Qian Xunji Waits with a Whip; a Spider-Woman? Whoever Beats Dai Mubai Becomes Captain

Young Bibi Dong sat cross-legged nearby, absorbing the External Soul Bone.

Elder Lion stood guard beside her.

Wasn't the Saintess's luck simply heaven-defying?

She had hunted an eighteen-thousand-year Soul Beast, and it had even dropped an External Soul Bone.

He was so envious he could weep.

In his fifty-six years of life, he had never obtained a Soul Bone—not even an ordinary one, let alone a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.

Yet the Saintess had acquired an External Soul Bone that surpassed even a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.

He had heard that an External Soul Bone evolved as its owner's Soul Power rose, growing stronger in both quality and might.

"Ah..."

Young Bibi Dong let out a cry of rapture and finally succeeded in absorbing the External Soul Bone.

"Congratulations, Saintess!"

Elder Lion spoke with open envy.

Young Bibi Dong rose. The Eight Spider Lances on her back glowed a dusky violet. They looked rather lovely.

"Thank you, Elder Lion!"

She turned and walked to a nearby pool to look at her reflection.

The Eight Spider Lances on her back suited her quite well.

Her Martial Souls were spiders, after all. The moment that group leader A Leaf Knows Autumn mentioned it, she really had obtained an External Soul Bone.

[Love-Starved Little Angel: My little mom got an External Soul Bone. Why didn't my big mom get one?]

[Could it be fake?]

[@A Leaf Knows Autumn, group leader, explain yourself!]

[@Spirit Hall Saintess, little mom, send a selfie. Let us see how beautiful you look.]

[A Leaf Knows Autumn: I don't know either! Maybe she only just got one. There is a gap of more than ten years between your times, after all.]

[Love-Starved Little Angel: Mm, mm. All right.]

Little Qian Renxue agreed. Her little mom had only just obtained the External Soul Bone, after all.

[A Leaf Knows Autumn: I bet @Spirit Hall Saintess will turn into a spider-woman. You know, like Spider-Man.]

[Spirit Hall Saintess: You're right. Want to see a photo?]

[Love-Starved Little Angel: Yes! I want to see little mom as a spider-woman. She must look gorgeous and fierce!]

[Spirit Hall Saintess: @A Leaf Knows Autumn, don't you want to see?]

[A Leaf Knows Autumn: If you want to post it, post it!]

[Love-Starved Little Angel: I want to see! Why are you ignoring me, little mom? Why do you only care what big brother group leader thinks? And you said you didn't like him. Hmph... There's only him in your heart, no one else...]

Li Qiu saw that little Xue'er had copied his words again. What an eager little learner.

Young Bibi Dong ignored the clingy brat.

She and Elder Lion flew toward Spirit Hall.

It had been a rewarding day.

[Spirit Hall Saintess: @A Leaf Knows Autumn, just say you want to see it. Your silence means you do... What's there to be shy about?]

[A Leaf Knows Autumn: Fine, I'll indulge you. I want to see it...]

Li Qiu was speechless. If she wanted to post it, she should just post it. Why keep asking whether he wanted to see?

Then she posted a photo of herself.

With eight spider legs rising from her back, Young Bibi Dong now had an added air of heroic boldness.

She looked valiant, beautiful, and utterly captivating.

Little Qian Renxue praised her looks too.

Their compliments made Young Bibi Dong blush.

With both A Leaf Knows Autumn and little Qian Renxue praising her, it was as though their mouths had been smeared with honey.

After breakfast, Li Qiu went to Shrek's training ground.

Flender and Zhao Wuji stood at the front and called everyone to assemble.

Li Qiu stood to one side. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing walked over; Xiao Wu stood beside Zhu Zhuqing, and Tang San beside Xiao Wu.

Dai Mubai stood in front of them, with Ma Hongjun and Oscar ahead of him.

Flender saw Ma Hongjun's bruised, swollen face. He looked so battered he could have been an alien; Flender almost failed to recognize the fatty.

