A Half-Line of Poetry, Pure as Ice and Jade; Dai Mubai's Awakening; Qian Ni Sets a Trap

"Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges, where might the beauty teach someone to play the flute?"

The moment those words came out, everyone's expressions changed.

Dai Mubai's eyes widened, and his pale face couldn't hide his smugness.

"Tang San, you're pretty damn repressed too! Tsk! A beauty! Tsk! Playing the flute!"

Ma Hongjun immediately picked up the thread, cursing as he spoke.

"Damn it, cultured people really are cultured people. Even oral skills sound so damn artistic when you say them!"

Oscar said nothing. He silently made a Big Sausage, raised it with both hands to his mouth, and started pretending to blow on it with exaggerated little puffs.

Zhu Zhuqing had no particular reaction. She merely sneered and quietly spat in disdain alongside Ning Rongrong.

Xiao Wu's expectant expression froze, and her innocent smile gradually vanished.

She'd originally thought that she was the one harboring ulterior motives toward Tang San—the Hundred-Thousand-Year rabbit who wanted to chase children away.

But she'd never expected Tang San to be far from ordinary either.

Xiao Wu blushed and said nothing, yet somehow seemed to have said something.

After another round of the game, everyone had their wins and losses, and the spinner returned to Qian Ni's hands.

With his precise control, the pointer steadily landed on Dai Mubai again.

The laughter instantly disappeared.

Seven pairs of eyes nailed themselves to Dai Mubai's still-pale face and his trembling legs.

The moment Dai Mubai saw Qian Ni's look, he understood. This guy had done it on purpose!

Happy? Surprised? Qian Ni isn't so big-hearted. He won't let you off that easily!

Little Dai, it isn't me who's wronged you. It's this cruel world!

Dai Mubai's face twisted with struggle.

Are they destined to leave me today?

No! I can still struggle!

There's nothing left to fear! For a man's dignity!

I'm the third prince of the Star Luo Empire!

As if afraid Qian Ni would speak first, Dai Mubai endured the pain and quickly squatted down. He tore off a piece of his sleeve and covered Qian Ni's shoe with it!

Then he began rubbing it frantically!

"You said it yourself! You wanted me to polish your shoes!

"I did it! You can't give me both punishments at once, can you?!

"Qian Ni! This is how I'm dealing with it!"

"Hahahahahaha!"

Dai Mubai, on the verge of madness, had gradually seen reality for what it was. On the Douluo Continent, strength was still what mattered!

Just like the struggle for succession within the Star Luo Royal Family, only the strong deserved to take the throne! The weak didn't even get the chance to polish shoes!

Dignity? What dignity?

I don't want it anymore! As long as I make the choice first, you can't force me down the other path!

After suffering both physical and mental blows, he had finally put himself in the proper place.

His fiancée, Zhu Zhuqing? He no longer had the leisure to care about her.

Beautiful women belonged to the strong! He couldn't beat Qian Ni, and he couldn't take her back by force either!

Why humiliate himself for nothing?

Besides, Qian Ni clearly possessed a vast amount of cultivation resources, and that was exactly what he needed!

Zhu Zhuqing's arrival had taught Dai Mubai that running away was useless.

If Zhu Zhuqing could find him, then Dai Weisi could find him too. Perhaps fighting to the bitter end was the only path left!

Even if the future at the end of that path meant becoming a fat little brother with his cock fucked useless, he would still die while moving forward!

Seeing Dai Mubai act with such decisive resolve, Qian Ni clicked his tongue in disappointment.

"Tsk.

"Fine.

"I'm not some kind of demon either, so I'll reluctantly let you off this time."

He glanced at the Memory Bread in his hand, covered in everyone's embarrassing history, then shook his head regretfully.

The seven of them traded wins and losses, each obtaining at least one or two Whale Glue Pellets.

In the final game, Ning Rongrong drew Qian Ni.

How was she supposed to play this? There was no way to play this at all!

What advantage did Ning Rongrong have that Qian Ni couldn't resist?

Everyone now knew she was the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but they still knew very little about Qian Ni's background.

Was she supposed to invoke her sect's backing?

Then what about Qian Ni? Would he bring out his own patron and turn it into a contest of whose father was stronger?

Before Qian Ni could speak, Ning Rongrong proactively picked up the Happy Water mixed with Veritaserum.

"Brother Qian Ni, Rongrong knows she's still far inferior to you.

"And I won't bring out Father, Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Bone, or any of them."

Her voice turned coy, making Qian Ni's face fill with disgust.

She continued, "How about this? Rongrong can polish your shoes too, and you answer Rongrong one small question, okay?"

She put on an obedient expression and looked at Qian Ni expectantly.

