"Bu-but..."
Tang Ya still wanted to argue, her eyes red like a rabbit's, on the verge of tears. Yet, she couldn't refute Ye Wen's words.
As the saying goes, an outside perspective is often clearer. Bei Bei, who had remained silent until now, seemed to understand something and immediately interjected.
"Senior, please feel free to speak your mind. There's no need to tease us juniors like this. If you have any requests, just say so. As long as it's within our ability, we'll do our best to assist you."
Ye Wen smiled faintly. "I enjoy dealing with smart people."
Tang Ya was momentarily stunned, then glared at Ye Wen, frustrated that he was playing such tricks.
All those earlier words were useless.
Ye Wen didn't beat around the bush but directly pointed to Huo Yuer.
"Your Tang Sect should still have an exemption slot for direct admission into Shrek Academy, right? I hope you give this slot to my little disciple."
At this moment, Tang Ya finally displayed some semblance of being the Tang Sect leader.
"No way! That slot belongs to our Tang Sect! How can we just give it to an outsider?"
Ye Wen inwardly sighed. If this girl didn't undergo the dark transformation into Dark Blue Silver Grass in the future, her approach to handling matters would likely leave her easily taken advantage of.
"Don't worry, I'll provide satisfactory compensation in return.
And what's there to be proud of in a Tang Sect that's been reduced to just you as its leader?" Ye Wen said calmly, with a hint of mockery.
Tang Ya's eyes, which had just begun to calm down, reddened again. Ye Wen was poking at her scars.
"You!"
Tang Ya, enraged, tried to retort but was stopped by Bei Bei.
"We'll do as Senior says."
As someone educated in elite circles, even if he was somewhat of a lapdog, Bei Bei understood the gravity of the situation. Ye Wen nodded approvingly.
As for selling out Huo Yuer to join the Tang Sect for an enrollment slot, Ye Wen had no interest in that. It would only benefit Tang San in the God Realm. After all, the Tang Sect's fortune was tied to him. If he truly didn't care about this sect, why would he go through the trouble of arranging this play for Huo Yuer to join the Tang Sect?
"Since that's settled, follow me," Ye Wen said softly.
He then led them deeper into the Star Dou Forest, leaving the dead millennium-old Mandrake Snake behind.
Along the way, Tang Ya, aware of Ye Wen's strength, dared not make any rash moves. However, she constantly whispered to Bei Bei, sulking like a domineering girlfriend, while Bei Bei did his best to console her.
Ye Wen ignored this entirely. He couldn't understand the appeal of a domineering girlfriend.
Was Bei Bei a natural masochist? With his qualifications, what kind of woman couldn't he find? Moreover, he already had Zhang Lexuan, an elegant and refined fiancée who was already at the Soul Douluo level.
Unfathomable, unfathomable—matters of the heart were truly complex. Even after over twenty thousand years of godhood, Ye Wen still couldn't grasp their intricacies.
Love was often ambiguous, an emotion that couldn't be tested yet could clearly reveal whether the other person truly loved you or not.
Soon, the four arrived at a grove. Ye Wen stopped near a tree.
Pointing to a two-thousand-year-old Blue Silver Tree before them, Ye Wen said indifferently, "Young lady, this is the most suitable third spirit ring for you."
At this moment, both Bei Bei and Tang Ya furrowed their brows. Bei Bei, appearing more knowledgeable, was the first to voice his doubts.
"Senior, even a two-thousand-year-old Blue Silver Grass soul beast only has two mediocre abilities—proliferation and entanglement. How can this serve as Xiaoya's third spirit ring?"
Ye Wen wasn't angered by the question but instead looked at Bei Bei appreciatively. No one understood the weakness of Blue Silver Grass soul beasts better than Ye Wen. In the original timeline, if he hadn't created the role of healing soul masters, no one would have hunted Blue Silver Grass soul beasts—they simply didn't offer any worthwhile spirit skills.
"What do you think your little girlfriend lacks the most right now?" Ye Wen asked.
Bei Bei, who had been preparing to argue against Ye Wen's supposed fallacy, suddenly froze.
"Huh?"
Ye Wen then turned to Tang Ya and spoke gently, "It must be hard, being limited by your innate talent, watching the gap between your cultivation and your lover's widen. Even when he deliberately slows down his progress, you still can't catch up."
Upon hearing this, Tang Ya trembled, her face turning pale. She lowered her head, unable to meet Ye Wen's gaze.
At this moment, Bei Bei came to a sudden realization. He quickly intertwined his fingers with Tang Ya's and whispered,
"Xiaoya, it's not like that. You don't need to feel guilty because of me."
"But... but... I..."
The usually strong and lively Tang Ya shed tears of frustration. The scar she had tried so hard to forget was completely exposed by Ye Wen, forcing her to confront this harsh reality.
"Heh."
Ye Wen's light chuckle interrupted their melodramatic performance. Both Tang Ya and Bei Bei looked at him with anger and complex emotions in their eyes.
"It's not like you've been diagnosed with a terminal illness. What's with this gloomy atmosphere?" Ye Wen teased.
The two fell silent. Indeed, it was true.
Bei Bei, quick-witted, seemed to realize something and looked at Ye Wen with newfound enthusiasm.
"Senior, could absorbing this Blue Silver Tree improve Xiaoya's cultivation aptitude?"
Tang Ya also caught on and looked at Ye Wen expectantly. Who wouldn't want to cultivate faster and avoid being left behind?
But Ye Wen felt somewhat helpless. He had spoken facts, yet they started dreaming again. Love-struck minds were terrifying indeed.
"What are you thinking? A mere thousand-year-old Blue Silver Grass isn't some divine herb that Tang San once consumed. Even if its effects were miraculous, it wouldn't grant instant perfection."
Bei Bei and Tang Ya stiffened. However, they were somewhat dissatisfied with Ye Wen addressing Tang San by name so casually.
Bei Bei, understanding propriety, didn't say anything outright, but Tang Ya, being straightforward to the point of naivety, immediately confronted him.
"Senior, please show respect to our Tang Sect's founding ancestor. Referring to him so casually by name could get you beaten up in public."
Ye Wen paid it no mind but didn't want to dwell on the topic further, so he brushed it off casually.
"Oh, right, right, right."
Tang Ya grew angry, but Ye Wen's next words forced her to listen in silence.
"When soul masters absorb spirit rings, there aren't many restrictions. Even if the attributes are mismatched, it would only prevent absorption. However, there are always lucky individuals who manage to absorb them, though the spirit skills will undergo some degree of mutation.
If one or two spirit rings are mismatched, it might not matter much. But if several are absorbed, the soul master will eventually notice their cultivation speed drastically declining."
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