"Eighty-second rank Soul Douluo?"
He hadn't noticed during their session just now, but as their sweat-drenched session ended, Su Wen was startled to discover that Ma Xiaotao had actually advanced to rank 82.
After all, when he left half a year ago, she had only just scraped her way to about rank 73 or 74.
"Dragon Pill." Ma Xiaotao lay in Su Wen's arms, her enchanting eyes brimming with allure. Her seductive red lips slowly uttered two words, as if it took all her remaining strength, before she sank into a deep sleep.
"Hmm..." Su Wen patted his forehead.
With an immortal herb offering and the boost of the Dragon Pill, Ma Xiaotao's cultivation speed could only be described as terrifying. Her next step would be to condense her soul core and advance to Title Douluo.
"Hm?"
A soft voice rang out.
Inside the wooden cabin, the vines slowly receded. On the bed, a fiery red phantom flower appeared beside Ma Xiaotao, its voice astonished: "The aura I just sensed was..."
"Infernal Delicate Apricot." Su Wen replied with a bright smile.
"You wasted another slot? No—wait! You gained an extra martial soul?!" Infernal Delicate Apricot exclaimed, shocked.
"Yeah." Su Wen nodded.
"So envious... Looks like you've had some more adventures lately." Infernal Delicate Apricot gazed at the dainty flower Su Wen gently held in his palm—one of her own kind—and sighed softly.
"Some things shouldn't be forced. The choices fate grants us are always the best," Su Wen smiled.
"Sister Xiaotao will surely become a god in the future, and by then, you'll be able to break the shackles of life itself."
"Yes." Infernal Delicate Apricot nodded slightly.
The flower spirit returned to Ma Xiaotao's spiritual sea.
"Phew..." Su Wen let out a long breath.
Compared to Nana, Ma Xiaotao was a true all-rounder—a mature, peach-like beauty, with an exquisite figure and breathtaking looks. She was truly like a ball of fire, her emotions passionate and intense.
Even he sometimes found it hard to handle.
Now, her Phoenix Flame could no longer be called an evil flame. With the augmentation of the Infernal Delicate Apricot, not only had it enhanced the Phoenix Flame, but it had also purged the "evil" nature from its core. Now, Ma Xiaotao's cultivation was simply skyrocketing so fast that her flames were too powerful to suppress easily. Combined with her longing for Su Wen's absence, it was almost forming a heartfire...
Speaking of which, in this half year, Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan had also advanced from rank 92 to 94, now only a step away from Super Douluo.
Everyone's overall strength was improving rapidly.
…
Shrek City.
"My father wants to meet you."
Ning Tian smiled brightly, holding onto Su Wen's arm. "It's about the future resource support for the Forging Department. But this time, father actually wants to work with you directly..."
"Alright." Su Wen squeezed her soft cheek and smiled.
Obviously, with Sect Master Ning's sharp instincts, he wouldn't have missed Su Wen's investment in the Forging Department. If Su Wen guessed right, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect must be…
…
"I'm willing to invest an extra thirty million gold soul coins into the Forging Department each year. But to be honest, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has declined badly in recent years. We only have one Title Douluo barely holding on, and our successors are lacking. I've tried to buy soul devices and even negotiated directly with the Sun-Moon Empire, but the results have been poor. So, I hope... if possible, that this first batch of era-defining products could be sold to us as a priority."
Inside a tastefully decorated private room.
Ning Hao looked at Su Wen, his eyes filled with expectation.
Su Wen had been a great benefactor to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Ning Hao was happy to keep their alliance with Shrek deepening. But as sect master, there were some things he still had to fight for.
"Alright."
Su Wen nodded.
As expected, just like ten thousand years ago, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was betting everything once more. But this time, he was confident that the "Nine" in their name would no longer be the butt of jokes...
Ning Hao was like a gust of wind—he came and went quickly.
It seemed there were still heavy sect matters to attend to.
Wu Feng walked beside Ning Tian, staring at Su Wen with puppy-dog eyes, a hint of grievance in her gaze, like an abandoned kitten.
Su Wen couldn't help himself—he reached out and ruffled her fiery red hair. She had also eaten an immortal herb, and her strength had now soared to rank 47 Soul Ancestor. Compared to others in her fourth year, like Xie Huan Yue, who had just become Soul Ancestors, she was obviously much stronger.
As for Xie Huan Yue, that chubby little brother, Su Wen had also prepared an immortal herb for him, planning to give it next time they met.
"A dowry maid isn't worth even a second glance, huh?" Wu Feng pouted in frustration.
From the very first time they met—sparring back and forth as rivals, to being beaten into submission by Su Wen—Wu Feng had gradually changed from a hot-tempered little fire dragon into a grumbling one. But her feelings for the young sect master had slowly shifted onto Su Wen.
Now, they were truly best friends, and Wu Feng's urge to "grind tofu" had faded away.
"Come on, give me a little fire breath." Su Wen teased, ruffling her hair with a grin.
"Ugh, you're the worst!" Wu Feng bit Su Wen's arm hard, but only left some saliva—didn't even break the skin.
"Such thick skin." Wu Feng rubbed her cheeks, even more frustrated.
Su Wen looked down at her with disdain. "Little fire dragon."
"Raaagh!" Wu Feng lost it again and lunged at him, but Su Wen easily held her back with a single hand on her forehead.
Still, she took the opportunity to cuddle in his arms, her cheeks flushed, as if from play.
…
Sea God Pavilion.
A silver-haired girl quietly watched Su Wen. "Welcome back."
"How is it? Are you getting used to life at Shrek?" Su Wen leaned against the railing, gazing down at the swirling clouds below. Lights flickered in the distance as Shrek Academy's nightlife slowly began.
"It's fine. Interacting with humans has taught me many things I could never have learned in the Star Dou Forest," Gu Yuena said softly.
"As for the future of soul beasts... I'm trying to find a way, but for now, I have no clues." Su Wen sounded a little apologetic. He'd made use of Gu Yuena for long enough, and she seemed willing to let him, even if it was just a vague promise.
"It's alright. I trust you."
Gu Yuena slowly rested her head on Su Wen's shoulder. The two quietly watched the bright moon, their hearts growing ever closer. "Since fate has made a choice, I'll just follow the path it points toward."
Her fine silver hair brushed against Su Wen's face, carrying a faint, refreshing fragrance.
"Are you really going back to ten thousand years ago?" she asked softly.
"Yeah."
Su Wen hesitated for a moment.
"I want to try to snatch a portion of the Sea God's authority—and... cultivate at least a few gods in the God Realm who can speak for us, to hold off Tang San's pressure for a while. The God of Destruction and Tang San are enemies, but if one day the surveillance slips and that guy descends to the mortal realm..."
"That'll be trouble for me."
"Gods..." Gu Yuena sighed softly.
She slowly opened her palm, then said in a gentle voice as Su Wen looked on in surprise: "Don't forget to take this before you go."
"Ahhh!" a mini Tang San roared in anger.
In her palm was a fragment of Tang San's divine consciousness. It was obvious Gu Yuena didn't think much of him.
"Him?" Su Wen was stunned, then realization dawned and he smiled.
It was, after all, the Sea God's divine consciousness...
"And during the last tournament, when he used the Sea God's power to create an avatar, I erased its trace, but left a portion behind." Gu Yuena mused, then tapped the soul fragment lightly. It let out a wailing cry as pale blue light was stripped from it and fused with another speck of light.
"Here, this is the Sea God's divine power I extracted—weak, but it's that guy's original strength. Maybe it'll come in handy for your trip."
Su Wen twitched his lips.
A godly assist...
…