Fu Qin rose to his feet, looking at the satisfied smiles on the three girls' faces. He felt immensely pleased with himself.
These three magical artifacts would not only increase their strength, but also bring them closer to one another.
At that moment, just outside the room, Oscar, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Tang San were peeking through a crack in the door.
Oscar's face was filled with jealousy and resentment. He had never expected Fu Qin to be so generous.
[ Ding! Detected Oscar's feelings shifting from jealousy to hatred ]
[ Intelligence-Reducing Halo activated. Oscar's hatred has been converted into jealousy for the host ]
[ Current jealousy +50. Current jealousy: 99 ]
Looking at the information on the panel, Fu Qin's eye twitched.
Good grief. When someone could hurt him, the Intelligence-Reducing Halo made them think he was a good person.
When someone couldn't hurt him, the halo made that person feel only jealousy, never hatred.
Could this be the legendary helpless rage?
Under the influence of the Intelligence-Reducing Halo, Dai Mubai and Tang San felt there was nothing amiss as they watched the scene.
Tang San was especially happy for Xiao Wu when he heard about the effects of the items Fu Qin had forged.
After all, Xiao Wu's Soul Beast aura had always been his one and only weakness.
Now that her Soul Beast aura was concealed, those powerful figures would no longer be able to see through her identity.
"That thing Fu Qin made—whatever he called it, a magical artifact—looks really powerful!" Ma Hongjun whispered, a trace of envy in his eyes.
"Third Brother, aren't you his sworn big brother? Could you ask Fu Qin to make one for each of us?"
Dai Mubai nodded, admiration filling his eyes. "Exactly. His magical artifact is practically against the heavens. Its boost is on par with a Thousand-Year Soul Bone!"
Oscar quickly chimed in. "Right! If we could each have one, our combat power would increase by leaps and bounds!"
Hearing their words, Tang San was tempted, too. He planned to find a chance to ask Fu Qin whether he could make one or two magical artifacts for them.
But before long, Dai Mubai and the others started to stray off topic.
After all, Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong had really kissed Fu Qin just moments ago.
Tang San frowned and shook his head at the three of them.
"Don't get the wrong idea about Fu Qin. He isn't that kind of person."
Under the influence of the Intelligence-Reducing Halo, he still firmly believed Fu Qin was his good brother.
"Xiao Wu kissing him and Rongrong hugging him were just ways of showing gratitude. You're reading too much into it."
He paused, looking at Fu Qin's bashful expression, and grew even more certain.
"Look at Fu Qin. He's embarrassed after they kissed him. He's clearly an innocent guy. How could he possibly do that sort of thing?"
Oscar, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun exchanged glances, each seeing helplessness in the others' eyes.
They'd only said a few words, yet Tang San had taken them seriously again.
Inside the room, Fu Qin sensed the auras outside fade away. The bashfulness vanished from his face, replaced by a playful smile.
He looked at the three beauties before him, feeling utterly content.
With their favorability scores soaring, he was getting closer and closer to making Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing his for good.
"So, are you satisfied with these three magical artifacts?" Fu Qin asked with a smile.
"Absolutely! We love them!" Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong exclaimed in unison, their faces beaming with joy.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, too. A rare smile appeared on her usually cool face. "Thank you, Fu Qin... Brother."
At dusk.
Tang San crept up to Fu Qin's door.
Ever since he'd seen the three dazzling magical artifacts in the girls' hands at noon, his heart had been burning with excitement.
"Fu Qin, are you free right now?" Tang San raised his hand and knocked softly on the wooden door, his voice tinged with urgency.
The door creaked open. Dressed in black, Fu Qin leaned against the doorframe, his eyes deep with amusement.
"Third Brother, you came at the perfect time. I'm guessing Sister Xiao Wu has already told you about the magical artifacts."
The two went inside and took their seats. A Soul Bone Fragment appeared in Fu Qin's palm, its aura rippling with the power of a thousand-year Soul Bone.
"The source of Xiao Wu and the others' magical artifacts is this Soul Bone. Of course, it's too damaged for anyone to fuse with now." His tone was calm, but his words struck Tang San like a thunderclap.
"The day before yesterday, while tracking the Titan Giant Ape, I ran into a thousand-year Soul Beast blocking the way. I killed it on the spot, and didn't expect it to drop such a treasure."
Tang San's pupils contracted sharply, and his fingers unconsciously clenched his sleeve. A thousand-year Soul Bone!
It was a priceless treasure every Soul Master dreamed of. Countless people fought with all their might and never managed to obtain one, yet Fu Qin had used one to craft support-type weapons for three support-type Soul Masters?
Such generosity, such boldness—it was simply beyond belief!
He had thought Fu Qin was merely powerful. Only now did he realize that his magnanimity was even more extraordinary.
Warmth welled up in his heart, and his favorability toward Fu Qin soared.
[ Tang San favorability +50. Current favorability: 229 ]
"Fu Qin, you..." Tang San was at a loss for words. He didn't know how to express his admiration.
Fu Qin smiled and flipped his hand. Eight streaks of ghostly blue sword light appeared, whirling around the room. Their icy aura made the air seem to freeze.
"Third Brother, these are the Demon Spider Flying Swords I forged for myself." He pointed a finger, and one of the swords stopped in front of Tang San. Fine spiderweb patterns covered its blade.
"By chance, I encountered a Man Faced Demon Spider. Its Soul Ring didn't suit me, but its Spider Leg Spirit Bone was incredibly hard, making it perfect for forging Flying Swords."
"A Man Faced Demon Spider?!" Tang San sprang to his feet, shock written all over his face.
In his previous life, when he'd encountered a Man Faced Demon Spider, he would have died if he hadn't had Hidden Weapons to help him.
Fu Qin had not only encountered one, but killed it and forged it into a weapon. Just how powerful was he?
What warmed Tang San's heart even more was that although Fu Qin needed a Soul Bone himself, he had thought of Xiao Wu and the others first.
Under the Intelligence-Reducing Halo's subtle influence, the hint of wariness in Tang San's heart, born of the gap between their strengths, had long since disappeared. All that remained was sincere admiration and trust.
Fu Qin recalled his Flying Swords and spoke with a hint of apology.
"Actually, I wanted to forge a handy magical artifact for you, too, Third Brother. Unfortunately, I only had one thousand-year Soul Bone, and I couldn't gather the other materials. I'm afraid..."
"Fu Qin, don't blame yourself!" Tang San quickly waved a hand, his voice sincere.
"My own strength is enough to protect me. The so-called magical artifacts you forged aren't something I need."
"The fact that you thought of me is already more than enough to make me grateful." He truly meant it. Fu Qin's generosity had already surpassed his expectations. How could he ask for more?
After chatting for a few more moments, Tang San rose to take his leave.
Before long,
he told Dai Mubai and the others what had happened, so they could see Fu Qin's sense of loyalty for themselves.
Back at the Shrek residence, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar were sitting together and cultivating.
After hearing Tang San's account, Dai Mubai slapped the table, his face full of admiration.