Armadillo

After dinner, she held Little Bell's hand and walked back to the dormitory.

The little stream tinkled, and glowing plants gave off an unknown fragrance. Everything seemed veiled in a thin mist, hazy and ethereal as it swayed with the wind.

"Big Sister, will we be living here from now on?" Little Bell looked at her with innocent, slightly uneasy eyes.

"Yes. We'll be living here from now on. I'll be attending school during the day, and I'll find an aunt to look after you. You can learn to read and study. The rest of the time, you can stay with me, alright? Tomorrow, you'll follow Teacher Shao first. I need to leave for a while."

"Okay! I'll be well-behaved."

The two soon reached the dormitory. After watching Little Bell fall asleep, Shen Ranxi lay on the bed, thinking about the road ahead. Unable to sleep, she opened the System Shop and stared thoughtfully at its contents.

She did not know when she fell into a deep sleep. When she woke again, the sky was already bright.

After washing up, she stepped outside and watched the last traces of darkness get replaced by the sun. She stretched lightly to warm up, summoned the Golden Cudgel and carried it on her back, then began running around the village.

She was not familiar with the area yet. Once she was, she could run around a much larger area.

Flender smiled from his rocking chair. Who would not like a talented student who was also diligent and hardworking?

Shen Ranxi could now adapt to the weight of the staff, no longer leaving deep footprints as she walked.

Sweating profusely, she arrived at the cafeteria, dropped into a chair like a starving tiger pouncing on its prey, and began eating.

"Teacher Shao, your cooking is so delicious. It smells amazing!" She ate quickly without looking the least bit ungraceful, and watching her eat made others hungry too.

"If you like it, eat more." Shao Xin looked at the little girl with concern. She was far too disciplined. Such control at such a young age was truly remarkable.

Li Yusong, however, greatly appreciated people like her—hardworking and diligent, talented without being arrogant. Her future achievements would be limitless.

She soon finished eating and prepared to leave. "Teacher Shao, I'll have to trouble you to look after Little Bell for now."

On the way to find a Soul Ring.

Thinking that Little Ranxi was still a child, Zhao Wuji tucked her into the crook of his arm and set off.

On foot.

What else, were they supposed to take a carriage? Flender was such a miser that he could barely afford to pay salaries. Hiring a carriage? What a joke. Where would they get the money?

Along the way, Zhao Wuji saw that she could not open her eyes against the rushing wind. He said nothing, but used Soul Power to wrap around her.

Warmth rose in Shen Ranxi's heart. Teacher Zhao looked rough and burly, but he was unexpectedly considerate.

It was quite the contrast—like a fierce tiger sniffing a rose.

The wind howled in her ears. Shen Ranxi and the others stopped once midway to rest for about ten minutes. By the time they stopped again, they had reached the edge of the forest.

Shen Ranxi jumped down from Teacher Zhao's arm and looked at the scenery before her. The forest was filled with the scent of damp earth, like a magnificent oil painting woven from emerald green, goose yellow, and pale violet. Strange and mysterious, countless unfamiliar plants grew in lush abundance.

The true face of this world slowly lifted a corner of its veil before her.

"You need a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, so we only need to search the outer area of the forest." Zhao Wuji cleared the way ahead.

Li Yusong said, "You're following the Assault System path, so you just need to find one that can provide explosive power or increase your strength."

Shen Ranxi actually already knew what her First Soul Skill would be, but this was still her first time encountering Soul Beasts.

They wandered around the outer area for half the day. Either the age was insufficient, or the Soul Beast itself was unsuitable.

Zhao Wuji stopped walking, his ears twitching. Teacher Li also circulated his Soul Power and jumped into a tree. "Zhao Wuji, something blind has come our way."

When the bush was violently smashed aside, Shen Ranxi saw a Soul Beast covered from head to toe in ash-white scales, with curved horns at the sides of its ears pointing upward.

