Xiao Wu stood among the group, watching Fu Qin and Ning Rongrong standing together, looking like a perfect match. The little jar of jealousy inside her had long since been knocked over.
She clenched her fists, her nails nearly digging into her palms.
Fu Qin had naturally seen it.
He had also noticed Ning Rongrong's dislike of Xiao Wu had risen to 40 points on her panel.
Yet her affection for him remained at 498 points. Complex emotions mingled across her face.
She wanted so badly to rush over, pull Fu Qin to her side, and loudly declare that he belonged to her.
But she knew she couldn't. Tang San was still standing nearby, watching. She couldn't expose her relationship with Fu Qin.
All she could do was watch helplessly as Fu Qin treated Ning Rongrong with gentle care. Her heart turned sour and bitter, but there was nothing she could do.
Zhu Zhuqing watched everything coldly, her gaze shifting among Fu Qin, Ning Rongrong, and Xiao Wu.
She could sense Xiao Wu's possessiveness toward Fu Qin, and she could also see Ning Rongrong's infatuation with him. This man was like a magnet, drawing every woman around him.
Dai Mubai patted Tang San on the shoulder and offered a quiet word of comfort.
"Brother, don't worry. Ning Rongrong's a Little Demoness. Fu Qin might not be able to handle her."
"Besides, you can't force matters of the heart. Oscar still has a chance."
That was what he said, but in his heart, he thought Fu Qin and Ning Rongrong were quite a match. One was powerful, gentle, and considerate; the other was... a spoiled, hot-tempered girl. But she was the young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, after all.
Flender checked the time and urged them on.
"All right, stop standing around! We're heading to the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City. Once we're there, register individually, then meet back at the arena entrance in half an hour!"
"Yes, Dean!" everyone replied in unison.
Fu Qin and Ning Rongrong walked side by side at the back of the group. Ning Rongrong chattered nonstop along the way.
"Brother Fu Qin, what should we call our combo? How about the 'Qin-Rong Duo'? Doesn't that sound nice?"
Fu Qin smiled and nodded.
"Sure. We'll call it the Qin-Rong Duo. Once we get to the Soul Fighting Arena, you can support me while I take the lead. Don't worry, I'll protect you."
[Fate Origin and Dissipation Max+ activated. Ning Rongrong's affection for Fu Qin exceeded 140 points.]
[Ning Rongrong's thoughts: Brother Fu Qin is so gentle! He'll even protect me! With him around, I won't be afraid no matter how strong our opponents are! No, I need to hurry up and bring him into the sect!]
Ning Rongrong happily looped her arm through Fu Qin's and pressed her cheek against his shoulder, not caring in the slightest about the eyes around them.
Watching them, Tang San grew even more anxious. He couldn't help quickening his pace.
He knew that if things kept going this way, they would only get worse.
But he couldn't think of any solution. All he could do was silently pray that Fu Qin wouldn't really steal Ning Rongrong away.
Xiao Wu lagged behind the group. Watching Fu Qin and Ning Rongrong's intimate figures, she felt as if the jar of jealousy inside her had been smashed to pieces.
She swore to herself:
Little brother Fu Qin is mine, and mine alone. No one can take him from me!
Fu Qin could clearly feel Xiao Wu's resentful gaze on his back, and he could also sense Tang San's anxiety. A faint, hard-to-detect smile curled his lips.
On the road to Suotuo City, Fu Qin could clearly feel the gazes behind him.
The resentment in Oscar's eyes and Ma Hongjun's envy made the back of his neck prickle.
Oscar had taken the blame for Ning Rongrong that afternoon. Now, seeing Fu Qin and Ning Rongrong inseparable, his eyes were full of the frustration of having made a wedding dress for someone else.
Ma Hongjun was much more obvious. His gaze stuck to Ning Rongrong's exquisite profile and the hands clasped together between them, his jealousy practically spilling out.
Dai Mubai, on the other hand, was frank about it. He looked at Fu Qin with nothing but admiration. After all, not just anyone could get the Little Demoness of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to behave so sweetly.
Fu Qin chuckled to himself. With Fate Origin and Dissipation Max+ backing him, winning Ning Rongrong over was only natural.
As for Oscar's resentment, the Intelligence-Reducing Halo would quietly dilute it, leaving him to grumble inwardly rather than dare confront Fu Qin.
The Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City was bustling with noise. Waves of heat, mixed with the scent of sweat and Soul Power, surged toward them.
Holding Ning Rongrong's hand, Fu Qin walked up to the front desk. His fingertips felt the delicate warmth of the girl's palm, damp with sweat.
"Hello, we'd like to register a two-person combo," Fu Qin said gently, his gaze resting on Ning Rongrong's flushed cheeks.
"We'll call it the 'Qin-Rong Duo.'"
The staff member registered them at lightning speed, then looked up with a smile.
"Certainly. The 'Qin-Rong Duo,' right?
"Just a moment. We need to engrave your tokens."
A short while later.
"The... the Qin-Rong Duo?" Ning Rongrong jerked her head up, her cheeks instantly turning scarlet.
She stole a glance at Fu Qin and saw the smile in his eyes. Her heart suddenly raced, and a fawn seemed to go bounding wildly around her chest.
[Fate Origin and Dissipation Max+ activated. Ning Rongrong became convinced that "Fu Qin had chosen the combo name on purpose, hinting at their intimacy."]
[Ning Rongrong's thoughts: Brother Fu Qin did that on purpose, didn't he? The Qin-Rong Duo... intimate Rongrong? Does he like me too? This is so embarrassing!]
Fu Qin was stunned when he saw the four characters "Qin-Rong Duo."
But when he saw Ning Rongrong's affection on her panel shoot up by 15 points, surpassing 147, his surprise quickly faded.
He took the token, ran his fingertips over the words "Qin-Rong Duo," then deliberately leaned close to Ning Rongrong's ear and lowered his voice.
"This name is actually pretty good, too." His warm breath brushed her ear. Ning Rongrong blushed even more and nodded obediently, unable to summon the strength to argue.
Not far away, Tang San and Xiao Wu were registering their combo as well.
"We're still calling it the 'San-Wu Combo,' right, Xiao Wu?"
Tang San looked expectant as he made sure to confirm it again, afraid of a repeat of the mistake from his previous life.
Xiao Wu nodded absently, but her eyes remained fixed on Fu Qin and Ning Rongrong, resentment nearly spilling from them.
[Xiao Wu's thoughts: The Qin-Rong Duo? Fu Qin actually chose a name like that with Ning Rongrong! That's too much. What are they even trying to do?]
Before long,
Fu Qin noticed that her dislike of Ning Rongrong had shot up again.
"Thousand-Hand Asura Tang San, Soft-Bone Charm Rabbit Xiao Wu, San-Wu Combo. Registration complete."
The staff member's voice rang out. Tang San took the token with satisfaction and turned to Xiao Wu, only to find she wasn't looking at him at all. He couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
Zhu Zhuqing registered for a solo match. Her title remained "Hell Spirit Cat."
Ma Hongjun sidled up to Oscar and said sourly,
"Look at Fu Qin. It's great being handsome. He can get a young lady like Ning Rongrong to cling to him like that. Even their combo name is so suggestive."
Oscar sighed. His heart was full of grievance, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything, so he could only give a low, muffled reply.
When Fu Qin registered his title, he thought for a moment and said, "Call it 'Thousand Mechanisms and Hundred Refinements.'"
The Materialization and object-manipulation abilities of the Alchemy Gloves Martial Soul closely resembled Thousand Mechanisms and Hundred Refinements, one of the Eight Extraordinary Skills from the world of Under One Person. It was the perfect title.