Miracle

Zhao Wuji did not move.

His bear-like face was taut, his thick arms crossed over his chest like a wall of flesh blocking Xiao Wu's path.

Flender stopped and turned back to look at him.

"Old Zhao, what are you doing? Let's head back to camp first."

Zhao Wuji ignored Flender, his gaze fixed directly on Xiao Wu.

"Girl, everyone was upset just now, so I didn't ask too closely."

He raised a finger as thick as a carrot, pointing at Xiao Wu's spotless shoes before indicating the hem of her clothes, which did not even have a wrinkle.

"The Titan Giant Ape took you into the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest. How come there isn't even a speck of red mud on your shoes?"

Xiao Wu shrank back slightly.

She had apparently not expected Zhao Wuji to press the issue now. Her hands twisted together, and her ponytail swayed uneasily.

"I... it just carried me while it ran for a while."

Xiao Wu swallowed, her voice somewhat unsteady.

"Then I suddenly heard an incredibly loud bellow. The giant ape seemed frightened of it, so it threw me down and ran away."

Zhao Wuji laughed in fury.

"A bellow?"

He snorted heavily, his booming voice shaking leaves from the trees.

"You think this is my first day out in the world? A cow in the Star Dou Great Forest that could scare off the Titan Giant Ape? What level would that have to be? A hundred-thousand-year Azure Sky Bull Python?"

Zhao Wuji stepped forward.

"Even if we assume such a thing really existed, it left you deep in the forest. You're a Grand Soul Master in your twenties—yet you walked all the way out without even a hair out of place?"

He examined Xiao Wu from head to toe, his brows knotted tightly.

"Even stranger, what's going on with your soul power? Why is it higher than before you were taken?"

The moment those words came out, the atmosphere in the clearing dropped to freezing point.

Flender fell silent as well.

As an old hand, he could see that Xiao Wu had more suspicious points than a broken sieve.

What kind of place was the Star Dou Great Forest? Forget a Grand Soul Master—even a Soul Sage like him would lose a layer of skin merely circling the edge of the core region.

Just as Zhao Wuji was about to continue questioning her, the person in Flender's arms moved.

Tang San woke up.

He struggled down from Flender's arms, his legs shaking so badly that he nearly plunged headfirst into the mud.

But he forced himself to stay upright.

Tang San raised his head, his gaze passing over Zhao Wuji's broad shoulders and locking tightly onto Xiao Wu.

"Xiao Wu..."

Tang San's voice was hoarse, as though he had swallowed a handful of sand. He staggered around Zhao Wuji and grabbed Xiao Wu's arm.

"Brother, I'm fine. I'm really fine."

Xiao Wu hurriedly supported him with her other hand, and her eyes instantly reddened.

Tang San checked Xiao Wu over from head to toe. Only after confirming that not a patch of skin on her had been hurt did his taut nerves finally relax completely.

Yu Xiaogang strode over and directly positioned himself between Zhao Wuji and Xiao Wu.

He urgently needed to pick up the shred of dignity Chen Xuan had stripped from him and reestablish his authority as a teacher.

"Zhao Wuji, enough."

Yu Xiaogang kept a stern face and put on the airs of a master.

"It is already a blessing that Xiao Wu returned safely. Everyone has their own opportunities. Since she does not wish to say more, don't force her."

Zhao Wuji nearly spat out blood.

So he was investigating a potential security threat here, while Yu Xiaogang was playing the good guy?

"Master, this is no small matter!" Zhao Wuji suppressed his anger. "There are too many suspicious things about her. What if she provoked something she shouldn't have and brought trouble back with her..."

"I said enough!"

Yu Xiaogang suddenly raised his voice and forcibly cut Zhao Wuji off.

"What matters most now is Xiao San's body! He has just absorbed a thousand-year soul ring beyond his limit. He could suffer a rejection reaction at any moment and cannot endure any stimulation!"

Yu Xiaogang turned to Tang San and Xiao Wu, and his tone immediately softened.

"It is enough that she is back. Nothing else matters."

Chen Xuan had already walked more than ten meters away.

Hearing the commotion behind him, he stopped and turned around.

These people had truly taken burying their heads in the sand to the extreme.

To protect Tang San's emotions, Yu Xiaogang was willing to trample even the most basic common sense and logic underfoot.

And for Xiao Wu's sake, Tang San had thrown away his brain entirely.

