It was afternoon—the perfect time for a nap, and one of the few moments in the day when Fu Ye had some free time.
He didn't have a single worry during the Continental Advanced Soul Master Competition. After all, three more Soul Emperors had emerged in his team after Dugu Yan.
Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, and Xue Wu—the three eldest sisters of the Tianshui team—were now advancing in their cultivation at rocket-like speed thanks to the Immortal herb.
Zhuqing, Wu Ling, and Meng Yiran had reached the peak of level 49, the Soul Ancestor realm. Even Ning Rongrong, the weakest member of the team, was now a level 47 Soul Ancestor.
The rest of the girls had all broken through to the Soul King level. Dugu Yan's current strength had even reached the peak of level 69—the Soul Emperor realm—just one step away from becoming a Soul Saint!
Dou Dou and Xue Ke hadn't slacked off in their training after consuming the Immortal herb either; they were now far stronger than before.
As for the little cat girl, Fu Ye hadn't given her any Immortal herb. After all, that treasure was reserved for his women. Right now, she was just a maid.
[Catgirl Jiang Jing's current favorability: 85.6%]
Fu Ye had no idea what was going on. He'd left her alone for three months, yet her favorability toward him kept rising rapidly.
'Maybe she's genuinely grateful to me for providing her with a stable and comfortable living and learning environment.'
"Knock, knock, knock!"
A gentle tapping sounded at the door. Fu Ye already knew who it was.
"Come in."
After hearing Fu Ye's voice, the person outside seemed to pause—as if lost in thought—before slowly pushing the door open.
"Why come to me in the middle of the day instead of napping, Jiang Jing?"
Indeed, it was the catgirl Jiang Jing, whom he had bought from the Heaven Dou Auction House three months ago.
Fu Ye lay with his back to her, lounging lazily on a large brown-black sofa bathed in sunlight.
With a soul master's physique, ultraviolet rays posed no harm to his skin, so he enjoyed basking in the sun on that soft, comfortable couch during noon.
"I—" Jiang Jing started, but seemed unsure how to begin.
"If you have something to say, say it. If not, go back to training or rest. I won't restrict your personal freedom at Tianshui Academy."
As far as Fu Ye was concerned, he already had two big cats at home—both taller and more beautiful than Jiang Jing.
He didn't know what was on her mind, but as long as she didn't try to escape and continued cultivating peacefully at the academy, he saw no need to pressure her.
Someday, he might travel to other parallel universes of Douluo, and the only ones he could bring along were his women.
To be honest, he had never forced any girl—except for that initial misunderstanding with Ah Wu.
Willing was willing; unwilling was unwilling. Maybe Zhu Zhuyun had stayed with him at first just to survive, but over time, she'd grown to love him. They had been together for almost two years now and knew each other well.
As for this little catgirl… after everything that happened three months ago, Fu Ye's expectations of her weren't very high.
He rarely hid the fact that he had girlfriends, though Meng Yiran and Wu Ling still didn't know the full story. They only knew he was with their Xiao Wu; they had no idea their good sisters had also fallen for him.
Instead of leaving after Fu Ye's dismissal, Jiang Jing stood still, lips slightly parted as if she had been mustering the courage to speak for a long time.
"Master."
Fu Ye didn't chase her away for just standing there motionless. He simply continued lying quietly, soaking in the sun.
"I… want to apologize to you."
Jiang Jing's voice was strained, clearly emotional.
"Hm."
A simple sound—yet it conveyed plenty.
"Master, I—"
Jiang Jing knew all too well that she had nothing to offer Fu Ye except—
"If there's nothing else, go back and rest. You and little Xue Ke are in similar situations. She has a scoundrel for a father; you have one addicted to gambling."
Fu Ye's tone was detached, as though he were discussing something utterly mundane.
"If you want your freedom back—to live a simple life—then train hard here at the academy. In less than five years, I'll leave with the team, and you'll naturally be free again."
Jiang Jing's eyes widened with disbelief and shock—but no joy.
