Tom and Jerry looked delightedly at the two soul rings on the ground—one white (decade) and one purple (millennium).
Their tacit understanding was self-evident. Tom quickly painted the white soul ring a deep purple and hid the millennium soul ring away.
Meanwhile, Jerry gave the dead Earthfang Spider a makeover, transforming it into a majestic tiger through sheer artistic effort.
Though this seemed utterly ridiculous, in cartoons, Tom had once disguised Spike's puppy son as a chicken.
By now, Flender had already repelled the Earthfang Spider. The might of a high-level Soul Sage was naturally not something an ordinary ten-thousand-year soul beast could withstand, though he had suffered some embarrassment in the process.
However, out of concern for Dai Mubai's safety, Flender didn't pursue the fleeing spider. Instead, he searched the dark cavern for his student.
With the keen eyesight of an owl—enhanced further by his Soul Sage cultivation—Flender soon found Dai Mubai unconscious nearby, alongside the "tiger corpse" and the purple (millennium) soul ring.
"Whew—"
Seeing Dai Mubai unharmed, Flender let out a long sigh of relief, a faint smile breaking through his disheveled appearance.
A loss may turn out to be a gain. The kid had incredible luck to stumble upon a four-thousand-year tiger soul beast—a perfect match for his martial soul.
Flender sat cross-legged nearby, patiently waiting for Dai Mubai to wake up. The soul ring wouldn't dissipate anytime soon.
Before long, Dai Mubai groggily opened his eyes. Seeing he was still in the dark cavern, his expression turned wary as he scanned his surroundings—until he spotted Flender's reassuring smile.
"Quite the stroke of luck, Mubai," Flender said warmly. "This tiger is high-quality and perfectly suited for your martial soul."
"I suspect it was trapped by the Earthfang Spider's webs and exhausted itself fighting free before you finished it off."
"Though... I must admit, I can't quite identify this tiger subspecies."
Dai Mubai was momentarily stunned. He had killed a four-thousand-year tiger? He had no memory of that—only battling a millennium Earthfang Spider.
"Quit dawdling! Absorb that soul ring before it fades!" Flender urged.
"R-right!" Shaking off his confusion, Dai Mubai reached for the purple ring. The evidence—the tiger corpse and glowing soul ring—was undeniable.
Am I… the chosen one?
With this giddy thought, Dai Mubai eagerly channeled his soul power and grasped the "millennium" soul ring—only to refine it instantly.
Flender blinked. Even a millennium soul ring required some absorption time. How could it be instant?
Yet as the purple light faded, Dai Mubai's aura remained unchanged.
His soul power had nominally reached rank 41, but the boost was negligible. Worse, his soul ring configuration now stood at:
[Yellow, Yellow, Purple, White]
Dai Mubai's vision swam.
This was unprecedented—absolutely unprecedented! Who the hell had a decade soul ring as their fourth?!
Flender's face darkened. How could a purple soul ring turn white after absorption?!
Dai Mubai's eyes burned crimson with madness. A decade soul ring for his fourth?!
His hopes—already slim—of competing for the throne against his brother now plummeted to zero.
Flender immediately examined the "tiger corpse." Instead of fur and flesh, his fingers met something hard and chitinous.
With a pulse of soul power, the "tiger" shattered—revealing the mangled remains of a spider.
Someone had orchestrated this. Someone had disguised a spider as a tiger and altered a soul ring's color—methods unheard of in the Douluo Continent.
Moreover, whoever did this could have killed Dai Mubai but chose not to.
Suppressing his suspicions, Flender turned to Dai Mubai, who trembled with rage.
He opened his mouth to console him but found no words. For a genius, every soul ring was crucial.
With a decade fourth ring, Dai Mubai's chances of reaching Titled Douluo were ruined—even Soul Douluo would require miracles.
"ROOOOOAR—!"
Dai Mubai's anguished roar shook the cavern. Between the earlier battle and Tom & Jerry's tunneling, the structure couldn't withstand the force.
BOOM!
The ceiling collapsed, burying both under rubble.
Trapped beneath the earth, hot tears streaked Dai Mubai's face.
Why does everyone bully me?!
Even Shen Yi, lounging riverside, heard the distant roar and glanced around uneasily.
Tom and Jerry emerged from their tunnels, grinning at the sound of Dai Mubai's despair.
Nearby, Shen An smirked. Sounds like Tom and Jerry wrecked that perverted tiger. Time to vanish before they piece things together.
True to his hit-and-run style, Shen An grabbed his companions and fled.
Not out of fear—just to leave Flender guessing. Much funnier that way.
That night, Shen An returned home. By dawn, he'd escorted the cat-girl Shen Yi to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School.
Tearfully, she vowed to repay him someday.
Meanwhile, at Shrek Academy...
Ma Hongjun greeted Dai Mubai's return eagerly. "Big Bro Dai! What awesome soul skill did you get? Spill the details!"
Dai Mubai's evil eyes flashed cold. This was salt in his wounds.
"Remove your filthy hand. Get lost!"
Ma Hongjun recoiled. "Geez, no need to be stingy—"
"Never ask about my fourth ring again," Dai Mubai snarled. "Or I'll make you regret it."
Ma Hongjun's fists clenched—but facing Dai Mubai (now rank 41) was suicide. Humiliated, he stormed off.
Flender could only wryly smile. This disaster was partly his fault. But who could've predicted a purple ring turning white?
Two Months Later
The Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena felt overrun by cats.
Lately, cat-martial-soul soul masters of all colors dominated the matches—undefeated.
Stranger still, these "cats" had all been Soul Elders until suddenly advancing to Soul Ancestors overnight.
The arena suspected foul play—perhaps one person behind multiple identities—but had no proof.
Disguised, Shen An slipped into an alley and applied invisibility ink, holding his breath as pursuers charged past.
"Damn cat vanished! Report to Lord Gao Hao!"
Stealthily, Shen An activated his fourth soul skill—Unrestrained—to erase all traces of his presence.
No more arena visits. Too risky now that regulars recognize me. Besides, fame points there are tapped out.
Arriving home, he found Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong playing chess.
The door creaked open—yet no one entered.
Ning Rongrong shrank back. "Z-Zhuqing… ghosts in broad daylight?"
Zhu Zhuqing tensed, soul power flaring.
Amused, Shen An (still invisible) crept up and—
"Hah!"
He blew softly into Ning Rongrong's ear.
"KYAAAA—!"
She leapt behind Zhu Zhuqing, trembling.
"PFFT—HAHAHA!"
Tom materialized, rolling with laughter.
Ning Rongrong's fear morphed into rage. "SHEN AN!"
But Shen An had already ghosted to his room. Time for more important business.
This month's 500,000 fame points had drained the arena dry.
Rubbing his hands, Shen An grinned.
Let the gacha begin!