Heart Knot and Hunting Ground

Under Bibi Dong's gaze, Xuan Hao's heart skipped a beat.

His eyes darted slightly. He awkwardly avoided Bibi Dong's gaze, pressed his lips together, and said nothing.

"Yue Guan, leave first." Bibi Dong withdrew her gaze.

"Yes." Yue Guan did not dare ask further. He quickly retreated, closing the hall doors behind him.

The room fell silent again, with only Hu Liena's steady breathing audible.

"Xuan Hao."

Bibi Dong looked at him. "The reason you survived... was because someone saved you, wasn't it?"

Xuan Hao still kept his head lowered, his fingers unconsciously picking at the bedsheet as he remained silent.

He was not stupid.

He knew that no matter what lie he told at this moment, it would be feeble and useless before this shrewd woman.

Watching the silent Xuan Hao, Bibi Dong already had her answer.

Though this child usually spouted nonsense, when it came to important matters, this sort of silence often meant tacit admission.

He really had been saved by that Shapeshifting Soul Beast.

Perhaps... he might even already know the other party's identity and was protecting them in this way.

"Enough."

Bibi Dong did not press him further, nor did she blame him for concealing what he knew.

"Get some rest."

With that, she gave Xuan Hao a deep look before rising and leaving the hall.

Outside the hall doors, in the corridor.

Yue Guan was anxiously pacing back and forth. When he saw Bibi Dong emerge, he hurriedly stepped forward.

"Your Excellency..."

"What did you find?" Bibi Dong asked.

"Your Excellency, we were a step too late." Yue Guan looked frustrated. "The other party was extremely vigilant. Your subordinate searched dozens of li around the Mixed Zone, but not even a single hair was left behind. That aura has completely vanished. It seems... it has likely already hidden in the Core Zone."

"The Core Zone..." Bibi Dong frowned slightly.

"Yes. Before taking human form, Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts are all overlords of the Core Zone. But after taking human form and cultivating anew, they need contact with human aura in order to grow again. The Mixed Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest allows them to conveniently come into contact with humans from the towns at the forest's edge, while also letting them retreat into the Core Zone at any time if danger arises." Yue Guan analyzed.

"It truly is the best hiding place for a Shapeshifting Soul Beast. I simply did not expect it to flee so quickly."

Bibi Dong pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned and asked, "Yue Guan, let me ask you again."

"The aura you sensed at the time—are you certain it belonged to one that had only recently taken human form?"

"Absolutely!" Yue Guan answered decisively. "That aura was extremely faint and unstable, like a newborn infant unable to restrain the fluctuations of its own energy. If it had been a Soul Beast that had taken human form long ago, your subordinate could not possibly have sensed it from so far away."

"Recently taken human form... meaning it was equivalent to a human child only a few years old, with Soul Power at merely around level ten." Bibi Dong muttered, yet her brow furrowed tighter and tighter.

Amid such a violent Beast Tide, pulling someone back and retreating through the chaos was something even an ordinary Spirit Emperor might not be able to accomplish.

At the very least, it would require a Soul Sage-level expert, and one with special methods at that.

How could a "cub" that had only just taken human form and possessed merely level ten Soul Power possibly save Xuan Hao during a Beast Tide?

It simply made no logical sense.

Unless...

Bibi Dong's pupils suddenly contracted.

If it had been a cub that had only recently taken human form, then naturally it could not have saved anyone.

But the one who had saved him possessed strength above that of a Soul Sage.

And the one whose aura had leaked out was a cub that had only recently taken human form.

What did that mean?

Bibi Dong abruptly turned around and looked at Yue Guan. "Yue Guan, although you failed in your task this time, you inadvertently discovered a great secret."

"Your Excellency? What secret?" Yue Guan looked utterly bewildered.

Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes. "The one who saved him and the one who leaked its aura were not the same one at all!"

"There... were two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts!"

Two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts meant two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings and two top-grade Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bones guaranteed to drop!

For her, who was at the critical stage of cultivating her Twin Martial Souls and urgently needed high-quality Soul Rings to fill the vacancies of her second martial soul, this was simply the perfect gift bestowed by heaven.

"Yue Guan! Deliver my order—summon Ghostly Shadow at once!" Bibi Dong said in a deep voice.

"Even if the Core Zone is guarded by the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape, the two Forest Kings, this time we are determined to obtain them!"

"As long as you and Ghostly Shadow unleash the Two Poles Stillness Domain and hold those two beasts in place for a moment, I'm confident I can take those two Shapeshifting Soul Beasts away!"

"Especially that little one who just transformed!"

Since the larger one had been able to save someone from the Beast Tide, her strength might have recovered to the level of a Soul Sage or even a Spirit Douluo. Capturing her could prove rather troublesome.

But the smaller one had only recently transformed and was no different from a five- or six-year-old human child. She would never escape Bibi Dong's grasp!

"Time is of the essence. We leave at once!" Bibi Dong ordered.

"That little one's aura is still unstable, making this the best time to track her. If we delay for a few more days and she stabilizes her aura, finding her in the Star Dou Great Forest will be like looking for a needle in the sea."

"Yes! I'll go summon Lao Gui at once!" Yue Guan knew that this opportunity could not be missed. If they captured those two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, not only would his mistake before the Pope be wiped clean, he might even render a great service.

Just then, the heavy doors to the hall slowly opened.

Still somewhat pale and dressed in thin sleepwear, Xuan Hao emerged with difficulty, one hand braced against the doorframe and the other clutching his faintly aching chest.

"Wait..."

Bibi Dong frowned and hurried over, her tone carrying a trace of reproach. "Why did you come out? Didn't I tell you to rest properly? Your body can't withstand any more strain right now."

Xuan Hao lifted his head. His sky-blue eyes stared fixedly at Bibi Dong as he asked hoarsely, "Elder Sister... can you take me with you?"

Bibi Dong paused. "What did you say?"

"I said, I want to go too." Xuan Hao took a deep breath and repeated himself. "Can you let me come with you?"

Yue Guan, standing to the side, was so anxious that he stamped his feet. "Oh, my little ancestor! This isn't some outing! We're going to the Core Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest! We're going to risk our lives against the Forest King!"

"I want to go." Xuan Hao cut Yue Guan off, staring intently into Bibi Dong's eyes. "Elder Sister, take me with you."

Bibi Dong fell silent.

She looked at the stubborn child before her, thoughts racing through her mind.

Logically, this operation was exceedingly dangerous. Even the aftershocks of battle in the Core Zone could kill a Soul Grandmaster, not to mention that Xuan Hao was still injured.

The most rational course would be to leave him here to recover.

But as she looked into Xuan Hao's complicated eyes, Bibi Dong seemed to understand something.

He had been saved by that Soul Beast.

And now, his teacher was going to hunt down his savior.

Perhaps he wanted to repay her? Or plead for mercy? Or perhaps... he simply wanted to witness how it all ended?

Bibi Dong did not know what Xuan Hao was thinking, but she knew that if she forcibly left him behind this time, the child would likely carry this knot in his heart for the rest of his life.

"Do you know what we're going there to do?" Bibi Dong asked in a low voice, staring into his eyes.

"I know." Xuan Hao nodded. "To capture... them."

"And you still want to go?"

"That's exactly why I want to go even more." Xuan Hao lowered his head. "No matter what, they're... Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. I want to see them with my own eyes."

Bibi Dong looked at him deeply for a long time before finally letting out a helpless sigh.

"Fine."

She turned and strode outside, her cold voice drifting back:

"Since you want to go, then follow me."

"But once we get there, you must stay by my side at all times. If you run around and get killed by the aftershocks of battle, don't blame me for not warning you."