Ju Zi shook her head, not caring whether Lin Xiao saw it, and quietly sat down beside him.
"Is something up?"
Lin Xiao glanced at Ju Zi. Though the recent time had improved her demeanor, her body was still noticeably thin. As the night breeze blew through her clothes, they seemed to hang loosely on her.
"Were you there that night too?"
Though it was a question, Ju Zi clearly already had her answer.
Martial souls might be similar, but five ten-thousand-year soul rings weren't something you'd see easily. Lin Xiao didn't deny it, but he didn't confirm it either.
He didn't dare underestimate the person before him. In the future, she would be the true power behind the Sun Moon Empire. Though her cultivation wasn't impressive, that only highlighted her cunning. He always had to stay cautious around her.
"Actually, I'm really scared."
Ju Zi's voice came softly, almost like she was talking to herself. "My father was a chef. When I was little, seeing him handle those small animals, I'd secretly feel sad for a long time…"
Lin Xiao could feel the figure beside him trembling slightly. At this moment, she wasn't the future Empress Dowager of the Sun Moon Empire, just a young girl who had endured many hardships.
For someone like him, accustomed to life and death, that bloody night was just another common scene in the Holy Spirit Sect. But for Ju Zi, it was a significant shock. To be able to speak calmly with Xu Tianran afterward was something not many could manage.
In the night breeze, Ju Zi's murmurs continued, talking about her childhood, about things that happened while fleeing.
Wandering alone had left her mentally and physically exhausted. She had thought gaining Xu Tianran's trust would bring her some peace, but that night's events made her realize that being by Xu Tianran's side was even more dangerous than her time on the run.
Living in the palace, she was constantly on edge, with no one to confide in—everywhere she looked, there were Xu Tianran's spies.
Perhaps it was the faint sense of comfort she felt in that hazy moment after being injured, lying in someone's arms, that made her feel a bit at ease sitting beside Lin Xiao. Words she had bottled up in her heart drifted far into the night of the Jingyang Mountain Range.
Lin Xiao didn't speak, just quietly listening to her pour out her thoughts, as if she were reminiscing or reinforcing her resolve for revenge.
Until he felt a slight warmth beside him. Turning his head, he saw Ju Zi had leaned against him and fallen fast asleep.
The Jingyang Mountain Range was silent. No person or soul beast noticed this simple campsite. Occasionally, a soul beast's roar echoed in the distance, only to quickly fade into the wind.
Ma Rulong suddenly woke from meditation, opening his eyes. Checking the time, he shifted his body, preparing to stand.
"Where are you going?"
"Mi Jia, you're not meditating?" Ma Rulong looked at Mi Jia with some confusion.
Mi Jia opened his eyes briefly, giving Ma Rulong a response.
"Didn't we agree earlier? I'm going to take over the watch. Senior Lin probably hasn't rested yet."
"You'd better not disturb Senior. Didn't you notice that Senior Lin and the new student, Ju Zi, know each other?"
"Hm?" Ma Rulong glanced to the side, only then realizing that the spot where Ju Zi had been sitting was empty.
Though their conversation was quiet, in such a silent place, soul masters' hearing could pick it up clearly. But just as Lin Xiao was about to turn around, his expression suddenly changed.
"Something's up!"
With a low shout, he stood up.
Ma Rulong and Mi Jia reacted quickly, standing up and equipping their soul tools. Ju Zi, startled awake, cautiously observed their surroundings.
A stench unique to soul beasts filled the air. Just as Lin Xiao and the others prepared themselves, countless pairs of green, flame-like eyes appeared densely around them.
Lin Xiao narrowed his eyes. Even in the darkness, he could see the silver-gray fur glinting with a metallic sheen.
Silver Wolves.
Their distinctive features allowed Lin Xiao to identify the soul beasts immediately.
These were soul beasts unique to the Sun Moon Continent, requiring mithril to break through their cultivation bottlenecks. Because mithril was highly adaptable to various elements, these soul beasts could wield the six elements of water, fire, earth, wind, light, and darkness.
Lin Xiao wasn't unfamiliar with these creatures. His memories from his previous life included knowledge of them, and he had paid extra attention to them when learning about rare metals and their associated soul beasts from Lin Jiayi.
Lin Xiao scanned the area but didn't spot a Silver Wolf King with a noticeably larger size. Still, his expression wasn't optimistic.
If it were a single soul beast, even a ten-thousand-year one, he could handle it. But these pack-dwelling wolf soul beasts, though mostly at the thousand-year level with some hundred-year ones, were still formidable in such numbers.
Soul beasts were far more intelligent than ordinary animals. The fact that these Silver Wolves surrounded them without attacking showed they were prepared for a prolonged battle. Soul masters' soul power was limited, and if dragged out, the wolves could exhaust them.
"We can't wait for them to come closer. Prepare to break out."
Understanding their behavior, Lin Xiao quickly devised a plan and whispered to the others. With a boom, a bright light illuminated the entire hilltop.
Ma Rulong, skilled in mid-to-long-range combat as a soul mentor, acted the moment Lin Xiao attacked. Dozens of beams shot toward the wolf pack.
As a reserve member for the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Tool Academy's Douluo Tournament, his strength was undeniable. His attack pierced through two hundred-year Silver Wolves and left a scorched mark on a thousand-year one.
Mi Jia, who had worked with Ma Rulong multiple times, flashed the light of his storage soul tool, and a shield appeared in his hand, protecting Ma Rulong and Ju Zi behind him.
Boom—
Another thick beam shot from the front of Lin Xiao's mechanical arm. He stepped forward, charging ahead.
"Go!"
The massive mechanical arm looked cumbersome, but with the aid of its charging soul tool, it wasn't hard to maneuver. Its weight added significant power, and with each swing, Silver Wolves half the height of an adult were sent flying.
Though Ma Rulong was tall, his attacks were precise. Thin beams shot from his arms, each aimed at the vulnerable eyes of the Silver Wolves.
A sharp howl pierced the air, and Mi Jia quickly raised his hand. A clear mark appeared on his shield.
But just as he blocked the attack, the surrounding temperature spiked. A massive fireball shot from the distance, and Mi Jia, who had been in the dark, was momentarily blinded, unable to see his surroundings clearly.