Golden Lightning, Zizz Zizz Zizz

"Zhuqing!" Su Yan shouted.

This was already who knows how many times he had called out like this.

Zhu Zhuqing was already prepared. Several streaks of cold light flashed, and a Gale Giant Deer crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom.

"We three are invincible!" Tang Chi said excitedly.

Over the past few days, the trio's tacit understanding had grown stronger and stronger.

They temporarily set up camp on an open patch of ground by the river, hunting nearby as well. Every day, they steadily bagged at least one ten-year-level Soul Beast, enough to meet their basic survival needs.

Su Yan took out a dagger, briefly dressed the Gale Giant Deer, drained its blood, dug a pit to bury the innards, then washed it clean by the river. Making sure no lingering scent remained, he roasted the exterior on the spot before carrying it back to camp.

Not far from them, Xue Ke sat in her wheelchair watching, enjoying her freedom, a smile blooming across her face.

Every time he hunted, Su Yan brought Xue Ke along, placing her within Zhu Zhuqing's Phantom Shift range. That was far safer than leaving her alone in camp.

Xue Ke was happy to follow. The outside world was all novel to her.

"A few more days, and we can start moving slowly toward our destination." Su Yan dragged the Gale Giant Deer back as he walked.

"Why don't we just set off directly?" Tang Chi asked thoughtfully. "The three of us summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and bulldoze our way through. There shouldn't be any opponent in this forest."

"You're thinking too simply," Su Yan said. "Do you remember how long it took before we felt our Soul Power fully recover after summoning the Blue-Eyes White Dragon?"

Tang Chi narrowed his eyes, pondering for a moment. "I remember I couldn't muster any energy that night."

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon's power is immense, but the combined Soul Power of the three of us is only enough to barely fire one attack. After that, we'd fall into a state where we can't fight," Su Yan said, his face serious and his voice low. "If another Soul Beast suddenly appeared at that point, the consequences would be unthinkable."

Tang Chi's eyes bulged like copper bells. Cold sweat broke out in shock. If something like that really happened, even a small Soul Beast would be enough to take all four of their lives.

"Use your brain a little. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon can only be used as a trump card." Zhu Zhuqing pushed Xue Ke's wheelchair as she walked and spoke.

"Who are you calling brainless!" Tang Chi jumped up and down in anger. "I'm the one with the highest Soul Power Level among the four of us!"

Xue Ke's eyes crinkled happily. "Brother Tang Chi is still as lively as ever."

"See, Princess Xue Ke is the best—pretty face and sweet talk," Tang Chi pouted, running to the front of the group. "Not like some people. Bleh bleh bleh!"

He turned his head back, stuck out his red tongue, spread both hands on either side of his cheeks, and flapped his palms in a steady rhythm.

Princess Xue Ke's cheeks flushed faintly pink, and her crisp, bell-like laughter echoed through the woods.

Zhu Zhuqing gave a cold snort and ignored him.

"Stop messing around. Let me tell you another piece of bad news. Ever since that day, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card hasn't responded."

Su Yan's words instantly chilled the atmosphere.

Tang Chi shuddered all over and immediately shrank back behind Su Yan, muttering to himself, "Life is precious, you only get one. Careful, careful, careful."

"Finally using your brain a little." Zhu Zhuqing said casually as she pushed Xue Ke past him.

"You!" Tang Chi stomped in fury but was helpless.

Before long, the four returned to camp.

Su Yan skillfully lit a fire and started roasting the meat.

Tang Chi plopped down on the ground, exhaustion written all over him. "When will this life end? When will the Saintess Instructor come to pick us up?"

"Don't think about it. Master's coming to get us in a year."

"I've been wanting to ask for a long time," Zhu Zhuqing said as she sat down on the ground to rest. "Why do Brainless Tang and I call her Instructor, but Brother Yan calls her Master?"

"I actually formally took her as my master," Su Yan said, raising an eyebrow. "Her closed-door senior disciple."

Tang Chi broke out in another cold sweat and shook his head. "Even the Pope of Martial Soul Hall said that any disciple the Saintess Instructor takes is doomed to die. Only Su Yan would dare. I sure wouldn't."

"No wonder the Instructor only told me to call her Instructor," Zhu Zhuqing stared at Su Yan with a strange expression.

The next moment, her nose twitched slightly, filled with the rich aroma of roasted meat. "So fragrant! Brother Yan's cooking has improved again!"

