"Why would you..."
Ye Qiong covered his mouth and stared at March 7th, who looked completely at a loss. He was both embarrassed and furious, but given the chaos around them, all he could do was glare at her.
He'd remember this grudge!
At that, Ning Rongrong was the first to crack and burst out laughing.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help laughing either. They'd never imagined that the Group Owner, who seemed capable of anything, had such a "tragic" experience.
Ye Qiong glared at them irritably. "What are you laughing at? This is a very serious story!"
"Later, I found out that the man was Dan Heng, and the pink-haired girl was called March 7th."
"Not long after, we met Himeko, an elegant red-haired woman wearing a white dress and a long coat, as well as Asta, the anxious station master. We helped her find Arlan, who was gravely injured."
"The monsters' attacks grew more and more fierce. A huge beast wreathed in black mist descended onto the platform, its oppressive presence suffocating. I'd just gotten Stelle to safety when I saw the beast swing its claws at March 7th, who was busy dealing with the little monsters. I rushed over without a second thought..."
Ye Qiong continued recounting how he had fought the Antimatter Legion and the Doomsday Beast aboard the space station, and how he had met Welt Yang.
He painted the beginning of his Trailblaze journey aboard the Astral Express as a thrilling adventure. The three women, along with Da Ming and Er Ming, listened with rapt attention, as if they'd experienced it all themselves.
They wanted to hear Ye Qiong tell them about leaving the Herta Space Station and venturing into the cosmos, but he stopped at just the right moment.
"All right, that's where today's story ends."
He smiled mysteriously. "If I tell you too much, there won't be any mystery left. If you want to hear more, we can take our time. I'll tell you more when I get the chance."
"But for now..."
Ye Qiong turned his gaze to Xiao Wu. "You should be at level thirty by now, right?"
Xiao Wu nodded.
"Then break through here," Ye Qiong said. "It's absolutely safe here. I'll keep watch for you."
Without hesitation, Xiao Wu sat cross-legged and began circulating her Soul Power, pushing against the bottleneck.
Ye Qiong walked over to Da Ming and Er Ming, a warm smile on his face.
"You two have been worried about Xiao Wu's safety this whole time."
He gestured toward the vast secret realm. "If you're willing, this can be your new home from now on. It's absolutely safe, and the world's energy is far richer here than outside. More importantly, there's no threat of heavenly punishment."
"You can see Xiao Wu whenever you want. You'll never have to worry about being separated again."
Ye Qiong had thrown out a temptation no Soul Beast could possibly resist.
He refused to believe these two "super hired hands," each a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, wouldn't take the bait.
Da Ming and Er Ming exchanged a glance, both seeing the fierce struggle in the other's eyes.
Following a human was still a little unsettling.
But if everything this human had said was true, then perhaps he really wouldn't hurt Sister Xiao Wu. He might even be able to protect her better.
Besides... the conditions in this secret realm were simply too tempting.
A cultivation paradise free from heavenly punishment, where they could see Sister Xiao Wu whenever they wanted...
"All right. We accept."
In the end, Da Ming made the decision in a solemn voice.
They were willing to trust this mysterious human who called himself a "Trailblazer"—just this once.
"Heh heh, done." Ye Qiong was pleased with himself, though he kept his inscrutable expression.
That made two more workers for him.
Watching Ye Qiong "subdue" two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts with just a few words, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were utterly impressed.
"Group Owner, you're amazing!" Ning Rongrong blurted out.
Ye Qiong raised an eyebrow smugly. "Want to learn? I'll teach you."
Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes at him cutely. "Tch, there you go showing off."
Suddenly, she thought of something and looked at Ye Qiong curiously. "Wait, that little pink, fluffy thing you mentioned earlier—the one called Mimi—is your Martial Soul? Then what were that hat and little umbrella you made just now? Could Mimi change forms?"
"Oh, you mean this."
Ye Qiong smiled. It was time to show off his real skills.
"Come on out, Mimi!"
At his call, a pink fluffy ball appeared out of thin air, floating in midair as it tilted its little head curiously.
"Mi?"
Ye Qiong opened his other hand, and a golden cube appeared in it: the Void Archives.
"This is my other Martial Soul, the Void Archives."
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing stared at Ye Qiong, utterly stunned.
"You... You're... a Twin Martial Soul user!"
No, not just a Twin Martial Soul user—he was also a level forty-two Soul Ancestor!
Could someone this young really be a Soul Ancestor?
Ning Rongrong's voice trembled.
Ye Qiong shrugged, as though it were perfectly obvious. "What's there to be surprised about? I'm a Trailblazer from another world. Isn't it perfectly reasonable for me to have Twin Martial Souls and a bit more Soul Power?"
The two women were completely speechless.
Fine, you're amazing. You're from another world. Whatever you say goes.
That made perfect sense.
"So cute~"
Ning Rongrong's attention was immediately drawn to Mimi. Her eyes lit up as she stared at the little creature, looking ready to rush over and hug and squeeze it.
Even Zhu Zhuqing, who was usually so cool and reserved, couldn't help taking a few more glances.
Under the feverish gazes of two unfamiliar female creatures, Mimi suddenly felt a little creeped out. It gave a frightened "whoosh" and hid in Ye Qiong's arms, showing only its round eyes as it watched them warily.
"Mi..."
"Come on, do I look scary?" Ning Rongrong instantly looked a little hurt.
Ye Qiong smiled and stroked Mimi's head to soothe her. "Not at all. She's just a little shy around strangers. You were so enthusiastic just now that you scared her."
At that, Ning Rongrong reined in her gaze, which had looked ready to grab Mimi at any moment, and sighed helplessly. "All right, then..."
But she couldn't hold back for long. She rubbed her hands together and looked at Ye Qiong with eager anticipation. "Still, could I pet her? Just once!"
"If she doesn't object, you can try," Ye Qiong said, giving her a teasing look. "But you scared her just now, so I doubt she'll let you pet her."
Ning Rongrong immediately crossed her arms and gave an arrogant little huff. "Hmph! If she won't let me, then forget it. It's not like I care!"
Though she said that, she still couldn't stop herself from sneaking glances at Mimi.
Ye Qiong gave a slight shake of his head. Mimi really was too irresistible to girls.
Then he picked Mimi up and said to the two women, "Come on. I'll show you around and help you get familiar with the place."
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing immediately followed. The whole way, Ning Rongrong never once took her eyes off Mimi.
Before you continue