Xiao Xiao turned her head and looked at Wang Dong's distracted expression. She didn't think much of it, assuming he had just spaced out and hadn't heard clearly, so she repeated herself:
"I said, aren't Furina and the others talking about becoming gods? Didn't you say you wanted to become a god too? Why aren't you sharing your brilliant insights?"
Wang Dong finally snapped out of it and secretly breathed a sigh of relief—so that was it. That sudden, inexplicable panic earlier was just him scaring himself.
He cleared his throat, and his tone immediately returned to his usual "This Lord is number one in the world" style:
"Oh, that. Need you even ask? This Lord's talent is extraordinary; becoming a god will be a breeze."
He paused, his chin tilting up slightly, his voice carrying a hint of mysterious boasting: "And I'll tell you what, besides the Light Goddess Butterfly, I have other Martial Souls too."
Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Xiao Xiao's eyes. She hadn't expected someone with Wang Dong's high-profile and flashy personality to keep the fact that he had twin spirits hidden until now.
She replied flatly, "So you have twin spirits too? What a coincidence. I share a dormitory with Furina, and she mentioned during our chats that Huo Yuhao also has twin spirits."
Wang Dong froze, his eyes widening as his voice rose several octaves:
"What?! You knew all along?"
"Of course. Didn't you know?"
"...Furina was absolutely right; twin spirits really aren't worth much anymore!"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, and he couldn't help but complain: "And you guys actually kept it from me! I only knew that Furina and you, Xiao Xiao, had twin spirits. If I hadn't Cultivated Hao Dong Power with Huo Yuhao later and accidentally discovered he was just like me... with twin spirits, I'd still be in the dark!"
Xiao Xiao stuck out her tongue and winked playfully: "You can't blame me for that—you never asked. Besides, you and Huo Yuhao live in the same dorm and are so close; couldn't you have just asked if you wanted to know something?"
Wang Dong was left speechless by her words.
It seemed... he really hadn't asked. If he had just opened his mouth and asked, he might have known Huo Yuhao's secret long ago.
He scratched his head, his tone softening: "Alright, alright, it's my bad. It's my fault for not asking."
Then he regained some of his smugness, raising his chin as he said: "But since that's the case, becoming gods shouldn't be a problem for the four of us, right? Ten thousand years ago, the Thousand Hand Douluo Tang San had twin spirits, and the Spirit Hall's Supreme Pontiff, Bibi Dong, also had twin spirits, and they both became gods. Are the four of us any worse than them?"
Xiao Xiao shook her head gently, her voice dropping a bit:
"I think... the three of you should be fine, but I'll have to rely on you guys."
She lowered her eyes somewhat bashfully: "My talent is still a step behind compared to yours."
It was the truth. If Furina hadn't woken her up in time and given her a Cultivation Technique, she originally planned to attach a hundred-year spirit ring to her Second Martial Soul, which would have wasted its potential.
Now, with Furina's help, she was confident she could reach the level of Super Douluo in her lifetime, but a Limit Douluo or a god still felt like an unreachable chasm to her.
Talent was what it was; some gaps couldn't be closed by hard work alone.
Wang Dong, however, slapped her on the shoulder nonchalantly, laughing with flamboyant sincerity: "Don't worry, Xiao Xiao! Once This Lord becomes a god, I definitely won't leave you behind. Besides, aren't Huo Yuhao and Furina both incredibly capable? They won't forget you once they become gods either. When the time comes, we'll all reunite in the God Realm. How great would that be!"
Xiao Xiao was amused by his grandiosity. Her eyes curved into crescents as she added giggling, "And then we'll go with Senior Bei Bei to give Sea God Tang San a slap in the face!"
"Uh..."
Wang Dong's smile froze on his face, momentarily unsure how to respond.
He instinctively wanted to agree and say, "Exactly, that's how it should be."
But the moment that thought surfaced, a strong sense of resistance inexplicably surged in his mind, as if something were desperately suppressing his thoughts, preventing him from saying a single word.
The feeling came and went quickly, but it left a trace of inexplicable strangeness in the depths of Wang Dong's heart.