"Master… you're leaving?"
Her words came out haltingly. Fu Ye didn't respond.
"Then what about me? Master, are you going to abandon me?"
Her blue and green heterochromatic eyes fixed blankly on Fu Ye, who continued sunbathing leisurely. She couldn't understand.
"That depends on you. To be honest, I don't like forcing people."
Fu Ye rolled over and looked back at the catgirl standing behind his sofa.
Noticing his gaze, her mismatched pupils grew restless, and her hands fidgeted nervously.
"How I treated you at first was just to make you behave. As for the golden mark on your forehead—it was only to keep you from harming Xue Ke and the others."
His tone shifted slightly.
"But remember: I bought you back purely out of pity. It would've been a waste for you to fall into the hands of those corrupt nobles. That's all."
Jiang Jing fell silent. She knew every word he said was true.
"And don't think that elegant-looking middle-aged man who brought your mother along is some kind of good person. I've known him for over twenty years. If he was willing to bid million of gold coins against me, the only reason is that your mother agreed to his terms."
Fu Ye's voice was calm but carried unmistakable clarity.
"He's the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—a true businessman. Do you really think he stopped bidding because he ran out of money?"
"No, no. He simply decided you weren't worth the price. Your mother likely signed a contract selling you to him. That's the only reason he was willing to pay."
Upon hearing this, the Catgirl, Jiang Jing, widened her eyes in disbelief. After all, her own mother had been the one urging her to follow that middle-aged man!
"I heard every word between you and your mother quite clearly. Naturally, that old fox Ning Fengzhi heard it all too—but you saw for yourself how he didn't dare show the slightest temper in front of me afterward."
Fu Ye stretched lazily and slowly rose to his feet, turning his gaze toward the little cat girl, Jiang Jing.
"Since you were born into nobility, you should be well aware of how things operate among aristocratic families."
"What happens in top tier sects like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect or the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect is simply a magnified reflection of the intrigues that occur among minor nobles like your family."
"Here at Tianshui Academy, however, the environment remains pure. Aside from me, the dean, only female students reside within."
After all, at Tianshui Academy, there was only his small team of a dozen women—and more often than not, it was these young women who took the initiative with him.
Fu Ye yawned, a trace of drowsy tears forming at the corners of his eyes.
"Just as I told you at the auction: remain well-behaved and avoid causing trouble, and I will not make things difficult for you. Everyone deserves the right to choose. Here, I will grant you fairness and freedom."
He felt somewhat sleepy. Although he was now a demigod, the habits from his previous life made him instinctively drowsy around noon.
"If there's nothing else, go back and rest. I'm going to take a nap as well."
Fu Ye dismissed them. He had plans to visit Bibi Dong that night. She was already nearing godhood, and he understood the nature of the old Asura God all too well.
He suspected that Bibi Dong's ninth trial might be unusually straightforward—perhaps even allowing her to ascend to the God Realm ahead of time to assume his position as the Law Enforcer.
When he returned to Spirit Hall City after more than a decade away, Bibi Dong had recounted everything that transpired along the Hell Road.
Having absorbed a full set of fierce beast spirit bones and refined her spirit with magic herbs, Bibi Dong had managed to break free from the illusion cast by the Rakshasa Goddess. Later, as she departed, she finally met the Asura God she had long heard of and received his divine trial.
In recent years, however, Bibi Dong had adopted a leisurely and cautious approach toward these trials.
Yet during the seventh trial, the Asura God himself appeared and directly handed her the Asura Sword—indicating that she had already completed it.
In response, Bibi Dong stated that she must wait for her husband and could not ascend to the divine realm so quickly.
Thus, her eighth trial was delayed for seven or eight years. With her current strength, completing it would be effortless. The only reason she hadn't done so yet was simply because she wished to remain in the mortal world a little longer.
After all, she didn't know what the ninth trial entailed. Judging by the anxious expression on the Asura God's face when he directly delivered a super divine artifact during the seventh trial, she feared the ninth might directly require her to ascend and inherit the divine throne.
