Tang Yin silently pondered as he descended from the sky, Bing'er, Bai Chenxian, and Xiao Mei by his side, like a god among angels.
"From what I sensed when I absorbed the sixth ring and the Blue Silver Heart, the age of my fifth soul ring increased, and I could feel my Blue Silver bloodline was intensifying.
This means that each time my fifth soul ring grows older, my bloodline evolves as well. So the evolution of the Blue Silver Heart is likely connected to my Blue Silver Emperor Wuhun."
This was good news. It meant that his Blue Silver Emperor's potential had never been fully realized by Tang San or Ah Yin in the original story. He would be the one to bring justice to the Blue Silver Clan.
"Tang Yin, why did the soul ring of the Man-Faced Demon Spider Emperor change from black to white?" Erlong asked curiously the moment they landed.
"Yes, I saw the color change too as your hand reached for it. Did you do something?" Yuehua added, her big eyes fixed on Tang Yin, silently demanding an answer.
Tang yin was bombarded by their questions.
He was about to boast in front of them about his heaven-defying ability when Rongrong suddenly pushed him aside, interrupting.
"It's one of his amazing abilities. He can absorb the soul power from a soul ring and—"
Tang Yin quickly clasped her mouth, leaning close to whisper, "Spout one more word and I'll whip your butt until it's sore. Understand?" His hand gave a firm, teasing grip.
Rongrong nodded frantically, like a terrified chicken. She had endured—or rather, secretly enjoyed—this kind of treatment before, and though it hurt like hell, she could never bring herself to complain to her father or grandfather ; it was far too embarrassing.
"Ahem—why explain all this? You'll soon experience it first-hand. Let me demonstrate," Tang Yin said, coughing theatrically to sound mysterious.
Erlong and Yuehua exchanged glances, their eyes flicking between Tang Yin and Rongrong, silently processing her earlier words.
"Anyway, let's move. This forest is far too large and probably packed with soul beasts suitable for all of you," Tang Yin continued, using his telepathy to scan for nearby targets.
The girls followed closely, while Liu Erlong guarded the rear vigilantly. With his spiritual radar fully active, it wasn't strictly necessary—but he appreciated their involvement.
After three hours, Tang Yin finally located a perfect dark-attribute soul beast for Zhuqing: a 60,000-year-old Eclipse Panther, likely capable of granting a powerful Shadow Attribute soul skill. He gestured toward her.
"Zhuqing, this soul beast is perfect for you. I want everyone to hunt it together and show me your best teamwork, alright?" He instructed, motioning for Erlong and Yuehua to stay by his side.
Everyone nodded, their fighting intent surging. Zhuqing, Huo Wu, and Bing'er assumed attack positions, while the others readied themselves to support.
"Tang Yin, isn't this too dangerous?" Yuehua asked, her voice tinged with worry—they were already friends, after all.
Erlong shook her head confidently. "You Don't have to worry. If they get into trouble, we'll step in. Besides, they're also really strong."
They struck the beast by surprise. The Panther was immediately hit by a combined assault of fire and ice from Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er.
"Fifth Soul Skill—Crimson Meteor Strike!"
Channeling her ultimate fire energy into a single devastating punch, Huo Wu's strike crashed like a meteor, scorching the black-skinned beast and shattering its defenses with a 500% fire attack boost.
"Fifth Soul Skill—Crystal Execution!"
Shui Bing'er unleashed a storm of razor-sharp ice feathers that pierced straight into its soul power, freezing it from within. Moments later, the ice cracked apart with a sharp shatter, and the Jaguar hissed in agony.
Hiss—
Next, Shui Yue'er stepped forward confidently. Her fifth soul ring flared brilliantly as a giant ice tsunami formed beneath the creature.
"Fifth Soul Skill—Frozen Tide: Glacier Surge!"
The tsunami froze the Eclipse Panther and reshaped the forest itself. It shrieked in agony as it burst through the ice, left disoriented.
Shriek—
Zhuqing seized the opportunity. Her fourth and fifth soul rings shimmering in unison.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Hell Shadow Clones!"
Consuming 30% of her soul power, Zhuqing created three clones, each possessing 80% of her original power. Her speed, along with her clones, increased by 20%.
"Fifth Soul Skill—Hell Shadow Doppelganger!"
Instantly, Zhuqing could teleport to any clone and gained a 50% agility boost for half an hour. Using Mysterious Jade Hand alongside Ghost Shadow Preplexing Track, she attacked in perfect sync with her three clones.
Four Zhuqings struck the Eclipse Panther simultaneously. Bones cracked under the combined assault, forcing the beast to dart away—but then its dark skin deepened, becoming even blacker, mirroring the eclipse.
"Everyone be careful!" Tang Yin shouted. "It's now in Eclipse State—its speed is tripled, it can turn into shadows and avoid if your attacks are predictable, and it can also steal your soul power with every strike!"
At the same time,
Zhuqing tensed as her attack only struck its shadow. The Panther's crimson eyes glared at her like a predator. Fear surged deep into her soul as the beast launched a spiritual attack—but thanks to her Purple Demon Eye, she regained focus immediately.
Still, the beast's claw struck Zhuqing cleanly before she could even react. The triple speed and use of shadow made this beast dangerous
"ZHUQING!!" Erlong and Yuehua screamed, their voices cracking with panic as their eyes widened in horror at the sight of the Panther striking her cleanly.
