Ninety Thousand Year Spirit Ring, I am your Gaia, Grandpa...

Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath, suppressing her turbulent emotions, and bowed solemnly toward Zhao Linchuan.

"Zhu Zhuqing is willing to follow by your side. In this life and this world, I shall never have a second heart!"

"Very good." Zhao Linchuan nodded. "Sit down; the Fuli Roast Chicken will be here soon."

After the brief interlude, Lao San diligently served three Fuli Roast Chickens—roasted until the skin was crispy and the meat tender, emitting an appetizing aroma—along with several side dishes.

The group began to eat, and the atmosphere was much more harmonious than before.

Zhu Zhuqing still didn't say much, but her tense body had clearly relaxed a little.

After a hearty meal, the group found another hotel in Soto City that looked clean and comfortable to stay in.

When checking in, Ning Rongrong was shocked once again—Zhao Linchuan had only booked two rooms.

One was for himself, and the other was for her, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing.

However, just as she assumed Xiao Wu would be staying with them, she saw Zhao Linchuan naturally take Xiao Wu's hand, walk into his room, and close the door.

Ning Rongrong stood in the hallway, staring at the closed door, her beautiful face wearing a complex expression. Her red lips parted slightly, and after a long while, she muttered to herself:

"Heavens... oh my god! Could he... could he be a 'scumbag' too?! Changing one every day?"

"No, that's not right, Xiao Wu seems to have been with him the whole time... but still... can his body handle it?!"

She couldn't help but look at Zhu Zhuqing, who was also stunned, and whispered, "Zhuqing... tell me, is he... is he also a bit... you know?"

Zhu Zhuqing regained her composure, thought for a moment, and said in a low voice, "Miss Xiao Wu... is the Young Master's personal maid. It is normal for a servant and master to share a room so she can attend to his needs at any time."

Ning Rongrong blinked, nodded thoughtfully, and said, "I suppose... that's true. A maid taking care of her master's daily life, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with that..."

Even so, she still felt a bit uncomfortable in her heart.

Inside the room, the lights were soft.

After washing up, Xiao Wu, wearing loose and soft pajamas, climbed onto the bed as usual and tucked herself under the covers.

Zhao Linchuan also changed into pajamas and lay down beside her.

There was a polite distance between them as they slept under the same quilt, a mode of interaction they had gradually grown accustomed to over the past few years.

However, tonight, Xiao Wu felt somewhat restless.

The strange instructions and attitude of Lady Yue Shen during the day, the Young Master's recruitment of Zhu Zhuqing in the evening... various images intertwined in her mind.

Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she suddenly felt a weight on her body.

A warm palm rested gently on her slightly heaving chest. Through the thin fabric of her pajamas, she could clearly feel its weight and temperature.

Xiao Wu's breath hitched instantly, and her body stiffened subconsciously.

A tingling electric sensation spread from the point of contact.

She tried to move her body slightly, wanting to shift the hand away, but found that while it seemed casual, it felt as if it had a mind of its own, remaining firmly in place without moving an inch.

"You... Young Master?" she tentatively called out in a soft voice, no louder than a mosquito's hum.

The only response was Zhao Linchuan's steady, rhythmic breathing; he seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.

Xiao Wu lay stiffly, her cheeks gradually heating up in the darkness.

She hesitated for a moment and did not try to push him away again.

The image of Lady Yue Shen from this morning, with her satisfied and charming expression, flashed through her mind, along with the words, "Linchuan might have been a bit tired last night..."

Is the Young Master really asleep? This thought popped up uncontrollably.

In the end, she sighed softly, gave up the struggle, and slowly relaxed her body.

The presence of that hand was exceptionally vivid, making her heartbeat erratic, yet strangely... she didn't hate it.

Forget it... let him be... anyway... it's not the first time we've slept like this...

She thought, deceiving herself, and quietly pulled the quilt up to cover half of her burning face, forcing herself to close her eyes.

The morning light filtered through the hotel's exquisite window curtains, spilling softly into the room.

Xiao Wu had already risen early, moving lightly like a diligent little rabbit to tidy herself up before trotting off to the hotel restaurant to carefully select a breakfast that suited Zhao Linchuan's tastes.

She knew his preferences and remembered that he seemed truly "exhausted" yesterday, so she specifically chose more ingredients that were nourishing and restorative.

In the room, Zhao Linchuan sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, his eyes closed, his mind submerged within his body.

The fifth soul ring he had just finished fusing—"Samsara"—was slowly rotating around him along with his other four soul rings.

As the fifth soul ring was completely integrated, an invisible ripple swept across his entire body.

Looking inward, he could clearly "see" that not only his newly acquired fifth soul ring, but also his first through fourth soul rings, as well as the several soul bones he had already fused, had undergone a subtle leap and deepening in the energy levels and law patterns contained within them!

The age of his rings, which had been steadily increasing due to their growth-type characteristics, seemed to have broken through a critical point under the impetus of this fifth soul ring, triggering a chain reaction.

Now, the actual energy intensity and law-bearing capacity of all his soul rings and soul bones had stabilized at the "ninety-thousand-year" level!

Only one opportunity remained, a single fusion of a sixth soul ring, to trigger a qualitative change and propel the entire team across the threshold of "one hundred thousand years!"

However, the "growth" of soul rings and soul bones primarily brought about a sublimation of energy quality, comprehension of laws, and skill potency, with relatively limited direct increases to the total amount of soul power.

At this moment, Zhao Linchuan could clearly perceive that his soul power level had stabilized at fifty-seven, officially making him a Soul King.

To outsiders, this speed might seem shocking, but to him, it was merely the natural result of water flowing to form a channel.

What truly gave him confidence were the heaven-defying soul skills bestowed upon him by these high-level soul rings and soul bones!

They might lack flashy, cool light effects, but they contained power approaching the very essence of the laws.

First Soul Ring: Void.

The two characters "Void" and "Nothingness"—one active, one passive—could simply be described as "greatness that needs no further explanation."

Back in the game, he had led six max-level spirits to challenge Puni with full confidence, only to be defeated and sent packing directly by this "Void."

The War God Gaia was beaten from his imposing "I am your Grandpa Gaia!" into a whimpering "I am your Gaia, Grandpa..."

That Thunder Sovereign who "arrived treading upon the storm" was reduced to nothing more than "I am just a small character..."

Second Soul Ring: Element.

Active Soul Skill: Elemental Control: Can freely manipulate, condense, and transform all elements between heaven and earth, forming various offensive, defensive, or auxiliary effects as one desires.

Passive Effect: Elemental Resistance: Gain a terrifying 99% resistance to all elemental attribute damage!

In the Douluo Continent, a world where the vast majority of martial soul abilities are inseparable from elements, this meant that for ninety-nine percent of soul masters, their attacks would lose more than ninety percent of their power the moment they landed on him!