Unknown Life or Death? That Means They're Dead.

"Xiao Wu, Heaven Dou City is extremely dangerous. Not to mention anything else, the three committee members at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy are all Soul Douluo-level powerhouses. They would see through your identity at a single glance."

"That's right, you really shouldn't go."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu didn't show the slightest hint of panic; she simply looked quietly at Ye Qiong.

"Ye Qiong, can I stay in your secret realm long-term? I want to keep Da Ming and Er Ming company."

Ye Qiong understood in an instant.

So, this girl was planning to latch onto his secret realm and never come out.

It made sense. With her loved ones sheltered inside the realm and the outside world being so dangerous, it was only natural for her to choose this path, especially since she could still leave the realm whenever she wanted to play in the human world.

However...

"I can't let you stay for free."

Ye Qiong crossed his arms and said with a serious expression, "Da Ming and Er Ming can stay in my secret realm because they can serve as my muscle. But you, Xiao Wu, what conditions can you offer that would move me?"

Xiao Wu heard this and hurriedly said, "I can help you take care of the courtyard! Once you leave the secret realm, you definitely won't have much time to come back and tend to it, right? Hand this work over to me, I'll help you!"

Ye Qiong looked her up and down, his face full of skepticism: "You? Can you handle it?"

"I, I can learn!" Xiao Wu puffed out her chest and patted it with a solemn vow.

"If tending to the courtyard isn't enough, I can also..."

"Alright, alright," Ye Qiong interrupted her directly.

"Then tending to the courtyard it is. I'll teach you how to do it later."

"Yay!" Xiao Wu was so happy she nearly jumped up; she could finally set her mind at ease.

Ye Qiong then turned his gaze toward Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing simply nodded calmly: "I'm going too."

She had completely lost hope in Dai Mubai's character, and she no longer wanted to drag him along to change her destiny.

To hell with her fiancé; she could change everything on her own.

Just wait, Dai Family, Zhu Family—I will never bow to fate.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

In the Shrek Academy camp, Tang San slowly regained consciousness.

He looked at the Shrek members surrounding him, his face full of confusion.

"I... how did I end up here? Wasn't I taken by that Title Douluo..."

"Xiao San, you're finally awake!" Dai Mubai let out a sigh of relief.

Oscar and Ma Hongjun also crowded around, chattering as they explained the situation.

It turned out that when they had lost Tang San's trail and were burning with anxiety, a mysterious person had sent them a message revealing Tang San's location, which allowed them to find the unconscious Tang San.

"Who sent the message?" Tang San pressed.

"I don't know," Dai Mubai shook his head.

"When he arrived, he had his back to us. I only know he was wearing a tattered black hooded cloak."

Zhao Wuji, standing to the side, subconsciously shrank his head at these words, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.

A hood? A tattered black cloak?

Could it be...

A tall figure instantly surfaced in Tang San's mind.

It's Father! Dad, was it you who saved me this time?

It must be. That Title Douluo had said before that his father was the Clear Sky Douluo.

"Sigh, let's not talk about that for now."

Dai Mubai sighed: "Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Zhuqing... their fates are still unknown."

"Unknown fate? That just means they're dead," Ma Hongjun chimed in thoughtlessly, only to be heavily rapped on the head by Dai Mubai.

"No! My Xiao Wu!" Tang San felt as if he had been struck by lightning upon hearing this.

Zhao Wuji hurriedly stepped forward to comfort him: "Don't panic, it's possible they aren't dead! If we move quickly, we might still make it in time. The most important thing now is to find you a suitable soul ring so you can break through quickly; that way, we'll have a better chance of winning."

This was merely psychological comfort.

Everyone present understood that after so much time had passed, the three girls were likely in grave danger.

Zhao Wuji felt a bit uneasy himself. If Ning Rongrong died in the Star Dou Forest, he wondered if the two Douluos and the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would go mad and tear their academy apart.

But this couldn't be blamed on them—who told that Titan Giant Ape to abandon martial honor and sneak into the outer perimeter to ambush them?

It was the will of heaven; there was nothing he could do.

Three days later, in a small town.

Ye Qiong strolled leisurely through the streets with Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing (Xiao Wu was in the secret realm).

He had asked Ning Rongrong to use her status as a member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to write a letter to Crown Prince Xue Qinghe in Heaven Dou City.

As Ning Fengzhi's disciple, Xue Qinghe naturally had to grant this favor.

A few days later, they successfully leased a three-story building in the most prosperous central district of Heaven Dou City.

Ye Qiong converted the first floor into a storefront, intending to open a small shop.

"Ye Qiong, what kind of shop are you planning to open?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.

"I intend to..."

"Open a milk tea shop!"

"Milk tea? What is that?" The three girls looked at Ye Qiong with curiosity.

Ye Qiong didn't explain; he simply pulled four cups of milk tea from his backpack and handed them over. "Here, this is it. Give it a try."

The three girls took the milk tea skeptically and took a sip.

The next second, their eyes lit up instantly.

A sweet and smooth flavor exploded across their taste buds, accompanied by a hint of refreshing tea fragrance—it was so delicious it made one want to spin in circles on the spot.

Ning Rongrong said excitedly, "Ye Qiong! If you open a shop with something this novel and delicious, it will definitely sell out!"

"That goes without saying," Ye Qiong nodded with a smile.

"As long as the promotion is on point, combined with the advantage of our prime location in the city center, it would be hard not to become a hit."

"I have several other flavors here as well," he said, pulling out several different varieties of milk tea as if by magic.

"When the time comes, I'll have to trouble you ladies to help me manage the shop. Don't worry, I will set up exclusive commission tasks for you. How does 3,200 Stellar Jade a month sound?"

Three thousand two hundred Stellar Jade!

Combined, that would be nine thousand six hundred Stellar Jade a month! That was another sixty pulls!

This job was an absolute steal!

"Then... how should we manage it?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.

Ye Qiong began to assign roles with full confidence: "You can each be responsible for different positions."

"Rongrong, you are eloquent, have a delicate appearance, and possess a noble temperament; you are perfectly suited for sales and responsible for attracting customers."

"Zhuqing, you are quick-handed and focused, so you will be responsible for the front-of-house drink preparation."

"As for Xiao Wu... why don't you be responsible for managing the shop's warehouse?"

"Huh? I have to manage the warehouse?" Xiao Wu, inside the secret realm, felt a bit dejected upon hearing this.

"Xiao Wu, you are a spirit beast; it certainly wouldn't be safe for you to be out in the open. Ye Qiong is likely considering your safety," Ning Rongrong advised.

"But I still have to take care of Ye Qiong's courtyard..."