Que Zelian and Mo Jiao were already Five Stars, requiring a significant amount of Star Stones. However, as they hit the threshold to upgrade to Six Stars, they would need even more Star Stones to move further.
Meanwhile, Su Ye advanced from Four Stars to Five Stars, and both Yu Yunxiao and Huaiqing advanced from Three Stars to Four Stars.
The six of them were all in good spirits tonight. Huaiqing, using the dry rations they had brought, managed to prepare a meal that felt like a feast.
Just as the six were relaxing and waiting for dinner, another group of people arrived at the villa.
"This place is already occupied?" A surprised female voice sounded.
Xiao Jinsheng turned her head at the sound and saw a tall, dark-eyed woman with shoulder-length hair. She carried an air of authority.
Could she try to approach her and inquire about boosting spiritual power?
"Can you tell her spiritual power level?" Xiao Jinsheng whispered to Que Zelian.
Que Zelian glanced indifferently, "Three Star spiritual power."
"Apologies, the Mist West turned dark an hour earlier than usual today. We found only this house within five kilometers, so we rushed over. Didn't expect anyone to already be here," said a man with a buzz cut, broad shoulders, and a towering stature.
Xiao Jinsheng looked at his figure. He must be at least two meters tall.
She turned back to Mo Jiao and remarked softly, "He's taller than you."
"He's beastified as a brown bear, with a Five Star superpower," Mo Jiao noted.
"The darkness outside brings heightened danger. We genuinely don't have time to search for another shelter. Could you spare us some space to rest?" Xiong Yan Yu offered two Three Star Star Stones to Su Ye, who stood on the outermost edge, carrying a long blade.
In the Mist West, shelters belonged to whoever found them first.
It was rare for two completely unfamiliar groups to share a single shelter.
Unless one group couldn't find a sanctuary and had a female among their ranks, they might offer resources to negotiate with the team that had secured a shelter.
In the Mist West, once the skies darken, beasts and Fog Corpses become highly active, and wandering outdoors risks triggering a swarm of Fog Corpses.
So, when the darkness fell, Task Takers would find a place to rest and avoid roaming around.
Su Ye didn't decide immediately but instead turned back to look at Xiao Jinsheng.
Although Xiao Jinsheng wanted to build ties with another female and seek advice on certain matters, she had read enough apocalypse-themed novels to know that unfamiliar teams often carried hidden dangers.
More than the opportunity to learn about spiritual power enhancement, she feared potential threats. Unable to determine whether the group had ill intentions, she passed the decision to the five men: "You all decide."
"We'll clean up the right-side living room and kitchen first. You can take the empty rooms on the left side," Su Ye said, accepting the Star Stones as he gave the instructions.
"That's great, thank you!" Xiong Yan Yu was delighted. He turned around and, in excitement, picked up his wife to spin her happily in two circles.
Peng Qin furiously pinched his ear, snapping, "Why are you hugging me? Go clean up!"
Peng Qin's team consisted of one woman and five men — all of whom were her Beast Husbands.
Each of them had a broad, sturdy build. Through Que Zelian, Xiao Jinsheng learned about their strengths.
Three of the men had Five Star superpowers, while the other two had Four Star superpowers.
Their overall capability matched that of her current team.
As for their beastifications, the only thing she currently knew was that the tallest and broadest, Xiong Yan Yu, was a brown bear.
While Peng Qin's five men cleaned the rooms, she remained standing alone against a wall.
Xiao Jinsheng wanted to strike up a conversation, so she patted the couch beside her and smiled: "Sis, why don't you come over and sit for a bit?"
Peng Qin glanced over and saw a charming young woman.
Her foxy, spirited eyes were just the type Peng Qin liked.
With a hearty smile, she agreed, "Sure, I was feeling bored anyway."
"I'm Peng Qin. Those five are my men," Peng Qin said as she sat beside Xiao Jinsheng, introducing herself.
With two females seated on the couch, Xiao Jinsheng's five men instinctively stood up. Yu Yunxiao went to the kitchen to help Huaiqing prepare the food.
