Chapter 39 – Devil Spice and Barbecue Bonds
Hongchen was absolutely furious. Once again, he was secretly photographed by Meng Hongchen, and this time, he had had enough. He was just talking normally—nothing suggestive, nothing weird—and yet Meng Hongchen somehow twisted it all into a suspicious narrative in her head.
He seriously suspected that over the years, she'd started more than a few rumors about him without his knowledge.
"Don't be mad, Brother. I was just taking a totally normal photo!" Meng Hongchen chirped, feigning innocence.
"The way you said it makes it sound not normal at all," Xiao Hongchen snapped.
Sticking her tongue out and making a cute face, she grinned, "Hehe, you're overreacting!"
"Don't play dumb!"
The two of them ended up chasing each other around like kids. In the end, Meng Hongchen's photos were not deleted. Even after a long game of cat and mouse, things only settled down when Ma Lao intervened and brought everyone's focus back to training.
The two soul skills—Spiritual Detection and Spiritual Sharing—were practically made to complement soul guides. In terms of raw offensive power, soul guides had always had an edge over soul masters, but because the accuracy of soul guide cannons was limited, soul engineers had never been able to completely dominate their soul master counterparts.
Now, with Xiao Qiang's unique soul skill, the game had changed.
When a soul master can hit the target every single time, even against stronger enemies, it becomes nearly impossible for an opponent of equal rank to win. With this kind of precision enhancement, the power of a soul engineer was magnified exponentially.
Thanks to that, Xiao Qiang quickly became a favored figure within the team. His support allowed Xiao Hongchen to defeat every soul master on the roster except for Ma Rulong, and even in that matchup, they fought to a draw.
The impact of Xiao Qiang's spiritual soul skill was undeniable—and it wasn't long before everyone warmed up to him.
"With your soul skill, our chances against Shrek Academy just went way up," Ma Lao said in a rare moment of optimism.
Xiao Qiang didn't reply. He remained silent, his mind already drifting elsewhere—specifically to the strength of the Holy Spirit Church's Supreme Elder, Elder Xuan.
Even though Electrolux was still with Huo Yuhao, without Tianmeng and Bingdi, Huo Yuhao was left lacking in true strength. At best, Electrolux could give him warnings to protect Ma Xiaotao and others. But in the long run, Huo Yuhao's team was too weak to survive the tournament's later stages. Whether they would even reach the quarterfinals was uncertain.
"So Xiao Qiang, you and Xiao Yumeng are one of our key advantages against Shrek. Honestly, I didn't expect much from this tournament at the start, but with the three of you here, we just might be able to change our fate."
"I understand," Xiao Qiang nodded.
Now that Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen had both reached five soul rings, their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Hongchen Attachment, could simulate the support power of a seventh-ring Soul Sage's soul guide. Combined with Xiao Qiang's Spiritual Detection Sharing, their synergy was terrifying. The three of them together were more than enough to overwhelm Shrek Academy's incomplete lineup.
After the battle strategies were finalized and rehearsed multiple times, everyone dispersed to rest.
However, Xiao Qiang's enhanced digestive system—thanks to Tianmeng's modifications—left him with a massive appetite. The standard training meal wasn't nearly enough to satisfy him.
Not long after, Xiao Qiang was seen sprinting toward a nearby barbecue restaurant.
"Boss! I'll take 50 skewers of beef, 50 of lamb, 10 ribs, 5 fried pork ribs, one kidney, grilled leeks, grilled beans, and a full serving of oysters and scallops."
"Coming right up!"
Not long after, Xiao Hongchen caught up, only to be greeted by the mouthwatering aroma and Xiao Qiang's intense focus on ordering.
"So that's why you ran off like that? Just to eat barbecue?" Xiao Hongchen asked with a mix of amusement and suspicion. "You were planning this during training, weren't you?"
"Well, I was hungry. Want to join me? My treat."
Xiao Hongchen glanced around. The restaurant was located right outside the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, selling only ordinary meats—no soul beast ingredients at all.
So the prices were cheap. Even if he stuffed himself, it wouldn't cost much.
"…Boss, make that two more orders!"
Soon, Meng Hongchen arrived and sat beside them as the food began to arrive, steaming and sizzling. Xiao Qiang, without hesitation, pulled out a packet of mysterious seasoning and sprinkled it liberally across his skewers.
Xiao Hongchen sniffed. "What did you just put on that?"
"A little seasoning. But trust me—you won't want any."
"Hmph, don't underestimate me. What could you possibly eat that I can't handle?"
Xiao Qiang fell silent for a beat before handing over a small portion of his special chili powder. "Just a little, okay? It's really not something you want to overdo."
Scoffing, Xiao Hongchen dumped half the packet over his food.
The moment the spiced skewer entered his mouth, he held his cool for precisely one second.
Then—
"WATER! GIVE ME WATER!"
A full jug of water and several glasses later, Xiao Hongchen was panting with steam practically shooting from his ears.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! My whole body's on fire!!"
"There's a chili pepper called Devil Spicy in Donghai City," Xiao Qiang explained, calmly eating another skewer. "Ordinary people might actually die if they eat it. Soul masters can survive, but it's still intense."
"Why would you even eat that stuff?! Are you insane?"
"It's not for no reason. I didn't have many resources in Donghai City. I had to find ways to improve my soul power quickly. As a spiritual soul master, strong emotional stimuli can help me generate more spiritual power—and that helps my cultivation."
He paused, glancing at the skewer in his hand.
"Joy, anger, pain—it all works, as long as it hits hard. Pain just happens to be the cheapest. If I chose to hurt myself physically, I'd have to pay for treatment. But spicy food? I could buy the ingredients with a few copper soul coins."
Meng Hongchen blinked. "Couldn't you get some proper medicine?"
"I could, but I couldn't afford it. I didn't have any parents or anyone to rely on. Fortunately, an uncle from Donghai helped me. He gave me all the support he could—soul guidance tools, training tips, even some resources. But he was just a four-ring soul engineer. His help could only go so far."
"Even though I'm not poor now, I guess I've gotten used to it… the spice, the heat. My body and appetite just adapted."
"So you're an orphan?" Xiao Hongchen asked, clearly surprised.
"Not exactly. But close enough. I didn't have any family to protect me, that's for sure."
Meng Hongchen patted her brother's shoulder. "Say, Xiao, didn't you still have a whole stash of third- and fourth-ring medicine pills you never used? Aren't you ashamed bullying someone who's practically an orphan?"
Xiao Hongchen: "…"