Chapter 213: Developments in the Outside World

Chapter 213: Developments in the Outside World

Thud!

Just as Xiao Yu gracefully landed after his spiritual battle, he overheard Huo Wu's comment and couldn't help but flick her forehead. "You reckless girl, you're completely heartless. I'm your husband, yet you don't worry about my safety at all? Should I just leave you here?"

Huo Wu rubbed her slightly sore forehead and pouted. "It's because I have confidence in your strength! With his level of power, how could he possibly trouble you?"

"You're trying to fool a ghost with that excuse!"

Xiao Yu rolled his eyes at her and said unabashedly, "Just wait. See how I deal with you later—I'll spank you so hard your backside swells!"

"You—!"

Although Qian Renxue and Ye Lingling were not considered outsiders, Huo Wu's cheeks flushed bright red. She spat lightly, "Scoundrel."

Qian Renxue also rolled her eyes, inwardly cursing Xiao Yu for being shameless and lecherous.

Only Ye Lingling, the gentlest among the three women, darted into Xiao Yu's arms like a swallow returning to its nest. She carefully checked his condition before looking up and saying softly, "Brother Xiao Yu, I'm just glad you're okay!"

"Lingling, you're the best!"

Xiao Yu was deeply moved. Among the three women, Ye Lingling was the most considerate. Unable to resist, he planted a light kiss on her soft, rosy lips.

The next moment, he noticed something and exclaimed with surprise, "Lingling, you're about to reach rank 60!"

"Yes," Ye Lingling replied gently. "I've been stuck at the bottleneck of rank 59. I think I'll break through in the next few days."

When Ye Lingling awakened her martial soul, her innate soul power was between rank 7 and 8. Later, after taking refined pills made from immortal herbs that purified her body, and absorbing a hundred-thousand-year soul bone, her aptitude was now close to innate full soul power. Though support-type soul masters on Douluo Star typically cultivated much slower than battle soul masters, the rules didn't apply in the Underworld. With her diligent nature, Ye Lingling had reached the Soul King rank by the time of the Soul Master Tournament. Breaking through to Soul Emperor was only a matter of time.

"Then we'll stay here for a few days. Once Lingling breaks through to Soul Emperor, we'll depart," Xiao Yu decided. He reached out, summoning the inner core of the Black Spirit Tiger that Ye Lingling had slain with her soul tool, and handed it to her. "Lingling, this Black Spirit Tiger's core is equivalent to a soul ring of about twenty-five to thirty thousand years. With your current physical condition, it'll make a perfect sixth soul ring."

The Sacred Heart Begonia had the same soul skill structure as the Nine Heart Begonia: purely healing abilities. Therefore, when absorbing soul rings, Ye Lingling only needed to consider the age of the ring without worrying about compatibility with soul beast attributes.

Ye Lingling nodded lightly, accepted the core, and found a suitable spot in the grand hall to begin cultivating.

Xiao Yu then summoned the Flame Demon Ape's core and casually tossed it to Huo Wu. "This ape is fire-attribute, with strength equivalent to a fifty-thousand-year soul beast. Once you reach rank 70, it'll make a good soul ring for you. But you'll need to work hard in the meantime—who knows when you'll hit Soul Emperor."

"Hmph, I'll catch up in no time!" Huo Wu snorted, stowing the Flame Demon Ape's core in her storage soul tool before striding to Ye Lingling's side to begin her own cultivation.

"You're quite adept at using reverse psychology," Qian Renxue remarked as soon as the two women entered deep meditation.

Having spent nearly two decades as a crown prince, Qian Renxue's perspective as a leader allowed her to see through Xiao Yu's differing approaches to the two women.

Ye Lingling was gentle and introverted, with a touch of insecurity. For her, encouragement and reassurance were the best motivators.

Huo Wu, on the other hand, was fiery and prideful. Reverse psychology worked far better on her than conventional persuasion.

"I suspect you're planning to wait until both of them break through to rank 60 before moving on to the next stage, aren't you?"

