Dawn was just breaking when Chu Feng and Tang San walked out of the Star Dou Great Forest and returned to the inn in the town they had passed through on their way there.
As soon as they entered, they saw Oscar sitting on a stool, propping his head up with one hand as he fought off sleep.
Hearing someone come in, Oscar immediately perked up and turned to look.
"Boss Chu, Little San, you're finally back."
He had been assigned to wait here for Chu Feng and Tang San to return.
Now that he saw both of them back safe and sound, he could finally rest easy.
"How did it go? Did you save Xiao Wu?" Oscar asked urgently.
Chu Feng and Tang San had both gone to rescue Xiao Wu, but she hadn't come back with them.
Could something have happened to Xiao Wu?
Oscar's heart immediately grew heavy.
Chu Feng gave Oscar a slight smile and sat down on a stool.
"It's fine. I've already rescued Xiao Wu."
"We just happened to come across a secret realm that's a great help to her strength."
"She decided to cultivate there for a couple of days before coming back."
Chu Feng spoke softly, but his words instantly excited Oscar.
"Xiao Wu's all right! That's wonderful!" In his excitement, Oscar failed to control his volume.
The thudding of running feet immediately rang out across the floor upstairs.
A few seconds later, Ning Rongrong and the others rushed downstairs.
Their voices arrived before they did.
"What happened to Xiao Wu?" Ning Rongrong asked urgently.
Last night, she had already written a letter and asked the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect members in town to send it back to the sect and deliver it to her father as quickly as possible.
"Boss Chu, where's Xiao Wu?"
"Did something happen to her?" Ning Rongrong clutched Chu Feng's arm tightly.
Hadn't Boss Chu and Tang San gone to save Xiao Wu? Why was she nowhere to be seen?
The others also looked at Chu Feng with worried expressions, sorrow welling up in their hearts.
Chu Feng gently removed Ning Rongrong's hands and helplessly repeated what he had just said.
After hearing him out, everyone gaped in surprise.
"Phew... that's good. As long as she's all right."
Hearing that Xiao Wu was safe, Ning Rongrong let out a breath.
The others' tense bodies relaxed as well.
"I told you nothing could go wrong with Boss Chu handling it." Ma Hongjun slapped the table, thoroughly excited.
He had always believed in Chu Feng's abilities.
As long as Chu Feng took action, there was nothing he couldn't accomplish.
"Then are we still going to get our Soul Rings tomorrow?" Zhu Zhuqing suddenly asked.
Ning Rongrong also looked at Chu Feng expectantly.
Now that Xiao Wu was safe, were they still going back into the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain Soul Rings?
After all, that was why they had come out here.
"What if we run into the Titan Giant Ape again, or some other powerful Soul Beast?" Oscar said worriedly.
At those words, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing fell silent.
Remembering the Titan Giant Ape's formidable strength, they trembled slightly.
It was only good luck that had allowed them to survive the Titan Giant Ape this time.
But what if things went wrong?
Seeing that Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were a little frightened, Chu Feng clapped his hands lightly. "Don't be afraid."
"We need to get all your Soul Rings sorted out on this trip."
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were the only ones who hadn't obtained Soul Rings yet, so they definitely had to enter the Star Dou Great Forest again.
"Don't worry. There won't be any more mishaps this time," Chu Feng assured them.
Only after seeing Chu Feng's confident expression did Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing relax.
Ning Rongrong patted her chest and said sweetly, "That's good. I want to get my Soul Ring soon, too."
Zhu Zhuqing first glanced sideways at Dai Mubai beside her, then nodded in agreement.
I have to get stronger quickly. I can't fall too far behind this guy.
Chu Feng didn't set off with them right away. It was still too early, and none of them had rested well last night.
He let them go back to sleep first, planning to set out in the afternoon.
Chu Feng returned to his room, took out a jade token, and channeled Soul Power into it.
"Leader!" A voice actually came from the jade token.
"Relocate the entire base to the Star Dou Great Forest," Chu Feng said evenly.
"Yes!"
Chu Feng put down the jade token, gently rubbing it with his hand as he gazed at the sky outside the window.
"The Divine Realm..."
That afternoon, Chu Feng and Tang San's group appeared in the Star Dou Great Forest once again.
This time, Zhao Wuji wasn't with them.
"Teacher Zhao won't recover anytime soon. He suffered internal injuries," Oscar said, somewhat distressed.
The Titan Giant Ape hadn't held back with that slap. Without Chu Feng's enhancement, he would probably have been in even worse shape.
"Without Teacher Zhao, we'd better be careful."
Ning Rongrong stayed right behind Chu Feng. Only then did she feel safe enough.
The shadow left by the Titan Giant Ape had yet to fade.
Dai Mubai glanced at Zhu Zhuqing beside him, who was also a little frightened, and casually moved closer.
Zhu Zhuqing glanced sideways at him without saying anything.
Dai Mubai scratched his head and started a conversation. "Zhu Zhuqing, the weather looks pretty nice today, doesn't it?"
"Mm." Zhu Zhuqing's expression didn't change.
"It certainly is," Ma Hongjun piped up from behind Dai Mubai, sounding rather cheeky.
Without even looking, Dai Mubai kicked backward.
Although the kick missed, it still startled Ma Hongjun into moving away.
"Boss Chu, when do you think those two will make up?" Ma Hongjun came over to Chu Feng and quietly started chatting about Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing.
Chu Feng stroked his chin and grinned. "Heh, not anytime soon. The knot in their hearts isn't something that can be untied in a day or two."
"Especially Little Qing. In the end, Mubai really did wrong by her in that matter."
"He ran away on his own and left Little Qing, a girl, behind."
In the end, Zhu Zhuqing, a young girl, had been left to bear the entire burden of the Star Luo Imperial Family's struggle.
Who knew how many pursuits and brushes with danger Zhu Zhuqing had endured over the years?
The fact that Zhu Zhuqing hadn't killed Dai Mubai outright when she saw him was already a testament to her kind heart.
Although she had cured Dai Mubai of those nasty habits over the years, and he hadn't become a playboy as he had in the original plot.
Getting Zhu Zhuqing to forgive Dai Mubai still wouldn't be that easy.
Dai Mubai would still have to resolve the hurt in Zhu Zhuqing's heart himself.
Ma Hongjun scoffed. "These rules of royalty and nobility sure are interesting."
"Those rules won't exist in the future," Chu Feng replied.
Hearing that, Ma Hongjun said nothing and merely nodded firmly.
Listening to the two talking in front of her, Ning Rongrong tilted her head.
What were these two talking about? Why couldn't I understand any of it?
Still, that Dai Mubai really was awful. If I hadn't heard he'd turned over a new leaf these past few years, I'd definitely have Grandpa Bone give him a good beating.
Thinking of Bone Douluo reminded Ning Rongrong of the letter she had sent back last night.
Oh no. Once Father and the others see that letter, they'll definitely come running.
"Boss Chu, my father might come over," Ning Rongrong said, a little worried that her father might take her back.
"Let him come," Chu Feng said nonchalantly.
"Aren't you afraid my father and the others will beat you up when they find out how you've been training me?" Ning Rongrong's eyes curved into sly crescents as she gave him a mischievous smile.