Chapter 682: What I Want Is Loyalty
Yang Haoran naturally intended to give the five Demon Pills from these great demons to Bai Xue and Ye Zhiqiu.
Originally, he had been about to take out the five Demon Pills, but the awkwardness caused by Bai Xue and Ye Zhiqiu made him want to leave quickly, causing him to forget the matter. Now that he remembered it, he immediately took out the Demon Pills.
He planned to give three of the five Demon Pills to Ye Zhiqiu and two to Bai Xue. Counting the Demon Pills obtained from killing two great demons earlier, Bai Xue would now have four Demon Pills, one more than Ye Zhiqiu.
However, Yang Haoran had also left two great demon corpses for Ye Zhiqiu. Comparatively, the benefits they received, while not absolutely equal, were quite close.
This was Yang Haoran's plan, and he acted on it. However, Ye Zhiqiu refused him, due to his own considerations and pride.
Yang Haoran wasn't surprised by Ye Zhiqiu's refusal. He had spent a considerable amount of time with Ye Zhiqiu and had some understanding of the man's peculiar temperament.
However, with the current chaotic situation, survival didn't depend on one's pride, but on one's strength. If one's strength was insufficient, the more pride they had, the faster and more miserably they would die, for some people simply delighted in dealing with such proud individuals. Only with strength could one gain the capital to survive and avoid being eliminated by this turbulent era.
Yang Haoran naturally didn't want to see Ye Zhiqiu lose his life during a mission, nor did he want Ye Zhiqiu's strength to fall behind the pace he expected, so he began to persuade him.
Under their combined persuasion, Ye Zhiqiu ultimately accepted only one great demon's Demon Pill and the two great demon corpses. He refused anything more.
With no other choice, Yang Haoran could only defer to Ye Zhiqiu.
"Rest assured, I will find a way to improve my strength and won't hold you back."
After Ye Zhiqiu uttered these calm words to Yang Haoran, he left the study.
After Ye Zhiqiu left the study, Bai Xue also hurried back to her bedroom. She now possessed six great demon Demon Pills, along with some unrefined lesser demon Demon Pills, and various heavenly materials and earthly treasures imbued with spiritual energy. She wanted to refine all these items as quickly as possible.
Once she refined all these, her strength would undergo a tremendous leap. In her estimation, she would certainly leave Ye Zhiqiu far behind, and perhaps even surpass Yang Haoran.
If her strength truly surpassed Yang Haoran's, then her standing in his eyes would undoubtedly rise another level.
What she didn't know was that Yang Haoran, possessing the Soul-Refining Cauldron, was like a player with a cheat code in a game; how could he be so easily surpassed?
After Bai Xue left the study, Yang Haoran also departed, taking Xiao Kang with him. He then called for Xiujuan, took out two Soul Pills, and gave one to Xiujuan and one to Xiao Kang.
Both were greatly excited, especially Xiao Kang, who practically bounced off the ground with joy. Although he had never owned a Soul Pill before, he knew how precious one was, so it was only natural for him to be thrilled upon receiving his first.
Although Yang Haoran felt a pang of heartache over his Soul Pills, he believed it was absolutely necessary for the safety of both of them, and for himself.
Leaving the villa, Yang Haoran directly tore through space, heading for the Ghost Cave.
When he had previously slain the fair-skinned man, it had taken but an instant. Afterward, he had closed his Heaven Soul and retracted his Soul Armament, Remnant Moon. Similarly, when Bai Xue and Ye Zhiqiu slew the woman, it had taken only a few breaths, causing no significant commotion. Thus, no others rushed to assist or watch the spectacle.
This was precisely the outcome Yang Haoran desired. If anyone else had been drawn to the scene, it would not have been good for him; he would inevitably have had to waste more words, and perhaps even aroused their suspicion.
Upon arriving at the Ghost Cave, Yang Haoran met Tang Shi. All the spirits were within the Ghost Cave; Tang Shi had not dispatched any of them.
Inside a stone chamber, Yang Haoran sat on a stone chair, leaning slightly back, while Tang Shi respectfully stood before him, reporting on recent work.
"Given the recent chaos, your subordinate decided not to send others out, but rather to keep them in the Ghost Cave for study."
Hearing this, Yang Haoran nodded with a smile. This was, in fact, one of the reasons he had come to the Ghost Cave today.
"It's best not to go out lately. The chaotic era has just begun, and all sorts of monsters and demons have emerged. Roaming freely at such a time brings more harm than good; you might very well lose yourself. I came today to give you a warning, lest you accidentally lose this entire team of mine. Now it seems I worried too much."
The team of spirits led by Tang Shi was one of Yang Haoran's trump cards and played an extremely crucial role for him, so he did not want to see any mishaps befall these spirits.
Although the overall strength of this team was currently quite limited, he was confident in making them grow stronger, to become a sharp sword in his hand that killed without drawing blood.
"Please rest assured, Master, your subordinate will certainly not disappoint you. Since you have entrusted this team to me, I will do everything in my power to ensure it grows rapidly!"
Tang Shi assured Yang Haoran, his voice brimming with confidence.
"Haha, of course I trust you, but sometimes, considering the gravity of the situation, a little worry is inevitable. By the way, how has the recent training progressed? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
"The progress has been very smooth. In addition to thought education, your subordinate has also been strengthening their combat training recently. Through thought education, their loyalty is being enhanced, and through combat training, their overall strength is being improved," Tang Shi replied.
"Haha, spirits practicing combat, it sounds a bit flashy, but combined with their unique abilities, they might truly unleash unexpected power," Yang Haoran said with a smile.
"That much is certain. I can assure you, Master, if you have the time, you can test their practical combat abilities at any moment. Then you will surely discover how astonishing their transformation has been. By combining the spirits' inherent abilities with combat, their fighting strength will absolutely surpass that of spirits of the same level who haven't practiced combat techniques."
At this point, Tang Shi paused slightly, then continued to elaborate.
"Since spirits have no physical bodies, even if they wear skins, they are merely empty shells. No matter how much they train, the strength of the skins cannot be enhanced. This means the power of combat cannot be truly unleashed, which is a major flaw. However, as long as they understand combat techniques and master the lethal skills within them to perfection, greatly increasing their overall fighting strength is no exaggeration."
Yang Haoran naturally understood the principle Tang Shi spoke of; after all, they had discussed this very matter last time, and he had agreed with Tang Shi's approach.
"Haha, the training hasn't been going on for very long, so it's too early to test your results. After all, training is not a simple matter; no one can become a master after just three or five days of training. You continue to train them well, and I will also give you ample time. When I feel the time is right and wish to see the fruits of your labor, I believe you certainly won't disappoint me."
In response, Tang Shi again offered his assurance, his voice filled with confidence.
"Compared to their combat strength, what I care about more is their loyalty to me. If their combat strength is weak, there are many channels to improve it, and I will do my best to change that. But if their loyalty is insufficient, then that's trouble. You should understand what I mean," Yang Haoran said with a smile.
"Your subordinate understands. I will certainly prioritize loyalty above all else. If anyone I lead betrays Master, your subordinate will atone with death!"
Tang Shi had already died once. When he spoke of atoning with death, he naturally meant Soul Transformation.
"Haha, there's no need to be so serious. I nurtured you not for you to prove anything to me through death, but rather in hopes that you can fully utilize your abilities, become my left and right arm, and together, we will march towards a glorious tomorrow."
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile, then retrieved three Soul Pills from his personal space.
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