Boss, can you handle three at once?

"Big Brother Su, I don't even know how to repay you."

Jiang Zhu glanced at Zhu Zhuqing. If she hadn't known about their relationship, she might have already offered herself to him.

Su Ling said, "Jiang Zhu, I helped you improve because I wanted you to make your mark in the Advanced Soul Master Tournament. Helping you is also helping myself."

"Big Brother Su, you may say that, but I know how precious these medicinal herbs are. Someday... someday, I'll definitely repay you," Jiang Zhu said earnestly.

Su Ling nodded without saying anything else.

Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, however, understood perfectly. They exchanged a glance, as though saying they were about to gain another sister.

"They're finished too," Su Ling said.

Oscar and Ma Hongjun stood up at the same time.

"Boss Su, my Soul Power has reached level thirty-six," Oscar said. Before taking the herbs, his Soul Power had been at level thirty-two, so he had only gained four levels.

"Oscar, I've caught up with you. I'm level thirty-six too, just like you. This time, I gained five levels of Soul Power."

"Not only that, the Evil Fire problem with my Martial Soul has been resolved too."

"Boss Su, thank you," Ma Hongjun said.

"Good. You've all improved, but this isn't your final destination. You need to hurry and reach level forty. Only by becoming Soul Ancestors will you have a chance to show what you can do in the Advanced Soul Master Tournament," Su Ling said.

With that, Su Ling took out three bottles of Intermediate Soul Power Pills and gave them to the three.

Ma Hongjun naturally knew how beneficial they were, and Oscar accepted without standing on ceremony. Seeing the two of them take theirs, Jiang Zhu accepted a bottle as well.

"Everyone, remember: you must keep everything I've given you secret. You can't tell anyone," Su Ling emphasized once more.

"Don't worry, Boss Su. None of us will say a word," Ma Hongjun said.

"Oh, right, Boss Su. Can we give these pills to other people?" Oscar asked.

"Other people? Who?"

Oscar and Ma Hongjun exchanged a grin. "We've each found a girl... well, we're still just friends for now, in the Advanced Class. They're both at level thirty-one, and they want to enter this Advanced Soul Master Tournament too. But their Soul Power is too low, so they're afraid they won't be selected."

"So that's it. You can each give away four pills, as long as you tell them to keep it secret. But you absolutely cannot tell them about the medicinal herbs you just took," Su Ling said.

"Yes, we understand." Oscar and Ma Hongjun both grew excited at his answer.

In fact, the two were quite sought-after at the academy. Their ages and Soul Power levels alone made it clear that they were promising prospects, and plenty of people were willing to invest in them.

Oscar had both talent and good looks to begin with. Since he had no chance of being with Ning Rongrong, he had settled for his next-best option. Finding another female Soul Master was easy enough.

As for Ma Hongjun, that had been unexpected.

The fellow wasn't a picky eater at all. He was the sort who wanted to pursue any woman he saw. Who would have thought a woman would actually take a liking to him at this stage?

"You two can head back first. I still have something to discuss with these three," Su Ling said.

"All right, Boss. We'll head back." The two left immediately, naturally unwilling to interrupt Su Ling's fun.

But the moment they stepped outside, the pair began talking. Worse still, their voices weren't quiet, and everyone inside could hear them clearly.

"Oscar, do you think our boss can handle three at once?"

"What? Are you worried?" Oscar asked.

"I'm worried the boss won't be able to keep up."

"Then you're underestimating him. With his strength, he could handle another three without breaking a sweat."

Their voices gradually faded into the distance, leaving all three women inside blushing scarlet.

Zhu Zhuqing thought, Even if Big Brother Su wants me right now, I'll give myself to him. I'm already his.

Ning Rongrong thought, What should I do? I'm so nervous. If that's really what he wants, I... I'm willing too.

Jiang Zhu thought, Ah, are we really going to do this? But I... I'm not ready yet. Still, if I can be with Big Brother Su, I don't mind having two more sisters.

Each of the three had her own thoughts, but all of them had been influenced by Ma Hongjun and Oscar's conversation.

Su Ling asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Ah, we..."

"Big Brother Su, what are we going to do next?" Ning Rongrong didn't even know where to put her hands.

Su Ling walked over to Ning Rongrong. "Rongrong, who do you think I should devour first?"

"Ah..." Ning Rongrong grew even more nervous.

"All three at once wouldn't be very good, would it?"

"What are you thinking about in that little head of yours?"

Su Ling lightly patted her head. "You're still too young. Even if I were going to devour you, I'd have to wait a few years."

"Big Brother Su, who are you calling little?" Ning Rongrong proudly thrust out her chest. All three women made almost the same motion.

But after Ning Rongrong and Jiang Zhu glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, they realized they really couldn't compare.

Zhu Zhuqing was the most impressive, followed by Jiang Zhu, with Ning Rongrong coming last.

