Hunting the Red Flame Golden Roc, First Meeting with Tang San

They rested in the Hunting Soul Forest for the night.

The sky gradually brightened.

Li Qinglian leapt up into a large tree, then used the dense branches and leaves to conceal himself.

"Sister Huo Wu, be careful."

"If it really doesn't work, I'll still step in."

"Your safety matters far more to me than one soul beast."

Li Qinglian spoke seriously.

He did not have many friends in this world, and Huo Wu definitely counted as a very important one.

Besides, deep down, it was not as if he felt nothing for Huo Wu at all.

It was just that the current him had yet to fully survive the tribulation of the Evil Fire.

The path he had to walk was one of nine deaths and one life. How could he rashly impose himself on a fine woman?

"I know."

Warmth filled Huo Wu's heart. She looked at Li Qinglian, and a little more determination appeared in her eyes.

"I'll definitely do it. I'm sure I can help you."

Huo Wu sounded as if she were making Li Qinglian a promise, and also as if she were cheering herself on.

Li Qinglian's cultivation was improving very quickly. Perhaps in a few years, he would surpass her.

She did not want to become useless in front of Li Qinglian.

Deep in the gorge, halfway up the mountainside.

Bang, bang—

Huo Wu rubbed two great fireballs between her hands and hurled them at the Red Flame Golden Roc.

The Red Flame Golden Roc was instantly jolted awake from its sleep.

"Run!"

Seeing the Red Flame Golden Roc wake up, its pair of bell-sized eyes glaring at her in fury, Huo Wu turned and ran.

The Fire Shadow Martial Soul appeared behind her, pushing Huo Wu's speed to the limit.

Screech!

When the Red Flame Golden Roc saw Huo Wu, it beat its wings and gave chase.

It had to make this human woman who had disturbed its sweet sleep pay the price.

Huo Wu lowered her head and sprinted wildly.

The Red Flame Golden Roc pursued relentlessly through the air, spitting out streams of flame from its mouth.

The fire-attribute soul power on Huo Wu's body formed a gauzy layer that wrapped around her.

But the clothes on her body could not withstand the Red Flame Golden Roc's flames at all and melted in an instant.

"So annoying."

"Now I'm really in trouble."

Huo Wu wanted to cry but had no tears.

From childhood until now, she had never been in such a sorry state before.

"Li Qinglian!"

"You've seen my body, so you have to take responsibility!"

"Otherwise, this young lady really won't be able to marry anyone in the future."

Huo Wu tapped the tips of her toes lightly, dodged several of the Red Flame Golden Roc's fireballs, and quickly slipped into the dense forest.

Seeing Huo Wu vanish from its sight, the Red Flame Golden Roc opened its mouth wide and spat out flames. The surrounding trees blazed fiercely.

"Now."

Li Qinglian activated the Phoenix Martial Soul in an instant.

A Fire Phoenix Entanglement restricted the Red Flame Golden Roc's movements.

The next moment, the Green Lotus Sword flashed with a dazzling azure light.

"First form of the Green Lotus Sword Technique, Lotus Heart One Thought!"

The surging sword light carried the Green Lotus Sword's ultimate sword intent.

Scht!

One wing was severed with the sound.

The Red Flame Golden Roc had only one wing left and could no longer control its balance, plummeting from the sky.

At the same time, from its sole remaining wing, countless feathers shot toward Li Qinglian with piercing sonic booms.

Li Qinglian hurriedly raised his sword to block them.

The feathers collided with the blade, exploding into a dense shower of sparks.

The Red Flame Golden Roc was still far too powerful.

Two feathers he could not block in time stabbed into Li Qinglian's legs, one on the left and one on the right.

Li Qinglian gave a muffled groan as blood flowed from his thighs.

"Brother Lian."

Huo Wu had meant to put on her clothes first, but seeing Li Qinglian injured, she could no longer care about such fussy formalities.

