"Thank you so much! I could just kiss you to death!"
Cai Mei'er threw herself into Qian Ran's arms, embracing him tightly and showering his face with kisses. Her joy was uncontainable.
The benefits she'd gained far exceeded her expectations. She had no idea that the Ice Dragon King's dragon soul would be so potent. In fact, the outward improvement in cultivation wasn't even the greatest reward they'd received.
Their martial souls had been elevated to top-tier status, with their potential vastly increased. Furthermore, the absorption of the dragon souls had completely remodeled their bodies, leaving them in a state of youthful vitality.
"Hmph."
Xian Lin'er had been ready to rush forward and show Qian Ran some affection herself, but before she could act, Cai Mei'er had already beaten her to it. Her mood soured instantly.
Now that Cai Mei'er had kissed him, what could she do? Share Cai Mei'er's saliva? The thought was enough to make her cringe.
"Jealous, Lin'er? Too bad you couldn't beat me to it," Cai Mei'er teased smugly, clinging to Qian Ran like a victor flaunting her spoils. She shot Xian Lin'er a coquettish glance, her tone dripping with provocation.
The taunt hit its mark, and Xian Lin'er's temper flared.
"Shameless! How about a duel? Let's see if you dare to face me now that you've also reached level 97," she retorted coldly, her battle spirit ignited. She'd been with Qian Ran far longer than Cai Mei'er and wasn't about to be outdone.
"Afraid of you? Never!" Cai Mei'er responded eagerly.
Her recent breakthrough left her itching to test her newfound strength, and Xian Lin'er was the perfect opponent.
With their mutual elemental opposition—one wielding ultimate ice and the other ultimate fire—their clash promised to be explosive.
Both women unleashed their martial souls, leaping into the air to begin their duel.
Qian Ran could only sigh in exasperation.
Their relationship had only just started to improve over the past few days, yet here they were, bickering again. One wielding ultimate ice and the other ultimate fire, the two were as volatile as oil and water.
How he wished they could get along like Xue Di and the Ice Emperor. But that seemed like a distant dream.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The two traded blows mid-air, their powerful auras forcing nearby soul beasts to flee in panic. Even soul masters hunting for soul rings in the Sunset Forest were frightened out of their wits by the intensity of their energy.
Previously, the two might have ranked among the top twenty fighters on the continent. Now, they comfortably belonged in the top ten.
Despite their fierce rivalry, their strength was evenly matched, and neither could gain the upper hand.
Eventually, Qian Ran stepped in to call off the duel, and the group returned to Shrek Academy.
Back at the academy, Qian Ran went to find Dong'er and the others in his class.
Having reaped so many treasures from this trip, he planned to use them to bolster the strength of Dong'er and the rest. After all, the Icefire Yin Yang Well was home to more than just three hundred-thousand-year-old celestial herbs. Even millennium-level herbs found there were top-tier.
In Douluo Continent, the millennium-grade herbs Tang San and his group had consumed still produced explosive results. A thousand years later, the sheer quantity and quality of herbs had only improved.
Qian Ran had already divided the spoils in his mind: the celestial-grade herbs were reserved for his women, while lower-tier herbs would be used to enhance the strength of his maids.
Meanwhile, at the site of the Icefire Yin Yang Well, Huo Yuhao had just arrived.
What greeted him was an empty crater where the well should have been. Not a single trace of the herbs or the unique terrain remained.
The sight left him utterly dumbfounded.
Forget celestial herbs—there wasn't even a blade of grass left.
Even the Icefire Yin Yang Well itself was gone.
Huo Yuhao was completely stunned.
Who the hell did this?!
Who steals an entire mountain?!
He had suspected Qian Ran might have come here before him, but he didn't think it would be a big deal. There were so many treasures in the Icefire Yin Yang Well—Qian Ran couldn't possibly take everything, right?
With this in mind, he had brought several powerful members of the Clear Sky Sect, hoping to loot the well. Even celestial herbs wouldn't faze these experts.
He had already planned his moves: take the treasures, secure his future, and laugh all the way back.
But now?
"Qian Ran, you son of a—!"
Huo Yuhao collapsed onto the ground, cursing furiously.
This had Qian Ran written all over it. Only Qian Ran could wipe out the Icefire Yin Yang Well so completely. All those celestial herbs, worth tens of billions in gold, were gone. Huo Yuhao felt like his heart had been stabbed.
How many opportunities had Qian Ran stolen from him already? Countless!
After losing Xue Di, Huo Yuhao had become cautious, even arriving at the Icefire Yin Yang Well years earlier than he had originally intended, hoping to beat Qian Ran to the punch.
And yet, he was still too late.
"Young Master, are we sure this is the right place?" asked one of the Clear Sky Sect experts, equally bewildered.
"No… no mistake. Let's go back."
Huo Yuhao's voice was heavy with despair.
At the same time, back in the Sea God Pavilion…
The sudden appearance of Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er as level 97 Super Douluos caused a massive stir.
Strength carried weight in the pavilion.
The top tier consisted of elders like Xuan Lao and Lin Lao, with Yan Shaozhe barely qualifying to join their ranks.
Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and Qian Duoduo belonged to the second tier, though Cai Mei'er and Xian Lin'er had always been far weaker than Yan Shaozhe. Qian Duoduo's position was largely due to Shrek Academy's focus on soul tools.
But now, everything had changed.
With their recent breakthroughs, Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er had become level 97 Super Douluos, each wielding ultimate attributes—ultimate fire and ultimate ice. They were now stronger than Yan Shaozhe, the academy's Martial Soul Department Dean.
In fact, their mastery of ultimate elements put their strength on par with, if not above, Elder Xuan himself!
Who could have foreseen such rapid growth?
The transformation was so extraordinary that it bordered on absurd.
Xuan Lao, who had seen countless prodigies in his lifetime, couldn't help but question them directly.
"Lin'er, Mei'er, you've only been gone a few days. How could your strength improve so much in such a short time?"
His question echoed the thoughts of everyone in the pavilion. The sheer speed of their progress was staggering—far beyond anything they could comprehend.
Even among Super Douluos, gaining just one level often took over a decade. Yet these two had leapt several levels in mere days.
"Luck," Cai Mei'er said with a composed smile, her gaze meeting Xian Lin'er's.
Though they often clashed in private, the two presented a united front here. Their breakthrough solidified their status, and they intended to use their newfound influence to protect Qian Ran.
With their combined strength and elevated authority in the Sea God Pavilion, Qian Ran would be free to act however he pleased within Shrek Academy.
Even if he one day unleashed his primal instincts and caused chaos, they would be there to quietly clean up his mess.
(End of Chapter)