"Our supervising teacher is nowhere to be found. I have to take the team back first."
Zhang Lexuan glanced apologetically at Su Qing, then turned to Xiao Xiao's family. If Xuan Zi hadn't been missing, she would have helped Su Qing hunt for his third Soul Ring and personally escorted him safely out of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Don't worry, young lady. We brought our child here to hunt Soul Beasts too. We'll take Xiao Qing with us. You can go without worrying."
In the meantime, Xiao Xiao's parents had heard the whole story from her. They already liked Su Qing even more, and besides, their Xiao Xiao seemed to like the little fellow quite a lot...
But as they talked, a terrifying pressure descended from above, shaking even the surrounding trees to the ground. They hurriedly used their Soul Power to shield the wounded, their hearts sinking. Could it be another Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?
But they soon realized it wasn't a Soul Beast at all. It was a scruffy old man, greasy from head to toe.
"Xuan Zi!"
Zhang Lexuan was furious. Looking at his getup, who couldn't guess what he'd been up to? The old bastard had probably run off to drink again because he couldn't resist a good meal. He was the supervising teacher, yet he'd abandoned his post, leaving a Soul Saint and several Soul Kings and Soul Emperors to face a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. That man was an absolute bastard!
"Lexuan, what happened to the children?"
Xuan Zi stared at the scene before him in disbelief. He remembered going off to get something to eat—how had things ended up like this? His gaze swept across the devastation, then landed on the Magic Flame Lizard's corpse. In an instant, he understood: it had been a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!
"What happened? Can't you see for yourself? I don't want to argue with you right now. Since you're here, hurry and take my teammates back to Shrek for treatment!"
Zhang Lexuan said coldly. She had a thousand questions she wanted to ask him, but given her teammates' condition, even a little more delay could affect their futures. She had no choice but to have Xuan Zi take them away first.
"Good!"
Xuan Zi let out a breath of relief and hurriedly used his Soul Power to carry everyone toward Shrek. After what had happened, he didn't dare face Zhang Lexuan's anger, let alone ask what had happened. For now, he could only take the badly wounded children back and ask the injured who were still able to talk about it along the way.
Now that Xuan Zi had arrived, she didn't need to hurry back. She could accompany Su Qing on his Soul Hunting trip, sparing Xiao Xiao's family the trouble. After all, the Soul Ring Su Qing needed would have to be far older than Xiao Xiao's. Bringing him along would most likely disrupt their original Soul Hunting Plan. Still, she decided to ask first.
"Xiao Qing, how old does the Soul Beast you want to hunt need to be?"
Su Qing wasn't sure how to answer. He wanted to tell the truth and say he was hunting a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, but he wasn't sure he could trust Zhang Lexuan. In a way, she was part of Shrek's inner circle. If Shrek found out there was a genius like him with a Ten-Thousand-Year third Soul Ring, it would be hard to avoid them trying to bind him to their cause. After all, when faced with temptation, he was the sort of person who always wanted more.
"Ten thousand years."
After thinking it over for a long while, he decided to tell her the truth. The reason was simple: he didn't want to spend his Power of Faith to raise his Soul Ring's age so soon. If Zhang Lexuan told Shrek's higher-ups, that would mean he'd misjudged her. He could simply stop dealing with them from then on.
As for whether Xiao Xiao's parents might hear, he wasn't worried. He'd whispered the two words right next to Zhang Lexuan's ear.
"How many?!"
Zhang Lexuan looked at him in disbelief. The kid definitely wasn't even twelve yet, and he could absorb a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring? Was he some unparalleled genius, able to break through to Soul King before turning twelve? How was that possible?
"I said ten thousand years. Sister Lexuan, did you get hit in the ear just now?"
"You cheeky brat!"
Zhang Lexuan playfully smacked him on the head. The kid had quite a mouth on him—what a waste of that face. Yet when he'd leaned closer, she'd caught a faint, refreshing fragrance coming from him. It only made her even more curious about this little boy whose depths she couldn't fathom.
"Uncle, Auntie, I'll take Xiao Qing to hunt for his Soul Ring. The Soul Beast he needs is far older than the one this young lady needs. We'll have to go deep into the mixed zone to find one."
Zhang Lexuan's meaning was clear. Xiao Xiao only needed a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, and her parents were both around Soul Emperor strength. They wouldn't face danger in the outer zone, but the mixed zone was another matter. So it wouldn't be safe for them to take Su Qing Soul Hunting.
"All right. We wish you luck on your trip. Xiao Qing, you're always welcome to visit Maple Leaf City."
The couple understood her meaning at once. With their strength, they couldn't guarantee their own safety in the mixed zone, let alone with Xiao Xiao in tow. To avoid becoming a burden, they ruffled Su Qing's hair, invited him to visit, then turned and left with Xiao Xiao. Before they went, they gave Su Qing a bottle of healing pills.
Su Qing didn't refuse. He slipped them into his Storage Ring.
"Thank you."
After watching the three of them leave, Su Qing found a big tree and sat down beside Zhang Lexuan to rest. Seeing how tired she looked, he asked softly,
"Sister Lexuan, why don't you get some sleep?"
Zhang Lexuan turned to glance at him. This kid had some nerve, suggesting they sleep in the Star Dou Great Forest. Did he have a death wish?
"No. What if a Soul Beast attacks after I fall asleep?"
Su Qing chuckled. "Sister Lexuan, did you forget? Back then, neither you nor that Flame Demon Lizard sensed Xiao Xiao or me."
"Oh? Your Soul Skill can conceal your presence too?"
Zhang Lexuan lifted her eyes slightly. She'd forgotten about that. If that was the case, then resting for a little while might not be out of the question...
"Of course. And it uses next to no Soul Power. Also, if you want to sleep, I can reluctantly lend you one of my shoulders. Of course, if you're embarrassed, you'll have to lean against the tree bark—it's hard and rough."
Faced with Su Qing's harmless smile, Zhang Lexuan felt as though he was challenging her. In the end, he was just a little kid. What was so embarrassing about leaning on his shoulder for a while?
As soon as Su Qing finished speaking, she leaned against him. The Qiluo Pill gave off a faint fragrance, and the nerves she'd kept taut for so long finally relaxed. Sleepiness washed over her, and she fell asleep almost at once.
"Just so we're clear, sleeping's fine, but don't drool, okay... Hm? Sister Lexuan?"
Su Qing had just been about to tease her when he realized Zhang Lexuan was already asleep. It seemed the battle had lasted quite a while. Just how far had Xuan Zi gone to find something to eat? Before Su Qing could think any further, rustling came from the nearby bushes once again.
"Who's there?"
He was about to wake Zhang Lexuan when a familiar figure darted out from behind the bushes.