Wang Dong'er!

Night fell like spilled ink over the Star Dou Great Forest, the last trace of daylight utterly swallowed by the branches and leaves of Towering Ancient Trees.

Scattered eerie lights flickered among the trees—some Soul Beasts' pupils glinting in the darkness. The occasional flap of wings tore through the silence, carrying the peculiar eeriness of nocturnal creatures. The damp air reeked of rotting leaves and earth, while several long wolf howls drifted over from afar, their echoes spreading through the woods and making this already mysterious forest feel even more perilous.

Beibei and Tang Ya stood back-to-back beside an ancient tree, Soul Power slowly circulating around them and forming a faint halo.

Tang Ya's Blue Silver Grass spread across the ground and tree trunks like the most sensitive feelers, probing everything within a hundred meters. Yet in the darkness, even the aura of plants had become obscure and difficult to discern. After all, her Soul Power Level was only thirty; she had not even added her third Soul Ring yet.

"This little brat is hiding pretty well."

Tang Ya frowned, her voice lowered to an extreme. Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the Soul Tool around her wrist as she asked in puzzlement, "The evil aura of the Black Lotus is clearly nearby. Why can't we find any trace of him?"

As long as they found him, she would immediately unleash her hidden weapons.

Beibei clenched his fists tightly. The Soul Power of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon made his pupils gleam with a faint Blue Light in the darkness. "His martial soul is strange. That black mist seems capable of concealing his aura. Be careful. Don't let your guard down."

He kept feeling that there was something wrong with that child's gaze. It was calm as if tempered in ice, nothing like an ordinary child who would be easy to handle.

Just then, the bushes thirty meters to their front left suddenly moved, branches and leaves brushing together with a soft rustle.

Beibei and Tang Ya exchanged a glance at once and simultaneously assumed defensive stances.

"Who's there?!" Beibei shouted in a low voice. His Soul Power abruptly surged, blue lightning crackling between his fists as he prepared to strike at any moment.

The bushes parted, and a slender figure slowly emerged.

It was a maiden wearing a pale blue Long Skirt. Its hem swayed gently with her steps, as though moonlight flowed over the fabric. Her Powder Blue Long Hair draped over her shoulders, the tips carrying a faint luster that shimmered dreamily in the dim woodland light. Her features were exquisite, as though sculpted from ice and snow, especially those clear, bright eyes. At that moment, they watched Beibei and Tang Ya with a hint of vigilance and curiosity. She stood there like a fairy who had stepped out of the moonlight, utterly out of place in this dark and dangerous forest.

"Hello."

The maiden's voice rang out, crisp and pleasant like wind chimes softly ringing in the night. She spoke first, "My name is Wang Dong."

Beibei and Tang Ya were both stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting to encounter someone like her here.

Tang Ya recovered first, though her brows remained tightly furrowed. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

The nights in the Star Dou Great Forest were no safe place. It was far too strange for a young-looking maiden to appear alone.

Wang Dong'er blinked, her gaze sweeping across the two of them before finally settling on the Shrek Academy badge on Beibei's chest. A flash of understanding passed through her eyes. "I'm a New Life at Shrek Academy. I met a few villagers on the outskirts of the forest just now. They said two senior students from Shrek were chasing someone, so I followed to take a look. Maybe I can help."

Her tone was frank, her eyes clear. She did not seem to harbor any ill intent.

The vigilance in Beibei's eyes lessened somewhat, but he did not relax. "How can you prove that you're from Shrek?"

Wang Dong took out an identical badge from her Soul Tool. Its design was slightly newer than Beibei's, with the words "New Life" engraved upon it. "This is my enrollment badge. If you don't believe me, you can check the enrollment roster. My name is Wang Dong."

Beibei examined the badge, and his brows eased somewhat. Shrek's badges were not easy to forge, and while the Soul Power Fluctuation around this maiden was not outstanding, it was pure and condensed. She indeed seemed somewhat like a Shrek student.

"We're pursuing an Evil Soul Master."

Beibei did not conceal it. His tone grew grave as he explained, "That guy isn't old, but he possesses an extremely evil martial soul. If he escapes, there will be endless trouble in the future."

"An Evil Soul Master?"

Wang Dong'er's expression instantly darkened, and a cold gleam flashed through her beautiful eyes. "Where is he? I'll help you look for him!"

There was undisguised disgust in her voice. Clearly, she hated Evil Soul Masters intensely.

Seeing this, Tang Ya revealed a smile. "Great! More people means more strength. That little brat's martial soul is a black lotus platform that can release corrosive black mist. Keep an eye out."

"No problem."

Wang Dong'er nodded. Her Soul Power stirred slightly, and pale blue light lit up behind her. In the next moment, the Light Goddess Butterfly appeared, illuminating the surroundings.

Surprise flashed through Beibei's eyes, followed by approval. "Then thank you."

With the help of the maiden before them, their chances of finding that child had undoubtedly increased greatly.

The three quickly came to an agreement. Wang Dong'er stood in the middle, forming hand seals with both hands as pale blue Soul Power spread outward like rippling water.

In a dark corner, Lu Jing curled up inside the hollow of an ancient tree, even deliberately softening his breathing.

Dense vines covered the entrance to the hollow, completely concealing him. Only the faint black mist emitted by the World-Destroying Black Lotus swirled around him, cutting off outside detection.

He could clearly hear the conversation of the three outside. The moment he heard the name Wang Dong, his heart suddenly clenched.

Damn it, why is she here?

He could feel that pale blue Soul Power brushing past the tree hollow several times. Every time, his entire body tensed, terrified of being discovered.

He had originally thought that after entering the Star Dou Great Forest, he could use its complicated terrain and the threats posed by Soul Beasts to find an opportunity to counterkill them or escape. But now, not only had he failed to shake Beibei and Tang Ya, there was an additional helper—and she was the Young Master of the Clear Sky Sect, Tang San and Xiao Wu's Biological Daughter. Wasn't this completely screwed?

"Damn it." Lu Jing cursed inwardly, Cold Sweat seeping into his palms.

The World-Destroying Black Lotus slowly rotated above his head. Its black mist had grown several degrees denser than before, as if it too sensed its master's tension. Lu Jing could feel that the power of this martial soul was indeed formidable, but he had only just awakened it. He did not even have a single Soul Ring, and his Soul Power reserves were pitifully low. Blocking Beibei's attack earlier and fleeing had already consumed quite a bit.

If he kept hiding, he would be found sooner or later.

Lu Jing drew a deep breath, determination flashing through his eyes.

He could only gamble.

Gamble that the World-Destroying Black Lotus possessed enough power to erupt the instant he was discovered and kill Beibei and Tang Ya in one blow.

He quietly adjusted his breathing, slowly pouring his remaining Soul Power into the Black Lotus as he sensed the increasingly active Destructive aura. Outside the tree hollow, Wang Dong'er's search continued. Pale blue Soul Power surged in wave after wave like the tide, drawing closer and closer to the hollow.

Lu Jing's heartbeat grew faster and faster. His fingertips pressed against the edge of the World-Destroying Black Lotus. The moment they discovered him, he would immediately activate his martial soul, give everything he had, and make one final desperate attempt.

Things had already reached this point. He did not care whether she was the daughter of a god.

The night grew deeper. The wind of the Star Dou Great Forest passed through the woods, carrying a chill—and a tense feeling that a storm was about to break.