Meanwhile, on the road to the Star Dou Great Forest, Mu Guiyun wore a strange expression as his gaze swept over the members of the group, finally settling on the pretty figure at the front.
Wu Ming, Han Ruoruo, Hua Yao, Zhang Lexuan, Ma Xiaotao, and eight elite inner-court disciples whose names he didn't know...
This lineup instantly reminded Mu Guiyun of the Star Dou disaster in the original story.
Wait... hadn't Zhang Lexuan broken through to level 80 nearly three months ago? How had she still managed to cross paths with him?
And why had Ma Xiaotao come along too?!
Could this be the butterfly effect caused by his transmigration?
If Mu Guiyun had known that Xuan Zi had deliberately waited for Ma Xiaotao and him to break through their bottlenecks before setting out, just to avoid having to lead the Soul Hunting Squad one extra time, he probably would've wanted to beat him to death.
Over the past two months, Mu Guiyun had dropped plenty of hints to Mu En. After all, Xuan Zi's unreliable nature was famous throughout the academy.
As for whether Mu En had taken his hints to heart, Mu Guiyun had no idea.
He couldn't very well tell Mu En outright. How would he explain it?
Forget it. If all else fails, I'll just run away with Ma Xiaotao.
Mu Guiyun sighed inwardly, then moved closer to Ma Xiaotao. A hint of hope crept into his voice. "Sister Xiaotao, with so many elites in this Soul Hunting Squad, how many senior elders did our academy send along?"
"Just Elder Xuan!"
Ma Xiaotao was confused, but still patiently explained, "Most of our inner-court Soul Hunting Squads are led by Elder Xuan. After all, he's—"
Ma Xiaotao rattled on, but Mu Guiyun wasn't listening. He'd only caught that Xuan Zi was the sole senior elder accompanying them.
This was bad!
Thinking of Xuan Zi's knack for letting everyone down, Mu Guiyun's lips curled into a bitter smile.
They were nearly at the Star Dou Great Forest, and he still hadn't caught sight of Xuan Zi.
Wu Ming had been eavesdropping on their conversation. Now she sidled over and teased, "Don't worry. With a team like ours, we can handle anything—as long as we don't run into a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!"
Mu Guiyun: ...
Big sis, please stop talking!
Seeing Mu Guiyun's expression grow grimmer by the second, Wu Ming's mischievous streak kicked in. She couldn't resist teasing him. "But don't you worry, little guy. If you run into danger, you can hide in big sis's arms. They're nice and warm, hahaha!"
At the end, Wu Ming even spread her arms wide, looking every bit the brazen flirt.
Before Mu Guiyun could reply, Ma Xiaotao objected. "Get lost, Wu Ming! If you're looking for a man, go find one in the inner court. Don't corrupt our Guiyun—he's still a kid!"
Ma Xiaotao shot Wu Ming a fierce glare, then pulled Mu Guiyun behind her. The way she shielded him made Wu Ming giggle with delight.
"Who would've thought, Xiaotao? You always put on such a proper act, but in private you're raising a pretty boy! I guess you city folks really know how to have fun!"
Wu Ming's eyes were full of teasing as she looked back and forth between the two. Her meaning was unmistakable.
"Ahhh! I'll fight you!"
With her little secret exposed, Ma Xiaotao's face flushed red-hot. She immediately lunged at Wu Ming and started wrestling with her.
"Hahaha, that tickles! Xiaotao, stop! I'm sorry!"
Normally, Mu Guiyun loved watching women fight and all, but right now he had no time for that.
Their playful scuffle drew everyone else's attention, and they all turned to look. Even Zhang Lexuan, at the front, was no exception.
Mu Guiyun had been pondering how to avert disaster when he suddenly sensed something. He looked up and saw Zhang Lexuan staring straight at him.
Her utterly undisguised gaze gave Mu Guiyun the creeps. She looked at him like a little girl gazing at her favorite doll.
"Senior Sister, long time no see!"
Mu Guiyun scratched his head. He and Zhang Lexuan had crossed paths many times in the inner court, but he'd never felt like this before.
"Long time no see, Gui Yun."
Zhang Lexuan smiled warmly and greeted him. Only then did she casually shift her gaze away from Mu Guiyun.
Mu Guiyun relaxed, then wrapped an arm around Wu Ming's slender waist. "Sister Wu Ming, Sister Xiaotao, please stop fighting!"
Why didn't he grab Ma Xiaotao? When breaking up a fight, there was no reason to restrain your own side.
Fortunately, Ma Xiaotao wasn't the sort to fight dirty. She didn't take the opportunity to land a couple of punches on Wu Ming.
With the commotion over, everyone continued toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
There were fourteen of them in all. Aside from Mu Guiyun, every one of them was at least a Soul King. They reached their destination in just half an hour.
"Fifty li ahead, you'll enter the Star Dou Great Forest. Soul Beasts have been sighted in the area. Stay alert!"
Looking at the warning sign before him, Mu Guiyun's expression grew even stranger.
This sign was practically an old friend. It was counted alongside the Blind-Eyed God King and the Godslayer as one of the three conceptual gods of Douluo.
Just then, Zhang Lexuan clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention. "We're about to enter the Star Dou Great Forest. Let's hear what kind of Soul Rings everyone needs."
They were all elite inner-court disciples who dealt with each other frequently. Everyone knew one another's Martial Souls and Soul Power inside out.
Wu Ming spoke first. "I need a Fire Element Soul Ring between twenty and thirty thousand years old, preferably from a flying beast."
As she finished, she didn't forget to give Ma Xiaotao a provocative look.
You're just a little Soul King!
"Tch, what's so impressive about being a few years older?"
Ma Xiaotao clicked her tongue, then proudly puffed out her chest. She said with a sarcastic lilt, "Soul Power might fall behind because of age, but some things still come down to talent!"
"You!"
Wu Ming glanced at Ma Xiaotao's peaches, then at her own little apples. Her face flushed red-hot, but she had nothing to say in response. That was just reality.
The other female disciples couldn't help but bend forward, too.
Ma Xiaotao's assets really were outrageously unfair!
"The Soul Ring I need is around the same age as Ming'er's, but it has to come from a Plant-type Soul Beast."
The woman speaking was named Hua Yao. Her Martial Soul was a lotus, and she had a decent healing ability. She was also the team's healer.
After Hua Yao stated her requirements, the woman standing beside Zhang Lexuan finally spoke in a gentle voice. "I need a Soul Ring around fifty thousand years old, with a tenacity trait."
Fifty thousand years! A Soul Saint!
Mu Guiyun looked over. A woman radiating mature charm stood quietly beside Zhang Lexuan. She had delicate features and long, brown hair falling over her shoulders. Her maternal aura was so strong that even Wa the Younger would've called her "Mom" on the spot.
Han Ruoruo! Nicknamed the Golden Fairy, she was the inner court's number-one controller!
Seeing Mu Guiyun's gaze fixed on Han Ruoruo, Ma Xiaotao's expression turned strange, and an inexplicable fury rose in her heart.
She silently shifted her body to block Mu Guiyun's view before speaking. "I need a Fire Element Soul Ring no more than twenty thousand years old."
A stick of incense later, everyone except Mu Guiyun had stated their requirements. Every one of them needed a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. Zhang Lexuan's was the most demanding, with a limit of eighty thousand years!