"Yes, young master!" Jin Da answered. He gave the reins a light flick, and they cracked sharply through the air. The two fine horses whinnied docilely and pulled the carriage smoothly into motion, joining the streets of Suotuo City as they gradually grew busier in the morning.
Inside the carriage, Ning Rongrong withdrew her gaze from Jin Da, wonder still lingering on her small face.
She had just tried to sense the burly coachman's Soul Power fluctuations, but the result left her deeply conflicted.
His aura was almost completely restrained, like an ordinary person with no Soul Power at all,
yet the steady, mountainlike presence he naturally gave off as he sat there—one that seemed to hold enough strength to topple mountains and wrench up peaks—made it clear he was no ordinary man!
She couldn't help looking at Zhao Linchuan, wanting to ask him about it but unsure how to begin.
Zhao Linchuan took in her expression, the faintest smile curling at the corner of his mouth, but offered no explanation.
Jin Da was the most talented and levelheaded of the thirty-six Golden Armored Warriors at Soul Saint level, who had been transformed from the "thirty-six golden beans" the system had rewarded Zhao Linchuan with after he completed a certain mission.
His Martial Soul was the Golden Hammer, one of the finest strength-type tool Martial Souls, and among the strongest beneath divine-grade Martial Souls.
Later, after consulting with Yue Shen, Zhao Linchuan had bestowed upon Jin Da all six high-quality Soul Bones obtained from Tang Hao.
The six Soul Bones were exceptionally compatible with his Golden Hammer Martial Soul, laying a foundation for him that could only be called terrifying.
Jin Da hadn't let this generous gift go to waste.
With his already formidable physique, further tempered and empowered by the six Soul Bones, he had somehow managed to absorb six black Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings and three fearsome red Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings!
His Soul Power Level had soared all the way to level ninety-six, making him a true Super Douluo!
His true combat strength was among the very best even among Super Douluo.
Rather than "protect" Zhao Linchuan, Yue Shen and Yan Fei had sent Jin Da more for "show" and "just in case."
With Jin Da around, unless they faced three or more Super Douluo of the same level at once or ran into an old monster of the Limit Douluo level, they could be virtually certain that nothing would go wrong.
Still, a faint doubt crossed Zhao Linchuan's mind. With Yue Shen and Yan Fei as powerful as they are now, all I have to do is call out, and they can reach me in the blink of an eye.
So why go out of their way to send Jin Da?
Do they simply want me to have someone at my side to run errands? Or... are they busy with something else?
The thought flashed through his mind and passed. He didn't dwell on it.
The carriage rolled steadily onward, leaving the bustle of Suotuo City behind as it headed toward the open fields and distant mountains beyond the city.
Several days later, at Shrek Academy.
Flender was unusually beaming in the shabby academy.
There was only one reason: Oscar, the food-type Little Monster, had actually reached level thirty before turning fifteen!
This meant Shrek Academy was about to produce the youngest food-type Soul Elder in its history—something they could certainly brag about!
Flender waved his hand and made the decision on the spot: Immovable Wisdom King Zhao Wuji would personally lead the group out early the next morning to the Star Dou Great Forest, where they would hunt down a suitable third Soul Ring for Oscar!
After the evening training session, Ma Hongjun ambled over to Dai Mubai, who looked troubled and walked with an extremely awkward gait.
"Boss Dai, are you all right?" Ma Hongjun leaned closer, his chubby face full of confusion. "Why do I feel like you've been... acting weird today? You're all fidgety, and you're walking like a young lady."
The remark seemed to hit a sore spot at once!
Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Dai Mubai bristled instantly and shrieked,
"You're the young lady! Your whole family's young ladies! I'm doing great!"
Ma Hongjun was startled by the sudden outburst and took half a step back, awkwardly saying,
"B-Boss Dai, don't get worked up. I was just asking..."
Dai Mubai realized he had overreacted, too. He took several deep breaths, barely suppressing the turmoil inside him, then turned his head and answered a different question altogether,
"N-no... I'm fine. What could possibly be wrong with me? I'm better than ever."
Ma Hongjun: "????"
Just then, Oscar came over, elated after successfully breaking through. He clapped Dai Mubai on the shoulder and cheerfully suggested,
"Come on, guys! Let's go, let's go. Same as always, off to the latrine! We're celebrating my breakthrough!"
He waggled his eyebrows and lowered his voice. "And while we're at it... shall we compare? See whose 'assets' are more impressive?"
"Boss Dai, you're the 'benchmark' for our dorm, after all!"
Dai Mubai's face turned deathly pale in an instant. Panic and shame flashed across his eyes, impossible to conceal. He abruptly shook off Oscar's hand and spoke at a furious pace.
"Y-you guys go ahead! I... I just remembered I have something to do! I'm leaving!"
With that, he practically fled, charging back to his dorm without looking back. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Oscar and Ma Hongjun staring at each other in bewilderment.
Oscar scratched his head, utterly baffled. "What's gotten into Boss Dai? Did he take the wrong medicine?"
"Doesn't he usually love this kind of 'group activity'? He's always putting on airs as the 'boss' and challenging us to compare, too."
"What's with him today?"
Ma Hongjun rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Something's definitely off... Could Boss Dai have... could he have fallen victim to it...?"
An absurd thought flashed through the chubby boy's mind. He hurriedly shook his head, not daring to say it aloud.
The next morning, just as dawn began to break,
Zhao Wuji set out from Shrek Academy with Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar, heading toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
Dai Mubai kept his head down the whole way, trying to draw as little attention as possible. His gait was extraordinarily awkward.
Tang San was as silent as ever, a trace of gloom lingering in the depths of his eyes.
By nightfall, the five of them reached the small town about a hundred li from the Star Dou Great Forest, where Soul Masters stocked up on supplies.
They found a hotel that looked perfectly ordinary. After Zhao Wuji casually booked a room, he went upstairs to rest on his own.
Dai Mubai, Tang San, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun found an empty table in the lobby and sat down to get something to eat.
As soon as they sat down, Ma Hongjun's beady eyes were drawn to two figures in a corner on the other side of the lobby.
They were two women.
One had a remarkably voluptuous figure. Even seated, her curves were enough to set any normal man's blood racing,
and her black outfit made her snow-white skin stand out all the more. Her expression, however, was cool and distant, warning strangers to keep away.
The other was tall and elegant, dressed in a goose-yellow skirt, her features as delicate as a porcelain doll.
An innate air of nobility and liveliness showed between her brows. She was sipping her drink in small mouthfuls, curiously observing her surroundings.
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