"Holy shit, Fatty! What disaster did you go through these past few days? How did you end up like this?"

Flender took out a cloth and wiped his black-rimmed glasses before studying the fatty closely, at a loss for words. He had thought highly of the boy.

He had even taken him as his disciple.

Then he turned to Oscar.

"Huh? Oscar, why is half your face swollen too? Did you two get into a fight and lose?"

Neither of them said a word.

The culprit was standing right behind them.

"Have you gone deaf?"

Flender remembered how lively and mischievous these two used to be. Why were they so subdued today?

"Li Qiu beat them up!" Zhao Wuji suddenly said.

"No, no! We were sparring with Brother Qiu, and I accidentally ran into a tree!"

Ma Hongjun explained at once. He had no desire to be tormented by Li Qiu again.

"I ran into a tree myself!" Oscar added.

"Pair of weaklings. Cowards!" Dai Mubai hadn't expected Oscar and Ma Hongjun to be so spineless.

"Oh? Li Qiu must have made great progress lately if he could beat Ma Hongjun and Oscar into this state! This headmaster is delighted!"

Flender looked at Li Qiu in surprise. He had thought Shrek had only seven monsters. Now it seemed they would have eight.

"My philosophy hasn't changed: a Soul Master who doesn't dare cause trouble isn't a good Soul Master! The strongest among you will be Shrek's captain! Today, I'm giving both the newcomers and the older students a chance. Beat Dai Mubai, and you become the new captain!"

Flender swept his gaze across them. "Li Qiu... want to be captain? Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing..."

"If I fight with my life on the line, I could try!"

Tang San suddenly spoke up.

"Stand down! Who asked you to risk your life?"

Flender was speechless.

Li Qiu, however, knew what Tang San meant: he couldn't win in an ordinary spar, but he could win if he fought with his life on the line. He had so many Hidden Weapons, after all.

"Go on, Brother Qiu... I'm rooting for you! Don't let that Yellow-Hair be captain. Just looking at him annoys me..."

Ning Rongrong gave Li Qiu a push.

"Mm, go on. A man who frequents brothels would taint the whole team as captain!" Zhu Zhuqing's words stabbed into Dai Mubai's heart like thorns.

"Perfect. I'd like to test Li Qiu myself and see how powerful his two-thousand-year Soul Skill is."

Dai Mubai stepped forward and turned to face Li Qiu, his expression grave.

[A Leaf Knows Autumn: The Black Academy's headmaster wants me to challenge the captain. If I win, I become captain. Do you think I should do it?]

Li Qiu asked his two friends in the group.

[Spirit Hall Saintess: Of course you should! Didn't that guy bully you before? Now that you're stronger, you should pay him back tenfold—grind him into the dirt beneath your feet...]

[Love-Starved Little Angel: Wow, little mom really looks out for Brother Qiu! I think so too. I like "grind him into the dirt"... Let's grind him together...]

[A Leaf Knows Autumn: ...Grind which part...?]

Young Bibi Dong rolled her eyes at A Leaf Knows Autumn's message. That scoundrel had the nerve to make a dirty joke.

Her ears reddened a little as she read it.

Little Qian Renxue had no idea what he meant. Her face was a picture of confusion.

[Love-Starved Little Angel: Brother Qiu, are you worried you can't beat him? How about I steal Grandpa's Angel Holy Sword and send it to you?]

[A Leaf Knows Autumn: Sure, hurry up and steal it... I happen to need a weapon that suits me. An artifact like the Angel Holy Sword is perfect for a handsome, powerful guy like me...]

[Spirit Hall Saintess: Even the little one has learned to lie. Right now, no one but Qian Daoliu can draw the Angel Holy Sword!]

[A Leaf Knows Autumn: I know. Little Xue'er has learned to lie already. @Spirit Hall Saintess, you should be on your way back to Spirit Hall, right? Qian Xunji is probably waiting for you and Elder Lion with a whip...]