A normal person's fourth soul ring was only about 5,000 years.
Yet her third soul ring was already 4,300 years?
That was 1,760 years beyond normal, exceeding it by a full 2,540 years!
Of that, 1,200 years came from the whale glue's enhancement.
The remaining 1,140 years? That was all thanks to Tang Lan—the walking cheat code.
——If not for Zhu Zhuqing's physical limitations, the number could have gone even higher!
At this thought…
Chen Xin felt a bit regretful.
Why didn't he meet Tang Lan when he was younger?
If he had, he wouldn't be stuck at Level 96 now.
——At the very least, he'd be stuck at Level 98 instead.
"Let's go," Tang Lan said. "We'll take a day to scout around first. If we find something suitable, we'll mark it."
He didn't say how he would mark it, and neither of them asked.
Since Tang Lan said he had a way, then he definitely had a way.
Sunset Forest was located in the heart of the Heaven Dou Empire, close to colder regions.
Its plant density was much lower than that of the Star Dou Forest.
But Blue Silver Grass, with its tenacious vitality, still spread across the entire landscape.
After having Chen Xin suppress his aura—
Tang Lan activated Blue Silver Domain, making all nearby soul beasts completely visible to him.
Regardless of whether they intended to attack or not—
He simply bound them all with his Life Soul Blue Silver Emperor.
Then he drained them dry.
Life force? Fed to his right leg bone, the Life Blue Silver Emperor.
Spiritual power? Fed to his Twin Pupils.
Soul power? No longer wasted—now used to condense his Life Soul Core.
Not a single drop went to waste.
Whenever he encountered a soul beast with suitable attributes or cultivation age,
Tang Lan planted a soul seed, marking its location.
——If only Blue Silver Grass could discern a soul beast's cultivation age, he wouldn't even need to go through this trouble.
By the time they passed through an area—
The ground was littered with exhausted, drained soul beasts, creating an eerily unsettling scene.
Thus, a new ghostly legend began to spread in Sunset Forest.
By nightfall—
Chen Xin never even got the chance to make a move—Tang Lan had single-handedly swept through the entire place.
The most ridiculous part?
Not a single soul beast had died.
Every single one was just sucked dry and left paralyzed.
"Your martial soul… it can attack, control, and sustain itself—it's ridiculously complete." Chen Xin marveled.
This was way too broken!
Tang Lan just chuckled.
My martial soul has evolved three times, not to mention all the system rewards.
How could it not be overpowered?
Meanwhile—
Zhu Zhuqing was struggling to decide—there were too many options, and she couldn't pick one.
"That Ghost Tiger we saw earlier—I think it's a solid choice," Tang Lan reminded her.
"It's only 3,100 years old, but Ghost Tigers are known for their terrifying speed and attack power, making it a perfect fit for you."
"If your soul skill inherits its innate ability, Shadow Clone, it wouldn't lose out to an average 5,000-year soul ring."
In the original timeline—
Zhu Zhuqing's fourth soul ring came from a 5,000-year-old Ghost Tiger, granting her the Nether Shadow Clone ability, which was quite impressive.
However—
Zhu Zhuqing wasn't satisfied!
If she could absorb 4,300 years, why settle for 3,100 years?
That was a 1,200-year difference!
Too bad…
If they had the right herbs, they could artificially accelerate its growth…
Tang Lan didn't force the issue.
Instead, his gaze shifted toward a certain direction—his heart itching with excitement.
In the vast expanse of Sunset Forest—
There was a "blank area" where no Blue Silver Grass grew—
Shrouded in a toxic miasma, completely devoid of life.
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was hidden there.
But since Chen Xin was with him, Tang Lan couldn't just rush over.
After all—
He planned to transplant his mother there in the future.
The fewer people who knew about it, the better.
"Two more days, and I'll meet Dugubo."
"No need to rush."
"If I get caught raiding his home on the spot, that would be a pain."
Compared to Tang San in the original timeline—
Tang Lan was now the Tang Sect Master, closely allied with Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the sole supplier of communication devices and weapons for the Heaven Dou Empire.
