Hearing the words of the girl before him, who looked especially delicate and pretty.
Meng Yiran raised an eyebrow, but didn't press the matter.
She had only been curious about Fu Qin. Although she'd taken a liking to him at first sight, she was nowhere near the point of believing he was the only one for her. Still, as she left, there was something unfathomable in the way she looked at Fu Qin.
[Meng Yiran's Favorability +60, Current Favorability: 60]
Fu Qin glanced at the sudden notification on the System Panel, and his heart gave a little jolt.
Where had this favorability even come from? He'd barely said a word and had just been standing there. How had he gained so many points?
Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong stood beside him with her little chest puffed out like a mother hen guarding her food, glaring at Meng Yiran's retreating figure with undisguised smugness.
[Ning Rongrong's Favorability +30, Current Favorability: 197]
Seeing Ning Rongrong's favorability, Fu Qin's lips curled into a faint smile.
197 points. It wasn't enough yet, but she was already within reach of 300.
And the day he'd spend a night of passion with Ning Rongrong was drawing near.
He reached out and ruffled Ning Rongrong's hair, soothing her softly. "All right, Rongrong. We're still too young to talk about love and all that."
Ning Rongrong's cheeks flushed. Her fierce edge vanished in an instant, and she leaned obediently against him, muttering under her breath.
"Then you're not allowed to look at other girls from now on."
"Okay." Fu Qin smiled as he agreed, though privately he grumbled that this girl's possessiveness was really something.
Watching the scene, Oscar couldn't help but admire Fu Qin.
After all, both Ning Rongrong and Meng Yiran were top-tier beauties. It was no small feat for Fu Qin to remain unmoved.
Before long, afternoon arrived.
Oscar stared at the Winged Serpent before him, its entire body covered in dark green scales. A flash of unwillingness crossed his eyes, quickly replaced by acceptance.
This 1,400-year-old Winged Serpent was a substitute he'd found based on his memories of his previous life.
It wasn't as fast as the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, but its quality was certainly no worse.
"Attack!" Dai Mubai barked. His White Tiger Martial Soul awakened in an instant, and he lunged at the Winged Serpent, his tiger claws glinting coldly.
Ma Hongjun was no less eager. His Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul blazed to life, and he transformed into a streak of fiery light, pinning down the Winged Serpent.
With Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun working together, the thousand-year-old Winged Serpent was quickly defeated.
Oscar plunged a knife into the Winged Serpent's vital spot, and a purple Soul Ring slowly rose into the air.
At the sight of it, Oscar wasted no time. He sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Soul Ring.
Two hours later, Oscar slowly opened his eyes. His Soul Power surged, and he successfully fused with his third Soul Ring!
With a thought, a sausage with wings appeared in his hand, radiating faint energy.
"My third Soul Skill: I Have a Mushroom Sausage!"
Oscar shouted out his incantation with an especially smug flourish.
Although it wasn't as fast in flight as the original, its flight time had doubled. It was a blessing in disguise.
A satisfied smile spread across Oscar's face. This Soul Skill would undoubtedly improve his ability to survive by a great deal.
But the brief flash of malice in his eyes didn't escape Fu Qin.
That kid probably hadn't forgotten the grudge over his stolen Soul Ring.
Just then, the earth began to tremble violently, as though a giant beast were drawing near.
A deafening roar came from the depths of the distant forest. Trees toppled one after another, dust filled the air, and a terrifying pressure swept toward the group.
"Bad news! A Soul Beast of this caliber is beyond our ability to fight!" Flender's face changed. He activated his Martial Soul without hesitation. "Zhao Wuji, we'll hold it off!"
Zhao Wuji didn't dare let his guard down, either. His Immovable Wisdom King Martial Soul awakened in an instant. His muscles swelled, his skin hardened like stone, and he stood in front of the others.
"If you want to get past, you'll have to get through me first!"
The next second, a giant ape dozens of meters tall charged out of the forest. Thick brown fur covered its body, and its eyes were fierce. It was one of the overlords of Star Dou Forest—the Titan Giant Ape!
It ignored Zhao Wuji's attempt to block its way and sent the Immovable Wisdom King flying with a single swing. Flender rushed to his rescue, but the shockwave from the Titan Giant Ape left his blood and qi churning, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
The others fled in every direction. Only Xiao Wu remained rooted to the spot, her face pale.
She looked at the Titan Giant Ape, a complicated look flashing through her eyes.
There was surprise and helplessness, but not a trace of fear.
The Titan Giant Ape charged straight toward Xiao Wu. Amid the others' horrified stares, it snatched her up and turned to race into the depths of the forest.
"Sister Xiao Wu!" Fu Qin's pupils contracted. Without a moment to think, he set his Soul Power surging through his body. Two gleaming white Immortal-Slaying Flying Daggers, covered in runes, appeared beneath his feet.
They were his life-bound Magic Treasures, forged with painstaking effort. Their speed was incredible, and their power boundless.
"Beast! Give Sister Xiao Wu back!" Fu Qin cried. He stepped onto the Immortal-Slaying Flying Daggers and transformed into a streak of light, chasing after the Titan Giant Ape.
He sped through the trees, moving so fast that only a blur remained. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the depths of the forest.
Tang San stood where he was, watching Fu Qin's retreating figure, and thought grimly, This is bad.
He knew the Titan Giant Ape was Xiao Wu's younger brother and wouldn't hurt her, so he hadn't chased after them desperately as he had in his previous life.
But Fu Qin didn't know that! The Titan Giant Ape's strength was unfathomable. Fu Qin wouldn't die, but he'd definitely suffer serious injuries from going after it.
Yet when Tang San saw Fu Qin chase after Xiao Wu without hesitation, his worry was replaced by a warm feeling.
Fu Qin really was his best brother. Even knowing the danger, he'd still risked everything to save Xiao Wu.
[Tang San's Favorability +50, Current Favorability: 149] [Tang San's Inner Thoughts: Fu Qin is a good brother. I'll be sure to cultivate him well in the future!]
Held in the Titan Giant Ape's hand, Xiao Wu watched Fu Qin pursue them on his Immortal-Slaying Flying Daggers, heedless of the danger. Her eyes instantly filled with tears.
Since her rebirth, she'd seen too much hypocrisy and scheming. Tang San's coldness, Dai Mubai's obsession, and Oscar's viciousness had all left her disillusioned.
But Fu Qin was different. He always appeared when she needed him most and protected her through his actions. She had fallen completely for his devotion.
[Xiao Wu's Favorability +100, Current Favorability: 600] [Xiao Wu's Favorability +100, Current Favorability: 700] [Xiao Wu's Favorability +100, Current Favorability: 800] [Xiao Wu's Favorability +100, Current Favorability: 900] [Xiao Wu's Favorability +100, Current Favorability: 1000] [Xiao Wu's Inner Thoughts: Little Brother Fu Qin really is someone I can entrust my life to.]
What did a full 1,000 favorability points mean? It meant Xiao Wu had fallen completely in love with Fu Qin and was willing to give him everything, even her life!
Watching Fu Qin's figure draw closer, she silently vowed that in this life, she would cherish this love and never let go again.
Meanwhile, Tang San, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun, who had stayed behind, showed no sign of worry. Instead, they looked on with a trace of amusement.