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Squelch!
Zhu Zhuqing didn't hesitate. With Fu Ye's assistance in pinning the beast down, her claws pierced the brain of the Dark Night Magic Dragon. A deep purple spirit ring slowly emerged from the massive corpse.
Looking at it, Zhuqing's eyes sparkled with excitement—this was her first thousand-year ring, and it was a 3,000-year ring that far exceeded the normal limits for a third ring! She could feel the powerful fluctuations of soul power radiating from it. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to begin the absorption.
"Don't worry, with your constitution, you can completely absorb this ring," Fu Ye said, patting her head with absolute confidence.
"Mhm!"
She sat cross-legged and guided the power into her body. Initially, the ring emitted a strong force of resistance, but Zhuqing's firm will and stamina held steady.
However, things never stay quiet for long. Fu Ye had sensed a "little bug" stepping into his domain.
Hiss, hiss, hiss...
Moments later, a massive purple-black spider crashed through the trees toward them. It was running so frantically that it only noticed Fu Ye when it was practically right in front of him.
"Hehe, a 1,750-year Man-Faced Demon Spider. I was going to let you go if I didn't run into you, but since you're rushing to your death, not even the Asura God could save you now."
Fu Ye triggered a golden shield to protect the meditating Zhuqing and then threw a punch directly into the spider's abdominal armor.
BOOM!
The spider was sent flying into a massive tree. It didn't shatter into pieces only because Fu Ye had deliberately held back. He had sensed the approaching presence of Duke Long, Snake Grandmother, and their granddaughter.
Swish!
Duke Long, Meng Shu, lunged out of the brush.
Thirty seconds later...
Thud, thud, thud...
An elderly woman and a girl emerged from the jungle, only to see the dignified Duke Long pinned to the ground, his face covered in bruises and his head being stepped on by a young man.
"Old man, if you don't start telling the truth, don't blame me for being impolite."
Fu Ye ground his foot into Duke Long's face. The old man had seen the half-dead Man-Faced Demon Spider and assumed Fu Ye had killed "his" prey. In his arrogance, he tried to "lecture" Fu Ye. Now, the result was clear: Duke Long had been thoroughly subdued by Fu Ye's "persuasive arguments."
"Mmph, mmph..."
"Still won't talk? Then don't blame my foot for being merciless."
Bang!
Under the horrified gazes of Meng Yiran and Chao Tianxiang, Duke Long's head was stomped directly into the dirt!
"Old man!" "Grandfather!!"
The two women were terrified, but when they got a clear look at the person beating him, they were stunned.
"It's you!" Meng Yiran cried out.
"Hmm? You're that little girl who fought Zhuqing?" Fu Ye acted as if he knew nothing, giving Duke Long's back another firm stomp.
"You! You bad man! Let go of my grandfather!"
Meng Yiran was frantic. She couldn't believe their luck—first their prey escaped, then they found a better one, and now her grandfather was being used as a doormat!
"Oh? This is your grandfather? Even if he is, anyone who tries to lay a hand on me must pay the price."
Fu Ye was always a "modest and polite" person, but he had zero tolerance for old men or punks who tried to act tough or look for trouble.
"Old fellow, if you don't explain your actions right now, I don't mind burying you here today."
Duke Long, much like Dugu Bo before him, felt a sense of existential dread. He was a Spirit Douluo, yet he was being suppressed so hard he couldn't even activate his martial soul!
"Young friend, I... mmph..." Bang! "Young friend, this was a mistake on this old man's part—" Bang! "Little brother! This old fellow was wrong! I was really wrong! Please stop stepping on me, my bones are going to break!"
Only after several more stomps did the old man finally drop his act. Fu Ye hated it when old people tried to pull rank, calling themselves "this old man" and others "kid" or "young friend." Now, his tone had shifted to "this old fellow" and "big brother."
"Tsk, look at you. If you'd just said that earlier, we wouldn't be here. You're my prisoner and you still want to put on airs? Who else would I beat if not you?"
Fu Ye finally lifted his foot from Meng Shu's mud-caked face and turned to the stunned grandmother and granddaughter. "Little girl, your grandfather is a bit too stubborn. You should talk to him more; apparently, he only knows how to respect people after taking a few kicks from me."
Fu Ye stretched his limbs and walked back to Zhu Zhuqing's side. Her absorption was nearing its end, and a mysterious, powerful energy was flowing through her. Her hands began to transform—her nails became as sharp as blades, and black dragon-scale patterns began to spread across her skin.