Su Ye stood guard at the door. Mo Jiao had wandered off somewhere, and Que Zelian moved to sit by the window, maintaining a distance of four meters from Xiao Jinsheng.
If Xiao Jinsheng encountered danger, he'd be able to act instantly.
"I'm Xiao Jinsheng. They're all my Beast Husbands," Xiao Jinsheng said with a smile.
Peng Qin glanced at Que Zelian and the others and commented boldly, "Your five Beast Husbands are impressive! Handsome, well-built, and refined."
"Unlike my five big guys, who are all blocky and dopey." Though lamenting in her words, a satisfied light sparkled in Peng Qin's eyes.
Xiao Jinsheng was speechless.
It was her first time having a friendly chat with a same-sex companion on Mist Continent.
She truly hadn't expected the opening subject to be about the other person's men.
As someone who could be playful and uninhibited around familiar faces but required considerable courage to briefly match energy with strangers, Xiao Jinsheng was racking her brain for an appropriate topic. That was when Peng Qin bluntly asked, "Jinsheng, are you newly married?"
"I've been married for six months," Xiao Jinsheng answered.
Puzzled, Peng Qin paused her gossip session. She rechecked Xiao Jinsheng's spiritual power level and confirmed it was indeed One Star Level.
"Married for six months and your spiritual power is still One Star? That's strange," Peng Qin asked straightforwardly. "From my experience, I've observed your five men are good-looking and should be quite capable in... marital affairs. After six months, you should be higher than One Star. This doesn't make sense."
"I've also been married for six months, and now my spiritual power is Three Stars."
"Wh-What?" Xiao Jinsheng exclaimed in shock.
Her face instantly turned crimson, and her mind plunged into chaos.
Were such explicit remarks casually acceptable on Mist Continent?
"Given the appearance, physique, and strength of your five men, even if your foundation is weak, you should be at Four Stars by now," Peng Qin continued, unapologetically blunt.
Xiao Jinsheng, utterly flustered, hurriedly covered her mouth.
She glanced back and was relieved to find Peng Qin's gossiping voice wasn't too loud. Clearly, her own five men hadn't noticed their conversation.
"Sister Qin, so advancing spiritual power... it's... by sleeping with men?" Xiao Jinsheng stammered.
"Of course! Sleeping with men is definitely the way," Peng Qin replied, lowering her voice when she saw Xiao Jinsheng's panicked expression.
The two women leaned their heads together, speaking in hushed tones.
"Men with good looks, good physiques, and high abilities are all incredibly beneficial for accelerating spiritual power advancement," Peng Qin explained. Then, as though realizing something, her eyes widened: "Wait, you can't mean... you haven't slept with them yet, right?"
Xiao Jinsheng, blushing furiously, stayed silent.
With their frequent bickering and occasional fights, how could they have time for that?
"I guessed as much. For your group of five Beast Husbands, it's absurd that after six months of marriage, your spiritual power is still One Star," Peng Qin said, sounding exasperated.
Her confusion now resolved, Peng Qin's curiosity pivoted: "Why won't you be with them? Sleeping with your contracted men boosts spiritual power far faster than sleeping with others."
"Sleeping with others?" Xiao Jinsheng's worldview teetered on the brink of collapse.
Was it the world that had lost its mind, or was it her?
"Of course. Some girls don't get along with their Beast Husbands, so their husbands might get stolen by other women," Peng Qin said, adding a warning: "Keep the method for spiritual power advancement to yourself. Don't mention it to your men."
"I would rather die than tell them," Xiao Jinsheng said, almost in tears.
She had searched for two whole days and one night for a way to enhance her spiritual power, only for the answer to be this absurd.
"You should hurry up and take your five Beast Husbands already," Peng Qin urged her, annoyed at her hesitation. "A Beast Husband's first time offers the most spiritual power boost."
"I..." Xiao Jinsheng stammered, her hands trembling.
She felt like she hadn't traveled to a post-apocalyptic world but instead landed in some bizarre and morally confusing story.
As she struggled to process the revelations, Que Zelian suddenly appeared, having left the window seat at some point. Now standing a meter away, he calmly reminded her: "Dinner's ready."