She hurriedly released her Martial Soul, the soul rings beneath her flashing nonstop. Her soul skills were hurled at the Red Flame Golden Roc one after another as if they cost nothing.

Seeing this, Li Qinglian endured the pain and swung his sword again, cutting off its other wing and completely severing any chance of escape.

After that, Li Qinglian and Huo Wu kept wearing it down, and the Red Flame Golden Roc's vitality rapidly drained away.

"It should end now."

With his final strike, Li Qinglian drove his sword into the Red Flame Golden Roc's heart.

"Qinglian. How are you?"

Huo Wu rushed in front of Li Qinglian and supported his body with her right hand.

"I'm fine. It's just a small injury."

Li Qinglian lowered his head and forcefully pulled the feathers out of his body.

He and Huo Wu had successfully killed a three-thousand-year flying fire-attribute soul beast.

"Sister Huo Wu, you..."

"Why aren't you wearing clothes?"

Li Qinglian smelled the young woman's body scent beside him, mixed with the salty tang of sweat, and abruptly raised his head, feeling as if something was not quite right.

Pfft.

This, this was...

Li Qinglian nearly lost his composure.

"My clothes were all burned by the Red Flame Golden Roc, and the luggage I brought was burned too. I can only wear the spare clothes you brought now."

Huo Wu had been a little embarrassed at first.

But seeing Li Qinglian's reaction, she instead stood tall and open, showing off the beautiful side of a young woman.

This brat of a little brother was not completely uninterested in her body after all.

"Ahem. Here."

Li Qinglian quickly took out a few pieces of clothing and handed them to Huo Wu, then turned around.

Huo Wu stuck out her tongue and also turned around to get dressed.

The rustling sounds of dressing came from behind him, but Li Qinglian's heart would not calm no matter what.

Huo Wu's figure had developed in an extremely fiery way. That youthful yet mature body had given him no small shock.

"Done."

Huo Wu's voice carried a smile.

Li Qinglian turned back and saw her wearing his shirt, her full chest stretching the fabric taut, as if it might burst out at any moment.

On her lower half was a pair of slightly too-small trousers, their curves fully outlined by her full hips and legs. Her sexy, lovely figure struck his eyes all at once.

"Little Brother Qinglian, you saw me completely just now. You have to take responsibility for me in the future, okay?"

She burst into a laugh, her brows and eyes filled with charm.

"Okay! I'll definitely take responsibility!"

Li Qinglian looked at her smiling face and nodded seriously.

He had seen her entire body, and Sister Huo Wu had made this trip for his sake as well.

He gave this promise willingly.

"Good. Then Big Sister will wait for you to take responsibility."

A strange light flickered in Huo Wu's eyes.

She had not expected that she would receive Li Qinglian's promise just like that.

Though she did not show it on her face, her heart felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey.

Li Qinglian rested for a while.

He casually smeared some salve for external wounds over his injuries, then sat cross-legged and began restoring his soul power.

Only after his energy, vitality, and spirit had returned to their peak did Li Qinglian begin absorbing the soul ring.

A soul ring of around three thousand years—its surging energy rushed into his body, and Li Qinglian's body instantly went rigid.

Huo Wu's expression turned solemn. She released her Martial Soul and stood guard around Li Qinglian.

At the same time.

A middle-aged man hurried over with a plainly dressed youth.

They had also come to the Hunting Soul Forest to hunt for a soul ring, drawn here by the massive commotion just now.

The two wore unusually styled school uniforms, with seven characters embroidered on the chest.

Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.

That youth was none other than Tang San, who had come to hunt for his second soul ring.

And beside him was the headmaster of Nuoding Academy, Kahn.

"This..."

Tang San only glanced at Li Qinglian once, and then he could no longer look away.

Yu Xiaogang had precisely stated the upper age limit of soul rings a soul master could absorb at each stage.

And Tang San thought very highly of himself. The soul rings he absorbed were often at least a hundred years above those upper limits.

He had always believed that he should be the strongest in this world—until he saw Li Qinglian.