Plans Change, Preparing to Intercept and Steal the Eight Spider Lances!

Night gradually deepened, ink-black dyeing the sky. The new moon drifted, and starlight fell.

Inside a hotel room.

"We'll be heading out to hunt souls tomorrow. Before we leave, I have a choice for you to make."

After their brief warmth, Bai Lu withdrew his hand and looked at the young girl with a slightly serious expression.

"What choice?"

Zhu Zhuqing's expression returned to normal as she quietly waited for Bai Lu to continue.

"If you had to choose between a Ten-Thousand Year Third Soul Ring and an External Soul Bone, which would you choose?"

Bai Lu asked slowly.

"Why do I have to make that choice?"

Zhu Zhuqing froze, confused.

"Didn't you say we were hunting a Ten-Thousand Year Soul Ring? Why did this suddenly jump to an External Soul Bone?"

"That's just how this world is. Plans can never keep up with changes."

After the sacrifice, the first choice Bai Lu made was to have Zhu Zhuqing ignore Dai Mubai and Shrek entirely, directly exploiting the timing to steal the Blue Silver Emperor.

After that, their next task had been hunting a Ten-Thousand Year Soul Ring.

With Zhu Zhuqing's current strength, the hunt would be difficult, but there were always more solutions than problems.

Absorbing a lower-age Ten-Thousand Year Soul Ring afterward would not pose much of an issue.

But all of that rested on one premise—they did not run into Tang San.

The moment he encountered Tang San, Bai Lu knew the plan had to change!

Since he had stolen Tang San's mother and soul bones, unless he could disguise himself forever, he was basically standing against Tang San.

All things considered, even if he could not intercept and steal the Eight Spider Lances, he absolutely could not let Tang San obtain them!

Otherwise, if Tang San really got that thing, then was driven desperate and managed to escape, he might directly become the Ancestor of Evil Soul Masters and mindlessly devour everything. That would be unbearable.

As for whether the Eight Spider Lances seemed somewhat incompatible with Zhu Zhuqing's two martial souls?

Put simply, the Eight Spider Lances were extremely evil. Apart from being highly venomous, they could also devour the bodies of Soul Beasts.

The Slaughter Skull, meanwhile, devoured souls. One worked within and the other without; one dealt with spirit and the other flesh. They complemented each other perfectly!

Besides, Tang San had turned the Eight Spider Lances into the Poseidon Eight Wings later in the Original Work, so why could he not imitate that?

During his previous battle with the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, its Evil God Wings had left a deep impression on him.

Mm, he wanted them a little.

"If you choose the Ten-Thousand Year Soul Ring, then as long as we find a suitable target Soul Beast, we can secure it steadily."

"But if you choose the External Soul Bone, whether we can even find the target Soul Beast is one matter. Even if we defeat it and absorb its Soul Ring, there's only a fifty-percent chance of obtaining the External Soul Bone."

After laying out the advantages and disadvantages of both options, Bai Lu handed the choice to Zhu Zhuqing.

"So, if you had to choose between them, what would you pick?"

"The External Soul Bone!"

Zhu Zhuqing made her decision without the slightest hesitation.

It was as though hesitating for even one second would be disrespectful to an External Soul Bone!

An External Soul Bone was a supreme treasure second only to a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and soul bones!

Once absorbed, it was equivalent to gaining a powerful "weapon" that would grow stronger alongside a Soul Master's strength.

Even if she failed, the worst possible outcome would merely be gaining a trash Soul Skill.

It did not matter. Soul Skills were what she lacked least right now.

She was rich and bold!

Of course, most importantly, she trusted Bai Lu's judgment!

He would not harm "himself."

"Very good!"

Bai Lu was immensely satisfied with the girl's trust.

"Since you've made your choice, we'll go try our luck. If it truly doesn't work out in the end, we can always go look for a Ten-Thousand Year Soul Beast afterward."

The two happily reached a consensus.

After a peaceful night's sleep, the Next Day arrived in the blink of an eye.

Morning Light was faint, and a cool breeze stirred.

This small town near the Star Dou Great Forest awakened early.

All kinds of Hunting Teams and merchants were already bustling about the town.

Zhu Zhuqing left the hotel early, trailing Shrek's group from several miles behind as they hurried toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Why are we following them? Can't we search on our own?"

Zhu Zhuqing could not help asking in her heart.

"You wouldn't understand. I don't blame you."

Bai Lu smiled mysteriously. "Some things are deeply mystical, and I can't really explain them to you. All I can say is, those who understand will understand; those who don't will not understand even if I explain. Knowing too much isn't a good thing. I can only say the waters run deep, so you'd better not understand. Understand?"

"???"

Zhu Zhuqing was bewildered. How could she understand every sentence individually, yet fail to understand them when put together?

Before she could ask further, Bai Lu's praise sounded.

"Smart. You really understood!"

"???"

Zhu Zhuqing smiled speechlessly.

So... what exactly had she understood?

"Since you understand, just follow my command. Don't ask too many questions."

"Fine, then!"

Seeing that Bai Lu had no intention of explaining, Zhu Zhuqing obediently shut her mouth.

Why did a little girl need to ask so many questions?

Bai Lu took in the subtle expression on the girl's face, but he had no intention of explaining.

What else could following the Shrek Group be for?

Naturally, it was to try their luck and follow them in search of the Man Faced Demon Spider.

He wanted to know whether, with such a huge variable as himself present, everything could still follow the trajectory of the Original Work.

Tracking Shrek was not easy. There was even a Soul Saint among them, so Zhu Zhuqing did not dare follow too closely and could only trail them from afar.

After walking for quite some time, she finally entered the Star Dou Great Forest behind Shrek.

Coming here again, This Time, with Bai Lu deliberately concealing her, no Soul Beast detected Zhu Zhuqing's trail.

In the blink of an eye, it was noon.

Rustle!

Whoosh—!

Zhu Zhuqing was eating dry rations to fill her stomach when she suddenly heard the sound of Breaking the Air nearby.

She instantly grew alert. Turning her head, she saw a shadow streak rapidly past.

Looking closely, she discovered it was a large snake, roughly six to eight meters long, with pale red wings on its back and an enormous, blood-red fleshy crest on its head.

The snake seemed to be fleeing for its life. It paid her no attention at all and flew at Full Speed toward the Shrek Group.

"A Thousand Year Crested Phoenix-tail Serpent. Other than being fast and able to fly, it's not very useful."

"Judging by how fast it's flying, it should be getting chased."

Bai Lu told the girl about the snake while secretly thinking, It actually matches the Original Work!

Then did that mean the Aggrieved Party, Meng Yiran, would be appearing soon?

"Oh."

Seeing that it had nothing to do with her, Zhu Zhuqing ignored it and calmly sat on a rock, chewing her dry rations.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Before she had taken more than a few bites, an elderly woman and a young girl darted out from the direction the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent had come from.

"Little girl, did you see a Crested Phoenix-tail Serpent that was running away?"

Chao Tianxiang, holding a snake-headed cane, asked Zhu Zhuqing kindly.

"That way."

Zhu Zhuqing calmly raised her hand and, without hesitation, directly sold out the Shrek Group.

"Thank you, Little Friend."

Chao Tianxiang smiled and grabbed Meng Yiran as she hurried after it.

"..."

Once the two left, Zhu Zhuqing continued chewing her dry rations expressionlessly.

Yet the cat ears that occasionally trembled slightly under her Martial Soul Possession exposed the turmoil in her heart.