Everyone had a different worth

Dai Mubai's thinking had always been simple: sufficient value.

That was true of Black Panther, and it was equally true of Zhao Wuji.

As for Oscar, he, too, had sufficient value.

Although Ning Rongrong herself was not particularly valuable, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect behind her, along with the fact that the Nine-Colored Goddess and the Food God were husband and wife, was enough to make her valuable.

Over the years, whenever he occasionally went out, whether he approached Feng Xiaotian, Shui Bing'er, or Ye Lingling, it was because they possessed sufficient value.

Ma Hongjun, on the other hand, was an exception. He had given him an immortal herb because he was loyal enough.

Sometimes, one needed someone like that by one's side, someone who could go to his death at a critical moment.

Were immortal herbs very precious?

Very precious!

But they were merely precious, nothing more.

In a sense, they were simply ten-thousand-year medicinal plants with unusual medicinal properties.

Their value fell far short of those hundred-thousand-year immortal herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well ten thousand years later.

It was only because they had been used on the right people that their value seemed so extraordinary.

In the original story, the Shrek Seven Devils' greatest opportunity had never been the immortal herbs, much less any so-called foundation for godhood. There were only two truly crucial reasons they had been able to attain godhood.

The first was out of regard for Tang San, who had inherited a God King Inheritance; the second was naturally the Sea God's Divine Examination.

Did Divine Examinations really impose strict requirements on the examinees' talent?

Yes, but not many.

Ultimately, it still depended on the mood of the deities in the Divine Realm.

If a deity was pleased with you, even if you were a useless person without any soul power, you could still become a deity's successor.

Conversely, no matter how talented you were or how monstrously powerful, if you failed to please a deity, no amount of effort could let you inherit a divine position.

When he had first chosen to possess Dai Mubai, he had considered the issue of Dai Mubai's insufficient talent.

Was Dai Mubai's talent really that poor?

After arriving in Suotuo City, had he really been letting himself go?

When he left the Star Luo Imperial Family at twelve, his soul power had only been at rank twenty-five.

Three years later, his soul power had risen to rank thirty-seven, an average increase of four ranks per year, and seven of those ranks had been gained after rank thirty.

Yu Tianheng, one of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's twin stars, was a full three years older than Dai Mubai, yet his soul power was only two ranks higher.

One had to remember that after leaving the Star Luo Empire, Dai Mubai had no soul beast meat, medicinal baths, or Mimicry Cultivation Environment for his cultivation.

Under those circumstances, he had managed to increase his soul power by four ranks a year. Had he really not been secretly putting in hard work?

Many people said Dai Mubai had been a coward for fleeing the Star Luo Empire, that he had lost the sense of responsibility a man ought to have.

But he did not think so.

At least in his view, Dai Mubai had made an excellent move.

Among the three brothers, Dai Weisi's innate soul power had only been rank eight, while the second brother's had been a full rank nine. Dai Mubai's had fallen between ranks eight and nine.

Having witnessed his eldest brother cause his second brother's death and knowing the specific circumstances, would he still have dared to cultivate diligently in the Star Luo Imperial Palace?

Had he displayed even slightly greater talent, how would that fine eldest brother of his have treated him?

Never mind any talk of being allowed to live before reaching the required age. Were there really no loopholes to exploit in the imperial family's rules?

How had his second brother died?

Only by leaving the Star Luo Empire could he cultivate without restraint. Only after word of his dissolute reputation spread back might his eldest brother lower his guard, giving him a chance to turn the tables.

The facts were obvious. Ever since Dai Weisi had killed his second brother and learned that his third brother was also a good-for-nothing, his motivation to cultivate had dwindled considerably, and his cultivation had advanced very slowly.

Of course, his lustfulness and such were also real.

Just like Xue Beng, the prince of the Heaven Dou Empire-had he really been enduring in silence?

Had he not simply unleashed his true nature?

Even if he truly had been enduring in silence, once someone had lived dissolutely for long enough, certain things became very difficult to change back.

The same was true of Dai Mubai. His lustfulness was both a disguise and his nature.

It was precisely for this reason that he had considered possessing Dai Mubai a good choice.

As for Zhu Zhuqing, she had come with the package.

If they still had their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, he would focus on nurturing Zhu Zhuqing. After all, in the original storyline, although they had both been Second-Level Gods, they had possessed the combat power of a First-Level God after using their Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

If he could become the Sea God, cultivate to the peak of a First-Level God, and then use their Martial Soul Fusion Skill again, what would happen, even if Zhu Zhuqing was only a Second-Level God by then?

He would not hope to defeat a God King, but holding one off for a short time should be possible, right?

Of course, even without their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, he would not bear to discard her just like that. She would simply go from a wife who fought by his side to a plaything he kept.

Without hesitation, Zhu Zhuqing followed Dai Mubai toward their villa.

Ma Hongjun was just about to follow when Oscar stopped him from the side.

"What are you following them for at a time like this? You have no sense at all."

Oscar grabbed Ma Hongjun by the ear and dragged him away.

"Since you've found your way here, whatever you want to ask, I can give you an answer?"

Inside the villa, the two sat facing each other, and Dai Mubai spoke first.

"Um... well, have you been doing all right these past few years?"

To Dai Mubai's surprise, Zhu Zhuqing did not begin by questioning him. Her tone was also very gentle, with a trace of excitement mixed in.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go!

Normally, shouldn't she have acted resentful, as though he had abandoned her?

What was this?

"What do you mean? Or rather, how do you understand it?"

Dai Mubai asked because he did not understand.

"My sister told me everything. Only then did I learn that you hadn't run away, but had done it to keep me safe..."

Zhu Zhuqing then gave him a clear account of some of the things she knew and had seen.

The reasoning was simple.

When he left, he had left Zhu Zhuqing whale rubber, a cultivation method, and a cultivation plan. From the very beginning, Zhu Zhuqing had never felt that he had given up on her.

Instead, he had been burdened with difficulties that left him no choice.

Her sister had ostensibly pursued her to kill her, but in reality had escorted her here, asking only one thing of Zhu Zhuqing: if Dai Mubai and the others won in the future, she was to plead for mercy on her behalf.

Had someone transmigrated into Zhu Zhuyun?

That shouldn't be the case!

This left Dai Mubai rather puzzled.

If Zhu Zhuyun were a transmigrator who knew how the future plot would unfold, then, whatever else she did, she should at least have found a way to eliminate him first.

Then she could seek out those opportunities and increase her strength.

Clearly, she was not a transmigrator.

It was very likely that some things had changed because of him.

Added to that was the possibility that Zhu Zhuyun had never intended to deal with Zhu Zhuqing.

That was how the present situation had come about.