Chapter 46: The Rose Hotel

"Seventh Soul Skill, Cat-Hawk True Body!" Flender uttered these words.

The seventh soul ring beneath his feet suddenly flared into brilliant light. In an instant, the cat-hawk behind Flender began to merge into his body. Dense feathers slowly sprouted across his arms and entire back, and a pale-yellow, bizarre eyewear materialized over his eyes, with two small, piercing holes exposed right in the center...

Under his Cat-Hawk True Body form, Flender was brimming with confidence—though certainly not when it came to combat...

He muttered inwardly to himself, "In terms of raw strength, I definitely can't beat him, but can't I still run? Back in the day, how many brushes with death did I evade thanks to this unique flying martial soul!"

Flender flashed a smile toward Xu Sheng, his wings flapping slowly as he lifted into the air. "Your冕下 (Your Majesty / Your Excellency), this time it is my mistake. If you want those two items, take them both. Please excuse me for a moment!"

With that, he dashed toward the window...

Standing in place, the corners of Xu Sheng's lips curved upward slightly as he said flatly, "Want to leave? Is it really that easy?"

Just a Soul Saint, yet he thought he could escape from a Titled Douluo simply by relying on a flying martial soul. How absurd!

However, Flender, suspended in mid-air, did not see it that way. Gazing at the window within arm's reach, he gloated inwardly, "So what if you're a Titled Douluo? You can still only watch helplessly as I make my escape."

Before he could finish the thought, his entire body was about to clear the window frame...

"Get back here!" Xu Sheng commanded with a cold shout, waving his hand as countless vines of the Nine-Heart Blood Begonia lashed out with blinding speed, wrapping tightly around Flender's legs...

Then, with a violent yank, he forcefully hauled the rapidly escaping Flender right back inside...

Reeling backward into the upper reaches of the room, Flender stabilized his footing. Staring at the vines tightly binding his legs, he cursed furiously, "Damn it!"

Immediately afterward, a wave of numbness surged through his lower limbs...

This discovery shocked Flender to the core. "What? These vines are actually poisonous! This is bad—if I don't escape now, I really won't get away!"

Flender's second soul ring lit up as he shouted coldly, "Second Soul Skill, Ripping Claws!"

His beast-transformed legs took on a terrifying appearance, a layer of pale-blue blade-qi slowly condensing upon them...

He then slashed viciously toward the base of the Nine-Heart Blood Begonia vines...

How could Xu Sheng allow this little trick to succeed so easily? He said indifferently, "Third Soul Skill, Blood Begonia's Defense!"

The third soul ring at his feet illuminated, and a protective barrier manifested around the roots of the vines, encasing them securely within.

Flender's second soul skill struck, but the razor-sharp blade-qi was instantly disintegrated the moment it made contact with the luminous barrier...

"What? A barrier as thin as film possesses defense this formidable?" Flender muttered, cold sweat pouring down his back in torrents...

Xu Sheng extended his palm toward Flender and said coldly, "Fifth Soul Skill, Blood-Toxic Begonia!"

He no longer wished to play cat-and-mouse with this fellow; he simply wanted to give him a thorough...

Beating!

As his words fell, the fifth soul ring glowed. Several stalks of Nine-Heart Blood Begonia emitting a faint green radiance suddenly sprouted around the neck of Flender, who was still hovering in the air.

A searing heat and a wave of intense dizziness permeated Flender's body. His complexion turned deathly pale in a split second, and the frequency of his wingbeats plummeted dramatically...

Xu Sheng's fourth soul ring lit up once more. "Fourth Soul Skill! Rampant Growth!"

The stalks of Nine-Heart Blood Begonia clinging to Flender's body instantly surged with rampant growth, enveloping his entire frame. The next moment, the flowers flared with blinding light, devouring Flender's soul power completely in a single instant...

Forcing him out of his True Body form and causing him to plummet helplessly toward the floor...

