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Deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, the morning air was thick with mist and the lingering scent of damp earth. The quiet of the woods was suddenly shattered when Dugu Yan exploded with rage. She rushed out of her tent, her face flushed with anger as she shouted, "Ning Rongrong, you little traitor! You actually... you actually did it without calling us?"
Ye Lingling followed close behind her friend. When she heard Dugu Yan's words, she stopped in her tracks, looking utterly stunned. For a moment, she thought Dugu Yan was going to scold Ning Rongrong for being dishonorable or launching a sneak attack.
Instead, it turned out that Dugu Yan was just upset that Ning Rongrong had hogged all the benefits for herself. Ye Lingling blinked, thinking to herself that it actually made sense. Ning Rongrong really had kept everything for herself this time.
Inside another tent, Xiao Wu heard the shouting. She opened her eyes and quickly checked the group chat on her jade mirror. When she saw the recent activity, she was completely dumbfounded.
"Rongrong, you really did it again," Xiao Wu muttered to herself. She remembered how Ning Rongrong had secretly run off to find Zhu Zhuqing and Su Yan last time. Now, not only had she snuck away again, but she had also managed to get a taste of the benefits before anyone else.
Zhu Zhuqing woke up as well. She walked out of the tent with Xiao Wu, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. At the same time, Ah Yin and Ling Yuan emerged from their own resting places.
Ning Rongrong was currently a mess. She was physically and mentally exhausted, her legs feeling like jelly. Seeing everyone come out to scrutinize her, she felt a wave of deep regret. If she had known that Su Yan Gege was so powerful and tireless, she never would have dared to try and take him on alone. She definitely would have called for backup.
"Sisters, I was wrong. I really was," Ning Rongrong said, her voice small and tired.
Dugu Yan pouted and walked over to Su Yan. She gave Ning Rongrong a hostile look and said, "Since you know you were wrong, you should do something about it. You spent the whole night hugging him and doing... well, you know what I mean. Why don't you give up your spot now and let us have a turn?"
Ning Rongrong wanted to cry, but she was too dehydrated for tears. "Little Wild Goose, I want to move, I really do. But I don't dare to move even an inch right now."
"What do you mean by that?" Dugu Yan asked, looking genuinely confused. Xiao Wu and Ye Lingling were also very curious. They couldn't understand why she was acting like she was glued to the spot.
Ah Yin and Ling Yuan, however, shared a look. Their expressions became very strange as they realized what had happened. Their faces turned a light shade of red, and their eyes showed a mix of surprise and realization. The two of them simultaneously looked at Zhu Zhuqing, silently acknowledging her as the strong one of the group.
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head helplessly. "You are truly brave, Rongrong," she said. "At least I have my own ways to hold out when things get rough. How did you, a tiny bean-bun Auxiliary Spirit Master with such little physical strength, think you could cultivate the Spirit Fusion Skill all by yourself?"
Meanwhile, in the group chat, the notifications were flying.
Ma Xiaotao: "Oh my gosh, the group chat has upgraded! Does this mean I get another reward and more gossip? Let me roll for it. Three, six, one."
In the world of Dou 2, at Shrek Academy, Ma Xiaotao froze in embarrassment. She realized she had celebrated too early. Her score was low, meaning she had no chance at the System spirit ring. She sighed and started scrolling through the chat history to see what she missed. She saw a name she recognized.
"I Want to Revive the Tang Sect? Is that who I think it is?" Ma Xiaotao wondered.
The system notifications continued to scroll by.
"Nine Treasures Little Princess" gave up the Group Administrator Reward Draw. "Su Yan" gave up the Group Administrator Reward Draw. Congratulations to "Cat in the Shadows" for winning the Group Administrator Reward.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Su Yan and Ning Rongrong with a puzzled expression. She didn't understand why they had stepped back.
Su Yan remained calm and said, "It is fine. My power is stable now. I just need to replace my first and second spirit rings eventually. There is no rush to do it this very second."
Ning Rongrong added, "Zhuqing, you gave up so many rewards for Su Yan Gege in the past. I can't just come in and start competing with you the moment I get here. I'm trying to be sensible."
Dugu Yan just rolled her eyes and sent her score to the chat: "Six."
Su Yan: "Three, one, five." Nine Treasures Little Princess: "Four, four, one."
Ma Xiaotao: "Xiaoya, is that you? Is that really you?" I Want to Revive the Tang Sect: "Sister Xiao Tao, it really is me!" Ma Xiaotao: "Xiaoya, hurry up and grab the reward! This System spirit ring is incredibly powerful. If you win it, it will change everything for you." I Want to Revive the Tang Sect: "Two, one, two. Oh no... look at that score."
