Spined Pig

Flender kept Tang San behind, and Sister Xiao Wu, who was inseparable from Tang San, naturally stayed to wait for him.

Zhao Xuan, on the other hand, planned to head back and take a nap. After all, Flender had told them to rest well, and Zhao Xuan found a suitable excuse for himself.

However, after only a few steps, several village children suddenly ran over in a panic, shouting at Flender, "Lord Flender, Lord Flender."

Zhao Xuan stopped, looking at the children with some curiosity.

"What's wrong?"

Flender revealed a kind smile, startling Xiao Wu, who was beside him.

Was this still the face of that shrewd merchant uncle? You must be an imposter if you can show such a smile!

The children were out of breath from running so hard. After gasping for a while, they excitedly said, "Lord Flender, a Soul Beast has entered the village from the other side."

"Oh?"

Flender frowned and asked, "What does that Soul Beast look like?"

A slightly chubby boy gestured with his hands, "It's about... that big, and it looks a lot like a pig, with spikes on its back."

"It runs very fast, and our fathers can't catch it," a little girl added timidly.

Flender's brow relaxed. It was a Spined Pig. There were quite a few of these Soul Beasts in the forest south of Suotuo City. They were usually only ten years old, and it was rare to encounter a hundred-year-old one. He hadn't expected one to wander here.

He scanned the training ground around him. Besides Ning Rongrong, Oscar, Tang San, and Xiao Wu, only Hermione and Zhao Xuan were still there. Everyone else had already disappeared.

"Zhao Xuan, Hermione, you two go. It's just a small Soul Beast; catch it for an extra meal tonight. Be careful not to let the Spined Pig charge into the village and hurt someone," Flender instructed the two.

Then, he crouched down and said to the children, "You guys take the two older brothers and sisters there."

"Okay!"

The children responded energetically and immediately ran to Zhao Xuan.

Zhao Xuan hadn't wanted to go originally, but the children looked at him with their bright, curious, and expectant eyes, and he couldn't refuse.

"Hermione, let's go," he called to Hermione.

The village wasn't large. Midway down the small path leading to the cafeteria, there was a fork. Following the fork all the way forward would lead you across the entire village.

Led by the children, the two arrived at their destination not long after. On the other side of the village was a field of wheat. It was still summer, and the wheat was lush green.

Several middle-aged men stood around a patch of wheat, looking helpless. There were occasional noises coming from the middle of that wheat field.

Seeing the children bring a young man and woman, a middle-aged man quickly stepped forward.

He looked at the two with curiosity, a hint of respect on his face. After all, they were Soul Masters! Even if they were young, they were one of the most respected groups in this world.

"Lord Soul Masters," the middle-aged man said respectfully.

Zhao Xuan felt slightly uncomfortable but didn't say much. Such concepts were deeply ingrained.

He glanced at the wheat field and asked, "Is the Soul Beast in there?"

The middle-aged man had clearly seen more than the children. He recognized the type of Soul Beast and said, "It's in there. That Spined Pig has sharp quills on its back and can be very fast sometimes; we can't catch it. Someone was knocked down by it, and the quills on its back pierced his arm."

Zhao Xuan nodded. He looked at the wheat field and suddenly found himself in a dilemma. This patch of wheat wasn't small, and the Spined Pig was in the center of the field. If it were any other time, catching this little pig would be a piece of cake. However, fighting in the wheat field would inevitably damage the crops, which Zhao Xuan didn't want to see.

"Hermione, is there any way to lure it out?" Zhao Xuan's gaze suddenly fell on the elegant young woman beside him. He suddenly thought that this book-loving girl might have a solution.

Hermione touched her pointed chin with her right hand, her brown eyes showing a thoughtful expression.

"I remember a book saying that these Spined Pigs like to eat fruit," she suddenly said, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she spoke to Zhao Xuan.

"Did you hear that?" Zhao Xuan nodded and asked the middle-aged man beside them.

"Understood," the middle-aged man nodded, suddenly feeling relieved. These two young people, though seemingly young, were quite thoughtful.