With a loud "thud," a massive impact echoed through the room like a thunderclap...

Sprawled on the ground, Flender rubbed his dizzy head, curling his body into a ball. He gazed with fearful eyes at the approaching Xu Sheng and pleaded, "Your Excellency, I truly had no intention of offending you. Let's not resort to violence—we can talk this out..."

Xu Sheng merely offered a cold sneer. "An explanation? Ha..."

...

Stepping out of Flender's small shop, Xu Sheng glanced back at the unconscious Flender inside the room...

He pulled his hood back down over his head, though his right index finger now sported a ring glowing with a faint red luster...

Though Xu Sheng's expression remained icy, he felt a distinct sense of relief. He gazed up at the boundless, clear blue sky...

"Beating Flender up really does feel much better afterwards."

Beating someone using pure physical strength without relying on soul rings—this was the ultimate stress-relief method Xu Sheng had learned from Tang Hao...

After wandering around a bit longer, Xu Sheng came to a halt in front of a hotel. Slowly raising his gaze to the luxurious establishment before him, he clearly made out the four glowing characters shining above: "Rose Hotel."

After a few seconds of silent contemplation, Xu Sheng strode inside the Rose Hotel...

Upon entering, a rich, refreshing fragrance of roses washed over him, seemingly capable of instantly heightening one's spirits.

He glanced around his surroundings before walking up to the front desk...

The woman busy tallying accounts snapped back to reality upon hearing footsteps, but when she looked up and caught sight of Xu Sheng's bizarre attire, she was genuinely startled...

Resisting the surge of disdain rising within her, she forced herself to ask with utmost professionalism, "Sir... are you looking to stay the night?"

The Rose Hotel was a frequent haunt for couples, prized for its elegant and romantic layout. Yet Xu Sheng's outfit dragged the hotel's class down by countless notches!

It might even seriously inconvenience the next batch of guests!

With his face largely concealed, Xu Sheng silently nodded and slid a black card across the counter, saying flatly, "Mhm, get me a room..."

The female receptionist didn't think much of it at first glance, but the moment her eyes fell upon the card, she drew in a sharp breath of air and stared in utter shock. "Th-This is the exclusive card of the Spirit Hall Supreme Pontiff?"

Before Xu Sheng could speak, the woman realized her lapse in composure and offered a rather awkward, nervous chuckle. "Um, sir, might I... ask your identity?"

This was the exclusive card of the Spirit Hall Supreme Pontiff; the identity of the user had to be verified!

If it turned out to be forged, the person using it would face relentless hunting and execution by Spirit Hall!

Xu Sheng merely cast a cold glance in her direction, causing her to instantly fall silent. She hastily lowered her head and began processing the room reservation for him...

"Here is your card, and..." The receptionist finished the paperwork and was about to hand the room key to Xu Sheng when—

"Wait! Are there any rooms left?" A graceful, slender figure hurried up to the counter, panting slightly as she asked.

The two of them looked over. The young woman was dressed in a light-blue long dress that accentuated her curvaceous, full-figured physique. Her slender waist was enough to spark wild imagination, and the innate nobility she exuded made it obvious at a glance that her background was anything but ordinary...

Upon recognizing the woman, Xu Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly...

He thought to himself inwardly, "Surely it can't be this much of a coincidence? I certainly didn't expect to run into Ning Rongrong here at the Rose Hotel!"

Ning Rongrong had blossomed over the years, maturing into a delicately proportioned beauty. Her casual speech was filled with elegance and serenity, leaving almost no trace of her former willful petulance.

The receptionist offered an apologetic smile. "I'm terribly sorry, miss. The very last couple's suite in our hotel has just been booked by this gentleman here."

Ning Rongrong glanced sideways at Xu Sheng, whose face remained obscured from view. A look of helpless resignation crossed her features as she let out a soft sigh. "Ah? But none of the surrounding hotels have any rooms left either!"