Electrolux (II)

The man wore only a pair of trousers, his upper body bare, revealing a physique that seemed sculpted by the heavens. Yet spots of blood remained on his fair skin, his face was deathly pale, and exhaustion filled his eyes.

It was Mo Yuan, who had just come out of his third state of Extreme Bloodburst. After obtaining the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's shed husk, he had hurried back at once. He had done so to keep the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm from learning his identity.

After all, in his Dragonification state, Mo Yuan had looked even more sinister than an Evil Soul Master. If Huo Yuhao learned about this other side of him, it would hinder many of his plans down the road.

"Mo Yuan, what's wrong?! What happened just now?"

Ning Tian couldn't help but freeze at the sight of him. Her moist red lips parted slightly, shock filling her bright eyes. She hurried over and gently steadied him.

"I'm fine." Mo Yuan shook his head, then gave the explanation he had prepared.

"We ran into a very rare Heart Seizing Beast just now. It controlled your minds and left you dazed. Fortunately, my Martial Soul let me break free of its control. I went after it just now."

As he spoke, Mo Yuan put on a regretful expression. "Unfortunately, that Heart Seizing Beast was quite powerful. I badly wounded it, but it still got away."

"A Heart Seizing Beast?!"

"What?! We actually ran into a Heart Seizing Beast just now?"

Ning Tian and Wu Feng both cried out when they heard Mo Yuan's prepared explanation, their eyes full of shock and uncertainty.

The Heart Seizing Beast was a rare Soul Beast with a Mental Attribute. Its name said it all: its innate skill, Foolishness, could leave any Soul Master or Soul Beast with less spiritual power than itself in a daze, creating the effect of time standing still.

Under this effect, the Heart Seizing Beast could do whatever it wanted to its targets. It was downright eerie and terrifying.

But because they were so rare, one might not encounter a single one in decades. Most people knew their name, but not what they looked like.

That was why Mo Yuan had chosen the Heart Seizing Beast as his prepared "culprit": like the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's mental-domain control, its innate skill was rarely witnessed but notorious.

When Ning Tian and Wu Feng heard that they had just encountered a Heart Seizing Beast, rare yet infamous, they couldn't help feeling shaken.

The descriptions and records of the Heart Seizing Beast did match what they had experienced, so they believed Mo Yuan immediately.

When they then heard that Mo Yuan had rescued them and pursued the beast, Ning Tian couldn't help feeling grateful.

Even Wu Feng, who had always disliked Mo Yuan, looked at him with much less hostility.

Some time later, when Ning Tian recovered from her shock, she realized that she had been clutching Mo Yuan's thick arms with both hands. Her gaze drifted downward, and she saw his perfect physique.

She had been so worried that she hadn't paid much attention to his body before. Now that she had calmed down and taken a proper look, an alluring blush crept across her face.

"Ah..."

She let out a small cry, hurriedly released Mo Yuan, and took several steps back. Her eyes were full of embarrassment, and she didn't dare look at him. But on closer inspection, she kept sneaking glances his way.

Even Wu Feng, who liked Ning Tian, couldn't help mirroring her expression. But when she saw the shy look on Ning Tian's face, jealousy flared up at once.

"Hmph! Mo Yuan, are you a pervert? How can you act so shamelessly in front of Ning Tian?! Put your clothes on!"

"Heh. You say one thing, but mean another." Mo Yuan didn't mind. In a good mood, he even teased her.

At once, Wu Feng blushed and retorted, "Who says I mean something else?! It's just a body. What's there to look at?"

Mo Yuan took a black trench coat from his Soul Tool and put it on, then used the "Urgency" art from the Cyber Ten Arts.

"You're getting worked up."

"Mo Yuan, you!"

"All right, all right, stop arguing," Ning Tian said.

Her gaze slipped away from the body hidden beneath the trench coat.

"We almost got into trouble with that Heart Seizing Beast just now. Since we're already close to Shrek Academy, we should leave the Star Dou Great Forest as soon as possible."

"Whatever Ning Tian says goes." Wu Feng's expression changed faster than the pages of a book. She immediately put on a smile.

"Oh, right, Mo Yuan. You must have used up a lot of energy protecting Wu Feng and me and chasing the Heart Seizing Beast. This is a Recover Essence Pill made by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. It can restore Soul Power and heal injuries. Take it quickly."

As she spoke, Ning Tian took out a jade bottle, tipped out a fragrant brown pill, and handed it to Mo Yuan.

Mo Yuan thanked her and accepted the pill. Thanks to the keen sense of smell granted by Dragon Blood, he could roughly guess some of the ingredients in the Recover Essence Pill.

It was an extremely valuable pill.

Mo Yuan swallowed it without hesitation. As soon as it entered his stomach, warm currents spread throughout his body. His Soul Power recovered, and the exhaustion from the Bloodburst rapidly faded, though he still felt somewhat weak.

Once he had recovered, Mo Yuan glanced toward the dead woodland in the distance to the north. Then he and Ning Tian and Wu Feng maintained their original formation and hurried toward the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Since they were already close to the forest's outer region, the three encountered only a few ordinary Hundred-Year Soul Beasts along the way. Wu Feng, eager to prove herself to Ning Tian, took care of them with ease.

Three hours later, the three left the Star Dou Great Forest. They continued for another twenty-five kilometers before stopping in a wooded area. At that distance, they were unlikely to encounter any Soul Beasts.

The sun sank, and a night sky dotted with stars covered the earth. In the dense forest, a clear stream reflected the full moon in broken silver ripples, its gentle burbling bringing a cool, refreshing comfort to the three after their long journey.

Once they reached a place to rest, Ning Tian and Wu Feng took a short break, then went to the stream and washed the dust and grime from themselves.

In the woods nearby, Mo Yuan casually gathered some dry branches and lit a bonfire. Listening to the faint sound of splashing water, he slowly closed his eyes and began studying the complicated art of alchemy in his mind.

A little while later, Ning Tian and Wu Feng returned from the stream together, having finished washing. After traveling for several days straight, they ate the rations they had brought with them, then went to sleep in the tent they had set up. As the only man, Mo Yuan took the first watch.

The flames fluttered in the breeze, and the dry branches crackled like popping beans as they burned.

When Mo Yuan heard the two breaths inside the tent settle into a steady rhythm, he rose and walked to the nearby stream. He took off his clothes, leaving only his shorts, and stepped into the water.

The cold stream stirred Mo Yuan's senses. His hot Dragon Blood coursed through his body, and as the water washed over him, his thoughts gradually emptied.

Amid the clear burbling of the stream, Mo Yuan suddenly heard light footsteps behind him.

"Ning Tian? Hadn't you gone to bed? Why are you up again?" Mo Yuan turned to look at Ning Tian as she approached.

"I couldn't sleep. I thought I'd come talk with you, but you weren't by the bonfire, so I followed the sound of the water here."

Ning Tian gazed at Mo Yuan, his upper body bare in the water. A blush appeared on her flawless face, making her look breathtaking in the bright moonlight.

She took off her delicate crystal high heels and sat on the bank beside Mo Yuan. Her perfect feet slipped gently into the water, their graceful arches and pink toes resembling five adorable silkworms.

Noticing Mo Yuan's almost imperceptible gaze, Ning Tian's embarrassed eyes took on a hint of unease.

The air fell silent. The water continued to burble, while the two of them gazed at the moon without a word.

After a while, Ning Tian suddenly spoke softly. "Mo Yuan, could you tell me about your past? I'm curious how you managed to get where you are today without any help from your family."