"Watch out!"
Zhao Wuji instantly raised his guard. After all, they were deep in the Star Dou Great Forest now, where ten-thousand-year soul beasts could appear at any moment. Naturally, extreme caution was necessary.
Before long, they spotted a large black panther in the distance—but oddly enough, the panther wasn't approaching on its own. It was being carried by someone.
That someone was a young man in a black cloak. His aura was unstable, his hair messy, and a fresh wound was visible on his clothing—clearly a result of a fierce battle with the panther.
Anyone with a discerning eye could tell: the boy had just engaged in a brutal fight with the beast and emerged victorious, though injured.
By his side stood a girl with braided scorpion-tail hair. Her face was flushed, showing clear signs of exertion and intense movement—it was obvious the battle had been no less fierce for her.
These two were none other than Li Chang'an and Xiao Wu. After their "intimate exchange," Li Chang'an had deliberately disguised himself, then brought Xiao Wu back with him.
"We're back!"
Li Chang'an greeted them with a tired smile, then casually tossed the panther he had been carrying in front of Zhu Zhuqing.
"Zhuqing, this is a Shadow Panther, about five thousand years old. It has both dark-element attributes and high speed—perfect for you. We ran into it on the way back, so I took it down for you. Go ahead and absorb it."
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at the wound on Li Chang'an, then looked at the panther. A flicker of emotion crossed her eyes, though she didn't show it openly. She knew what he had done for her—and that was more than enough.
"Thank you. I won't forget this."
With that, she released her Midnight Shadow Cat martial soul and ended the Shadow Panther's life with one blow.
A deep, lustrous purple soul ring appeared in front of everyone—far more intense than the two-thousand-year one Tang San had acquired.
Just as Zhu Zhuqing was about to start the absorption process, Dai Mubai suddenly stepped forward.
"Hold on, Zhu Zhuqing—are you sure about absorbing a five-thousand-year soul ring for your third one? That's way beyond the norm."
Without even glancing at him, Zhu Zhuqing snapped, "Mind your own business. If you can't do it, don't assume others can't."
Rather than listening to Dai Mubai's warnings, she chose to believe in Li Chang'an's earlier advice.
Sitting down cross-legged, Zhu Zhuqing slowly began pulling the purple soul ring toward herself to start the absorption.
The others immediately took up positions to protect her, though their attention kept drifting back to Li Chang'an and Xiao Wu.
They were clearly dying to know how the two had escaped.
Scratching his head, Li Chang'an gave a sheepish grin. "Well… we got lucky. After we were captured by the Titan Giant Ape, it started running like mad. Then, after a while, we heard this roar from deep within the forest. It sounded like a cross between a bull and a dragon. Right after that, the Titan Giant Ape just dropped us and left."
"That roar was terrifying. Tons of spirit beasts fainted on the spot. In the chaos, Xiao Wu broke through to level 30, so we grabbed the soul ring from one of the unconscious beasts and made our way back."
"On the way here, we ran into this Shadow Panther. Since it was perfect for Zhu Zhuqing, I fought it, beat it within an inch of its life, and brought it back."
Everyone took a sharp breath. Even though Li Chang'an made it sound casual, the dangers involved were obvious.
Not to mention—he had fought a five-thousand-year soul beast alone in the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest. That was terrifying in its own right. His strength and fearlessness were both on full display.
"Alright," said Zhao Wuji, summing things up, "Changsheng, get some rest and recover from your injuries. Once Zhu Zhuqing finishes absorbing her soul ring, we'll leave."
He sighed, "I never expected there to be something in the forest scarier than the Titan Giant Ape… This place truly hides monsters."
Li Chang'an quietly thought to himself: 'If you knew how many savage beasts and even a being on par with a god were hidden in there, you'd probably break down on the spot.'
Thanks to his "injuries" not being serious, Li Chang'an recovered quickly, once again stunning Zhao Wuji.
Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing had successfully drawn the soul ring into her body and was entering the most critical phase of absorption.
Fortunately, thanks to the immortal herb she'd taken earlier and the powerful evolution of her martial soul, the Midnight Shadow Cat, her body had already been tempered to an extraordinary degree. Absorbing a Shadow Panther was no longer difficult for her.
At this key moment, Li Chang'an gently transmitted his spiritual voice into her ear:
"Steady your heart. You wield the Midnight Shadow Cat. A mere Shadow Panther is nothing you can't handle."
Zhu Zhuqing's previously anxious expression instantly relaxed. It was as though, in a moment of loneliness and struggle, she had caught a glimpse of light in her life. His voice warmed her heart like sunlight in a cold forest.
At the same time, Li Chang'an learned that Tang San had advanced to Spirit Elder, and had absorbed a Man-Faced Demon Spider, even obtaining an external soul bone.
He sighed to himself: 'Main characters… they really are freakin' ridiculous!'
Soon, a powerful surge of purple energy rippled out from Zhu Zhuqing, accompanied by a mix of feline growls and panther roars. Spirit beasts nearby scattered as if something terrifying was about to emerge.
Li Chang'an could clearly sense her soul power had surged to around level 35. She had fully capitalized on the effects of the immortal herb!
Zhu Zhuqing opened her dazzling cat-like eyes and glanced at Li Chang'an first thing—giving the faintest nod of acknowledgement.
In the next instant, her figure blurred—and reappeared fifty meters away!
"Was that… teleportation?" Fatty blinked in disbelief. At the same time, he sensed the aura from Zhu Zhuqing's martial soul—an aura that seemed purer and stronger than his own Evil Fire Phoenix, which carried some impurities.
"No, it's just speed," Tang San said, shaking his head. But inwardly, he was deeply stirred.
He had thought that absorbing a powerful soul ring beyond his level made him impressive—only for Zhu Zhuqing to do something even more outrageous.
'Maybe the Blue Silver Grass really isn't fit for cultivation… Should I be training that hammer instead?'
Even Dai Mubai felt a wave of pressure. Zhu Zhuqing could now go toe-to-toe with him head-on—and not be at a disadvantage. The mysterious connection between their martial souls… had vanished.
The last bond between him and Zhu Zhuqing—was gone.
Dai Mubai's pupils dilated in shock. He couldn't believe it. The Dai and Zhu clans had been intertwined for generations. And yet—
"Alright, let's move. We'll talk soul skills once we're back. This place is still dangerous," Zhao Wuji ordered.
Everyone—including Li Chang'an—nodded. Following the formation Li Chang'an had laid out, the group began their retreat.
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T/N:
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