After what had just happened, the atmosphere grew a little subtle.
Friendships between girls always formed quickly. After spending these past few days together, Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong had already become very close.
"Rongrong, let me tell you, Cao De was amazing back at Nuoding Academy. He knocked Tang San flat with a single kick, and he didn't even have a soul ring then!" Xiao Wu recounted Cao De's past exploits.
"Cao De really is incredible. Tang San certainly can't compare to him," Ning Rongrong replied with a smile. Taking Xiao Wu's hand, she continued.
"Let me tell you, Tang San is seriously annoying. When we came to Shrek Academy together, he kept trying to hold my hand along the way. It was disgusting." Revulsion appeared on Ning Rongrong's face.
"That's so gross. We should keep our distance from him from now on," Xiao Wu agreed.
"Oh, right." Remembering something else, Xiao Wu held Ning Rongrong's hand and whispered, "Boss Dai had two girls in his arms at the hotel that day, and he was even kissing them. Don't fall for him, or you'll get hurt!"
Kindhearted Xiao Wu gave Ning Rongrong a warning.
"Boss Dai usually seems pretty normal. Who would've thought?" Ning Rongrong displayed just the right amount of surprise.
The cool, aloof Zhu Zhuqing stood beside the two girls and heard every word of their conversation.
The light in her eyes gradually dimmed.
"Have a drink." Cao De took an exquisite bottle of liquor out of system space and offered it to Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Cao De. "Thank you, but I'm not thirsty."
Cao De placed the bottle directly in her arms. "When you're feeling down, a little liquor will make it better."
Cao De smiled at Zhu Zhuqing, then headed toward the front of the group.
Zhu Zhuqing stared at the bottle for a while, then opened it and took a sip.
Catching her movement out of the corner of his eye, Cao De's lips curved upward.
By evening, they reached a tavern on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"We'll rest here tonight and enter the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow morning," Zhao Wuji said before heading upstairs.
Dai Mubai spoke up. "Let's get something to eat here."
Everyone nodded and sat down. Oscar was about to sit beside Ning Rongrong when Tang San grabbed his shoulder and forcibly planted him on another chair.
Tang San successfully took the seat beside Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong's brows knitted. Xiao Wu noticed too and whispered a few words to Cao De.
Cao De then switched seats with Ning Rongrong.
Crack!
The chopsticks in Tang San's hand snapped under his grip.
No one paid him any attention. They simply continued eating.
"Well, well, isn't this Shrek Academy? Can you even afford to eat here?" Five or six young men approached with malicious grins.
"Aren't you the losers from Canghui Academy? What are you barking about here?" Dai Mubai set his chopsticks aside and shot back.
The young man in the lead kicked over a nearby chair. "Dai Mubai, I-"
Before he could finish, he was sent flying backward.
Dai Mubai flexed his wrist. "What a racket."
"The dean said Shrek Academy isn't afraid of trouble. Brothers! Let's go outside and beat them up!" Dai Mubai said with a grin.
His gaze kept drifting toward Zhu Zhuqing. Unfortunately, she merely ate in silence and paid him no attention.
"Brothers, summon your martial souls!" Dai Mubai shouted, and a phantom White Tiger appeared around him.
"Pfft! Hahahaha!" The man leading the group clutched his stomach and laughed. Only after catching his breath did he say, "Dai Mubai, you... hahahaha!"
Dai Mubai turned to look at his "brothers" behind him. Some were eating, some were drinking, and others were whispering to one another.
Only Oscar stood up, holding a sausage.
The situation was a little awkward.
Dai Mubai struggled to save face. "I'm more than enough to deal with you lot!"
"White Tiger Rending Light Wave!"
Crash! Bang! Clatter!
After what could be called a fierce battle, Dai Mubai was successfully beaten by the group and slammed onto a table, smashing it to pieces.
Dai Mubai shot Cao De and the others a hard stare.
"Those chicks from your academy look pretty hot," the man leading the Canghui Academy group jeered.
They had already beaten down Dai Mubai, Shrek Academy's strongest student. He thought nothing of the newly recruited students before him.
"The one in pink is pretty..." another man chimed in.
Before he could finish, his voice abruptly cut off, and the room fell as silent as a flock of crows struck dumb.
Only the steady drip of blood hitting the floor could be heard.
Everyone watched Cao De slowly return the Thousand-Blade Demon Sword to its sheath with a metallic clink.
Once the remaining Canghui Academy students came to their senses, they scrambled and crawled out the door.
Cao De sat back down, took a handkerchief out of system space, and wiped his hands. "It's fine now. Keep eating."
"Brother..." Xiao Wu was about to say something, but Cao De stopped her with a pat on the head.
