Oscar raised his sword and brought it down, cleanly killing the unconscious Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent. A purple Soul Ring slowly emerged from the serpent's corpse, spiraled upward, and finally came to a steady stop. Not daring to delay, he immediately sat cross-legged and began absorbing this hard-won Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
The Shrek group spread out, forming a perimeter around him and focusing on standing guard.
The three girls gathered beneath the shade of a large tree, their heads close together as they whispered into one another's ears. Their voices were extremely low, and every so often, they would steal a glance toward Lin Kong before quickly looking away, or press their lips together in knowing little smiles.
There was no need to ask. They were surely discussing that business of Lin Kong "sending sparks" at Meng Yiran earlier.
The boys' side was just as lively.
Ma Hongjun sidled up to Lin Kong, waggled his eyebrows, and nudged his arm. "Brother Lin, I was just saying that offhand back then. You actually dared to do it?"
Lin Kong shot him an irritated glance and said crossly, "Wasn't it all your fault? If you hadn't come up with that lousy idea, would that move even have occurred to me?"
Dai Mubai also came over, rubbing his chin with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Speaking of which, Meng Yiran really is pretty. She's two or three years older than Rongrong and the others, and her figure really has developed nicely."
Ma Hongjun immediately nodded repeatedly in agreement. "Exactly! Brother Lin, I saw how that girl looked after you sent those sparks at her. Her whole face went red. Odds are she's interested in you!"
"All right, all right, stop!" Lin Kong's scalp tingled as he listened, and he hurriedly waved them down, afraid the two would get more and more outrageous.
But just then, Ning Rongrong walked over, with Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing following behind on either side, actually taking up a stance as though backing her up.
Ning Rongrong stopped and looked up at Lin Kong, a hint of scrutiny in her eyes as she asked softly, "What did you mean by that just now?"
Lin Kong instinctively blurted out, "My face was just too close to Meng Yiran's, and Fatty's words suddenly popped into my head, so I did it without thinking. It was purely to win..."
The moment he finished, he realized something was wrong with the atmosphere.
Xiao Wu covered her mouth, her eyes curving with laughter. "Rongrong hasn't even said what she means, and you're already rushing to explain so much, Brother Lin. Are you afraid Rongrong might get the wrong idea?"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded. "Mm-hmm!"
Ning Rongrong's cheeks flushed scarlet in an instant, even the roots of her ears taking on a faint pink. She secretly glanced up at Lin Kong, then quickly lowered her eyes again, her long eyelashes trembling gently as a faint flutter actually stirred in her heart.
Everyone around them began looking at them suggestively, each holding back laughter, never afraid of making a spectacle even bigger.
Lin Kong blinked, understanding dawning in his heart. How many days has it even been?
Including today, we've only known each other for four days at most. Is this really necessary?
Lin Kong cleared his throat and, facing everyone's gazes, suddenly changed tack with a smile. "Speaking of which, Meng Yiran actually is quite pretty."
At those words, the air around them grew a little quieter.
The blush drained from Ning Rongrong's face at a visible speed, and her expression stiffened slightly.
The smiles on Xiao Wu's and Zhu Zhuqing's faces froze as well. They exchanged a glance, each seeing a measure of bewilderment in the other's eyes.
Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai instinctively swallowed, looking at Lin Kong as though to say, "You've really got guts."
"I have something to take care of."
Lin Kong stood up quite naturally and stretched, then grabbed the still-dazed Ma Hongjun and dragged him toward the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's corpse. "Come on, Fatty. Let's dissect this serpent. Maybe we'll find a Soul Bone!"
Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing stood where they were, watching Lin Kong and Ma Hongjun's retreating backs without speaking for a long time.
The wind blew through the woods, sweeping up a few fallen leaves and carrying a subtle air that was difficult to put into words.
Holding a sharp short sword, Lin Kong applied force through his wrist and steadily drove the blade into the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's corpse. Dark red blood gushed out, soaking the soil beneath it. Then he twisted his wrist and sliced forcefully downward, neatly opening the serpent's belly to expose the distinctly textured flesh and stark white bones within.
Ma Hongjun stood beside him with a short sword of his own, craning his neck to look as he asked in utter confusion, "Brother Lin, what exactly is a Soul Bone?"
Lin Kong's movements abruptly stopped. He frowned and turned toward Ma Hongjun, sounding somewhat astonished. "You don't even know that?"
Ma Hongjun scratched his head, the confusion on his face deepening. "What am I supposed to know? Are Soul Bones famous?"
Lin Kong looked around, raised his voice a little, and asked the others nearby, "Apart from Fatty, does anyone else not know what a Soul Bone is?"
