I've Put Up with You for Long Enough!

"I never expected Bone Palm to evolve."

Cheng Xiao was greatly surprised. The effect was far too powerful.

Seeing that the sky was already bright, Cheng Xiao grew anxious. He stopped testing and rose to his feet, waving a hand. Fifteen Shadow Soul Beasts, including the Dreadclaw Bear, hid within the shadow beneath his feet.

As for the remaining Soul Beasts that had been summoned by mistake, Cheng Xiao dismissed them.

"Sorry. Rest in peace."

There was no limit to the shadows he could summon, but he could only store twenty shadows. He had long reserved five slots for emergencies. Perhaps at some point in the future, he would encounter even more powerful shadows, and he did not want to miss an opportunity because he had no space left.

"Time to go!"

Cheng Xiao let out a breath of stale air and prepared to head out of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Whoosh—whoosh—

Suddenly, the sound of wind splitting came from behind him as three figures darted out.

"Tang San, where are you going?"

"What are you doing here?"

Two low shouts rang out. Cheng Xiao stopped in his tracks. They were the two servants who had been accompanying Zhu Zhuqing.

Early that morning, they had awakened to find Cheng Xiao gone. Only then did they realize that something might be wrong with the boy.

They had hurriedly followed his trail, never expecting it to lead them to the Dreadclaw Bear's nest.

Looking at the Soul Beast corpses scattered across the ground, as well as the motionless Dreadclaw Bear, they finally realized that this young man might never have spoken a word of truth since they first met. His goal had always been the Dreadclaw Bear!

Zhu Zhuqing stared fixedly at Cheng Xiao's back. The faint smile from last night was gone from her icy face, replaced by deep disappointment.

So everything he had said yesterday had been a lie. Could no one else truly be relied upon?

Was she destined to face those two alone? No matter how unwilling she was, did she have no choice but to accept such a fate?

A trace of sorrow rose in Zhu Zhuqing's heart.

"Tang San, come back to Zhu Manor with us. Since you are willing to admit your mistake, the clan head may show leniency." The older man shouted in a deep voice. His eyes were gloomy, and a considerable aura radiated from his body.

Whether this brat had gotten anything from here or not, they had to capture him first. It would be one thing if he had found nothing, but if he had truly been lucky enough to obtain a Soul Bone...

Hmph. A commoner wanted to possess a Soul Bone? More importantly, this Soul Beast had been killed by the Zhu Family.

No one who wanted to use the Zhu Family as the mantis had been born yet!

"Forget it." Zhu Zhuqing was somewhat listless as she waved a hand. "Let him go."

Since he did not wish to stay, then let him leave.

Zhu Zhuqing sneered inwardly. Martial Soul resonance, Martial Soul Fusion Skill—apparently, what was written in the books was not entirely true.

Hearts in harmony?

Heh. If their hearts were truly in harmony, why would he leave without a word and run off to some unknown academy?

Tch. If their hearts were truly in harmony, why had every word from his mouth been a lie?

She could only rely on herself. There was no one she could depend on. Zhu Zhuqing looked up at the sky, holding back the grievance in her heart.

"But what if there's a Soul Bone..." the older servant said anxiously.

"A Soul Bone? How many years have you cultivated? How many Soul Bones have you ever seen?" Zhu Zhuqing turned around, preparing to leave.

Everyone coveted Soul Bones, but they were precious. How many people in this world actually possessed one? If luck were really that good, then everyone might as well come to the Star Dou Great Forest to kill Soul Beasts—one Soul Beast, one Soul Bone.

"My apologies, Second Miss, but this time I cannot obey." The older man cupped his hands. Though his gaze was lowered, his expression remained cold.

Zhu Zhuqing abruptly stopped. Her delicate brows furrowed as her chilly gaze shot toward the man who had defied her. "You dare disobey me?"

"My apologies, Second Miss. I obey only the clan head's orders."

Given the current situation, the one who would emerge victorious would certainly be Eldest Miss Zhu Zhuyun. Zhu Zhuqing was bound to lose favor in the future, so there was no need for him to curry favor with a young lady who had no future. The Zhu Family's rules dictated that they could only be loyal to one master.

Moreover, he was one of the clan head's confidants and obeyed only the clan head's commands. He merely needed to consider what was best for the family head.

There was clearly something wrong with this young man. Even if they did not force him to explain himself, they could not simply let him leave. If he truly departed with that possibly existing "Soul Bone," the clan head would certainly punish them upon learning of it.

With that said, the older servant turned his gaze toward Cheng Xiao. "Tang San, come back with us!"

"Tang San, I advise you to come to your senses. Don't ruin yourself," the other man warned. "Since you have already sworn loyalty to Second Miss, if you obediently return with us, perhaps your life may be spared."

On the continent, both the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire followed a feudal aristocratic system. Swearing loyalty to a noble was not as easy as Cheng Xiao had imagined. Though it granted a certain degree of protection, it imposed even more restrictions.

If one betrayed that loyalty, the empires could use it as grounds to issue a wanted notice. Moreover, the other empire would recognize that warrant as well!

Because it was a betrayal of the aristocratic system across the entire continent, every noble would be enraged by it. They would not permit anyone to disrupt the order they had worked so hard to establish.

Seeing that Cheng Xiao still did not move, the two circulated their Soul Power. Six Soul Rings rose beneath one man's feet, while five rose beneath the other's. Their endless Soul Power formed a far more tangible pressure that bore down on Cheng Xiao like an overwhelming tide, no longer as weightless as their earlier words.

Cheng Xiao turned around and saw the Soul Rings beneath their feet. The tension in his heart immediately eased. He had been calculating whether to go back with them and whether his strength could match theirs. If one of them had been a Soul Saint, escaping would have been difficult.

But now, these two were merely a Soul Emperor and a Soul King.

So... go back with them? Heh!

"Tang San, Tang San, tsk..." Cheng Xiao's lips curled upward. The humility he had shown yesterday was completely gone from his eyes, replaced by a viciousness that made him seem like a hawk eyeing a wolf. "You keep chirping and chirping. It's fucking annoying!"

"Listen carefully!"

"My name isn't Tang San!"

Cheng Xiao snapped his fingers. The shadow beneath his feet began to expand wildly, baring its fangs and claws like a vicious ghost as it connected with the shadows of the trees scattered across the ground.

Then, one grotesque Shadow Soul Beast after another crawled out from the shadows beneath the stunned gazes of the three.

"W-what kind of Soul Skill is this?!" One man was intimidated by the presence of fifteen Shadow Soul Beasts. Fear surged into his heart, making him take an involuntary step back.

Shock also crept across Zhu Zhuqing's cold, beautiful face. Her pupils contracted sharply as she stared fixedly at the fifteen ferocious Soul Beasts. Her heart trembled, and even her hands and feet began to shake uncontrollably.

"A Soul Bone! It must be a Soul Bone Skill!" The older man was both shocked and furious as he shouted, "Don't be afraid! He's only a Soul Master. How long can he maintain such a skill? Take him down! We must take him down!"

"And one more thing!" Cheng Xiao cast him a disdainful glance, baring his stark white teeth in a grin filled with fury as he swung one hand down. "I've fucking put up with you for long enough!"

Roar!

In the next instant, all fifteen Soul Beasts roared in unison, their cries shaking the entire forest. Countless weaker Soul Beasts fled in panic, hiding in their nests and trembling too much to show themselves, while flocks of birds took flight in desperate escape.