Xiao Wu's Messy Clothes

Zhao Wuji, who had been keeping watch nearby, saw Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others arguing and immediately let out an angry shout.

"Enough, stop arguing."

"We've already ventured deep into the Star Dou Great Forest. We could be in mortal danger at any moment. What's the point of arguing here? Rest up now, then continue searching later. Xiao Wu is a student of Shrek Academy, and Shrek Academy has never had a habit of abandoning its students."

Zhao Wuji's words made Tang San lower his head.

He knew that it was his insistence on searching for Xiao Wu that had dragged his teammates and teacher into danger.

Going deep into the Star Dou Great Forest was something no one wanted, because no one could predict the dangers here.

Otherwise, Meng Shu, Chao Tianxiang, and Meng Yiran, who had originally been traveling with them, would not have parted ways with them.

Tang San's silence also made Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and the others fall silent.

After looking at Tang San, Dai Mubai thought for a moment before turning to Zhao Wuji and asking, "Teacher Zhao, are we really going to continue deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest?"

Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others also looked at Zhao Wuji.

It was not that they feared death. Otherwise, they would not have thrown themselves into battle when they encountered the Titan Giant Ape, nor would they have ventured deep into the Star Dou Great Forest to search for Xiao Wu.

But wandering around without any leads and constantly pushing deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest was no different from throwing their lives away.

With not even a glimmer of hope, they began to consider retreating.

Zhao Wuji glanced at Tang San, then at the utterly exhausted Dai Mubai and the others. Thinking of the dangers they had encountered over the past few days—the attacks from all sorts of thousand-year and ten-thousand-year soul beasts—he knew that if they continued deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest, they would have no chance of survival.

He hesitated as well. Whether they continued onward or left, the seven of them could face danger at any moment.

Leaving meant abandoning Xiao Wu.

Just then, a light footstep caught Zhao Wuji's attention.

"Who's there?"

The hesitant Zhao Wuji turned his cold gaze toward a certain direction, his soul power suddenly gathering.

Having encountered far too many dangers over the past few days, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others had grown accustomed to staying on guard.

The moment Zhao Wuji spoke, all six of them became alert and warily watched the source of the footsteps.

"Teacher Zhao, it's me." A slender figure ran out from the woods.

At the sight of her, not only was Zhao Wuji stunned, but Zhu Zhuqing and the other six also froze. The one who had suddenly run out of the forest was actually Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu looked somewhat disheveled. Her clothes were torn in several places, and her neatly braided scorpion tail braid had become messy as well.

Yet Xiao Wu's complexion was exceptionally rosy, and she seemed somewhat more mature than before.

"Xiao Wu, you're not dead?" Only after saying it did Oscar realize how unpleasant his words sounded.

Xiao Wu said irritably, "Were you hoping I was dead?"

"Xiao Wu... it really is you."

Hearing that trembling voice, Xiao Wu instinctively turned around.

"Third—"

Before the word "Brother" could leave her lips, Tang San had already rushed over and pulled Xiao Wu tightly into his arms.

"Xiao Wu, it's good that you're all right. It's good that you're all right. You have no idea how worried I was about you." Tang San was so excited and emotional that even the body holding Xiao Wu trembled slightly.

"Xiao Wu, what happened in the days after you were taken by the Titan Giant Ape?"

"Where did you go these past few days? Why are your clothes so torn?"

"Were you hurt?"

Tang San looked at Xiao Wu and urgently pressed her with questions.

"Third Brother, isn't Xiao Wu standing right in front of you, perfectly fine?"

"Exactly. Look at how rosy and radiant Xiao Wu's cheeks are. Maybe she didn't encounter any danger these past few days and even stumbled upon some kind of opportunity."

Knowing that Xiao Wu was safe, Oscar and Ma Hongjun walked over to Tang San and Xiao Wu and began joking around.

Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong also noticed that something about Xiao Wu was different.

She really did seem much more mature. Though her clothes were somewhat torn and her hair was disheveled, there was always a mature flush on her face, as if it were the physical growth and changes caused by a breakthrough in Soul Power Level and an increase in strength.

Zhao Wuji also noticed something was off. He quickly stepped forward and asked, "Right, Xiao Wu, how did you escape from the Titan Giant Ape's clutches? Tell us what happened first."

As soon as Zhao Wuji asked, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others all looked toward Xiao Wu.

Tang San also looked curiously at his little sister.

Xiao Wu had naturally been taken home by Er Ming. Over the past few days, she had gone back to see Da Ming and talked about some matters before having Er Ming bring her out, but there was no way she could tell Zhao Wuji and the others about those things.

"Teacher Zhao, I don't know what happened either. That Titan Giant Ape grabbed me and ran into the forest. After running for a long time, I heard something like a bull's roar coming from somewhere not far ahead. The Titan Giant Ape became very nervous. After that, it threw me aside and fled on its own."

"Afterward, I only felt the world spinning before I fainted. By the time I woke up, it was already gone. The scene was terrifying. At least dozens of soul beasts around me had been knocked unconscious. The weaker ones had their mouths and noses bleed from the shock and died. I don't know whether to call it good luck or bad luck, but I suddenly discovered that my soul power had also broken through to level thirty."

Zhao Wuji was startled. "What? You're level thirty?"

Not only Zhao Wuji, but Oscar and the others also stared at Xiao Wu in surprise.

Xiao Wu nodded. "At the time, I was terrified by that sound, and I had been caught by the Titan Giant Ape. Perhaps my body broke through under the intense external stimulation."

"Afterward, I happened to find a thousand-year soul beast that suited me lying unconscious, so I killed it and obtained my third Soul Ring."

"How could that work?" Ma Hongjun stared at Xiao Wu, wearing the expression of someone watching a blind cat stumble upon a dead mouse.

Xiao Wu revealed a lingering look of fear. "I guess I was lucky. I thought I was definitely going to die. To avoid being attacked once the soul beasts around me woke up, I had no choice but to kill all the soul beasts that had been knocked unconscious. After absorbing my third Soul Ring, my strength recovered. Only then did I follow my memories back. Earlier, I heard familiar voices from this direction and came over. I finally found you all."

Xiao Wu's words were clearly full of doubts.

But now that she had returned alive, who would still care about what had happened between her and the Titan Giant Ape these past few days, or what kind of relationship she had with it? Tang San and the others unconsciously chose to believe her.

Yet Zhu Zhuqing noticed something was off.

Because her Martial Soul, the Hell Spirit Cat, had changed, she had become especially sensitive to scents.

She discovered that Xiao Wu carried the scent of the Titan Giant Ape.

A suspicion flashed through her mind. Had Xiao Wu been with that Titan Giant Ape during the days she had vanished?

The moment that thought appeared, Zhu Zhuqing instinctively denied it.

After hearing Xiao Wu's explanation, Zhao Wuji nodded. "It's good that you're back. After you were taken away, Xiao San was frantic with worry. We came in here to look for you..."

Zhao Wuji briefly recounted everything that had happened earlier, while Oscar promptly handed over a large Recovery Sausage.

Listening to Zhao Wuji, Xiao Wu looked at her brother, Tang San, and her eyes reddened.

"Brother, I'm sorry. I made you worry."

"It's fine. As long as Xiao Wu is all right." Tang San stroked Xiao Wu's head, a relieved smile appearing on his face.

"All right, now that Xiao Wu is back, we must leave this place immediately. We can't stay any longer. If we run into danger again, Flender will scold me to death."

"Yes."

With Xiao Wu safely returned, Tang San raised no further objections.

After quickly packing up, they prepared to leave together.

But just then, a fox-like soul beast came darting toward them from the distance.