With practiced ease, he slid one arm under her knees and the other behind her back .....lifting her into a perfect princess carry.
Zhu Zhuqing's face turned crimson. She wasn't sure if it was from fatigue or something else, but she made no effort to resist.
Up in the stands, several well-dressed young men who had just leapt down froze mid-step ... their eyes burning with jealousy as Yuan Longxuan carried the graceful black-clad girl away.
Their envy didn't last long. Yuan Longxuan's eyes flicked toward them .....and a faint trace of sword intent rippled through the air.
Whistle—
Pfft! Pfft!
Several of the men dropped to their knees, clutching their ears as blood trickled between their fingers.
The arena fell into stunned silence once more.
As for their fate, Yuan Longxuan didn't even spare them a glance.
"Rest for now," he said gently to the girl in his arms. "Tomorrow, we'll find your third spirit ring."
Zhu Zhuqing could barely keep her eyes open, but she managed a faint, obedient "Mm…" before her head leaned against his shoulder.
Meanwhile, in the luxurious private booth—
"Waaah! Zhu Zhuqing is so lucky! Yuan Longxuan carried her like a princess!"
"Big sis, I want one too!"
"No way! I'll do like her .... use up all my soul power and pretend to faint! Then I'll get my princess carry from Yuan Longxuan too!"
"(≧口≦)o"
When Yuan Longxuan returned to the suite carrying Zhu Zhuqing, every girl's eyes ... except for Xue Wu, Xiao Wu, and a few of his already-official partners ... sparkled with the same expectant look.
He sighed inwardly.
To be fair, most participants in the arena weren't true prodigies — just ordinary soul masters seeking to earn money.
A genius like Shui Bing'er, capable of challenging opponents far above her rank, was a rare gem even within Heaven Dou City.
Still, something puzzled Yuan Longxuan.
The girls' opponents weren't particularly strong, so why did every one of them finish their matches pretending to be so weak and delicate afterward —just so he'd have to carry them back?
Shui Bing'er's opponent: "No, seriously, she's insane! I was just a background character, and she blasted me with her Ice Phoenix! Then she acted all frail afterward like she was the victim!"
Yu Hairou's opponent: "Do you know how many ice lances she threw at me?
My martial spirit almost shattered! And then she staggered off pretending to be exhausted... unbelievable!"
Other opponents: Our hearts ache, but we dare not speak.
Later that evening, as the team left the Great Spirit Arena, Zhu Zhuqing happened to meet her earlier opponent ... Meng Yiran.
Even though Zhu Zhuqing had worn a mask during the match, Meng Yiran recognized her immediately.
"Thank you for showing mercy," she said sincerely, bowing deeply. "If you hadn't held back just now, I might have…"
Zhu Zhuqing simply nodded.
"Thank you," Meng Yiran whispered again, then turned and left.
As dusk settled over Heaven Dou City, Yuan Longxuan led Xiao Wu and the members of the Tianshui Team to the most luxurious inn in the capital ..... the Heaven Fragrance Hotel.
Originally, he'd planned to take them to the Juxiang Pavilion, but with so many girls in his group, he had instead decided to rent out the top floor of Heaven Fragrance for an entire year ... ensuring they had a comfortable residence.
Naturally, Yuan Longxuan, the ever-"upright gentleman," also took a suite there.
Congratulations, Host — you have successfully purchased 99 Extreme Douluo-class Black Armor Puppets.
As Yuan Longxuan's command echoed through the air, the squad of black-armored puppets dissolved into streaks of shadow, slipping soundlessly into the darkness.
In moments, they merged into the shadows of every member of the Tianshui Battle Team.
Each person now carried nine such puppets as silent guardians.
With that kind of protection, accidents in the future were almost impossible.
Satisfied, Yuan Longxuan stretched out on his bed, letting his mind wander through the plans that awaited him in the coming days.
He still needed to take Zhu Zhuqing to the Star Dou Great Forest soon—though that was more of a pretense.
His real purpose lay elsewhere: retrieving the Eight Spider Lances and checking on how Tang San and the others were developing.
As the great Lu Xun once said, "One may bear malice, but one must never be without caution.
" Giving Tang San even a hidden weapon manual had already turned the boy into a walking arsenal.
If he ever obtained the Eight Spider Lances as well, wouldn't he become a god-slayer?
Although Yuan Longxuan's system already contained more divine items than he could ever need, he had no intention of letting something that dangerous fall into Tang San's hands while he could still prevent it.
As for Tang Chuan....the so-called reincarnation of a God King...ever since he'd been taken as Dugu Bo's drug slave, Yuan Longxuan hadn't spared him another thought.
That old poison master was no kindly soul; given Tang Chuan's current state, unless Tang Hao himself intervened, escape was impossible.
During these days, Yuan Longxuan had already set up his plans. Xiao Wu would temporarily take command of the Tianshui Team.
Apart from her—now a Super Douluo—each of their shadows held over a hundred Extreme Douluo-class puppets combined. In terms of safety, there wasn't much to worry about.
He lay on his back, staring up at the c
eiling, his thoughts drifting...when suddenly, a shadow slipped soundlessly through the open window.
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