Of course, it was also possible that even if Tang Yuehua had added a standard best-fit seventh spirit ring, the Ruyi Ring True Body would still have had the same effect.
Although spirit rings from the same type of soul beast will always yield stronger soul skills at higher ages than at lower ages, that advantage does not necessarily show up in the soul skill's effect.
Take Ning Rongrong as an example. Judged purely by effect, the four-hundred-year first ring and a hundred-thousand-year first ring are the same. The difference lies only in soul power consumption when using the skill and in the physical enhancements granted after adding the ring.
As said before, putting hundred-thousand-year rings on Tang Yuehua, whose martial soul is special, carries a strong suspicion of waste.
But Chu Chengzhou did not care. The hundred-thousand-year sea soul beasts in the ocean were not his to raise, and there were many of them. So long as he did not slaughter indiscriminately, scarcity was not a concern.
After putting away the left leg bone dropped by the hundred-thousand-year Golden Hawksbill, a flash of gold flickered in Chu Chengzhou's hand as he drew a golden short sword and pried open the skulls of the two hundred-thousand-year sea soul beast kings.
He was not about to miss out on whale brain. The last time he hunted six hundred-thousand-year sea soul beasts for Tang Yuehua, he had obtained six portions of whale brain.
He gave one to Ning Fengzhi and ate one himself, raising his level from Rank 78 Spirit Saint to Rank 80 quasi Spirit Douluo. Four remained.
Adding the two portions now in hand, that made six portions of whale brain from hundred-thousand-year sea soul beasts.
With his current base at newly entered Rank 82 Spirit Douluo, if he took six portions of whale brain, then replaced the newly obtained hundred-thousand-year torso and left leg bones for his existing sixty-thousand-year torso bone and eighty-thousand-year left leg bone, it should be enough to raise his soul power to Rank 90 quasi Titled Douluo.
Even Xiao Wu and the other three currently undergoing trials on Sea God Island could not match such advancement speed.
With rings, bones, and whale brain gone, the remaining carcasses of the two sea soul beast kings naturally went to the Dark Devilgod Tiger summon Xiao Hei.
The pitch-black Devilgod Hook pierced in, evil ripples spread, and the energy rapidly drained. The beast kings' bodies visibly shriveled and weathered, while Xiao Hei's aura and the age of Chu Chengzhou's seventh spirit ring rose steadily.
A long time later, after both bodies had been devoured, the Dark Devilgod Tiger summon Xiao Hei's age rose from just over one hundred and ten thousand years to more than one hundred and thirty-one thousand.
"Chicken ribs."
Seeing that after swallowing two hundred-thousand-year sea soul beast carcasses Xiao Hei's age had risen by only a little over twenty thousand years, Chu Chengzhou silently cursed.
An increase of more than twenty thousand years was not small, but via the AFK plug-in that was only a bit over a hundred days on a single AFK slot.
And that was at the current AFK efficiency. Once he advanced to nine rings and became a Titled Douluo, the AFK plug-in would certainly upgrade again, and the time needed for a twenty-thousand-year increase would shrink greatly. Paying the price of two hundred-thousand-year sea soul beast carcasses felt like a bad deal.
Still, the small increase was inevitable.
After all, Xiao Hei's age was higher than that of the hundred-thousand-year Diamond Sea Clam and Golden Hawksbill. When a higher-age evil soul beast devours lower-age soul beasts, the improvement is naturally limited.
Besides, if Xiao Hei did not devour them, those beast kings' bodies would not be of much use to him.
Well, perhaps his mother-in-law Bibi Dong might like such things?
Elsewhere, in Heaven Dou City.
Just as Chu Chengzhou set out from the sea with Tang Yuehua to return to the continent, a blue-haired youth with a pale face and a body radiating a chilling killing intent—the kind you could tell at a glance was no good person and quite likely an evil Spirit Master—appeared on the street outside the Moon Pavilion, not long after leaving the Slaughter City.
