Chapter 242: Xiao Xiao's Fourth Soul Ring
Ye Chen stayed with Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao for several days, guiding their cultivation until both advanced smoothly to rank 40.
Xiao Xiao remained shy, and with Wang Dong's watchful eyes always on her, Ye Chen hadn't yet found the chance to win her completely.
He didn't rush. Instead, he decided to take both Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao into the Star Dou Forest to obtain their fourth soul rings.
With their talents, once they reached the Soul Sect level, they would be virtually unmatched in the outer court.
After all, even Beibei and Xu Sanshi, the strongest prodigies of the outer court, hadn't reached rank 40 at this stage.
Xiao Xiao even had a soul bone—truthfully, just her alone could probably pin down both Beibei and Xu Sanshi with ease.
Meanwhile, Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya were nearing the Soul King level.
By the next inner court examination, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Wufeng, Ning Tian, Jiang Nannan, and Tang Ya would all easily qualify as new inner court disciples.
The inner court involved dangerous missions, but Ye Chen was already well-established there. Xuan Zi only cared about the Shrek Seven Devils, while most other responsibilities were handled by Zhang Lexuan—whom Ye Chen had already won over.
That meant he could oversee every detail of Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao's missions himself, even accompany them personally if needed.
And not all missions were mandatory—most could be scheduled freely.
They were still young, with plenty of room to grow; even taking a year or two to develop further would raise no objections.
…
After two days of preparation, Ye Chen led the two girls deep into the Star Dou Forest.
The towering ancient trees spread their canopies like giant umbrellas, slicing sunlight into scattered beams that danced across the moss and undergrowth.
The air was thick and humid, heavy with the scent of wet soil, rotting leaves, and faint traces of wild floral fragrance.
Each step sank slightly into the forest floor, where centuries of fallen matter had formed a soft, cushiony layer. The faint rustle of distant beasts echoed faintly, both calm and ominous.
Vines twisted like enormous serpents around trunks, trailing roots that brushed against the moss below. Now and then, a low growl resonated through the mist, reminding them that this was no tame forest.
Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong followed behind Ye Chen with distinctive moods.
For Xiao Xiao, this was her second journey here; she knew the route and felt more excited than nervous.
Wang Dong, too, was perfectly at ease—almost casual, as if on an outing rather than a dangerous mission.
Though her own soul rings had mostly been obtained through special means instead of hunting, she'd been in this forest before, always under the careful protection of elders.
This time, with Ye Chen in the lead, she felt entirely safe.
Her outfit was completely mismatched with the rough wilderness—airy and casual, more suited for leisure than battle.
She wore a fitted pale-pink T-shirt that highlighted her slim waist, and black leather shorts that hugged her shapely hips. Her long, fair legs stretched smooth and flawless to the tops of her short lace-up boots.
Her pastel-blue hair was tied back loosely, a few strands curling around her cheeks. Her bright expression and confident posture made her seem like a beam of sunlight walking through shadow.
She hummed softly as she walked, clearly more relaxed than she should have been for soul ring hunting.
Xiao Xiao, on the other hand, was like a spring breeze personified.
She wore a fresh, light-green dress, the hem fluttering just above her knees as she walked.
Her slender legs were covered by white knee-high socks that left a faint mark where the fabric pressed her skin.
Her signature twin ponytails swayed with every step, her face lively and curious as she glanced around the forest.
Having witnessed Ye Chen's strength before, she felt no fear. Following him felt easier—and safer—than being guarded by her elders.
Ye Chen smiled faintly at their relaxed demeanor but kept his thoughts focused on the task at hand.
He remembered that in the original history, Xiao Xiao's fourth soul skill had been a powerful control ability.
She already possessed the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's external soul bone—its potential immense, its strength only growing with her cultivation.
Her Three-Life Town Soul Cauldrons also gave her solid defense and control capabilities.
By comparison, Wang Dong's Goddess of Light Butterfly martial soul had extreme single-target power but lacked control-based techniques.
So, Ye Chen concluded, Xiao Xiao's fourth ring should reinforce her control line—skills focused on suppression, concussion, and area control.
With Xiao Xiao handling control and Wang Dong taking the offensive, they would form a perfectly balanced duo.
At this stage, Xiao Xiao's soul ring years didn't need to be too high—consistency mattered more. As a control-type master, the right ability was far more important than raw power.
Later, when her strength rose, her secondary martial soul still had room for eight more rings. That flexibility would let her add any offensive skills she might need in the future—one of the greatest advantages of twin spirits.
As for Ye Chen's own "Silver Needle" martial soul, there was no rush to add more rings yet.
Eventually, when his power exceeded present limits, he could use ten-thousand-year soul spirits—or even seek stronger soul beasts in the sea, where hundreds of thousands- and million-year creatures existed.
"Ye Chen, what are you thinking about?"
Wang Dong's voice piped up. She had noticed him zoning out and bounced ahead of him with curious eyes.
"This is the Star Dou Forest—it's dangerous! You can't just start daydreaming!"
Ye Chen chuckled. "Nothing serious. I was just considering what sort of attribute Xiao Xiao's fourth soul ring should have."
"Oh, that's easy—it should be a control type, of course~" Wang Dong answered matter-of-factly.
Xiao Xiao wasn't only her best friend, but also her most reliable teammate and support.
She could boost attacks, shield against danger, disable enemies, and even supplement damage when needed—a perfectly balanced soul master.
"Honestly," Wang Dong added, grinning, "even Huo Yuhao's spiritual-link ability wasn't that bad, but he's just too weak overall."
"Xiao Xiao's different—she's support with defense and control built in. She doesn't need anyone to protect her."
Ye Chen smiled at her reasoning. Indeed, with both of them at his side, their synergy was already unmatched.
(END CHAPTER)
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