Xiao Wu raised a hand and waved at Ye Qiong, then took two light steps forward. "Galaxy Baseball Bat Hero? No, I should call you Ye Qiong! I never imagined the Group Owner would look like this in person. You're much younger than I expected."
He'd seemed pretty reliable in the group chat, and he was even more easy on the eyes in person. The way he'd landed just now was pretty cool, too. She'd definitely recognized the right person.
Ning Rongrong followed, holding Xiao Wu by the sleeve. Her gaze fell on the hat in Ye Qiong's hand, and she teased with a smile, "Group Owner, so this is what your Second Martial Soul looks like. That little umbrella you turned into earlier was pretty exquisite. Did the hat transform from your Martial Soul, too?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't approach. She stayed where she was, first sweeping her gaze over the surroundings before looking back at Ye Qiong, a trace of understanding in her eyes.
This Group Owner gave us a designated task. His goal must have been to use Da Ming and Er Ming's deterrence to get out safely. Could he have been trapped in the Star Dou Core Area all along?
Ye Qiong twirled the hat in his fingers and replied with a smile, "At last, I've met all three of you. The little umbrella and the hat are both transformations of my Martial Soul, Void Archives. As for this private commission, all we had to do was meet up to complete it."
Meeting up was all it took? This task was way too easy. But the Group Owner had said private commissions weren't complicated, so it was perfect that they'd completed it so smoothly.
Xiao Wu tilted her head and brushed the loose hair by her ear. "That's all we have to do? Then why hasn't the group sent a notification?"
Ning Rongrong nodded in agreement, lightly tapping her Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda with a fingertip. "That's right. There should be a notification when a task is complete. Do you need to confirm it on your end?"
It was normal for the other party to confirm that a private commission was complete.
Since the Group Owner had said so, there must be one last confirmation step. They only had to wait for him to do it.
Ye Qiong nodded with a smile and raised a hand to confirm completion in the group chat. But just as he was about to act, his gaze suddenly sharpened. He whipped around to look deep into the woods on his left, his expression darkening at once. "Wait, something's wrong!"
Almost at the same time, Zhu Zhuqing tensed, her hand pressing against the Soul Tool at her waist. Her voice was grave. "It's no ordinary Soul Beast. Its aura is sinister and domineering, and it's definitely powerful—on par with a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. It's moving extremely fast and heading this way!"
With Da Ming and Er Ming guarding the Star Dou Core Area, how could a Soul Beast on par with a hundred-thousand-year one dare to barge in? That sinister aura... Could it be the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, the one at odds with Da Ming and Er Ming?
"It's the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger!" Ye Qiong gritted out, his eyes full of shock.
This Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was only eighty thousand years old, but its combat strength was on par with a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast.
Wait... Bibi Dong in the group was doing a Soul Hunting mission, and her target was also eighty thousand years old. Could it be...?
Ye Qiong was startled.
It was trying to use Da Ming and Er Ming to shake off Bibi Dong! Then it would shift the trouble onto them and provoke a clash between them and Bibi Dong, hoping to reap the benefits afterward!
Before he'd even finished speaking, a black figure burst through the woods, its dense sinister aura carrying it straight toward the lakeside. It was the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
It glanced at Ye Qiong and the others from the corner of its eye, showing no interest in fighting. It only wanted to use the aura here to hide its tracks before turning to flee.
Seeing this, Er Ming's eyes blazed with fury. He roared, shaking the leaves around them, and slammed his thick arm into the ground. A violent shockwave swept toward the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger. "You beast, you dare come right to our doorstep! I'll deal with you today!"
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger nimbly dodged the shockwave, then turned and let out a mocking, cackling laugh at Er Ming. Malice gleamed in its eyes. It didn't linger, vanishing quickly into the woods on the other side.
All it wanted was to make Da Ming and Er Ming angry, so it could sit back and watch the ensuing fight.
Seeing this, Ye Qiong didn't hesitate. He turned to the three girls and said urgently, "It's deliberately provoking Er Ming! We don't have time to chase it. Bibi Dong is on a mission, and that beast is her target. She'll be here soon!"
A flash of golden light flickered at his fingertips, and a diamond-shaped secret-realm entrance appeared out of thin air before him. It was the small secret realm of Aedes Elysiae.
"Quick, get inside and hide!"
Xiao Wu was puzzled, but seeing the grave look on Ye Qiong's face, she didn't hesitate. She pulled Ning Rongrong toward the entrance. "Okay!"
Bibi Dong in the group was relatively reasonable now, but she was one of the human powerhouses. If she saw Da Ming and Er Ming—and Xiao Wu herself—she might get ideas.
Even if she was a fellow group member.
For now, they could put the task aside. Staying alive came first.
As she walked, Ning Rongrong asked, "What about Da Ming and Er Ming? Should we bring them?"
Da Ming and Er Ming were Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. If they stayed outside, Bibi Dong might take her anger out on them.
Ye Qiong's Aedes Elysiae should be able to hold them. Bringing them along would be safer.
Ye Qiong turned and called urgently to Da Ming and Er Ming in the middle of the lake, "Da Ming, Er Ming, don't chase it! This is a trap! Come into the secret realm with us and hide!"
Da Ming and Er Ming exchanged a glance, confusion filling their eyes as they hesitated.
They couldn't understand why Ye Qiong wouldn't let them chase the tiger—and why he wanted them to enter some unfamiliar place.
Seeing this, Xiao Wu hurriedly called to the two of them, "There's no time to explain! Trust me and get in, quick!"
Zhu Zhuqing took the rear, warily watching the direction the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger had disappeared. "They're coming. We have to go!"
Bibi Dong's strength was unfathomable. If she got involved, things would be troublesome.
The secret realm was their only safe place. They had to get everyone inside as quickly as possible, without giving Bibi Dong a chance to spot them.
Ye Qiong watched Da Ming and Er Ming squeeze their enormous bodies through the secret-realm entrance. After making sure Xiao Wu and the other two had entered, he was the last to step inside.
He had just closed the entrance when a cold female voice rang out in the distance, filled with immense pressure. "You vile beast, stop right there!"
Ye Qiong let out a sigh of relief and said to the three girls, "You're safe now. I'll confirm the completion for you."
With that, he confirmed the commission's completion for all three girls in the group chat.
The moment he did, a notification popped up in the group chat on each of their screens.
Ning Rongrong looked down and exclaimed in delight, "The task really is complete! The reward came through!"
Xiao Wu was delighted, too. "That's right, mine too! 3,200 Stellar Jade. Wonderful!"
Zhu Zhuqing looked at her screen and nodded.
Good thing they'd listened to the Group Owner and entered this mysterious place in time. Not only had they avoided the danger outside, they'd completed the task and received such a generous reward.
This trip had been a real windfall.
The three girls were still basking in the joy of their rewards when they suddenly felt the energy of heaven and earth around them grow so dense it was almost unbelievable, as if they'd stepped into a sacred training ground.
Da Ming and Er Ming were even more astonished.
As soon as Er Ming entered the secret realm, his massive body automatically shrank to around three meters tall. He felt the pure, surging energy in the air and couldn't help taking a deep breath. His lantern-sized eyes brimmed with shock.
"Big brother, this place..."
Before you continue