Chapter 96: Ning Rongrong's Resolve, Bibi Dong's Investigation
Although both of their martial souls were Blue Silver Grass, Ah Yin's was the Emperor among Blue Silver Grass.
Moreover, beneath Ah Yin's Blue Silver Grass, five soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black—rose and fell rhythmically. She was clearly a Soul King.
With such cultivation, she could serve as the dean of a mid-level Soul Master Academy or as a noble within an empire.
The girl clearly felt her martial soul being suppressed. She didn't even have the slightest courage to resist.
At the same time, she sensed a warm familiarity from Ah Yin, and her tension gradually melted away.
Ah Yin retracted her martial soul and asked, "Little sister, what's your name?"
The girl felt the pressure lighten, and her martial soul loosened as she replied, "Big sister, my name is Bai Yan."
"Bai Yan? A lovely name. Would you like to follow me and cultivate?" Ah Yin invited gently.
Bai Yan's eyes lit up.
Blue Silver Grass was notoriously difficult to cultivate. Reaching even the Soul Elder realm was hard—let alone becoming a Soul King.
Although her martial soul was a mutated Blue Silver Grass, she herself had only cultivated to rank 10.
She hadn't even graduated from a basic Soul Master Academy, which was why she had no choice but to hunt a soul ring by herself.
She wasn't a fool. A Soul King with a Blue Silver Grass martial soul wanted to take her as a disciple—how could she possibly refuse?
"Big sister, I'm willing! Please accept me as your disciple!" Bai Yan immediately prepared to kneel.
"Good." But just as Bai Yan was about to bow, Ah Yin stopped her. "There's no need to be so formal. Come with me."
To Ah Yin, a Blue Silver Grass martial soul like Bai Yan's was no different from the children she had once nurtured—someone she naturally wished to protect.
Qi Tian let out a quiet breath of relief. With someone to accompany her and provide human interaction, Ah Yin should soon reach her mature stage.
Once she reached maturity, she would be just like a human Soul Master, no longer needing to rely on "human energy" to cultivate.
He had taught her the Mysterious Heaven Skill—given her talent, reaching the Title Douluo realm wouldn't be difficult.
...
The next day, Qi Tian's split soul returned to his main body. Afterwards, he visited the Blue Silver Forest again.
The Blue Silver King truly managed to find a ten-thousand-year soul beast willing to sign a spirit soul contract with him—a thirty-thousand-year Black Jade Bamboo.
To call it a bamboo "plant" wasn't entirely correct; it was more like an entire bamboo grove.
That entire grove was the Black Jade Bamboo's body—spread across an entire mountainside, sharing one life source.
Qi Tian successfully formed the spirit soul contract. It became his fourth soul ring.
However, its soul imprint was still nurturing within the ring and would require time before a spirit soul could hatch.
Qi Tian also gained a soul skill from it—[Undying Body].
Although not as powerful as the Blue Silver Emperor's version, it still allowed limb reattachment—and even limb regeneration.
It could also shift fatal damage to a different part of the body to bear.
Just like a bamboo grove—cut down one stalk, and another would grow. The life force was incredibly resilient.
Qi Tian's soul power rose to rank 47—Soul King was already within reach.
After breaking through, he took Zhu Zhuqing northward toward the Sunset Forest to hunt soul beasts and acquire a soul ring.
He wasn't deliberately avoiding the closer Star Dou Forest—the Sunset Forest was simply far safer.
...
Morning.
Inside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's castle.
Ning Rongrong had gotten up early, but moments later lay back down, restless and uneasy.
She wasn't trying to sleep again—she simply felt… uncomfortable.
"Brother Tian… are you really abandoning me?"
Several days had passed. The Qi Tian, who was supposed to possess her body again, had not reappeared.
At first, she thought she would be relieved to have regained her freedom—but she wasn't. Instead, she found herself missing the feeling of Qi Tian's presence.
