Douluo Continent Was Vast, and Many Were Stronger Than Xiao Qing!

"Xiao Xiao, don't you get tired doing this?"

Lu Ming's mouth was so full that his cheeks puffed up like a piglet's. Far from ugly, he looked adorable.

"It hurts to see you working so hard to earn money for me!"

Xiao Xiao smiled softly. Dimples appeared on her cheeks, making her smile wonderfully comforting.

Lu Ming stared, momentarily lost.

Thank goodness Xiao Xiao came from the Multiverse and never ended up with He Caitou. Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do.

"I'm happy to earn your living expenses, Little Lu. It isn't hard on me at all."

"Xiao Xiao, Xue invited us to join Spirit Hall before. What do you think?"

Lu Ming asked.

"Your appetite is rather outrageous, little brother, but I'll never let you go hungry."

Xiao Xiao puffed out her cheeks.

"Spirit Hall is full of powerful people. It would only make things inconvenient. You should politely turn Xue down."

"Don't keep her waiting for an answer!"

Lu Ming had brought it up with Xiao Xiao long ago, and her answer had been the same.

When they reached the outskirts of town,

Xiao Xiao was about to summon her Nine-Phoenix Ceremonial Xiao to use as a flying device.

Suddenly, she hurled the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron toward the woods. It struck the ground with a dull thud.

"Who's sneaking around? Come out!"

At Xiao Xiao's furious shout, the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron behind her grew larger again, spinning with a low hum.

Lu Ming started. A sweep of his spiritual power confirmed that something was wrong.

"Hahaha!"

A hearty, slightly raspy laugh came from behind a tree.

First came a pair of little gray cloth shoes that practically proclaimed their wearer a man of wisdom. Then came a buzz cut and a little stubble on the chin.

Smug Gang... Yu Xiaogang!

He held a book in his hand: his Ten Core Competitive Theories of Martial Souls.

"Child, after investigating you for so long, I still don't know your name. But I've already worked out who this woman, Xiao Qing, is..."

Yu Xiaogang grinned.

"She possesses Twin Martial Souls and a domain of her own. Her cultivation is somewhere between rank ninety-five and rank ninety-seven."

Lu Ming gave him an odd look. Was that supposed to be hard to figure out?

"Yu Xiaogang, what are you trying to do when you're over fifty and still stuck at rank twenty-nine?"

Lu Ming looked at him with open disdain.

"You..."

Yu Xiaogang flared up, then stopped there.

"Dong'er! I'm counting on you."

Lu Ming went rigid. Dong'er? Bibi Dong!

"Hiding in the shadows? And you're supposed to be Spirit Hall's pope."

Without another word, Xiao Xiao swept her Nine-Phoenix Ceremonial Xiao through the air. A jade-green blade of light shot upward

and shattered Bibi Dong's concealment Soul Skill in midair.

Bibi Dong was astonished. Even Soul Masters at her level should have struggled to detect that skill.

"Impressive, Your Excellency."

Bibi Dong released her Martial Soul Possession. She did not seem to have come looking for a fight.

"I spend most of my time in Spirit Hall, but I thought I knew every Titled Douluo on the continent. Yet I've never heard of you!"

"When did you become a Super Douluo?"

Sweat broke out on Lu Ming's back. It was not that he feared Bibi Dong for himself; Xiao Xiao's injuries had yet to heal.

Bibi Dong was a Peerless Douluo who had secretly inherited the Rakshasa God's Godhood. Who knew what terrifying trump cards she had?

"That's none of your concern. My brother and I have important business."

Xiao Xiao's voice was cold, without a trace of fear.

It was not as though she had never encountered a Peerless Douluo.

"Follow us again, and don't blame me for attacking!"

"How arrogant!"

The shout came not from Bibi Dong, but from Yu Xiaogang.

His eyes sharpened as he stared at Xiao Xiao.

"Xiao Qing, you may have defeated Tang Hao, but don't think that makes you invincible."

"Douluo Continent is vast. There are plenty of people stronger than you, Xiao Qing!"

Purple Demon Eyes!

Purple light flashed in Xiao Xiao's eyes. An almost imperceptible violet beam shot toward Yu Xiaogang.

"Xiao Gang!"

Bibi Dong reacted instantly. Her Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor possessed her, and she met the attack with her own spiritual power.

After roughly two and a half seconds of deadlock, Bibi Dong gained a slight edge, but no more than that.

She's rank ninety-eight? She's clearly much younger than I am. How are her Soul Power and spiritual power nearly as strong as mine?

Bibi Dong did not know that Xiao Xiao had reached rank ninety-eight with only one Soul Core. Considering Xiao Xiao's peak cultivation, calling her the strongest below a Limit Douluo was no exaggeration.

"Xiao Xiao, are you all right?"

Lu Ming hurried over to support her.

Bibi Dong's gaze shifted. Making an enemy of someone this powerful would be unwise. She was at a crucial stage of her Rakshasa God trials and could not afford a setback.

"Miss Xiao, please forgive us. We only want to make a deal with your brother!"

"No!"

"I'll hear it!"

Xiao Xiao turned to look down at Lu Ming.

"Little Lu! If I have to, I'll fight her. Even if I can't kill her, I'll leave her with wounds that will never heal."

"But I don't want you to get hurt again, Xiao Xiao!"

Xiao Xiao froze, staring at Lu Ming as though she could not even blink.

Lu Ming nodded slightly and took a few steps forward.

"What do you want to trade for?"

Bibi Dong glanced at Xiao Xiao first. Xiao Xiao remained on guard, the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron floating behind her, ready to strike if Bibi Dong tried anything.

Then Bibi Dong looked at Lu Ming. Even before a Peerless Douluo like her, he stood straight, showing no fear.

She took Yu Xiaogang by the arm and stepped forward.

"I'll offer two Soul Bones in exchange for the True Dragon bloodline in your body."

"Not enough."

Lu Ming's voice was calm.

"He must have told you about me. My bloodline is worth at least six Soul Bones."

Yu Xiaogang immediately lost his temper. "Six Soul Bones? Why don't you just rob us?"

"Dong'er, just kill them!"

Bibi Dong shot Yu Xiaogang a glare. For someone who called himself a master, he had no sense of the situation at all. Could he not see that she was not confident of winning?

"Six Soul Bones is rather steep."

Bibi Dong paused, then spoke evenly.

"Four Soul Bones. I can hand them over right now."

Lu Ming nodded. In truth, he would have accepted three.

But buying and selling meant bargaining.

"One warning first: if anything happens, I'm not responsible."

Bibi Dong nodded and took four Soul Bones from her Storage Space. She raised an eyebrow, signaling that Lu Ming should show some sincerity too.

Lu Ming drew a small cut across his fingertip and took a deep breath. The Golden Dragon King Martial Soul appeared behind him.

Bibi Dong's Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor, still possessing her, made a faint sound. Disbelief crossed her face.

It would react that way only when faced with an extreme threat. In all her years, this was the first time it had happened.

She immediately activated her Martial Soul Avatar and raised a dark-green barrier before her, shielding Yu Xiaogang behind her.

"Argh!"

Though it was only a trace of bloodline, Lu Ming struggled to separate it from himself.

The drop of blood hovered above his fingertip, leaping about wildly. It clearly did not want to leave him.

(Note: The system also concealed this separated drop of bloodline.)

Lu Ming grimaced, plainly in considerable pain. This was no easy task.

Xiao Xiao's heart ached for him. If only she had formed a second Soul Core, Little Lu would not have had to suffer like this!

"I'm warning you again: whatever happens, I'm not responsible!"