Xiao Xiao didn't notice his abnormality and continued to herself: "After that, we'll have Huo Yuhao cook a big meal! The ingredients in the God Realm must be even more delicious than those on the Douluo Continent, right? With Chef Huo Yuhao at the helm, it will surely be a rare delicacy in this world!"
Wang Dong quickly composed himself and picked up the conversation, trying to make his tone sound as normal as possible: "You're right."
Not far away, Senior Tang Ya, who had sharp ears, heard their conversation and immediately leaned over. She pressed her hands together and looked at Huo Yuhao expectantly: "It's lunch break now, so we have plenty of time to chat, right? Can we... taste Yuhao's cooking while we're at it?"
She rubbed her small hands together, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Bei Bei shook his head and laughed helplessly...
Huo Yuhao smiled helplessly and responded gently, "Alright, alright, Senior Tang Ya, don't worry. I'll make sure you're satisfied."
Jiang Nannan hesitated for a moment before speaking up:
"Huo Yuhao... could you teach me how to cook?"
Her tone carried a hint of embarrassment, but she was serious: "I want to learn your skills. Maybe I can set up a small stall in my spare time to earn some pocket money."
Although Furina had given her a lot of financial support, she always felt that what truly belonged to her—what she earned with her own two hands—was the most reassuring.
Furina didn't say much. She knew in her heart that Jiang Nannan's stall probably wouldn't last long.
Once Xu Sanshi found out she was setting up a stall, he would definitely come to support her. But for Jiang Nannan, his "support" was more like harassment. After being angered a few times, Jiang Nannan would likely give up on the idea of the stall herself.
Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, readily agreed: "No problem, Senior Jiang Nannan. Feel free to come to me anytime; I'll definitely teach you well."
He was never stingy about teaching his culinary skills; as long as the other person wasn't an enemy and truly wanted to learn, he was happy to share everything he knew.
A faint smile appeared on Jiang Nannan's face: "Then... thank you for the trouble."
Watching this scene, Wang Dong felt a strange, inexplicable pang of jealousy. As if possessed, he squeezed between the two of them: "Huo Yuhao! I want to learn too! You have to teach me as well!"
Huo Yuhao was stunned and looked at him with some surprise. Someone like Wang Dong, who usually found even cleaning dirty and tiring and cherished himself immensely, actually wanted to learn how to cook?
However, he didn't think much of it and just smiled: "Sure, no problem. Provided you can stick with it; don't go crying about being tired, dirty, or it being too much trouble when the time comes."
Wang Dong's eyebrows shot up: "Do I look like that kind of person? Once words are spoken, they're like spilled water! This Lord's word is his bond; I'll do what I say!"
Huo Yuhao saw his serious expression and couldn't help but laugh: "Alright, alright, I was just joking. Don't be angry."
Furina clapped her hands and called out, "Alright, alright, enough chatting. Let's go. If we dawdle any longer, lunch break will be over."
"Yeah!" everyone responded in unison, walking toward the cafeteria while chatting and laughing.
...
After everyone had walked far away, a figure poked its head out from the shadows of a corner.
It was Xu Sanshi.
He watched their retreating backs, his gaze involuntarily following Jiang Nannan, as he muttered to himself, "Nannan is going to set up a stall... this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Maybe I can use this chance to get closer..."
But soon he frowned again, scratching his head in distress: "No... I can't be so reckless. If I go over directly, Nannan might just get angry and stop the stall altogether. That would be counterproductive."
The hand scratching his head suddenly stopped, his gaze falling on Furina's figure in the crowd: "That's right..."
"That girl Tang Ya said that she and Bei Bei led the Tang Sect to join the Axis Cult. Later, Nannan was also invited in. Then... should I try joining the Axis Cult too?"
His eyes gradually lit up: "Maybe if I join the Axis Cult, I'll have more opportunities to get close to Nannan... I have to find a chance to talk to that Furina."
With his mind made up, Xu Sanshi glanced once more in the direction the crowd had gone, a goofy and expectant smile appearing on his face.
"Nannan, just you wait for me..."
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"