Dai Mubai sighed. "That guy Xiao Ao—on the surface he always seems like he's joking around, but in truth, his pride runs deep. And he really does love you. Back then, in order to be worthy of you, he put more effort into his cultivation than any of us. Ten years... I hope for his sake that these ten years turn out to be a good thing."
Zhu Zhuqing drew the sobbing Ning Rongrong into her arms and shot Dai Mubai a reproachful look. "Say a little less, will you? Rongrong is already hurting enough. This isn't her fault either—it's just the whims of fate."
Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's words, Ning Rongrong cried even harder. For five years she had been struggling to suppress her emotions. Now, faced with companions she had once fought beside through life and death, she could hold back no longer and released all the pain in her heart without restraint.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun hadn't expected what should have been an exhilarating reunion to turn into such a sorrowful scene. Ma Hongjun couldn't help but say, "I wonder how Third Brother and Xiao Wu are doing. They should be alright, right?"
A hint of longing flickered in Dai Mubai's eyes. "It's a pity they never learned about our five-year reunion pact. I'm afraid we won't be seeing them this time. Everyone's scattered across the land—who knows when we'll all meet again."
Among the Shrek Seven Devils, Dai Mubai was unquestionably the eldest, but through countless battles it was Tang San who had become the undisputed core of the group. Without Tang San, they could never have gone as far as they did in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. If each of the seven was a monster, then Tang San was undoubtedly the monster among monsters.
Outsiders saw Tang San as nothing more than a genius, but only the Shrek Seven Devils themselves knew just how extreme that genius was. If Dai Mubai had to sum up Tang San in a single word, it would be "versatile."
Zhu Zhuqing held Ning Rongrong and comforted her gently. "Fortune favors the good, Rongrong. Stop crying. Xiao Ao will come back safe and sound. Didn't you make a ten-year pact with him? Wait for him at the sect. You have to have faith in him."
Ning Rongrong said miserably, "What else can I do but wait? I really regret it—why did I let him leave? Why couldn't I have been stronger and fought against it? He's only a Food Type Soul Master! Without anyone's help, it's practically impossible for him to even obtain Soul Rings. It's all my fault."
"Who is it that's making our Rongrong so heartbroken?" A clear, bright voice materialized out of thin air. The voice was unfamiliar to all four of the Shrek Devils. They were already upset over Oscar's situation, and hearing an unknown voice coming from outside made every one of them frown.
Ning Rongrong's sobbing subsided as she raised her head toward the source of the voice.
A young man over one meter ninety tall, broad-shouldered and powerfully built yet impeccably proportioned, came into their view. Dressed in pristine white robes that radiated effortless elegance, he carried himself with the unmistakable air of nobility in every gesture.
His handsome face wore a measured smile, his long dark-blue hair draping quietly over his shoulders, and his eyes—blue as sapphires—shone with a peculiar, otherworldly light.
Even Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, both already spoken for, couldn't help but be momentarily stunned by this young man. They found that not a single flaw could be perceived in him. Whether it was his bearing, his features, his build, or his voice, everything blended together into a seamless, harmonious whole.
He didn't appear to be walking quickly, yet in just a few strides he had closed the distance to the group.
He looked to be only around twenty years of age, yet as prodigies among prodigies of the younger generation, the four Shrek Devils all felt an inexplicable sense that they couldn't see through him.
Perhaps because of the natural wariness between males, Dai Mubai stepped forward and planted himself at the front of the four. His heterochromatic eyes flashed with cold light as his invisible aura of authority, mingled with his innate kingly presence, erupted without restraint. His voice was icy: "Who are you?"
The blue-haired youth smiled faintly and came to stand before them. "How hurtful. It's only been five years and you've already forgotten me? Boss Dai, is this how you treat a brother? Fatty, you've filled out again."
Dai Mubai froze. Judging by this young man's voice, appearance, and bearing, he was certain no such person existed in his memory. Yet the warmth in those words didn't seem the least bit forced—especially hearing that voice, which stirred a faint but unmistakable sense of familiarity in his heart.
Suddenly, Ning Rongrong let out a cry of surprise. "Ah! How is it that you have Third Brother's One-Hundred-Treasure Pouch and the Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlit Night?"
Girls always noticed the finer details. At Ning Rongrong's words, Dai Mubai and the other two immediately caught sight of the two top-grade Soul Guides fastened at the blue-haired youth's waist.
Dai Mubai's expression changed instantly, and the aura around him surged. "Who exactly are you? How did you get Xiao San's things?"
This blue-haired young man was, of course, Tang San. But over the course of these five years, he had changed far too much—not just in appearance. With the second awakening of the Blue Silver Emperor and the possession of two Domains, the difference in his bearing compared to five years ago was nothing short of night and day. Naturally, Dai Mubai and the others couldn't recognize him.
Sensing the fierce hostility and the anxious worry buried beneath Dai Mubai's words, Tang San felt a quiet surge of emotion. Partners were partners—after all this time, they were still worried about his safety.