Heart of Purity Holds Dew

"Clang!"

A crisp sound of impact rang out, yet the death she had anticipated did not arrive.

..Why?

Jiang Nannan struggled to open her eyes, only to see a shield of golden patterns shimmering around her, enveloping and protecting her.

The Wolf King's attack had been blocked by the shield.

Not only was Jiang Nannan caught off guard, but the Nether Wolf King was equally stunned, having slammed solidly into the Gilded Barrier.

It rebounded and crashed into a nearby tree trunk; by the time it struggled to its feet, blood was already seeping from its nostrils.

Its eerie green eyes grew even more ferocious.

"Awoo!"

The enraged Wolf King let out a low, guttural roar.

Its sharp claws lit up with a deep purple light once more, preparing to launch its next assault.

But beneath it, the previously stable ground suddenly shifted; several sharp stone spikes erupted from the soil, striking directly at the Wolf King's underbelly.

The Wolf King could not dodge in time.

"Awooooo!"

Its massive body was sent flying dozens of meters away, its underside slashed with multiple wounds, the flowing blood staining its deep purple fur.

Seeing this, The entire pack swarmed forward to protect the Wolf King, their bodies glowing with cyan or green light as they let out a chorus of howls.

Part of the pack shielded the Nether Wolf King, while the rest assumed an offensive stance, Staring fixedly at Jiang Nannan.

Just then, a phantom of a silver moon suddenly appeared in the clear sky, and several powerful sword auras slashed out from it, accompanied by a whistling gale that instantly carved a terrifying, dozens-of-meters-long scar into the forest, Separating the wolf pack from Jiang Nannan.

Intimidated by the pressure radiating from the sword auras, the Nether Wolf King revealed fear in its eyes and immediately let out a howl, Leading the pack to retreat at full speed, Vanishing into the forest in the blink of an eye.

"..."

It all happened in an instant.

Jiang Nannan slumped onto the grass, her beautiful eyes staring blankly at the fleeing pack. Her fair, pretty face was covered in mud, and her long, golden wavy hair was matted with blades of grass.

Her mind was a complete blank; she had no idea what had just happened.

"Are you alright?"

A voice sounded from behind her.

Jiang Nannan subconsciously turned her head slowly to see a young man standing in the sunlight. His clear eyes were fixed on her, his nose bridge was high and straight, and his figure was tall and upright. Under the sun, his fair skin exuded a gentle temperament, his long black hair stirred in the breeze, and the hundred-year Soul Ring floating beside him shimmered with a golden hue.

Jiang Nannan's small heart skipped a beat.

"I... I'm fine..."

She said in a fluster, But her body, trembling uncontrollably and covered in bloody scratches, did not look like it was fine at all.

Zhang Lexuan descended from the sky.

She was tall and slender, her light-colored dress standing out strikingly in the forest. Her temperament was noble yet carried a unique gentleness, and her voice was cold yet soft, carrying the tone of an elder admonishing a junior.

"Daring to venture deep into the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest at only the second ring—are you not afraid of danger?"

She was always strict with the junior brothers and sisters of the Inner Court, but facing a child of only ten-something years old, she couldn't help but feel a sense of protectiveness.

Jiang Nannan looked up at Zhang Lexuan, stunned:

So beautiful...

Zhang Lexuan turned to glance at Lu Ran.

A single shield had blocked a thousand-year Nether Wolf King, and a few stone spikes had been enough to injure it; this was not something an ordinary two-ring Soul Master could achieve.

Lu Ran retracted his Soul Ring, and the Gilded Barrier immediately dissipated into specks of light.

He then summoned the Gentle Water Domain, the water-blue domain swirling around them, harmonizing perfectly with the green of the forest.

"The danger has been resolved,"

His voice was gentle, "This soul skill can accelerate your soul power recovery. Recover first, then we shall talk."

Jiang Nannan felt the sudden, refreshing coolness in a daze. She reached out a still-trembling hand to touch the faint, water-blue mist, and an indescribable sense of peace welled up from the bottom of her heart.

She used all her remaining strength:

"Thank you... thank you..."