His status was worlds apart.
Would Dugubo dare act out?
Chen Xin and Gu Rong would just beat him into submission on the spot.
"Hmm?"
With Chen Xin keeping watch,
Tang Lan boldly slept out in the open.
And then—
An alarm from the Blue Silver Grass!
Tang Lan turned his head upward.
A ghastly face flickered in the darkness.
"Come down, you!"
The scattered seeds around the area suddenly sprouted into Life Soul Blue Silver Emperor vines, wrapping around the ghostly figure in an instant.
Bound.
And then—
Yanked down.
"BANG—"
A Man-Faced Demon Spider crashed to the ground, shrieking and struggling violently.
"A Man-Faced Demon Spider?" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up with excitement. "Lan-ge, if your Eight Spider Lances absorb it, won't they evolve?"
"Oh, yeah, that's true."
Tang Lan responded casually—
Then untied it.
And let the Man-Faced Demon Spider run away.
Zhu Zhuqing panicked!
She thought it had broken free on its own.
Without hesitation, she activated her martial soul and was about to chase after it—
Only to be yanked back by Tang Lan's Life Soul Blue Silver Emperor.
That was a 6,000-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider.
If Zhu Zhuqing went after it, she'd basically be serving herself up on a plate.
"It ran away!" Zhu Zhuqing was anxious. "Sword Douluo, please—"
"I let it go on purpose." Tang Lan cut her off.
Zhu Zhuqing slowly turned her head.
Huh?
Then, realization dawned on her.
"You're planning to do the same thing as with the Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent—get the right herbs first, then accelerate its age?"
Tang Lan gave her an approving look.
They say big-chested means small-brained—but it seemed his woman was an exception.
"Finding herbs suitable for a Man-Faced Demon Spider won't be easy," Chen Xin suddenly remarked. "And now that you've let it go, finding it again will be even harder."
Tang Lan just smiled.
The herbs? Simple.
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well definitely had them—
And if all else failed, he could just feed it an Aromatic Silk Beauty Immortal Treasure.
As for tracking it? Even easier.
He had already planted a soul seed in it.
He could locate it anytime.
Over the past few days—
Tang Lan had tested a combination of Soul Seed Puppet and Life Soul Core and discovered a broken new trick—
He could store soul seeds inside his Life Soul Core.
This meant—
When he needed them, he didn't have to plant them on the spot.
He could just pull one out instantly.
More efficient and undetectable.
After all—
His soul rings never even lit up.
Who would ever suspect anything?
In fact—
Even Chen Xin, without realizing it, had already absorbed a soul seed into his body.
Originally, it was just a test.
But who would have thought his fourth soul skill was this broken—
Even a Title Douluo hadn't noticed.
That night—
Multiple soul beasts kept attacking.
Each one got drained dry and tossed far away.
By the time dawn was about to break—
Tang Lan's Twin Pupils finally reached 20,000 years.
But—
The expected evolution never happened.
Not even a fourth skill slot appeared.
"Twenty thousand years isn't enough, huh…"
"Then I'll wait until thirty thousand years and see."
At that moment—
A soul beast hidden in the shadows suddenly lunged from behind.
Like a gale, its razor-sharp claws slashed forward—
Straight for Tang Lan's back!
"CLANG—"
A metallic clash rang out—
Golden protective light flashed—
But in less than a second, the claws shattered the defense and pierced into Tang Lan's back.
A beating heart—
Was ripped out alive!
"SWOOSH—"
Only then—
Did Chen Xin, who had been resting with his eyes closed, react.
The Seven Kill Sword slashed out—
But it hit nothing but air!
——That soul beast had already vanished back into the shadows, dodging a furious strike from a Title Douluo!
No wonder Tang Lan hadn't reacted at all—
He had his heart torn out before he could even move.
Zhu Zhuqing was slow to process what had just happened.
She stared blankly at the gaping hole in Tang Lan's chest—
Through it, she could see the furious Chen Xin on the other side.
Her pupils suddenly contracted into slits!
D-… Dead?
(End of Chapter)