Silence surrounded them. No one answered.
Indeed, apart from Ma Hongjun, only Oscar, who was concentrating on absorbing his Soul Ring, did not know.
Dai Mubai, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing came from distinguished families.
Xiao Wu was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Transformed Soul Beast.
Tang San had Yu Xiaogang to teach him.
Ma Hongjun and Oscar had never learned about it at Shrek Academy.
Seeing this, Zhao Wuji walked over helplessly and explained, "Soul Bones are special bones that have an extremely small chance of dropping after a Soul Beast dies. Soul Masters can absorb Soul Bones, gaining an additional Soul Bone Soul Skill afterward. Soul Rings grant Soul Skills, and Soul Bones can grant Soul Skills too. It's just that Soul Bones are so rare that when people ordinarily talk about Soul Skills, they generally mean those provided by Soul Rings."
"An extra Soul Skill?" Ma Hongjun instantly seized on the key point, his eyes lighting up. "Then doesn't that mean having one more trump card than a Soul Master at the same level?"
Zhao Wuji nodded. "Exactly."
The next moment, as though injected with chicken blood, Ma Hongjun's enthusiasm surged. Gripping his short sword, he rolled up his sleeves and began testing where to cut the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's corpse. While working, he shouted into the distance, "Boss Dai! Xiao San! Come over and lend a hand!"
Leaning against a tree trunk, Dai Mubai gave him a lazy glance. "The drop rate for Soul Bones is pitifully low. With a thousand-year Soul Beast, the chance is even slimmer. Don't waste your effort."
Tang San nodded in agreement. "Mm. It'll most likely be for nothing."
Ma Hongjun glared, slapped his short sword onto the serpent's corpse, and bellowed, "Cut the crap! I'm asking whether you're helping or not!"
Dai Mubai and Tang San exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads helplessly before finally walking over.
Thus, the four youths busied themselves around the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's corpse, slicing open flesh and rummaging through bones until they were covered in blood and grime. After all that work, never mind a Soul Bone-they had not found so much as an unusual bone fragment.
After all, the chance of a thousand-year Soul Beast dropping a Soul Bone was far, far too low.
Zhao Wuji suddenly spoke, looking at Lin Kong with little warmth in his tone. "What you said earlier was telling Oscar to suddenly kill the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent right in front of Chao Tianxiang. What were you thinking?"
Lin Kong spread both hands. "Just that!"
Zhao Wuji was somewhat displeased. "Yes, she was indeed a Soul Emperor, so it's normal for you to want to strike first. But if that had been possible, I would've given the signal! Think about it. If Oscar had done that right in front of her and thoroughly offended her, then the Dragon Duke, a Soul Douluo, had shown up, wouldn't we have been done for?"
Lin Kong rubbed his temples. "Teacher Zhao, after that whole speech, do you mean that from now on, we can't act on our own without your orders?"
Zhao Wuji said, "Correct!"
"All right, I'll remember!" Lin Kong nodded, then laughed. "But even if we offended them, so what?"
Lin Kong called out, "Rongrong, are you afraid of offending people?"
Called on so suddenly, Ning Rongrong looked blankly at Lin Kong. His earlier words were still in her head, and her expression was a little adorably dazed. She did not answer.
Just then, Lin Kong winked his left eye at her. "Rongrong, are you afraid of offending people?"
Pfft!
Ning Rongrong suddenly clutched her stomach and burst out laughing.
"Heeheehee-"
She laughed happily.
Lin Kong looked at Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu, likewise winking his left eye. "What about you two? Are you afraid of offending people?"
Equal treatment, no favorites!
Or rather, love for all!
Ning Rongrong planted both hands on her hips and declared fiercely, "I-cough, cough. This princess is from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect! Who would dare? Who would dare make a fuss in front of me?"
Zhu Zhuqing's expression was cold. "Hmph! No one can!"
If truly pushed into a corner, she would not mind revealing her identity to give them a scare.
Xiao Wu hesitated, then immediately raised her head and puffed out her chest. "Exactly! What do we have to be afraid of?"
What place was this?
This was the Star Dou Great Forest!
It was her home. Da Ming and Er Ming could rush over very quickly, so why should she fear anyone else?
The three girls' presence had suddenly become so powerful!
Lin Kong tilted his head to look at Zhao Wuji, his voice teasing. "Teacher Zhao, wouldn't you say so?"
The corners of Zhao Wuji's mouth twitched repeatedly. He covered his face with a hand. "Fine, I'm done bothering with you lot!"
Lin Kong said, "Don't worry. We know where to draw the line."
He knew about the Dragon Duke and Snake Granny, knew the Dragon Duke was not here-he knew it all!