'Pfft~ Hahaha~'
Suddenly, a burst of mocking laughter came from nearby.
Bei Bei and Tang Ya were startled—they had just realized that someone had been following them from a short distance away.
In an instant, both entered combat mode, their eyes warily fixed on Ye Wen's direction.
"Who's there!" Tang Ya immediately demanded.
Ye Wen and Huo Yuer stepped forward without hesitation. Ye Wen saw no need to hide, nor did he feel inclined to.
Tang Ya exclaimed in surprise, "It's you two!"
Though she felt inexplicably drawn to Huo Yuer, Tang Ya was now certain that the pair likely harbored ill intentions.
She didn't know their purpose, but the fact that they had followed them so silently made her uneasy. In this era, soul beasts were highly prized as nourishing treasures, especially millennium-level ones, which could fetch a hefty sum of gold spirit coins.
At this moment, Bei Bei demonstrated his manly resolve. His dragonized right arm crackled with lightning, making him appear fearsome.
"Senior, why have you been following us? If you want the corpse, feel free to take it."
Ye Wen inwardly sighed. As expected of someone educated in elite circles—he quickly discarded something potentially harmful to himself that held little value.
But Ye Wen had no interest in such a useless corpse.
He shook his head slightly and said,
"Calm down, you two youngsters. If I truly intended harm, you'd already be dead."
As he spoke, Ye Wen released the faintest trace of pressure.
In that fleeting moment, both Bei Bei and Tang Ya turned pale, as if facing some terrifying death. They quickly retracted their spirit rings and spirits, realizing that this person was far beyond what they could possibly contend with.
At this point, Ye Wen walked forward with Huo Yuer and gently imparted a lesson.
"Little Yu'er, remember this: choosing a spirit ring is the most important decision for a soul master. One wrong step leads to countless mistakes.
Earlier, this young lady claimed this was the most suitable spirit ring for her. Do you think it suits her, Little Yu'er?"
Huo Yu'er didn't understand these profound aspects of soul master knowledge, but since her master had asked, she couldn't admit ignorance—she still had her pride, even as a child.
"Probably not?" Huo Yu'er replied uncertainly.
Seeing her lack of confidence, Ye Wen chuckled softly and patted her head.
"Of course not. Every spirit has its own tendencies. If you go against those tendencies, it won't benefit your cultivation—it'll harm your potential instead."
Huo Yuer nodded, half-understanding. Her curiosity was ignited, and she asked,
"What exactly are these tendencies?"
"For example, if your spirit is a fish, you should absorb spirit rings related to water, not seek out fire-breathing soul beasts.
Similarly, if your spirit is a sword, don't look for soul beasts with collision-type skills. Instead, seek out those with cutting abilities or wind attributes."
Simplicity carried profound truth. Huo Yu'er instantly grasped it.
However, Tang Ya, who had remained silent due to Ye Wen's overwhelming presence, couldn't stay quiet any longer.
This method of acquiring spirit rings had been verified by generations of Tang Sect ancestors over ten thousand years. How could it be wrong coming from this man's mouth?
"Uncle—"
The moment she spoke, Tang Ya regretted it.
After all, in this lawless land, powerful soul masters often disregarded rules. What could she, a weak woman, do? Even with Bei Bei's help, they wouldn't stand a chance against Ye Wen.
To her surprise, Ye Wen responded gently.
"What is it, young lady?"
His tone was completely different from Bei Bei's—soft and soothing—but it sent a shiver down Tang Ya's spine. She suddenly saw the shadow of her father in Ye Wen.
Because of this, Tang Ya mustered the courage to speak.
"I don't deny what you've said about the tendencies of spirit rings, but Blue Silver Grass is different. It possesses unparalleled inclusiveness compared to ordinary spirits. By acquiring powerful bloodline soul beasts, it can gain even greater strength."
Ye Wen didn't immediately refute her. Instead, he nodded approvingly and asked,
"And then?"
"What do you mean, 'and then'?" Tang Ya asked, puzzled.
Ye Wen sighed inwardly. At this stage, Tang Ya was truly naive. Indeed, corruption tripled her strength, while purification weakened her.
But for his future plans, Ye Wen needed to make good use of this girl.
First, he would shatter her dream of reviving the Tang Sect.
"So, according to your method of acquiring spirit rings, in the past ten thousand years, has any sect leader of the Blue Silver Grass lineage in your Tang Sect become a Titled Douluo?"
Ye Wen's words struck at Tang Ya's sore spot.
In the world of Douluo, one's spirit and innate soul power determined their cultivation limit. Even ten thousand years ago, not even those with full innate soul power could guarantee reaching the rank of Titled Douluo.
Though times had changed, Ye Wen believed the fundamentals remained the same.
Take Tang Ya's ordinary Blue Silver Grass spirit, for instance. Despite being enhanced by various rare treasures, her innate soul power was at best level five.
She would never break through to the rank of Soul Sage, let alone a Titled Douluo.
Meanwhile, her enemy—the ruthless sect leader who destroyed the Tang Sect's foundation—was an undeniable Soul Emperor.
How could the weakest Blue Silver Grass spirit compete with a high-tier spirit cultivated through talent? Would she fight with her head?
At this moment, Tang Ya was left speechless, forced to confront reality.
Her cultivation speed hadn't noticeably slowed, but it wasn't impressive either.
The reason it hadn't slowed was because her boyfriend, Bei Bei, had been secretly supporting her, providing her with an excellent cultivation environment.
Even so, Tang Ya began to panic.
Her mind was consumed with thoughts of revenge and reviving the Tang Sect.
She had even once resented Shrek Academy, wondering why they couldn't help the Tang Sect despite their strength and past connections, ultimately leading to the Tang Sect's current decline.
But as her stubbornness persisted, she refused to deny her ancestors' choices and retorted defiantly,
"The reason I haven't reached the rank of Titled Douluo isn't because of this spirit ring selection method—it's because I didn't have full innate soul power.
Don't you know about our Tang Sect's ancestor, the Sea God Tang San? He was the first to ascend to godhood using the Blue Silver Grass spirit!"
Though it was amusing to see a teenage girl act stubborn, Ye Wen shattered her illusion of Tang San without hesitation.
"Wait—do you not know he had twin spirits, the other being the Hao Tian Hammer of the Hao Tian Sect?"
Silence fell over the scene once more.
To sever ties between the Tang Sect and the Hao Tian Sect, the Tang Sect chose Blue Silver Grass as the lineage spirit for their sect leaders.
But time had proven everything—ordinary Blue Silver Grass simply wasn't enough.
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