Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, hiding in the bushes, couldn't help but want to laugh when they saw the positions Dai Mubai and Oscar were in.
Originally, Oscar wanted to cling to Dai Mubai like an octopus, but Dai Mubai found it uncomfortable and ended up princess-carrying Oscar. The whole thing looked awkward.
Zhao Wuji, knowing time was tight, didn't bother about their posture. Oscar's soul power was limited, and it wasn't worth it for him to consume his own sausage. The situation was urgent—if Tang San encountered an unstoppable soul beast, Zhao Wuji would be in deep trouble. He really didn't want to go back, but he had no choice and cursed inwardly.
After Ning Rongrong enhanced their speed with her support skill, they chased in the direction Tang San had flown.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance, both seeing the amusement in each other's eyes. They knew Su Ming and Xiao Wu would be fine, and now they had a legitimate reason to stay behind—it couldn't get any better.
Zhu Zhuqing turned to Ning Rongrong and said, "Rongrong, I feel like I'm about to break through. Can you keep an eye on the surroundings for me?"
Ning Rongrong was pleasantly surprised at Zhu Zhuqing's impending breakthrough. She hadn't expected her to advance to level 36 so soon. Still, thinking about how she had just caught up, only to fall behind again, she felt a little disheartened.
Since Zhu Zhuqing was going to break through, Ning Rongrong focused her mental energy outward, ensuring that she'd immediately notice any danger.
Meanwhile, Ma Hongjun sat by, admiring the two beauties beside him but unable to stir up any "evil fire." Even though losing the evil fire was good for him, he didn't like it. Without "that," what joy was there left in life?
Ning Rongrong could tell what Ma Hongjun was thinking but didn't bother saying anything. He deserved it, after all. It was good that he'd lost "that" part of him. Hopefully, he'd behave better from now on, or Xiao Wu would definitely find another chance to deal with him when she returned.
On the other side, Su Ming's diary continued:
[In the original story, just when Tang San was about to absorb the Man-Faced Demon Spider as his third spirit ring, Dragon Duke, Snake Lady, and Meng Yiran appeared again. Coincidentally, this Man-Faced Demon Spider had already been weakened by having its web consumed, allowing Tang San to win using the weight of his Clear Sky Hammer.]
[But this time, after my warning, Dragon Duke and Snake Lady should have paid more attention to the age of the Man-Faced Demon Spider. So, if everything goes as expected, the spider Tang San encounters should be in much better shape.]
[I have to say, it's worth complaining about how Dragon Duke and Snake Lady are a Soul Douluo and a peak Soul Emperor, yet they always let thousand-year soul beasts slip away. Either of them could have used a stronger skill to heavily injure the Man-Faced Demon Spider, but for some reason, they kept letting the soul beasts escape—it's absurd!]
[In the original story, when Liu Erlong helped the fatty acquire his fourth spirit ring, she violently attacked the soul beast, even resorting to close combat. She's like a real 'Tyrannosaurus Rex.']
Liu Erlong: "... Did I really hunt soul beasts that violently? I don't remember that!"
Seeing Su Ming call Liu Erlong a "Tyrannosaurus Rex," everyone wanted to laugh, curious how Liu Erlong would react.
Liu Erlong, if not stopped by the system, would have definitely wanted to punch Su Ming for his audacity.
Su Ming: "Come at me if you can! Let's see if you can even touch me!"
But it did seem odd to everyone else. Given Dragon Duke and Snake Lady's strength, how could they repeatedly let soul beasts escape? Why not just severely injure them and leave them with a sliver of life? Their methods were puzzling.
Moreover, both soul beasts conveniently fell into the hands of the Shrek students—it was too coincidental!
[Then, Tang San encountered Dragon Duke and Snake Lady, and they mentioned that the Man-Faced Demon Spider was theirs, hoping Tang San would give it up. But after fighting so hard for it, there was no way Tang San would just give it away.]
[Soon after, Zhao Wuji and the others caught up. With the same flying support as before, they were incredibly slow.]
[Zhao Wuji pulled Dragon Duke and Snake Lady aside for a private conversation, revealing that Tang San was backed by Tang Hao. This forced the two to back down, as they knew they couldn't handle a Title Douluo. It wasn't worth offending Tang Hao over a Man-Faced Demon Spider.]
[So, in the end, they let Meng Yiran decide the competition, and she chose to have a contest of throwing hidden weapons, competing over who could hit the most leaves. The winner would get the spider. Honestly, this was the third coincidence! Why train with snake staffs only to end up competing by throwing weapons? What's the point?]
[She didn't have Tang San's skills and didn't know how to make superior hidden weapons, so her effort was a complete waste!]
[Luckily for her, Tang San won the contest, which probably saved her life. After all, a spirit ring from a Man-Faced Demon Spider over two thousand years old would have been too much for her. She'd either explode and die or suffer severe injuries even with Dragon Duke and Snake Lady intervening.]
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing now understood why Su Ming had said those things before Dragon Duke and Snake Lady left. It seemed like they wouldn't be coming back this time. If Tang San encountered the Man-Faced Demon Spider, would he be able to defeat it before Zhao Wuji and the others arrived?
They both doubted it!
[Tang San quickly finished the contest and, unsurprisingly, won. Meng Yiran, impressed by his skill, even kissed him on the cheek, catching him off guard. This time, though, that probably won't happen.]
[I have to say, Tang San really wanted that Man-Faced Demon Spider spirit ring. He wasted so much time before deciding to rescue Xiao Wu. Was he really that intent on saving her? I couldn't understand his logic back then.]
[In the original story, Xiao Wu ended up returning on her own while Tang San was still absorbing the spirit ring. Under normal circumstances, she would've been long dead by then. How did she even manage to come back?]
[I can't remember how long it took Tang San to absorb the third spirit ring, but since he was absorbing a ring beyond his limit, especially one from a Man-Faced Demon Spider, it must have taken at least an hour or two!]