Zhu Zhuqing Awakens

On the other side, Yu Luomian was still trembling all over as he hurried back to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan through the night.

He had truly been frightened. The impact of a Titled Douluo with two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings was simply too great.

After returning to the clan, he didn't even have time to change his clothes before rushing straight to the Sect Master Hall.

Yu Yuanzhen, seated in the sect master's place, frowned deeply at the wretched state of his younger brother.

"What happened? You were only going to capture someone. How did you end up like this? Did Dugu Bo make a move? Even if he did, you shouldn't be in this state."

The other elders were just as baffled. Yu Luomian was an eighty-eighth-rank Soul Douluo, and his strength was no small matter. With more than twenty guards accompanying him, there was no way he should have been this badly beaten.

Yu Luomian dropped to his knees with a thud, his voice trembling as he spoke.

"E-Elder Brother, we... we kicked an iron plate—a massive one. Dugu Bo making a move was the least of it. The real problem was the one beside Xuan Qing..."

He recounted everything from beginning to end, starting with their trip to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to capture someone.

Then he described Xuan Qing's arrival, followed by Zi JI revealing her Hell Demon Dragon and two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings.

With every sentence, the temperature in the hall seemed to drop. By the time he finished, the entire hall had fallen into dead silence. You could have heard a needle drop.

Yu Yuanzhen shot to his feet.

"Hell Demon Dragon? Two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings? How is that possible? Are you sure you saw correctly?"

"Elder Brother! I may be shortsighted, but that was a legend recorded in the sect's records. How could I mistake it? That aura, that pressure—it was definitely the Hell Demon Dragon!"

"And there was no mistaking those two red Soul Rings. Their aura was absolutely beyond comparison with your ninth Soul Ring."

Yu Yuanzhen sat back down, his expression shifting repeatedly.

He weighed the situation and considered his options. A Hell Demon Dragon Martial Soul and two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings meant her strength was at least rank ninety-seven, perhaps even higher.

Two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings meant she had hunted two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. Her strength was already beyond the limits of his understanding.

Yu Yuanzhen suddenly seemed to remember something. He asked in a grave voice, "How did you manage to get back?"

"She gave us two choices: pay four hundred million Gold Soul Coins or go hunt the seven-thousand-year-old bear-type Soul Beast marked on the map. We chose the latter."

Yu Luomian took out the map and handed it to Yu Yuanzhen.

Yu Yuanzhen took the map and studied it carefully. It was drawn in great detail, marking a location on the edge of Star Dou Forest's core region.

It was outside the territories of the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape, which let him breathe a little easier. If it had been within those two beasts' territories, he wouldn't have dared go even if someone beat him to death.

"Summon every elder above Soul Saint rank. We'll set out on a Soul Hunt in three days. Find out whether any elders have reached a bottleneck and need a Soul Ring, and take them along."

"If we can successfully hunt it and absorb its Soul Bone, I'll definitely be able to break through further. Then Dugu Bo and Xuan Qing won't be worth worrying about."

"Even that Demon Dragon Douluo—I'll be able to take her on."

He sounded confident, but deep down he was still uncertain. Two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings were beyond his comprehension, but he had faith in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul.

They had not the slightest suspicion about the hunt. They simply assumed Xuan Qing wanted to eat bear meat.

If they had been suspicious, Xuan Qing would have started wondering whether the Douluo Continent he'd transmigrated into was even normal.

After all, apart from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, which was half commercial in nature, the other two Upper Three Sects were each more arrogant than the last.

The titles "world's strongest Beast Martial Soul" and "world's strongest weapon Martial Soul" had gone straight to their heads.

What they didn't know was that this was merely the cave where Xiong Jun stayed whenever he went out to forage.

Most of the time, Xiong Jun trained alongside Di Tian and the others at Life Lake.

This time, Xuan Qing had asked Zi JI to contact Xiong Jun and have him wait in the cave, pulling the old Jiang Taigong trick—those who were willing could take the bait.

Yu Yuanzhen and the others were the fish that had volunteered to bite.

Meanwhile, at Dugu Manor,

Xuan Qing sat leisurely in the courtyard, sipping tea.

Zi JI stood beside him, a black scale resting in her palm. It was Di Tian's reverse scale.

"How did it go? What did Di Tian say?"

Zi JI put away the scale and replied,

"I've already informed Di Tian. He told Xiong Jun to wait there. Anyone who goes will be in for trouble."