Meanwhile, in the divine realm, at the Sea God Temple…
"Achoo! Achoo!"
The Asura God sneezed twice. The Sea God leaned back slightly, a look of disgust on his aged face.
"Hey, Asura—you're a God King already. How can you still catch a cold?"
Hearing the Sea God's remark, Asura looked slightly embarrassed.
"Who says I'm sick? I don't feel ill—more like someone's cursing me behind my back."
Asura pinched his chin thoughtfully, then suddenly reached for his belt.
"Hey! What are you doing?! I'm a man who likes women! Even if I don't have a wife, I definitely don't have those kinds of feelings for you!"
The Sea God was startled by Asura's movement. Was he really about to do something unthinkable? A strong man subduing another man?!
"Dammit! It must be that Rakshasa bastard I roasted over divine fire cursing me! How else would I be sneezing in this condition?" After hearing Asura's explanation, the Sea God finally relaxed.
After all, if Asura really tried anything foolish, he wouldn't be able to resist—the gap between a God King and a first-class god was immense!
"We don't have much entertainment up here in the God Realm. How about coming with me to rough him up a little?"
"Uh... isn't that going a bit too far?"
"Just answer: are you coming or not?"
"Fine, I'm in!"
At the same time, the Rakshasa Goddess—currently tied up and evenly roasted over divine fire—felt a sudden sense of foreboding.
"Something's not right... Why do I have such a bad feeling?"
Down in the mortal world, in Fu Ye's private villa dormitory at Tianshui Academy—
The Catgirl had not left. Instead, she stood silently, staring intently at Fu Ye for a long time.
"Rustle—"
A faint sound came from behind the sofa where Fu Ye was resting. Assuming she was about to leave, he settled into a comfortable position for his nap.
"Master, please accept me. I know I have nothing to repay you with, but so long as you are willing to let me stay by your side—even as a lowly maid—Jiang Jing would be content."
Jiang Jing understood clearly: it was Fu Ye who had given her this chance at a better life. She could not be ungrateful.
Rather than gambling on an uncertain future, she would rather follow Fu Ye onward—even if only as a servant or maid.
As for why she felt this way… perhaps it was because Fu Ye had done nothing to her after purchasing her; perhaps it was due to things Xue Ke and Dugu Yan had shared about themselves; or perhaps it was simply because of Fu Ye's striking handsomeness.
In her heart, if her master was truly willing to accept her—even as a personal maid—she would follow him wholeheartedly from that day forward.
Hearing the little cat girl's words, Fu Ye slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of surprise within them.
After all, this same little cat girl had dared to confront him when he first bought her. Although he had spanked her bottom until it nearly split, he had also made her submit.
Now, for her to voluntarily offer herself as his maid felt somewhat unreal.
It was almost as if he had coerced her—yet he had done no such thing. He had even promised to remove her slave mark once he departed, granting her absolute freedom.
When he turned to look at the little cat girl, he found her standing naked before him, her face flushed, her body bathed in a soft, holy light.
Seeing this, Fu Ye raised an eyebrow, a faint smile touching his lips.
Jiang Jing grew nervous under his gaze. After all, every girl on the Tianshui team was no less beautiful than she was. The looks she had once prided herself on were merely average here.
If she had any unique appeal, it lay in the cat ears and tail that had manifested due to her spirit's mutation.
Summoning her courage, she stepped toward Fu Ye with feline grace and slowly knelt before the sofa.
"Master, I…"
At noon, the sky was clear, with only a few wisps of cloud drifting by.
Inside the single villa apartment assigned to Fu Ye at Tianshui Academy in Ningbing City, he sat leisurely on the sofa, his expression one of pure contentment. It was clear he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
The cat girl, Jiang Jing, was giving him a local massage. Her delicate little face was flushed, yet she remained utterly focused. Though it was her first time performing such a task, her movements were gentle and careful.
As she grew more adept, her cheeks reddened further. Fu Ye gave a thumbs-up of approval for her novel massage technique.
