39: Bride with dowry

"Ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts have already developed intelligence, so a wisp of residual thought will fall into the spirit ring when they are killed."

"When a Spirit Master absorbs it, they will be attacked by that residual thought. This is the Spirit Beast's final counterattack, also known as Soul Shock."

Su Wen nodded slightly at Ye Yuaner's explanation. "Aunt Ye, according to that logic, if a ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast has no intelligence, would there be no Soul Shock?"

"This..." Ye Yuaner pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly. "That is indeed the logic, but all ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts possess intelligence..."

"No, no..."

Su Wen pointed his finger at the Dark Demon Tiger. "This kind of thing can be manipulated... for instance, if it were an idiot, lost its mind, or simply wanted to die... would there still be a Soul Shock?"

The Dark Demon Tiger bared its teeth and stared at him.

It didn't understand.

But it was definitely nothing good.

"Ah..."

Ye Yuaner was somewhat dazed, failing to react for a moment.

Such a theory had never appeared in the Spirit research on the continent.

Ye Yuaner blinked, seemingly understanding what Su Wen wanted to do.

"Aunt Ye, the power of Spirits was all researched by our Seniors."

"Let us also set a precedent for future generations!"

Before Ye Yuaner could refuse, Su Wen chuckled. "Aunt Ye, you wouldn't want to refuse me, only for me to conduct the experiment in secret and end up killing myself, right?"

Ye Yuaner's expression was one of shock, her rosy lips slightly parted in surprise.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable urge to beat him.

"Fine, fine... you're really something, learning how to use yourself to threaten me."

"Hehe!"

Su Wen cheekily leaned in close. "Aunt Ye, I'll leave this tiger here with you. Its cultivation is over ten thousand years, with the strength of a Spirit King level. If you watch over it personally, no accidents will happen."

"You can let it eat, but never let it be full. If it wants to sleep, wake it up. If you're in a bad mood, whip it to vent your anger. Just keep it alive..."

Ye Yuaner curled her lips and said nothing, but it was a tacit agreement.

Su Wen crouched down and stroked the Dark Demon Tiger's head. Looking into its furious eyes, he spoke slowly:

"For the sake of my grand ten-thousand-year plan, you will be responsible for suffering starting today."

Su Wen looked at its stubborn and angry gaze, feeling very satisfied. He wondered if it would eventually develop a death wish after some time.

"Xiao Wen, has the Seal on your oiled paper umbrella fallen off?"

Ye Yuaner sighed, suddenly remembering an important matter.

"Oh right, I forgot to check."

Su Wen immediately summoned the red oiled paper umbrella.

Of the nine long banners on the umbrella, only seven still had runes attached. Clearly, another one had fallen off.

The moment the red umbrella was opened.

Two clusters of red mist drifted out from within.

One was Hong Dou, and the other was a Ghost Bride who looked very similar to her.

Her feet rested on red lotuses.

She wore red garments and had pale hands.

In a blood-colored wedding dress, her head was covered with a red veil.

Her clothes were exactly the same as Hong Dou's.

Beneath her feet were one yellow and one purple spirit ring, a configuration that exceeded ordinary people.

In her hands, she held an ancient mirror.

The mirror was somewhat strange; one side was white, and the other was red.

"Ah... another one."

Ye Yuaner was startled. Hong Dou's spirit rings had become one yellow and one purple.

So had this newly emerged Ghost Bride.

Her Spirit had also changed.

"Is the Spirit a mirror?"

Su Wen rubbed his chin. Another Dowry Maid had appeared.

It was indeed quite unexpected.

"What is the Spirit Ability?"

Su Wen was quite curious and prepared to let the Ghost Bride demonstrate for him.

Suddenly, a row of red characters appeared in the air.

Vividly red.

The ink was like fresh blood.

[Red Face Copy!]

[White Face Guard!]

The eight bloody characters floated in the air.

Ye Yuaner was amazed, but her scalp also felt a bit numb.

"Xiao Wen, it turns out they have consciousness!"

Ye Yuaner could see it now; being able to reply meant they definitely had independent thoughts.

Su Wen wasn't too surprised, though he was a bit startled that she could respond to him.

"Give me a detailed introduction..."

As soon as Su Wen finished speaking, the bright red characters appeared before his eyes again.

[Red Face: Forcibly copies the opponent's Spirit Ability without needing consent. At the same level, it exerts 100% power; if the target's Soul Power is 5 levels higher, it exerts 90%; 10 levels higher, 80%; 15 levels higher, 70%...]

[White Face: Generates a defense!]

"How powerful!"

Ye Yuaner clicked her tongue. It was actually a copying ability, and one spirit ring surprisingly had two Spirit Abilities.

This mirror Spirit was not simple.

Ye Yuaner couldn't help but steal a few glances. The mirror had one white side and one red side. The Ghost Bride kept the white side facing herself and the red side facing outward.

Ye Yuaner did not see her own reflection in the red side of the mirror.

Su Wen's eyes lit up. She seemed even more powerful than Hong Dou.

"Hong Dou, what is your second Spirit Ability?"

Hong Dou was more direct, and the spirit ring beneath her feet flashed immediately.

Then Hong Dou floated toward the wall and promptly phased right through it.

Following Hong Dou's figure, the Ghost Bride also demonstrated her Spirit Ability.

The Spirit Abilities of both were the same: ignoring physical objects and moving freely like Ghost Souls.

"Uh, I thought they could already phase through walls and the ground. Turns out they have to activate a Spirit Ability. No wonder I hadn't seen it before..."

Su Wen was learning something new.

Ye Yuaner, however, felt a chill all over. For a moment, she couldn't tell if they were formed from a Spirit or Soul Power, or if they were actual ghosts that had run up from below.

The former was acceptable; after all, in this World where Spirits were everything, all sorts of oddities existed.

If it were the latter, Ye Yuaner felt like her skin would crawl.

Su Wen spoke to the Ghost Bride holding the mirror: "From now on, you shall be called Hong Jing!"

"Xiao Wen, do you think the remaining Seals are also Ghost Brides?"

Ye Yuaner felt that since the second was a Ghost Bride, the third likely would be too.

"I don't know!"

Su Wen had always been in a state of not fully understanding his Natal Weapon.

He couldn't be certain what exactly would emerge.

"Regardless of whether they are... anyway, once you become a Titled Douluo, these two will surely be Titled Douluo as well..."

Ye Yuaner grew excited.

Becoming a Titled Douluo with two Titled Douluo enforcers.

Xiao Wen would surely make a name for himself across the continent in the future.

He might even be able to establish his own power.

"You two come back first!"

Su Wen opened the umbrella, and Hong Dou and Hong Jing instantly turned into red mist and drifted back into the umbrella.

Buzz!

Just then, a wave of Soul Power fluctuated within the house.

It was the aura of Hu Liena's Breakthrough.

Su Wen and Ye Yuaner returned to the room to find Hu Liena looking ecstatic.

"Senior Brother, Nana really broke through! Nana is at level twenty, and it feels like the medicine hasn't even been fully used up..."

Hu Liena rushed forward excitedly and threw herself into Su Wen's arms. "Senior Brother's treasure is so amazing!"

Su Wen was just about to stroke her hair when a coughing sound rang out nearby.

Ye Yuaner unhappily pulled Hu Liena away, looking her up and down under Hu Liena's nervous and shy gaze. "Yes, you indeed broke through... Eh? It seems your Spirit has undergone a change. Nana, release your Spirit and let me see."