Chapter 500.
Shen Lingqi smiled. "Brother Ma, congratulations."
Hearing this, Ma Hongjun looked surprised.
"Sister Lingqi, what do you mean?"
Having traveled with Oscar throughout the mainland, he was quite familiar with Oscar's girlfriend. In fact, he played a role in fostering their relationship.
Shen Lingqi touched his head and smiled knowingly. "Sister Bai harbors feelings for you, more or less. She's simply unsatisfied, perhaps resenting your agreement to the marriage contract her grandfather arranged. In other words… she feels very uncomfortable, very dissatisfied, but has already accepted it. You might think that she is dissatisfied because of this, and thus wanted to dissolve the marriage contract to alleviate her resistance. But this is not the core issue…"
"–Actually, her dissatisfaction doesn't stem entirely from you." A gleam of wisdom shone in Shen Lingqi's eyes. "It comes from herself... and just a part of you. You aren't ugly, and saying you're fat isn't entirely accurate. You're in good healthy shape."
Shen Lingqi's words surprised the group. Ma Hongjun was indeed not unattractive, quite the opposite he was handsome and looked more cute because of his chubbiness. Five years of traveling the mainland had also improved his overall demeanor.
Moreover, after consuming the immortal herb, Ma Hongjun possessed a respectable handsome appearance compared to Dai Mubai and Oscar. Compared to most soul masters, he was very handsome.
Relatively speaking, his build was more burly than Oscar and Dai Mubai, and he was slightly shorter, so he appeared slightly overweight. But his body was full of lean muscle.
Most importantly, Wang Feng had cautioned him about the consequences of indiscriminate relationships. The changes meant that dalliances with other girls would pollute the aura of the immortal herb he has consumed, causing a decline in his talent and other attributes. In contrast, bonding with one girl would create a harmonious atmosphere that promoted mutual improvement.
This was one of the most significant effects of the altered immortal herb Wang Feng has cultivated for him. Fatty might be the average among the six, but once he found a girlfriend, their shared bond would lead to substantial growth and compensate for his innate shortcomings.
"I understand," Tang San said, comprehending first. "Bai Chenxiang walks with us, but she may harbor a sense of inferiority. As the princess of the Speed Clan, she is proud. She must know that the reason Grandpa wants her to marry you is due to her perceived lack of talent. She feels powerless to resist, so she has more dissatisfaction with herself."
"Fatty, you're asking her to dissolve the marriage contract now, which makes her think that you despise her. Go apologize and talk to her."
Ma Hongjun quickly flew after her.
"Lingqi, you understand girls so well." Ning Rongrong looped her arm through Shen Lingqi's. "Then do you know men?"
"I don't know girls." Shen Lingqi shook her head. "I've felt this way before too. Before I met Oscar, I thought my talent was unmatched in the Star Luo Empire and the food department. After meeting him, I realized that he was way better than me…"
Oscar coughed a few times. If he hadn't taken that immortal herb, the quality of his martial soul might not have surpassed Shen Lingqi's.
"As for men…" Shen Lingqi glanced at Oscar with a soft smile. "I only know Oscar."
Oscar sat up straight, projecting an image of unwavering virtue.
"Hey…" Ning Rongrong looked at Shen Lingqi, sighing softly. "Sometimes men are too good, and sometimes they aren't good enough. But if they aren't good, how can they attract girls? It's difficult to strike that balance."
Zhu Zhuqing clenched her hands silently.
"The man you're referring to… must be that Wang Feng, right?" Shen Lingqi smiled. "Otherwise, with your talent, Rongrong, I can't imagine any other man who could make you feel this way."
Ning Rongrong blushed and scoffed. "It's not him."
"During the time I've spent with Oscar, he has shared your past." Shen Lingqi continued, "A person can be so outstanding that they inspire awe and even cause hesitation."
