Thinking about how he had scared Xiao Jinsheng not long ago with a bloody and mangled rabbit head, Su Ye fell silent.
Now, it wasn't Xiao Jinsheng worrying about how to repair the relationship with him.
It was Su Ye's turn to worry about how to repair the relationship with Xiao Jinsheng.
As for the Divorce Alliance of her beast husbands, where yet another member had betrayed her, Xiao Jinsheng remained oblivious.
But Que Zelian, who was strong and overheard the conversation among the four men, was well aware.
Yet for reasons unknown, he didn't alert Xiao Jinsheng about Su Ye's change of heart just moments ago.
With his head lowered, he reached out to stop Xiao Jinsheng mid-Star Stone absorption. His hand, far from behaving itself, was roaming over her toned abs. Flicking her smooth forehead lightly, he said, "Focus on what you're doing, and stop letting your hands wander."
"I didn't let my hands wander!" Xiao Jinsheng protested pitifully.
Seeing her instantly drop into innocent mode when reasoning failed, Que Zelian was speechless, merely gazing at her with a faint smile.
Feeling guilty under his searing gaze, Xiao Jinsheng fortified her resolve once more: "I wasn't aimless. I had a clear objective—to touch your abs. I didn't stray from my target, so how can you call it wandering?"
"You always have the most twisted logic." Que Zelian was exasperated, yet amused, by her antics.
Xiao Jinsheng pressed her lips into a grin. This time, she refrained from teasing him further, closing her eyes to obediently continue absorbing the Star Stone.
But after absorbing all ten One-Star Star Stones, her spiritual power remained unchanged.
Unwilling to accept this, she switched to Two-Star, Three-Star, and even Four-Star Star Stones in sequence.
After absorbing them, her One-Star spiritual power still showed no changes.
"I think... I'm broken…" Xiao Jinsheng collapsed in despair.
Her only advantage right now was her spiritual power, her golden cheat ability. If her spiritual power couldn't improve, how could she keep those five men under her thumb?
She couldn't possibly end up relying on threats of death every time, could she?
"You really do have a problem," Que Zelian frowned thoughtfully.
He had watched Xiao Jinsheng absorb the Star Stones and could confirm that neither the stones nor her absorption method had any issues.
Yet on her, the Star Stone's power was sinking like a stone to the seabed, stirring no ripples at all.
Unconvinced, Que Zelian placed his palm flat against Xiao Jinsheng's abdomen.
Startled by his sudden move, Xiao Jinsheng flinched.
Lowering her head, she saw her small stomach entirely covered by his broad hand. Warmth flowed steadily from his palm into her lower abdomen.
"W-what are you doing?" Xiao Jinsheng's voice faltered as she clutched Que Zelian's collar in nervousness.
"Clear your head of those filthy thoughts," Que Zelian sighed helplessly, then explained his findings: "I'm certain there's nothing wrong with you, or the Star Stones."
"The Star Stones you absorbed strengthened your physique. In your current state, if that limping Fog Corpse chases you again, you can run an extra five meters."
"What about my spiritual power?" Xiao Jinsheng asked anxiously.
Que Zelian had a theory in mind: "Clearly, the improvement of your spiritual power doesn't come from Star Stones. It must rely on something else."
"Did the terminal not tell you how to improve spiritual power?" Que Zelian inquired.
Xiao Jinsheng shook her head. "I've searched for all the possible information. The terminal didn't provide any hints."
"Also, on Mist Continent, all females have One-Star spiritual power before marriage, only gaining Star Levels after marriage," Xiao Jinsheng added, mentioning Bai Yan on her own accord. "Bai Yan and I were neighbors from childhood. Before marriage, her spiritual power was One Star; one year into her marriage, it skyrocketed to Five Stars."
After finishing her explanation, Xiao Jinsheng sighed: "I'll have to find a chance to ask other females how they improved their spiritual power."
For some unknown reason, the original owner of this body had no friends in this world.
The only connection she had was Bai Yan—naturally, the two were sworn enemies.
Que Zelian's eyes flickered briefly as he looked down at the still-frustrated Xiao Jinsheng. Based on her statements, he developed a new theory about how she might enhance her spiritual power.
However, the idea was utterly absurd.
He kept his thoughts to himself, dismissing them as an error in judgment.
Venturing deeper into Mist West would only mean encountering greater dangers, and Xiao Jinsheng feared their scarce strength wouldn't be sufficient to protect her.
Moreover, since absorbing Star Stones failed to enhance her spiritual power—merely strengthening her physique slightly—
she decided to return four-fifths of the Star Stones the five men had turned over to her, keeping only one-fifth for herself.
"Once it's given to you, it's yours. Why give it back?" Su Ye frowned.
"Because I care about you all, of course," Xiao Jinsheng chuckled lightly. "If your skills are too weak, how will you protect me? If you can't protect me, how will you protect yourselves?"
"I told you, I'm trying to improve! My improvement isn't just in words. Look at all these Star Stones—I'm showing you action as proof of my change."
Hearing such agreeable words leave Xiao Jinsheng's mouth was a rare occurrence. The five men held the Star Stones she had returned to them, treating it as an unexpected windfall.
This trip's wristbands had a durability of 10,000 points, meaning they would venture deeper into Mist West to hunt for more supplies.
To minimize risk, it was crucial for everyone to improve their skills.
With five men, plus Xiao Jinsheng hoping to improve her fitness, the six divided themselves into groups to absorb Star Stones and enhance their strength.
They rested in a newly secured villa, tidying up the living room, and split into pairs.
Xiao Jinsheng raised her hand to group with Mo Jiao, proposing that she and Mo Jiao absorb Star Stones together. She then assigned Que Zelian and Yu Yunxiao to guard their group while Su Ye and Huaiqing handled patrol duties in the surrounding area.
"What, are you that afraid I'll kill you while you're absorbing Star Stones?" Mo Jiao sneered.
"Killer Mo, your words severely damage my delicate heart. Minus three points for you—you're now at negative fifty-three."
"Got it, Scoring Lady." Mo Jiao snorted.
"He's giving me a nickname!" Xiao Jinsheng pouted, running to Que Zelian to complain.
"Alright, alright. Let's ignore him," Que Zelian comforted her. "Come sit here by me and absorb your Star Stones."
Mo Jiao watched their familiar interaction, as Xiao Jinsheng shed her previous attitude and showed complete trust in Que Zelian, feeling an inexplicable tightness in his chest.
Sitting closely next to Que Zelian, Xiao Jinsheng's radiant smile stood in stark contrast to the venomous behavior she had displayed just half a year ago, when she'd insulted him cruelly and locked him in the basement.
Suppressing his inner bitterness and rage, Mo Jiao redirected his focus to the Star Stone in his hand.
This deceitful yet malevolent woman—what was so appealing about her?
His priority now was to get stronger and finalize his divorce from Xiao Jinsheng.
He vowed to sever ties with her forever!
After three rounds of Star Stone absorption, it was already late afternoon.
Due to the heavy mist shrouding Mist West, afternoon skies were as dark as midnight.
Traveling at night meant facing increased dangers.
The six decided to spend the night resting in the villa, where Xiao Jinsheng—under Que Zelian's guidance—set up her portable tent.
She eagerly took over assembling the tent, feeling her strength had noticeably increased compared to before.
The Star Stones acquired from defeating Fog Corpses today had all been used up among the group.
Though Xiao Jinsheng's spiritual power still hadn't changed, her physical strength had improved by three points.
Meanwhile, the long-stagnant Superpower Levels of the five men had all advanced in varying degrees.