Cuckold Brothers!

Crackle!

The best thing about life in the dead of night was a hearty meal of flame-roasted phoenix claws, breast meat, and phoenix head.

Smoke curled up from the campfire. Even though cooking in the middle of the night might attract Soul Beasts... who cared?

This was the habitat of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Phoenix. Ordinary Soul Beasts would not dare approach. As for how the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Phoenix had ended up like this, it had surely ventured into the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, lost to those powerful Soul Beasts, fled back here, and finally wasted away as its life force drained out.

It might have been able to come back to life, but its heart had already been absorbed by Ji Bai. There was no way it could revive now.

"B-Bro Bai?"

Just as Ji Bai was eating with great relish, a trembling voice filled with surprise and delight rang out.

Ji Bai looked up and saw Xiao Wu standing beside a large tree, staring at him with joy in her eyes.

"Uh..."

Ji Bai had not expected Xiao Wu to run into him while he was flame-roasting a Fire Phoenix to solve his breakfast problem. For a moment, he did not know how to start the conversation.

"Bro Bai, I thought you were dead!"

Xiao Wu ran up to Ji Bai, her eyes full of excitement and joy. Her eye sockets had even turned faintly red, as though tiny tears were swirling within them.

"Why are you cursing me to death?"

Ji Bai rolled his eyes and pointed at the ground beside him. "Don't get worked up. Sit down first. We can talk while we eat."

He remained calm and composed.

But Xiao Wu could not stay so calm. She wailed, "Bro Bai, I thought the Titan Giant Ape had... had crushed you to death, leaving not even a scrap behind! How are you here?"

Ji Bai smiled faintly. "I'm not that easy to kill. I used a special soul skill to escape the Titan Giant Ape's attack. After that, I followed it the whole way, but unfortunately... the Titan Giant Ape was too fast. Even flying, I couldn't catch up. Now I barely have any Soul Power left."

Hearing this, Xiao Wu was deeply moved.

They had only known each other for a few days! Yet Ji Bai had been willing to risk his life to save her. Even afterward, he had refused to give up pursuing a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast like the Titan Giant Ape, all just to rescue her.

"Bro Bai, thank you..."

Xiao Wu's heart raced faster than ever before. Ji Bai's image suddenly grew far taller in her heart.

"It's good that you're all right."

"Still... I'm quite surprised that you're completely unharmed."

Though Ji Bai knew the truth, he still spoke with feigned surprise.

Xiao Wu hesitated before explaining softly, "I... the Titan Giant Ape heard a bull's roar and suddenly put me down before fleeing in panic. Then I carefully retraced my path. I never expected to run into you here."

Ji Bai feigned surprise. "That really is quite a strange experience!"

Xiao Wu smiled awkwardly, even feeling guilty for lying to Ji Bai.

After a while, she finally remembered the others and hurriedly asked, "Bro Bai, then... what about everyone else? Third Brother and the others are all right, aren't they?"

Ji Bai shrugged. "I don't know how they are. I got separated from them a long time ago, and I was just about to restore some of my strength."

"But you don't need to worry too much. Unless a Soul Beast over fifty thousand years old appears, Teacher Zhao's level seventy-six strength will be enough to protect them, even injured as he is. They'll be fine."

Ji Bai glanced at the roasted meat and smiled. "I found a dead Fire Phoenix here. Have some too. Once we recover our strength, we'll go find them."

"Uh... all right."

Xiao Wu nodded with a heavy expression. "Then let's eat quickly. Once we're done, we'll go find everyone."

Just as Ji Bai and Xiao Wu reunited,

on the other side, Zhao Wuji had already led the remaining group to Tang San, who was meditating to recover his Soul Power. They then continued following the traces left by the Titan Giant Ape in search of Xiao Wu.

"What's that smell?"

Before long, Zhao Wuji's bear nose came into play. Catching the scent of meat in the air, he immediately pinpointed a direction—the very place where Ji Bai and Xiao Wu were.

"Someone lit a fire over there!"

"Let's go take a look!"

As soon as he spoke, Zhao Wuji immediately led everyone toward Ji Bai and Xiao Wu.

"Rongrong..."

Within the group, Zhu Zhuqing looked at the tearful Ning Rongrong with a complicated expression, her thoughts a tangled mess.

