Not Very Romantic, Are You?

Shen Ranxi burned and buried the large number of bones she had found in the Bloodthirsty Bat nest. At first, she had not wanted to kill them, only to use the Soul Beasts to train herself.

But when she saw piles of white bones scattered across the ground, along with corpses nearby, she changed her mind. Those beasts had to die.

Firelight shone on her small face, which was filled with chilliness. Her mood grew somber without her realizing it. Those people had died without even their identities being known. How heartbroken would their families be?

Heh... right. Who cared whether Ordinary People lived or died? Just like how hardly anyone had cared when her Village was slaughtered.

Feifei was eating roasted meat. Seeing Shen Ranxi unusually downcast, it jumped onto her shoulder and rubbed against her cheek. "Eat up. Who knows what we'll run into tomorrow?"

Warmth passed through Shen Ranxi's heart. Knowing it was trying to comfort her, she turned to say something, only to spot the grease around its mouth. Her body stiffened. "Didn't you wipe your mouth...?"

Feifei stiffened as well. After two seconds, it immediately forced out, "You really don't understand romance!"

After that came endless training and constant battles with Soul Beasts. Shen Ranxi naturally did not spare any that were evil and had Killed people. After sparring with the rest and confirming they were no match for her, she left behind Pills as payment for their companionship before departing.

She was not without injuries during that time, but none were serious. She simply refined some Pills, swallowed them, and soon became lively again.

She fought while refining Pills, deepening her understanding of the Formless Heart Sutra while also beginning to learn the Cultivation Method Hide the Sky and Cross the Sea. This technique was incredibly useful. Once mastered, it would be the ultimate Sneak Attack technique!

Constant training, constant slaughter.

Comprehension through practice! Improvement!

It could be said that aside from her Soul Power, which had not improved much, her progress in every other aspect was terrifying.

Her pill-refining proficiency was nearly maxed out. She had developed a Clarity Pill that could leave one refreshed and completely free of sleepiness for five days after taking it. She used it to go five consecutive days without sleep, spending all that time refining Pills.

Her comprehension of the first layer of the Formless Heart Sutra had deepened greatly, and she had made enormous progress. She had also gained considerable mastery over Hide the Sky and Cross the Sea, allowing her to conceal herself from Soul Beasts below Two Thousand years for five minutes. Anything beyond that would require testing to determine.

Shen Ranxi's entire Aura had also undergone an earth-shaking transformation in secret. A trace of sharpness had appeared in her gentle, smiling Eyes.

Thanks to her Martial Soul's nourishment, the eleven-year-old Girl had grown into a tall, slender figure of 1.65 meters. The infant fat on her face had completely disappeared after three months of training, leaving her features sharply defined.

Even as she walked, she carried an air of carefree confidence. She looked heroic and decisive, with a flicker of ruthlessness occasionally flashing through her Eyes.

Three months was not a long time; it could even be considered short. Yet Shen Ranxi had completely cast aside the hesitation and cowardice brought on by that peaceful era. She remained kind and righteous, but she no longer hesitated when facing those who deserved to die, nor did she have nightmares anymore.

She had merely cast aside that trace of cowardice buried in her bones.

The path of a Strong Expert was paved with blood.

"Have they left?"

A voice came from within a clump of bushes. After observing for a while through the gap with a pair of green Eyes, someone replied, "I think so."

Sensing the hesitation in its words, Shen Ranxi began using her Soul Power to feel out the surroundings. Once she discovered that the Yellow Springs Bees had indeed left, she let out a breath of relief.

Fei Ya was still complaining, "Why didn't we teach them a harsh lesson? Why did we have to hide so miserably? That was so lame!"

Shen Ranxi rolled her eyes. Had it figured out its own identity yet...? Who was the robber here?

"You stole their Royal Jelly, and you still wanted to beat them up. Do you have no sense of reason at all?"

Yellow Springs Bees were a type of Soul Beast that resembled honeybees. Peaceful by nature, they generally did not cause trouble. They loved making honey, and there was an extremely small chance that they could produce something very precious—Royal Jelly—which could increase Mental Power and benefit both humans and Soul Beasts.

Most Yellow Springs Bees were Hundred-year Soul Beasts, but they possessed a toxin that struck fear into people—the Yellow Spring.

This poisonous gas surrounded their hives. Anyone contaminated by it would die within ten minutes. Otherwise, how could Yellow Springs Bees, whose strength was not particularly high, protect Royal Jelly?

