As Feng Piaoling gave his warning, Jiang Nannan instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist without a second thought.
Immediately, Feng Piaoling and his companion vanished into the earth. Before diving, Feng Piaoling cast a final glance at the petite girl looking at them with a face full of despair, as well as Wang Dong'er. With a silent sigh, he surged toward where they were falling. Just before they hit the ground, he grabbed each by a shoulder and pulled them both into the earth, diving deep into the subterranean depths.
A moment later, the ground above erupted with the thunderous roar of explosions.
"Th—thank you..." The petite girl, having just survived the ordeal, looked at Feng Piaoling with immense gratitude.
Wang Dong'er also let out a long breath, offering a shaky "thank you" while still reeling from the shock.
Feng Piaoling didn't answer them. Instead, he focused on the surface. Under the effect of his Earth Escape Talisman, everything within the range of his spiritual perception—including the ground above—was visible to him.
On the surface, the cloud of fire had detonated upon impact. A slender young woman stepped out from the flames. She wore red clothing and a crimson mask; even her eyes glowed red. A pair of flaming wings unfurled from her back, and her entire being radiated a violent, murderous aura. Seemingly enraged by the loss of her targets, she let out a skyward roar. Her palms ignited with fireballs as her wings beat frantically, unleashing a barrage of flames that instantly turned the surroundings into a literal hell on earth.
"Alright, what happened?" Feng Piaoling asked, looking at Wang Dong'er, whom he still held.
It was the first time Wang Dong'er had been in such close physical contact with a male. Her fair face flushed slightly as she asked hesitantly, "Can you let go of me first?"
"If you want to be trapped underground and suffocate to death, then sure, I'll let go," Feng Piaoling replied flatly.
"No, don't let go!" the petite girl beside them cried out, her face pale with terror.
Wang Dong'er stopped dwelling on the contact and began to answer his question. "I don't know why, but Xiao Xiao and I were just walking by Sea God Lake like we do every night. Out of nowhere, a ball of fire flew over from the opposite shore and started chasing us. It's a good thing we ran into you, or we would have been burned to a crisp today."
"Should I call you unlucky or lucky?" Feng Piaoling thought, feeling exasperated.
He vaguely remembered that in the original story, Wang Dong'er had dragged Huo Yuhao to the lakeside, where they encountered Ma Xiaotao during an outbreak of her Evil Fire. Now that Wang Dong'er's true identity had been exposed and she wasn't in the same class as Huo Yuhao, she had ended up dragging Xiao Xiao along—a girl who possessed twin martial souls but whose talent was tragically wasted in the original timeline.
However, this meant Huo Yuhao wouldn't receive the Spirit Ascension Pill as compensation from the Inner Court. That was a pleasant surprise. The only pity was that he had been soft-hearted just now. Had he ignored the little girl named Xiao Xiao, this "three-part soul" might have been burned away. Of course, the probability of that was zero, considering Tang San's divine sense was slumbering inside Wang Dong'er. He didn't truly regret his choice.
"I guess it's a bit of both," Wang Dong'er muttered gloomily.
Jiang Nannan suddenly asked, "Benefactor, who is that person above? Is she an Inner Court student? Why would she attack Outer Court students?"
"I don't know, but she looks like an Evil Soul Master."
Feng Piaoling knew the Inner Court staff would arrive shortly. He quietly activated his portable Level 9 Soul Tool, a Spiritual Shield.
An Evil Soul Master? Jiang Nannan was shocked, but in her "love-struck" state, she believed Feng Piaoling's words without question. Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao, however, looked incredulous.
Wang Dong'er exclaimed, "No way! How could an Evil Soul Master show up at the greatest soul master academy on the continent?"
"Where there is light, there must be darkness. Who can guarantee that Shrek is as pristine as it appears on the surface?" At this, Feng Piaoling gave Wang Dong'er a pointed, mocking look. "Weren't you also disguising yourself as a boy?"
Wang Dong'er's face turned bright red. "That's a completely different matter!"
"Disguising as a boy means living in the same room as male students. Your reasoning is quite 'noble,' isn't it?" Feng Piaoling sneered.
His words left Wang Dong'er speechless with shame.
Feng Piaoling added, "I advise you both: until you have enough strength, you'd better bury what you saw today deep in your hearts. Otherwise, it might bring you a swift death."
Frightened by his warning, Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao didn't dare think of telling anyone. As for Jiang Nannan, she was already entirely devoted to him.
…
After Ma Xiaotao finished venting her destruction, she was subdued by an elderly man in white who appeared out of nowhere. Feng Piaoling couldn't see exactly how the man moved; there was only a flash of white light, and Ma Xiaotao lost consciousness.
In her place stood an old man surrounded by nine soul rings: two yellow, two purple, and five black. He held Ma Xiaotao and scanned the surroundings.
Once he confirmed no one else was around, he gestured, and a plant-type Soul Master stepped forward. Under the specialist's control, the vegetation burned by Ma Xiaotao's fire began to bloom with life once again.
