After hearing Su Ming's explanation, the three girls seemed to agree—it made sense. One minute really wasn't enough, and even if Oscar could fly at the speed of the Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Snake, that short amount of time wouldn't be very useful in battle. In the later stages, that flying ability would become practically useless. After all, it's not like Oscar could always be there to support others, especially as the Seven Shrek Monsters would always act together, and as a food-type soul master, Oscar's cultivation would inevitably lag behind the others.
By the time he reached Titled Douluo level, the others would definitely have surpassed that point as well. By then, Oscar's third soul skill would be essentially useless, and it wouldn't make sense for him to rely on it for support.
Su Ming's Diary:
"Originally, I planned to help Oscar find a rare soul beast with great speed and attack power to hunt and absorb. Even if it resulted in a flying sausage, the effect would definitely be better than the Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Snake's. Alternatively, a sausage that increased attack power would have been a good option too."
"But now, it's unnecessary. I'm not going to help this creepy rival of mine!"
Ning Rongrong blushed slightly when she read that part.
Su Ming's Diary (continued):
"Speaking of which, tomorrow on the way to the Star Dou Forest, there might be a small conflict in a restaurant."
This piqued the curiosity of all the girls, especially Xiao Wu, as it seemed to involve them.
Su Ming's Diary (continued):
"The cause is once again Ma Hongjun. While we're eating at a restaurant, Ma Hongjun can't keep himself under control and keeps staring at a girl from Canghui Academy. She gets upset, and a conflict breaks out."
"And Ma Hongjun's excuse? He claims Vice Dean Zhao Wuji told him that a soul master who doesn't cause trouble isn't a good soul master. To that, I say: what utter nonsense!"
"If soul masters who don't cause trouble aren't good soul masters, then why did Zhao Wuji stay silent and submissive when faced with Bone Douluo a few days ago? It's typical bullying of the weak and submission to the strong!"
"I believe that a good soul master is someone who doesn't actively stir up trouble. Healthy competition should be encouraged, but if someone messes with you, you should retaliate with overwhelming force."
"If every soul master became a troublemaker, this continent would fall apart!"
Bibi Dong read Su Ming's words and fell into deep thought. She agreed with Su Ming's view. In their Spirit Hall Academy, they also encouraged positive competition. Troublemakers were either warned or expelled, depending on the severity of their actions.
Su Ming's Diary (continued):
"But I've already taught Ma Hongjun a lesson. Will he still try to stir up trouble this time?"
Ning Rongrong thought it was entirely possible. After all, it's hard to change someone's nature. Ma Hongjun was still sleazy, and even the previous night he had gone with Flender to deal with his 'evil fire' problem. Even though it was done legally and consensually, she still found it disgusting.
"Still, it's none of my business. If he causes trouble again, he can deal with it himself. If I remember correctly, the teacher leading the other group was a Soul King. If Xiao Wu, the others, and I don't intervene, there's no way the rest of our group could stand up to him."
"But in the end, Zhao Wuji will step in to resolve it. He recently got humiliated by Tang Hao for bullying the weak, so he'll jump at the chance to vent on that Soul King teacher. Let's take a moment of silence for that poor teacher."
The girls couldn't help but laugh. Su Ming was humorous, but that Soul King teacher would indeed be unfortunate to cross paths with Zhao Wuji at such a time. As for the conflict, the girls would rather not get involved. They figured Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Tang San would get a beating before Zhao Wuji arrived. In the meantime, they could just enjoy watching the chaos unfold.
Su Ming's Diary (continued):
"Nothing much happened today, so I'll continue learning talisman-making in the virtual learning space. Once I can make fourth-level talismans, I'll head to a large auction house or shop to purchase materials. I bet Rongrong would be very interested in these talismans, so I might as well make her some for protection when the time is right."
"Virtual learning space?" The girls' attention was immediately captured by these four words. Was this a new reward Su Ming had received? He hadn't mentioned it before!
If Su Ming hadn't casually brought it up, many of them would have forgotten that Su Ming had been learning talisman-making. After all, since arriving at the academy, he hadn't used any talismans.
Of course, Bibi Dong hadn't forgotten. Talismans were game-changing treasures that could completely alter the balance of the continent. She herself coveted them, knowing their vast array of uses. Although most talismans wouldn't be very helpful to a Titled Douluo like her, she was very interested in the special types of talismans. She could only hope that Su Ming would fully master talisman-making before joining the Spirit Hall. Ideally, he would teach a few trusted individuals and begin mass production, further strengthening the Spirit Hall's influence.
Ning Rongrong, however, wasn't thinking that far ahead. She was simply touched that Su Ming wanted to make talismans to protect her, and her affection for him grew a little more.
She also wondered when Su Ming would finish learning how to make talismans. Once he did, she could ask him to make more for her to distribute to direct members of her sect for protection—though, of course, that would depend on Su Ming's approval.
Curious, she asked the others, "Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, have you two ever used talismans? How were they?"
Zhu Zhuqing responded with her usual cool tone, "I only got a few space talismans. I used them to escape from the Zhu family, avoiding being hunted down like in the original timeline. But now I don't have any left—I've used them all."
"Space talismans are useful, but they can't transport you to a specific location. They just send you a certain distance in a chosen direction."
"The last time I used one, it transported me to a corner of the Rose Hotel in Soto City, where I happened to see Dai Mubai with a pair of twin sisters."
As she recounted the event, Zhu Zhuqing's voice held a trace of bitterness, though her anger had lessened compared to the past. After all, she no longer had any intention of staying involved with Dai Mubai, though her situation with her family still forced her to maintain appearances for now.