Xiao Wu asked softly from the side, "Saber, are you okay?"
Saber snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Xiao Wu. "What's wrong?"
"Aren't you angry after seeing Rongrong jump into Brother Tianyang's arms?" Xiao Wu asked cautiously.
In her opinion, the reason she and Saber had been able to collect the Yearning Heartbroken Red together was that they had both found the one they loved—their one and only.
For Saber, Xiao Tianyang had always been the only one in her eyes. Before, they could have imagined their relationship as that of childhood sweethearts, akin to family. But now, the Yearning Heartbroken Red had fallen, which was proof enough of their feelings. Given that, wouldn't it be natural to feel anger seeing another woman throw herself into the arms of the man you love?
Xiao Wu found it all a bit strange.
"Xiao Wu, my way of thinking might be a little different from yours, so you might not understand," Saber replied with a smile, not elaborating further.
However, from the look in Saber's eyes, Xiao Wu could tell that she genuinely wasn't angry—it wasn't just an act. But why? Xiao Wu was even more puzzled.
Of course, as Saber had said, their perspectives were different, so Xiao Wu couldn't fully grasp her feelings.
There was no point in pressing further, especially since Saber didn't seem inclined to continue the conversation. Xiao Wu had no choice but to let it go.
Soon, the moment passed, and Dai Mubai woke up. His awakening was anything but quiet. He leapt to his feet and let out a roar—a roar far more powerful than Ma Hongjun's earlier howl.
It carried the aura of a tiger reigning over the mountains and forests, as if declaring itself the undisputed ruler of its territory.
The mane around his neck didn't look out of place; instead, it added to his majestic and imposing presence.
But just as Dai Mubai's roar reached its peak, a sharp gaze shot his way, cutting his roar short mid-air.
"It seems to be Zhuqing..." Xiao Wu pointed in Zhu Zhuqing's direction.
Everyone turned to look and saw Zhu Zhuqing's eyes open. Her pupils glowed with a green light, symbolizing death, while her irises shifted to black and purple. Her hair billowed in the wind, adding to her eerie aura.
"Her inherited martial soul is the Nether Civet, so how can she suppress my evolved White Tiger martial soul?" Dai Mubai was utterly shocked. It felt as though he had just reached the peak of a mountain, only to be struck by a massive wave, leaving him drenched and disoriented.
"Zhuqing, your martial soul..." Ning Rongrong stepped forward, her voice tinged with concern.
"Yes, it's changed quite a bit," Zhu Zhuqing nodded and immediately released her martial soul. Instantly, a sense of death permeated the air, so palpable that even Xiao Tianyang couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
'Why has the Nether Civet evolved to this extent? Even I can feel the aura of death!' Xiao Tianyang thought to himself.
What was most surprising was that while her martial soul seemed more ordinary at first glance, it also carried an indescribable mystique.
In one word, it was the "simplification of the profound." After shedding all complexity, what remained was pure essence.
"It's said that in the netherworld, a god of death once took the form of a cat and descended into the mortal world. The appearance of such a being signifies the arrival of a deity who harvests life..." Xiao Tianyang recounted what he had seen through his ancient gods eyes, though he did so subtly.
Everyone's attention was fixed on Zhu Zhuqing, so no one noticed his quiet observation.
"Then, shouldn't this martial soul rank among the top ten?" Ning Rongrong asked, her palms sweating. She felt a sense of threat she hadn't before, and her earlier confidence vanished.
"I'm not sure. No one has ever ranked something like this," Xiao Tianyang shrugged. "But if it can suppress Dai Mubai's martial soul, its quality must be extraordinary, right?"
"Hey, Dai Mubai, why is there an extra ring of fur around your neck?" Only then did everyone shift their attention to Dai Mubai, their faces filled with curiosity.
"I'm not sure either. All I know is that I've become stronger," Dai Mubai clasped his hands together. "In terms of pure strength, I've improved by at least 30% from my original baseline!"
"Have any of you heard of ligers?" Xiao Tianyang interjected.
Everyone exchanged glances and shook their heads. Xiao Wu even asked, "Brother Tianyang, what's a liger? Is it a spirit beast?"
"No, it's just an ordinary beast," Xiao Tianyang explained. "But given that it evolved from a White Tiger, this liger must be extraordinary. As for its magical properties, I'm not sure."
"Tianyang, can you tell me more about it?" Dai Mubai's expression turned serious. After all, this concerned the evolution of his martial soul, and he genuinely felt stronger. But since it was a change within himself, he wanted to understand it better.
"A liger is the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger. The probability of such a pairing resulting in an embryo is less than 1%. Even if it's born, the chance of survival is only one in a hundred," Xiao Tianyang paused before continuing. "But if it grows up successfully, the liger inherits all the strengths of both lions and tigers, becoming the true king of its territory!"
Hearing this, everyone was stunned.
"I don't get it," Xiao Wu shook her head like a rattle, then turned to Dai Mubai. "Boss Dai, do you still want to be called the White Tiger after your martial soul has evolved like this?"
"Of course," Dai Mubai replied without hesitation, though he wasn't entirely sure why he felt so strongly about keeping the name.
"What about you, Rongrong?" Xiao Wu, seeing no one else joining in, lost interest and ran over to Ning Rongrong, asking with a smile.
Ning Rongrong thought for a moment before looking at Xiao Tianyang. "What do you think?"
"Why are you asking me? Picking a name is the most troublesome thing," Xiao Tianyang couldn't help but grimace. Back when he used to play games, the most frustrating part wasn't downloading or playing—it was naming his character. He'd even spent an entire day agonizing over it once...
"It's all thanks to you that my martial soul has evolved to the ninth level," Ning Rongrong placed her hands on her hips, speaking like a pampered young lady. "I've entrusted you with such an important task, and you're still trying to refuse? "
"Alright, alright, I'll do it! Let me think!" Xiao Tianyang sat cross-legged on the ground, tapping his knee with one hand, his eyes closed, brows furrowed, deep in thought.
After two or three minutes, he opened his eyes and said seriously, "How about the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?"
Everyone: "..."
'Did you just change the number at the front and think we wouldn't notice? And didn't you just mention this name earlier? Could you be any more perfunctory?'
"Fine, let's call it the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda," Ning Rongrong decided not to press further, allowing Xiao Tianyang to breathe a sigh of relief.
But then Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward. "My martial soul also evolved because of you. Please help me come up with a name too."
"Ugh, another name?" Xiao Tianyang's expression turned awkward. At least with Ning Rongrong, there was a reference point. But now, he had nothing to go on!
…
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