Oscar's gaze was fixed firmly on Ning Rongrong.
The girl hid behind Fu Qin, the hem of her pale yellow skirt swaying gently. Her exposed forearms were as fair as jade, and the tip of her nose still held a faint blush from the fright she had just suffered.
Her bright, watery eyes were filled with trust in Fu Qin, like those of a startled little animal.
Seeing her like this did not stir even a trace of tenderness in Oscar. Instead, it roused the darkest desires buried deep in his heart.
A faint, false smile played at his lips, but his eyes glinted with greed and possessiveness.
Ning Rongrong, the Nine-Colored Goddess in her previous life, and his lawful wife.
In the Divine Realm, she was a goddess revered by all, blessed with dazzling power and beauty. Even as the God of Food, he had to show her deference in front of others.
But now, she was still just a little girl who hadn't awakened the memories of her past life—innocent and clueless, yet clinging to Fu Qin, that snot-nosed little brat!
The thought of Ning Rongrong ducking behind Fu Qin without hesitation, and of the intimate way the two had interacted all along, made Oscar feel as if needles were pricking his heart. Jealousy and rage churned together, nearly clouding his mind.
But he quickly regained his composure, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes.
Fortunately, from the way Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were acting, they clearly hadn't recovered their memories of their past lives.
The fear and resistance in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, and Ning Rongrong's trust and dependence on Fu Qin, both showed that they were still girls of this era, ignorant of everything in the Divine Realm and the entanglements of their past lives.
That's just as well. Oscar sneered inwardly as a despicable idea took shape in his mind.
As long as he could have Ning Rongrong before she awakened the memories of her past life and make her his, everything would be settled.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect valued its reputation above all. Once Ning Rongrong had lost her virginity to him, and he went on to display his talent as he had in his previous life, the sect would have to acknowledge him as its son-in-law to save face.
By then, he would not only have won the beauty early, but could also use the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's resources to speed up his cultivation.
So what if Ning Rongrong recovered the memories of her past life someday?
What was done was done. She was already his.
Besides, they were destined to become gods once more.
If Ning Rongrong knew what was good for her and obediently stayed by his side, he might even help her reclaim her place as the Nine-Colored Goddess.
But if she dared to resist and refused to become a god, that would be fine, too.
Once he ascended to godhood, he would have plenty of ways to drag her forcibly to the Divine Realm. By then, she would no longer be some lofty Nine-Colored Goddess, but merely a canary for him to toy with as he pleased, with no choice but to obey him and no power to resist.
As for Fu Qin? Oscar's gaze swept contemptuously over the figure standing in front of Ning Rongrong. Though the other boy was indeed strong and had held his own in a direct clash with Boss Dai,
he was still only a thirty-fourth-level Soul Master. No matter how talented he was, what could he do?
Without the chance to become a god or the experience of his past life, at most he could reach the level of a Limit Douluo.
As for Oscar, he had the complete experience of becoming a god from his previous life. With the help of the Immortal Herbs in Tang San's possession, he was ninety-nine percent certain he could ascend to godhood again.
The gap between a god and a Limit Douluo might seem to be only one step, but in truth it was like the difference between heaven and earth.
Once he became a god, crushing Fu Qin would be as easy as crushing an ant.
Fu Qin wasn't worthy of being his opponent. At most, he was a stumbling block on Oscar's road to success, one he would kick aside sooner or later.
Thinking this, Oscar's mood improved considerably. His gaze drifted slowly until it settled on Xiao Wu.
The girl wore a pale pink dress and stood beside Fu Qin. Her figure was slender, her skin luminous and fair. Her pink eyes were calm, yet held a coldness that kept everyone at a distance.
Oscar understood.
If nothing unexpected had happened, Xiao Wu, like Tang San, had been reincarnated and recovered her memories of her past life.
After all, Xiao Wu's gaze held no unfamiliarity or curiosity, only pure indifference, and even a hint of barely concealed disgust.
He gave Xiao Wu a slight nod, a smile he thought was warm curling at his lips, and raised a hand to wave at her in greeting.
He didn't care about Xiao Wu's attitude. In his eyes, she was merely Tang San's appendage. As long as he joined forces with Dai Mubai and Tang San, Xiao Wu wouldn't be able to cause much trouble, even if she had recovered her memories.
Xiao Wu merely nodded with an impassive expression, not sparing Oscar so much as another glance.
As if! How could she possibly feel the slightest fondness for someone like Oscar?
In their past lives in the Divine Realm, she had seen everything clearly. Oscar seemed gentle and refined on the surface, but he was actually hypocritical and treacherous. Like Dai Mubai, he was the sort of person who would stop at nothing to satisfy his own selfish desires.
What's more, he had now recovered the memories of his past life. How could the flash of greed and malice in his eyes possibly escape her notice?
She instinctively edged closer to Fu Qin, and only then did the unease in her heart ease a little.
Looking up at Oscar's false smile, a cold killing intent flickered in her eyes.
If Oscar dared to harm her, Fu Qin, Ning Rongrong, or Zhu Zhuqing, she would show no mercy.
Fu Qin took it all in, inwardly sneering.
Oscar had no idea that Fu Qin had already learned every detail of his plan through his status panel.
It had to be said:
People who had become gods thought differently from ordinary mortals.
After all, they only possessed memories of becoming gods, not the strength of gods themselves.
No wonder Xiao Wu was so wary of Oscar and despised him.
After chatting for a while, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, however, both instinctively followed behind Fu Qin and Xiao Wu.
Before long,
a burst of Soul Power surged from the room next door, signaling someone's breakthrough.
Fu Qin raised an eyebrow, unsurprised.
Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others all looked surprised.
But they soon guessed that Tang San might have broken through to the thirtieth-level Soul Elder realm.
After all, that was when he had broken through in his previous life.
As the reincarnated God King, Tang San's first two Soul Rings were terrible, but he had his past-life cultivation experience, the Mysterious Heaven Skill, and the advantage of Twin Martial Souls. Even with serious injuries, it was only a matter of time before he broke through to the thirtieth level and became a Soul Elder.
Just as they all arrived at Tang San's room,
Flender's hearty laughter came from outside.
"Attaboy! I knew I was right to pick you! You've broken through to level thirty even with those serious injuries!"
Zhao Wuji's gruff voice chimed in right after him. "With talent like Tang San's, his future achievements will be limitless!"
Fu Qin and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance, then pushed the door open and went outside.
Tang San stood at the doorway of the room next door. His face was still somewhat pale, but his eyes were exceptionally bright, and the Soul Power around him flowed with a steady, concentrated force. Clearly, he had stabilized his thirtieth-level Soul Elder realm.