[Considering Er Ming's strength, just his physical power alone is enough to overwhelm Zhao Wuji and the others. Using the Gravity Domain was simply overkill.]
[Later, when Er Ming launched his next move—using the Titan's Sky Cannon at Zhao Wuji and Ma Hongjun, who happened to be in a straight line—I immediately understood.]
The women reading were confused. Understood what? Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing began to have their suspicions. Could it be that Xiao Wu had instructed the Titan Giant Ape to do this?
[After Er Ming launched the Titan's Sky Cannon, even though Zhao Wuji was in his Martial Spirit True Body state, he still couldn't withstand it and was blown away.]
[And coincidentally, he crashed right onto Ma Hongjun. Fortunately, Zhao Wuji shifted his head slightly mid-flight; otherwise, Ma Hongjun might have been a goner.]
[Before the attack, I noticed that Xiao Wu had transmitted a message to Er Ming. After that, Er Ming briefly glanced at Ma Hongjun, and I realized then that Xiao Wu had some ill intent toward him.]
[With that blow, I confirmed my suspicions. Er Ming's use of both the Gravity Domain and Titan's Sky Cannon was excessive.]
[Moreover, Er Ming clearly held back. If he had used his full strength, we wouldn't have been able to survive the aftermath. In a real scenario, we'd all be dead, and Zhao Wuji would have been vaporized. There's no way he would've just been blown away.]
[Later, I used my spiritual sense to assess Ma Hongjun's injuries and discovered that his limbs were broken, but more importantly, his 'third limb' was completely destroyed. It was shattered beyond repair. Then, it all made sense.]
[Xiao Wu really went hard on him—'borrowing a knife to kill,' as they say—but I don't feel any sympathy. When I first joined the academy, that fat guy tried to harass Xiao Wu and even wanted her to be his girlfriend. His lecherous attitude made me want to kill him.]
[Now, this outcome is actually merciful. He's just lost his ability to reproduce, and his limbs can be healed by a healing-type spirit master. As for his third limb, not even the world-renowned Nine-Hearted Begonia can restore it.]
The women reading were somewhat taken aback by Xiao Wu's ruthless methods, but they didn't feel particularly concerned. To them, this situation had little to do with their interests. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, however, felt that Ma Hongjun deserved no pity. From the moment they joined the academy, the three of them—Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing—had been close. So, they understood why Xiao Wu would do such a thing.
Their only regret was that Xiao Wu only targeted Ma Hongjun, leaving Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Tang San untouched. But they understood why—it would have been too suspicious if all three had been crippled in the same way. After all, what kind of soul beast specifically goes for a person's "third limb"? Normally, they'd just crush them entirely.
And if Tang San were targeted, that would bring even greater danger. Tang Hao would undoubtedly come for revenge if something happened to his son.
What Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing didn't know was that Tang Hao, despite his reputation, was still nursing injuries. He couldn't fully utilize his power, so even fighting one Titan Giant Ape would be difficult, let alone facing the more powerful Azure Bull Python in Star Lake.
[As time passed, I released a wooden dragon to transport the others away, while I stayed behind to face Er Ming alone—though it was all just an act.]
[Only after they left could I have Er Ming take me and Xiao Wu with him.]
[I infused all of my auxiliary spirit skills into the wooden dragon to ensure it would safely transport them to a secure location.]
[As expected, Zhao Wuji showed no hesitation when I offered to stay behind to hold off the Titan Giant Ape. He didn't even question it—he simply picked up the unconscious Ma Hongjun and boarded the wooden dragon.]
[I wasn't surprised by Zhao Wuji's actions. After all, I'm just a commoner from Holy Soul Village. No matter how talented or powerful I am, my life isn't more important than his. Even though he's a teacher and has a responsibility to protect us.]
[But it's different with Tang San. Zhao Wuji had been beaten by Tang Hao before, so he knows Tang San's background and treats him better because of it. The reason Zhao Wuji didn't flee immediately when the Titan Giant Ape appeared was because several of the students he had to protect were from powerful backgrounds. If anything happened to them, he'd be as good as dead.]
[Now that sacrificing me and Xiao Wu, two commoners, can save his own life, he's probably happier than anyone.]
[As for Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Tang San, they were just as quick to leave. To be honest, while I expected this outcome, seeing them act so decisively still made me feel something.]
[But the most comforting part was that Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing intended to stay behind. Of course, I couldn't let them mess up my plans, so I used a small trick. I hit Ning Rongrong with a non-lethal spiritual attack, knocking her out, and had Zhu Zhuqing take her away. I assured them I'd be fine, so they left.]
Ning Rongrong:
By this point, the wooden dragon had just disappeared, and both Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were fully engrossed in the diary.
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Ning Rongrong, a slight smile on her lips. It seemed Su Ming hadn't realized that Ning Rongrong hadn't actually fainted. At the time, Zhu Zhuqing genuinely thought that she had, but later noticed little signs—like the occasional twitch of Ning Rongrong's eyes—that indicated she was still conscious.
It made sense. With her enhanced mental strength from the system, Ning Rongrong's spiritual power was far beyond that of a regular Spirit Elder. By her own estimate, it was likely at Spirit Ancestor level or higher.
Meanwhile, the other women were inwardly remarking that, of course, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing wouldn't leave Su Ming in danger. If they didn't stay behind or at least show concern, they'd leave a bad impression on him, right?
In truth, both Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were indeed worried about how Su Ming would perceive them. Ning Rongrong especially had a bit more motivation—she had developed feelings for Su Ming. Since Su Ming had defended her against Dai Mubai, she felt she couldn't just walk away.