Wang Feng's fame spread like wildfire. Even without elaboration, everyone knew of his deeds. Defeating opponents in the mainland elite soul master competition was enough to earn the admiration of countless soul masters.
"In fact, Feng'ge must also have his own worries," Tang San reasoned. So many girls admired him. Could he not worry about that? He looked at Ning Rongrong, if he refused her, wouldn't she be sad? And Ning Rongrong was unlikely to give up easily.
Tang San also glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, shaking his head inwardly. Was this the burden men faced?
However, Feng'ge never explicitly stated his feelings or delivered a definitive rejection… Perhaps he didn't want to hurt anyone, but this made him look a bit of a scoundrel.
No wonder he often disappeared…
Thinking of this, Tang San embraced Xiao Wu tightly.
"What's wrong with him! I won't just watch from the sidelines!" Ning Rongrong huffed, glancing at Zhu Zhuqing intentionally. "I want to stride forward! Go forward bravely!"
Shen Lingqi smiled and glanced at Zhu Zhuqing. Although Oscar hadn't discussed the emotional complexities between those involved, she could discern something.
"Xiao Ao, you found a gem," Dai Mubai whispered. "This Shen Lingqi is very insightful."
"Of course." Oscar smiled triumphantly. "I put in a lot of effort back then… Now, I'm watching Fatty and hoping that he also finds happiness."
Dai Mubai nodded.
And so it was, more than ten days later, Tang San and his companions arrived west of the Heaven Dou Empire, near the sea.
Along the way, Ma Hongjun had managed to mend his relationship with Bai Chenxiang, not to the point of intimacy, but the atmosphere was significantly better.
As noon approached, the group came to a small village and decided to rest.
"Why is this village so silent?" Oscar asked suspiciously.
The village, located hundreds of meters away, was small. Smaller than the village near Shrek Academy in Suotuo City. From their vantage point, they could see the whole of it.
"I smell blood," Dai Mubai said, sniffing gently.
"I fear that this village has been attacked…" A purple light flashed in Tang San's eyes, as if he had witnessed the scene in the village.
The group paused, about to move forward, when they saw Ma Hongjun and Bai Chenxiang falling out of the sky.
At the moment of descent, Bai Chenxiang vomited, and Ma Hongjun's face was ashen. Fortunately, his experience was greater than Bai Chenxiang's.
Having dedicated the past few days to patrolling with Bai Chenxiang, to mend their relationship, he was familiar with the surrounding area.
"The village ahead has been slaughtered," Ma Hongjun said, delivering a sentence that altered everyone's expression. "The entire village—the old, the young, the children—are dead. There are traces of beasts and blunt weapons… Few women were present, so they must have been looted."
Everyone was stunned.
"Who did this?" Tang San asked, his tone turning cold.
Ma Hongjun shook his head, his expression grim. "I don't know. It feels like a soul beast, but not exactly… and a little like a human. Because a soul beast doesn't use weapons."
"We must investigate!" Oscar said, his tone grave. "I'll first create eight mushroom sausages. Lingqi's fourth soul ability, Aromatic Intoxicating Beer, increases the duration of any auxiliary effect by 100%. That should give us what we need to catch up and discover the truth."
"Yes…" Ma Hongjun nodded, his face set. "Those murderers can't have gone far. There must be a rearguard. We can catch up in a short time and assess the situation!"
Tang San nodded in agreement.
Oscar and Shen Lingqi moved immediately after Tang San's affirmation.
Shen Lingqi's White Beer was, without a doubt, a very powerful martial soul, which had yet to be fully appreciated by everyone.
But paired with Oscar, its potency became undeniable.
Take Oscar's mushroom sausage as an example. Oscar, now a Soul Emperor, could allow the group to fly for up to six minutes. But after consuming the fragrant and intoxicating beer crafted with Shen Lingqi's seventh soul ability, that duration extended to more than ten minutes!
Ten minutes of flight time was an exaggeration. Even in a battle at the Soul Emperor level, ten minutes could determine the outcome, especially at sea.
