to stay behind and watch over Tang San. When the time is right, I'll explain naturally."
Just that short sentence drained the color from Xiao Wu's face.
She didn't understand what Xiao Tian meant by "confess."
What was there left to confess? Over the years being with Xiao Tian, they'd basically been inseparable except for sleep. What could he possibly not know?
Only one answer remained—Xiao Tian had seen through her identity as the incarnation of a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast!
This puzzled Xiao Wu. Xiao Tian's strength clearly wasn't up to a Titled Douluo's level, so how could he see through her?
She released her grip on his sleeve.
Taking this chance, Xiao Tian left Notting City quietly that night.
The trip was smooth. Xiao Tian arrived at the back mountain of Holy Soul Village without trouble. Behind a stone, he found a box containing the right leg bone of the hundred-thousand-year-old Blue Silver Emperor.
In a damp cave at the mountain's rear, he discovered a blue silver grass patterned with gold. This was the Blue Silver Emperor Ah Yin. Sadly, after her sacrifice, she had been reduced to an ordinary hundred-year-old blue silver grass.
Xiao Tian knelt beside Ah Yin. "Ah Yin, you don't want to be trapped in this cold, damp cave forever, do you? Tang San and Tang Hao have been in Notting City without returning for years. How about I take you to reunite with them?"
Although now just a hundred-year-old blue silver grass, Ah Yin's consciousness remained. Seeing Xiao Tian's attempt to take her, she reacted fiercely.
Her blue silver tendrils wrapped tightly around Xiao Tian's hands, trying to stop him.
But Blue Silver Grass is still Blue Silver Grass. Ah Yin's control over her power was diminished, so she wasn't strong enough to seriously harm him. Yet, Xiao Tian warned her firmly, "Ah Yin, last time Tang San brought me here. You should know I'm his friend now. If you come with me, you can watch over Tang San—wouldn't you like that?
"Aren't you curious about Tang San's unique abilities? Do you really think he learned those spirit skills before awakening his martial spirit? That's not true! And do you really believe your sacrifice to Tang Hao was accidental? If so, you've wasted tens of thousands of years growing only physically and not mentally!"
Ah Yin's tiny head seemed about to explode—oh wait, she had no head now!
No!
Who is this person standing before me?
He seemed to know the events of that year intimately. The issues he raised about Tang San and Tang Hao hit her like a bombshell—things she didn't want to face, but now were thrown in her face directly.
Suddenly silent, Ah Yin ceased all movement on the grass.
She sensed no hostility from Xiao Tian. Maybe following him would help her uncover the truth?
Seeing Ah Yin slowly sway toward him, Xiao Tian knew she'd agreed.
If only she knew what was running through Ah Yin's mind, he could only think, "You didn't sense Tang Hao's treachery at first—but it's strange you sensed mine, isn't it?"
Though Xiao Tian himself bore no ill intentions, he was confident that, given time and his system, he'd eventually reach the top.
Instead of letting Ah Yin fade away, why not help her transform again and become his partner?
Even though he didn't have Cao's blood,
he had inherited Cao's will.
How to make Ah Yin give up on Tang San and Tang Hao was a plan that would take time. Either way, Ah Yin wouldn't transform so easily.
[Ding! The host has once again stunned me by subduing the Blue Silver Emperor Ah Yin, the life core of Douluo Star, triggering a critical hit reward.]
[Congratulations to the host for acquiring the "Soul. Equal Contract" method and the magic "Shrinking the Earth into an Inch."]
[Soul. Equal Contract: Allows signing a contract with a soul beast. The soul beast provides spirit rings to the host, while the host's strength improvement enhances the soul. After the host's death, the contract automatically terminates without harming the soul.]
[Shrinking the Earth into an Inch: After mastery, this magic drastically shortens spatial distance. Though it may look like a small step, it can cover vast distances quickly.]
What in the world?
Not just the first soul contract—this is an equal contract benefiting both sides. More importantly, the soul master's death doesn't take the soul beast down with him, preserving the soul beast's rights.
But signing contracts with soul beasts is no easy feat.
Ordinary soul beasts must be over ten thousand years old before gaining any semblance of human-like intelligence. Those below ten thousand years mostly act on instinct—fighting, devouring, and evolving.
Without finding a killer as powerful as the Soul Beast Leader or Emperor Tian, there's no point even trying.
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