Tang Yin remained calm. Zhuqing hadn't been harmed; her clones had absorbed the lethal attack before dissolving. This skill was truly broken—he couldn't help but feel envious.
"Don't worry, she's alright," he blurted out.
Sighing, Tang Yin used his telepathy to subdue the beast. The Eclipse Panther immediately exited its Eclipse state and leaped toward him, startling Yuehua. Erlong readied herself—but the beast merely sat behind obediently.
"You're not strong enough yet. Keep honing your skills and perfect our sect's techniques," Tang Yin instructed, while Yuehua and Erlong stared at the Panther in dumbfounded awe.
"What? Why isn't this beast attacking any of us anymore?" Yuehua blurted out, and Erlong, equally curious, wanted an answer as well.
Tang Yin smiled and motioned to Rongrong.
Finally, she dared to speak. As they learned of all his abilities to control soul beasts, the two were left in awe, struggling to comprehend it.
Soon, they resumed their adventure, with the Eclipse Jaguar trailing behind them obediently maintaining its distance.
Two weeks later,
Tang Yin had already chosen suitable soul beasts for everyone— including Tang Yuehua, whose case was particularly special.
Only two types of soul beasts were compatible with the Heartstring Zither martial soul—one of the Support type and the other of the Spiritual type. This Wuhun could bolster allies through its melodies while simultaneously unleashing devastating spiritual assaults upon enemies.
By the time Tang Yin and the girls left the Star Dou Forest, a herd of powerful soul beasts—many as old as ninety thousand years—trailed obediently behind them.
Even after personally witnessing it, Yuehua and Erlong still found it hard to adapt to the sight. Their minds reeled at the sheer power and control Tang Yin commanded.
'Didn't this mean that, if he wished, he could wage war against all the powerhouses of the continent using nothing but a tide of mindless soul beasts?' Such formidable creatures were countless in the Star Dou Forest, and the very thought sent shivers down their spines.
Fortunately, Tang Yin was their lover, not their enemy. He bore no thirst for vengeance, no hunger for power…sigh, if only they knew his true wicked tendencies.
Two hundred kilometers away from the Great Star Dou Forest, Tang Yin surveyed the line of soul beasts he had handpicked for his lovers:
Zhu Zhuqing – The Eclipse Jaguar, dark-attribute, muscular yet nimble, had already reached 90,000 years.
Xiao Mei – The Ironclaw Skyhawk, with sleek metallic feathers sharp enough to cut steel, had also evolved to 90,000 years.
Ning Rongrong – The Golden Lion, majestic and immensely powerful, with fire and wind attributes, now 90,000 years old.
Meng Yiran – The Giant Earth Draco, which possessed strong earth attributes and faint traces of the Earth Dragon King's bloodline, had originally been fifty thousand years old. Tang yin had aged the beast to 90,000 years, greatly increasing its strength.
Ye Lingling – The Thousand Ton Ant, whose immense strength compensated perfectly for her lack of a strength-amplification soul skill was also 90,000 years old beast.
Huo Wu – The Crimson Inferno Raptor, a rare and fierce predator, had originally succumbed under Tang Yin's powerful fist but had since been aged to 90,000 years.
Lastly, for Tang Yuehua, Tang yin had secured two exceptionally rare soul beasts: a 30,000 year old Luminous Sound Crane with spiritual attributes, and a rare 50,000 year old Charm Fox, much like Hu Liena's wuhun, ideal for illusion-based skills.
For Liu Erlong, Tang Yin didn't hunt any soul beasts. Instead, he withdrew the Legendary Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent's Neidan from his storage pouch and pondered for a moment.
'If this could help Erlong evolve her Fire Dragon, it would be worth far more than a regular 100,000-year soul ring. Let's try.'
He handed the Neidan to Erlong and gazed into her deep, enchanting eyes, momentarily lost in their beauty before shaking his head to refocus.
"Erlong, this is a legendary Neidan from a Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent. I'm certain it's the only thing capable of helping you evolve your Fire Dragon Martial Soul. Do you have faith in me?" he asked, flashing a charming smile.
Erlong didn't answer at first. Instead, she pressed her lips to his and whispered, "Even more than in myself. But… are you sure I'm worthy of this precious treasure?" Her voice trembled slightly, betraying both desire and hesitation—she wanted it, yet feared being a burden.
"You're worth anything this world has to offer. Don't ever doubt that, my love," Tang Yin replied smoothly as he unfurled the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud to enclose them.
The girls felt themselves encased in prism and something transparent, as if underwater. They didn't know what it was, but its strange, fluid-like shimmer was unmistakable—Sea.
From the outside, no one could locate Tang Yin and the girls; the shroud completely veiled them from view.
Shui Yue'er felt her water element surge uncontrollably. "What… what exactly is this thing? My water attribute and martial soul is reacting so strongly!" she asked, astonished.
Tang Yin smiled. "This is an artifact created by the Sea God using the Cosmic Sea Law. Since your Azura Jade Dolphin is an aquatic Wuhun, it's natural for it to feel familiar. Its purpose is to shield and hide us from the outside world. Alright, everyone… are you ready?"
The girls nodded, though they were still surprised by what he'd just revealed. Before they could ask further, Tang Yin began the sacrifice process. Yuehua watched with eager anticipation—this was her first time absorbing a soul ring, and she was ready.
Liu Erlong also began absorbing the Neidan.