Frost Ice Tiger!

"Feels pretty good. Hmm... I'm going to Soul Beast Forest today! Are you coming?" Mo Yuqing puffed out her cheeks slightly, her little expression both willful and a little frightened.

"Today?"

Zhongli frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed. Smiling, he said, "Think it through. It's already afternoon. If we go to Soul Beast Forest now, we might not get back until very late... Are you sure your parents won't worry? It wouldn't be good if you got scolded."

"It's fine. They're true love, and I'm just an accident in their romance." Mo Yuqing sat on the ground and casually wiped away her sweat, then muttered unhappily, "Besides, besides..."

"Besides?"

Zhongli raised a brow curiously. He couldn't make out what Mo Yuqing was mumbling.

"Nothing!"

Mo Yuqing let out an adorably fierce shout.

"Uh, all right."

Zhongli turned away awkwardly, walked to the rest area, and casually tossed a towel toward Mo Yuqing. With a helpless smile, he said, "Wipe yourself off properly. I'll go find something to eat. Just come straight to the dining room later... You still remember where it is, right?"

"Hmph, I didn't forget!"

Mo Yuqing draped the large towel over her face and scrubbed hard. Though she had no regard for her image at all, she still looked rather cute.

A few minutes later, in the dining room.

"What kind of fruit is this? It's white and looks like a strawberry. Is it some kind of strawberry?" Mo Yuqing asked curiously, holding a white strawberry.

Zhongli smiled. Being rather knowledgeable, he naturally knew it was a Pineberry. It had the same structure as a strawberry, but tasted like pineapple. Pineberries were highly nutritious, strengthening the stomach and spleen while replenishing vitamin C... Their price was just slightly outrageous.

He opened his mouth, originally intending to explain directly, but when he saw Mo Yuqing's innocent, adorable little face, he abandoned the thought. Smiling somewhat awkwardly, he said, "It should be some kind of strawberry, right? I don't know what fruit it is either, but it looks pretty cheap. They put out so many at once here. If no one eats them for too long, they'll spoil."

"Huh, you don't know? Then where did you buy this fruit? Don't you not have any servants at home?" Mo Yuqing asked with her head slightly tilted.

"Mm, that's right, but I still have a mother. Sometimes, she worries that I'm a picky eater and buys me fruit to supplement my nutrition... After all, I can't buy things on my own, can I?" Zhongli's smile was gentle and warm, like sunlight.

"Oh, that makes some sense."

Mo Yuqing nodded slightly, picked up a Pineberry, and carefully tasted it. A satisfied smile immediately appeared on her face as she said, "This strawberry actually tastes like pineapple. That's so amazing!"

"Yeah..."

Outside Kela City, Soul Beast Forest.

Because it was located near the city, excessively powerful soul beasts were regularly cleared out every year. Most of the soul beasts in this area were not very old. As long as one did not venture too close to the heart of the forest, it was difficult to encounter thousand-year soul beasts. Overall, it was quite safe. That was also why Mo Yuqing had dared to sneak out alone.

However...

Safety was relative. Just because it was safe for others did not mean it was safe for a child without a Spirit Ring. If she truly came here alone to hunt for a Spirit Ring, it would still be very dangerous.

"Rustle..."

Though this was clearly a forest, the Blue Silver Grass growing on the ground was lush and thriving. It made soft rustling sounds as the two walked through it, which was a little troublesome.

"So this is Soul Beast Forest? It actually looks pretty beautiful," Mo Yuqing said softly, though the vigilance on her face did not lessen in the slightest.

"It is pretty beautiful."

Zhongli responded aloud, but inwardly, he silently calculated how far they had gone into the forest to ensure that he could protect this little girl.

"Whoosh!"

A sound came from not far away. It seemed related to the Blue Silver Grass, as though a large creature had rapidly brushed past it. It was also very close to them.

"Fortified as a Golden Moat!"

Zhongli raised both hands, and two pale yellow shields appeared around them. No matter what unknown situation they encountered, as long as they could put up a shield, they would feel much more at ease. Shielding up was always the first choice when facing the unknown.

"Whoosh!"

The sound of wind splitting through the air rang out as a black figure rapidly approached them. Yet it was not charging straight at them. It kept circling through the grass as it drew closer, so all they could see was a faint streak of pale blue darting about.

"Careful, it's coming!"

Mo Yuqing shouted, her eyes scanning everywhere as she tried to locate the pale blue figure. But it was too fast, and the equally blue Blue Silver Grass provided cover, making it difficult to find its position.

"It's a Frost Ice Tiger. Ice attribute, strong and fast, but not very agile. If its age is about right, it should suit you well," Zhongli said.

His eyesight was excellent, and he could see things that Mo Yuqing could not. However, the Frost Ice Tiger's coloring was too similar to that of the Blue Silver Grass, preventing him from determining its exact cultivation age.

Still, the Frost Ice Tiger was not that fast. At most, it was a thousand-year soul beast. It most likely could not break his shield. After all... he had directly raised his shield to level ten!

"Hmph, a Frost Ice Tiger... I still think lightning is cooler." Mo Yuqing forced a solemn smile as she summoned Mistsplitter into her hand and gripped it tightly. Beads of cold sweat trickled down her face.

"Roar!!"

A fierce roar erupted from behind and to Mo Yuqing's side. Her heart skipped violently as a fear of imminent death descended upon her. In that moment, she realized she might not have been as brave as she had imagined.

Mo Yuqing had thought she could remain fearless, that even if danger came, she could fight until the very last moment. But when the moment truly arrived, she realized she had been wrong. She hesitated out of fear, not daring to look back at the tiger that might be lunging at her.

Oh no, it's too late!

After that brief hesitation, she knew she no longer had time to resist. She bit her lip, shut her eyes, and waited for death.

"Boom!!"

A tremendous crash rang out. Mo Yuqing felt no pain, nor did she even feel herself being attacked, but a dark shadow now covered her on the ground. Zhongli's face flashed through her mind, and she seemed to realize something. She quickly turned around, prepared to see Zhongli blocking the attack for her.

But...

"Ah..."

A huge blue tiger face appeared right before her, so close that it nearly scared her senseless. Mo Yuqing clutched her head in terror and waited for the pain to come, but the pain she imagined never arrived.

"It can't even break the shield, so what are you afraid of?"

Zhongli stood beside her with one hand on his hip, looking completely unconcerned as he watched the Frost Ice Tiger frantically batter the shield.

When Zhongli said it could break the shield, he did not mean breaking it in one strike, but breaking it within twenty minutes...