"All right, enough joking. I asked you to stay so you could keep improving."

With that, Su Ling took out three Soul Bones.

"Zhu Zhuqing, this one's yours. It's a thirty-thousand-year speed-type right leg bone. It suits you."

"Rongrong, yours is a fifty-thousand-year right arm bone of the gemstone type. You can use it."

"And Jiang Zhu, isn't your Martial Soul the Life Scepter? This life-attribute Soul Bone is yours. It's a right arm bone too."

The three women's eyes lit up at the sight of the three Soul Bones.

"Are these really for us?"

Ning Rongrong looked at the Soul Bone before her. It was simply wonderful. Soul Bones suited to their sect were scarce to begin with. They had once possessed a Legacy Soul Bone, but it had been lost after the sect master two generations before the current one was murdered.

Even Ning Fengzhi didn't have a single one now.

"Of course. Go ahead and absorb them," Su Ling said.

"Yes! Then I won't stand on ceremony," Ning Rongrong said.

Zhu Zhuqing accepted her Soul Bone too.

Seeing Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing accept theirs, Jiang Zhu also took her Soul Bone and prepared to absorb it.

[Ding... Zhu Zhuqing's affection +1. Obtained Red Chest*1.]

[Ding... Ning Rongrong's affection +2. Obtained Black Chest*1, Red Chest*1.]

[Ding... Jiang Zhu's affection +3. Obtained Purple Chest+1, Black Chest+2.]

[Ding... Jiang Zhu's affection is now greater than or equal to 90.]

[Bound Goddess: Jiang Zhu]

[Goddess Overall Rating: 96]

[Current affection: 90 (hopelessly in love; her heart no longer has room for anyone else)]

[Binding effect: The host gains 40% of the Bound Goddess's daily cultivation results without reducing the Bound Goddess's cultivation speed.]

[Bound skill 1: Recovery (passive skill; the host's own recovery ability increases by 40%).]

[Bound skill 2: Life Extraction (the host absorbs the vitality of other living creatures to restore himself; extraction conversion rate is 10%.]

[Bound skill 3: Perception (when Jiang Zhu encounters danger within five hundred meters of the host, the host can immediately sense her location).]

Excellent. I've finally won Jiang Zhu over. In Su Ling's eyes, an affection score of ninety meant he had won her over, a level that allowed him to rest easy.

The three women sat down again to absorb their Soul Bones.

This process took more than a day as well.

On the evening of the second day, Zhu Zhuqing was the first to successfully absorb her Soul Bone.

"Big Brother Su, I've reached level forty!" Zhu Zhuqing said excitedly.

She walked over and hugged Su Ling. Seeing that the other two women had yet to wake, they embraced and kissed.

Only after a long while did Zhu Zhuqing get another chance to speak.

"Big Brother Su, could you help me find my Fourth Soul Ring?"

"Of course. I was thinking the same thing," Su Ling said. By now, Zhu Zhuqing's affection had reached ninety-nine points. It was finally almost full.

"Half an hour later, Jiang Zhu woke up."

[Ding... Jiang Zhu's affection +5. Obtained Black Chest*4, Red Chest*1.]

"Big Brother Su!"

This time, Jiang Zhu could no longer restrain herself. She came straight over and hugged Su Ling.

"Thank you. My Soul Power has increased again. I'm level thirty-nine now," Jiang Zhu said excitedly.

"Good. As long as you've improved. From now on, you'll be our best support," Su Ling said.

Jiang Zhu was a healer, after all. She would be welcome wherever she went.

Another five points of affection brought her just short of ninety-six.

Zhu Zhuqing said, "Jiang Zhu, congratulations. Now we just have to wait for Rongrong."

Ning Rongrong's Soul Bone was fifty thousand years old, so absorbing it took a little longer.

After a wait of roughly four hours, Ning Rongrong finished absorbing her Soul Bone.

[Ding... Ning Rongrong's affection +1. Obtained Black Chest*1.]

"Big Brother Su, my Soul Power is at level thirty-nine now. What a shame. I was just a little short of reaching level forty," Ning Rongrong said regretfully.

Soul Bones released very little energy that could raise a Soul Master's level, far less than Soul Rings. They could only increase Soul Power by a small amount.

At this level, gaining just one level was perfectly normal.

For example, Flender hadn't broken through his current level even after absorbing a thirty-thousand-year Soul Bone. Liu Erlong had only managed her breakthrough because she had already been at the peak of level seventy-five.

Su Ling said, "Rongrong, that's already very good."

"Yes, I just want to reach level forty as soon as possible!" Ning Rongrong said softly. Once she reached level forty and absorbed another Soul Ring to become a Soul Ancestor, she could return to her sect in grand style. And she would bring Su Ling back with her.

Imagining the astonished faces of her father, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo filled Ning Rongrong's heart with an inexplicable excitement.