Zhu Zhuqing! Onward to Soto City!

As he approached the battlefield, the seven or eight pursuers had already noticed the young man emerging from the woods.

The middle-aged Soul Ancestor leading them raised a hand to signal his men to stop attacking, then frowned as he sized him up. "Kid, this has nothing to do with you. If you don't want to die, get lost."

Taking advantage of the pause, Zhu Zhuqing caught her breath. Her cat-like eyes swept coldly over the unfamiliar young man who had suddenly appeared. The claw blades on her hands remained raised defensively, every muscle in her body taut as she prepared to resume the fight at any moment.

Yun Tian ignored the middle-aged Soul Ancestor. His gaze passed over the others and settled on Zhu Zhuqing, a gentle smile curling at his lips. "Don't be afraid. I'm here to help you."

The middle-aged Soul Ancestor's expression darkened. "You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! Get—"

Before he could finish, Yun Tian moved.

The instant four purple soul rings rose beneath his feet, the air along the entire road seemed to freeze.

Purple. All purple. Four thousand-year soul rings spun beneath the afternoon sun, radiating soul power fluctuations so oppressive they took one's breath away.

The pursuers' faces instantly turned deathly pale. The leading middle-aged Soul Ancestor's pupils constricted as he instinctively staggered back two steps.

"Purple... purple... They're all purple soul rings?!" His voice trembled.

He was a Soul Ancestor himself, but his four soul rings were one white, two yellow, and one purple. Compared to the four purple rings before him, they were worlds apart.

And this opponent looked barely more than a teenager!

Yun Tian said nothing more. He took a step forward, and the earth trembled beneath his feet.

"Mountain Collapse and Earth Split."

His second soul ring lit up. The ground surged violently like waves, cracks spreading outward from beneath Yun Tian's feet in every direction as shattered rocks and dirt were blasted several feet into the air.

The pursuers were swept away by the shockwave like leaves in a gale, flung into the bushes on either side of the road. They rolled several times before barely managing to stop.

The leading middle-aged Soul Ancestor was the strongest among them and barely steadied himself, but his arms had been shaken numb. He could no longer hide the terror in his eyes.

He stared fixedly at the four spinning purple soul rings around Yun Tian's waist, letting out a low roar through his throat. "Retreat!"

The group fled into the forest in a scramble, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Within the distant shadows of the forest, the concealed aura of the high-level Soul Ancestor quietly withdrew as well, leaving behind no trace.

The road fell silent again.

Zhu Zhuqing remained in a defensive stance, her cat-like eyes warily fixed on the unfamiliar young man before her. Yet her body was already trembling slightly. The battle had drained too much from her, and she was nearly at her limit.

However, when she saw Yun Tian dismiss his soul rings, turn around, and offer her a friendly smile, the vigilance in her cat-like eyes eased a little.

"It's all right now." Yun Tian looked at her, his tone calm. "My name is Yun Tian. I was just passing through. Are you alone? Where are you headed?"

Zhu Zhuqing fell silent for two seconds, then retracted her martial soul claw blades. Blood from the wound on her arm trickled down her fingertips and dripped onto the ground.

She lifted her deep-blue cat-like eyes to glance at Yun Tian. Her voice was cold, but carried a hint of weakness. "...Thank you."

Tang San and Xiao Wu were hurrying over from farther down the road.

As she ran, Xiao Wu called out, "Congratulations, Brother Yun, on saving a beauty!"

Tang San shook his head helplessly behind her.

Watching the three young people around her age approach, an almost imperceptible flicker passed through Zhu Zhuqing's icy gaze.

Over the past six years, Yun Tian and the others had traveled far and wide. But perhaps their real story had only just begun.

The wind on the road gradually died down. Zhu Zhuqing leaned against a tree by the roadside and tore off a corner of her clothes to crudely bandage the wound on her arm.

Xiao Wu crouched beside her and studied her. After watching for a while, she suddenly said, "You're pretty badly hurt. Want me to help?"

"No." Zhu Zhuqing's voice was ice-cold, like a stone freshly pulled from a well.

Xiao Wu was not offended. Instead, she smiled. "Fine. I like your personality."

