Chapter 10: Who Cuckolded Whom?

Hu Liena was startled and hurriedly blocked the path in front of Wu Qi and his companion.

"Yan, what kind of madness are you spouting?"

Yan cursed loudly, "Nana, don't stop me. If you're a man, fight me! What kind of skill is it to sneak around while I'm away!"

Hu Liena looked speechless.

Although the gift in the small box might lead to wild imaginings, it was their first time meeting; one only had to use their toes to know it was impossible for it to be a ring!

Xie Yue hurried over to mediate, "Yan, stop while you're ahead. Don't be so sensitive about what Nana does or who she meets."

Given their history of life-and-death friendship, it wouldn't be realistic to say Hu Liena hadn't considered Yan.

It was just that the possessiveness Yan displayed was so strong that it made Hu Liena feel very uncomfortable.

What girl likes being under Binding?

It would be a miracle if she gave Yan a pleasant look.

Wu Qi stepped forward and cupped his hands toward Hu Liena, "Apologies, Senior Sister, for causing you trouble."

"Please accept this gift for now, Senior Sister. Another day I will play host and treat you to a grand meal as an apology for today."

Hu Liena smiled and accepted it, then immediately turned her gaze toward Yan, her expression shifting to one of disgust and impatience.

Yan grew anxious, "Nana, what is so good about that pretty boy? I..."

"Enough! Yan, are you finished yet? I don't want to tell Teacher about your behavior, so stop while you're ahead!"

With those words, Hu Liena left in a huff.

Hearing Bibi Dong's name, Yan immediately wilted.

There was no other reason; Bibi Dong's aura was too terrifying, especially when being lectured, as if one were standing in a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

That kind of scene, let alone Yan, would be difficult for even an average Spirit Douluo to endure.

As for the gift in the small box, it was a brilliant blue crystal.

For Qiangu Changkong's family situation, this crystal was nothing, but to Hu Liena, it was a priceless treasure.

……

After leaving Spirit Hall Academy.

Qiangu Changkong rested his hands behind his head and teased, "I say, Brother Wu, the Senior Sister clearly has feelings for you, so why didn't you just go with the flow? Could it be that you're afraid of that Yan?"

Hu Liena certainly had some beauty; that was beyond doubt.

But, well.

Wu Qi rolled his eyes at him, "Do you know that Hu Liena and Xie Yue have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"

This matter was no secret among the upper echelons of the Spirit Hall.

Qiangu Changkong was puzzled, "What does that mean? What does that have to do with you being afraid of Yan?"

Wu Qi said irritably, "Let me ask you, what are the conditions for performing a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"

As a "high-ranking" descendant, he was very clear on the Spirit Master theory regarding Martial Soul Fusion Skills.

Suddenly, Qiangu Changkong raised an eyebrow, "Merging together with a companion without reservation... hiss, their relationship is a bit messy."

The more powerful a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the deeper the understanding between the practitioners.

A husband-and-wife relationship would be one thing, but as for siblings...

For a moment, he actually felt some sympathy for Yan, "This guy has a green hat on his head, yet he doesn't even know it."

Wu Qi added, "It's also possible that Yan is the one giving Xie Yue a green hat; you never know."

"Alright, that's enough. Hu Liena gave us important information; don't make things up about her, and certainly don't go spreading it around."

……

Having accepted the gift, Hu Liena was quite diligent in handling matters.

To avoid Yan causing trouble for Wu Qi, she entrusted a close friend to deliver a letter into Wu Qi's hands.

In the letter, Hu Liena detailed what she had seen and heard in Death Canyon and urged him to destroy the original after reading.

At the end of the letter was an invitation from Hu Liena.

She indicated that after Wu Qi finished his training, she would welcome him at the Spirit Hotel.

Wu Qi didn't take her invitation to heart, but he did remember the other things mentioned in the letter.

That night, Qingluan Douluo sought him out.

"Tell me, why do you want to go to that Judu Zhidi? If you just want to bring back a poisonous Flash-Horned Deer, there's no need to go; just go to the manor and take the deer."

Cute things do indeed stir up people's possessiveness.

But if it were to put oneself in danger just to catch and raise a Soul Beast, it would be too worthless.

Wu Qi shook his head; he hadn't lost his ambition to such an extent, "Master, the place where an unknown powerhouse passed away—even Grandfather Qian cannot investigate the situation there in detail. It must be a place of great opportunity."

"Back then, you entered it by chance and came out alive; could it be understood that the place is friendly to Spirit Masters with the Qingluan Spirit?"

Qingluan Douluo was lost in thought.

When he entered it back then, he indeed didn't encounter much danger and even obtained quite a few treasures.

Later, the Spirit Hall sent people in, leading to the fall of many geniuses; for those years, he had been unable to figure it out for a long time.

He clearly hadn't encountered danger, so why did others run into trouble when they went in?

At first, he thought it was because fifty years had passed and the situation in that underground world had changed.

Thinking about it now, Wu Qi's speculation had a certain possibility.

But, when all was said and done, it was still just speculation; the cost of using one's own life to verify a speculation was too great.

Opportunities to defy the heavens and change one's fate—how could they be so easily obtained?

After a long lecture, he finally made Wu Qi "give up" the idea of going to Judu Zhidi.

"By the way, your contact with Hu Liena has already spread throughout the upper echelons." Qingluan Douluo twitched his eyebrows.

Originally, no one knew about this, but who would have thought that idiot Yan would go around the Spirit Master Academy investigating the identities of Wu Qi and Qiangu Changkong, making it known to everyone.

Of course, Qingluan Douluo and even the powerhouses of the Consecration Hall had no intention of blaming Wu Qi.

Contacting Hu Liena was surely to learn about the matters of Death Canyon.

Using existing resources to "escort" one's own training was a wise move, and Qian Daoliu would only be too happy to encourage it.

Wu Qi explained, "I learned quite a bit from him."

Qingluan Douluo pressed his hand down, "You don't need to tell me about this; it's enough that we both know. If you are ready, take Xiao Lu and set off."

Wu Qi blinked his eyes, "Master, are you really going to give it to me?"

Qingluan Douluo said irritably, "Xiao Lu can sense poisonous substances; keeping it with you will allow you to avoid danger. However, it is still in its juvenile stage, and its blood cannot cure poison, so you must not kill it to drain its blood."

Xiao Lu had accompanied him for a hundred years, and he was surely "bored" of playing with it, but with the foundation of a hundred years of affection, he certainly did not want Xiao Lu to die.

Wu Qi chuckled, promising to protect its life.

"You have no decorum. If you are ready, go draw your mission tomorrow. Finish your training early, and then go report to the Spirit Hall Academy."

"The Advanced Spirit Master Academy is an important stage in life for any Spirit Master. I am confident in your attitude toward learning, but since this concerns the quota for participating in the Spirit Master Tournament, you still need to pay more attention."

Wu Qi thought to himself that it was as expected.

Unsurprisingly, the path Qingluan Douluo arranged for him was precisely to have him accumulate tournament experience as a substitute member in the next Spirit Master Tournament.

By the time the tournament after that arrived, he and Qiangu Changkong would serve as the main team members to win the championship for the Spirit Hall.

(End of this chapter)