Looks Pretty Scary

Those intermittent pleas made Jiang Zhu's already pale face look even more terrifying.

Jiang Zhu looked at them. A flicker of struggle and fear passed through her big, once-vibrant eyes.

But in the end, she trembled, took a deep breath, and raised the staff in her hand again.

"Third Soul Skill—Holy Healing Technique..."

At that moment, blinding green light lit up once more.

Beyond the light curtain, a shocking scene unfolded before countless people across Douluo Continent.

As the three people's wounds began to heal, their breathing gradually steadied as well.

But Jiang Zhu's once plump, firm cheeks rapidly lost moisture again, becoming slack and shriveled.

Crow's feet appeared at the corners of her eyes, while wrinkles formed across her forehead.

Her beautiful crimson long hair began to turn dry, yellowed, and streaked with gray from the roots.

In just a few minutes,

when the three students had completely escaped mortal danger,

the blooming season maiden, once full of youthful vitality and only in her teens, was gone.

In her place stood an old woman with a hunched back, a face full of wrinkles, and graying hair.

She weakly lowered her staff, her body went limp, and she fainted.

The entire Douluo Continent erupted into heated discussion.

"Is that girl crazy?!"

"She turned herself into an old woman just to save others? Was it worth it? Tell me, was it worth it?"

"What an idiot. Was she playing the Saint Mother?"

But someone immediately shot back, "If you were the one lying on the ground about to die, you'd be begging her to save you."

"Exactly! How can you people bring yourselves to speak badly of such a good girl?"

Spirit Hall.

Bibi Dong stared blankly at the scene. Even her beautiful eyes, always filled with authority, could not help but reveal a trace of emotion.

"So that was it..."

"No wonder you lost your composure like that just now, Yue Guan."

"A young girl turned into a dying old woman in the blink of an eye."

Bibi Dong fixed her gaze on the words Peerless Beauty Ranking again, her brows knitting as immense confusion filled her heart.

Since she had already become like this and had even exhausted her life force,

what could possibly qualify her to enter the Peerless Beauty Ranking?

Could it be...

A sharp gleam flashed through Bibi Dong's eyes. "Could there really be Divine Medicine in this world that can restore youth and reshape one's prime?"

Spirit Hall Training Ground.

Xie Yue and the others looked at the unconscious aged figure on the Heavenly Curtain, unable to speak for a long time.

The visual impact was simply too overwhelming.

After a long while, Qian Xiaosheng let out a sorrowful, regretful sigh.

"...Sigh."

He shut his eyes in pain, his fists clenching with cracking sounds.

"If only I had been there!"

"Even if I had to knock her out, I would have stopped her from doing this!"

"She was too foolish."

"This didn't just destroy her appearance. It destroyed the rest of her life..."

After all, for a girl, having her looks ruined and her body aged was crueler than killing her.

Within the Heavenly Curtain's image,

as the battle ended, everyone began their journey back.

But Jiang Zhu's appearance in the image had now completely lost all its radiance.

She was like a flower in full bloom that had begun to wither and fall.

This scene once again sparked discussion among the crowd.

"She has aged that much. How can she still make the Peerless Beauty Ranking?"

"I said she should be inspected! Look how old her skin has become!"

"Could she possibly still recover?"

The Heavenly Curtain's image shifted, and half a month seemed to have passed.

It was still Xiachun Square, still that familiar patch of grass.

Only this time, the Vague Man was not lying there sunbathing.

With his hands behind his back, he stood there quietly, seemingly gazing into the distance.

As if waiting for someone.

The scene shifted inside the academy.

The Jiang Zhu who had once brimmed with vitality was gone.

In her place was a "Strange Old Woman" who hid in a dark dormitory all day, too afraid to face anyone.

She had lost the youth she had once been so proud of. Her body was hunched, and even walking left her slightly breathless.

The people who had once surrounded her for free treatment now avoided her like the Plague God whenever they saw her.

They even pointed at her and whispered behind her back.

"Ouch! Is that Jiang Zhu? How did she get old enough to look like that?"

"Shh, stop talking. She looks pretty scary. Let's go."

"I used to think she was quite pretty. Now I'd have nightmares if I looked at her twice."

Even more chilling was this:

Of the two students Jiang Zhu had risked her life to save, aside from a dry "thank you" when they first woke up, neither had ever sought her out again.

It was as if they feared Jiang Zhu would latch onto them and demand repayment for her kindness.

Among the three, only one honest young man came every day without fail.

He carried freshly bought food or herbs from the apothecary that replenished blood and vitality.

"Big Sister Jiang Zhu, I'll leave it at your door. Remember to eat."

"Don't listen to the nonsense those people outside are saying. You're a hero. The Teachers all say so too."

Yet apart from that faint trace of warmth, everything else was bitterly cold.

The day of the Martial Soul Hall Branch's selection of outstanding students arrived.

The academy field was packed with people and buzzing with noise.

Although Teacher Yang and Teacher Shi knew there was little hope, they still took the initiative to submit Jiang Zhu's name.

They hoped to draw the attention of those above and have her treated.

But when that aged figure appeared on the field,

there was no welcome. Instead, harsh laughter erupted.

"Ha ha ha! An old woman this ancient can join the selection too?"

"Back then, she relied on her good talent and treated people everywhere. How did she end up like this now? What a disgrace."

Qian Xiaosheng rushed out from the crowd with red-rimmed eyes, pointing at those who were laughing as he angrily cursed them.

"Shut up, all of you useless trash!"

"She became like this to save people! What right do you have to laugh at her?"

After hearing Qian Xiaosheng's furious rebuke, the students did not dare continue talking.

Because he had already been chosen by Spirit Hall's upper ranks as one of the Golden Generation Squad members!

No one dared offend him at a time like this.

As Yue Guan watched it all and listened to the Branch Master's report, a trace of regret flashed through his eyes.

With a body in such a condition, she truly was finished. There was nothing they could do.

Jiang Zhu stood on the field, listening to the mocking voices from before as tears filled her clouded eyes.

She lowered her head, gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, and slowly left.

Night fell.

The academy was brightly lit as the students celebrated the end of the selection. Laughter and cheers filled the air, making the place lively beyond measure.

Yet Jiang Zhu's tiny dormitory was pitch-black and deathly silent.

Just then,

a tall, blurry figure silently appeared at the academy gates and swaggered inside.

The image began to change again.

Beside the field, one of the female students Jiang Zhu had once saved among the three was dressed to the nines and chatting animatedly with several friends.

"Oh, don't mention that old woman. What bad luck."

The female student covered her mouth and giggled. "Good thing I ran fast. Otherwise, she definitely would have come looking for money to treat her illness."

Just as she was laughing her hardest,

suddenly,

"Urgh—!!!"

The female student's laughter came to an abrupt halt. Her feet left the ground, and her entire body hung in midair as she frantically kicked and struggled.

It was as though an invisible hand had seized her throat without warning.

"What happened? What's wrong with you?"

Her friends beside her screamed in fright and tried to pull her away, only to find that they could not touch that invisible force at all.