Xiao Xiao's Feet Are a Little Sore

Xiao Xiao raised her head timidly and whispered, "H-hello, I'm Xiao Xiao. It's really beautiful... can I touch it?"

"My name is Chen Doudou. Go ahead if you want to touch it."

Chen Doudou waved his hand generously.

Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up, and she cautiously leaned in.

She reached out a fair, tender hand and gently brushed against the mane of Pegasus Zeus, then recoiled as if electrocuted. Seeing that Pegasus Zeus only gave a docile snort, she finally dared to boldly stroke its smooth fur.

It truly was the perfect embodiment of that saying.

What girl could ever refuse a high-颜值, fluffy creature?

"Such a well-behaved horse. This is my first time seeing one so beautiful. What is it called?"

Xiao Xiao was so enchanted she couldn't bear to stop, her little face full of intoxication.

"It's a Healing Pegasus from the Pegasus clan. Its name is Pegasus Zeus," Chen Doudou introduced.

Just then, a young woman and a middle-aged man came running over in a hurry.

The woman looked to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a lovely face and delicate skin.

The man was burly, clearly a Soul Master who spent his life traveling.

Seeing her daughter petting a thousand-year Pegasus, the woman was startled and rushed over, "Xiao Xiao! Come back here quickly!"

She looked at Chen Doudou and his companions, her face full of apology, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I just took my eyes off her for a second. Xiao Xiao didn't bother you, did she? I'm truly sorry."

"It's fine, Auntie. Xiao Xiao is very well-behaved," Chen Doudou shook his head, indicating he didn't mind.

The man beside her then carefully sized up the three of them.

The purple-haired boy leading them, though young, had an extraordinary air about him; he was clearly from a great family.

The black-haired girl beside him, though timid, had a lively aura and was obviously a Soul Master as well.

But what made her feel the most palpitations was the stunning woman standing at the very back.

That woman wore a purple-black combat outfit and possessed a cold, sharp temperament. Even though she stood there, she seemed isolated from the surrounding space, giving off an unfathomable feeling.

Especially those purple eyes, which seemed capable of piercing through a person's heart.

"I am Xiao Yuanshan, and this is my beloved Chen Wenwen and my little daughter Xiao Xiao. We are heading to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for a soul ring. Looking at you all, are you also going to hunt Soul Beasts? Why not join us?" Xiao Yuanshan asked tentatively.

His strength was not particularly high, merely a Soul Saint. Having heard that a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast had been spotted on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest recently, he was under immense pressure.

But if they could travel with this unfathomable powerhouse, the journey would certainly be much safer.

"Soul hunting?" Bibi Dong spoke up suddenly, her gaze falling on Xiao Xiao, "Is this child also going to hunt for a soul ring?"

"Yes, my Xiao Xiao has Innate Full Soul Power. She just turned six this year and is preparing to obtain her first soul ring," Xiao Yuanshan said with a hint of pride.

"Innate Full Soul Power?"

Bibi Dong's eyes lit up instantly.

She began to size up Xiao Xiao, making the girl's skin crawl.

The little loli quickly hid behind Chen Doudou, poking out half her head and whispering, "Your mom is so scary, it's like she wants to eat me."

Chen Doudou was left between laughter and tears; he really hadn't expected Xiao Xiao to be so timid when she was young.

Could this be the contrast?

He quickly explained, "She's not my mom. You can just call her Sister Dong."

Bibi Dong realized she had lost her composure and gave a light cough, returning to her cold and aloof demeanor, though the heat in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest, "Since we are all going to hunt souls, let's go together. It's better to have more people to look out for one another."

"That would be wonderful!"

Xiao Yuanshan and Chen Wenwen were overjoyed; this was an unexpected windfall.

And so, after agreeing on a meeting point, the two groups converged the next day and set off in the direction of the Star Dou Forest.

On the way to the Star Dou Forest, the atmosphere was much more relaxed than expected.

Xiao Yuanshan and his wife clearly regarded Bibi Dong as the anchor of their journey, fussing over her and showing the utmost hospitality along the way.

As for Xiao Xiao, that little tail, she had completely latched onto Chen Doudou—or rather, she had latched onto Pegasus Zeus.

"Brother Doudou, don't you think it's very hot today?"

"It's alright."

"The road is so hard to walk today."

"Is it?"

Xiao Xiao stared fixedly at the Pegasus, then glanced down at her own small feet after walking for so long, pouting pitifully. "But, Brother Chen Doudou, my feet are so sore..."

