Star Fruit

She had a fiancé, but the inner conflict she once felt regarding worldly expectations had been completely shattered after witnessing this scene.

It doesn't seem that important anymore. That scumbag, why is he even worth my hesitation?

Unconsciously, Zhu Zhuqing's state of mind improved significantly.

Mu Qian took the fruit and took a bite, saying in a relaxed tone, "Zhuqing, my injuries are mostly healed, but let's not rush to find a suitable soul beast just yet."

"What's wrong?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, puzzled.

"I have a strange feeling. That Earth King shouldn't have appeared here. I suspect something in the middle zone caught its attention."

Mu Qian explained, "In all these years, I've never suffered such a big loss. Let's go over and take a look later; maybe we can find a chance to raid its lair."

"Maybe we shouldn't. That's an 80,000-year-level powerful soul beast, and besides, you're carrying me as dead weight..." Zhu Zhuqing said, feeling worried.

"I don't really mind, but... I don't want you to be in danger..."

Mu Qian was stunned. Since when could someone as cold and aloof as her say such things?

Even when she had shown concern for him before, she had never been so direct.

"What are you saying? What do you mean you don't mind? You are a precious, brilliant pearl; don't look down on yourself." Mu Qian tapped Zhu Zhuqing on the head.

The young girl's crystalline eyes gazed at him, and a sweet, sugary joy surged in her heart.

So, am I that important?

"Don't worry, I have a trump card. Even if I can't take down that Earth King, I have the confidence to retreat unscathed," Mu Qian said with firm resolve.

"However, you will need to temporarily retreat to the perimeter and wait for me..."

"No!" Zhu Zhuqing retorted without a second thought.

"We agreed to act together..." The young girl lowered her head, even she herself feeling that this reason was a bit far-fetched.

It wasn't that Zhu Zhuqing didn't know her presence might cause trouble for Mu Qian, or that she didn't know that facing an 80,000-year-level soul beast could lead to a life-threatening situation if they weren't careful.

Perhaps after experiencing these events, she lacked a sense of security in her heart; she simply didn't want to let Mu Qian leave her sight.

Zhu Zhuqing was like a frightened little cat, her heart exceptionally sensitive.

She felt a sense of panic, and even more, a strong sense of unease, as if the moment Mu Qian left, the past would repeat itself and he would never return.

Yet, she didn't want Mu Qian to give up a potential opportunity because of her.

Mu Qian paused, unable to fully grasp the girl's thoughts for a moment.

No matter how mature his mental age was, he hadn't been tempered by many relationships, and he couldn't perfectly control or understand a girl's mind.

But this was normal; no one was perfect, and he was no exception.

"But..." Mu Qian looked worried; he was considering Zhu Zhuqing's safety above all else.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally grasped the core of her feelings and couldn't bear to leave her alone here.

This girl, perhaps she is afraid of being alone?

"You silly girl, how could I bear to leave you behind? Let's go, we'll just be careful." Mu Qian subconsciously took her cold, jade-like hand, not letting her continue to let her imagination run wild.

"Mm~" Zhu Zhuqing replied, the worry between her brows smoothing out slightly.

Her voice was soft and sweet, inviting endless reverie.

Mu Qian smiled helplessly. If he were alone, he could take the risk, but with Zhu Zhuqing in tow, he would have to play it by ear.

If things really went south, he would flee immediately; no opportunity was worth more than a life.

I promised to protect her. I may not be a gentleman, but I have never broken a promise I've made.

In the center of the Douluo Continent, at the intersection of the two great empires, sat an incredibly prosperous city.

In terms of scale, the grandeur of this city was even more exaggerated than the capitals of the two empires, and it belonged to no country, possessing independent administrative power.

This was the headquarters of the Martial Soul Hall, Martial Soul City.

In the center of Martial Soul City stood a building that could be called the most magnificent in the entire continent; it was the location of the Pope Palace, the highest governing body of the Martial Soul Hall.

A young girl in a snow-white ice dress walked up the long stairs, moving very slowly. With every step she took, the white marble stairs beneath her feet were covered in a layer of bone-chilling frost.

The girl seemed to have come with ill intent.

However, the two rows of palace guards clad in silver armor turned a blind eye, their expressions solemn as they stared straight ahead, as if nothing unusual were happening.

As the girl's jade hand waved gently, the magnificent, holy gates slowly opened.

The girl finally stopped, her cold eyes seemingly devoid of any emotion: "Bibi Dong, the time has come to fulfill your promise..."

Star Luo Empire, Star Forest.

Mu Qian and Zhu Zhuqing carefully wove through the jungle and soon returned to the spot where they had previously encountered the Earth King.

This time, being prepared, Mu Qian used his proficient control over the wood element to mask their auras to the lowest possible level.

They seemed to have merged into the surrounding environment; if not for seeing them with the naked eye, those soul beasts would not have sensed anything unusual.

A gap about ten meters wide appeared in the forest, looking like a drag mark left behind by some colossal creature.

Mu Qian and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance and followed the trail without a word.

"Zhuqing, be careful. Something feels off." Mu Qian's expression was grave as he instinctively tightened his grip on Zhu Zhuqing's wrist.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded, her face equally solemn, as she leaned close to Mu Qian and scanned the path ahead with vigilance.

As they ventured deeper, Mu Qian noticed that the light in the vicinity was becoming increasingly abnormal.

Even though it was midday and there were no tall trees overhead to block the sunlight, the surrounding light was gradually dimming.

In the forest clearing not far ahead, faint, shimmering specks of fluorescence were visible, looking as magnificent as the auroras Mu Qian had seen in the Far North.

"When things are abnormal, there must be something strange. Zhuqing, we might not be far from our target." Mu Qian mused, slowing their pace even further.

The two walked deeper and deeper, and the light around them grew darker and darker, until eventually, they could only discern their direction by the faint fluorescence ahead.

Finally, the two arrived before a low, small hill.

When he gently pushed aside a massive blade of grass blocking their path, he finally saw the source of the anomaly.

"That is..."

"What... what is that?"

Both of them exclaimed in surprise simultaneously; Zhu Zhuqing out of confusion, while Mu Qian, because he had seen it with his own eyes before.

Not far away lay a forest clearing about twenty meters in diameter, where a gargantuan scorpion was sprawled out, seemingly fast asleep.

This massive scorpion was snow-white all over, with a powerful aura of slaughter radiating from its joints. A tail composed of nine segments was connected to a fiery-red stinger, which curved and circled in front of its massive body.

It was none other than the Earth King, the top-tier soul beast with eighty thousand years of cultivation that had been hunting them earlier.

But that was not the reason for their astonishment.

In the direction the Earth King's stinger was pointing, a strange little tree was growing.

The sapling was not very tall, appearing about the size of a human child, and its sparse branches and leaves were all ink-black.

Most peculiar of all was the fruit growing at the very top of the sapling, which looked like a silver-gray starry sky.

"It's actually a Star Fruit..." Mu Qian's eyes were filled with immense surprise.

For a soul beast, the effects of this thing were no less potent than an immortal-grade herb!