The next day.
Qin Ye brought Xiao Wu and the others back to Shrek Academy.
After they had rested and freshened up, Flender gathered everyone in Shrek Square again.
"Dean Flender, what are we training today?" Ning Rongrong poked her head out of the line curiously.
"Brother Ye earned a Bronze Soul Fighter medal last night. Aren't you going to reward him, Dean?"
Ning Rongrong blinked her big eyes, looking as though she expected Flender to cough up a small fortune.
"Ahem, a reward?" Flender's eyes shifted. "Of course there's a reward. Once Qin Ye reaches level twenty, I'll personally hunt down his second soul ring for him."
"Having a Soul Saint help hunt down a second soul ring-surely that isn't a shabby reward?"
"Tch, cheapskate." Ning Rongrong clicked her tongue and stepped back into line.
She hadn't forgotten what Flender had said to her yesterday.
She was the most precious little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and her talent surpassed that of all her older brothers. If she hadn't been doing this to lead the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect toward glory someday, Ning Rongrong would have stormed off long ago.
Flender chuckled at Ning Rongrong's defiant expression, subtly lifting his gaze.
"Today's training is to taste Oscar's Big Sausages. Each of you must eat at least one of both kinds of sausage Oscar creates with his soul power."
"What?!" Xiao Wu cried out. "You want us to eat Oscar's Big Sausages? Dean, what kind of lesson is that?"
"It's called adaptability training." Flender kept them in suspense.
"Let me ask you: on the battlefield, which matters more, your pride or your life?"
"Oscar's soul incantation may be sleazy, but he's the only food-type Soul Master on the continent with innate full soul power. The sausages he creates are the best food-type martial soul I've ever seen."
"On the battlefield, a single sausage could decide your fate. When your lives hang in the balance, never mind sausages-even rats, cockroaches, and spiders must be swallowed, no matter how sick they make you!"
As Flender spoke, the three girls were already feeling nauseated. Just thinking about those sausages being made by Oscar made them want to vomit.
"This is a lesson you must go through. Oscar is your companion. If you can't even stomach the sausages he makes, how will you ever fit into Shrek?"
"Oscar, step forward and begin the training."
Oscar, who had been standing in line with his head lowered, lost in a daze, immediately stepped forward upon hearing his name.
"Yes, Dean."
Ever since returning from the Great Soul Arena yesterday, Oscar had been gloomy. Qin Ye's words had dealt a heavy blow to his heart.
Was he really not good enough for Ning Rongrong?
At Flender's urging, Oscar created sausage after sausage, both fresh and cured, and placed them on the platter Flender had prepared.
Flender glanced at everyone present.
"Who's going first?"
Oscar raised his lowered head slightly, his gaze fixed on Ning Rongrong the entire time. Will Rongrong eat my sausage?
"I'll go first."
Qin Ye stepped forward alone and picked up a sausage, but he didn't eat it right away.
Heart Demon, corrupting a beast martial soul increases its combat ability. Would corrupting a food-type martial soul increase its restorative ability?
Qin Ye tentatively infused his soul power into the sausage. A thin black thread had appeared inside the sizzling, greasy Big Sausage, giving off Qin Ye's aura.
"Master, its restorative ability will certainly increase, but there are also some special effects."
Oh? What effects?
"Master, why not let someone else take a bite and find out?"
At the Heart Demon's prompting, Qin Ye picked up another sausage and called Dai Mubai over.
"Dai Mubai, have one too."
Dai Mubai took the sausage from Qin Ye and bit into it quite naturally. This wasn't his first time eating Oscar's sausages, so he was more accustomed to them.
Ding! Dai Mubai's corruption value +0.1.
Huh???
Question marks practically sprouted from Qin Ye's forehead.
Could these sausages increase corruption value?! Qin Ye stared at the sausage in his hand in surprise. Then wouldn't feeding them to Xiao Wu and the others speed up their corruption too?
"Exactly right." The Heart Demon nodded smugly.
"Master, you don't need to worry about Oscar sullying Ning Rongrong and the others, either. The soul power contained in these sausages has already been infected by your power. In a sense, these are your sausages."
So that's how it works. Qin Ye looked at the Big Sausage in his hand. Now that the most intolerable sticking point had been eliminated, he could let Ning Rongrong and the others eat them.
"Rongrong, come have some too."
Qin Ye called Ning Rongrong and the other two girls over and personally handed them sausages from the platter, having already corrupted them in the process.
"Brother Ye, do I... do I really have to eat this?" Ning Rongrong looked at Qin Ye reluctantly. "Can I skip it, Brother Ye?"
Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu also looked disgusted. If this had been Qin Ye's martial soul, they could have accepted it, but with Oscar's, they simply couldn't bring themselves to take a bite.
"Don't worry."
The next moment, Qin Ye drew the three girls' consciousnesses into a dark space for a meeting.
"I've already replaced the soul power inside. In a sense, these sausages are just empty shells. What's inside is my soul power, filled to the brim."
"Really?" Ning Rongrong and the others instantly widened their eyes.
"Of course."
As he spoke, Qin Ye showed everyone the black aura inside the sausages.
"Whoever eats the most today will get a mysterious little gift from me tonight. Make sure you give it your all."
The very next instant.
The dark space vanished.
The way Ning Rongrong and the others looked at the sausages in their hands had already changed.
If this is Brother Ye's sausage, what would it taste like? Ning Rongrong swallowed and, brimming with curiosity, took a bite.
"Nom."
Ding! Ning Rongrong's corruption value +0.1.
"It's so delicious!" Stars sparkled in Ning Rongrong's big eyes. "This is the best sausage I've ever eaten. Nom."
Ning Rongrong finished the sausage in two or three bites. The corrupted soul power inside gradually flowed into her limbs, steadily nourishing her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
A pleasure that reached into her very soul began spreading through Ning Rongrong. She felt as though Qin Ye were holding her in his arms, so blissful she might faint.
"It's so delicious. I want more."
Ning Rongrong looked at Qin Ye excitedly.
"Brother Ye, get me two more. I'm not full yet."
"Heh, you little glutton." Qin Ye tapped the tip of Ning Rongrong's nose. "There's just no filling you up."
Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu both bit into their sausages as well. They, too, were instantly enveloped in Qin Ye's soul power, and satisfied expressions appeared on their faces.
"This sausage is so big, and so delicious."
"So satisfying."
Before you continue