The nine flew directly into the air in a cone formation, heading toward their target.
Passing over the village, they could clearly see the hellish scene below.
Even Ning Rongrong and the other girls, seasoned by battle, felt their stomachs churn with nausea.
"Savages!" Dai Mubai's face was green, but he maintained formation.
Soon, not far from the village, they found the fallen rearguard.
These murderers were tall, each at least two meters in height, with wolf-like fangs extending from their mouths, giving them a hideous appearance.
"Wolfman," Oscar and Ma Hongjun said simultaneously.
Tang San looked at the two asked, "What are wolfman?"
"It's a specific type of bandit," Dai Mubai said grimly. "They're creatures resembling humans, but not human, beasts but not beasts, born from the union of men and Demon Wolves called Wolfmen. They possess some intelligence and some soul beast powers. They're powerful and chaotic. The purpose of capturing those women is to breed. Both empires are plagued by them."
"Furthermore, they're most rampant in the fall and spring. I didn't expect to encounter them here. There must be a large force ahead. A normal wolf thief group has at least five hundred members. Eradicating them usually requires twice that many troops."
"We are only nine…but it's not impossible. Even if we can't wipe them out, we can't let this pass!" Tang San's eyes flashed with sharp determination.
"Enough talking! These beasts pollute the air!" Ma Hongjun exclaimed angrily. "Brother San!"
The others also looked to Tang San for guidance.
Tang San was the strongest among them, and they were accustomed to following his lead.
"Let's see how many there are," Tang San said, feeling Xiao Wu holding him tighter. His voice was cold. "Then find a way to eliminate them all!"
Everyone nodded and continued towards the forest ahead.
They soon stopped upon witnessing a scene of chaos and savagery.
They saw a dense array of wolf thieves surrounding three people in the center like a tide.
Waves of soul power emanated from the center of the chaos.
There were far too many wolf thieves. From his vantage point in the air, Tang San could clearly see thousands of them swarming from the forest.
"Looks like someone else is involved? Third brother, look, those three people seem familiar?" Ma Hongjun exclaimed in surprise.
Tang San focused his gaze on the figures amidst the fray. Someone else had witnessed the scene in that village and pursued the attackers.
And he recognized them.
"They're strong!" Bai Chenxiang murmured, "Not ordinary soul masters. Look at their soul rings. They're at least Soul Emperors."
Two men and one woman were surrounded by the wolf thieves.
The female soul master emitted countless pink aerosols, causing the wolf thieves caught in their cloud to freeze as if trapped in a dream.
The two male battle soul masters fought alongside her. One wielded dual moonblades, while the other burned with intense flames. The flames, not unlike those wielded by Ma Hongjun, turned him into a raging giant.
The Seven Devils recognized them instantly!
"It's the Golden Generation trio from Soul Hall!" Dai Mubai said grimly. "I didn't expect them to be here, also battling the wolf thieves..."
Hearing the words "Soul Hall," a wave of unease rippled through the group.
"Third Brother, should we wait for them to exhaust themselves? People from the Soul Hall are not to be trusted," Ning Rongrong said angrily, recalling the Soul Hall's attack on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
But then she fell silent.
"However, as Wang Feng said, we cannot generalize… They must have seen the village massacre before hunting down these wolf thieves. That implies a degree of kindness…"
Silence hung in the air.
The lines between good and bad seemed to blur.
Tang San sighed and shook his head. "Not all people in the Soul Hall are bad… perhaps they have no choice, or simply have different allegiances. I'll intervene. There are too many wolf thieves; the three of them may be overwhelmed… Our priority is to eliminate the wolf thieves."
"We can discuss other matters later."
High above, tens of meters in the sky, a lone figure sat cross-legged on a flying sword, quietly watching the ant-like crowd below.
"Unexpectedly… I'm meeting them so soon…" Wang Feng muttered.
......…
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