After meditating on the spot to restore her stamina and spirit power, Dong Qianqiu followed Gu Xun into the forest.
Dong Qianqiu remained on standby at all times, while Gu Xun wandered around, glancing at the skills within his Genshin Impact mod interface.
The skills from Genshin Impact had become localized after being integrated into the Douluo Continent, such as Shen He's combat techniques.
No longer bound by cooldowns or damage multipliers, they could be sustained indefinitely as long as Gu Xun's spirit power held.
Similarly, Gu Xun could consume enchanted golden apples to replenish spirit power while simultaneously manipulating objects to control enemies.
Isn't this just plain unfair? I'm not acting, but if Tang San got hit, he'd be obediently petrify for a few seconds.
Gu Xun remains too archetypal—few opponents can defeat a pay-to-win player who embodies both mechanics and values.
Back to the point, Gu Xun and Dong Qianqiu advanced haltingly along their path. With Gu Xun's assistance, Dong Qianqiu dispatched all attacking spirit beasts like slicing through vegetables.
Just then, Gu Xun paused and glanced toward the opposite direction. Dong Qianqiu, noticing Gu Xun's sudden halt, followed his gaze.
"Enemies?"
"Yep. Let's get outta here fast—the wind's picking up!"
Gu Xun grabbed Dong Qianqiu's small hand and took off running. Dong Qianqiu, dragged along in the escape, was a bit bewildered.
"What's wrong with Gu Xun? Are the enemies powerful?"
Dong Qianqiu was utterly bewildered. They had encountered an eight-hundred-year-old spirit beast earlier, and she had dispatched it as easily as slicing through a melon.
Why was Gu Xun suddenly dragging her away now? The next instant, a thunderous bear roar shook the surrounding area.
Hearing that furious roar, Dong Qianqiu's heart stopped. She whirled around in terror.
A three-meter colossus filled her vision—dark golden fur, terrifyingly formidable claws. It was undeniably a Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear.
Dong Qianqiu instantly understood why Gu Xun had dragged her away. Could they possibly handle this thing? Are you kidding me?!
Even a Spirit Ancestor could be torn apart by this thing if they weren't careful. And here he and Gu Xun were, mere lowly Spirit Masters.
The Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear seemed to lock onto Gu Xun and Dong Qianqiu, charging straight toward them at a speed rivaling that of a top-tier Agility-System Spirit Grandmaster.
"Gu Xun! It's catching up!"
Dong Qianqiu's face drained of color in an instant. Could this Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear really move this fast? Had someone secretly tampered with its speed?
"Tsk. Don't move. I'll carry you."
Gu Xun crouched down, wrapping his right arm around Dong Qianqiu's back and his left arm around her knees. With a sudden jerk, he hoisted her into a princess carry.
"Ah!"
Dong Qianqiu gasped as she was lifted off her feet. Her cheeks flushed crimson in an instant, her hands fluttering uncertainly.
"Seriously!"
Gu Xun instantly activated his Wind Wheels, transforming into a streak of azure light. A single dash covered ten meters.
Whoosh!
Gu Xun vanished like a streak of green light, leaving the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear utterly dumbfounded. Wait... wasn't that too... sneaky?
Gu Xun carried Dong Qianqiu for a full kilometer before finally stopping. He set the flushed Dong Qianqiu down, then pulled out an enchanted golden apple and began eating it.
Only now did Dong Qianqiu realize they'd escaped the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear's pursuit. She stared at Gu Xun in astonishment.
"Is this one of your self-created spirit skills too?"
"Hmm... sort of."
Gu Xun replied casually before quickly devouring the enchanted golden apple.
"Are you okay? You carried me this far..."
Though Dong Qianqiu couldn't fathom how Gu Xun had produced the golden apple, she remained concerned for her companion's condition.
"I'm fine. Let's keep moving. We should get far away to avoid encountering that Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear again."
"Alright. But seriously, were we really capable of facing that Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear?"
Dong Qianqiu followed Gu Xun while keeping an eye on his condition. Though she'd been the one fighting monsters all along, while Gu Xun mostly focused on buffing herself, she knew he'd been guarding her during her spirit power recovery sessions. Plus, she figured casting such potent support skills must drain his reserves significantly.
And then there was the fact he'd carried her all this way—who knew how much spirit power that had cost him?
"Do you need to recover your spirit power? I can guard you."
"No need. I have spirit skills for self-recovery."
"How many skills do you even have..."
Dong Qianqiu couldn't help but feel Gu Xun's spirit skills were practically free, pulling them out one after another.
Her own Ice Spikes, Ice Spear, and Solid Ice Thrust Array had only been strengthened and perfected with Gu Xun's guidance.
Sometimes Dong Qianqiu wondered what exactly filled Gu Xun's mind to possess so many spirit skills.
"Not many. Just a tiny bit."
The two chatted casually as they traversed the forest. When encountering spirit beasts, Gu Xun would simply cast an enhancement on Dong Qianqiu and then take a backseat.
Their coordination grew increasingly seamless, and they encountered few surprises afterward.
Weak spirit beasts that attacked them without warning were dealt with swiftly. When stronger ones appeared, Gu Xun simply grabbed Dong Qianqiu and made a run for it.
Dong Qianqiu felt soft and fragrant in his arms, her texture reminiscent of the three-eyed golden lion's transformed form, Di Qiu'er.
Her touch was genuinely soothing. Before long, six hours had passed, and they exited the virtual world.