After Yan Shaozhe and his group departed, the lake shore returned to tranquility.
Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, and Wang Dong finally scrambled up from the ground nimbly.
Wang Dong frowned, brushing off the dust and grass clippings on his body with obvious distaste, then flicked the wet mud off his hem, complaining, "Finally, I can get up. I'm covered in dirt! This Lord has never been this disheveled before!"
Watching him, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but tease, "Wang Dong, you aren't a girl, why are you so particular? Could it be that you have some sort of 'young noble master syndrome'?"
"What? Can't a boy be clean?" Wang Dong immediately retorted, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, "That is blatant prejudice!"
Huo Yuhao smiled and stepped in to smooth things over, "Alright, Xiao Xiao, stop teasing Wang Dong. But seriously, Wang Dong, you really do look... well, very refined and handsome; sometimes it really makes people think you are a pretty girl." He spoke sincerely, his eyes clear.
Xiao Xiao immediately nodded vigorously, agreeing, "Exactly, exactly! Even your Martial Soul is called Light Goddess Butterfly; the name sounds especially suitable for a girl. It's a pity you aren't a girl, don't you think, Furina?"
She tossed the topic to Furina, who was watching with a smile nearby.
Furina's gaze lingered for a moment on Wang Dong's excessively delicate features, a trace of understanding and mischief flashing in her eyes, and she nodded with a smile, "Hmm, I think so too. But, being a boy is also quite good. In the future, if you want to try wearing women's clothing, with such a good foundation, you won't even need to apply much makeup; you would absolutely be a stunning beauty who could topple cities."
Her words held a double meaning; after all, she knew Wang Dong's true gender. The Light Goddess Butterfly Martial Soul was indeed only passed down to females, but this secret was currently known to very few.
Wang Dong didn't show any Life Qi this time; instead, he lifted his chin with some self-satisfaction, a proud curve appearing at the corner of his mouth, "That goes without saying! This Lord is naturally beautiful. Even if I really turned into a girl, I would definitely be a stunning beauty capable of captivating thousands of young men."
He seemed to enjoy this kind of praise, even carrying a hint of playful showing off.
Xiao Xiao made a face and stuck out her tongue, "Tsk tsk, you really do shine as soon as you get a little sunlight."
Wang Dong dashingly brushed back his slightly messy, powder-blue short hair from his forehead, righteous and confident, "So what? Can't a boy be a little narcissistic? Besides, This Lord has the capital for it; what's wrong with being a little narcissistic?"
His tsundere and righteous appearance made Xiao Xiao shake her head helplessly.
Wang Dong quickly steered the topic back on track, looking at Furina, his eyes filled with obvious admiration and curiosity, "Having said that, Furina, you are too bold! You actually dared to confront Dean Yan to his face like that. He is a Titled Douluo level powerhouse, and the Dean of Shrek!"
Xiao Xiao also felt the same, patting her chest, still feeling lingering fear, "Yeah, although we were in the right, if it were me, I definitely wouldn't dare to speak to a Titled Douluo in that tone. Just the pressure alone makes it hard to breathe."
Huo Yuhao also nodded in agreement, then added his own thoughts, "If it were me, I might have just silently accepted the compensation. However, after hearing your analysis just now, Sister Furina, Dean Yan's approach indeed had oversights. Such a dangerous Inner Court student should be more strictly supervised; if they really hurt an innocent person, the consequences would be unimaginable."
Furina smiled calmly and explained, "When you have power and influence, sometimes you can speak with more confidence. What they fear is merely the potential foundation of the 'Axis Cult' behind me, coupled with my own 'Genius' talent that is decent enough to show off. Since I am a 'Genius' worth winning over, they are naturally willing to give a bit more tolerance, or even lower their posture. Moreover, in a little while, I will be able to reach a Breakthrough to level fifty. By then, I should be the fastest freshman in the history of the Outer Court to promote to a Spirit King."
Her tone was calm, as if she were stating an obvious, trivial matter.
"So fast?" Wang Dong widened his eyes in surprise, "You are already level 49?"
Huo Yuhao was also surprised, "Sister Furina, I remember you were level 47 before; how did you jump two levels in just these few days?"
Furina smiled slightly and revealed, "Because I just absorbed a decent Spirit Bone, my Soul Power was able to increase continuously. After a little more consolidation, I expect that within two weeks, a Breakthrough to level fifty should be no problem."
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao was genuinely happy for her, "That's great! Congratulations, Sister Furina!"
He did not ask about the specific source of the Spirit Bone. In Huo Yuhao's heart, Furina was already mysterious and extraordinary. Back at the Axis Cult, she could produce all kinds of unheard-of wonders, and could even take out ten-year or hundred-year Spirit Bones in batches.
Therefore, it was really not strange that she could obtain a high-quality Spirit Bone and absorb it. He believed that any Spirit Bone that could be chosen and absorbed by Furina must be at least ten thousand years old, otherwise it couldn't bring about such a significant Soul Power increase.
Wang Dong clicked his tongue, "You actually have a Spirit Bone to absorb... Your Axis Cult is truly wealthy and powerful, hiding its true strength."
Xiao Xiao was shocked again, gaining a more intuitive understanding of the Axis Cult's strength, "So powerful! Does that mean I will also have a chance to get a Spirit Bone in the future?" Her eyes were filled with anticipation.
Furina smiled and nodded, giving an affirmative answer, "Of course you can. As long as you make contributions to the Cult and accumulate enough merit points, you can exchange them for various resources, including Spirit Bones. Besides, isn't Shrek Academy going to compensate us with two Spirit Bones in a few days? At that time, you can discuss and distribute them according to your own needs."
"You... you don't want them?" Xiao Xiao asked in surprise, "Although your Axis Cult has a deep foundation, Spirit Bones are treasures that are worth a thousand gold and hard to find!"
Furina waved her hand, appearing quite carefree, "It doesn't matter, you need to improve your strength quickly even more. Becoming strong as soon as possible is the Righteous Path. Of course, the premise is that the Spirit Bone attributes must be compatible. If it's not suitable, even if the quality is high, don't force yourself to absorb it. It's better to use it for trading, to exchange for something more suitable, or to exchange for other urgently needed resources."
She paused and added, "However, I imagine the Academy won't make such a low-level mistake, and Dean Yan has also promised to find compatible Spirit Bones. Alright, let's not talk about this for now."
She clapped her hands, pulling everyone's attention back to the original goal, "Did we forget why we came here? Hurry up and catch a few fish from Sea God Lake, let Yuhao show off his skills, and roast them—that's the real business! That commotion just now delayed us."
Everyone suddenly remembered their original intention and laughed one after another. Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong felt a wave of relief belatedly—if not for Furina's decisive action, given Ma Xiaotao's state at the time, they both would likely have been in grave danger.
"Right, right, right! Huo Yuhao, hurry! Roast me the biggest, fattest, and most tender one!" Wang Dong immediately recovered his spirits and urged impatiently.
Huo Yuhao agreed helplessly and amusedly, "Fine, fine, fine, I got it, Young Miss Wang Dong. I'm going to catch fish now."
"Bastard!"
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