Although Dugu Bo reluctantly nodded in agreement to join the Yin Yang Sect, the heavy title of "vice sect master" made him feel uneasy all over. With a bitter face, he complained to Yu Qing, "Madman Ye, are you doing this on purpose? Do you have to put me on the hot seat? Don't you already have a ready-made Titled Douluo by your side? That girl A Rou is even stronger than me, and she's your... *cough cough*... wouldn't it be more appropriate for her to return and take this vice sect master position?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Qing shook his head with a serious expression. "I have other arrangements for A Rou. Her identity is... quite unique. Her status in the sect will also be very special in the future, but she is not suitable for the role of vice sect master."
"Unique?" A flash of doubt crossed Dugu Bo's green serpentine eyes. "What kind of unique identity could she have? Could she be the illegitimate daughter of the Pope of the Spirit Hall?"
Yu Qing smiled, not directly revealing A Rou's secret as a transformed Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast, but merely said meaningfully, "You will understand later. The future Yin Yang Sect might not be limited solely to human Spirit Masters."
"Not just humans? You mean Spirit Beasts!" Dugu Bo's face was full of disbelief.
"Yes," Yu Qing nodded. "As for why, I will tell you in the future."
After another round of coaxing and deceiving—er, appealing to emotion and reason—Yu Qing finally got Dugu Bo to temporarily accept the fait accompli of being the "vice sect master of the Yin Yang Sect." Although the Old Poison continued to mutter complaints about "trouble" and "restraint," deep in his eyes, there seemed to be a hidden trace of anticipation for the future.
After settling things with Dugu Bo, Yu Qing went to find his two newly settled fathers-in-law.
"Fathers-in-law, the home is initially settled. It's time to resolve the matter of your spirit rings," Yu Qing said, getting straight to the point.
Hearing this, Father Duan and Father Zi's eyes immediately lit up. They had been stuck at the Spirit Ancestor Realm for many years. Had it not been for the Spirit Bones gifted by Yu Qing, they would likely have had no hope of reaching the Spirit King Rank in their lifetimes. Now that the Spirit Bones were absorbed and their Rank Bottlenecks broken, all they lacked was a suitable spirit ring!
"We leave everything to our virtuous son-in-law's arrangements!" the two said in unison, their voices filled with excitement and trust.
Yu Qing immediately took his two fathers-in-law and left the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well once more, heading deep into the Sunset Forest to find suitable fifth spirit rings for them.
The Spirits of the two fathers-in-law were the Fire Lizard and the Purple Cloud Vine respectively. Both were Intermediate Spirits, slightly inferior to Duan Xin's former Crimson Flame Dragon Lizard and Zi Ruyi's Purple Cloud Creeper, but they each had their own characteristics.
Under the scan of Yu Qing's vast mental force, finding suitable ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts was not difficult. Soon, he found an Explosive Flame Porcupine with a cultivation of just over ten thousand years for Father Duan, and a Thorny Iron Python Vine of eleven thousand years for Father Zi.
The absorption process went without a hitch. With the support of their Spirit Bones and Yu Qing acting as their Protector, the two fathers-in-law successfully integrated the spirit rings into their bodies. Their spirit power surged as they officially stepped into the Spirit King Realm!
Feeling the power within his body, which was far stronger than before, Father Duan grabbed Yu Qing's hand excitedly, his voice choking up. "Son-in-law! Thank you! Thank you so much! If not for you, with our Innate Rank 4 spirit power, we likely would never have reached the threshold of a Spirit King in this life!"
Father Zi was also filled with emotion and gave Yu Qing a deep bow. "I will never forget my son-in-law's great kindness as long as I live!"
Yu Qing quickly helped them up and smiled. "Fathers-in-law, you are too kind. We are family, there's no need for such formality. Spirit King is just the beginning. With me here, I will at the very least help you Cultivate to the Spirit Saint Realm! If we can find the right Opportunity in the future, even the Spirit Douluo Realm might not be out of reach!"
Spirit Saint! Spirit Douluo!
These two Realms, which they hadn't even dared to dream of before, were spoken of so casually by Yu Qing. Father Duan and Father Zi were shaken to their cores. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with unbelievable ecstasy and infinite longing for the future! At this moment, they were absolutely certain that following Yu Qing was the wisest decision of their lives!
"By the way," Yu Qing reminded his two fathers-in-law on the way back to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, "Tomorrow morning, please gather everyone in the open space in the center of the living area. I have an important announcement to make."
"Alright, son-in-law! We'll make sure it's done!" The two immediately responded solemnly, having already guessed that it likely had to do with their son-in-law's organization.