Fu Ye stroked the cat ears while receiving the massage from their owner, feeling immensely comfortable.
As everyone knows, a cat's ears are highly sensitive. After being handled by Fu Ye for a while, the little kitten Jiang Jing began to feel somewhat dazed and weary.
But Fu Ye was no evil capitalist who would make a cat work without rest. A tired cat deserved a break.
His hand trailed along her tail to its base, and the moment he touched her back, she collapsed onto the sofa as if electrocuted.
Seeing her confused and helpless expression, Fu Ye slowly picked her up.
He declared that as a diligent gardener, he was committed to helping these flowers bloom more vibrantly.
As a bright red flower blossomed, Fu Ye knew his work had officially begun.
…
A week later.
The preliminaries of the Continental Elite Soul Master Competition had officially begun!
This was a grand event held only once every few years. To ensure the Academy's safety, Fu Ye had stationed over a dozen Extreme Douluo puppets around Tianshui Academy.
Erlong and Han Ruyan had also come to watch the girls compete.
The competition venue, set up in the Heaven Dou Imperial City, had been transformed into a luxurious arena after a week of preparations.
Erlong, Xiaowu, and Ruyan sat in the luxurious VIP section, which offered the best view. Shielded by parasols, they were spared from the afternoon heat.
Soon, all participating teams filed into the center of the stadium in an orderly fashion. Led by Shui Bing'er, the team from Tianshui Academy also emerged from the tunnel.
It was well-known that Tianshui Academy held significant influence in Heaven Dou Imperial City. Their team was regarded as a group of goddesses by young soul masters across the continent.
Due to special circumstances, Fu Ye was seated at the top tier, on par with Ning Fengzhi. Beside him was Xue Ye, the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, whom he had previously swindled out of five billion gold soul coins.
"Brother Fu Ye, would you like some grapes? Xue Ke just peeled them."
"Hehe, Master, Jiang Jing has prepared some juice for you."
Indeed, the cat girl Jiang Jing and the little princess of the former Heaven Dou royal family, Xue Ke, had been brought by Fu Ye and were now seated beside him.
They each had their own soft, high-backed chairs, with two small tables in front of them laden with fruits.
Xue Ye watched his daughter—whom he had effectively sold—chatting and laughing while feeding grapes to Fu Ye, and felt as uncomfortable as if he had eaten something vile.
Ning Fengzhi also cast a glance of pity at the cat girl, but buying her for 3.5 million was hardly a bargain. Moreover, Fu Ye, who had outbid him, had recently tricked Xue Ye out of five billion gold soul coins. Offending him was simply not an option!
But now, whether she was a cat or a cat girl mattered little to him.
What truly mattered were the blueprints Fu Ye had given him. Recently, he had tasked trusted craftsmen within his sect to batch-produce parts, which he then assembled himself. Surprisingly, he had succeeded in creating some of the devices.
As he had anticipated, the weapons could be used against soul masters below the Soul King level.
However, he had not attempted to craft the specially marked Buddha's Wrath Lotus. The main reason was that although he had sufficient materials, an accident occurred during assembly—it exploded right in front of him.
Fortunately, he had asked Gu Rong to stay by his side at the time; otherwise, he would have met his end then and there.
This incident only underscored the weapon's terrifying power! Though incredibly complex to produce, making mass production impossible, and usable only once, it was a weapon capable of threatening a Titled Douluo!
According to Gu Rong's description, the explosion caused by the assembly error could have outright killed an unsuspecting Titled Douluo!
Thanks to the unique nature of his martial soul, Gu Rong absorbed the full impact of the blast into a separate space. Otherwise, the secret room where Ning Fengzhi was working would have collapsed instantly!
Yet, producing the parts for that single device had taken over two months, with more than a dozen craftsmen working day and night.
Now, the metal reserves of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were only sufficient for one more attempt. But with the experience gained from the previous failure, he was confident that in another two months, this formidable weapon would be in the hands of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!