Though Xiao Yu had stated that they'd leave once Ye Lingling broke through, Qian Renxue saw through his intentions. Given Huo Wu's competitive nature, she'd push herself to the limit in the next few days to keep up with the others.

Xiao Yu met Qian Renxue's gaze with a knowing smile and nodded. "Xue'er, you understand me best. It's rare to find such a kindred spirit—fate indeed!"

"Spare me your nonsense," Qian Renxue scoffed. "I'm not Ye Lingling. I don't know what sweet words you've fed her, but that girl's completely devoted to you. She'd probably count money for you even if you sold her off!"

"That's because Lingling has a kind heart!"

Xiao Yu scratched his head awkwardly. Truthfully, among the three women, he knew he owed Ye Lingling the most. As the first to join him, Ye Lingling harbored no resentment toward later arrivals like Qian Renxue and Huo Wu. Instead, she actively helped Xiao Yu smooth over the relationships between them.

"Treat her better!"

Qian Renxue didn't have a bad opinion of Ye Lingling either—certainly better than her impression of Huo Wu. Glancing at Xiao Yu, she found a suitable spot, sat cross-legged, and said, "I'm going to start cultivating too."

Xiao Yu activated the Vast Sea Cosmic Barrier, enveloping the group in its protection, before circulating his own soul power to begin cultivating.

While Xiao Yu and his companions were undergoing their trial in the Underworld, the Douluo Continent remained turbulent with hidden currents.

"Useless!"

In the Pope's Hall at Spirit City, Bibi Dong's expression was stormy. The teacup in her hand shattered into fragments under her grip, her anger boiling over.

Standing before her was Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, his true form revealed. Though he often appeared as a shadow when outside, in front of the Pope, he dared not put on airs.

At this moment, any semblance of a Titled Douluo's dignity was gone. Gui Mei's face was filled with fear as he stood trembling, bracing for the Pope's rebuke.

He had been tasked by Bibi Dong to infiltrate the Heaven Dou Palace secretly. His mission was to intimidate and bring in line the stand-in left behind by Qian Renxue, ensuring he obediently followed the directives of the Pope's Hall.

Qian Renxue, accompanied by the Snake Spear and Porcupinefish Douluo, had gone to the Underworld for training, leaving behind a double to maintain appearances in the Heaven Dou Palace. Naturally, such a significant matter could not be hidden from the two elders, who immediately reported it to both the Pope's Hall and the Elder Hall.

Qian Daoliu had known about this early on but didn't pay it much mind. However, Bibi Dong's scheming mind saw an opportunity. Since the ambush outside Spirit City where Qian Renxue had openly severed ties with her, Bibi Dong had been contemplating ways to regain control of the infiltration efforts within the Heaven Dou Empire. The existence of this stand-in was a golden opportunity delivered to her on a silver platter.

Qian Renxue's true identity afforded her a level of protection few dared challenge. But a lowly stand-in? Bibi Dong had no such reservations.

However, since the Snake Spear and Porcupinefish Douluo were fence-sitters who didn't want to offend either Qian Daoliu or Qian Renxue too deeply, Bibi Dong had sent her most trusted subordinate, Ghost Douluo, to handle the matter personally.

(End of Chapter)

🌟 Unlock the World of Stories with Early Access on Patreon! 🌟

Hello, beloved readers and supporters!

I am thrilled to offer you an exclusive opportunity to dive deeper into our captivating stories before anyone else. By joining the Patreon community, you'll unlock a treasure trove of benefits, including:

📚 Early Access to 20 Chapters: Be the first to explore new chapters, experiencing the twists and turns of our tales well ahead of regular readers. Your journey through our stories doesn't have to wait!

💬 Connect with the Community: Join a vibrant, like-minded group of readers who share your passion. Engage in exciting discussions, share theories, and make new friends who love the stories as much as you do.

👏 Support the Creator: Your patronage directly contributes to the ongoing creation and improvement of the content you love. Be a vital part of the creative journey!

Patreon.com/anish_44

https://ko-fi.com/anish_44