Chapter 65: The Seven Treasures Maiden
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At this time, Ah Yin had blossomed into a graceful and elegant young woman. At the age of 19, she was at the cusp of transitioning from youthful innocence to full maturity.
Thanks to Ye Wen's guidance and his "cheat codes," Ah Yin's cultivation level far surpassed that of her counterpart in the original story—she was now a Level 63 Soul Emperor.
The two had grown up together since childhood, their bond deep and profound. Thus, when Ah Yin broke through to become a Soul Emperor, they officially married.
There was no grand ceremony; neither of them had many relatives or friends, so everything was kept simple.
That night, Ah Yin exuded charm and allure, showcasing all the beauty and grace a woman could possess. After several months of adjustment, the two had become a model couple.
Ye Buyi, on the other hand, was delighted with their union. He had long hoped for a great-grandchild, but unfortunately, early childbirth was detrimental to women, even for someone like Ah Yin, who was the reincarnation of the 100,000-year-old Blue Silver Emperor.
Thus, Ye Wen had to secretly take precautions to prevent Ah Yin from becoming pregnant, all while keeping it hidden from Ye Buyi.
By now, Ye Buyi, after years of recuperation and breathing in the pure life energy of the Blue Silver Forest, had regained his vitality. It was as if he had entered a second spring of life, so there was no need to worry about him passing away anytime soon.
Though Ah Yin had not yet borne children, she already carried herself with the poise of a married woman. Dressed in a simple yet elegant blue gown, her waist-length light-blue hair accentuated her noble and regal demeanor. If adorned with some dazzling golden jewelry, she could easily pass for a queen of a nation.
"Brother, is the Ice and Fire Dual Eye really in the Sunset Forest?" Ah Yin asked.
Years of habit persisted, even after marriage, though their relationship had grown even closer.
With great power came peace of mind.
Compared to his former cautious self, Ye Wen now exuded a calm confidence. This trip to the Sunset Forest was treated like a honeymoon journey, with Ye Wen driving the carriage.
"Of course, I'm certain it's in the Sunset Forest.
I learned about this treasure trove from a very ancient, solitary manuscript. For plant-type spirit beasts like you, it's akin to paradise. Training within it grants a tenfold increase in cultivation speed.
As such, it has nurtured many rare treasures that are almost nonexistent on the continent. Even a single plant could grant an ordinary soul master the potential to reach the Soul Sage level."
Beside him, Ah Yin muttered under her breath, "Another solitary manuscript… Just like how he tricked me back then."
On their wedding night, Ah Yin had once asked Ye Wen:
"Why did you decide to protect me back then?"
Ye Wen didn't answer directly but smiled meaningfully and said:
"Who knows? Perhaps it was love at first sight, or maybe I was captivated by your beauty. Or perhaps I simply didn't want to see such a pure-hearted girl fall victim to the greed of humans."
Though his tone was playful, Ah Yin knew that Ye Wen truly cared for her deeply, and she no longer dwelled on the past.
Meanwhile, deep within the Sunset Forest, a large group of soul hunters had entered.
Their uniforms were uniform, indicating they were a team of soul masters from the same faction, sent out to hunt soul rings for their companions.
Upon closer inspection of their chests, one would notice a pagoda-shaped emblem embroidered there—a symbol composed of five interlocking triangles. Any knowledgeable soul master would recognize it as the insignia of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect, one of the upper three sects.
This team of soul masters had a clear objective, heading toward the direction of a spirit beast clan that their sect had hunted for generations.
Perhaps due to their familiarity with the task, it didn't take long for them to capture several spirit beasts they intended to hunt.
"Miss, these beasts are suitable for your absorption. What do you think?"
The young girl appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen, with long pink hair reaching her waist. She wore an exquisitely tailored gown, and though her displeased expression detracted slightly from her beauty, she was still a delicate and refined young lady.
"No, give them to others. According to Master Ye Wen's theory, my third soul ring should come from a spirit beast with at least 1,500 years of cultivation. These beasts, barely over 1,000 years old, don't meet my requirements.
Let's keep searching. The more we accumulate, the stronger my martial soul's foundation will be, which will benefit my future greatly."
"Yes, Miss." The leading soul master nodded in acknowledgment and instructed the agility-attack type soul masters in the group to continue their search.
Each member of the team was at least a Soul Ancestor in cultivation, powerful enough to dominate small towns. However, as workers for the sect, they had no choice but to bow their heads, even to a young girl with no combat abilities. Working for money wasn't shameful.
The girl's name was Ning An'an, the youngest daughter of the current head of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect. Born late in life to her father, and blessed with considerable talent, Ning An'an had always been the apple of the old patriarch's eye.
She was also Ning Fengzhi's younger sister, though there was a significant age gap between them. In large families, it wasn't unheard of for elderly individuals in their seventies or eighties to call a teenager "Grandpa," as seen in previous lives.
Moreover, Ning An'an was an ardent admirer of Ye Wen.
Like him, she possessed an auxiliary-type martial soul. On one hand, Ye Wen had proposed a solution to the inherent flaw of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda martial soul. On the other hand, Ning An'an was an avid fan of novels and biographies. To her, Ye Wen was the embodiment of a character from those stories—someone of humble origins who achieved greatness that would echo through the ages.
It must be said that although this soul-hunting team's average cultivation level wasn't particularly high, they were renowned as skilled hunters within the sect.
In just half a day, they had captured a 1,500-year-old Swift Panther and brought it before Ning An'an.
Satisfied with the spirit beast before her, Ning An'an nodded and swiftly ended its life.
One characteristic of auxiliary-type martial souls was that regardless of the type of spirit beast whose soul ring they absorbed, the resulting soul skill would always benefit others. While it could still enhance the user, the effect was often significantly diminished.
Skills like Oscar's Mirage Sausage from the original story were exceedingly rare.
Speaking of which, Yu Xiaogang's theory of mimicking soul rings in the original story was laughable. Would a weapon-type martial soul avoid absorbing soul rings from spirit beasts and instead seek out hammer or sword spirits?
This was why many netizens joked that Yu Xiaogang simply repackaged common knowledge into his so-called "Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls."
Auxiliary-type soul masters often had weaker constitutions compared to their peers. Theoretically, while a typical soul master's third soul ring could absorb a spirit beast with up to 1,760 years of cultivation, for auxiliary-type soul masters, 1,400 years was already considered top-tier talent.
Ordinary soul masters usually only dared to absorb soul rings from spirit beasts that had just surpassed 1,000 years of cultivation—the very beasts Ning An'an had rejected earlier.
However, after Ye Wen proposed the relationship between physical strength and soul ring absorption, the 1,760-year limit for the third soul ring was shattered.
After all, most soul masters focused solely on cultivating soul power, rarely dedicating effort to strengthening their bodies. Their physical attributes naturally improved over time, but amateurs couldn't compete with professionals.
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