Douro Continent

Chapter 309 Tang San's Fourth Soul Skill (Part 1)

Hearing Flander's words, the master was intrigued and murmured, "Is...is this really possible?"

Flander said matter-of-factly, "Why not? At least this way you two will feel much better. As long as you hold onto that last line of defense, even if you don't live together every night, you can still feel each other's love. What's wrong with that? Don't say you're just cousins. Even if you were siblings, so what? You're just loving each other. To outsiders, just say it's a sibling relationship. Your old-fashioned heart wouldn't have any objections, would it?"

Hearing Flander's words, the master stood there frozen like a statue. After a long, long time, he finally blurted out, "Flander, why the hell didn't you say so sooner?"

After saying this, the master suddenly sprinted forward, running towards Liu Erlong as fast as he could. His tears, flowing so fast, traced two beautiful streaks in the air.

Erlong, Erlong, I can finally love you openly and legitimately. Why must there be a physical connection if I can love you? Spiritual love is enough!

Watching the master's retreating figure, Flander revealed a genuine smile. "Xiao Gang, you fool, you two are always whispering sweet nothings to each other, do you really think you can control yourselves?"

Seeing the master running towards him like a madman, Liu Erlong's heart skipped a beat.

The master practically ran to Liu Erlong, staring into her beautiful, somewhat bewildered eyes. Suddenly, he opened his arms wide and pulled her into his embrace with all his might. "Erlong, I'm so sorry."

Those seven words were like the opening of a floodgate of tears. Liu Erlong felt her vision blur; with her level seventy-something soul power, she couldn't muster any strength at all. She collapsed completely into the master's arms, tears streaming down her face.

She had waited far too long for these words—twenty years, just as Flanders said, twenty years had already passed! How had she endured those twenty years? No matter how strong she appeared on the surface, she was ultimately just a woman. What woman doesn't yearn to be cherished by her lover? What woman doesn't long for happiness?

Perhaps because the happiness before her eyes came too suddenly, Liu Erlong felt as if her body was swaying in a dream, and everything was so unreal.

Flander quietly waved to Zhao Wuji, Xiao Wu, and the others. The group slowly stepped aside, leaving the spacious area in front of them only for Master and Liu Erlong.

Outside the poison array, due to the disappearance of the Fragrant Silk Immortal Item, the last few remaining soul beasts also left unwillingly, and with their disappearance, the surroundings became silent.

"Xiaogang, Xiaogang, do you know how long I've waited? More than 70,000 days and nights, do you know how I endured it all? Are you really not running away anymore, are you really willing to be with me?" Liu Erlong cried out in anguish, burying her face in the master's shoulder and murmuring.

The master nodded vigorously. "Erlong, I'm sorry. I swear, I will never run away from our feelings again. Although we may not be able to be like a normal couple, I will always stay by your side and love you."

At that moment, the master revealed Flander's earlier thoughts. Liu Erlong listened quietly, nestled in his arms. When she heard him say that there was love between husband and wife but no marriage, she understood that he still hadn't completely escaped that resentment. But after waiting for so many years, the man before her was finally willing to stop running away, at least he was willing to stay by her side and love her. Why ask for more?

Perhaps it was because taking Xiao Wu as her goddaughter had greatly affected Liu Erlong's mood; at this moment, she only had the thought of letting things take their course. She obediently nodded in the master's arms. Being with the one she loved was the most important thing.

Half an hour later, Zhu Zhuqing successfully absorbed the Ghost Tiger Soul Ring and returned with Dai Mubai. She appeared even more aloof, with a touch more heroic spirit between her brows, and she had grown taller. Although she wasn't yet as tall as Xiao Wu, she already possessed the charm of a mature beauty.

The addition of spirit rings to physical attributes undoubtedly causes certain changes to a spirit master's body. Although the Shrek Seven Devils are still quite young, they each possess at least three spirit rings. The energy added to these rings promotes their physical growth and development. While their faces still retain a childlike innocence, they all appear to be nearly adults. Compared to a year ago, each of them seems to have aged a few years. Unless they themselves say so, it would be hard for anyone to imagine that the youngest of the Shrek Seven Devils is still under fourteen years old.