"It's all right. As Soul Masters, we have to see blood sooner or later," Cao De reassured her with a smile.
"Urgh!"
Ning Rongrong retched. "Sorry, I need to use the restroom." She rose and left.
Tang San stood up and headed toward the restroom too, with Oscar close behind.
"Go check on Rongrong. I really am fine." Cao De found Xiao Wu's deeply worried look rather amusing.
Little Bunny was so cute, worrying that he might be shaken by his first kill.
Xiao Wu studied Cao De carefully for a while. Only after confirming that he really was fine did she head toward the restroom.
Dai Mubai slowly stood up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, and walked upstairs.
Only Zhu Zhuqing and Cao De remained at the table.
Cao De simply ate with his chopsticks without speaking.
"Thank you," Zhu Zhuqing said, breaking the silence first.
Cao De put down his chopsticks and looked at her with a smile. "What are you thanking me for?"
"Thank you for the liquor," Zhu Zhuqing said again.
Her tone was still cool, seemingly no different from usual. Had someone close to her been present, however, they would certainly have noticed the softness in her voice.
Cao De chuckled. "No problem." As he spoke, he took a bottle of the same liquor he had given Zhu Zhuqing out of his storage space.
"Want a drink?" Cao De asked with a smile.
Zhu Zhuqing felt that Cao De's smile was infectious, making her frozen heart thaw a little despite herself.
She nodded, and the two continued eating, taking the occasional sip of liquor.
Neither spoke. The scene was peaceful.
Bang!
The sound of the door shattering broke that peace.
Cao De looked at the green-haired fellow who came through the doorway wearing round glasses and set down his chopsticks.
"I'll take care of this. You keep eating," Cao De said as he stood up.
"So you're—" Before the Green-haired Turtle could finish, he was sent flying backward.
Cao De landed outside the door as well.
It had all happened in an instant. Cao De had just used his first soul skill, Draw Cut, but without drawing his sword. He had merely used the rapid charging ability the skill granted him.
He had worked this out while beating Tang San earlier and discovered that it was extremely useful. It was perfect for ramming people-scrambling their senses without scrambling their brains.
The Green-haired Turtle, the teacher leading Canghui Academy's group, now had terror in his eyes.
He was a level 53 Soul King, and his martial soul was the Ice Profound Tortoise. He knew exactly how strong his defenses were.
Normally, he could stand still and let his students hit him without suffering so much as a scratch. Yet this brat before him had struck him hard enough to send cramps twisting through his stomach.
The Green-haired Turtle immediately donned his shell. "You've got guts, brat! How dare you lay a hand on people from Canghui Academy!"
With his shell on, the Green-haired Turtle felt much more at ease, and his words grew bolder.
"Draw Cut!" Cao De shouted under his breath, instantly vanishing from where he stood.
Fear involuntarily crept into the Green-haired Turtle's eyes.
Screeech!
The tortoise shell and the Thousand-Blade Demon Sword collided with an ear-piercing sound.
"As expected, it can't break through his defense," Cao De murmured.
Cao De had only wanted to test the limits of his first soul skill. After that test, he had an idea of where they lay.
But at the sight of this, the Green-haired Turtle immediately brightened.
Of course! I'm a level 52 Soul King! A Soul King, a Soul King!
"Now you know how powerful I am, brat!" the Green-haired Turtle crowed with his hands on his hips.
"Third soul skill, Armor Break." Cao De slowly uttered the words.
The Thousand-Blade Demon Sword in his hand rapidly broke apart, its shattered fragments linked by swirling purple light.
The Thousand-Blade Demon Sword was now slightly longer than before and radiated a purple glow.
Cao De swung his sword, and the fragments extended outward, forming a blade over ten meters long.
The Green-haired Turtle's heart lurched, and he swiftly used his fifth soul skill—Profound Tortoise Defense!
It helped, but not much. As the Thousand-Blade Demon Sword passed through the Profound Tortoise Defense, its speed decreased by only the tiniest amount.
Slash!
Blood sprayed. The Green-haired Turtle bit the dust!
His eyes were filled with incomprehension, doubt, and bewilderment.
I'm a Soul King! How did I just die?
He died with his questions unanswered.
"There was resistance. Looks like the higher the soul power, the slightly longer it takes to break through the defense," Cao De murmured as he sheathed the Thousand-Blade Demon Sword.
He looked toward the doorway and saw a black-clad figure from behind.
Cao De smiled. The little kitty really was worried about him.
Cao De smiled. Kitten was quite worried about him, after all.
Cao De smiled, realizing that the little cat was quite worried about him.
Before you continue