Zhu Xiyan's Daily Training

In the forest, a graceful figure dressed in a black, form-fitting outfit and wearing a black mask and hood crouched tensely on a tree branch, warily surveying the surroundings.

Suddenly, the figure flipped backward with a whoosh, narrowly dodging a long, slender shadow thrusting straight at her.

She landed on the ground and crouched low. A bead of cold sweat welled on her forehead, slid over the mask's unusual material, and fell to the ground.

After pausing for a moment, she turned her head and followed the path of the attack. A small, pointed snake, emerald green from head to tail and about as wide as the tip of her little finger and ten centimeters long, coiled on a thin branch, staring coldly at her. Though it had no eyes, she could feel a needle-sharp gaze piercing her soul, causing a faint ache.

The figure felt as if needles were pricking her back, yet she was secretly delighted. This was the first time in five days she had sensed danger—and successfully evaded an attack.

As she warily watched the little snake, ready for its next attack, it silently melted into a puddle. A faint green glow drifted slowly toward the shadows nearby.

"Clap, clap, clap."

A sudden burst of applause broke the tense, solemn silence.

The figure froze, then slowly straightened, removed her hood, and lifted the black mask from her face. She shook out her neat, short hair, revealing a rather handsome face. It was none other than Hals's disciple, Zhu Xiyan.

Hals slowly emerged from the shadows. The upper half of his face was hidden beneath his hood, but the lower half was visible, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised. He seemed to be in a fairly good mood.

His hoarse voice rang out as he applauded and praised her. "Very good. You've made great progress."

Zhu Xiyan looked at the strange man emerging from the shadows. She felt no fear, only admiration.

She bowed respectfully to Hals, then rose and said, "It's all thanks to your guidance, Teacher. I've been able to grow so much in such a short time because of you. Everything is a gift from you."

She spoke with a hint of excitement held tightly in check, yet her words were clear and uninterrupted. She was a far cry from the person she had been half a month ago.

"Heh."

The corners of Hals's mouth lifted slightly, but he didn't reply. He stopped clapping and tucked his pale left hand and emerald-green, translucent right hand back beneath his robe.

Zhu Xiyan showed no surprise at all. Over the past half month, she had come to understand her teacher a little better and learned some of his hidden secrets. For instance, the little snake that had just attacked her was his creation, and the green glow was its soul.

These secrets might have unsettled others, but they did nothing to worry Zhu Xiyan. In fact, she felt a hint of admiration, awe, excitement, and longing.

Seeing the calm in his disciple's eyes, along with a hint of excitement, Hals felt satisfied with Zhu Xiyan and quietly pleased.

All this time, Hals's appearance and strange Martial Soul and Soul Skills had made others fear him. On the surface, and to some extent deep down, he acted as if he didn't care. But in truth, he often felt lonely. He, too, longed for someone like himself.

When he was young, Bibi Dong's actions had given Hals a rare sense of warmth. Perhaps that was why he had felt such... fondness for Bibi Dong?

But apart from Bibi Dong, Hals remained utterly alone. Zhu Xiyan's arrival, however, had shown him a glimmer of hope. He could see that a cold, violent beast was hidden within her, too. She was one of his kind.

Perhaps he could gather all those like them and form a nation. Of course, the nation's ruler would have to be his master—the person who mattered most to Hals...

As he thought, he kept moving. No Soul Ring flashed; only a faint ripple of Soul Power stirred. A dense mist, green so dark it was almost black, gradually emerged around Hals and enveloped him, making him disappear.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but the Black Mist gave Zhu Xiyan a feeling of decay and dread—and yet it also seemed invigorating.

She was still standing there in a daze when Hals's hoarse voice rang out. "What are you waiting for? Come in."

"Ah, oh—right."

Zhu Xiyan came back to her senses and stepped into the thick mist, curiosity written across her face.

Once she had entered the fog, a fierce wind rose. The mist thinned slightly, swept past the trees without being hindered by them, and quickly vanished.

Zhu Xiyan curiously surveyed her surroundings. After a quick look, she realized she was in a world with no visible end. The sky was an endless green, so vivid it made her uneasy, while the ground was black and permeated with the stench of decay.

Everything seemed lifeless.

Yet this strange, terrifying scene didn't frighten Zhu Xiyan at all. She explored the world step by step, like a newborn discovering everything for the first time.

Hals's deep, hoarse voice came from all directions, overlapping like an endless tide. "Put your curiosity aside. Don't try to explore this place. You're not strong enough to withstand the pressure of this world."

Startled, Zhu Xiyan immediately stopped reaching out and obediently stood where she was, looking perfectly docile.

Hals's figure gradually appeared not far away. Looking at Zhu Xiyan, who seemed to be saying, "I'm being good," he wore a strange yet pleased expression. Her current self bore no resemblance to who she had been before. That proved his approach was working, so...

He'd turn it up a notch!

With that thought, Hals said nothing more. He stood quietly, trying to use his Soul Power to draw out the Soul Flame in his eyes and refine a soul.

After an unknown length of time, Hals came back to himself. "We're here..."

"Eat up, drink up! Hahaha! That was a satisfying haul!"

In a hidden mountain stronghold nestled in a valley, the joy of a feast filled the air. A gang of bandits drank merrily, entirely unaware that disaster was about to befall them.

At the head of the banquet table, a shirtless, bald man with scars all over his body—including a vicious slash running from his left eye down to the right side of his neck—planted one foot on the table and shouted boisterously.

"Brothers, eat your fill! Damn, today's haul'll feed us for half a year! When we get back, I'll hand out some reward money. You can all go find yourselves some women and have a good time. How's that sound?"

"Yeah!"

Some of the bandits below raised bowls of wine; others grabbed great chunks of meat with greasy hands. They stood, sat, or even sprawled on the ground. The scene was a complete mess.

Seeing his men act without a care in the world, the bald leader narrowed his eyes, looking thoroughly pleased.

He turned to the handsome young man sitting beside him, who looked utterly helpless, and grinned. "Well, Second Chief? Not a bad outfit I've got here, huh?"

The handsome young man they called the Second Chief sighed. "Sir, this..."

Before he could finish, the bald leader waved a hand. "Don't call me 'sir.' I said, call me Second Chief." The bald man narrowed his eyes. Though he was grinning, the young man couldn't help shuddering. "We've dragged you out to this dump. Quit acting like some highbrow scholar, all proper and polished. It makes me sick."

The young man had no choice but to change tack and try to reason with him. "Boss, this business of robbing people isn't sustainable. I think we ought to... damn it, find another line of work. I heard the goods you stole this time caught the eye of an elder of the imperial family. At this rate, won't the empire come after us?"

The bald man showed no concern at all as the young man earnestly tried to talk sense into him. He waved a hand dismissively and slammed his wine bowl onto the table with a bang.

"Damn it, who do you think I am? I'm a mighty Soul Emperor at Level 68. Send one, I'll chop him down. Send two, and I'll cleave them both in half."

After his grand declaration, the bald man grinned and put an arm around the young man. He picked up a wine jug, filled the bowl before him, then shoved it into his hand.

"Enough, enough. Don't overthink it. Come on, drink. Drink!"

The young man had no choice but to pick up the bowl and gulp down the wine.

Seeing that, the bald man grinned, sprang to his feet, and raised his bowl.

"Come on, let's drink to the Second Chief!"

"To the Second Chief!"