"Di Tian said you should visit Life Lake again when you have time."

Xuan Qing smiled.

"That old dragon knows how to do business. He obviously wants me to go and grind away some more sword energy for that little silver dragon."

Zi JI, however, looked puzzled.

"Senior, you seem to think highly of Xiong Jun. The last time we went to Life Lake, he was looking for trouble with you."

Xuan Qing set down his teacup, a trace of amusement in his voice.

"If you had a subordinate who went wherever you pointed, you'd be happy too. He might complain now and then, but he'd never fail to do what needed doing."

"People like that—no, Soul Beasts like that—are the most likable. As luck would have it, Xiong Jun is just that kind. As long as your fists are bigger than his, he'll listen."

"Besides, he's strong and built like a tank. He's perfect as a hired fist."

Zi JI nodded thoughtfully. It was true.

That foolish bear had a bad temper and occasionally gave Di Tian trouble. He even wanted to take the Beast God's place.

But when it came to serious business, if Di Tian told him to go east, he'd never go west. What leader wouldn't like a subordinate like that?

"This time, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is in grave danger. Yu Yuanzhen is only rank ninety-five. If he goes, he'll just be another dish on the table."

Xuan Qing shrugged.

"Who else can they blame? They dared to set their sights on Dugu Yan and me. People have to take responsibility for their choices. Once they choose a path, they have to walk it to the end. If they can't make it, that's fate."

"There will always be a few fools who think too highly of themselves, with ambitions soaring to the heavens when their lives are as fragile as paper."

Zi JI nodded and said no more.

She was a Soul Beast. Though she no longer lived as primitively as she once had, she was still a Soul Beast. The strong preyed on the weak—that was the law of the Soul Beast world.

It was the same for humans. If you weren't ruthless, others would be ruthless to you. Xuan Qing was simply applying that rule to humans. There was nothing wrong with it.

Shrek Academy had already erupted into chaos.

Dai Mubai paced back and forth in the dormitory, his expression extremely grim.

"Has anyone seen Zhu Zhuqing? She's been gone all day."

Ma Hongjun shook his head.

"I haven't seen her. She's never been sociable, so who knows where she went? Maybe she's off training by herself."

Oscar chimed in too.

"Yeah, Boss Dai. Zhuqing's always been cold and never liked crowds. Maybe she's training somewhere. Don't worry yourself over nothing."

Xiao Wu sat on the edge of the bed with her head lowered, not saying a word.

She had a bad feeling that Zhu Zhuqing might have already run off. She'd heard what Xuan Qing said that day, too.

People climbed toward higher places, just as water flowed downhill.

Zhu Zhuqing wasn't stupid. She knew what she wanted. Shrek couldn't give it to her, so of course she would leave.

Flender hurried in, looking solemn.

"I just asked around at the Great Soul Arena. Zhu Zhuqing did go Soul Fighting the night before last, but she left as soon as it was over. She never came back to the academy."

Dai Mubai's face went pale.

"What? She ran away? Why? Why would she run away?"

Flender sighed and shook his head, unable to say anything.

Dai Mubai clenched his fists, his eyes filled with venom.

It had to be Xuan Qing. Zhu Zhuqing wouldn't have left if not for him. This was all his fault.

He would remember this grudge!

Zhu Zhuqing had left Suotuo City long ago and was heading toward Heaven Dou City.

Xuan Qing's words had opened her eyes. She hadn't escaped her clan just to waste her days at Shrek, nor to keep getting entangled with Dai Mubai.

She wanted to grow stronger—strong enough to rule her own fate.

And Shrek couldn't give her what she wanted. Yu Xiaogang only had them carry rocks for training, while Flender only ever had them earn money.

What was the point of staying in a place like that?

She didn't have time to waste. She had to become stronger. She had to survive.

She looked ahead, her gaze resolute. She was going to find Xuan Qing. Even if all she could do was watch him from afar, someone that powerful was the kind of person she ought to strive toward.

Even if Xuan Qing wouldn't take her in, she would still venture out on her own. She would go to the Great Soul Arena in Heaven Dou City and temper herself on the brink of life and death. That was better than wasting her time at Shrek.

This was the path she had chosen herself. Even if she had to crawl, she would see it through.

Even if she died out there, it would still be better than being a good-for-nothing who wasted her life at Shrek.