Xiao Wu Takes the Lead

Mu Yuan did not go to the palace at all, showing Xue Ye no respect whatsoever.

With his current strength, he had no need to show Xue Ye any respect.

Xue Ye was deeply displeased by this. Afterwards, he harshly reprimanded Xue Qinghe and even sought out Ning Fengzhi specifically to discuss the matter, but Ning Fengzhi casually brushed it aside in the end.

This matter ultimately had no effect on Mu Yuan.

However, Mu Yuan still realized that his current strength was somewhat lacking. If he could become stronger, he would be able to change everything through his own power without having to concern himself with these factors.

Mu Yuan continued immersing himself in cultivation within his secluded little cottage.

Given his strength, he had no need to participate in the Imperial Fighting Team's training. Aside from occasionally showing his face, he spent most of his time cultivating alone in the cottage.

Xiao Wu came by every day.

Zhu Zhuqing also gradually discovered Mu Yuan's residence by following Xiao Wu. Sometimes, she came to ask Mu Yuan about cultivation matters, leaving immediately after receiving his guidance and never lingering.

In Mu Yuan's eyes, Zhu Zhuqing had always been a decisive girl wholly focused on becoming stronger. As for what Sword Douluo had said that day, Mu Yuan could not see anything of the sort.

Mu Yuan had a rather straightforward personality.

He disliked beating around the bush, so when he found an opportunity, he directly asked Zhu Zhuqing about it.

Zhu Zhuqing's answer was very simple.

What she felt for Mu Yuan was not affection, but admiration. She merely wanted to resist her family's fate, and Mu Yuan's strength had happened to give her hope. That was why she wanted to follow behind him.

After understanding Zhu Zhuqing's thoughts, Mu Yuan agreed to her request to follow him.

At present, Mu Yuan's cultivation was Level 65.

After breaking through Level 60, the amount of Soul Power required for each subsequent level increased greatly, and the time needed to advance by one level became much longer.

Mu Yuan roughly estimated that, even cultivating diligently, he would need more than twenty days—nearly a month—to break through one level.

To cultivate to Level 70 would probably take four or five months.

The reason he had risen to Level 65 so quickly was because, while cultivating, he had also chewed through several Immortal Herbs and a great deal of precious medicine.

He did not know exactly what Immortal Herbs they were. He simply consumed them according to the amount of energy they contained, stuffing them whole into his mouth and refining them in an instant.

Aside from Immortal Herbs, he had no idea how many precious medicines like Cinnabar Lotus, Blood Jade Ginseng, and Nine-Rank Purple Ganoderma he had eaten.

Had an ordinary person consumed so much, they would have long since exploded to death. But Mu Yuan's physique and the sheer volume of his Soul Power were beyond comparison with ordinary people, and he easily refined all those herbs after taking them.

Yet everything had its advantages and disadvantages. Because Mu Yuan's Soul Power was so vast, even after eating so many precious medicines, he had only advanced a few levels in the end.

The more he thought about it, the more wasteful it seemed to use those Immortal Herbs this way.

The most important effect of Immortal Herbs was improving one's aptitude; their increase to Soul Power was not particularly remarkable. And clearly, Mu Yuan's aptitude was not something a single Immortal Herb could improve.

In the original story, the Shrek Seven Devils had taken Immortal Herbs when they were only in their thirties, yet they had only risen six or seven levels. Mu Yuan's Soul Power was now even greater than that of an ordinary Titled Douluo. Being able to gain this much Soul Power was already quite good.

On this day, Zhu Zhuqing came early in the morning to ask Mu Yuan about Self-Created Soul Skills.

Previously, Mu Yuan had taught her a technique for compressing Soul Power and then spinning it at high speed. Zhu Zhuqing had encountered a difficulty in her practice, so she came to seek his advice.

Mu Yuan demonstrated the key points for her.

Not wanting to disturb Mu Yuan's cultivation too much, Zhu Zhuqing went to practice in the woods not far from his cottage.

Meanwhile, Xiao Wu was also planning to find Mu Yuan when she ran into Ning Rongrong on the way.

Ning Rongrong looked somewhat haggard.

Over the past few days, she had been searching for an opportunity to reveal her feelings to Mu Yuan, but she could never find one.

Mu Yuan rarely showed himself, and even when he did, he was always with Xiao Wu. That person she had always disliked had finally stopped following behind her, yet she could not bring herself to feel happy about it.

"Xiao Wu, am I still your best friend?" Ning Rongrong asked Xiao Wu with pleading eyes.

Xiao Wu instinctively sensed that something was wrong, but she still said, "Of course, Rongrong. You're my best friend."

Ning Rongrong lowered her head. "But, Xiao Wu, I'm having second thoughts now. Can you forgive me?"

Xiao Wu's smile gradually vanished. Though Ning Rongrong had not yet said what it was about, Xiao Wu instantly guessed what she wanted to say.

You were the one who agreed to give him to me. Now you actually want him back?

Impossible. This is the one thing that can never happen.

Mu Yuan was the only one left in her world now. No matter what, she could never let him go.

Xiao Wu fell silent for a moment, then stepped forward and took Ning Rongrong's hand.

"Rongrong, you'll always be my best friend."

Ning Rongrong opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Xiao Wu covered it.

"Don't say it, Rongrong. I know what you want to say. My heart is a mess right now. Give me one day to think about it, okay?"

At those words, delight appeared on Ning Rongrong's face.

She hugged Xiao Wu and said through tears, "Thank you, Xiao Wu."

After parting with Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu hurried off to find Mu Yuan.

On the way, she encountered Zhu Zhuqing, who had just finished cultivating.

The sweat from her training had dampened Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful hair, plastering it against her fair neck.

Xiao Wu clenched her fists, the urgency in her heart growing stronger and stronger.

"Bad cat!"

Xiao Wu hurried to Mu Yuan's residence. The moment she entered, she impatiently threw herself into his arms.

"Mu Yuan, I miss you so much. Can I stop going back and just stay here forever?"

Xiao Wu lifted her head from Mu Yuan's embrace, her pink eyes looking at him pleadingly.

Mu Yuan rubbed Xiao Wu's hair and said, "Of course you can. You're the person I like. What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Xiao Wu shook her head. "No. I'm just scared—scared that one day I'll lose you."

Mu Yuan chuckled. "Silly Xiao Wu, I'll never leave you."

Xiao Wu smiled sweetly.

She wrapped her arms around Mu Yuan's shoulders, rose onto her toes, and blew softly into his ear with her tender lips.

Faced with such teasing from Xiao Wu, Mu Yuan naturally did not hold back.

He picked Xiao Wu up, kissed her cherry lips, and carried her to the bed.

Mu Yuan took off Xiao Wu's shoes. Beneath her pink-and-white socks, several round, delicate little toes curled slightly.

Xiao Wu swung her calves as though acting coy.

The essence of cultivation was the evolution of life, and during that process, the instincts of the body also grew greatly stronger. All this time, Mu Yuan had merely restrained those instincts with his powerful will.

But now, he no longer needed to restrain them.

Their feelings were mutual, and everything followed naturally.

Mu Yuan devoured the little rabbit in one bite.

Outside the secluded cottage, layers of trees shut out the sounds within.