Xiaotian Fell into a Deep Sleep, Yang Jian Headed Alone to the Star Dou Great Forest, and a Girl Fleeing for Her Life!

After devouring this Soul Bone, Xiaotian's body suddenly burst with dazzling golden light. The golden glow enveloped Xiaotian entirely, forming a thin cocoon of light.

At the same time, Xiaotian's cultivation age began to increase steadily. After nearly half a day, it had stabilized at a thousand years, yet Xiaotian still did not awaken.

Through the cocoon, Yang Jian could vaguely see its body curled up inside. Its breathing was steady and its aura long and calm, but it simply would not wake.

Although he did not know exactly what had happened, Yang Jian could sense that Xiaotian's body was undergoing some sort of transformation.

Yang Jian had originally planned to bring Xiaotian with him to the Star Dou Great Forest, but judging by its current condition, it likely would not awaken anytime soon.

After giving it some thought, Yang Jian decided to head to the Star Dou Great Forest alone.

When Yang Jian told Yang Wudi of his decision, Yang Wudi fell silent. After a long while, however, he finally nodded and agreed to Yang Jian's request.

That afternoon, Yang Wudi saw Yang Jian out of the house. Watching his grandson's solitary figure depart, his lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing more.

After leaving Mountain Lord City, Yang Jian officially set out for the Star Dou Great Forest.

However, he did not choose to travel by carriage, instead using Soul Power to make the journey.

First, it would temper himself. Second, he hoped to use this journey to see whether he could successfully work out the second move of his spear technique. At the very least, he wanted to develop a rough outline of it.

The sun rose and set, while clouds gathered and scattered.

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

On the evening of the third day, Yang Jian arrived at the border between the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire.

Seeing that night had fallen, Yang Jian stopped traveling.

After eating some dry rations, Yang Jian did not set up a tent. Instead, he found a towering tree, climbed its thick branches in a few steps, and leisurely lay down.

The early autumn breeze drifted past, carrying a slight chill that perfectly brushed away the exhaustion of the day.

Yang Jian rested his head on his arms and gazed at the scattered stars in the night sky, feeling an incomparable peace in his heart.

Yet that peace did not last long. Just as Yang Jian was about to fall asleep, a burst of chaotic, hurried footsteps reached his ears.

Yang Jian frowned slightly and turned toward the direction from which the footsteps came.

Before long, a graceful figure rushed out of the woods and staggered beneath the tree where he was resting.

She was a girl dressed in black.

She looked about his age, perhaps twelve or thirteen.

Yet what first drew Yang Jian's attention was her strikingly mature figure, utterly mismatched with her age. Her tight black clothing outlined her delicate curves.

Under the moonlight, Yang Jian saw her face clearly.

Her features were exquisite, and her brows and eyes were sharp, carrying an icy aloofness that warned strangers to stay away.

But at this moment, her face was full of exhaustion. Fine beads of sweat seeped from her temples, and her breathing was extremely rapid.

Yang Jian's eyes flickered slightly, and a trace of surprise appeared on his face, for he recognized who she was.

The third young miss of the Zhu Family of the Star Luo Empire, one of the future Shrek Seven Devils—Zhu Zhuqing, the Hell Spirit Cat!

He had not expected to encounter one of the original story's protagonists here. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to have run into some trouble.

As he pondered this, more footsteps sounded, but this time, there were five people.

Five black-clad figures rushed out of the woods and swiftly surrounded Zhu Zhuqing.

From their identical uniforms and coordinated movements, it was clear that they were all well-trained family guards.

The five of them controlled their spacing with precision, placing Zhu Zhuqing right in the center, with no path left for her to retreat.

Though she had already been surrounded, Zhu Zhuqing showed no trace of fear. She merely bit her lip, her gaze cold and unyielding.

At that moment, another set of footsteps rang out. Unlike Zhu Zhuqing's chaotic steps or the uniform steps of the family guards, these footsteps were neither hurried nor slow.

From the footsteps alone, it was not hard to tell that the newcomer was either calm-minded or completely confident.

Before long, a tall, thin figure slowly appeared. Judging from the expression on his face, he was clearly the latter.

Two of the guards stepped aside, opening a path.

The middle-aged man walked forward at an unhurried pace and stopped less than five meters from Zhu Zhuqing.

"Third Young Miss, by the eldest young miss's order, please come back with us."

Zhu Kai looked at the stubborn-faced Zhu Zhuqing and spoke indifferently.

Zhu Zhuqing did not respond, but the Soul Ring beneath her feet suddenly lit up. Her first Soul Skill, Hell Stab, activated, targeting the guard at her side.

With Hell Stab, Zhu Zhuqing's speed instantly doubled. Her entire body turned into a black shadow as she charged straight at the guard blocking her path!

Pitch-black, spiral claws extended from the tips of her ten fingers, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek!

Although that guard was already a three-ringed Soul Elder, his Martial Soul was the Ghost Cat, a lower-grade Martial Soul descended from the Hell Spirit Cat. His mind reacted, but speed was his greatest weakness, and he could not dodge at all.

"Pfft!"

The claws swept past, leaving five bloody gashes across the guard's chest. With a scream, he was sent flying backward.

Zhu Zhuqing had no intention of lingering in battle. The moment her attack succeeded, she immediately rushed toward the opening.

She was unbelievably fast, her entire body already transformed into a black shadow. Even the glow of Soul Power around her trailed behind her in a long flaming tail under that terrifying speed.

The distance between Zhu Zhuqing and the opening steadily shrank. Three meters, two meters, one step!

She only needed to take one more step to break through the gap and escape with her life!

"Why must you do this, Third Young Miss? Wouldn't it be better to obediently return with us? Since you insist on being so stubborn, I can only offend you."

Though Zhu Kai said he could only offend her, a cold smile curled across his lips.

The next instant, overwhelming Soul Power surged skyward from his body, whipping up his black robe.

Black-purple light swirled as a slender tail extended from behind him. His bony hands transformed into claws, while his round pupils narrowed into vertical slits that flashed with a sinister green gleam. Just like the guards around him, his Martial Soul was clearly the Ghost Cat, a lower-grade Martial Soul descended from the Hell Spirit Cat.

But unlike the guards around him, two yellow and three purple Soul Rings—a total of five—rotated rhythmically beneath his feet. He was unmistakably a five-ringed Soul King!

When that powerful Soul Power pressure swept over her from behind like a mountain, the joy that had just appeared in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes instantly froze.

She had not expected that this servant, who had long since pledged loyalty to her elder sister, was actually a five-ringed Soul King. What she had expected even less was that her own sister would send a Soul King after her.

Zhu Zhuqing mobilized the Soul Power within her body, trying to resist the pressure coming from behind, but it was all in vain. With the strength of a two-ringed Soul Grandmaster, let alone resisting the pressure of a Soul King, even circulating her Soul Power normally had become exceedingly difficult.

That one-step distance had now become an impassable gulf.