Casting a Wide Net! Big Dumas's Nickname!

"Xiaobai, these people are...?"

Huo Wu's voice turned lazy and soft. Her alluring body pressed lightly against Ji Bai's, while her slender fingers gently stroked his cheek. Her crimson lips breathed fragrant air onto his face.

Ji Bai shuddered. Huo Wu's sudden behavior made him deeply unaccustomed to it, and he even had a reaction.

When Huo Wu acted seductive, she was even more enticing than Shui Bing'er.

Huo Wu noticed the unusual change in Ji Bai as well. Her eyes lit up as realization dawned on her.

So that was it...

"Brother Bai, long time no see!"

Xiao Wu hurried forward enthusiastically, her gaze involuntarily drawn to Huo Wu and the others.

Especially Huo Wu, who was pressed right up against Ji Bai.

"So close... She must be Brother Bai's girlfriend, right? Brother Bai actually has a girlfriend! Forget it, it doesn't matter!" Xiao Wu shook those thoughts from her mind.

"Xiao Wu, long time no see."

Ji Bai smiled faintly, shifting his gaze from Xiao Wu to Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing in turn.

"Let me introduce you. These are all my classmates, and those over there are friends from Skywater Academy."

"Hello, I'm Huo Wu."

Huo Wu remained leaning against Ji Bai as she greeted Xiao Wu's group with a smile. At that moment, she looked even more like she was staking her claim.

Xiao Wu smiled. "Hello, I'm Xiao Wu."

Huo Wu's delicate brows rose slightly.

Ji Bai introduced them, "They're all friends I met here in Suotuo City: Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong. Those four are their classmates: Tang San, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun."

"Xiaobai, you're really popular!" Ma Hongjun said at that moment, truly consumed by envy, jealousy, and hatred.

If he were treated like that, he did not dare imagine how happy he would be.

"Xiaobai, you're not Big Dumas, are you?" Shui Yue'er asked with a strange expression. "Don't tell me you know girls in every city?"

Ji Bai said helplessly, "How could that be! Senior Yue'er, I just have a few more friends than usual!"

Xue Wu teased with a smile, "Girlfriends, right?"

The moment those words came out—

The girls present all looked at one another.

Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing wore different expressions, but they shared one thing in common: their slightly flushed cheeks.

Tang San and Dai Mubai's faces turned cold at the sight, and both looked at Ji Bai.

Huo Lin said, "Xiaobai, since they're your friends, have a good chat. We'll be resting in Suotuo City for the next few days, then we'll head back."

Ji Bai nodded slightly.

"Come back early." Huo Wu stepped away from Ji Bai, but still leaned close to whisper the reminder into his ear.

Huo Lin led the group away.

"Little Bai, remember to come back to sleep tonight. It isn't safe to sleep outside alone," Shui Yue'er reminded him before following the group away.

With her saying that in front of so many people, Ji Bai helplessly covered his face, left speechless.

Shui Bing'er said softly, "Be careful."

Ji Bai smiled faintly and nodded gently.

After both groups left, Ji Bai was the only one remaining with Xiao Wu and the others.

"Cough, cough!"

A cough suddenly sounded, and a middle-aged man with a crew cut, dressed in black, slowly approached from behind.

If one ignored the faint Soul Power fluctuations on him, an ordinary person might truly have been intimidated by his serious, solemn expression.

"You're Ji Bai, the one who possesses the same Martial Soul as Ma Hongjun?"

Ji Bai's swordlike brows rose.

He studied the middle-aged man before him and instantly understood who he was.

Yu Xiaorou? No, that didn't seem right. Was he called Yu Xiaonang?

Forget it. It didn't matter!

Still—

That questioning tone was truly irritating.

Ji Bai did not answer, merely staring at Yu Xiaogang.

Xiao Wu introduced him gently, "Brother Bai, this is Third Brother's teacher, Yu Xiaogang."

Understanding dawned on Ji Bai. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he said with a faint smile, "So you're Little Tang's teacher. Hello."

Yu Xiaogang stood with his hands behind his back, carrying himself like an expert as he asked mildly, "I heard that your second Soul Ring was a thousand-year purple one?"

Ji Bai crossed his arms, tilted his head as he looked Yu Xiaogang over, and asked, "Are you trying to obtain from me a method for absorbing a thousand-year Soul Ring as your second Soul Ring?"

Yu Xiaogang's brows furrowed slightly. "I know that the only way to absorb a Soul Ring beyond one's limit is to strengthen the body."

Ji Bai continued, "So you want to obtain from me a method for strengthening the body?"

Yu Xiaogang's brows knitted even tighter.

Ma Hongjun snorted disdainfully. "Isn't it just strengthening the body? Xiaobai, over these past four months, we've gone through extremely intense devilish training. Our bodies are tough now. Just wait until I get my third Soul Ring and absorb a ten-thousand-year one for you to see!"

Ji Bai asked in surprise, "You're already level thirty?"

Ma Hongjun's face stiffened.

Level thirty?

He was only level twenty-eight right now. With Evil Fire holding him back, he would need nearly another year at the very least to break through to level thirty.

"You really had to bring up the sore spot," Ma Hongjun muttered.

Ji Bai could not help smiling. "Then tell me which pot is open, and I'll bring up the open one."

Ma Hongjun's face immediately darkened.

Ning Rongrong curled her lips. "None of his pots are open. There's no pot he can bring up."

Ma Hongjun instantly retreated into himself.

Yu Xiaogang keenly noticed something.

After four months of his painstaking training, the seven people whose relationships had gradually grown harmonious seemed to have developed a problem the moment they encountered Ji Bai.

"We still need to participate in the Soul Fighting Tournament. You can talk later," Yu Xiaogang said mildly, then walked forward with his hands behind his back.

Tang San and the others followed him.

Xiao Wu said at that moment, "Master, how about giving us the day off today?"

Yu Xiaogang's brows drew tightly together.

After all, Xiao Wu had never made such a request of him before.

Tang San said, "Xiao Wu, Soul Fighting is still more important. We can catch up with... with Brother Ji later."

"It's fine." Ji Bai smiled warmly. "Go participate in the Soul Fighting Tournament first. You can come find me at the Soto Grand Hotel afterward."

"Brother Ji, you're so understanding." Scenes of Ji Bai stepping forward to bravely "save" her surfaced in Xiao Wu's mind, stirring her heart. And now he was being so considerate again...

She suddenly rose onto her toes and kissed Ji Bai's left cheek. Smiling, she said, "Brother Bai, why don't you come watch us compete? I've trained very hard these past four months, and my strength has improved greatly!"

"That's right!"

Ning Rongrong moved closer and whispered into Ji Bai's ear, "I've already understood what you said before. During this trial... I really did learn quite a lot."

Ji Bai's swordlike brows rose. He was somewhat surprised.

He truly wanted to hear Ning Rongrong talk about her realizations.

Watching the familiar scene before her, Zhu Zhuqing could not help recalling when she had parted with Ji Bai.

At that time—

All three of them had kissed Ji Bai in turn, and the place she kissed had even been his lips.

Afterward, she felt that she had been somewhat impulsive.

Yet whenever she occasionally recalled it, she did not regret it.

Seeing Dai Mubai looking as though he wanted to kill someone even made her feel pleased.

Ji Bai noticed Zhu Zhuqing's gaze and looked over. Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly turned her head away and looked elsewhere.

Ji Bai smiled. "Then let me see just how much you've improved over these past three or four months."