Soul Battle Arena, Rest Room.
Xiao Wu brought Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong to the rest room entrance, where they met Ye Feng, who had just finished resting.
"Oh? Xiao Wu, what are you all doing here?"
Ye Feng was slightly taken aback to see Xiao Wu and the others waiting for him at the door, clearly not expecting them.
"Ye Feng, this is Ning Rongrong, and this is Zhu Zhuqing. They wanted to get to know you, so I brought them here to introduce you," Xiao Wu quickly explained.
"Oh, I see. Then follow me."
Ye Feng nodded, seemingly guessing something, and directly rented a private rest room, leading Xiao Wu and the others inside.
The rest room wasn't large, but it was well-equipped, with a decent tea table in the center.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Ye Feng casually sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and asked calmly.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, having their intentions seen through, blushed slightly but didn't act coy.
Zhu Zhuqing was the first to speak. "Hello, Ye Feng. I wanted to ask how you managed to obtain such high-level Soul Rings..."
"If you could teach me, I'm willing to pay any price... Of course, this is your secret, and you don't have to share it..."
Zhu Zhuqing spoke with some hesitation, as it was indeed impolite to ask about a Soul Master's secrets.
However, she felt that Ye Feng was a kind person and wouldn't hold it against her.
Hearing this, Ye Feng raised an eyebrow slightly before replying, "The reason I can obtain such powerful Soul Rings is thanks to the secret techniques of our sect. Of course, these techniques aren't entirely forbidden from being shared, but..."
Ye Feng leaned back slightly, looking at Zhu Zhuqing with a meaningful gaze. "Are you sure you're willing to pay any price?"
Zhu Zhuqing met Ye Feng's gaze, her heart inexplicably racing, and she subconsciously rubbed her thighs...
"I... I'm sure!"
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head, not daring to look into Ye Feng's piercing eyes, but her tone was full of determination.
She desperately wanted to become stronger.
Dai Mubai was unreliable, so she could only rely on herself.
For her own future, she was willing to go all out.
Even if Ye Feng made some unreasonable demands, she could agree to them.
After all, she had a very good impression of Ye Feng, and he was the only boy whose looks truly resonated with her.
Moreover, Ye Feng was so powerful at such a young age. Who wouldn't admire such a genius?
Unfortunately, Zhu Zhuqing's thoughts were just her fantasies.
Ye Feng nodded lightly and said calmly, "Actually, it's not something that would trouble you too much. As long as you agree to join my sect, the Star Sect, I can teach you this method."
"Ah...? Just joining the Star Sect is enough?"
Zhu Zhuqing's pretty face was filled with confusion.
"Of course. The ability to absorb powerful Soul Rings isn't just about a method. It's because of the Star Sect's secret techniques, which greatly enhance a Soul Master's physique, allowing them to absorb Soul Rings beyond their level."
"As a nominal disciple of the Star Sect, you won't have access to the complete secret techniques right away. You'll need to pass some trials first."
As he spoke, Ye Feng took out a black pill, similar to the one he had given Xiao Wu before.
This wasn't some kind of miraculous pill, but rather something he had rolled together using a type of black weed. It was clean and hygienic, though the taste might be a bit off.
Of course, even if there were some issues, a Soul Master's robust constitution meant they wouldn't suffer from stomach problems after consuming it.
"What… what is this…"
Zhu Zhuqing stared at the small black pill in Ye Feng's hand, involuntarily swallowing hard. Her expression turned extremely unpleasant, her brows almost knitting together.
"This is the test," Ye Feng said indifferently. Although he was willing to give Zhu Zhuqing good Lexical Traits, he couldn't just hand them over for free. At the very least, he needed to see her sincerity and determination.
It was just a small test. If she didn't even have this much resolve, then Ye Feng would have no choice but to give up on her.
"A test, huh…" Zhu Zhuqing pursed her red lips, her chest rising and falling slightly as she took a few deep breaths.
In the end, it was the hatred in her heart and her desire to live that overcame her fear.
After all, she knew that Ye Feng definitely wouldn't let her die. The worst-case scenario would be some kind of aphrodisiac pill. For the sake of becoming stronger, she was willing to take the risk.
With this thought in mind, Zhu Zhuqing picked up the pill and swallowed it in one gulp.
Unfortunately, Zhu Zhuqing had overthought things…
As the pill entered her stomach, Ye Feng also bestowed two Lexical Traits he had been holding onto for a long time:
[King of Strength (Purple): You have an exceptional grasp over strength. Strength +50, Constitution +20]
[Fighting Spirit (Purple): The thrill of battle excites you. For every minute of combat, all attributes increase by 1%, up to a maximum of 10%.]
These were traits Ye Feng had previously drawn.
He was already strong, so the boost from [King of Strength] was negligible for him.
As for [Fighting Spirit], it was practically useless to Ye Feng.
For him, if he could defeat an opponent, he'd do it in one move.
If he couldn't, he'd call for backup and then defeat the opponent in one move.
These so-called Talents were of no use to him. It was better to give them away in exchange for more draws.
Zhu Zhuqing was agile but lacked strength. These two Lexical Traits perfectly compensated for her weakness, allowing her combat power to multiply several times over!
Sure enough, after swallowing the pill, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened in shock.
She could clearly feel that something had just changed in her body.
She could distinctly sense that her strength had increased dramatically!
"What is this? How did my strength increase so much…" Zhu Zhuqing clenched her fist, her face filled with astonishment.
Such a terrifying boost in strength was equivalent to a year of hard training!
"Congratulations, you've passed the test. Consider this a welcome gift for joining the Star Sect," Ye Feng said with a smile, extending his hand to Zhu Zhuqing.
"A welcome… gift…"
Zhu Zhuqing murmured to herself, instinctively reaching out to shake Ye Feng's hand, though she was still too stunned to fully process what had happened.
"You're now a Nominal Disciple of the Star Sect. The sect's headquarters is in Sky Curtain City, and you can visit whenever you like."
"The Star Sect doesn't have any special rules. As long as you don't betray the sect, you're free to continue your studies at Shrek. After a year, you'll need to take an assessment at the Star Sect. If you pass, you'll become an official disciple and gain access to more benefits. If you fail, you'll have no further ties with the Star Sect."
Ye Feng briefly explained the rules of the Star Sect, which were essentially unrestricted.
After all, the main responsibility of this sect was to serve as his backing, not to cultivate any so-called geniuses.
Recruiting Zhu Zhuqing was merely a casual act.
"Alright!"
Zhu Zhuqing hadn't expected the Star Sect to be so lenient, and her favorability towards both the Star Sect and Ye Feng soared once again.
The entire conversation between the two was overheard by Xiao Wu, leaving her utterly confused.
Wasn't Ye Feng the Young Master of Soul Beasts? What was this Star Sect all about? How come she knew nothing about it? Despite her confusion, she kept her mouth shut, not wanting to risk getting beaten up by Ye Feng...
At this moment, Ye Feng finally turned his gaze to Ning Rongrong, who was standing to the side, and asked with a smile, "Oh, and you... Miss Ning, what brings you here?"
(End of Chapter)