...
Only after the old man and his retinue had left did Feng Piaoling lead Jiang Nannan, Wang Dong'er, and Xiao Xiao to the surface in a forest far from the lakeside.
"Feng Piaoling, thank you for saving us. My name is Xiao Xiao, from Class One. I will remember your life-saving grace today and will surely repay you in the future." Xiao Xiao expressed her gratitude once more.
Wang Dong'er chimed in with her typical pride, "I suppose I owe you a favor as well. I'll pay you back sooner or later."
"What a grateful child." Looking at the well-behaved girl before him, Feng Piaoling instinctively reached out and patted her cute head. He suddenly felt it was necessary to bring her to his side. Whether for her twin martial soul talent or to prevent her from marrying that "black ghost" Xu He in the future, Feng Piaoling felt she was worth recruiting.
His affectionate gesture made Xiao Xiao's face flush beet-red, while drawing a jealous glare from Jiang Nannan and a look of utter disdain from Wang Dong'er.
Wang Dong'er snapped, "You guy! Isn't Senior Jiang Nannan enough for you? Don't tell me you think Xiao Xiao is cute and plan to make a move on her?"
"Make a move? Is your head filled with nothing but romance?" Feng Piaoling shot her a look of annoyance.
"Then tell us! If you don't give me a proper explanation today, I'm not letting this go," Wang Dong'er pressed, clearly agitated.
"Is this the attitude you show to the person who saved your life?" Feng Piaoling countered.
"Those are two different things! Gratitude is gratitude, and an argument is an argument. Even friends bicker once in a while," Wang Dong'er retorted.
"Then pay your debt first. One Spirit Ascension Pill," Feng Piaoling said, holding up a finger.
"A Spirit Ascension Pill? Do you think those are common weeds, asking for them every time you see someone? They're good, but a Soul Master can only take one in a lifetime without side effects. Can you even use that many?" Wang Dong'er said huffily.
"Don't worry about that. Even if I don't eat it, can't I give it to a friend I truly care about?"
As soon as he said this, Jiang Nannan stepped forward to stand by his side. "Before this, the Benefactor had already given me a mysterious Water Dan and a Spirit Ascension Pill."
"Fine, you win. It's just a Spirit Ascension Pill; I'll get it to you within ten days at most." Wang Dong'er knew she would have to involve the Clear Sky Sect. With their status as the world's number one sect, purchasing two Spirit Ascension Pills from Shrek Academy wouldn't be difficult. But she wasn't willing to let Feng Piaoling lead her by the nose. "But Xiao Xiao is my friend. I must know what your intentions are with her."
At those words, Xiao Xiao also looked over curiously. If he did have those kinds of intentions... given how handsome and strong he was, and the fact that he just saved her, it wouldn't be the worst thing. Lost in her pleasant daydreams, Xiao Xiao cupped her face and began to giggle foolishly.
"No bad intentions. I just suddenly had the idea to establish a sect, and I want to recruit geniuses in advance. Any more questions?" Feng Piaoling spoke the truth.
"At least you're honest." Xiao Xiao had twin martial souls, so it wasn't strange for someone to want to recruit her. However, hearing this, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment.
Wang Dong'er turned to Xiao Xiao. "Xiao Xiao, although this guy is annoying, his talent and strength are undeniable. Plus, like you, he has twin martial souls. If you want to go far in the future, staying by his side might actually be a good choice."
"Can I have some time to think about it?" Joining a sect was no small matter; Xiao Xiao had to consider it carefully.
"Of course. But since you have twin martial souls, I must warn you: do not easily add soul rings to your second martial soul, and do not absorb low-quality soul bones." Feng Piaoling felt a wave of regret remembering her configuration in the original story.
"Why?" Xiao Xiao was stunned.
Feng Piaoling explained, "Because that is just 'helping the shoots grow by pulling them.' Adding rings and low-quality bones to your second soul early on will make your soul power grow quickly, but you'll run out of steam in the later stages. Take me, for example."
"For my second martial soul, I intend to add only rings that are over a hundred thousand years old. My soul bones must also be from hundred-thousand-year beasts. Think about it: once I have nine hundred-thousand-year soul rings and become a Titled Douluo, how terrifying will my strength be? I can guarantee that no human or beast on the Douluo Continent will be my match."
Hearing this, Wang Dong'er, Xiao Xiao, and Jiang Nannan couldn't help but visualize Feng Piaoling standing at the peak of the world, surrounded by nine crimson soul rings. They were momentarily dazed.
The corner of Feng Piaoling's mouth quirked up as he began to "paint a grand vision" for Xiao Xiao. "If you join my sect, I won't promise you nine hundred-thousand-year rings, but I can ensure your second martial soul has at least six rings over fifty thousand years and three rings over a hundred thousand years, along with a full set of fifty-thousand-year-plus soul bones."
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