"Brother Tian wouldn't have gone looking for that evil woman, right?"
Ning Rongrong suddenly recalled the stunning woman she met in the Crown Prince's Mansion—Bibi Dong. That woman was practically the ultimate form Ning Rongrong dreamed of becoming.
Overwhelming authority, unmatched strength—doing whatever she pleased without restraint.
"No! I can't let her succeed. I'm going to find Brother Tian myself!" Ning Rongrong gritted her teeth.
"Besides, Brother Tian said it himself—my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is still valuable to the Spirit Hall. As the Pope, Bibi Dong shouldn't dare harm me!"
Ning Rongrong shot up from bed, determination burning in her eyes, ready to begin her morning training.
Her rival was already an Ultimate Douluo. If she didn't work hard, all she could do was watch helplessly as Bibi Dong stole Qi Tian away.
"Rongrong, good news! We've already found a soul beast suitable for you!" Right at that moment, Ning Fengzhi knocked at her door.
"I know!" Ning Rongrong responded quickly.
As the hope of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi wouldn't let her take the slightest risk.
Even when hunting soul rings, his subordinates had to fully confirm the target soul beast before bringing Ning Rongrong over.
If not for the possibility that a soul beast might self-destruct, Ning Fengzhi would have preferred to catch it alive himself and bring it to Ning Rongrong to finish off.
...
Heaven Dou City, Spirit Hall.
Bibi Dong flipped rapidly through a stack of documents from the Heaven Dou Empire's Spirit Hall.
Her subordinates had compiled several profiles—each belonging to a soul master named Qi Tian.
"Which one of these is you?" Bibi Dong murmured.
She discovered that, within the Heaven Dou Empire alone, there were several soul masters named Qi Tian.
Among them, the one that caught her attention the most was a Blue Silver Grass soul master.
At age seven, he reached Rank 10 and officially registered his martial soul. At nine, he became a Soul Grandmaster. At ten, he reached Soul Elder.
Such cultivation speed was absolutely unnatural for someone with a Blue Silver Grass martial soul.
A soul master this exceptional was bound to attract her attention.
"Qi Tian… you can't escape the palm of my hand," Bibi Dong thought coldly.
At the same time, she noticed the details of Qi Tian's family—information she obtained from both the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire.
"Separated from his parents at such a young age… how pitiful."
Bibi Dong planned to bring Qi Tian's parents to Spirit City and settle them down, preventing them from being affected by future wars.
She was going to prepare everything for him so perfectly—how could Qi Tian possibly not submit?
...
Sunset Forest.
Qi Tian stood guard for Zhu Zhuqing, who was currently fighting a two-thousand-year-old Ghost Leopard.
Zhu Zhuqing had taken whale rubber and cultivated the Mysterious Heaven Skill—her physique and meridians had strengthened tremendously.
She had also consumed an immortal herb, which enhanced her martial soul's potential. Absorbing a two-thousand-year soul ring was no longer difficult for her.
However, with only two hundred-year soul skills, battling a two-thousand-year soul beast remained strenuous.
Qi Tian didn't intervene immediately. Gaining real combat experience would benefit her greatly.
The Ghost Leopard was a high-tier soul beast renowned for speed and ferocity—its soul ring was perfect for Zhu Zhuqing.
There was even a Titled Douluo in the Spirit Hall whose martial soul was the Ghost Leopard, which proved the species' exceptional quality.
The Ghost Leopard's speed was frightening. Zhu Zhuqing remained suppressed throughout the fight. Even when she landed a hit, it turned out to be nothing more than an afterimage.
Gradually, she fell into disadvantage, and Qi Tian prepared to intervene at any moment.
Just then, he suddenly heard a clear, melodious voice echo through the forest—
"Nine Treasures turn forth as Glazed Light. The Nine Treasures have names: First—Strength; Second—Speed; Third—Soul!"
—
End of Chapter