Ning Rongrong's Predicament

The sensation of Space Jump was anything but pleasant.

Every leap came with a sharp, wrenching feeling.

It was as if their souls were ripped from their bodies, then roughly shoved back in.

Even Li Hao felt dizzy after several consecutive high-intensity jumps.

Medusa and Zhu Zhuqing were faring no better.

Medusa was holding up, thanks to her powerful soul, which let her just barely withstand the discomfort.

But Zhu Zhuqing's cold, lovely face grew a shade paler after every jump.

Still, she gritted her teeth and followed closely behind Li Hao without a word.

Finally, after another stomach-turning leap,

the distress signal from far away became unmistakably clear!

At the same time, a strong stench of blood mixed with the acrid smell of burning filled their nostrils.

Li Hao's eyes narrowed.

"We're here."

He lowered himself and motioned for the two women to stay hidden.

They were at the edge of a dense forest. Through gaps in the layers of leaves and branches, they could make out the scene ahead.

A clearing lay in ruins before them.

The ground looked as though a giant beast had plowed through it, with overturned earth and broken trees everywhere.

Several Soul Masters in uniform armor lay twisted across the clearing.

Blood stained the ground beneath them.

Beside the bodies lay the mangled remains of several enormous Soul Beasts, torn apart beyond recognition.

The battle had ended only a short while ago.

And it had been a one-sided, brutal slaughter.

Li Hao's gaze quickly settled on a massive boulder.

A petite figure was huddled behind it.

She curled up in the boulder's shadow.

Her luxurious pink gown was now in tatters, caked with dirt and blood.

Her smooth brown hair hung in disarray, covering most of her face.

Only her stubborn eyes showed, brimming with tears that she refused to let fall.

She was trembling.

Not from the cold.

But from the most utter terror.

Ning Rongrong.

The little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

So it really was her.

Li Hao's heart sank.

This is bad.

She wasn't some ordinary Soul Beast Girl.

She was the cherished jewel of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, one of the most powerful forces on Douluo Continent!

Saving her meant entangling himself with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—and perhaps even more forces behind them—in an inescapable web of cause and effect.

While he was still thinking it over,

"Roar..."

Several low growls sounded from all around the clearing.

Three sleek, pitch-black Soul Beasts emerged slowly from the shadows.

A chilling aura emanated from them.

Shadow Demon Wolves!

A cunning and vicious species of thousand-year Soul Beast.

They formed a ring and crept step by step toward Ning Rongrong behind the boulder.

Drool dripped from between their sharp fangs.

Ning Rongrong trembled even harder.

She had snuck away from the sect just to ditch those two annoying guards and visit Shrek Academy.

She wanted to prove that she could become a powerful Soul Master even without her family's protection!

But she had never imagined...

the dangers of Star Dou Forest would far exceed anything she'd imagined!

Her guards had all died protecting her.

And she herself...

The little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was going to die here, reduced to a meal for these beasts?

Regret!

Resentment!

And endless despair swallowed her whole.

Just then,

Rustle...

A hurried patter of footsteps came from another direction.

More than a dozen Soul Masters in black outfits, all exuding a fierce air, appeared from the forest.

They hadn't come to save her.

The Soul Master at their head glanced at the bodies on the ground, then at Ning Rongrong surrounded by the Shadow Demon Wolves. A cruel grin spread across his lips.

"Well, well. It really is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. They even lost a Soul Saint protecting their little princess."

He shook his head with feigned regret.

"Too bad we were a step too late."

Another man chimed in. "Boss, what should we do? If the Soul Beasts eat her, it'll be hard to explain when we get back."

The leader sneered.

"What are you afraid of? We'll just say she'd already been torn apart by the Soul Beasts when we arrived."

"Good. Saves us the trouble."

"Take back the treasure she's wearing that can conceal her aura, and our mission's done!"

Every word of their conversation reached Ning Rongrong's ears.

Her last shred of hope vanished.

So... these men hadn't come to save her.

They were here to kill her!

She felt the reeking breath of the Soul Beasts drawing closer and looked at the black-clad Soul Masters' icy faces.

The last light in her eyes went out.

"What do we do?"

The system's gleeful prompt rang through Li Hao's mind once again.

[Target on the brink of death detected, but soul purity is insufficient to trigger Bond Evolution.]

[In short, she's not quite dead yet. Save her, and you still won't get a reward.]

[Host, this is your chance to test your kindness.]

Li Hao: "..."

"This Martial Soul is getting more and more obnoxious."

"Master, don't get involved."

Medusa's voice sounded in his mind, carrying a note of warning.

"There's a special Soul Power Mark on that girl. It's extremely powerful, and it should be the work of Spirit Hall."

"Those people came for the mark."

"If we interfere, we'll be caught up in it too, and it'll cause endless trouble."

Medusa's judgment was coolheaded and correct.

Avoiding danger and seeking benefit was an instinct for survival.

But Zhu Zhuqing, standing beside Li Hao, reacted differently.

She looked at the pink-clad girl trembling in despair...

A flicker of emotion, complicated beyond words, appeared in her usually Ice Seal-cold golden eyes.

Once, she too had fled helplessly, hunted by her sister and her own family.

If she hadn't met Master...

She said nothing.

But Li Hao still sensed that subtle shift in her emotions.

He sighed.

"Forget it."

"We came here to save someone in the first place."

"We can't just leave her to die because of who she is."

"What kind of Soul Beast Girl caretaker would that make me?"

He glanced at the black-clad Soul Masters closing in, then at the menacing Shadow Demon Wolves.

In the end, the kindness buried in his bones—and that inexplicable protective streak—won out.

"Medusa, Zhu Zhuqing, stay hidden."

He gave the order softly.

"I'll be right back."

Before either of them could respond,

he leapt lightly from his hiding place.

Without a sound.

He landed squarely between Ning Rongrong and the Shadow Demon Wolves.

His sudden appearance took everyone by surprise.

The vicious wolves and the black-clad Soul Masters, who had been getting ready to watch the show, all froze.

Ning Rongrong froze too.

She slowly raised her pale face, streaked with tears, and stared blankly at the man who had suddenly stepped in front of her.

He was tall and dressed in plain clothes, with an ordinary-looking face.

But his eyes were deep, as though they held an entire starry sky.

And in his hand...

Was that a Fishing Rod?

Li Hao paid no attention to the stunned stares around him.

He turned to meet Ning Rongrong's eyes, filled with fear, confusion, and despair.

He spoke calmly. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard him clearly.

"Little girl, are you all right?"