Chapter 75: Reunion with Chrysanthemum and Ghost
Qin Xuan sighed inwardly. He would agree for now. Once all of his own spirit rings were upgraded and he no longer needed the upgrade cards, he could help Ling Yuan. But for now, a warning was necessary. Her favorability was at 100%, so she was unlikely to betray him, but a slip of the tongue could still be a massive headache.
As he mused, Ling Yuan's mature charm returned. She gave him a sidelong glance. "What are you talking about? I can't even get enough of my man's benefits for myself, why would I let anyone else have them? Come on, it's getting late. Let's get to the tent. Last time was our first time, so I was a bit uncomfortable. Tonight, Big Sister will truly teach you how to play."
She pulled Qin Xuan toward the tent, leaving Nong Yu, who was nearby, completely dumbfounded. Although Nong Yu hadn't mastered the language yet, the relationship between Qin Xuan and Ling Yuan was obvious. Last time, it was a secret affair. This time, it was happening right in front of the mistress.
Of course, Nong Yu didn't know that Ling Yuan, having had a taste, was now eager for more. She was just using this as an excuse to go with the flow and dominate this little rascal.
A great battle was about to erupt.
"Someone's coming."
Just at that critical moment, Jing Ni's soft cry from outside the tent made both of them freeze.
"Damn it! Which bastard dares to disturb me?" Her Eighth Spirit Ability, Blood Boil, was interrupted. The once majestic Ling Yuan Douluo instantly looked as wronged as a child, reluctantly letting go of him. Her figure shot out of the tent, and by the time she was outside, she was already fully dressed.
Qin Xuan showed a helpless smile and unhurriedly put on his clothes. The clone on watch duty had just dissolved, its memories flooding his mind. The newcomers were none other than Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yue Guan, and Ghost Douluo, Gui Mei—the very men who had sent him to Slaughter City. From their auras, they had both reached level 90 and were likely here to acquire their ninth spirit rings.
Jing Ni, possessing 100,000-year Spirit Bones and a powerful mental force, had also sensed them but couldn't distinguish friend from foe. As Qin Xuan walked out, he saw a fire already raging in the nearby forest and heard Ling Yuan's angry voice:
"Gui Mei, Yue Guan, so it's you two bastards! Eighth Spirit Ability, Blood Boil!"
Hearing the names, Jing Ni looked at Qin Xuan. "Are they from Spirit Hall too?" She had already put A Yan and Nong Yu safely into her Qiankun Bag.
"Yes. That's Yue Guan and Gui Mei. It seems they've come out of seclusion," Qin Xuan said. "Let's go, or Ling Yuan will burn down this entire forest." His figure darted forward, and Jing Ni followed closely.
A ghostly black shadow, a golden chrysanthemum, and a fiery red iris—the three Spirit Avatars simultaneously unleashed pillars of energy. Yue Guan and Gui Mei combined their attacks, colliding with Ling Yuan's pillar of flame. The energies consumed each other before exploding with a deafening roar, sending all three combatants flying back dozens of meters.
Although Ling Yuan had one more spirit ring than the duo, she couldn't gain an advantage against two level 90 quasi-Titled Douluo at once.
"Damn it, Ling Yuan, are you crazy? Are you trying to kill me and Old Ghost?" Yue Guan cried out, looking disheveled with scorch marks on his clothes. Facing Ling Yuan's powerful flames, he once again felt the frustration of being countered, just as he had against Qin Xuan in the Elder Hall. Fire counters plants, a fact that annoyed him to no end.
"Ling Yuan, stop it!" Gui Mei shouted. As a spirit of the evil type, he was particularly vulnerable to fire and lightning attacks.
"Dream on! You dare disturb my good time? Today, I'm going to teach you a lesson!"
Never try to reason with an enraged woman. Ling Yuan was that enraged woman, and Yue Guan and Gui Mei were the fools trying to argue.
"Old Ghost, this woman is insane. What do we do?" Yue Guan asked.
"No other way. We have to stop her first. Yue Guan, fusion!" Gui Mei replied.
With a sly smile, Yue Guan agreed. They both summoned their Spirits again, eight rings circulating around them as they lunged at each other, their bodies erupting with intense golden and black light.
"Not good..." Ling Yuan knew what was coming, but it was too late to stop them.
Just at that critical moment, a golden greatsword descended from the sky, landing between the two men. The immense sword qi sent both quasi-Titled Douluo flying back like cannonballs.
"Who is it?" they both exclaimed, their expressions changing dramatically. An attack that could repel both of them at once was something not even Ling Yuan could achieve.
"Senior Yue Guan, Senior Gui Mei, please calm down. Ling Yuan was just being reckless. I apologize on her behalf," a voice said.
The greatsword vanished. Qin Xuan emerged from the forest with Jing Ni. The Jing Ni Sword appeared in her hand, and with a simple wave, the raging forest fire was instantly encased in ice.
Seeing it was Qin Xuan, Ling Yuan knew he had just saved her from their Two Poles Static Domain. She snorted, reluctantly withdrew her Spirit, and stood beside him.
"It's you? Qin Xuan!" Yue Guan and Gui Mei were more shocked than surprised. They never expected that in just over a year, his strength had reached such a level. And beside him stood a woman whose power seemed even greater, wielding a formidable ice-attribute sword Spirit.