Tang San walked over to Yun Tian and asked in a low voice, "Who is she? The people chasing her included at least three Soul Elders and one Soul Ancestor. They're clearly no small matter. Will we get into trouble by involving ourselves?"

"The Zhu Family's business. Her martial soul is the Nether Spirit Cat," Yun Tian answered briefly. "She's the second daughter of the Zhu Family of the Star Luo Empire. It's a family feud—her older sister sent people after her. But that sister never truly intended to kill her. She was just putting on a show to force her to leave."

Tang San frowned slightly. "A noble from the Star Luo Empire?"

"Yeah, but she's already left her family." Yun Tian patted Tang San on the shoulder. "Don't worry. We've already saved her. We couldn't exactly stand by and watch her die."

Tang San nodded and did not ask further.

Yun Tian walked over to Zhu Zhuqing and crouched before her, bringing himself level with her eyes. "Like I said, my name is Yun Tian. Those two are my companions, Tang San and Xiao Wu. We just came out of the Star Dou Great Forest after training and are planning to head to Soto City. If you have somewhere to go, we can give you a ride. If you're not in a hurry, you can travel with us. It'll be safer with company."

Zhu Zhuqing raised her deep-blue cat-like eyes and looked at him for a long while, as if judging whether his kindness was genuine.

But her injuries were indeed serious, and more than half her soul power had been depleted. The risks of traveling alone were too great.

She was silent for a moment before finally speaking. Her voice remained cool, though it had softened somewhat from before. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Yun Tian rose to his feet and held out a hand to her.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at that hand, hesitated for an instant, then took it.

Her hand was cold and slender, her palm covered in thin calluses left by years of wielding claw blades.

Yun Tian gently pulled her up, then handed her the water pouch from his back. "Have some water. It's still a ways to the next town."

Zhu Zhuqing took the water pouch and took a sip without saying anything more.

The five of them set off again.

Xiao Wu walked beside Zhu Zhuqing, chattering away about their experiences in the Star Dou Great Forest without caring whether the other girl was listening. Tang San and Yun Tian walked side by side behind them, quietly discussing their next destination.

"You mentioned Soto City earlier?" Tang San asked, turning his head.

"Yeah, Soto City." Yun Tian nodded. "Shrek Academy is there. Didn't you promise Grandmaster that after finishing your training, you'd go there to study?"

A glimmer flashed through Tang San's eyes.

Yu Xiaogang had mapped out his path for him six years ago.

After graduating from Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy, he was to continue his studies at Shrek Academy in Soto City.

Though the academy had a strange name and was located in a remote place, its admission requirements were said to be extremely demanding. Every graduate it produced was an elite.

Although Tang San had gained vastly more experience over the past six years traveling far and wide with Yun Tian, he had always kept his teacher's arrangements in mind.

"You're well-informed," Tang San said with a smile.

"Don't forget, I'm your big brother." Yun Tian patted the back of his head. "How could I not keep an eye on your affairs? Soto City isn't far from here anyway, so we can go take a look. Registration should be about to begin as well."

Zhu Zhuqing, who was walking ahead, suddenly paused and turned to look at Yun Tian. In a cool voice, she asked, "You're going to Shrek?"

"That's right." Xiao Wu hurriedly answered. "Are you going too?"

Zhu Zhuqing was silent for a breath, then slowly nodded. "I was heading to Soto City in the first place. I heard Shrek Academy doesn't accept ordinary students. It only recruits monsters."

Yun Tian looked at her little face, still cold as ice, and secretly found it amusing.

In the original story, Zhu Zhuqing had indeed gone to Shrek to become stronger.

"Then that works out perfectly." Yun Tian smiled. "When we reach Soto City, we'll register together. Shrek Academy wants monsters. The few of us should all qualify."

Xiao Wu rubbed her hands together. "Monster or not, we'll see when we get there! Anyway, we can't go wrong following Brother Yun."

Tang San gave a light cough. The tips of his ears reddened almost imperceptibly, but he said nothing.

The five figures gradually disappeared along the road, while the canopy of the Star Dou Great Forest slowly receded behind them beyond the horizon.

Soto City lay beyond the nearby hills ahead. Shrek Academy, famed for accepting only monsters, was about to welcome five young people who did not walk ordinary paths.

And the next leg of their journey had only just begun.