Xue Ke also leaned forward as much as she could, greedily inhaling the scent of the roast, her face full of bliss. This was far more fragrant than the so-called royal cuisine of the Heavenly Dou Royal Family.

Tang Chi took a deep breath and let out a satisfied sigh.

"It's just that the meat is fresh. I'm only providing the fire," Su Yan said, a little embarrassed. He flipped the dagger in his hand, hacked the Gale Giant Deer into large chunks, roasted them thoroughly over the fire, and handed one piece to each person. That was dinner taken care of.

A single crisp crunch, and all four said in unison, "So good!"

"The Saintess Instructor's suggestion—I think we should put it on the agenda!" Tang Chi stared at Su Yan meaningfully. "Might even restore some Soul Power or something."

"Get lost!" Su Yan feigned anger, raising the large deer leg in his hand as if to swing it down.

But then Zhu Zhuqing spoke up meaningfully as well. "That new brain of his isn't bad. I agree too."

"Absolutely heartless!" Su Yan chose to turn his anger into appetite, shutting out everything around him and focusing only on the food in his mouth.

After a hearty meal, the three lay down on the spot in satisfaction.

"I'll take the night watch tonight. You three go rest."

Zhu Zhuqing stood up, walked to the edge, and took a patrol around the camp while the sun had yet to set.

Of the remaining three, only Xue Ke was truly resting.

Tang Chi carried Xue Ke over to a pile of dead leaves, then he and Su Yan sat cross-legged and entered a meditative state.

"The Saintess Instructor is a genius—who knew you could train soul power like this." Tang Chi cycled the Yi Jin Jing, and a single circulation dissolved an entire day's fatigue.

"I wonder what this is called. I'll ask Master about it later." Su Yan took a deep breath, feeling a refreshing ease flow through every meridian and channel in his body—a sensation that could hardly come from any native Douluo Continent meditation method.

Zhu Zhuqing, on watch duty, found the nearest tree, climbed up, and lay down across a branch.

The sun dragged its weary body behind the mountains, and the moon leaped lightly into the sky.

From the forest came the roars of soul beasts.

Night was a feast for soul beasts.

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes snapped open. She heard a crackling sound, like lightning, heading straight toward them.

"Hell Spirit Cat, possess!"

She landed lightly on the ground and slipped into the dim jungle. With the visual traits of a cat, she could see everything in the woods clearly.

A hound covered in brown bristles was chasing a golden soul beast.

"Giant-Toothed Hound." Zhu Zhuqing sucked in a sharp breath.

This soul beast could swallow her whole just by opening its mouth, and the fangs in its jaws were twice as thick as her thigh.

Of course, none of that was the real problem.

The real problem was that Giant-Toothed Hounds were one of the few pack-dwelling soul beasts in the area. Seeing one was basically the same as seeing an entire den.

One of them alone would already take the three of them some effort to deal with. If a whole pack showed up, they could only pray to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon again.

Zhu Zhuqing climbed along the trunk beside her to the very top, scanned the distance, and let out a sigh of relief.

This single Giant-Toothed Hound was lost—probably chasing the golden soul beast ahead and had gotten separated from its pack.

She had no intention of interfering in the affairs between soul beasts.

The strong prey on the weak—that was the law of nature.

All she needed to do was sit in the tree, watch nature's competition unfold, and wait for them to leave without threatening the camp.

The golden soul beast was fast, like a bolt of lightning, dodging every bite from the Giant-Toothed Hound.

Its long, slender ears—black only at the tips—listened to the movements behind it, predicting the enemy's moves time and again.

Its small, nimble limbs were not only quick but also astonishingly powerful. It stopped abruptly, changed direction, and serpentined, leaving shallow pits in the ground with each step.

Its thick tail was shaped like a bolt of lightning, held taut to maintain balance.

But the most distinctive feature was the patch of red on each side of its face, which occasionally flickered with golden sparks, crackling softly.

"So cute!" Zhu Zhuqing stared at the golden soul beast and couldn't tear her eyes away.

Seeing the Giant-Toothed Hound's gaping maw about to clamp down on the golden soul beast, her palms were slick with sweat, and a faint glow had already risen from her yellow soul ring.

Humans, too, were part of nature.

She decided to follow nature's law—using her own strength to overcome the Giant-Toothed Hound's weakness.