"This is a Calamity Armadillo that's nearly seven hundred years old. It's a strength-type Soul Beast. Its presence can sometimes draw locust swarms into a frenzy, so it's considered an omen of calamity. Its defense is extremely high, and it has its own group in the outer area of the forest." Li Yusong explained it to Shen Ranxi from the side.

"What a pity. It's a little too old."

As they traveled, Shen Ranxi learned while Teacher Li searched for Soul Beasts and taught her about them.

Teacher Li looked stern, but he was unexpectedly amusing when he spoke. Perhaps because he thought she was too young, he mixed in some interesting experiences.

"Teacher Li, is Teacher Zhao alright?" Shen Ranxi looked at the bloody and violent scene over there with a trace of concern.

Teacher Zhao was actually fighting the Armadillo hand-to-hand. No matter how powerful its defense was, in the hands of a Soul Saint like Teacher Zhao, it was as thin and fragile as paper.

After hesitating for a moment, she clenched her fists, stepped forward, and shouted, "Teacher Zhao, spare the beast!"

Zhao Wuji's fist, which had been about to punch this reckless fool of a beast to death for charging out to seek its own demise, stopped in midair. He turned his head and asked gruffly, "Little girl, what is it!"

"I—I want it to be my First Soul Ring." Shen Ranxi knew this decision was risky, but she still had to try.

Li Yusong's eyes widened as he rebuked her, "No! Do you know that a First Soul Ring can absorb, at most, a Soul Beast of just over four hundred years? Exceeding the limit could very likely make you Explode and Die!"

Zhao Wuji also disapproved. This was no longer a matter of whether it was risky—it was simply suicide!

"Teachers, this is a decision I made after careful consideration. I began training my body and practicing martial arts before awakening. Combined with recently tempering my body while carrying the Golden Cudgel, which now weighs more than three thousand jin, my Physical Fitness has long surpassed that of ordinary people. And..." She stopped, then looked firmly at the two teachers.

"Teachers, I don't have much time left. I must put in twice the effort and grow stronger as quickly as possible. My mission is to light one lamp from another, until ten thousand lamps all shine." Shen Ranxi's fair little face was filled with determination and despair.

Those words complicated the expressions in both men's eyes, and they no longer stopped her. They only instructed her to stop immediately if anything went wrong.

Shen Ranxi bent deeply at the waist, then walked without hesitation toward the Armadillo. She picked up a small knife, hesitated for a moment, then swiftly granted it release.

This was a world that devoured people. Strong experts devoured the weak, powerful Soul Beasts devoured weaker Soul Beasts, humans killed Soul Beasts, and Soul Beasts killed humans. All she could do was refrain from slaughtering indiscriminately. Once she had the ability, she would see whether she could change things. But for now, she could only adapt to this society that devoured people.

She sat cross-legged, gathered her essence and focused her mind, then calmed herself and followed her teachers' instructions to use Soul Power to draw the Soul Ring into herself.

"Old Li, do you think we did the right thing? She's still just a child. This is too risky! If something happens, how are we supposed to explain it?" Zhao Wuji paced anxiously, scratching at his head.

"Didn't you notice that this child is carrying something very heavy? And she's very smart. She just suffered the destruction of her entire village, yet she doesn't seem like someone who doesn't know her limits. She's so young, but she's exceptionally steady." Though Li Yusong spoke that way, his heart was also tightly wound.

His entire body was tense, ready to rush over the instant Something is Wrong.

At that moment, Shen Ranxi felt as though she was being dropped into ice one instant and magma the next, caught between two extremes of fire and ice.

A voice kept whispering by her ear. "You're tired. Go to sleep properly." "Just rest like this. Becoming stronger, taking revenge—it's all too exhausting. Give up."

"Give me your body." Images flashed before her eyes: the simple smiles of everyone in the village, her companions running...

Shen Ranxi instantly woke up.

The next second.

So annoying. Buzzing like a fly. Damn it, I haven't even spent all my money yet. You want to replace me and enjoy it instead?

Get lost!!!

Soul Ring! Stay still for me!