"Ning Tian!"
Ling Bai shouted, and Ning Tian instantly understood. From the rainbow-colored bracelet-like storage soul ring on her wrist, she drew a short blade. With a few quick steps, she closed in on the barely-living Vajra Baboon. One precise strike, and under the beast's furious, resentful gaze, its life was decisively ended.
A radiant purple soul ring slowly rose into the air, exuding a noble aura.
"Absorb the soul ring here. Wu Feng and I will guard you," Ling Bai instructed.
"Thanks, Brother Bai."
Ning Tian smiled warmly, sitting cross-legged as her soul energy pulled the Vajra Baboon's millennia-old soul ring toward her. Ling Bai and Wu Feng remained in the forest, staring at each other with wide eyes.
After a moment, seeing Ning Tian fully immersed in absorbing the soul ring, Wu Feng cleared her throat, flipped her ponytail, straightened her posture, and said with pride:
"Pfft… A mere Vajra Baboon? I could've defeated it myself. I don't need anyone's help!"
Ling Bai's golden eyes flickered with amusement. "Makes sense… but do you remember the little clown who got slammed twenty meters away by the Vajra Baboon just ten minutes ago? Crashed through three trees and was pinned to the ground so hard they couldn't even move. You know who that was, right?"
"You…"
Wu Feng trembled with anger, struck exactly where it hurt, unable to respond.
Yes—the "little clown" was her.
On their journey from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School to Shrek Academy, Ning Tian had just broken through Level 30. They'd detoured into the Star Dou Forest so she could claim her third soul ring.
Having grown up together, Wu Feng had always refused Ling Bai's help in matters concerning Ning Tian. She had promised repeatedly that she didn't need assistance… only to be outpaced.
In the end, Ning Tian had pulled her out like a stubborn carrot.
"I… I just got careless!" Wu Feng muttered, finally managing a full sentence.
"Oh?" Ling Bai's skeptical gaze made her squirm, but she pressed on:
"Anyway… from now on, anything involving Ning Tian, I'll handle it myself!"
"Got it. Go ahead, then."
Ling Bai tossed Wu Feng a jade bottle, gesturing for her to take it easy somewhere else.
"You!!"
Wu Feng's defenses cracked. She wanted nothing more than to punch Ling Bai—but five years of painful experience reminded her that this six-winged angel of the Douluo Continent was like a demon in combat.
Unable to win by argument or fight, Wu Feng reluctantly sat a short distance from Ning Tian, pulled out the jade bottle stopper, and inhaled the herbal scent.
"Ling Miao Pill?"
Wu Feng blinked. The Ling Miao Pill was a top-tier healing pill, made from the heartwood of millennia-old plant-type soul beasts. Even the wealthy Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School prized it as a rare treasure.
"What do you mean by this?" Wu Feng demanded, hands on her hips.
"What do you think?"
Ling Bai's gaze swept over her bloodied arms and heaving chest. The Vajra Baboon's force was far beyond a second-ring Grand Soul Master's ability to resist. Her organs had already been impacted—but the fact she could still argue was thanks to her Red Dragon constitution.
"Ling Bai!"
Wu Feng's indignation grew as Ling Bai's teasing eyes met hers. She raised the jade bottle and said firmly:
"I, Wu Feng, would rather die under the Vajra Baboon in the Star Dou Forest than take a single pill from you!"
"Oh?"
Ling Bai clapped, sarcastically praising her determination. "If you die, I could do whatever I wanted with Ning Tian. To honor your sacrifice, I'll even build a monument for you. Pink, perhaps?"
"Monument? Whatever you want?!"
Wu Feng nearly exploded—but ultimately swallowed the Ling Miao Pill, glaring at the teasing boy across from her:
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! As long as I'm here, you won't touch Ning Tian!"
Saying that, she sat cross-legged and began channeling soul energy to absorb the pill's healing power.
"Toughest mouth in the world," Ling Bai muttered, turning his attention to other matters while Ning Tian and Wu Feng focused on recovery.
As a transmigrator with memories of a past life, Ling Bai knew this was the world of Peerless Tang Sect. Due to the unresolved issue of his second martial soul, he needed a senior's guidance. According to the timeline, today was the day they were supposed to appear.
"Elex, don't let me down…"
Ling Bai extended his hand, forming a fist-sized purple-black spider from his soul energy. Its fangs were sharp and venomous, eight spear-like legs bent slightly, piercing the ground like scythes. Unlike the sacred aura of the Six-Winged Angel, this spider radiated a ferocious, brutal presence.
"Find it."
Ling Bai's command was simple. Months ago, he had left the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School under an excuse and hidden near the White Tiger Duke's mansion. When Huo Yun'er went out shopping, he secretly left a mark on her White Tiger Dagger. The spider could track this mark.
The spider scurried northwest, gradually disappearing from Ling Bai's view.
"Seems not far…"
An hour later, sensing the spider's feedback, Ling Bai's eyes shifted. The two girls slowly woke up as well.
"Brother Bai, Xiao Feng, I'm done."
Ning Tian rose, brushing her skirt and walking toward Ling Bai, a pleased smile on her face—clearly satisfied with the third soul skill from the Vajra Baboon.
Seeing this, Wu Feng hurried over to prevent Ning Tian and Ling Bai from getting too close.
Ling Bai didn't mind—after all, Ning Tian would be his eventually. He asked:
"Xiao Tian, what's your third soul skill?"
"Guess," Ning Tian replied, playful.
"The Vajra Baboon is second only to the Titan Ape among ape-type soul beasts. Its strength, speed, attack, and defense are all formidable. Your Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda already enhances strength and speed. The third skill likely focuses on attack or defense."
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School, with its millennia of research, had developed soul skills optimized for the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda. Its first six skills enhanced strength, speed, attack, defense, soul power, and attributes—boosting teammates in all areas.
"Third skill: Attack."
Ning Tian revealed the answer, delighted. For both the Six-Winged Angel and Red Dragon, attack enhancement was far more valuable than defense.
As expected, upon hearing this, Ling Bai and Wu Feng's eyes glimmered with joy. The three-ring Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda now had 40% overall enhancement, with strength, speed, and attack boosting all at once—allowing them to fight beyond their soul ring level.
Ning Tian looked at the sky and said:
"We've delayed a few days hunting soul beasts. It's time to report to Shrek Academy."
The bond between the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School and Shrek Academy traced back ten thousand years to the ancestor, Ning Rongrong. Every generation, the school sends a direct disciple to Shrek Academy, who ultimately becomes the sect leader.
As Ning Tian's parents had only her, this duty naturally fell upon her.
Ling Bai shook his head. "No. I think we need to stay longer in the Star Dou Forest."
"Why?"
Wu Feng immediately asked, and Ning Tian glanced at him in curiosity. Besides reporting to Shrek Academy, the Star Dou Forest was the largest gathering place for soul beasts on the Douluo Continent—every extra minute here carried unknown dangers.
"I've… broken through Level 40."
(End of Chapter)
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