Bibi Dong and her two companions were surprised to see the guards standing in neat rows at the forest entrance. They had heard more or less about how lax and disorganized the forest guards were. Seeing them today, Bibi Dong assumed those rumors had been false and didn't think much more of it.
When the guards saw the Holy Maiden approaching with her two companions, they couldn't help recalling Lord Hals's "instructions." Their hearts tightened, and they hurriedly straightened up and shouted, "Welcome, Holy Maiden!"
Bibi Dong nodded, her expression odd, and walked into the forest.
"Safe travels, Holy Maiden!" A chorus of perfectly coordinated farewells rang out behind her.
"What was that...?" Xiong Yiyi asked, puzzled.
"If I'm not mistaken..." Bibi Dong mused for a moment before her expression settled. "Hals must have done that."
"Lord Hals?!" Xiong Yiyi and Jiabulin exclaimed in unison.
"Mm." Bibi Dong nodded, then fell silent.
Seeing that Bibi Dong didn't want to talk about it, the two wisely refrained from asking more.
The three continued on their way. Bibi Dong was lost in thought, while Xiong Yiyi and Jiabulin looked around curiously. They were newcomers selected from various branch halls, and this was their first time in the forest.
None of them realized that this was a forest rife with danger, not a safe haven. Unbeknownst to them, a slender, emerald-green snake—obviously deadly venomous—had quietly hidden in the nearby treetops and was waiting for its chance to strike.
"Whoosh!"
A piercing whistle cut through the air as the Emerald Serpent shot toward Bibi Dong, who was walking in front, as straight and fast as an arrow.
By the time the three reacted, the snake was already only a hand's breadth from Bibi Dong's delicate face.
"Holy Maiden!" Xiong Yiyi cried in panic.
Bibi Dong stared at the Soul Beast only inches away, her face paling in shock as the breath of death rushed toward her.
Bibi Dong was still an inexperienced young woman who hadn't seen many battles. She could hardly have been a more perfect example of a flower in a greenhouse.
The snake grew larger in Bibi Dong's eyes with every passing instant. Just as she thought she was about to die, an emerald-green rope with a hook shot out, moving far faster than the snake. It struck the snake with unerring accuracy. A strange, chilling fluctuation spread out, and the snake dropped to the ground without warning, unable to move. A glowing green light rose from its body and drifted into the Lantern in Hals's hand. He had appeared beside Bibi Dong at some point.
At the same time, a pale purple Soul Ring rose from the snake's corpse.
"..."
The three were speechless. Bibi Dong was still shaken, while Xiong Yiyi and Jiabulin were stunned that Hals had dispatched a thousand-year Soul Beast so cleanly and swiftly.
Bibi Dong gasped for a while before gradually regaining her composure. After all, she was the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall. But when she looked at Hals, her expression had softened considerably.
"...Thank you." Bibi Dong's expression turned complicated. After a brief struggle, she turned her face aside and murmured the words.
Hals froze for a moment. The green mist glowing from beneath his hood seemed to stop drifting for an instant. He lowered his head. No one could see his expression, and no one could guess what he was thinking.
"I would die for my master." His voice was still hoarse and unpleasant, but it sounded much gentler to Bibi Dong.
The two behind them watched the strange atmosphere between master and servant, unable to make heads or tails of it. They could only stare blankly as Hals bowed to Bibi Dong once more, then disappeared into the shadows again.
After resting for a while, Bibi Dong showed the composure expected of Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden. She directed Xiong Yiyi and Jiabulin into a one-two formation, with Jiabulin, a Power Attack System Soul Master, in front and Xiong Yiyi, a Control System Soul Master, beside Bibi Dong in the rear.
After that fright, all three were clearly much more alert, remaining fully focused at all times. When they were attacked by several Soul Beasts along the way, Hals didn't need to step in.
Finding a Soul Ring depended largely on luck. Even though Spirit Hall had a detailed map of the forest's layout, Soul Beasts still fought among themselves, constantly changing their territories.
That night, after their search proved fruitless, the three didn't leave. Instead, they found a small grove by a river and set up camp.
The flickering campfire cast shifting light and shadow across their faces. The day's exertions had left them all tired, so no one spoke. They simply sat in silence.
Wild animals feared fire, but Soul Beasts didn't. Many were actually drawn to it. The three had clearly forgotten this.
At some point, the many insects around their camp suddenly fell silent. Bibi Dong was the first to sense something amiss. She got to her feet and looked around, her face turning grim.
At some point, the camp had been surrounded by a pack of wolf-like Soul Beasts.
"Damn it." Bibi Dong gritted her teeth and steadied herself. She activated Martial Soul Possession, and three Soul Rings—one yellow and two purple—circled her body.
Xiong Yiyi and Jiabulin released their Martial Souls at the same time.
Xiong Yiyi's Martial Soul was made up of several vines, their heads shaped like phoenix heads and their bodies covered in phoenix patterns. Jiabulin's Martial Soul took the form of a massive half-gauntlet that covered his forearm.
"Xiong Yiyi, stay behind us. Jiabulin and I will take the front. Protect Xiong Yiyi. Get ready." Bibi Dong furrowed her brow. "Let's go!"
At her command, the two charged in different directions. Xiong Yiyi hurriedly sent two vines after them, ready to pull them back at any moment, while the other vines swirled around her.
Most of the beasts at the front were ten- or hundred-year Soul Beasts. Bibi Dong needed only her first and second Soul Skills to carve through their ranks again and again.
Jiabulin swung his enormous gauntlet, every blow landing solidly. He sent Soul Beasts flying, crushing their bodies out of shape. Those he grazed were nearly killed; those he hit were badly injured.
Just as the three began to think the beasts were nothing special and let their guard down a little, a small but far more imposing Shadow Wolf sprang forward. With a light swipe of its claw, it shattered Jiabulin's gauntlet. The damage to his Martial Soul rebounded onto him, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood before his head lolled to the side and he passed out.
That wasn't all. The attack seemed to have cost the Shadow Wolf no effort at all. It used its momentum to leap into the air, kicked off with its hind legs, and darted toward Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong reacted the instant the Shadow Wolf leaped. But with the beast bearing down on her, she could only raise her arms in front of her chest in a hurried attempt to block it.
"Ah!"
With a scream, Bibi Dong was sent flying. The sleeves of her clothes had been torn to shreds, her face was deathly pale, and her breathing was faint.
"You'll die for this!"
A furious shout rang out. Hals, no longer as calm as usual, shot out of the shadows. His third Soul Ring activated, and an eerie Whisper suddenly echoed inside the Shadow Wolf's mind. The wolf had been about to attack again, but its body stiffened. It fell forward and tumbled across the ground.
A Hook glowing dark green, rather than the usual emerald, shot out and pierced the Shadow Wolf.
"Awooo!" The Shadow Wolf's mournful cry echoed far across the forest.
Hals yanked hard on the Hook and, impossibly, pulled himself toward it. His face darkened. For the first time, he thrust his right arm out from beneath his robe, revealing a crisscross of scars covering it.
Hals pressed his hand against the Shadow Wolf's head. His Second Soul Ring glimmered, and strange fluctuations spread through the air. A struggling green spirit rose slowly from the Shadow Wolf's corpse. Hals compressed it into a ball and placed it inside the Lantern in his left hand.
Hals didn't look at the Shadow Wolf again. Instead, he hurried over to Bibi Dong, who had fallen nearby.
A pitch-black Soul Ring rose from the still-breathing Shadow Wolf, drifting into the air...
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