The production of smaller hidden weapons, such as the Godly Zhuge Crossbow and Sleeve Arrow, was also proceeding smoothly.
He planned to fully equip the core disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with these hidden weapons, greatly enhancing their self-defense capabilities!
At this thought, a relaxed smile appeared on Ning Fengzhi's face.
Fortunately, he had not made an enemy of that freak Fu Ye from the start. Otherwise, how could such a tremendous boon have befallen the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
"Mmm, delicious. You two little girls should sit down and rest. I'll give you both a break for the next few days—take some time to enjoy yourselves."
The overall strength of the Tianshui team far surpassed that of all other teams at their level, making their championship victory almost inevitable.
Of course, there would always be those with ill intentions who might try to act outside the arena. But Fu Ye had stationed nine Extreme Douluo-level black-armored puppets in the shadows around each of them.
Even if Qian Daoliu himself were to come, he would be beaten up. Whether he could escape afterward would be another matter entirely.
Meanwhile, Xue Xing, standing behind Xue Ye, wore an expression as if his mother had died. The white beard on his face had all fallen out, giving him a somewhat feminine appearance.
After speeches from Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi, the competition officially commenced.
Originally, the old fox Ning Fengzhi had wanted to take the microphone and say a few words to Fu Ye, but a single glare from the latter made him think better of it.
The announcer beside the VIP table proclaimed loudly:
"The team drawn to face the vice-team of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy will have its only match today. A win will grant them one point in advance, but a loss will eliminate them directly! Now, I announce the draw results."
"For the first round of the qualifiers: Canghui Academy versus Purple Star Academy."
"For the first round of the qualifiers: Auckland Academy versus Flame Glory Academy(?)."
"For the first round of the preliminaries: the second team of Heaven Dou Royal Academy versus Tianshui Academy."
As the other teams gradually departed, Shui Bing'er and the others played rock-paper-scissors to decide who would stay and compete.
Three minutes later, the four girls skipped away cheerfully, clearly in high spirits.
"Then I'll lead the team for this match."
Dugu Yan watched Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu leave the arena hand in hand, so she naturally took up the role of captain.
Although she was the strongest among them, she deeply respected the original captain, Shui Bing'er, and vice-captain, Xue Wu.
Having joined later, she regarded them as sisters and was content to let them take the lead. But now that they were gone, she, as the eldest sister, naturally stepped up.
"Yeah! Sister Yanzi, let's go beat these weaklings to a pulp with one punch!"
Wu Ling's face was full of excitement. After all, Fu Ye had promised that if they won the championship in this tournament, he would give each of them a special reward!
Although Wu Ling didn't fully understand what that meant, in her mind, anything given by Brother Fu Ye was definitely something good.
"Hehe, I feel like we've already won. Wu Ling, look at those weaklings from Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team—they're all wilting like frostbitten cabbages after seeing Sister Yanzi (Dugu Yan)."
Soon, as the remaining teams cleared the stage, the emcee began his announcement.
"Now, please welcome the second team of Heaven Dou Royal Academy!"
As he finished speaking, the crowded auditorium erupted into cheers. Clearly, the audience was thrilled to watch such a large-scale competition.
In fact, there were five venues in the competition arena in total. The other four were closed today, covered with thick black cloth.
"And next, let's welcome the crowd favorite—Team Tianshui!"
The host's growing enthusiasm stirred up the atmosphere in the entire venue.
"Team Tianshui!!"
"Goddesses!!!"
The roars surged like a tidal wave. It was well-known that every member of Team Tianshui was a beauty handpicked from thousands of candidates, each with extraordinary talent no less impressive than their male counterparts of the same age.
In this life, thanks to Liu Erlong's involvement, Team Tianshui was not short on funds, and Han Ruyan had no need to let her students make appearances for the sake of earning gold soul coins. Yet, none of this could diminish Team Tianshui's fame across the continent.
Shen Liuyu and Yu Hairou remained calm despite the massive crowd—they had experienced this before. As the granddaughter of Dugu Bo, Dugu Yan was equally unfazed by the cheers.