But Qian Ni wasn't buying it at all.

"A mere mount, my beloved horse, yet you've got quite the pretty dream!

"Are your hands made of gold, or is your shoe cloth made of gold? With just one word from me, little Zhu would polish my shoes all night without daring to stop!"

When Zhu Zhuqing heard herself mentioned, she felt absolutely nothing.

Ning Rongrong's attempt to get something for nothing had failed, but she wasn't discouraged. She smiled and spoke again.

"Then Rongrong can be like Zhu Qing and become your... subordinate, your follower. Could you share a little secret with your cute subordinate?"

After thinking it over repeatedly, she still couldn't bring herself to say the words "lackey."

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect still needed to save face.

Ever since Zhu Zhuqing had used Qian Ni as leverage and verbally beaten Ma Hongjun, while Qian Ni hadn't objected, she'd understood.

Though Qian Ni was somewhat uncanny—both his Soul Skills and his actions made him seem more than a little unwell—he was fairly tolerant toward his own people.

Moreover, he hadn't made any effort to hide the abnormal age of his Soul Rings.

If it were anyone else, after obtaining an opportunity that allowed them to absorb a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring as their first Soul Ring, they would definitely keep it hidden. They'd probably cultivate deep in some remote forest until becoming a Title Douluo before reemerging.

Since Qian Ni dared to do this, he must have something to rely on. Maybe, just like her, several sect guards were hiding nearby.

Over the past two years, things like Whale Glue Pellets, which could raise the limit of absorbable Soul Rings, had suddenly appeared. Then there was Qian Ni's earth-shattering first Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

Ning Rongrong guessed that this might not be some impossible-to-replicate method. It simply hadn't spread yet for some reason.

She wanted to seize the initiative from Qian Ni!

How could Qian Ni fail to see through her little scheme? But Qian Ni had never cared about this sort of thing.

Even if he told them, they wouldn't be able to replicate it.

More than half of Tang San's Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings in his later years had also been added through the Sea God Examination.

Whale Rubber was good, but it also had side effects and limits on its use.

The Whale Glue Pellets he promoted had even been watered down considerably.

They needed to be consumed over many years to achieve the effect of strengthening the body.

Low-grade Whale Glue Pellets didn't have much of an aphrodisiac side effect.

But the higher their grade, the older the Whale Rubber used as material, and the greater its purity. The aphrodisiac side effect would ultimately be impossible to avoid.

There would always be a limit to their use. It was impossible to strengthen the body without restriction.

Still, considering that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had quite a few Fate Stones left to fleece.

Qian Ni didn't reject Ning Rongrong's proposal. He glanced at the system panel.

[Fate Stone +2] x4
Fate Stone reserve: 58

The four records of [Fate Stone +2] put him in a pleasant mood.

Tonight's Veritaserum Truth-or-Dare had already netted all seven monsters. He'd gotten all the Fate Stones he could fleece from them at this stage.

For the rest, he'd have to wait until their strength improved and they absorbed more Soul Rings.

"It's not impossible. I don't mind having more lackeys.

"What do you want to ask?"

Qian Ni said indifferently.

Ning Rongrong swept her gaze across the other six faces. It paused briefly on Tang San, but she didn't avoid the subject and asked directly.

"Brother Qian Ni, how did you absorb your Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring?"

Just as expected. Soul Masters only care about the same old things—Martial Souls, Soul Rings, and soul bones.

Qian Ni curled his lips and said,

"Very simple!

"First, consume Whale Rubber from childhood. The older its age, the better.

"Second, don't attach a Soul Ring upon reaching level ten Soul Power. Continue cultivating Soul Power and tempering your body until it matures enough to withstand higher-year Soul Rings.

"Third, a sufficiently powerful mental will!

"Once you reach the corresponding level, you can still cultivate Soul Power even without absorbing a Soul Ring. You all know that, don't you?"

Qian Ni appeared to reveal everything, but he had simplified far too much, and every part of it was a trap.

Ning Rongrong couldn't help anxiously pressing on.

"Can you find higher-grade Whale Rubber?

"How do you temper the body?

"Brother Qian Ni! Tell Rongrong, please~"

She grabbed Qian Ni's arm and shook it from side to side, acting cute.

But Qian Ni sneered and pulled his hand free.

"Rongrong-san, you're only my lackey right now. Mind your place!

"If you want to get close to me, you need to complete missions! Raise my affection! Unlock your personal CG!

"As for methods of body tempering..."

Qian Ni stood up. A mysterious smile appeared on his face, and before turning to leave, he left behind a single sentence.

"The sea is a wonderful thing. You can look at it when you're happy, jump into it when you're depressed, and dive into it when you're broke.

"Go find it. I've put everything there."