"Li Zhexian!"
"It's already been a minute! Where are you?!"
Zhu Zhuqing closed her eyes in despair. She could even smell the foul wind from the Sword Scorpion lunging at her.
However.
Several breaths passed.
Yet she did not feel the pain of being attacked by the Sword Scorpion as she had imagined.
Zhu Zhuqing's eyelashes trembled as she slowly opened her eyes.
What entered her sight was that white robe mottled with bloodstains.
"Li Zhexian?!"
Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly widened her beautiful eyes and cried out in tearful surprise.
Li Zhexian tilted his head slightly, a faint smile appearing on his pale face.
"Sorry, Sister Zhuqing. I was a few seconds late."
Zhu Zhuqing looked Li Zhexian over from head to toe. When she saw his pierced shoulders, her eyes trembled.
"Li Zhexian, you..."
"Now isn't the time to talk. Let me deal with these Sword Scorpions first."
Li Zhexian held his sword in his right hand.
Its blade pressed against the sword-tail of the Thousand-year Sword Scorpion before him.
"You'll do nicely for testing my new move."
Under Zhu Zhuqing's astonished gaze.
Two purple Spirit Rings rose from beneath Li Zhexian's feet.
"Second soul skill—Three Swords of Splendor!"
"First soul skill—Azure Edge Severance!"
Three Swords of Splendor: upon the next sword strike, sword speed increased by 300%, and sharpness increased by 300%.
Azure light flashed upon the Azure Lotus Sword. Lotus patterns bloomed one after another, and an incomparably sharp aura burst forth.
Zhu Zhuqing did not even see clearly.
She only saw a flash of sword light.
The sword-tail of that Thousand-year Sword Scorpion snapped apart.
And that was not the end. That streak of azure sword light continued unabated, sweeping through the bodies of several more Sword Scorpions before slowly fading into the forest.
"Hmm?!"
Watching the Sword Scorpions flee in panic, seemingly unscathed, a trace of confusion flashed across Zhu Zhuqing's pale face.
However.
The next second.
Zhu Zhuqing's pupils suddenly constricted.
Those Sword Scorpions abruptly split in two at the waist. Large amounts of green blood mixed with organs spilled across the ground. They crawled forward a few more steps before collapsing, their lives extinguished.
Zhu Zhuqing swallowed with difficulty and stammered, "Li Zhexian, you... you really obtained the Spirit Ring of the Three-tailed Sword Scorpion King?"
Li Zhexian's sword had become even more terrifying.
Its sharpness and speed sent chills down her spine.
"Cough, cough!"
Li Zhexian suddenly dropped to one knee, gripping the sword hilt and using it to brace himself against the ground.
"Li Zhexian, what's wrong?!"
Zhu Zhuqing's expression changed. She hurried forward to support him.
The instant her hand touched Li Zhexian's arm.
She felt something warm and sticky.
Only then did Zhu Zhuqing realize how grievously injured Li Zhexian was.
The wounds piercing both shoulders had split open, and his skin was covered in injuries torn open by Soul Power. Blood trickled down like a stream.
Zhu Zhuqing's hands trembled as she frantically pressed down on Li Zhexian's wounds.
Her vision blurred, and tears spilled from her eyes.
She knew just how terrifying the Three-headed Sword Scorpion was.
The boy lying before her in her arms had killed it and absorbed its Spirit Ring in just one minute.
Zhu Zhuqing could imagine how desperately Li Zhexian had fought, all just to fulfill their one-minute promise.
There was too much blood.
No matter how she tried to cover it, she could not stop it.
"Li Zhexian... you... don't scare me..."
"Cough, cough!"
Li Zhexian forced his eyes open and said with difficulty, "Why are you crying? I'm not dead."
"Sister Zhuqing, help me leave."
Zhu Zhuqing laughed through her tears.
"Mm-hmm."
The outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The warm campfire lit up an area three meters around it.
Under the tranquil moonlit night, the young man and woman sat around the fire.
