Faster, Faster!

Qian Renxue looked at Lin Feng, who stood frozen in place and stared straight at her. Realizing something, she quickly wiped the smile from her face and returned to her usual cold, detached demeanor.

She turned and walked to a clean, level patch of grass, sat down cross-legged, and instructed him,

"Xiao Linzi, don't run around. I'm going to absorb the soul ring first."

Lin Feng came back to his senses, suppressing the wild pounding in his chest. He quickly scratched his head and answered,

"Sure! Absorb it without worry, Teacher. I'll stand guard for you."

Of course, he did not truly take it to heart. With his bargain teacher's precious status, he would never believe there were not one or two Title Douluos protecting her in secret.

He lightly leaped onto a thick branch nearby and sat with his back against the trunk. As he gazed into the distance, his thoughts gradually drifted, worry filling his eyes.

"It's been a week. The headmaster and Uncle Zhao still haven't seen me. They must be worried sick."

"If they think the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group captured me, then with Uncle Zhao's temper, he'll definitely go looking for Blood Wolf. No, I have to get back quickly."

The Blood Wolf Mercenary Group had a Soul Douluo-level leader, along with four Soul Saints and dozens of Soul Emperors...

Without his double buffs and Godly Gear enhancements, Flender and Zhao Wuji, two Soul Saints, would not stand a chance even if they fought for their lives.

Three hours passed in the blink of an eye.

Qian Renxue slowly opened her eyes. A flash of golden light passed through them as the ten-thousand-year black soul ring disappeared into her body. The aura of Soul Power surrounding her had become far stronger than before.

The pressure of Soul Power emanating from her body grew increasingly heavy and solid. She had completely stabilized her Soul King realm.

Seeing this, Lin Feng did not even have time to congratulate her. He immediately jumped down from the tree and rushed over, his face filled with urgency.

"Teacher, we need to leave the Star Dou Forest immediately. If we're any later, I'm afraid the headmaster and the others will go fight the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group to the death."

"Alright."

Angel wings abruptly spread behind Qian Renxue. She grabbed Lin Feng by the back of his collar, rose into the air, and sped toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest.

Lin Feng froze for a moment, not expecting her to fly with him.

The biting wind rushing toward him brushed across his cheeks. Looking at the sea of treetops flashing past beneath them, the restlessness deep inside him eased considerably.

"It's only been around a week. The headmaster is clever enough that he should be able to stop Uncle Zhao."

Flying at high speed while carrying someone consumed far more Soul Power than flying alone. Qian Renxue's brows drew together slightly as she said coolly,

"Xiao Linzi, Soul Power."

"Coming right up!"

The yellow soul ring on Lin Feng's body lit up as he chanted softly,

"Blue Sentinel Power!"

A deep blue aura steadily wrapped around Qian Renxue.

Her rapidly draining Soul Power immediately began replenishing at a visible pace.

With the endless sustain of Blue Buff backing her up, Qian Renxue's golden wings beat fiercely. Her speed rose another level as she transformed into a dazzling streak of golden light, tearing through the sky toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest.

Outskirts of the Star Dou Forest

Rest Town,

Inside a simple wooden house,

Zhao Wuji sat on a stool, his eyes bloodshot. Violence and anxiety churned in his heart as he suddenly slammed a hand against the solid wooden table.

"Flender, we can't hesitate any longer. Lin Feng must have been taken by Blood Wolf. We're going to his hideout."

As he spoke, he abruptly rose to his feet and rushed toward the door.

"Old Zhao, stop right there!"

Flender immediately shouted to stop him. Days of worry had made his voice hoarse, but he still forced himself to remain calm as he slowly sorted through the clues.

"Lin Feng can't be in Blood Wolf's hands."

"Everyone outside is saying that the two of us were seriously injured and fled into the Star Dou Forest with a priceless treasure. If Lin Feng were really in their hands, how could they possibly spread that information?"

He raised a hand to adjust his glasses, his gaze sharp as he said in a deep voice,

"Most importantly, Soul Recovery Pavilion still hasn't reopened. If those greedy wild dogs had truly caught Lin Feng, their cash cow, how could they let such a chance to make money go to waste? They would have propped him up as a living signboard already."

Over the past few days, it was not as if they had never suspected the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group. The two had secretly captured two Soul Emperor-level core members of the group and interrogated them through the night.

Yet from beginning to end, those men knew nothing about the priceless treasure. Even Zhou Man, the leader of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group, had been leading people around the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest every day in a frantic search.

That was precisely why the two of them had temporarily set aside their suspicions of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group.

Zhao Wuji stood where he was, his face expressionless. His calmness was even more unsettling than his earlier rage.

He clenched his fists tightly and said word by word,

"Then I'll search the inner region of the Star Dou Forest."

"Lin Feng is a student of Shrek. Since he called me Uncle Zhao, I have to bring him back no matter what—alive, I'll see him alive; dead, I'll see his body."

Flender fell silent for a moment, then stepped forward and heavily patted his shoulder as he said in a deep voice,

"Fine. If you're going, I'm going with you."

The two pushed open the door side by side. Just as they were about to step out, they saw a figure in the distance running anxiously toward them.

His clothes were slashed to tatters and covered in dirt and grass clippings. His messy hair stuck to his forehead, and he looked as bedraggled as a roadside beggar.

But Flender recognized him at a single glance.

"Lin Feng!"

The massive weight that had pressed on his heart for days crashed to the ground. All his anxiety, repression, and self-blame vanished in an instant.

"Hahaha!"

Flender could not help bursting into laughter as he raised a hand and patted Zhao Wuji's shoulder beside him.

"Old Zhao, no need to look anymore. The Gold-Swallowing Beast came back on its own."

His excited eyes uncontrollably reddened.

He had personally brought Lin Feng in. If anything had really happened to the boy, he would never have forgiven himself for the rest of his life.

Zhao Wuji stared fixedly at the approaching figure, his gaze quickly sweeping over Lin Feng's limbs. His arms and legs were all intact; nothing was missing.

Then he looked at his complexion. Though Lin Feng appeared bedraggled, his face was rosy and his breathing steady. There was not the slightest sign of injury or weakness.

The heart that had been lodged in his throat finally settled. He kept muttering,

"It's good you're back. Good you're back."

Lin Feng ran all the way up to them, grinning to reveal a mouthful of white teeth as he teased carelessly,

"Oh? Headmaster, Uncle Zhao, where are you two going? Looking at this lineup, don't tell me you were getting ready to avenge me?"

Seeing that the brat still looked so carefree, Flender was both angry and amused. He reached out and roughly rubbed Lin Feng's messy hair.

"Avenge you? We were going to see whether you were dead. Don't forget, you still owe a mountain of debt. You dare die? Pay the money back first."

"Heh! So that's why I've been so unlucky these past few days."

Lin Feng dodged his hand, wearing an expression that said, I've seen right through you,

"Headmaster, tell me honestly. Have you been cursing me every day, hoping something would happen so you could dodge the ninety-nine million Gold Soul Coins you owe me?"

"I'm telling you, no chance."

Their back-and-forth banter instantly scattered the heaviness and oppression that had filled the air. The atmosphere immediately became relaxed and harmonious.

Zhao Wuji patted his shoulder and asked suspiciously,

"Xiao Linzi, don't tell me you're directionally challenged and got lost in the inner region of the Star Dou Forest?"

"Uncle Zhao, you're the one who's directionally challenged."

Lin Feng rolled his eyes speechlessly,

"I've walked that hidden passage for two years. I could walk it with my eyes closed. How could I possibly get lost?"