The next to return was Ning Rongrong, whose face wasn't as pale as Oscar's. When Liu Erlong severely injured the Qilin Beast, Oscar had stayed by her side, covering her eyes and constantly comforting her. Only after Ning Rongrong began absorbing the spirit ring did Oscar run off to vomit violently. After vomiting, he cleaned up the horrific scene Liu Erlong had created. Therefore, Ning Rongrong didn't witness any disgusting scenes after absorbing the spirit ring; in fact, her condition was much better than Oscar's.

At this moment, only Tang San among the Shrek Seven Devils had not yet returned, and the rest of the group waited silently within the poison array.

Liu Erlong nestled in the master's arms, her eyes closed as she fell asleep. For twenty years, she hadn't slept as peacefully as she did now. Looking at the serene smile on her sleeping face, the master felt a strange sense of contentment.

Flander and Zhao Wuji sat on the other side, chatting quietly. Looking at the current state of the master and Liu Erlong, Flander felt much more relaxed, and an undisguised smile appeared on his face.

Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai sat silently together. Although her expression was still cold, she did not object to Dai Mubai sitting almost right next to her.

Ning Rongrong was in a similar situation to Oscar, but Ning Rongrong's expression was gentle. She leaned on Oscar's shoulder and smiled as she spoke to him. From the excited smile on her face, it was clear that she had gained a lot from her fourth spirit ring.

The fat man had expended a considerable amount of soul power earlier and was cultivating alone by a large tree, trying to gather his soul power. Xiao Wu was not far from him; given her injuries, she should have been the one to regulate her soul power and heal, but she couldn't calm her mind.

Everyone else had returned, except for Tang San. How could she not worry? Leaning back, she silently prayed for Tang San. Not only her, but everyone else, regardless of their outward expressions, harbored a deep sense of worry in their eyes. Although Tang San himself claimed to be absolutely confident, the level he jumped in absorbing the spirit ring was simply too great.

An hour passed. Xiao Wu told herself that absorbing such a powerful spirit ring would definitely take time.

Two hours passed. Xiao Wu told herself that it would probably take a little longer.

Three hours passed. Xiao Wu kept telling herself, "It'll be soon, it'll be soon."

Four hours passed. Darkness gradually fell. Xiao Wu stood there, gazing at the mountain peak where Tang San had disappeared, her heart constantly calling out, "Brother, why haven't you come back yet?"

Five hours passed. The night deepened. Tears streamed down Xiao Wu's face, unstoppable by any attempts to comfort her. At that moment, only one thought occupied her mind: "Brother, as long as you come back alive, even if you have no strength left, even if you become an ordinary person, or even crippled, I'm willing. As long as you're alive."

Five hours of waiting was an agonizing ordeal. Not only Xiao Wu, but everyone else also became anxious. If it weren't for the master's intervention, they would have crossed the mountain to check on the situation more than once.

The moonlight shone on the earth, casting long, dark shadows of the Shrek Academy students. Xiao Wu's heart, too, grew cold and filled with despair. The expectation in her eyes silently transformed into deathly stillness.

Just then, a clear, long howl resounded through the night sky. In the quiet night, the powerful howl was so distinct.

As if a fuse had been lit, everyone from Shrek Academy jumped up from the ground at the same time. Xiao Wu's almost desperate eyes burned with excitement as she ran desperately toward the mountain peak.

"Brother, brother..." she called out, her voice hoarse from crying, wanting only to be the first to see the man destined for her.

Yes, that long howl belonged to Tang San. At the mountain peak, Tang San's tall figure cast a long shadow in the moonlight. He didn't descend the mountain using the Eight Spider Lances, but instead leaped high into the air, his Blue Silver Grass condensing into an umbrella shape as he fell down the mountain.

Two figures, one descending from the sky, the other running frantically, drew ever closer in the glow of the full moon…

Finally, the two figures overlapped when the mountain peak was one-third of the way from the ground. The two figures merged into one and embraced tightly on the mountainside witnessed by the bright moon.

Tang San had grown taller and his muscles had become more muscular. His warm embrace was like the perfect nest. The moment Xiao Wu nestled into it, she fainted in blissful contentment.

(End of this chapter)