Impatient

As Ye Lingyuan searched through the ruins of the old tavern, her gaze settled on a hole that continuously spewed freezing, sinister gusts of wind.

"This should be the place."

Ye Lingyuan took out a sign she had prepared in advance and fixed it beside the pitch-black entrance. Six bold characters were written on it: "City of Slaughter Entrance."

Seeing this, Ji Wushuang's lips twitched slightly. "Aunt Ye, isn't this a little too sloppy? Who would believe this is the entrance to the City of Slaughter after seeing that sign!?"

Ye Lingyuan asked in return, "Then what do you think we should do to make others believe it?"

Ji Wushuang stroked his chin and pondered. "If you ask me... we should add a few more words, like... 'Spirit Hall Certified.' It'd be best to stamp it too."

Ye Lingyuan merely looked at Ji Wushuang expressionlessly, saying nothing.

Ji Wushuang gave an awkward laugh. "Just kidding, don't mind me... haha..."

"Withdraw!" After securing the sign, Ye Lingyuan spread her Fiery Wings and soared into the air.

Ji Wushuang quickly followed, asking with a smile, "Aunt Ye, there won't be a third trial, right?"

Ye Lingyuan nodded with a smile. "No more, no more. This mission has been completed perfectly."

"I'll report all your performance along the way to Your Excellency the Pope. I believe Your Excellency the Pope will be very satisfied."

Ji Wushuang said, "I hope so."

Bibi Dong had always been extremely strict with him. He had no idea whether his performance would satisfy her.

Spirit City.

Inside the magnificent Pope's Palace, there was utter silence.

Bibi Dong sat upright upon the Pope's throne, expressionless as an icy chill radiated from her, as though she were an iceberg.

Her terrifyingly cold gaze made Yue Guan and Ghostly Charm, the two Titled Douluo below, afraid to meet her eyes.

"Wushuang has left Spirit City for twelve days, and there hasn't been a single word from him yet!"

"Ghostly Charm, how do you handle your affairs!"

Bibi Dong's hand tightened around her scepter until her knuckles turned slightly white, her voice piercingly cold.

Ghostly Charm lowered his head, the corners of his mouth twitching faintly.

"Your Excellency the Pope, based on their traveling speed, a round trip would take at least twenty days."

"Moreover, Wushuang only broke through to Soul Ancestor not long ago, and this is his first time traveling far from home. He may encounter something along the way, so his return could take even longer—perhaps another five days on top of the twenty."

"Your subordinate couldn't possibly send someone back with updates at every moment. The manpower required would be far too great..."

Bibi Dong clenched her silver teeth and said coldly, "I don't want your explanations. I want Wushuang's whereabouts!"

"...This subordinate—this subordinate will go look for Wushuang at once!" Ghostly Charm hurriedly said. He then turned into a black shadow and shot out of the Pope's Palace, speeding in the direction Ji Wushuang had originally departed.

"Yue Guan."

Bibi Dong's frigid voice rang out once more.

Yue Guan, a Titled Douluo, shuddered outright and bowed. "Your subordinate is here!"

"When Wushuang returns, have him come see me immediately."

Yue Guan hurriedly replied, "This subordinate will go wait at the city gates right away!"

Once the Pope's Palace was left with only Bibi Dong again, it fell silent once more.

Two days later.

Ghostly Charm spotted Sax and the others approaching from ahead and rushed toward them at top speed, arriving in an instant.

Sax and the others froze, then hurriedly bowed in salute.

Sax asked, "Elder Ghost, what brings you here?"

Ghostly Charm swept his gaze over the group. When he did not see Ji Wushuang or Ye Lingyuan, he coldly demanded, "Why are there only you people? Where are Wushuang and Ye Lingyuan? How did the mission go!?"

Sax explained, "Lady Ye Lingyuan told us to return to Spirit City first. She took His Highness Wushuang somewhere else, but she didn't tell us where. As for the mission, it was completed perfectly."

"Hurry back and report all this to Your Excellency the Pope!" After saying this, Ghostly Charm turned into a black shadow again and sped away, vanishing from Sax and the others' sight in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile.

Ji Wushuang was flying through the sky with Ye Lingyuan.

His forty-fourth-level Soul Power was still too weak. He could not fly for long before having to stop and rest, recover his Soul Power, and continue onward.

A Soul Douluo like Ye Lingyuan had far greater endurance and speed.

As the sun set, the sky gradually darkened.

Ye Lingyuan slowly descended with Ji Wushuang, intending to rest for the night on the plains below before continuing their journey at daybreak.

Ji Wushuang skillfully set up two tents and lit a campfire. Unfortunately, they could only eat dried rations to replenish their strength; there was not even an edible animal anywhere nearby.

Ye Lingyuan said, "Wushuang, get a good rest tonight. You won't need to keep watch."

"Alright." Ji Wushuang crawled straight into the tent.

That was awfully blunt, wasn't it?

Ye Lingyuan felt rather speechless and called out again, "Wushuang!"

Ji Wushuang poked his head out and asked, "Aunt Ye, what is it?"

Ye Lingyuan said, "Wushuang! If another girl ever says something like that to you, don't just foolishly agree right away!"

"You need to be more gentlemanly. Offer to keep watch yourself, or keep watch together with her. That's how you can better build your relationship, understand?"

"I understand. Good night, Aunt Ye!" Ji Wushuang immediately ducked back into the tent.

"..."

Ye Lingyuan opened her mouth, but beneath the silent night sky, only the crackling of the fire could be heard.

What a hopeless pupil!

Ye Lingyuan shook her head and sat cross-legged, quietly meditating without lowering her guard.

On such a deserted plain, Spirit Beasts were bound to appear from time to time.

"Rustle—"

Amid the dense darkness, faint, continuous rustling sounded out. The chill in the night grew heavier, while eerie scarlet glimmers appeared one after another, flickering unsteadily.

"Wushuang!"

Ye Lingyuan suddenly opened her eyes and called out sharply.

"Whoosh!"

Ji Wushuang rushed from the tent, his sword-like brows tightly furrowed. When he saw the countless scarlet points in the darkness, the Peerless Sword Casket and four Spirit Rings appeared alongside him.

"Finger-Twisting Softness!"

A cold glint flashed, and Finger-Twisting Softness drifted around him like a ribbon of silk.

"Blazing Rock Snakes—fire-attributed Spirit Beasts, and highly venomous!"

"There are quite a few of them, around a hundred. They're all hundred-year ones, practically a local criminal gang on this plain!"

"Most importantly, they taste pretty good!"

Ye Lingyuan explained in detail.

"Finger-Twisting Softness, go!"

Ji Wushuang flicked his hand, controlling Finger-Twisting Softness as easily as an extension of his arm.

In the darkness, sword qi flowed, and cold flashes burst forth.

"Decapitating them again?" Ye Lingyuan raised a brow.

Before her eyes, Blazing Rock Snakes were beheaded one after another. Blood sprayed out, soaking the ground. Their bodies below the neck twitched for a while before falling completely still.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

The sounds of slicing through the air came one after another, each streak of sword light bringing up a spray of blood.

In an instant, the hundred or so Blazing Rock Snakes had all fallen silent, yellow Spirit Rings floating above their corpses.

Ji Wushuang asked, "Aunt Ye, do you know how to roast snake? These past few days of dry rations have practically set my throat on fire!"