A Chance Encounter with Qin Ming and Ye Lingling

A moment later, the man came to his senses and hurriedly shouted, "Run! A beast tide is coming! A huge number of soul beasts are charging this way!"

Bo Saixi glanced at them, shook her head, and said calmly, "You should go. My little brother is still absorbing his soul ring and cannot be moved. I have to protect him."

The man froze, only then noticing a child sitting beside the fire.

The child had his eyes closed, a faint green glow emanating from his body. He was clearly at a critical point in absorbing a soul ring.

The girl grew anxious and said, "But the beast tide will be here any moment! You'll die if you stay here!"

Bo Saixi said nothing more. She simply stood there quietly, her calm gaze fixed on the depths of the forest.

The man gritted his teeth and wanted to persuade her further, but when he saw the determination in Bo Saixi's eyes, he ultimately gave up.

He grabbed the girl's hand and said, "Lingling, let's go!"

The girl still wanted to say something, but the man pulled her along as they prepared to break out in another direction.

Just then, rustling sounds came from all directions.

Pairs of ghostly green eyes lit up in the darkness, densely packed as they surrounded the area without leaving a single gap.

They were soul beasts.

The soul beasts drawn by the firelight had already encircled them.

The man and the girl's expressions changed drastically. They stood back-to-back and assumed defensive stances.

Staring at the soul beasts ahead, the man said gravely to the girl behind him, "Lingling, I'll see if I can hold them off and carve out a path for you. Watch for an opening and run. Don't look back."

Ye Lingling shook her head frantically, tears already welling in her eyes. "I'm not leaving! Teacher Qin, if we go, we go together!"

Qin Ming gave a bitter smile and said, "In a situation like this, how can we both leave? Be good. If you go, then maybe I can still..."

Before he could finish, he suddenly sensed an incomparably powerful aura coming from behind him.

That aura was vast as the sea and profound as an abyss. It felt like a mountain pressing down on his heart, making it hard to breathe.

Then, a cold voice rang out:

"Get lost."

Just one word.

Yet that single word seemed to contain supreme pressure, exploding through the night sky like thunder.

The soul beasts surrounding them seemed to have been utterly terrified. They let out a chorus of mournful cries before fleeing in panic.

They trampled and collided with one another, wishing their parents had given them two more legs as they desperately tried to escape this place at once.

In just a few seconds, more than a hundred soul beasts had vanished without a trace.

It was as if they had never been there at all.

Qin Ming and Ye Lingling stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly at the scene with their minds utterly blank.

Holy shit, was she really that powerful?

She scared off a beast tide with one word?

Was that even reasonable?

Was that normal?

They slowly turned around and looked at the woman in white still standing by the fire, their eyes filled with awe and shock.

Just who was this woman?

Qin Ming came back to his senses. He hurriedly straightened his disheveled clothes, then led Ye Lingling a few steps forward and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for saving us, Senior! May I ask your name? This junior is Qin Ming, a teacher at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and this is my student, Ye Lingling. If not for your aid today, we would likely have met with disaster."

His attitude was exceptionally respectful, and his tone was full of gratitude.

What had just happened had shaken him too deeply.

She had driven away more than a hundred soul beasts with a single word, including several thousand-year soul beasts.

He had never seen such strength before. He had never even heard of it.

Bo Saixi smiled faintly and waved her hand, speaking indifferently. "It was nothing. When traveling abroad, who doesn't run into trouble? It was merely a small effort, so don't take it to heart."

After a brief pause, she asked, "By the way, how did a beast tide suddenly happen? I sensed earlier that it seemed to have begun near the core region."

Qin Ming shook his head, confusion appearing on his face as well. "I don't know either. We came to Star Dou Forest to obtain soul rings, and everything had been normal. Then, around dusk, a large number of soul beasts suddenly rushed out from the core region as if they had been frightened by something. We failed to avoid them in time and got separated, then fled all the way here."

Bo Saixi nodded gently and did not ask any further questions.

To put it bluntly, she had merely been curious.

It would have been better if the two of them knew, but it did not matter if they did not.

With her strength, even ten more beast tides would not be able to harm her or Li Changqing in the slightest.

Qin Ming hesitated for a moment before gathering his courage to ask, "Senior, we are a teacher and student from Heaven Dou Royal Academy. May we remain here until dawn? I guarantee that we will leave as soon as day breaks and absolutely will not disturb you or your companions."

As he spoke, he felt somewhat uneasy.

After all, this senior appeared to be of extraordinary status and seemed to have important matters to attend to. Asking to stay so abruptly might displease her.

However, it was the middle of the night, and the area had just experienced a beast tide. Setting out recklessly would be far too dangerous.

He was not afraid of death, but Ye Lingling was beside him. He could not disregard his student's safety.

Bo Saixi had initially intended to agree casually, but when she heard the name Heaven Dou Royal Academy, her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"

She asked, "Is Heaven Dou Royal Academy located in Heaven Dou City?"

Qin Ming and Ye Lingling exchanged a glance, each seeing confusion in the other's eyes.

This senior did not even know that Heaven Dou Royal Academy was in Heaven Dou City?

Wasn't that far too uninformed?

After all, Heaven Dou Royal Academy was the Tiandou Empire's highest-ranking Soul Master Academy and renowned throughout the entire continent.

Qin Ming nodded and answered, "Of course, Senior. Heaven Dou Royal Academy is located within Heaven Dou City. It was founded by the Tiandou Empire's royal family and is one of the finest academies on the continent. From your appearance, Senior, you don't seem to be from the Upper Three Sects or Spirit Hall?"

Bo Saixi shook her head and did not hide anything. "We came from across the sea, so we are not very familiar with the forces on land."

"Across the sea?"

Qin Ming was slightly stunned before realization dawned on him. "So Senior is from overseas. No wonder..."

"Did Senior come to the continent for something? If there is anything this junior can help with, I will certainly do my utmost."

After thinking for a moment, Bo Saixi did not directly say that she had come for the Heart of the Sea God. Instead, she phrased it differently. "My little brother has reached the age to attend school and cultivate, so I wanted to see whether I could find a good academy where he could receive a systematic education."

As she said this, her gaze naturally fell upon Li Changqing, who was absorbing his soul ring nearby.

Qin Ming followed her gaze and only then carefully examined the child sitting cross-legged beside the fire.

The child looked about five or six years old. His features were exquisite, and his brows carried a composure that did not match his age.

At that moment, his eyes were closed, and a faint green glow radiated from his body. A pure aura of life circulated around him.

Qin Ming's heart stirred. He was an experienced soul master himself, so he could naturally tell that this child was extraordinary.

Especially that aura of life—it was so pure that it was startling, as though it contained endless vitality.