However, the three younger girls—Ning Rongrong, Wu Ling, and Zhu Qing—had never seen such a scene before. Though nervous inside, they maintained a composed and steady appearance on the surface.
Meanwhile, on the high platform, the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Ye, turned to Ning Fengzhi with interest.
"Master Ning, which team do you think will win this match?"
Hearing Xue Ye's question, Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly.
"Naturally, Team Tianshui."
Xue Ye's mouth twitched slightly at the answer. After all, his family's fortune had been nearly emptied by that freak next door because of Tianshui Academy. Just hearing the name now made him shudder.
"Oh? May I ask why, my dear…"
"My daughter, Ning Rongrong, is on that team."
"…"
Back on the competition stage, Dugu Yan led the way at the front. The seven opponents trembled like mice spotting a cat the moment they saw her.
"Sister Yanzi, I just came to pay my respects. Could you… not hit me in the face?"
Xue Beng, the captain of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team, bowed obsequiously toward Dugu Yan.
"Fine. If you surrender now, I won't beat you. You should know I've already left Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
Dugu Yan felt nothing but disdain for these noble weaklings.
After all, to Xue Beng, violating women was a trivial matter. The evils he had committed were too numerous to count.
She had heard from her grandfather about kidnappings, imprisonment, and forcing women into prostitution—yet because he was old man Xue Ye's son, he'd only been placed under house arrest for a few days whenever his crimes came to light.
"Brother Beng, we…"
One of the young men, holding an orchid in his hand, looked nervously at Xue Beng. But in front of his lackeys, Xue Beng put on a completely different face.
"We can't surrender! If we give up, the royal family will lose face!"
Avalanche knew perfectly well they stood no chance of winning, but surrendering in the first match was absolutely out of the question! Their second team represented the dignity of the Heaven Dou Royal Family!
"Both sides, take your positions—begin!"
As the host announced the start, Dugu Yan and her team instantly summoned their martial souls, their soul rings emerging around them.
"Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda"
"First Soul Skill: Strength Amplification!"
"Second Soul Skill: Agility Amplification!"
"Third Soul Skill: Soul Power Amplification!"
Ning Rongrong didn't hesitate in the slightest, instantly casting three amplifications.
Zhu Zhuqing and Shen Liuyu—one an agile attacker, the other of power attack system—rushed toward the seven opponents the moment their agility was boosted. Behind them, soul rings shone: yellow and purple, a mix of three rings!
Of course, this was only the cultivation level they revealed to avoid unnecessary trouble. After all, showing their ten-thousand-year fourth rings would do them no good.
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing and Shen Liuyu charging at them with terrifying auras, the seven members of Avalanche's team huddled together in fear. Once they regained their senses, they hurled their soul skills wildly at the two.
For a moment, Zhu Zhuqing and Shen Liuyu were kept at a distance.
But as two beams of light flowed into Dugu Yan and Wu Ling, three dazzling soul rings appeared behind Wu Ling the next moment.
Yellow, purple, purple! A super-limit soul ring configuration!
"Third soul skill—Yin-Yang Replacement!"
As Wu Ling's martial soul, the Yin-Yang Chaos Peacock, manifested, a dark Tai Chi diagram appeared before Dugu Yan, while a white Tai Chi diagram materialized beneath the feet of Xue Beng's seven team members.
"Buzz!"
Almost instantly, the seven members of Avalanche's team were forcibly dragged toward Dugu Yan.
Before they could even process what was happening, Dugu Yan had already gathered her strength.
With a phantom golden dragon shadow swirling around her fist, she slammed directly into the seven of them.
The match was over.
"Boom!!!"
The force of Dugu Yan's punch was so immense that it sent the group of noble youngsters flying and even cracked the arena wall behind them.
After it was all over, Dugu Yan and the others casually brushed off their hands and regrouped, looking completely at ease.
"Hehe, I told you it wouldn't take five seconds!"
...
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