Zhang Lexuan Reappeared

The bone spirit fire martial soul's first soul ring was already close to four hundred thousand years old.

Naturally, it came with two soul skills. It went without saying that the first soul skill was powerful.

However, fusing the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus consumed an enormous amount of energy.

Lin Xiao's remaining soul power simply could not support another soul skill.

If he used a soul skill beforehand, the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus would lose some of its power.

He could only choose one or the other.

Of course, it was not that the soul skill was weak. Relatively speaking, the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus simply offered more power for the cost.

"What a pity. If you could fuse a soul skill into it as well, your self-created soul skill would become even more powerful."

Di Tian sighed. This self-created soul skill was formidable, but its user had yet to reach a truly lofty level.

Lin Xiao said, "Senior, if you have any more beast fire, this soul skill could become even stronger."

Di Tian paused. "You can absorb more?"

Surprise crossed his face. This beast fire belonged to the Scarlet King, after all. Absorbing one should have been more than enough.

Yet from what Lin Xiao was saying, he could absorb still more flames.

"Yes. The more, the better," Lin Xiao said.

"There's none left. If you want more, find it yourself."

Di Tian waved a hand. There was still beast fire available, but he could not very well give it to Lin Xiao now. If he gave too much, their bargain would become cheap instead.

"All right. In that case, I'll take Ling'er with me."

Lin Xiao stretched. He had been away for a while now. His teacher, Du Busi, was probably getting anxious.

"Go on. Take good care of Ling'er. If anything happens to her, I'll hold you responsible!"

Di Tian waved a hand and left with the Scarlet King.

Xiao Linger ran over, with the Ice Empress perched on her shoulder. "Xiao Xiaozi, where are we going now?"

"Why are you calling me that too?"

Lin Xiao was rather speechless. He glanced at the Ice Empress, who turned her head away.

"That's not important. Do you have anything else to eat?"

Xiao Linger grinned and held out her hand.

Helpless, Lin Xiao took out a few medicinal pills and tossed them to her.

As she ate, Xiao Linger said, "Let's go, Xiao Xiaozi."

The two set off together. Lin Xiao suddenly began to wonder whether bringing her along had been the right choice.

Along the way, Lin Xiao lightly tapped his ring.

Old Medicine's voice reached Lin Xiao's mind. "Xiao Xiaozi, what's wrong?"

Lin Xiao replied, "Master, can you conceal the Auspicious Beast's aura?"

"That's easy enough."

As Old Medicine finished speaking, an aura that Lin Xiao could not detect enveloped Xiao Linger, the Auspicious Beast.

Xiao Linger briefly faltered in her stride. Her gaze landed on Lin Xiao before she returned to normal.

As the two walked, Old Medicine's voice suddenly rang out. "Xiao Xiaozi, that woman you burned before is coming."

Lin Xiao froze. Zhang Lexuan? Why had that woman shown up here again?

"Found you!"

Old Medicine had only just finished speaking when a clear female voice rang out beside Lin Xiao and Xiao Linger.

A golden spear instantly appeared in Xiao Linger's hand.

"Xiao Xiaozi, she's here for you. Do you know her?" Xiao Linger asked quietly.

Lin Xiao nodded, his gaze settling on Zhang Lexuan. The confidence and cheerfulness she had displayed during their first encounter were gone, replaced by a trace of gloom and dejection.

"Zhang Lexuan, you're blocking my way again. Do you want to get burned again?"

"You might not be so lucky this time."

Lin Xiao watched her calmly, without the slightest panic. At worst, he would simply do it again!

Zhang Lexuan took a moment to steady herself. The mere thought of that bone spirit white flame still left her heart trembling.

"No, I'm not here to fight you."

Zhang Lexuan immediately explained, her gaze falling on Ling'er beside Lin Xiao.

A Soul Emperor. Such a young Soul Emperor.

Where exactly did these two come from?

Before Zhang Lexuan could speak again, Lin Xiao said, "Then why are you blocking my way? Aside from fighting, I can't think of anything that connects us."

Lin Xiao was instinctively hostile toward anyone from Shrek and held no goodwill toward them whatsoever. Even though she was Zhang Lexuan, Shrek's Senior Disciple Sister, he still felt no affection for her.

"I... took your advice and went to the Sun Moon Empire."

Zhang Lexuan stumbled over her words.

Lin Xiao paused, then asked, "So what did you discover?"

Zhang Lexuan nodded. Her expression shifted repeatedly, as though she still had not accepted this reality, yet had no choice but to accept it...

"What does that have to do with me? Goodbye!"

Lin Xiao spoke bluntly, took Xiao Linger's hand, and turned to leave.

"You... wait!" Zhang Lexuan called after him.

"Get to the point. What do you want?" Lin Xiao asked helplessly.

Zhang Lexuan calmed herself. "I want to know whether Shrek had anything to do with this."

Lin Xiao said, "Does that matter? You've discovered the truth. That's enough. As long as you bury that truth in your heart, you're still Shrek's Senior Disciple Sister, aren't you?"

With that, Lin Xiao ignored her and walked away.

Zhang Lexuan gritted her teeth and followed him.

She already knew. She knew the circumstances surrounding her family's destruction back then. Perhaps Shrek had been involved... she simply did not want to believe that truth.

That was why she had left Sun Moon and come to Star Dou to find Lin Xiao.

After walking for a while, Lin Xiao turned back to her. "If you want the truth, investigating it yourself is best."

"Even if I tell you Shrek was involved, you won't believe me. Only what you uncover yourself will count as the truth."

"Stop following me. I hate Shrek."

With that, Lin Xiao left. Zhang Lexuan stood frozen in place. That's right. Hadn't she come precisely because she refused to believe Shrek would have done it?

But his meaning could not have been clearer. Shrek was involved.

Her grandfather, Kong Deming, had also said that Shrek was involved...

Zhang Lexuan's mind buzzed. She truly could not do it. She could not bring herself to accept reality.

Watching Lin Xiao's departing figure, she did not know what to do for a moment. On one side lay her family's blood feud; on the other, the Shrek she loved and respected...

The choice was agonizing.

"Xiao Xiaozi, what happened to that woman?" Xiao Linger asked as they walked.

"Nothing much. Her family was wiped out, and she's still helping her enemies count their money."

Lin Xiao gave a casual explanation. He had not expected to encounter Zhang Lexuan again either. He had thought they would not meet until he reached Sun Moon.

"Oh... huh?"

"That big sister had it that bad?"

Xiao Linger spoke up.

"Bad? I don't pity anyone from Shrek."

"Ling'er, keep your distance from Shrek's people from now on, especially someone named Huo Yuhao and someone named Wang Dong."

"You absolutely must stay away from those two."

Lin Xiao made a point of warning her, lest that bastard Tang San steal his home out from under him the moment he let his guard down.

That fellow still had his sights set on the Auspicious Beast.

"Why?" Xiao Linger asked.

"There's no why. Just listen to me. Those two are no good."

"Being no good would be one thing, but we can't even kill them. That's the most infuriating part."

The more Lin Xiao thought about it, the more irritated he became. Damn Tang San. It was all that bastard's fault.