The voice was faint.

Zhang Lexuan's gaze swept over the numerous wounds and bloodstains on Jiang Nannan's body. A flicker of pity crossed her eyes as she retrieved a small celadon bottle from her storage Soul Tool and poured out a dark brown pill, its faint medicinal fragrance instantly permeating the air.

She walked to Jiang Nannan's side and held the pill to her lips:

"Open your mouth. This pill will heal your injuries."

Jiang Nannan's pink lips parted slightly, her throat moved, and she swallowed the pill.

It wasn't that she was completely without caution, but her situation had already hit rock bottom; it couldn't possibly get any worse. Even if Zhang Lexuan had explicitly stated the pill was poisonous, she would have been unable to refuse.

As the pill entered her stomach, it transformed into a warm current that began to heal her body. Jiang Nannan raised her hand and tried to clench it; it seemed her strength had recovered slightly.

She let out a sigh of relief and circulated her soul power to accelerate the recovery.

Several minutes later, Jiang Nannan felt her mouth go dry. She instinctively reached for her waist, but it was empty; her herb basket and water skin had long since vanished.

They had been discarded during the battle with the wolf pack.

Seeing this, Lu Ran took a bottle of water from his storage Soul Tool and handed it over: "Drink mine."

"Thank you..."

Jiang Nannan took it with both hands, her voice still weak.

Her grimy little hands gripped the bottle, and she tilted her head back to take a large gulp. It was sweet and thirst-quenching.

"Cough, cough, cough."

She choked and began to cough.

"Slow down, no one is going to take it from you."

Lu Ran sat down to the side.

In the distance, the sound of startled birds taking flight echoed, a vast swarm passing overhead. The grass was soft and cold, and as the wind blew, the leaves rustled.

They waited there in silence.

A long while later, Jiang Nannan stood up from the grass. She was still exhausted, and her soul power had only recovered by half.

She bowed deeply to Lu Ran and Zhang Lexuan, her voice choked with emotion:

"Thank you. Thank you..."

"If you hadn't intervened, I would be dead."

Lu Ran waved his hand: "It's nothing."

He then turned to look at Zhang Lexuan:

"Sister Lexuan, let's escort her out. Otherwise, she might run into danger again on her own."

Zhang Lexuan nodded, as she had the same intention.

Jiang Nannan was only a two-ring soul master and was injured; she couldn't rest easy letting her leave alone.

The three of them moved forward slowly.

On the way, Zhang Lexuan looked at Jiang Nannan and felt a sense of familiarity, as if she had seen her somewhere before. She examined her again and asked:

"You wouldn't happen to be gathering herbs in the Star Dou Great Forest, would you?"

Jiang Nannan was startled. She turned to look at Zhang Lexuan, blinking her surprised eyes: "I... yes, I came to gather herbs."

She didn't understand how she had guessed it.

Zhang Lexuan glanced at Lu Ran, then turned back and asked:

"Because you're short on money?"

"Ah?"

Jiang Nannan was shocked once more, her eyes widening involuntarily. Zhang Lexuan's gaze was incredibly profound, as if she could see right through her.

However, Jiang Nannan still nodded gently:

"Yes..."

"My mother is seriously ill and weak. I need money, so I came to gather herbs."

At the mention of her mother, Jiang Nannan felt her legs go weak. It wasn't because of the ambush, but because she couldn't imagine what would happen to her mother if she died.

Hearing about her mother, Zhang Lexuan felt a stir in her heart, and her gaze shifted away involuntarily.

That night... it was also Mother...

"What kind of illness does your mother suffer from?"

Jiang Nannan did not understand why Zhang Lexuan would ask this, but she still answered truthfully:

"A congenital heart condition. It cannot be cured, only managed. It was fine in the earlier years, but her health has been deteriorating more and more recently..."

The more Jiang Nannan spoke, the more dejected she became, not daring to imagine what the future might hold.

Zhang Lexuan sighed softly and retrieved a closed white flower from her Soul Tool. Its petals were as white as snow, emitting a faint, ethereal fragrance.