Soft Wind, Gentle Stars, Pillowing You to Sleep

"Our team leader is nowhere to be found, so I must take the team members back first."

Zhang Lexuan looked at Su Qing apologetically before turning her gaze toward Xiao Xiao and her family. If not for the fact that Xuan Zi was missing, she would have liked to help Su Qing hunt for his third soul ring and personally escort him safely out of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Don't worry, little girl. We are also here to hunt for a soul ring for our child, so we will take little Qing with us. You can leave with peace of mind."

Xiao Xiao's parents had already heard about their experience from Xiao Xiao, and their favor toward Su Qing had grown even more. Plus, their daughter seemed to like this little fellow quite a bit...

But just as they were talking, a terrifying pressure descended from the sky, knocking down the surrounding trees. The group hurriedly used their soul power to protect the wounded, their hearts skipping a beat. Could it be another Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?

However, they soon realized it wasn't a soul beast, but a greasy, disheveled old man.

"Xuan Zi!"

Zhang Lexuan was furious. Looking at his getup, who couldn't guess what he had been doing? This old rascal had likely gone off to drink again. As the team leader, he had abandoned his post, leaving a Soul Saint to face a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast with a few Soul Kings and Soul Emperors. This guy was a complete jerk!

"Lexuan, what happened to the children?"

Xuan Zi looked at the scene before him in disbelief. He remembered clearly that he had only gone to get something to eat, so how did it end up like this? His gaze swept over the wreckage, and upon seeing the corpse of the Magic Flame Lizard on the ground, he instantly understood: this was 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 up and take my teammates back to Shrek for treatment!"

Zhang Lexuan said coldly. Although she had thousands of questions hidden in her heart, given the current condition of her teammates, any further delay could affect their future. She had no choice but to let Xuan Zi take them away first.

"Alright!"

Xuan Zi felt as if he had been granted amnesty and hurriedly used his soul power to lift everyone up and fly toward Shrek. After such an incident, he didn't dare face the furious Zhang Lexuan, let alone ask about what had happened. For now, he had to take the heavily injured children back and get the details from the conscious ones on the way.

Since Xuan Zi had arrived, she was no longer in a rush to leave. She could accompany Su Qing to hunt for his soul ring, which would avoid troubling Xiao Xiao's family. After all, the age of the soul ring Su Qing required was certainly much higher than Xiao Xiao's, and bringing him along would likely disrupt their original hunting plan. Still, she decided to ask first.

"Little Qing, what is the age of the soul beast you want to hunt?"

This question caught Su Qing off guard. He wanted to tell the truth about hunting a ten-thousand-year soul beast, but he wasn't sure if he could trust Zhang Lexuan. After all, in a sense, she was considered direct lineage of Shrek. If Shrek found out he was a genius with a ten-thousand-year third ring, it would be hard to avoid being tied down by them—after all, he was the type of guy who would say "not enough" when faced with temptation.

"Ten thousand years."

After thinking for a long time, he decided to be honest. The reason was simple: he didn't want to spend his faith points to increase the soul ring's age too early. If Zhang Lexuan leaked this to the Shrek higher-ups, it would just mean he had misjudged her, and he would simply cut ties with her in the future.

As for whether Xiao Xiao's parents would hear, he wasn't worried, as he had whispered those two words right into Zhang Lexuan's ear.

"How much?"

Zhang Lexuan looked at him in disbelief. This kid definitely wasn't twelve yet, and he could already absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring? Was he a peerless genius who could break through to become a Soul King before the age of twelve? How was that possible?

"I said, ten thousand years. Lexuan, did you get hit in the ear during the attack earlier?"

"You brat!"

Zhang Lexuan patted his head in annoyance. This kid had such a sharp tongue; it was a waste of that face of his. However, when he got close, she could faintly smell a refreshing, subtle fragrance, which made her even more curious about this mysterious little kid.

"Uncle, Auntie, I'll take little Qing to hunt for his soul ring. The age of the soul beast he needs is vastly different from what this little girl needs, and we'll have to go deep into the mixed zone to find it."

Zhang Lexuan's words were simple and clear. Xiao Xiao only needed a hundred-year soul ring, and with the two parents being around the level of Soul Emperors, they wouldn't be in danger in the outer zone. But once they reached the mixed zone, it was hard to say, so it wasn't safe for them to take Su Qing along.

"Alright, then we wish you a smooth journey. Little Qing, you are always welcome to visit Maple Leaf City."

The couple instantly understood what she meant. With their strength, they couldn't fully protect themselves in the mixed zone, let alone with Xiao Xiao in tow. To avoid becoming a burden, they rubbed Su Qing's head, extended their invitation, and turned to leave with Xiao Xiao. Before leaving, they handed a bottle of healing pills to Su Qing.

Su Qing didn't refuse and casually tucked them into his storage ring.

"Many thanks."

Watching the three of them leave, Su Qing found a large tree and sat down shoulder-to-shoulder with Zhang Lexuan to rest. Seeing the exhaustion on her face, Su Qing said softly:

"Lexuan, why don't you sleep for a while?"

Zhang Lexuan glanced at him. This kid was bold; daring to sleep in the Star Dou Great Forest? Was he tired of living?

"No, what if we encounter a soul beast after I fall asleep?"

Su Qing chuckled: "Lexuan, have you forgotten that neither you nor that Flame Demon Lizard noticed the presence of Xiao Xiao and me back then?"

"Oh? Your soul skill also has the effect of concealing your presence?"

Zhang Lexuan raised her eyes slightly. She had forgotten about that. If that was the case, resting for a bit wouldn't be impossible...

"Of course, and this soul skill consumes very little soul power. Also, if you want to sleep, I can reluctantly lend you my shoulder. Of course, if you feel embarrassed, you can only lean against the hard, rough tree bark."

Faced with Su Qing's harmless smile, Zhang Lexuan felt provoked. At the end of the day, he was just a little kid. It was just leaning on his shoulder for a nap, what was there to be embarrassed about?

As soon as Su Qing finished speaking, she leaned over. The faint fragrance of the Qiluo Pill drifted out, and her long-tensed nerves suddenly relaxed. Drowsiness hit her immediately, and she actually fell asleep right there.

"Let's get this straight, you can sleep, but no drooling... Huh? Lexuan?"

Su Qing was about to make a snide remark, but realized Zhang Lexuan had already fallen asleep. It seemed this battle had lasted for quite a while. Just how far did Xuan Zi go to find food? Before Su Qing could continue thinking, rustling sounds came from the nearby bushes once again.

"Who's there?"

He was just about to wake Zhang Lexuan up when a familiar figure darted out from behind the bushes.