Ma Xiaotao: "Don't worry about it. We will try harder next time. I'm just happy to have someone else from our world here. We are still good friends."
At the Blue Tyrant Academy, Liu Erlong was watching the chat, finding the whole situation both funny and frustrating. She shook her head. Ma Xiaotao was certainly something else, exposing her friend's identity the second she arrived.
Liu Erlong: "Five, six, three. Wait, fourteen points? It looks like I actually have some hope this time! Bibi Dong, you old woman, come out and look at this. I rolled a big number for once!"
In the Pope's Bedchamber at Spirit Hall, Hu Liena was gently waking her teacher. She whispered, "Teacher, everyone is awake in the chat."
Bibi Dong mumbled groggily, her eyes barely opening. "Just ignore them, Nana. That group chat is annoying every single day."
Hu Liena felt a bit bad for her. Her teacher clearly had a restless night and hadn't slept much. "Teacher, you might want to look. Liu Erlong rolled a very large number."
Bibi Dong sat up instantly, her eyes wide. "What did you say?"
Hu Liena handed her the jade mirror. After reading the messages, Bibi Dong frowned deeply. "That hateful Liu Erlong. But fourteen points probably isn't enough to win, especially with so many people in the group now. Let me try."
Bibi Dong: "Four, four, five."
"Damn it!" Bibi Dong shouted, throwing her hands up. "How is my score smaller than that woman's? This is so frustrating."
Hu Liena tried her luck: "Six, one, three." She sighed. "I'm just numb to it at this point."
"Nana, put my jade mirror away," Bibi Dong said, flopping back onto her pillows. "I've decided I'm not using it today. I won't let those people make me angry anymore." She closed her eyes, trying to go back to sleep.
Liu Erlong: "Old woman, that won't work. You're still behind me. It looks like the reward is mine today!"
Bo Saixi: "Three, two, six. Is it really going to be Erlong today?" I Am an Orphan: "Five, four, two. There is hope for her, but fourteen isn't a perfect score. Several people haven't rolled yet." Bai Chenxiang: "One, six, six." Tang Yuehua: "Two, four, one."
Back in the Star Dou Great Forest, Dugu Yan and the others looked at their mirrors with excitement.
"It looks like only a few of us are left to roll!" Dugu Yan laughed. "This means the reward is definitely going to stay with one of us!"
Zhu Zhuqing cautioned her, "There is still a fourteen-point score to beat. Don't start celebrating yet."
"She's right," Ye Lingling suggested. "There are six of us left who haven't rolled. Why don't the six of us do it together at the same time?"
"That sounds like a plan," Xiao Wu agreed.
Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, Ah Yin, Ling Yuan, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling all stood in a circle, looking at each other. They nodded in unison. "Three, two, one, go!"
Loves Eating Carrots: "Four, five, five." Cat in the Shadows: "Four, six, two." Yanzi is not a Swallow: "Five, four, three." Ah Yin: "Four, five, six." I Am a Little Bird: "Six, one, three." Group Member Number Nine: "Six, six, two."
The system flashed a bright notification: "Reward Draw concluded. Congratulations to Ah Yin for winning the reward."
"We did it!" the girls cheered. They were overjoyed, jumping up and down and hugging each other in celebration. The sight of them all together was quite a view for Su Yan, who watched with a sense of respect.
Ning Rongrong, however, just sat there with a frozen expression. She felt a bit left out of the celebration. She knew she couldn't join in on any more cultivation today; she felt like she might actually break if she tried.
In the chat, the others were stunned.
Bo Saixi: "Wait a minute. Among those six people who rolled together, not a single one of them got a small number. How is that possible?" I Am an Orphan: "That is very suspicious. It definitely means something."
At Blue Tyrant Academy, Liu Erlong was fuming. She had been so close to winning. She watched her hopes vanish in an instant.
Liu Erlong: "This is a conspiracy! You six joined together just to suppress my score and take the reward. You're going to make me die of anger!"
Dugu Yan replied quickly: "Senior Erlong, what are you talking about? I don't understand what you mean."
Ling Yuan added: "We're just kidding. We really didn't know that rolling at the same time would result in such high numbers."
Xiao Wu teased: "Bad woman, you only got fourteen points. What were you thinking? You shouldn't even dream about winning unless you get at least fifteen points!"
Zhu Zhuqing ended the conversation: "It has nothing to do with us teaming up. You just need to try harder next time, and maybe you'll get it."