[Ding... Congratulations, host, on forcibly, forcibly binding Zhu Zhuqing. Zhu Zhuqing's affection has increased to sixty points.]
Su Ling looked at the system screen. The information under Zhu Zhuqing's section had changed.
One glance told him the benefits of the Bound Goddess.
[Bound goddess: Zhu Zhuqing] [Goddess overall rating: 94] [Affection: 60 (Quite fond of you)] [Binding effect: The host receives 10% of the bound goddess's daily cultivation gains. This will not reduce the bound goddess's cultivation speed.] [Bound skill: Advice Listening (Can be activated once per day. The bound goddess has a 30% chance of following the host's advice.)] [Host notice: The binding effect and bound skill will change as affection increases.]
"Good, very good! Maybe I'll even get a Martial Soul Fusion Skill from binding in the future. That's something to look forward to."
"The bound goddesses' cultivation gains will help me cultivate and increase my soul power. The system wants me to bind plenty of goddesses! But I like it! The more, the merrier!"
Looking at Zhu Zhuqing again, Su Ling revealed an inscrutable smile, which sent Dai Mubai, standing nearby, into another surge of anger.
In the blink of an eye, an incense stick's worth of time quietly passed, and the assessment for Tang San and the other three began.
Ning Rongrong provided support while the other three took the offensive.
Even without Zhao Wuji using soul skills from rings over a thousand years old, the three were no match for him and struggled terribly.
Perhaps because Su Ling had appeared as an unexpected variable, the battle differed somewhat from the original plot.
Tang San used his hidden weapons ahead of time and did not fight Zhao Wuji alone.
With the four working together, Zhao Wuji still fell victim to their attacks, just as he had in the original story.
Several Dragon Whisker Needles pierced Zhao Wuji's chest. Under these circumstances, the four worked together and soon held out for an incense stick's worth of time, successfully passing the assessment.
As soon as the battle ended, Dai Mubai stepped forward, but the four approached Su Ling first.
"Thank you for helping us earlier, big brother."
Su Ling had just stood up when Tang San brought the three girls over to thank him.
In their eyes, if Zhao Wuji had used soul skills from rings over a thousand years old, they could never have lasted an incense stick's worth of time.
It was precisely Su Ling's words that had made Zhao Wuji promise not to use soul skills from rings over a thousand years old.
"It's nothing," Su Ling said. "It was no more trouble than lifting a hand. There's no need to thank me. Still, congratulations on passing the assessment, and welcome to Shrek Academy."
"My name is Su Ling. I'm also a student at Shrek Academy-and its head student!"
"Big Brother Su, my name is Tang San."
"This is Xiao Wu."
"My name is Ning Rongrong."
"Zhu Zhuqing! Martial soul: Hell Spirit Cat."
While introducing herself, Zhu Zhuqing actually took a step toward Su Ling of her own accord.
Usually so reserved and unsmiling, she actually smiled at Su Ling with her beautiful, icy face, even volunteering the name of her martial soul.
But a moment later, Zhu Zhuqing's face flushed slightly. What's wrong with me?
This was her first time meeting Su Ling, so why did she feel an inexplicable familiarity and warmth toward him, making her unable to resist wanting to talk to him a little more?
"Good, I'm glad to meet everyone," Su Ling said. "From now on, we're all part of the same group, so let's get along."
"Yes, thank you, Big Brother Su." Zhu Zhuqing smiled at Su Ling again, and even the way she looked at him had changed a little.
Sixty points of affection really did make a difference. The system's description of "quite fond of you" was very accurate.
That, however, made Dai Mubai uncomfortable.
Zhu Zhuqing wouldn't give him a friendly look and was even unwilling to acknowledge him of her own accord.
Yet she was willing to smile at a man she had only just met, and even seemed a little shy.
Worse still, that man was Su Ling, someone he looked down on.
Zhu Zhuqing was his woman. How could he tolerate anyone else laying a finger on her?
"Su Ling, I refuse to accept you as head student," Dai Mubai declared.
Su Ling glanced back at Dai Mubai. "Am I not?"
Seeing Dai Mubai shouting like this, a flicker of displeasure crossed Zhu Zhuqing's eyes. However, she said nothing to him; she did not want to reveal her identity yet.
