Oscar and Dai Mubai were both dumbfounded.
How did this not only fail to keep them away from the fat guy, but actually help him score?
Tang San swallowed hard, silently thanking the heavens that Xiao Wu wasn't like that. If she were...
"Brother Hongjun, you still have so many options. Don't rush into a decision, okay?"
The girl with the scorpion braid blinked at him, her tone playful, yet carrying a hint of seriousness.
Click—
Tang San froze.
He could almost hear the sound of his own heart breaking.
After a lot of chaos, Flander stepped in to calm everyone down. Finally, things settled, and Oscar began to absorb his spirit ring.
Seizing the quiet moment, the red-haired boy opened his system panel for a glance.
Xiao Wu's mission still showed as [Unfinished], but the progress bar had inched forward slightly.
If it had been 98.9% before, it was now closer to 99.9%.
Only one final step remained.
But he had no clue what to do. The "White Snake" story had been just a shot in the dark. A romance between a human and a monster might have resonated with a soul beast like Xiao Wu.
And apparently, it worked. Somewhat.
But besides that, what else could he try?
He couldn't just blurt out a confession, right?
Ma Hongjun rubbed his temples. His head was starting to ache.
Not to mention that Tang San was standing right there like some omniscient guardian.
Even if a confession succeeded, it would shatter the future he was building with Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong.
And that would be a major loss—those two were key players.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! This is amazing! I'm loving this day!"
His thoughts were cut off by a wild, triumphant laugh. He looked up to see Oscar standing tall, hands on hips, laughing to the sky.
Judging by the energy around him, he had successfully absorbed the spirit ring—and officially become a Spirit Elder.
"Alright, cut the act. What's your third soul skill?"
Dai Mubai kicked him in frustration.
He was already irritated, and watching Oscar gloat just made it worse.
"Hehe, it's a magical skill. I can't describe it any other way!"
Oscar didn't care about the interruption. He raised a finger, smirking with pride.
"This will blow your minds. I guarantee it!"
Sching—
A cold flash—Zhu Zhuqing's claw blade was suddenly at his neck. She stared at him silently, eyes icy.
Gulp—
Oscar shrank back, smiling awkwardly. "Um… sister? No, big sister, I'll tell you! Just don't slash!"
Only after the blade left his throat did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"I can make sausages… that let you fly!"
Oscar beamed as the others stared at him, wide-eyed. His pride soared once again.
"How long can this 'flying crane' stay in the air?"
Zhao Wuji's interest was piqued, and the others leaned in curiously.
"Uh… one minute."
Oscar scratched his head in embarrassment.
"…That's useless."
Dai Mubai looked at him, deadpan.
One minute of flight time? That barely helped in either battle or travel.
"Heh. That's such a shallow way of thinking."
Oscar grinned smugly. "What if I told you it could fly at the speed of a Phoenix-Tailed Cockatrice?"
What?!
Everyone's eyes widened.
Flying at that speed—even for one minute—completely changed things. In that case, Oscar wasn't exaggerating when he called it a magical skill.
"Wait… is anyone faster than Hongjun?"
Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
The moment those words left her mouth, Oscar's smug grin froze.
Sister, please don't mess with me like that! This is just a Phoenix-Tailed Cockatrice spirit ring! How could I compete with that freak's real phoenix speed?
"Probably not."
He wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
"Besides, combat-type Soul Masters usually don't need to fly—unless they're running away."
Dai Mubai shrugged.
"When it's time to flee, Fatty's reaction speed alone can pull us out of most situations. If we can't dodge it, even a one-minute boost from a Phoenix-Tailed Cockatrice won't save us."
Oscar:
…That actually makes a lot of sense.
Suddenly, his "magical skill" didn't feel quite so magical anymore.
"That's not the right way to look at it."
Flander shook his head. "Being able to fly can have a huge strategic advantage. And besides, Hongjun's soul power isn't infinite. Alright, let's keep going."
Finding a suitable soul beast was never easy. Oscar had just gotten lucky.
Soon, the others realized just how true that was.
After several hours, they encountered plenty of soul beasts—but none were suitable.
As night fell and the weaker team members began to tire, Flander directed them to set up camp in a safe spot.
First, they had to rest and recover. In this condition, running into a strong soul beast could be fatal.
The tents went up quickly, and everyone took a break. Ma Hongjun, whose stamina recovered quickly thanks to his martial spirit, went out to help gather firewood.
Just as he was about to head back, an unexpected voice called out to him.
"Brother Hongjun, do you have a moment?"
The red-haired boy turned and was surprised to see Xiao Wu standing there.
"Xiao Wu? What's up?"
She nodded silently.
Only then did he notice that her face was pale, her bright eyes were flickering, and her whole body radiated sadness.
Seeing her like this, he put down the firewood and cleared off a smooth rock. He gently ignited it for warmth, layered it with dry grass, and smiled.
"Come on. Sit down, let's talk."
Xiao Wu seemed a little flustered. She looked at him, then nodded gratefully and sat down lightly.
As the warmth reached her, her gloomy mood eased slightly.
"What's wrong? Talk to me."
Ma Hongjun sat nearby, his voice gentle.
"Brother Hongjun…"
She hugged her knees, her scorpion braid drooping, her beautiful eyes dim as she stared into the night sky.
"Is it true that soul beasts can never truly be like humans?"
Her question seemed directed both at him and at herself.
"Why do you think that?"
Ma Hongjun shook his head slowly.
"If a soul beast can feel love, hate, joy, sadness, reason, and anger—just like in the story of White Snake…"
"Then what really separates them from humans? Just their appearance?"
Xiao Wu stared at him in shock.
For a long moment, she said nothing. Then slowly, as if something within her clicked into place, a gentle smile lit up her pale face.
Her eyes shone as she looked at him.
"As expected… Brother Hongjun is different from the rest."
But before she could finish, the boy's expression suddenly changed.
A burst of raging flames erupted from him, shooting into the sky!
At the same time, Zhao Wuji and Flander's panicked shouts echoed through the night:
"Run!!! Now!!!"