Though Xiao Wu acknowledged Huo Yu'er as her elder sister, she would never unconditionally submit to another male—unless he could thoroughly defeat her in a direct confrontation.
Thus, Xiao Wu secretly challenged Ye Wen to a fight, and it was a forced challenge. Unable to refuse, Ye Wen "brutally" defeated her.
After that battle, Xiao Wu was bedridden for an entire day, her bottom swollen to an alarming size.
Because of that fight, Xiao Wu felt a bit less confident referring to herself as "Big Sister Xiao Wu" in front of Ye Wen.
At this moment, Ye Wen began carefully analyzing the situation for Xiao Wu, saying:
"Look, Xiao Wu. If I can't defeat an enemy, there's no way you can either. While your Charm spirit skill might be somewhat useful against enemies, if the difference in cultivation levels is too great or if there are too many opponents, your Charm won't do much. Instead, it might even harm your own spirit.
In such a situation, stubbornly staying behind to fight alongside me would only end up making you a burden. Don't you agree?"
Xiao Wu mentally simulated the scenario in her mind and realized he was right. With a gloomy expression, she nodded reluctantly.
For the first time, Xiao Wu regretted her hasty decision to choose Charm as her second spirit skill. She should have opted for an illusion-type skill like Huo Yu'er's instead of settling for something so ineffective.
Ye Wen continued, "So, since you can't help me when we're at a disadvantage, wouldn't it be better to retreat and find reinforcements for me?
Besides, if I claim to be part of the Huo family, those people will likely only demand a ransom and won't harm my life. That way, both you and I will remain safe. Isn't this the best solution?"
Xiao Wu nodded again, feeling utterly useless under Ye Wen's relentless barrage.
Although her Waist Bow skill was decent, she was still young, and her body hadn't fully developed yet, so the power she could unleash was quite limited.
Coupled with her Charm skill, which was only effective against weak opponents, it made her feel even more inadequate.
"Fine, I'll agree to all three conditions," Xiao Wu said sullenly.
But suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Xiao Wu's mind. She remembered how Huo Yu'er often praised Ye Wen in her ear, saying that all his spirit rings were chosen by him and that his knowledge was vast. In the future, he wouldn't just become a top-tier Title Douluo but also a theoretical master—an ideal husband candidate.
Xiao Wu had initially approached Huo Yu'er and Ye Wen with the intention of uniting their forces to seek revenge against the Spirit Hall in the future.
Now, realizing her current lack of strength, Xiao Wu developed another motive.
Just as Ye Wen was internally celebrating his success in placing shackles on the unruly Xiao Wu, she suddenly pressed her soft, fragrant body against him.
Feeling the two small mounds pressing against him, Ye Wen inwardly exclaimed, "Holy crap!"
But as his heart wavered, a fragrant breeze brushed past his ear.
"Arwen, you're absolutely right. My current strength really isn't good enough. Could you help me plan what kind of spirit beast soul skill I should aim for with my third spirit ring? Please~"
Though Xiao Wu's flirting skills weren't as refined as those of the manipulative women from his previous life, her beauty and almost shameless clinginess left Ye Wen completely defenseless.
"Alright, fine. I'll think about it when I have time. Your third spirit ring is still far off anyway, so focus on cultivating for now."
"Thank you, Ah Wen! You're the best!"
Having received his promise, Xiao Wu happily kissed Ye Wen on the cheek, leaving Tang San nearby seething with jealousy.
"Damn you, Ye Wen! You've already signed your death warrant. And Xiao Wu, I'm a genius born with full soul power and have Master Yu Xiaogang as my teacher! Wouldn't it be better to ask me for recommendations on hunting spirit rings?! Aaargh!"
Tang San's inner thoughts: Dark, twisted, trembling, crawling—
But in the end, Tang San did nothing. He strictly adhered to the principles of respecting his teacher, and since Yu Xiaogang forbade him from acting, he refrained completely!
However, human desires never stop growing. Though Tang San could suppress them for now, as these desires grew stronger, who knew whether he'd be able to keep the promises he'd made today?
Meanwhile, having gotten what she wanted, Xiao Wu happily went out to play after giving Ye Wen a quick peck.
Ye Wen stared blankly at her lively and energetic back, but quickly snapped out of it, slapping his cheeks lightly.
"Sigh, once you break your principles, there's no stopping it. It seems my resistance to Xiao Wu is getting weaker and weaker."
After a brief moment of regrouping, Ye Wen's eyes once again clouded with worry. Tang Hao might not act against Xiao Wu now, but knowing the man's madness, in the future, if he wanted to drag Ye Wen into his schemes, he might accuse him of colluding with soul beasts to force him into joining his side.
"It seems I need to seriously think about my plan to go into hiding. A continent-wide war against the Spirit Hall sounds troublesome, and by then, there might not be a single safe place left on the Douluo continent. Where should I hide?
Overseas might be a good option, but without sufficient strength, encountering a ten-thousand-year soul beast could spell disaster."
At this moment, Ye Wen still hadn't realized that he himself was a cheat. The thought of Tang San reaching godhood at the age of 25 filled him with anxiety.
A normal genius born with full soul power would be lucky to reach Soul Emperor or Soul Sage by the age of 25. Tang San and his group had received absurd boosts during their time on the Sea God Island.
Huh!?
Suddenly, Ye Wen seemed to recall something.
"The reason Tang San was able to succeed so smoothly under Yu Xiaogang's chaotic guidance and gain the favor of the Sea God was entirely because he consumed numerous divine herbs, building a strong foundation for his body.
But what if I snatch that opportunity away from him?
If Tang San continues to cultivate recklessly while being branded with the Retribution God label, will he still qualify for the Sea God's favor? Most likely not."
Reflecting on his past, Ye Wen realized that he had once been destitute, without even a decent martial soul. But after four years of development, he discovered that he wasn't as hopeless as he had once thought.
At the very least, the potential of his martial soul was likely unmatched on the Douluo continent. Add to that the support of a powerful and mysterious fiancée—
Ye Wen's gaze began to harden with resolve.
In the past, Ye Wen had been too weak to compete for the resources of the Ice and Fire Dual Domain or to touch the karmic ties of other gods.
But now, everything was different.
Without drawing attention, Ye Wen glanced at Tang San sitting in the corner of the dormitory and clenched his right hand tightly.
"If they can go, I can go too. It seems it's time for me to figure out how to solve Dugu Bo's poisoning problem."
To avoid arousing suspicion from Tang Hao lurking in the shadows, Ye Wen resumed his usual demeanor and began cultivating again.
No one knew that Ye Wen, who had once only sought a peaceful life, now harbored ambitions to contend for supremacy over the continent.
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed.