Dai Mubai: I'm Fine, I'm Very Well

"Yes, Young Master!" Jin Da responded. He gave a light flick of the horsewhip in the air, producing a crisp "crack." The two steeds let out gentle whinnies and pulled the carriage into a smooth start, merging into the increasingly busy streets of Soto City at dawn.

Inside the carriage, Ning Rongrong withdrew her gaze from Jin Da, a lingering look of astonishment still on her small face.

She had just tried to sense the soul power fluctuations of the burly man driving the carriage, but the result left her feeling deeply conflicted.

His aura was almost entirely restrained, as if he were an ordinary person without a shred of soul power.

Yet, sitting there, the sense of mountain-like stability he naturally exuded—as if he possessed the strength to topple mountains and overturn seas—was definitely not that of an ordinary person!

She couldn't help but look at Zhao Linchuan, wanting to ask but not knowing how to begin.

Zhao Linchuan took in her expression, a faint, elusive smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, but he offered no explanation.

Jin Da was the one with the best aptitude and temperament among the thirty-six Golden Armored Warriors, who were transformed from the "thirty-six golden beans" rewarded by the system after he completed a certain mission.

His martial soul was the "Golden Hammer," a top-tier power-type tool martial soul, arguably the strongest rank below a god-level martial soul.

Later, after consulting with Yue Shen, Zhao Linchuan bestowed all six high-quality soul bones he had obtained from Tang Hao upon Jin Da.

These six soul bones had an extremely high compatibility with his Golden Hammer martial soul, directly laying a foundation that could be described as terrifying.

Jin Da did not disappoint this generous gift.

Relying on his already formidable physique, combined with the tempering and amplification of the six soul bones, he had managed to successfully absorb six black ten-thousand-year soul rings and three shocking red hundred-thousand-year soul rings!

His soul power level had skyrocketed, surging straight to level ninety-six, making him a bona fide Super Douluo!

His true combat strength was also among the top tier even among Super Douluo.

Yue Shen and Yan Fei sending Jin Da was less about "protecting" Zhao Linchuan and more about "prestige" and "precaution."

With Jin Da around, as long as they didn't encounter a siege by more than three Super Douluo of the same level simultaneously, or run into old monsters at the Limit Douluo level, they were essentially guaranteed to be safe.

However, a faint trace of doubt flickered in Zhao Linchuan's mind, 'With the current strength of Yue Shen and Yan Fei, if I were to call out, they could reach my side with incredible speed.'

'Why go to the trouble of sending Jin Da?'

'Is it simply to ensure I have someone to run errands? Or... are they busy with something else?'

This thought flashed through his mind, but he did not dwell on it.

The carriage moved steadily forward, leaving the bustle of Soto City behind as it headed toward the open fields and distant mountains of the countryside.

Several days later, Shrek Academy.

Inside the humble academy, Flender was beaming with rare joy.

The reason was simple: the food-system little monster, Oscar, had successfully broken through to level thirty at the age of less than fifteen!

This meant Shrek Academy was about to produce the youngest food-system Soul Venerable in history, definitely a capital worth bragging about!

Flender gave a grand wave of his hand and immediately made the decision: the Immovable Bright King, Zhao Wuji, would personally lead the team to set off early the next morning for the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for a suitable third soul ring for Oscar!

After the evening training ended, Ma Hongjun wandered over to find Dai Mubai, who looked troubled and was walking with an incredibly awkward gait.

"Boss Dai, are you alright?" Ma Hongjun leaned in, his chubby face full of confusion. "Why do I feel like you're... acting weird today? Fidgety and awkward, walking like a young lady?"

This sentence seemed to strike right at Dai Mubai's sore spot!

He bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, shrieking:

"You're the young lady! Your whole family is full of young ladies! I'm perfectly fine!"

Ma Hongjun was startled by this sudden, intense reaction. He took a half-step back and said sheepishly:

"Boss... Boss Dai, don't get so worked up, I was just asking..."

Dai Mubai realized he had overreacted. He took a few deep breaths, barely suppressing his churning emotions, turned his head away, and gave a non-sequitur answer:

"No... nothing. What could be wrong with me? I'm perfectly fine."

Ma Hongjun: "????"

Just then, Oscar, who had successfully broken through and was in high spirits, walked over. He slapped Dai Mubai on the shoulder and suggested joyfully:

"Brothers! Let's go, let's go! Same old rule, let's head to the latrine! Celebrate me leveling up!"

He winked and lowered his voice, "And while we're at it... let's compare? See whose 'assets' are more impressive?"

"Boss Dai, you're the 'benchmark' of our dorm!"

Dai Mubai's face turned deathly pale in an instant. A flash of undisguised panic and shame crossed his eyes. He violently shook off Oscar's hand and spoke with rapid speed:

"You... you guys go ahead! I... I just remembered I have something to do! I'm leaving first!"

With that, he practically fled in a panic, rushing back to his dorm without looking back. He slammed the door shut with a "bang," leaving Oscar and Ma Hongjun staring at each other in confusion.

Oscar scratched his head, looking bewildered, "What's wrong with Boss Dai? Did he take the wrong medicine?"

"Doesn't he usually love these 'group activities,' always acting like the 'boss' and wanting to compare notes with us?"

"What kind of mood is he in today?"

Ma Hongjun also stroked his chin, thoughtful, "Something is definitely not right... Could Boss Dai have... could he have been cursed...?"

A ridiculous thought flashed through the fatty's mind, but he quickly shook his head, not daring to say it out loud.

The next morning, just as the sky began to brighten.

Zhao Wuji led Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar away from Shrek Academy, heading in the direction of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Dai Mubai kept his head down the entire way, trying his best to minimize his presence, his gait looking exceptionally awkward.

Tang San remained as silent as ever, a lingering trace of gloom hidden deep within his eyes.

When Nightfall arrived, the group of five reached the small town about a hundred miles from the Star Dou Great Forest that served as a supply point for spirit masters.

The group found a very ordinary-looking hotel, and after Zhao Wuji threw his money around to book 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 on the first floor and sat down, preparing to get something to eat.

No sooner had they sat down than Ma Hongjun's small eyes were firmly drawn to two figures sitting in a corner on the other side of the lobby.

They were two women.

One had an exceptionally hot figure; even while sitting, her curves were enough to make any normal man's blood boil.

Her black outfit only served to make her skin appear whiter than snow, though her expression was cold and aloof, warning others to keep their distance.

The other was tall with an outstanding temperament, dressed in a goose-yellow dress with a face as delicate as a porcelain doll.

Between her brows was an innate air of nobility and liveliness, and she was currently sipping a drink from her cup, curiously observing the surrounding environment.