Chapter 103: with translation of chapter title

The constellations shifted, and two days passed quickly.

As Xu Jiu Jiu awoke from meditation, Shu Yan imperceptibly let out a soft sigh.

Yellow, yellow, purple, black, red — the strange soul-ring configuration swirled beneath Xu Jiu Jiu's feet. Strangely, each of her five soul rings bore specks of golden light, somewhat resembling the soul-power hue of the Jade Orchid Fragrance itself; at first glance, they glittered like starlight.

Xu Jiu Jiu slowly opened her eyes; Shu Yan's first impression was that she had grown a bit taller, her already fair skin now so delicate it seemed almost able to drip water, her golden hair cascading down to her hips, and her figure appeared even more alluring.

There was no helping it; he wasn't just familiar by sight, but deeply knew her by touch and heart—he had an impression of nearly every inch of Xu Jiu Jiu's skin, so any change was obvious at a glance.

After waiting for Xu Jiu Jiu's aura to fully stabilize, Shu Yan stepped forward and asked softly, "Jiujiu, how do you feel?"

Golden light flickered in Xu Jiu Jiu's eyes, but vanished when she blinked; she curled her lips into a lovely smile and said, "Great—I can't describe this feeling, only that my body seems to have entered an unprecedented state of lively comfort, utterly relaxed and refreshed…"

After a moment's hesitation, Xu Jiu Jiu suddenly rose onto her tiptoes, leaned close to Shu Yan's ear, and whispered softly, "It feels just as good as bullying you…"

Shu Yan blinked, then instinctively glanced at the Ice Snow Dual Emperors not far away before smiling and pinching Xu Jiu Jiu's cheek, though he said nothing more.

The Jade Orchid Fragrance not only completely improved your physical condition, but also greatly enhanced your physique, soul power, and mental strength; it is itself the king of heavenly herbs, possessing the ability to discern and command all spiritual beings of heaven and earth—any ability related to aura it wields, and even to say that all plant-type soul beasts and even soul masters will have their combat power halved before it…

Xu Jiu Jiu's smile was sweet, and she then nodded.

It sacrificed everything it had, leaving only its seed, but it also made me swear not to interfere in its rebirth thereafter; I agreed, and naturally, all of its abilities were inherited by me…

Shu Yan put his arm around Xu Jiu Jiu's shoulders, and she obediently leaned against his chest, her expression tender and clingy, like a little cat.

Cough cough…

An ill-timed light cough sounded; the Snow Emperor glanced sideways, his expression showing no emotional change, and he simply said softly:

We should go.

The Ice Emperor stood beside the Snow Emperor, feeling quite envious of their boldness, but with the Snow Emperor present she dared not say anything……

……

With the fragrant Jade Orchid immortal-grade heart in hand, the external seven-colored poison barrier and poison clouds, etc., became mere decorations; even that phosphorescent poison formation lost its original function.

Several people flew at an altitude of about three hundred meters, heading all the way toward Tian Dou City; looking back at the small world shrouded in miasma and poison clouds, they couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

As they approached the outskirts of Sunset Forest, they encountered a soul-hunting squad, but the opposition apparently failed to notice Shu Yan and his three companions, who made no effort to hide, simply passing through the forest on their own.

However, just as they were about to leave Sunset Forest, they caught a whiff of an unusually foul, bloody stench.

This smell…

Shu Yan furrowed his brows; for some reason he felt it was familiar. Before he could recall where he had smelled something similar, Xu Jiu Jiu already gave the corresponding answer:

It's the evil soul masters; only they have this sour, corpse-rot-like stench. The last bunch were like that, only their odor wasn't this strong.

Xu Jiu Jiu frowned with distaste; she had always loathed evil soul masters, and since her Star Crown martial soul had an affinity with light, the sinful and slaughterous power on evil soul masters instinctively repulsed her, making her want to strike them down outright.

The Snow Emperor glanced westward, then slightly adjusted their direction of travel.

The bloody aura is strong; undoubtedly evil soul masters. The strongest among them is a Soul Douluo, plus a bunch of weaklings—perfect for you two to practice on.

The Snow Emperor's voice was somewhat cold, yet conveyed an unrefusable meaning; Shu Yan and Xu Jiu Jiu naturally had nothing to say, as they had just completed a breakthrough or transformation, and now was the perfect time to feel eager for a fight—the appearance of this group was undoubtedly most suitable.

However, while Shu Yan felt anticipation and excitement, he also inevitably carried a hint of doubt.

Why would evil soul masters run to this barren Sunset Forest for no reason—could they be teaming up to pull s? Shu Yan thought that was probably impossible.

How the facts actually are, we'll probably have to wait until later to find out.

……

The source of this bloody odor wasn't far from the four; after flying a short while in midair, they had already arrived nearby.

Beneath the not-so-dense woods stood a simple wooden hut built by the water; beside it, on land unshaded by trees, many medicinal herbs were grown, though they were all extremely common varieties, at most treating only the simplest ailments.

Soul beasts in Sunset Forest are scarce and generally weak, especially the outskirts, which are hardly different from an ordinary forest except for slightly richer spiritual energy; someone choosing to live in seclusion here is therefore not a bad option.

After all, housing and prices in Tian Dou City are not cheap; ordinary people can only barely get by, let alone imagine anything else.

In the clearing before the wooden hut, a group of middle-aged men exuding a bloody aura had already surrounded a girl with dark-green hair.

The girl with dark-green hair had delicate, pleasing features, but a strange totem marked her brow—looking like a snake at first glance, yet upon closer inspection it became indistinct.

Upon drawing slightly nearer, a hoarse, aged voice sounded:

Viridian Phosphorus Snake Maiden, how goes your consideration? Join my Holy Spirit Cult; with your talent and usefulness, a cult elder will surely accept you as a disciple. Given the might of your Viridian Phosphorus Snake Emperor martial soul, you could even hope to attain the position of Holy Maiden. In the future you will certainly be a prominent figure in the cult, and by then any problems you face will surely be resolved before the cult's endless resources and its powerful members…

And the hatred and humiliation you bear will eventually be repaid a thousand, ten thousand times over to those foolish mortals… You—could you really not be moved?

The old man's tone was gently persuasive, without any sense of urgency; on the contrary, it was unexpectedly mild, hardly resembling the methods of an evil soul master……

If it weren't for his intensely foul odor, stronger than that of all the others combined, and the manic excitement in his eyes at the prospect of success, one might truly fail to see that he is a powerful evil soul master Soul Douluo…

(End of chapter)