Chapter 131: Are Your Feet Sore? Let Me Taste…
"I promise—I swear I won't tell anyone!"
Xiao Xiao nodded vigorously, raising her hand in a serious oath.
"Good girl. As a reward, let's cultivate for one more hour," Ye Chen said with a pleased smile, clearly in a generous mood.
"Ah? Didn't you say this secret technique can only be used for one hour a day?" Xiao Xiao asked in mild surprise.
"Normally, yes. But you've been such a good girl today—if I push myself a little, we can extend it by another hour. It'll just be a bit tiring."
Ye Chen smiled lazily.
"Ugh… maybe we shouldn't…"
Hearing that, Xiao Xiao immediately looked concerned, worried about Ye Chen exhausting himself.
"Come on now, just listen."
Ye Chen didn't give her a chance to decline, pulling her back into cultivation again.
…
…
Star Dou Forest.
Towering ancient trees stretched skyward, their dense canopies merging together above, allowing only scattered rays of sunlight to filter down. The forest floor lay in perpetual shade, damp and filled with the earthy aroma of decay and moss.
Two figures moved through the undergrowth—it was Ye Chen and Xiao Xiao.
After three days of intense effort, Ye Chen had directly helped Xiao Xiao push her cultivation up to level 30.
Before the Soul Elder stage, leveling up was relatively easy—especially given Xiao Xiao's natural talent. So Ye Chen had brought her here to hunt for her third soul ring.
Ye Chen walked in front, steps steady, eyes sharp and vigilant.
The fallen leaves and moss beneath their feet sank softly with each step, releasing a faint scent of mud and rotting wood.
With his powerful spiritual sense, Ye Chen could detect disturbances within a wide radius, keeping them safe from unwanted confrontations.
By now, they had spent half a day in the forest's mixed-zone—encountering only a few hundred- to thousand-year soul beasts, none strong enough to meet Xiao Xiao's requirement.
Trailing closely behind, Xiao Xiao's face glowed with a mix of excitement and anxiety.
Even though she had reached level 30, the thought of facing a thousand-year soul beast still made her uneasy.
It wasn't that she doubted Ye Chen's strength—she simply knew a little caution could go a long way.
"Ye Chen, let's be extra careful. We've reached the mixed area…" she whispered.
As they ventured deeper, the beasts clearly grew stronger, and the pressure in the air became heavier.
"Don't worry. I'm here," Ye Chen said reassuringly.
In truth, he had two goals for coming this time: to help Xiao Xiao get her soul ring and to test his new skill—Seal of God.
The skill's power far exceeded his expectations, and testing it on Xiao Xiao hadn't shown its true potential. A proper soul beast would be a better target.
Still, Ye Chen wasn't interested in wasting soul power on weak prey. It would be best to find a powerful thousand-year beast for experimentation.
The ideal target for Xiao Xiao's next ring was an Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear—renowned for strength and defense.
In the original record, Xiao Xiao had absorbed a two-thousand-year Dreadclaw Bear's ring, gaining a tremendous boost.
Of course, if they could find one—perfect. If not, they would settle for another suitable creature.
After all, lingering too long in Star Dou Forest always carried risks.
Xiao Xiao's true potential lay not in the early stages but the later ones.
Her first martial soul only needed strong-year rings to start; she didn't need anything extraordinary for now.
Once she reached the Soul Sage level, she could equip her second martial soul with seven ten-thousand-year or even hundred-thousand-year rings—that would be when she truly shone.
They walked another hour before realizing they still hadn't found a suitable beast.
Ye Chen wasn't bothered, but Xiao Xiao, tense from constant alertness, was beginning to tire.
"Let's rest a bit," Ye Chen suggested.
"Okay."
Xiao Xiao let out a breath of relief, visibly relaxing.
She was a support-type soul master, and a girl on top of that; maintaining constant focus drained her quickly. Still, she didn't want to seem weak in front of Ye Chen.
Using his Extreme Ice, Ye Chen cleared a twenty-square-meter space, laid out a soft blanket, and sat down with her.
"Ugh, this forest terrain is so hard to walk through—my feet are sore…" Xiao Xiao murmured softly, leaning against his chest.
"Sore? Let me taste them," Ye Chen teased with a grin.
"Pervert!" Xiao Xiao flusteredly pinched his arm, cheeks hot.
Ye Chen really had no sense of propriety sometimes.
"Haha, I'm just joking. Come here, I'll massage them for you~"
"Don't mess around here—it's Star Dou Forest! Wait until we're back…" she said shyly, her face turning pink.
Clearly, she'd misunderstood.
"Do you think I'm that kind of person?" Ye Chen sighed darkly.
Yes, he liked to tease—but even he knew there was a time and place for everything. Star Dou Forest was no place for distractions.
"Wait! I'm sorry, okay? You can… you can rub them~"
Xiao Xiao quickly apologized, tugging at his sleeve.
It wasn't her fault, really—Ye Chen had taken plenty of liberties before under the excuse of a "foot massage."
So now her mind just reacted instinctively at the mention of it.
As she spoke, she slipped off her boots and placed her small feet—wrapped in soft white stockings—into Ye Chen's lap.
Her toes curled slightly against his chest like a kitten's paws, brushing playfully against him.
"Mm, that's better~"
Ye Chen began kneading her dainty feet, admiring them as he did—until he realized his stomach was growling.
"Hey… you're not allowed to eat them!" Xiao Xiao yelped, quickly pulling her foot back. She still remembered his "previous offenses."
"I just said I was hungry. I meant actual food—to regain strength~" Ye Chen said, chuckling, while giving her foot a gentle squeeze.
From his bag, he took out some snacks and handed them to her.
"Hmph, sure you did~" Xiao Xiao shot him a doubtful glance but still accepted the food, leaning back against the tree to enjoy his massage.
Thanks to Ye Chen clearing the area, there weren't any insects or poisonous critters nearby. She finally felt at ease, giggling softly at the warmth in her chest.
…
After their short break, they resumed their journey.
Ye Chen's luck seemed to take a turn, for before long, near a quiet stream, they spotted a hulking bear hunched over, tearing into prey.
Even in a crouched position, the beast's height easily exceeded five meters. Its four limbs were massive and muscular, pulsating with brutal energy.
Its fur gleamed a rare dark-golden hue, and though it was merely a thousand-year beast, the oppressive aura it radiated rivaled that of many ten-thousand-year ones.
"A thousand-year Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear!"
Ye Chen identified it the moment he saw it—and a smile spread across his face.
(END CHAPTER)
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