When they had passed by today, Feifei had confidently declared that this Yellow Springs Bee hive had produced Royal Jelly, its face full of longing.

The Great Void Kun had also emerged with a series of chirps. Two pairs of moist, pleading eyes stared straight at her.

...How had she ended up with such greedy eaters? And there were two of them at once. Shen Ranxi grumbled inwardly.

Shen Ranxi's nose twitched as she caught a sweetness that seemed to seep into her very bones. She had to admit that it truly smelled delicious.

Let's do it!

She would treat it as a gift for everyone at the academy.

But before taking action, she had to make some preparations...

She cautiously approached the Yellow Springs Bee hive with Feifei, hid in a corner, and handed it a packet of Ebony Grass powder and A single plant of Mimi Fragrance. When these two things were burned together, they produced a special scent that would leave the Yellow Springs Bees utterly intoxicated.

Before long, smoke rose from over there, and Shen Ranxi saw the bee beasts in the hive begin to stir restlessly.

After more than half the bee beasts had left, Shen Ranxi used the first layer of Hide the Sky and Cross the Sea to sneak deep into the hive. She avoided the bee beasts that had remained behind and successfully found the Royal Jelly near the queen. Seeing that the queen, surrounded by several strong and powerful bee beasts, was busy reproducing, she hurriedly took one-third of the Royal Jelly and left.

She tossed down two bottles of Pills she had refined herself as compensation!

The moment she reached the entrance of the hive, she heard the queen's furious roar.

Looks like it had discovered her. Run! Shen Ranxi jumped onto Feifei's back, where it had come to meet her.

What followed was a frantic escape.

Feifei gave an unconvinced snort.

Shen Ranxi fed some to the Great Void Kun and Feifei. Feifei stretched out a claw, dipped a little into it, and stuck it into its mouth. Its eyes lit up. "So delicious!!!"

Shen Ranxi tasted some as well and nodded in satisfaction. The risk had been worth it. It was truly delicious.

"Let's go. We need to head back. If we don't return soon, the Teachers will start worrying."

The Girl's figure headed down the mountain.

Looking at the plaque over the entrance, Shen Ranxi felt as though a lifetime had passed. The moment she reached the gate, a Big Hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Little Xi, are you hurt? Let me see!" A thick, booming voice rang beside Shen Ranxi's ear. She smiled. Teacher Zhao was still the same as ever.

"Teacher Zhao, I'm fine. Aren't I perfectly alright?" Looking at the Teachers who had rushed over, she said again, "Teachers, I'm really fine. I wasn't hurt, and I've even grown quite a bit taller. I gained a lot too, and I brought you some gifts."

Shao Xin reproached her gently. "Why bring us gifts when you were out training? Returning safely is the best gift you could give us!"

Li Yusong shook his head. "Little Xi, you were too reckless. You really know how to make people worry." Yet knowing that his student had brought him gifts even while traveling outside, he could not have been happier. The smile at the Corner of Mouth simply would not go down.

Before Shen Ranxi could speak, a soft little body crashed into her arms.

"Big Sister, I... I missed you so much." Little Bell had originally wanted to say that Shen Ranxi should take her along next time, but then she remembered that she was only Support System and would only hold her sister back, so she swallowed those words. The thought in the Bottom of Heart only grew stronger, and determination flashed through her Eyes.

Little Bell had awakened nearly a year ago. Before her awakening, she had spent entire nights unable to sleep. Shen Ranxi naturally knew what Little Bell was worried about.

She was afraid that her talent would not be good enough and that she would not be able to attend Shrek Academy with her. Shrek Academy only accepted monsters. The academy was the Teachers' life's work, and Shen Ranxi could not ask them to make an exception.

All she could do was quietly comfort Little Bell and become even stricter when teaching her martial arts. Little Bell had followed her since she was two and trained in martial arts with her since she was three, never once slacking off. Shen Ranxi naturally understood that, no matter what, a Girl had to possess the ability to protect herself. Entrusting the right to control one's fate to someone else's mercy—heh, that was absolutely unacceptable!

Little Bell had lost her Parents at a young age. No matter how painful things became, she gritted her teeth and persevered. Shen Ranxi's heart ached for her, but she could not stop!

Fortunately, there had been a few twists along the way, but the outcome was good.