After returning to the valley, Yu Qing continued his daily routine: preparing medicinal baths for Ling Xin and Ling Mou and checking their cultivation progress; and treating little Dugu Yan's body, using the Power of Life to gently disperse the Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison accumulated in her Meridians.
Meanwhile, far away in the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, by the Lake of Life.
Xiao Wu was as listless as a frost-bitten eggplant, sitting dejectedly by the lake and poking at the water. For the past half month, she had been "educated" miserably by her mother. A Rou had discarded her usual gentleness and conducted a non-stop, comprehensive, and multi-angled lecture on safety and the dangers of sneaking out of the Lake of Life. The Little Rabbit's ears were practically growing callouses from listening, and she felt her entire rabbit life had turned gray.
On the other side, the Fox Consort sat cross-legged by the Lake of Life, her body surrounded by a misty aura of life and dense spirit power fluctuations.
She had already successfully passed the most fragile Early Stage of transformation. Under the nourishment of the Lake of Life's immense Power of Life, she had completely stabilized her human form. At this moment, she was condensing her own first spirit ring.
For a transformed Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast, condensing the first few spirit rings was not difficult. The process was not long, and accompanied by a unique energy fluctuation, a bright yellow spirit ring slowly rose from beneath her feet and circled her body.
She slowly opened those long, naturally seductive fox eyes, her gaze flowing with an added layer of depth. She stood up, her posture light as she walked to A Rou's side, her voice carrying a hint of lazy magnetism. "When do we set out?"
A Rou gently released Xiao Wu, who was still sulking in her arms, and stood up to look the Fox Consort over. Even in simple clothing, her all-enchanting temperament and peerless beauty could hardly be fully concealed.
A Rou sighed and took out a large black cloak from her spirit tool, handing it to her. "We can leave anytime. However, put this on first."
The Fox Consort took the cloak and looked at it suspiciously. "Why? This cloak looks quite ugly."
A Rou rolled her eyes at her. "With your current appearance, walking into the human World would attract a mountain of unnecessary trouble and covetous eyes. We need to get back to the Sunset Forest as quickly as possible; such troubles are best avoided."
The Fox Consort curled her lip, and though somewhat reluctant, she followed the advice and draped the large cloak over herself. She pulled the hood down, covering most of her face and leaving only her elegantly lined chin and red lips visible. Although her extraordinary figure could still be discerned, she was no longer so shockingly conspicuous.
"By the way," after getting dressed, the Fox Consort seemed to remember something and leaned in close to A Rou, asking curiously in a low voice, "Is that A Qing you mentioned... really as good as you say?" She truly couldn't imagine what kind of human man could cause such a massive change in a Soft Bones Demon Rabbit, making her even willing to find'sisters' for him.
At the mention of Yu Qing, a tender and sweet smile instantly bloomed on A Rou's face, and her gaze softened. She nodded gently, her tone certain. "He is the best, most perfect man in this World. Once you see him, you will naturally understand."
Seeing her immersed in such happiness, the curiosity and anticipation in the Fox Consort's heart couldn't help but grow. She wanted to see with her own eyes whether that human named Yu Qing was truly as miraculous as A Rou claimed.
With everything prepared, A Rou took the still-unhappy Xiao Wu by the hand and, along with the cloaked Fox Consort, bid farewell to the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape.
"Aunt Rou, Sister Xiao Wu, and... Aunt Fox, take care on your journey!" The Titan Giant Ape Er Ming's voice was a low rumble, filled with reluctance.
The Sky Azure Bull Python Da Ming also said in a deep voice, "If you need anything, come back at any time."
Xiao Wu looked at the receding Lake of Life, which sparkled like a sapphire, and the two mountain-like giant figures guarding her. Her eyes couldn't help but redden as she asked softly, "Mama, in the future... can I still come back to see Da Ming and Er Ming?"
A Rou gently stroked her daughter's hair and said softly, "Of course you can. This will always be your home. Whenever Xiao Wu wants to come back, Mama can bring you to see them at any time."
Hearing her mother's assurance, Xiao Wu's mood finally improved slightly. Looking back with every step, she followed her mother and that newly-met, mysterious Aunt Fox, embarking on the journey to the human World and toward the man named Yu Qing.
The lush trees of the Star Dou Great Forest gradually receded behind them. A Rou was eager to return home, the Fox Consort was filled with curiosity and scrutiny, and Xiao Wu was a mix of anxiety toward the unknown human World and reluctance to leave her old friends.
The group of three women quickly left the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest.
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