Time slipped by quietly, and two days later, Yu Keke completed her soul bone fusion. Compared to her radiant and spirited self…
Yue Guan and Gui Mei looked like their souls had been sucked dry—both sporting enormous dark circles under their eyes, presenting quite a comical sight.
For two Title Douluo, assisting others in fusing soul bones normally wouldn't be much trouble.
But the ones they had to assist were hardly ordinary. And with Aether—this mysterious, unfathomable powerhouse—watching from the side, they naturally wanted to make a good impression.
So whether it was Zhu Zhuqing or Yu Keke, the two poured all their focus into channeling their soul power to aid them, not daring to make the slightest mistake.
It's worth noting that after fusing her soul bone, Yu Keke's soul power level had skyrocketed from rank 39 straight to 43.
And Zhu Zhuqing had advanced from rank 45 to 49 after her soul bone absorption.
With one ready to obtain her fourth soul ring and the other brushing right up against the threshold for her fifth, Aether simply suggested that they all stay in the forest to cultivate for now—no need to tire themselves out running back and forth. Since Paimon and the others naturally followed his lead, no one objected.
"Milord, Old Ghost and I… we'll need to return first."
After a quick discussion, Yue Guan and Gui Mei decided to take their leave.
They'd followed Aether into the forest without notifying the Spirit Hall or reporting to the Grand Worship, Qian Daoliu. Now that several days had passed, if they stayed any longer, it might not just be seen as negligence—it could potentially result in serious consequences if their absence caused any unforeseen incident.
"Alright. Thank you both for your help these past few days."
As Aether spoke, he handed Yue Guan a glowing green orb. Yue Guan trembled slightly as he accepted it.
He knew this light all too well. It was this same element-infused gift that had helped Old Ghost repair his martial soul's defect and break through his cultivation bottleneck.
"I… I am endlessly grateful for your generosity, Milord!"
Yue Guan held the orb like a sacred relic. For someone who had spent his life pursuing strength, there was simply no way he could refuse such a gift.
"It's nothing. You two helped save Fire Meow Meow and assisted Zhuqing and Keke in fusing their soul bones—your contributions were invaluable."
Aether chuckled lightly. At first, he'd only allowed them to accompany him out of suspicion—thinking Qian Daoliu had planted them as spies by his side.
Unexpectedly, things had turned into a quest of sorts, and the two had actually been quite helpful.
Since Gui Mei had already benefited from elemental cleansing, it wouldn't be right—emotionally or logically—to let Yue Guan return empty-handed.
"Milord, there's no need to mention such trivial matters."
Gui Mei clasped his fists in a respectful salute. "If you ever need the two of us in the future, just say the word."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the pair bid everyone farewell and departed.
"Traveler, are we going to look for Keke's soul ring now?"
As soon as they left, Paimon turned to ask eagerly.
"We'll keep an eye out while we stay in the forest," Aether said with a furrowed brow. "But their departure does leave us in a bit of a bind… We probably won't recognize most soul beasts ourselves."
He frowned. He'd almost forgotten that without Gui Mei and Yue Guan, their group had very limited knowledge of soul beasts.
Both he and Paimon knew next to nothing—couldn't even name most of the creatures they'd run into.
"Eh? Then what do we do?"
Paimon blinked. Now that he mentioned it, it was a pretty serious problem.
"Zhuqing, are you familiar with soul beasts?"
Aether turned to ask Zhu Zhuqing.
"Your Excellency, I'm afraid… not really~"
Zhu Zhuqing showed an embarrassed expression.
She had done plenty of research on martial soul cultivation, but identifying soul beasts in the forest or searching for specific ones? That was beyond her.
After all, she was only twelve. Most of her time had gone into cultivating soul power—her knowledge of soul beasts was basically nonexistent.
"Brother, I read some soul beast records during my breaks at Skywater Academy… But I don't remember all that much."
Yu Keke raised her small hand shyly, like a student answering a teacher's question.
"You're that studious, Keke?"
Aether was a little surprised. He hadn't expected this girl to be so eager to learn.
"Umm… I only studied a little~"
Feeling the group's eyes turn toward her, Yu Keke shyly buried her face in her budding chest.
"As long as it's enough~"
Aether smiled and continued, "There's no rush. You two just stick to your cultivation routines. Zhuqing, aim to break through to rank 50 during this time, and then absorb your new soul ring while you're at it."
"Mm-hmm!"
Both girls nodded in agreement at Aether's suggestion.
"By the way, Keke, what kind of soul beast do you think you should use for your fourth soul ring?"
"Umm…"
Yu Keke scrunched her brows, thinking hard without saying a word for a long time.
"What's wrong? Can't think of one that matches your martial soul? Don't worry—we'll look around and analyze a few options."
Aether assumed she had trouble deciding and tried to console her.
"N-no, Brother, it's just…"
Keke looked like she was struggling to speak.
"Come on, just say it."
"It's just… the book I read at the academy was all about control-type soul beasts… I haven't gotten to the section on agility-type ones like me…"
"…"
Aether's lips twitched.
So when she said "a little," she meant a little.
Paimon and Zhu Zhuqing both couldn't help but stifle laughs, while Yu Keke buried her face even deeper, cheeks turning bright red.
"Ahem~ no big deal. Let me think… Among the people we know, who has deep knowledge of martial souls and soul beasts? Worst case, we go find someone."
Aether coughed to break the awkward silence.
"Hmm~ what about Qinghe? Maybe he knows! We can go find him."
Paimon pondered for a moment before suggesting someone she considered a generous big brother.
Qian Renxue?
Aether shook his head at her suggestion.
Qian Renxue still had important tasks to handle. Wasting his time wasn't an option.
"Then what about that old grandpa who used to smell kinda funky? I bet he knows a lot."
Seeing Aether shake his head, Paimon quickly thought of someone else.
"Dugu Bo? Now that's a good idea."
Aether nodded in agreement.
That old poison freak had likely amassed quite a bit of knowledge over the years—especially considering his martial soul's defects. He probably studied martial souls and soul beasts extensively.
Besides, he didn't have much else to do. He lingered in Heaven Dou mostly because his granddaughter attended Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. With only one precious descendant, he was naturally protective.
And he probably owed a debt to Prince Xue Xing as well—just helping Xue Beng hold the fort.
_
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