Chen Xuan walked back to the edge of the group.

His shoes crunched clearly over the fallen leaves.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the sound.

Tang San shielded Xiao Wu behind him and watched Chen Xuan warily.

Chen Xuan did not look at Tang San. His gaze passed over Tang San's shoulder and settled directly on Xiao Wu's face.

"A hundred-thousand-year soul beast left you deep within the Star Dou Great Forest."

Chen Xuan's voice was not loud, even carrying the casual air of idle conversation.

"And you, a Grand Soul Master, walked out without a scratch?"

Xiao Wu avoided Chen Xuan's gaze. The fingers gripping Tang San's clothes had turned white from exertion.

"I told you, I was just lucky..."

"Lucky."

Chen Xuan repeated the word and chuckled.

"A thousand-year Man-Faced Demon Spider on the outskirts nearly took your brother's life."

Chen Xuan pointed at the enormous, ruined spider corpse nearby.

"You walked out of the core region without even tearing your clothes, and even conveniently leveled up."

Chen Xuan took a step forward, and the pressure instantly intensified.

"Your luck is more miraculous than Twin Martial Souls."

Tang San suddenly stepped forward, completely blocking Xiao Wu behind him.

He had just absorbed a soul ring beyond his rank, and his body was weak to the extreme. Yet the fierce instinct to protect her was forced out in full.

"Chen Xuan, what do you mean?"

Tang San's voice brimmed with hostility.

"It's already a blessing that Xiao Wu came back alive! Do you have to dig into every last detail? Can't you stand seeing her well?"

Chen Xuan stopped.

Looking at Tang San's expression as though he faced a formidable enemy, he found it absurdly amusing.

This was Tang San's logic.

Anything that benefited him was right.

Anyone who questioned those around him could not stand to see him doing well. Anyone like that was an enemy.

"Can't I stand seeing her well?"

Chen Xuan spread his hands, his movements utterly casual.

"Tang San, if that spider venom hasn't rotted your brain, sort this out yourself."

Chen Xuan pointed at Zhao Wuji.

"Teacher Zhao asked how she came back because he was worried she had caused trouble that would drag the team down."

Chen Xuan pointed at Yu Xiaogang again.

"Your master stopped him from asking because he was afraid of upsetting his precious disciple, who had just created a 'miracle.'"

Chen Xuan lowered his hand, his tone filled with mockery.

"As for you, you do not care how she came back. You only care that she is still by your side."

Tang San gritted his teeth and glared at Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan curled his lips.

"I don't mean anything else. It's enough that she came back."

Chen Xuan turned around and waved without looking back.

"After all, none of you truly want to know how she got back."

Those words were like a resounding slap, striking Tang San and Yu Xiaogang squarely across the face.

They tore apart the thin facade they had been desperately maintaining.

Yu Xiaogang's face flushed red again.

Tang San's chest heaved violently.

He could not stand anyone questioning those around him, and he could endure Chen Xuan's aloof, all-knowing attitude even less.

The violent emotional fluctuation, combined with the berserk energy in his body that had yet to settle after absorbing a soul ring beyond his rank, exploded within him.

The mutation that had originally been suppressed inside Tang San instantly spiraled out of control.

Riiip—

An ear-piercing sound of tearing cloth rang out.

The remaining half of the fabric on Tang San's back burst apart.

A layer of dense, dark-blue scales spread wildly along his spine.

The scales fit tightly together, glinting with cold metallic light beneath the morning sun and carrying an incomparably ancient, savage aura.

At the same time, the two small bumps on either side of his forehead, which had already subsided, swelled again.

The skin over them was stretched nearly transparent, throbbing violently.

It was as though something was impatiently trying to break through his flesh and emerge.

Everyone around them froze.

Flender's eyes widened. Zhao Wuji sucked in a cold breath and instinctively took half a step back.

Xiao Wu covered her mouth in fright.

The small amount of composure Yu Xiaogang had just regained as a teacher shattered into pieces once more.

He stared blankly at the scales on Tang San's back, his lips trembling, unable to make even half a sound.

There was no such case in martial soul theory!

Chen Xuan stopped and tilted his head slightly.

He looked at those strange dark-blue scales and the throbbing bumps on Tang San's forehead.

The correction of the world line truly was overbearing.

Without a spider bone, it had forcibly stuffed in an even stranger bloodline power.