"Dai Mubai, what exactly do you object to?" Su Ling continued.
"You're a useless cripple who failed to absorb his fourth soul ring. What qualifies you to be head student? You can't even meet the graduation requirements. Your path as a soul master has already been severed."
"Dai Mubai, what are you saying?" Zhao Wuji walked over and rebuked him. After all, Su Ling had arrived at Shrek Academy at seven years old, so Zhao Wuji had practically watched him grow up.
"Teacher Zhao, let him speak," Su Ling said. "Some people are far too arrogant and need to be put in their place!"
Zhao Wuji froze. Hearing Su Ling speak like that left him unsure what to make of the situation.
"The strong reign supreme," Dai Mubai said. "Let's fight. Whoever wins is the boss. Since you're injured, I won't use my martial soul."
Injured?
Tang San looked at Su Ling and quietly activated Purple Demon Eye to examine him.
Su Ling's aura was steady, his blood and vitality surging like a fierce tiger poised to spring. How did he look injured at all?
"Dai Mubai, Su Ling..." Zhao Wuji certainly intended to stop this fight.
But before Zhao Wuji could finish, Su Ling quickly said, "Teacher Zhao, I'm fine. My body's almost fully recovered. Just let us spar and see who's better."
Since Su Ling had said that, Zhao Wuji no longer stopped them.
"All right, but keep it to a spar. No killing blows, or I won't go easy on you," Zhao Wuji said, also warning Dai Mubai.
Dai Mubai clenched his fists. "Teacher Zhao, don't worry. I know where to draw the line."
The two then stood facing each other in the center of the square.
A fight was ready to erupt at any moment.
"Brother, who do you think will win?" Xiao Wu asked Tang San beside her.
"I think Big Brother Su has a better chance," Tang San said.
"Really?" Ning Rongrong asked from beside them. At their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, quite a few soul masters failed to absorb soul rings every year.
The mortality rate among those soul masters exceeded eighty percent. Even survivors suffered extremely severe injuries and struggled to recover their former condition.
"Su Ling, you're fighting me willingly," Dai Mubai said in a low voice. "If I win, I'll be the academy's head student and boss. You'll have to submit and salute me whenever we meet."
Su Ling nodded. "In that case, what if you lose?"
"The same applies," Dai Mubai said. "If I lose, I'll acknowledge you as head student and boss and salute you whenever we meet. How's that?"
"Fine! Then let's begin!" Su Ling replied.
As soon as those words fell, Dai Mubai leaped up and pounced on Su Ling like a tiger.
Su Ling did not dodge, choosing to meet him head-on.
Once he closed in on Su Ling, Dai Mubai balled his hands into fists and struck straight at Su Ling's face.
"You've lost!"
Seeing that his blow was about to land, Dai Mubai brimmed with confidence. How could Su Ling, a walking medicine jar, possibly have recovered so quickly?
At that critical moment, Su Ling turned halfway aside, caught Dai Mubai's punching arm with one hand, and hurled him forward with his momentum. Dai Mubai's entire body flew six or seven meters.
The sudden reversal caught Dai Mubai off guard. He tried to control his body and land on his feet, but Su Ling's strength was too great. With Su Ling using Dai Mubai's own force against him as well, he simply could not steady himself.
Carried by his momentum, Dai Mubai slammed heavily into the ground.
When he got up, his arm and face had suffered scrapes of varying severity.
Without Martial Soul Possession, skin was easily injured in a fight like this.
Feeling the stinging pain on his face, he knew he had thoroughly lost face-and in front of Zhu Zhuqing and the others, no less.
"Su Ling, why didn't you say your injuries had healed?" Dai Mubai demanded angrily, turning the accusation on Su Ling instead.
Su Ling smiled. "What? Am I supposed to reveal all my cards before fighting you? Or are you scared now that my injuries have healed?"
"Scared? I, Dai Mubai, have never been scared. In that case, let's fight with everything we've got." As his words fell, Dai Mubai released his White Tiger martial soul and completed Martial Soul Possession.
But hearing those words, Zhu Zhuqing revealed a trace of contempt, and the pain in her heart deepened.
If you're not scared, why did you abandon me and flee the Star Luo Empire?
Why didn't you dare say those words when you were in the Star Luo Empire?
Before you continue