The middle-aged man went to the village and found a pile of fruit, then placed it outside the wheat field. To allow the Spined Pig to smell the fruit, the fruits were chopped up. The sweet aroma of the fruit could spread far.

Afterward, Zhao Xuan asked the people guarding the wheat field to move further away. Zhao Xuan and Hermione stayed not far away to watch.

"When it comes out, I'll use my First Soul Skill, Immovable, to freeze it, and then you release Phoenix Rocket," Zhao Xuan told Hermione as they hid behind a large tree.

The tree trunk was straight, its branches and leaves lush, forming a canopy like an umbrella. A large area of shade lay beneath the canopy.

Although Zhao Xuan could easily capture the Spined Pig by himself, he would never miss an opportunity to be lazy.

"Mhm," Hermione nodded seriously.

The two stood behind the tree. Although the tree had a large trunk, it was still a bit cramped to hide two people, so they were standing very close to each other.

Leaning against each other, Hermione could feel the warmth emanating from Zhao Xuan beside her, as well as a peculiar, fresh scent.

For some reason, Hermione's ears turned a little red. She quietly glanced at Zhao Xuan and found him intently watching the movement ahead. His profile, like warm white jade, looked smooth and gentle, making it hard to tell if he was handsome or beautiful.

His dark pupils were as deep as the night sky, making it difficult to read his thoughts. As for his soft black hair, it even made Hermione, a girl, a little envious.

Staring blankly at Zhao Xuan for a moment, Hermione murmured, "He looks quite good when he's not being silly."

"Hmm? What did you say?" Zhao Xuan heard the movement and turned his head curiously.

Seeing the handsome face so close, Hermione panicked and quickly said, "Nothing."

"How strange..." Zhao Xuan muttered, staring at the blonde girl in front of him, then turned his head back.

Hermione shot Zhao Xuan an indignant look. As expected, she shouldn't have pinned any hopes on that idiot.

The two waited for a while before movement finally came from the wheat field. A Spined Pig, about the same size as San Pao, poked its head out from the edge of the field, cautiously observing its surroundings.

Its small eyes kept darting towards the fruit nearby. Hermione and Zhao Xuan's eyes widened as they stared intently at it.

"Whoosh!"

Like a gust of wind, the Spined Pig's black figure darted out from the lush green wheat field and rushed towards the fruit.

Zhao Xuan summoned his Martial Soul: Mobile Phone. The mobile phone appeared out of thin air and transformed into a bracelet that adorned his left wrist, with a square screen on the back of his hand.

When he discovered this function, Zhao Xuan had complained. It was just like a child's smart watch. If he had to shout a couple more times when activating a Soul Skill, he felt he could start endorsing commercials.

But no matter how much he complained, this method was the most conducive to combat.

Three Soul Rings rose up, and the first Soul Ring lit up. Zhao Xuan activated his First Soul Skill.

First Soul Skill: Immovable.

For every Soul Power Level increase, the immobilization time could be increased by 0.1 seconds. However, it was limited by the Soul Master's Soul Power Level. For every five levels exceeding Zhao Xuan's, the immobilization time would be reduced by 0.2 seconds.

For Zhao Wuji, Zhao Xuan could immobilize him for about two seconds. But for this little Soul Beast, Zhao Xuan could unleash the full power of his First Soul Skill.

At the same time Zhao Xuan activated his First Soul Skill, Hermione summoned her wand and began to chant. The greater the power and number of arrows she wanted to unleash, the longer the time required.

However, with Zhao Xuan's immobilization, Hermione only cast one Phoenix Rocket. Although the quantity was small, its power had increased significantly.

A single Phoenix Rocket, carrying a brilliant crimson firefly, flew past, tracing a dazzling trajectory before embedding itself in the Spined Pig's throat.

There was no chance to resist. The Spined Pig struggled for a moment before falling still. Simultaneously, a pure white Soul Ring slowly rose.

Zhao Xuan excitedly ran over. After dispelling the Soul Ring with his Soul Power, he lifted the Spined Pig in the shocked gaze of the villagers.

"Hermione, we'll have extra food tonight."

Hermione looked at Zhao Xuan speechlessly. As expected, no matter how good-looking he was, it was useless once he started being unreliable