She was also deeply saddened by Ji Bai's death.

"This is fate..."

Dai Mubai shook his head and sighed.

"No one will think you're mute if you keep your mouth shut!"

Zhu Zhuqing shot him a cold look.

This was the first time she had taken the initiative to speak to Dai Mubai since enrolling, and her tone was exceptionally icy.

Ning Rongrong also glared fiercely at Dai Mubai.

The atmosphere between them had turned freezing cold. They could have split apart at any moment.

Dai Mubai's expression darkened.

Zhao Wuji also turned and glared at Dai Mubai in irritation, barking, "Mubai!"

Ji Bai had supposedly died trying to save Xiao Wu.

Yet Dai Mubai was still making sarcastic remarks. Zhao Wuji was greatly displeased as well.

Dai Mubai curled his lips inwardly. Although he disliked Ji Bai, he did not dare tug at Zhao Wuji's bear tail at a time like this.

"Teacher Zhao, there really are people ahead!"

"And there are two of them!"

"One of them seems to be... Xiao Wu!?"

Purple light flickered in Tang San's eyes, greatly enhancing his perception. Looking carefully, he spotted the figure wearing a rabbit-ear headband.

This instinctively made him think it was Xiao Wu.

And in fact, it was.

Ji Bai sensed a group approaching. Looking deep into the forest to one side, he saw Zhao Wuji leading everyone over and said to Xiao Wu,

"We don't need to look for them anymore. Teacher Zhao has brought everyone here."

Hearing this, Xiao Wu followed Ji Bai's gaze. She could vaguely make out a cluster of figures, though she could not tell who was who.

However,

a moment later, everyone appeared before her. With the aid of the firelight, she was able to see their faces clearly.

"Xiao Wu!"

Tang San cried out.

"Brother Ji!"

"Bro Bai!"

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful eyes widened abruptly, followed by delight as they hurried toward Ji Bai.

Dai Mubai raised a brow, greatly surprised.

Not just him.

Everyone was extremely surprised that Ji Bai was still alive.

"Xiaobai, you're not dead!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes widened.

"I'm not that easy to kill."

Ji Bai smiled faintly.

He smiled at the two girls before him. Whether it was Ning Rongrong or Zhu Zhuqing, both looked excited, their eyes reddened. Though neither spoke, their expressions alone said everything.

"I'm fine."

"When the Titan Giant Ape caught me, I used a method to escape. Afterward, I discovered that Xiao Wu had been taken by the Titan Giant Ape, so I followed it. There wasn't time to tell you because it was urgent. Sorry."

"Bro Bai, I'm sorry... it's all my fault... I dragged you into this..." Xiao Wu said with her head lowered guiltily.

"Brother Ji..."

Ning Rongrong gently rested her forehead against Ji Bai's left shoulder.

Ji Bai was rather surprised.

The next moment,

his right shoulder was claimed by Xiao Wu.

Tang San's face immediately turned green.

Ji Bai froze for a moment before instinctively looking at the graceful figure directly ahead of him.

Zhu Zhuqing looked from left to right, her cheeks flushing red.

"Boss Dai, your head seems to be glowing!"

Ma Hongjun said in astonishment.

Dai Mubai's face immediately turned green.

"Don't take advantage of me like this. There are plenty of girls who like me. You'll have to line up."

Ji Bai pushed the two girls away and chuckled.

"Who likes you?!"

"Full of yourself!"

Ning Rongrong was embarrassed and furious.

Xiao Wu also lowered her head shyly.

Zhu Zhuqing covered her mouth and laughed softly.

The atmosphere between Ji Bai and the three girls immediately became much livelier, unlike the icy atmosphere among the boys on the other side.

But at that moment, two elders and a young woman emerged through the woods and entered the clearing, causing the atmosphere to shift abruptly.

Zhao Wuji looked over at once.

When he saw Chao Tianxiang and Meng Yiran, whom they had encountered before, his expression changed abruptly. Then, when he saw an old man holding a Dragon Head Cane, his face became incomparably grim.

"It's you again!"

Meng Yiran snapped angrily.

"Oh?"

Meng Shu asked calmly, "Yiran, were they the ones who took your Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent before?"