Li Zhexian took a swig of wine from time to time, lazily turning the roasted rabbit skewered on a branch.
Grease dripped down with a sizzle, and the charred aroma spread through the air.
Zhu Zhuqing was roasting fish.
She had clearly never done this before.
The fish was roasted extremely unevenly. Some parts had already turned black, while others were still raw.
Zhu Zhuqing's little face flushed red.
It was unclear whether it was from the firelight or from embarrassment.
"Li Zhexian, is your injury all right now?"
"Mm."
Li Zhexian nodded.
"I drank a couple mouthfuls of wine. It's already scabbed over."
Zhu Zhuqing had drunk his wine before and knew its effects.
However, she still did not know that the wine was his Second Martial Soul.
"Tsk, tsk..."
Zhu Zhuqing smacked her lips and stared fixedly at Li Zhexian's wine flask.
Li Zhexian found it amusing and tossed the flask over.
"Go ahead."
"Thank you."
Zhu Zhuqing felt a little embarrassed about sharing the same spout.
But seeing how open and unreserved Li Zhexian was, she could only blush and take a sip from the spout.
"Li Zhexian, your wine is so good!"
The wine rushed to her cheeks, making Zhu Zhuqing's little face even redder.
She smiled at Li Zhexian. The girl who was usually so cold now looked somewhat sweet.
Li Zhexian shook his head and laughed.
"You're just a little girl, and you know how to appreciate wine?"
"Don't look down on me. It's not like you're that much older."
Right in front of Li Zhexian, Zhu Zhuqing lifted the belt around her slender waist.
Under Li Zhexian's astonished gaze, Zhu Zhuqing pulled out a delicate little bottle barely an inch long.
"This is my wine!"
"You actually drink wine too?"
As an old wine lover, Li Zhexian wanted a taste the moment he saw alcohol.
"Let me have a sip of yours."
Zhu Zhuqing tossed the wine over.
After catching it, Li Zhexian eagerly opened the bottle and tipped his head back for a gulp.
Zhu Zhuqing opened her mouth.
This little wine bottle had been a personal item kept close to her body for several years.
Li Zhexian drank from it like that.
Hadn't they indirectly kissed again?
But seeing that Li Zhexian had already finished drinking, she could only ask shyly, "How was it?"
"Was my wine good?"
"Burp~~~"
Li Zhexian let out a burp and nodded repeatedly.
"Not bad, not bad!"
"This is fruit wine, right? Smooth and mellow, with a lingering finish..."
Li Zhexian smacked his lips twice as he savored it, then said in surprise, "It even has a faint, almost imperceptible floral fragrance!"
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her burning face.
What floral fragrance?!
Where was there any floral fragrance?!
Th-That was the scent left behind from her drinking directly from the flask for so long!
Li Zhexian did not notice Zhu Zhuqing's odd behavior. He shook the flask and asked curiously, "Come to think of it, Sister Zhuqing, you carry yourself with such distinction. You must not come from an ordinary family."
"Why do you drink, then? Do you have troubles you're trying to drown in wine?"
At that, Zhu Zhuqing blinked. She hugged her knees with both arms, staring blankly into the campfire.
That was right.
What troubles did she have?
Born into the noble Zhu Family, she had been betrothed to a prince of Star Luo from the moment she was born.
Her life appeared to be smooth sailing. Why would she have any troubles?
Zhu Zhuqing raised her swan-like neck and took a gulp of Li Zhexian's wine.
She simply refused to accept her fate.
What worthless Star Luo prince.
She had never even met him.
She did not want to marry him.
Seeing the sorrow on the young girl's face, Li Zhexian thought for a moment, then smiled.
"Sister Zhuqing, I told you before—I owe you a favor."
"If you ever need anything in the future, I, Li Zhexian, will definitely help you."
Zhu Zhuqing lifted her beautiful eyes. Seeing the sincerity on Li Zhexian's face, she smiled softly, stunningly beautiful.
"Alright."
Before you continue