"Aunt's domain power can cleanse the mind. I will definitely be able to master the Killing God Domain quickly."
Looking at the Moon Pavilion not far ahead, Tang San, who knew his own condition was not great, thought to himself.
"Greetings, Young Pavilion Master!"
Seeing Tang San approach, two green-clad youths guarding the Moon Pavilion gate stepped forward at once to salute.
"Is my aunt in?"
Tang San gave a slight nod and asked.
One of the youths answered, "Young Pavilion Master, the Pavilion Master has been out on business recently and is not in the Moon Pavilion."
Hearing this, Tang San raised a brow, but did not mind. He waved a hand and walked straight in.
Though his aunt was not there, the Moon Pavilion, where he had grown up, was still his home.
After Tang San entered the gate, the two youths at the door began whispering.
"What's going on with the Young Pavilion Master? Why does he look like an evil Spirit Master? He was fine the last time we saw him."
"How would I know? I remember Young Master Chu looked like this the first time he came too, but the Young Pavilion Master's condition looks worse."
"Young Master Chu and our Young Pavilion Master are both genius Spirit Masters. Maybe genius Spirit Masters are all like this?"
"Maybe. But Young Master Chu is not just a genius anymore. He is a powerhouse on the continent."
Though the two at the door spoke softly, a Spirit Master's hearing far exceeds that of ordinary people, and Tang San, just stepping into the Moon Pavilion, heard them.
At the sudden mention of Chu Chengzhou, a black line appeared on Tang San's forehead.
As for the person Tang San disliked most, besides those from Spirit Hall who had a mother-killing grudge with him, it was undoubtedly Chu Chengzhou.
It was not because Chu Chengzhou had defeated him at the Spirit Master Tournament, nor because he was more talented. It was because the man was shameless and actually wanted to be his uncle.
If Chu Chengzhou were a generation older than him, fine. His aunt had always been single, and Tang San, who regarded Tang Yuehua as half a mother, did not reject his aunt finding a husband.
But they were the same age, and the man already had more than one girlfriend, yet still wanted to be his uncle. That was going too far.
Tang San: You are courting death.
The next afternoon, Chu Chengzhou returned to the Moon Pavilion with Tang Yuehua.
But before they reached the door, Chu Chengzhou keenly sensed an aura inside the Moon Pavilion that did not fit.
He swept it with his spiritual power—eh, his "good" nephew Tang San had returned?
"Yuehua, our nephew is back."
After a pause, Chu Chengzhou spoke to Tang Yuehua.
"Mm? Xiao San is back?"
Tang Yuehua froze for a moment, then quickly asked.
"Mm."
Chu Chengzhou nodded.
At once a smile appeared on Tang Yuehua's face.
Tang San, her eldest nephew, was raised by Tang Yuehua as if he were her own son. When he went to the Slaughter City to temper himself, she had been worried sick. Now that he had returned safely, she was overjoyed.
Yet alongside her joy, Tang Yuehua could not help feeling conflicted.
Her relationship with Chu Chengzhou could not be hidden from her nephew and her two elder brothers.
Tang Yuehua did not care about the gaze of the world, but she did care about the gaze of her family, especially that of her eldest nephew.
After all, Tang Xiao and Tang Hao were her brothers, of the same generation. Being teased by them as "an old cow eating young grass" was nothing.
But finding her eldest nephew Tang San an uncle about his own age—when facing that odd look from her nephew, Tang Yuehua felt she might die of embarrassment.
Seeing Tang Yuehua's inner conflict, Chu Chengzhou patted her shoulder and spoke softly to comfort her. "Yuehua, rest easy. What we have is nothing shameful.
Besides, the stronger a Spirit Master is, the longer the lifespan. In time, what will the age gap between us matter?"
"Mm."
Tang Yuehua tightened her hands around Chu Chengzhou's right arm and nodded, face full of happiness.
T/N: For 40 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle