Several months later...
Deep within the Star Dou Forest, a Sunlight Martial Soul hung high behind Xu Tianyao, shrouding the entire area in extreme heat.
At his feet lay a dying ten-thousand-year Blazing Lion King. It even possessed a trace of ancient Suanni bloodline.
One had to admit that the Star Dou Forest truly deserved its reputation as the place with the richest and highest-quality Soul Beast resources in the world.
A high-quality Blazing Lion King like this was practically impossible to find on the Sun Moon Continent.
Xu Tianyao raised one hand slightly, and a blazing sun appeared in his palm. The next instant, it transformed into a fierce beam of fire that pierced through the Blazing Lion King's head. Before long, a black ten-thousand-year soul ring slowly rose from its body.
The Snow Maiden had not followed them into the Star Dou Forest. According to her, she feared that the aura around her might draw the attention of the ferocious beasts in the depths and cause unnecessary trouble, so she had voluntarily remained in a small town on the outskirts.
Kong Deming and Xu Tianyao basically deferred to all of the Snow Maiden's decisions.
Xu Tianyao nodded to Kong Deming, then sat down cross-legged and began absorbing the hard-won ten-thousand-year soul ring.
At the same time, a familiar scene played out once more.
In another area less than a hundred li away, a strangely dressed little group was actually fighting a Hundred-Thousand-Year Silver Moon Divine Wolf. The strongest among them was merely a twenty-something quasi-Soul Douluo.
The tremendous commotion they caused naturally caught Kong Deming's attention.
Within the Star Dou Forest, Kong Deming remained absolutely vigilant and kept a low profile.
Originally, he had merely intended to take Xu Tianyao away after he finished absorbing the soul ring. Yet just now, he had sensed a familiar martial soul aura from that direction.
Driven by curiosity, Kong Deming released a small high-grade detection Soul Tool, sending it continuously toward the battlefield. Before long, he saw everything happening there.
A team of Soul Masters, whose strongest member was only a quasi-Soul Douluo, was fighting a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, and casualties had already appeared among them.
As for that quasi-Soul Douluo and the Hundred-Thousand-Year Silver Moon Divine Wolf, they were both severely injured as well.
Yet what truly drew his attention was not any of that, but the female quasi-Soul Douluo's martial soul.
It was actually the same as his own—Silver Moon. Moreover, Kong Deming sensed a familiar closeness in her bloodline.
There was no doubt that she had to be a branch descendant of the Sun Moon Imperial Family, or perhaps an orphan who had survived outside it.
However, she was dressed in Shrek Academy's uniform, which surprised him somewhat.
As someone with the Sun Moon Imperial Family's bloodline, she had actually become a member of Shrek Academy. Kong Deming did not know what had happened, but it was most likely the result of the imperial struggle from years ago.
"Grandfather, what are you looking at?"
Xu Tianyao's voice came from behind him. Kong Deming snapped back to his senses and looked at him in surprise.
"Tianyao, you're done absorbing it? It's only been a little over half an hour."
It seemed that even when he had absorbed a ten-thousand-year soul ring back then, he had not found it this easy.
Not to mention that Tianyao had absorbed a ten-thousand-year soul ring as his third soul ring. This speed was truly unimaginable.
Could that Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast's sacrifice have given him such a shocking boost?
Xu Tianyao walked up to Kong Deming and glanced at the Soul Tool screen floating before him.
The scene displayed there made him frown. A Soul Douluo with a Silver Moon Martial Soul, a Hundred-Thousand-Year Silver Moon Divine Wolf, and those uniforms were actually from Shrek Academy.
Could she be that inner academy senior sister, Zhang Lexuan—Bei Bei's child bride?
"You know her?" Kong Deming asked in surprise as he watched Xu Tianyao fall silent in thought.
Why did this brat seem to know everything? It was rather strange.
Xu Tianyao did not know what Kong Deming was thinking. Faced with his question, he answered with a conflicted expression.
"Of course, I've never met her. But judging from their uniforms and her martial soul, she is most likely Zhang Lexuan, the current senior sister of Shrek Academy's inner academy. When I studied at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, I heard people mention her."
"In this year's Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, Zhang Lexuan was the captain of Shrek Academy's team. She is very powerful."
"More importantly, she possesses the Silver Moon, the inherited martial soul of our Sun Moon Imperial Family. That was why I paid attention to her and gathered some intelligence about her."
Upon hearing Xu Tianyao's explanation, Kong Deming nodded in understanding. "I see. Then tell me what intelligence you gathered. This little girl's talent is truly exceptional. There are not many among the younger generation of our Sun Moon Imperial Family who can compare with her. If properly nurtured, becoming a Super Douluo would be only the beginning for her."
Hearing Kong Deming say this, Xu Tianyao knew that the old man likely had other ideas.
However, he did not believe that Zhang Lexuan, who had been raised by Shrek since childhood, instilled with countless notions of Shrek Glory, and regarded Mu En almost as a master, would be willing to return to the Sun Moon Empire with them.
"According to the intelligence I gathered, if we trace her origins back, Zhang Lexuan is likely a descendant of the Zhang family that fled the Sun Moon Empire three hundred years ago, during the era of my great-grandfather, because of a struggle for imperial power."
"However, their whereabouts were discovered by members of the imperial clan over twenty years ago. They should have been dealt with." Xu Tianyao sighed.
"Zhang Lexuan should be the surviving child rescued by Mu En. She also became Mu En's grandson's child bride and was raised in Shrek from a young age. Forget about returning with us—she is probably filled with endless hatred toward our Sun Moon Empire."
Hearing Xu Tianyao say this, Kong Deming nodded. He roughly understood the whole story.
Still, she was imperial blood. No matter what, she could not be allowed to die at the paws of that beast. He had no idea what Shrek Academy had been thinking, sending a quasi-Soul Douluo and a group of low-level Soul Masters to face a Hundred-Thousand-Year Silver Moon Divine Wolf.
"Tianyao, stay close." Kong Deming gave a low shout, then took a step forward and darted through the forest. In the blink of an eye, he had vanished.
Xu Tianyao understood that Kong Deming intended to save Zhang Lexuan. He did not know what the man was thinking, nor did he offer any opinion on the decision.
Without hesitating further, he followed.
Meanwhile, Zhang Lexuan's group was not faring well. This time, Senior Xuan Zi had led twelve elite disciples here to hunt Soul Beasts.
But now, only four of those twelve elite disciples remained: Han Ruoruo, Wu Ming, Ling Luochen, and Zhang Lexuan.
One level-eight quasi-Soul Douluo, two Soul Sages, and one Soul King—their conditions were all far from good.
Han Ruoruo had to control the enemy while protecting Ling Luochen, so Wu Ming and Zhang Lexuan were left to provide almost all the frontal firepower.
"Senior Sister, your Silver Moon Martial Soul possesses spatial attributes, and you're faster. Hurry and take the two junior sisters away. I'll hold it back for you!" Wu Ming, in her Martial Soul Avatar state, was once again blasted back by a light wave from the savage Silver Moon Divine Wolf.
Faced with such a situation, and with Xuan Zi nowhere to be found, she resolutely proposed this method of escape.
Before you continue