Chapter 76: Frequent Visitors to the Star Dou Forest
After returning to the Nine Stars Palace, Ye Lingling remembered Xiao Yu's teachings well. She didn't rush to increase her soul power but focused on compressing and solidifying it. Only when her cultivation level was completely stabilized did she begin a new round of training.
Three months later, with a surge of soul power, Ye Lingling finally broke through the bottleneck of level fifty. Now, she was just one soul ring away from becoming a true Soul King.
"Lingling, congratulations on your breakthrough!"
Xiao Yu had been closely monitoring her condition, knowing she was on the verge of breaking through. As soon as he sensed her success, he was the first to arrive outside her courtyard.
"Brother Xiao Yu, thank you!"
Ye Lingling smiled sweetly and threw herself into Xiao Yu's arms like a fledgling bird returning to its nest. Her gratitude was clearly evident. Without Xiao Yu, it would have been uncertain if she could even break through to the Soul Ancestor level.
Xiao Yu gently patted Ye Lingling's delicate back. "Silly girl, is there any need for thanks between us?"
Ye Lingling's face blushed immediately, and she buried her head deep into Xiao Yu's chest without saying a word.
Seeing Ye Lingling's shy expression, Xiao Yu felt a twinge in his heart. Forcing himself to calm down, he said, "Let's go and get your fifth soul ring first."
"Okay!" Ye Lingling replied softly, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
Since returning to the academy, Huo Wu, possibly feeling stimulated, had also gone into closed-door cultivation to break through. Therefore, she wasn't joining them on this trip.
Looking at the familiar expanse of the vast, primeval forest before him, Xiao Yu sighed inwardly. Not long ago, he had just hunted the King of the Forest, the Titan Giant Ape, and now, only a few months later, he was back again. It felt like he was becoming a regular in the Star Dou Forest.
Xiao Yu had considered going elsewhere to find Ye Lingling's soul ring, but where else could provide such a large number of soul beasts? Both the quantity and quality of soul beasts in the Sunset Forest were far inferior to those in the Star Dou Forest.
The Blue Silver Forest did have a Blue Silver King that was a good match for the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul, but that Blue Silver King had a cultivation of eighty-five thousand years. It would be difficult for even a sixth soul ring, let alone a fifth, to handle it.
Xiao Yu planned to observe Ye Lingling's physical strength later on and then decide whether to make that Blue Silver King her seventh or eighth soul ring.
Sigh, I hope the Silver Dragon King, Di Tian, and the others at the bottom of the Lake of Life don't mind!
Holding Ye Lingling's hand, Xiao Yu led her through the forest as if they were on a leisurely stroll. This time, since Ye Lingling needed a fifth soul ring, there would definitely be no suitable soul beasts on the outskirts. Xiao Yu wasn't in a hurry to search. He planned to go deeper into the Star Dou Forest.
Ye Lingling followed closely behind Xiao Yu, her hand in his, her face glowing with happiness. Without Huo Wu by her side this time, she felt a sense of peace and joy. Although she had convinced herself to accept Huo Wu's presence, acceptance was one thing, and feelings were another.
If only I could keep walking with Brother Xiao Yu like this forever!
Suddenly, Xiao Yu stopped in his tracks.
"What's wrong, Brother Xiao Yu?"
Lost in her blissful fantasies, Ye Lingling almost bumped into Xiao Yu's strong back and couldn't help but ask.
"Someone's here!" Xiao Yu said in a low voice, positioning Ye Lingling behind him and assuming a defensive stance.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! As soon as the words left his mouth, three figures leaped out from the dense forest, quickly taking up positions to form a triangle, surrounding Xiao Yu and Ye Lingling.
"Who are you? What is your purpose here?" The person directly facing Xiao Yu from among the three surrounding them barked sharply.
Xiao Yu responded calmly, "What else would someone be doing in the Star Dou Forest? Naturally, we're here to obtain a soul ring!"
The man sized up Xiao Yu and Ye Lingling, and seeing that they didn't seem to have followed them here, he relaxed and waved his hand dismissively. With an extremely arrogant tone, he said, "This is our camp now. No unauthorized people are allowed near. Get lost, or don't blame us for being rude!"
If the man had spoken politely, Xiao Yu would have simply gone in another direction. But his condescending attitude immediately irritated Xiao Yu.
"Oh? Has the Star Dou Forest become your private property?"
Xiao Yu sneered coldly. "I've been to the Star Dou Forest many times and have never heard of such a rule. I think this spot looks good; what if I want to rest here too?"
"Kid, I think you're looking for trouble!"
The three men were instantly enraged. They released their martial souls, revealing that one was a Soul King, while the other two were Soul Elders.
"Kill them!"
The Soul King ordered his two subordinates. These two youngsters, barely Soul Elders, weren't even worth his effort.
The two Soul Elders, receiving the order, sneered and began to close in on Xiao Yu and Ye Lingling. "Kid, better keep your eyes open in your next life!"
Slap! Slap! Before they could finish their threats, Xiao Yu acted first. With two crisp slaps, the two Soul Elders, who didn't even have optimal soul rings, were slapped to the ground, their faces swelling immediately. Xiao Yu's figure flickered as he returned to stand in front of Ye Lingling.
Seeing his two subordinates easily slapped to the ground, the Soul King's face darkened. He cracked his knuckles and said, "Kid, I underestimated you. Let me deal with you myself!"
"Stop!"
At that moment, an angry voice rang out. The Soul King, upon hearing this voice, instantly lost all his arrogance, standing respectfully to the side like a deflated balloon.
Xiao Yu looked towards the voice and recognized the person immediately. Wasn't it Qian Renxue, disguised as the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire?
At the moment, Qian Renxue was in her disguise as Xue Qinghe, dressed in fine clothing, slowly approaching with several guards in tow.
Why is this fool here in the Star Dou Forest? Xiao Yu was puzzled. He remembered that Qian Renxue had broken through to Soul Emperor two and a half years ago. With her current workload of complex political affairs, Xiao Yu would never believe that she could have broken through to Soul Sage in just over two years. Moreover, if Qian Renxue were acquiring a soul ring, she would certainly appear in her true form. Why would she use Xue Qinghe's identity?
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
As Xue Qinghe drew closer, Xiao Yu was lost in thought. Ye Lingling, noticing his distraction, discreetly pinched his hand. Xiao Yu quickly snapped back to reality and gave a slight bow as a gesture of respect.
"Young Lord Xiao, there's no need for such formalities,"
Xue Qinghe waved his hand and said calmly, explaining Xiao Yu's confusion. "My royal sister, Princess Xue Ke, recently broke through to level twenty. This time, I'm here on the Emperor's orders to accompany her in hunting soul beasts. I didn't expect to run into Young Lord Xiao here."
So that's the reason!
Princess Xue Ke, huh? Xiao Yu recalled some information about this imperial princess. She should be about two years older than Tang San, around fourteen or fifteen years old, and just on the verge of becoming a Grand Soulmaster.
A fourteen or fifteen-year-old Grand Soulmaster—well, there's not much to say about that.
(End of the chapter)
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