Where Did Qing Mu Go?

"Thank you for comforting me."

After crying for quite a while, and with Qing Mu's constant reassurance, Meng Yiran finally calmed down.

"Qing Mu, I'm going to wait here for one night. If Grandpa and Grandma still haven't come out alive by tomorrow, I'll enter the Star Dou Great Forest to look for their bodies."

Meng Yiran's tone was very calm as she said this, but Qing Mu knew clearly that she had already made up her mind.

If Dragon Duke and Snake Dowager had not emerged by tomorrow, she truly would enter the Star Dou Great Forest.

But then Meng Yiran suddenly looked at Qing Mu, her eyes full of hope. "So, before then, could you stay with me? Just here is fine!"

The living had to be seen, and the dead had to have their bodies found. No matter what, she could not bear the thought of her grandparents, who had loved her since childhood, lying exposed in the wilderness.

But Meng Yiran also knew that the Star Dou Great Forest would still be extremely dangerous tomorrow. She could die, but Qing Mu was not her. There was no need for him to take such a risk.

Hearing this and seeing the anticipation in Meng Yiran's eyes, Qing Mu fell silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

When Qing Mu agreed, a bright gleam appeared in Meng Yiran's eyes, and she seemed deeply happy.

Meng Yiran felt a sense of relief. Having someone by my side before I die means I'm rather fortunate after all.

"I'll go into town and buy you something to eat. Even Soul Masters need food."

After saying that, Qing Mu quickly headed toward the town.

Meng Yiran stayed where she was, because she believed Qing Mu would not deceive her over something like this.

If he wanted to run away, there had been no need for him to agree to her request.

Sure enough, a short while later, Qing Mu returned with Bulbasaur. Its Vine Whip carried all sorts of food that looked incredibly delicious.

Looking at the mountain of food before her, Meng Yiran did not know whether to laugh or cry. "With so much food, are you seeing me off?"

Though she said that, she still accepted the food Bulbasaur offered with its Vine Whip and began eating it in small bites.

After all, if Dragon Duke and Snake Dowager still did not return tomorrow, this would be her final meal.

Time passed second by second, and before long, the entire night had gone by.

As the orange-red sun rose over the horizon, Meng Yiran stood up and took one deep look at Qing Mu.

"Goodbye, Qing Mu!"

With that, Meng Yiran walked toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

However, before she had taken more than a few steps, two whistling sounds cut through the air from afar.

Then, two familiar figures flew swiftly out of the Star Dou Great Forest and rapidly approached Meng Yiran.

A moment later, the two figures stopped before Meng Yiran. They were Dragon Duke and Snake Dowager!

Dragon Duke and Snake Dowager looked extremely disheveled at the moment, and even their auras were severely weakened. It was obvious that they had been badly injured.

"Grandpa, Grandma, you're alright?"

Seeing this, Meng Yiran immediately rushed forward in excitement and embraced Dragon Duke and Snake Dowager.

Dragon Duke stroked Meng Yiran's head and said with a smile, "Yiran, silly girl, aren't we fine?"

"Grandpa, weren't you targeted by that Titan Giant Ape? Why...?"

Hearing this, Meng Yiran wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked at Dragon Duke in confusion.

Dragon Duke sighed. "We owe the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect a huge favor this time. If we had not happened to encounter them, we might truly have perished in the Star Dou Great Forest."

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"

Meng Yiran was startled when she heard that name.

Dragon Duke nodded. "That's right. They had also come for that Titan Giant Ape. The young princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect happened to be in the Star Dou Great Forest with her classmates hunting Soul Beasts, and one of her friends was captured by the Titan Giant Ape. That was why she summoned the nearby members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Without their help, we would not have been able to drive the Titan Giant Ape back."

But as he spoke, a trace of confusion flashed through Dragon Duke's eyes.

Although they had received help from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Titan Giant Ape had still held the overwhelming advantage at the time. Yet for some reason, it had retreated on its own in the end. Could it have been worried about drawing more powerful human experts?

But that was unlikely. Given the strength displayed by the Titan Giant Ape, unless several Titled Douluo besieged it, it would not face much of a threat at all, let alone be killed!

"Then we really must thank the people of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"

After hearing Dragon Duke's explanation, Meng Yiran immediately showed a trace of relief. Fortunately, they had encountered people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Otherwise, given Dragon Duke and Snake Dowager's condition at the time, they would basically have had no chance of surviving.

"We will pay a special visit to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect later, but it's a pity about that Thousand-Year Man Faced Demon Spider. I had wanted to use it as your third Soul Ring."

As he spoke, Dragon Duke sighed. He had even offended some people over that Man Faced Demon Spider, only for it to end up dying at the hands of the Titan Giant Ape.

Fortunately, Snake Dowager had told him on the way back that Meng Yiran had absorbed the Soul Ring of a Thousand-Year Phoenix Tail Chicken Crown Snake. It was no worse than the Man Faced Demon Spider, so there was no need to worry about Meng Yiran's Soul Ring.

At that moment, Snake Dowager suddenly asked, "Yiran, where is that boy who was with you?"

"Qing Mu? He's right..."

However, Meng Yiran froze halfway through her sentence. Where were Qing Mu and Bulbasaur behind her?

Elsewhere, Qing Mu was bathed in the morning sunlight as he raced alongside Bulbasaur at top speed, keeping close to the Star Dou Great Forest.

Qing Mu's senses were far sharper than Meng Yiran's. The moment Meng Yiran stood up, he sensed Dragon Duke and Snake Dowager's arrival and immediately left the area.

He had many secrets. If he traveled with Meng Yiran's family, not only might he be exposed, but he also would not be able to act freely.

Running into Meng Yiran's group this time had completely exceeded his expectations. Naturally, Qing Mu could no longer accompany Meng Yiran's family to Exotic Beast Academy.

Although Exotic Beast Academy's experience in cultivating Exotic Beast Martial Souls was highly tempting to Qing Mu, it was not as though he had to attend that academy. After all, his Bulbasaur was no ordinary Exotic Beast Martial Soul.

"Roar!!"

At that moment, a Soul Beast resembling a honey badger leaped out of the nearby forest and lunged straight at the seemingly weak Qing Mu.

"You're courting death!"

Qing Mu's eyes flashed. The Second Spirit Ring on his body lit up, and green energy transformed into several green beams that directly linked to the honey badger.

A massive amount of energy was immediately siphoned from the honey badger, flowing back through the green beams into Qing Mu's body and restoring the Soul Power he had expended.