Chen Doudou looked down at Xiao Xiao's delicate little leather boots, then followed her gaze, instantly understanding what this little girl was plotting.

This wasn't about sore feet at all; it was clearly a case of the drinker's heart not being in the cup, but on the back of the Pegasus!

He teased her on purpose. "Sore? I don't believe you, unless you take them off and let me smell them."

Xiao Xiao turned beet red with embarrassment, but to prove her point, she whispered, "Then... Brother Chen Doudou, you mustn't tell anyone else."

As she spoke, she actually prepared to take off her little leather boots, her white socks already faintly visible.

"Wait, you're actually taking them off?"

Chen Doudou had only been making a casual joke; he hadn't expected this little girl to take it seriously.

Startled, he lunged forward to hold her hands down.

Xiao Xiao looked up, her large eyes filled with grievance and confusion, and said honestly, "Didn't you say you wanted to smell them?"

"I meant... I meant your shoes aren't good quality and must be rubbing your feet. Who knew you'd actually take them off!"

Chen Doudou felt like he had dug a hole and buried himself in it. "If you want to ride the Pegasus, just ride it. I never said you couldn't."

"Great, thank you, Brother Chen Doudou!"

Xiao Xiao's expression shifted instantly. The previous grievance vanished, and she clapped her hands in joy, tied her shoelaces, and nimbly prepared to climb onto the Pegasus.

Watching this outrageous speed of changing faces, Chen Doudou shook his head and muttered, "Seriously, are we really less attractive than a Pegasus?"

Perhaps because they had been together for so long, Jiang Nannan had actually learned how to joke. "Be more confident. In front of Xiao Xiao, it seems we really aren't as good as a Pegasus."

Chen Doudou's face fell, and he clutched his chest, pretending to be wounded. "No way, Sister Jiang Nannan, are you really going to hit me that hard?"

Jiang Nannan gently patted his head and said tenderly, "Don't worry, though you aren't as attractive as a Pegasus, at least you still have me by your side."

Chen Doudou: "..."

You might as well not have comforted me at all.

Bibi Dong followed behind, watching this boy try to trick a little girl only to be outplayed himself, the corners of her mouth twitching with a suppressed smile.

She actually quite liked this atmosphere; it was far better than the constant scheming of those old fossils in the God Realm.

The process of searching for soul beasts was long and tedious, even with Bibi Dong leading the way.

They searched for a full half-day.

It wasn't until the sun set and the sky grew dim that the group discovered a pack of Lightning Rabbit foraging behind a thicket.

The afterglow of the sunset spilled over the bushes, gilding the Lightning Rabbit that were lowering their heads to forage.

However, this peaceful scene lasted only for an instant.

"Squeak--!"

A sharp, piercing cry rang out, and the previously docile Lightning Rabbit suddenly went berserk for no apparent reason.

Perhaps sensing the presence of humans, hundreds of Lightning Rabbit turned their eyes red, electricity crackling around their bodies as they charged madly toward the group like a tidal wave.

"Not good, the rabbit pack is rioting! You children, hide behind me quickly. I'll kill them in a moment."

Xiao Yuanshan was shocked and quickly stood in front of his wife and daughter, the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron appearing instantly.

Xiao Xiao clutched the corner of Chen Doudou's clothes tightly, her small face filled with tension. "Brother Chen Doudou, they're so small. Do we really have to kill them?"

"Who said anything about killing them?"

Chen Doudou patted her little head and grinningly summoned the Life Rakshasa Holy Scythe. "Sister Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, step back a bit and watch me perform."

Wielding the Scythe, his figure flashed, and he quickly charged into the rabbit pack.

"Second Soul Skill, All-Encompassing Forest!"

Following his soft shout, the ground surged instantly.

Countless vines burst from the soil, wrapping around the necks of every single Lightning Rabbit.

They were hoisted into mid-air, which both restricted their movements and didn't harm them in the slightest.

The Lightning Rabbit struggled frantically, but with no leverage, they could only emit "squeaking" sounds.

Chen Doudou moved through the pack with his Scythe, each swing avoiding vital points, using only the back of the blade to tap them lightly and knock the berserk rabbits unconscious.

Before long, all the frenzied Lightning Rabbit were hoisted up by the vines, hanging neatly in mid-air like a string of wind chimes.

"Wow... so amazing!"

Xiao Xiao's eyes went wide.