Chapter 309: Tang Ya's Fall, Preparations for the Ninth Ring
After almost consuming the eggs of an entire chicken farm, Xiao Qiang was finally stopped by Mu Qingxue before things got even more absurd.
Thankfully, none of the eggs went to waste. After making a massive breakfast for everyone in the Soul Palace, the seemingly ridiculous egg overload served its purpose.
After breakfast, Mu Qingxue took a long bath and changed clothes with the assistance of Princess Jiujiu.
Originally, Princess Jiujiu should have faced punishment for learning of Xiao Qiang's intent to dispose of Xu Tianran. But because the Star Crown Martial Soul had already dethroned the White Tiger Martial Soul, and Mu Qingxue still had a favorable impression of its wielder, she chose to let Jiujiu live. Xiao Qiang's overwhelming strength didn't hurt her chances either.
Even so, Jiujiu was still a prisoner of war—untrusted, unfree, and stripped of all property. She could only continue surviving by serving Mu Qingxue as a personal maid.
After helping Mu Qingxue dress, Princess Jiujiu knelt on the ground silently while Mu Qingxue rested her legs on another woman, using her as a footrest so Jiujiu could help her put on socks.
If Beibei had been alive to witness the identity of the woman under Mu Qingxue's boots, he would've gone mad on the spot.
Because that woman was Tang Ya—the very person Beibei had loved deeply.
Feng Ling, the former deputy leader of the Holy Spirit Church, and many of its saintesses—Tang Ya included—were subdued by Xiao Qiang during the Soul Palace's assault. Although they betrayed the Church and launched a counterattack from within, the truth was simple: Xiao Qiang's spiritual control exceeded that of the Holy Spirit Church. They hadn't changed allegiance out of loyalty—they simply couldn't disobey Xiao Qiang.
Ma Xiaotao, Tang Ya, Wu Ming, Han Ruoruo, Zhang Lexuan… all five had survived the war thanks to their saintess status. But they were not allies. They were controlled pawns.
"Speaking of which, what are we going to do with those saints and the deputy leader of the Holy Spirit Church?" Mu Qingxue asked casually as her boot pressed down on Tang Ya's back. A surge of holy power followed, causing Tang Ya to let out a muffled sob of pain.
"What else?" Xiao Qiang replied while casually watching Mu Qingxue finish dressing. "They're still under control. The Holy Spirit Church is gone. We'll keep them around for Yu Mengdi or Ye Guyi to challenge in the future. Once they're purified, if they regain their consciousness, they can go free. If not—then it's their fate. But Ma Xiaotao and Tang Ya, regardless of purification, have to go."
"Why?"
"Zhang Lexuan, Wu Ming, Han Ruoruo—those three were clearly forced into becoming evil soul masters. You can't blame the sword for the killing if someone else wielded it. But Ma Xiaotao and Tang Ya… they weren't forced. They practically embraced it."
He narrowed his eyes. "And Tang Ya was the Tang Sect's leader. If we allow that organization to rebuild, it'll just feed on war again like it always has."
"Tang Sect…" Mu Qingxue repeated thoughtfully. As if in response, the sacred aura around her intensified. Under its pressure, Tang Ya—only a Soul Saint—had no way to resist. With Mu Qingxue's demigod-level power, even if she stood on Tang Ya's back for hours, the woman wouldn't be able to budge an inch.
After venting her frustration on Tang Ya, Mu Qingxue turned to Xiao Qiang. "I heard you mention something earlier. You plan to use the Evil Emperor as your ninth soul ring?"
"How much did you hear?" Xiao Qiang asked warily.
Mu Qingxue smirked. "Not important. The real question is—when are you going to act?"
"No rush," Xiao Qiang replied. "Fusing the Evil Emperor's soul is going to be a long process. I have a few things to handle first."
In a private room inside the Soul Palace, Nana knelt quietly before Xiao Qiang. After some time, she silently swallowed a supplement while Xiao Qiang adjusted his robes.
At that moment, Ling Luochen walked in—and froze.
"I'm sorry! I came at the wrong time!"
"No, you came at the right time," Xiao Qiang said calmly, gesturing for her to approach.
As Ling Luochen slowly came to his side, Xiao Qiang reached out and pinched her soft waist gently, then examined her soul power.
"Twenty-four years old, eighty-three levels. Not bad. It's practically guaranteed you'll become a Titled Douluo before thirty. And when you break through level ninety, there's a high chance you'll awaken the Ultimate Ice attribute. If this were the old Shrek, you'd be Outer Court Dean material."
Ling Luochen's cheeks flushed. Her cultivation over the past four years had advanced quickly—largely thanks to Xiao Qiang. Her dependence on him had only deepened with time. Though Nana remained the most loyal, Ling Luochen's loyalty and submission weren't far behind.
"I'm not worried about Nana. After the last great battle, she's close to becoming a Titled Douluo. The evil soul masters her Man-Faced Demon Spider devoured were more than enough to supply her soul transformation. She also has a 100,000-year ninth ring now. But you—"
Xiao Qiang looked at Ling Luochen seriously.
"I'm about to get my ninth soul ring and step into the Titled Douluo realm. In the meantime, go train with Xiaolan. Even though she has Ultimate Snow instead of Ultimate Ice, they're close enough. Plus, with my help, she already possesses dual yin-yang soul cores and has reached Titled Douluo level. In terms of raw soul power, even I'm not on par with her at the moment."
"With the soul rings from the soul beasts I gave her, she's likely to reach level 98 soon. She can definitely help accelerate your cultivation. Since I'll be training to reach level 99, it may take a couple of years. By then, you'll likely have reached level 90. That's why I need to tell you this now."
He leaned in and continued, "A single 10,000-year soul beast can give four soul rings. But if you split that energy among earlier rings, you won't get all four. You received the Ice Jade Scorpion as your seventh ring, and your eighth is covered. Your ninth, though… 76,000 years might be fine for seven and eight, but it's too weak for the ninth."
"However, because some residual power remains in the Ice Jade Scorpion's earlier rings—excluding your third—I've come up with a way. If we combine that remaining power with a ninth soul ring generated through a new soul beast, you might just reach the peak."
"How high?" Ling Luochen asked, blinking.
"99,999 years."
Her eyes widened. "How many years did you say?!"