第3章 第二领域

Zhang Lexuan looked down at Yue Ling, who had fainted on the ground, the expression in her eyes exceptionally complex.

She bent down to gently lift the boy, moving him to the base of a clean, large tree nearby to lay him down.

By the faint light filtering through the forest, she saw the boy's appearance clearly. His orange hair and fair skin, visible beneath the dirt, belied the monstrous hatred hidden deep in his bones.

If his family were still alive, if he had not endured the pain of his village being wiped out, he should have been a carefree boy growing up in peace.

Zhang Lexuan sighed softly and turned toward the corpse of the evil soul master. She took out a packet of white powder and sprinkled it over the body; in a few moments, the entire corpse dissolved completely, leaving the ground spotless.

Only one shimmering object lay quietly on the ground.

Zhang Lexuan paused for a moment, then bent down to pick it up.

"A soul bone?"

She recognized it at a glance as the left leg bone of a thousand-year Shadow Leopard, an item of immense value.

She glanced back at the unconscious Yue Ling, and without making a sound, she quietly tucked the soul bone into her own soul tool.

She intended to return it to him exactly as it was once he woke up.

After clearing the scene, she sat down not far from Yue Ling, silently circulating her energy to recover her soul power, guarding him while waiting quietly for Elder Xuan to return.

On the other side, Yue Ling's consciousness sank completely, falling into a dreamscape of shifting light and shadow.

Here, he finally saw his parents, whom he missed day and night.

"Dad! Mom! You're still alive! Thank God!"

Yue Ling rubbed his eyes hard, confirming it wasn't a hallucination, and immediately rushed forward, wanting to embrace them both.

But no matter how he moved forward, an invisible barrier seemed to block him, and he could not get close.

His heart was filled with a thousand words, but now that he truly saw his loved ones, his throat tightened, and he couldn't utter a single sound.

His parents looked at him tenderly, their eyes filled with heartache.

"Silly child, this is not a place where you should stay. You must live safely and well."

"That's right, A-Ling, cultivate well and become strong. On this continent, only strength is everything."

"Dad and Mom have to go. If you meet a girl you like in the future, remember to bring her to see us."

"We have to go, and you should wake up too."

The two took one last deep look at him and pushed him out of the dream.

Yue Ling did not notice that behind them, the faces of his parents slowly flickered into the hideous visage of the Fifth Elder.

In reality.

Elder Xuan squatted nearby, watching the unconscious Yue Ling, and smacked his lips.

"Lexuan, this kid has been asleep for so long, he should be waking up, right?"

He stroked his chin, looking entirely improper.

"How about I give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation? Heh, this kid would be getting quite a bargain."

Zhang Lexuan's cheeks turned bright red instantly, and she covered most of her face in embarrassment, peeking out only through a small gap.

"Elder Xuan! Mouth-to-mouth is for saving drowning victims; you can't just use it randomly!"

"Is that so? It's all about the same."

Elder Xuan didn't listen at all. He leaned in, his mouth still greasy, and moved toward Yue Ling's face. "Then here I come, you yellow-haired brat!"

Yue Ling's consciousness slowly surfaced. He opened his eyes groggily, and the first thing he saw was a greasy, disheveled old man in white leaning in, actually trying to kiss him.

His scalp went numb instantly!

"Ahhh!!!"

Terrified, he scrambled backward, rolling and crawling until he hid behind a large tree, clutching the trunk tightly and staring at Elder Xuan with vigilance.

Elder Xuan scratched his head, stood up slowly, pulled a chicken leg from his robes, and chewed on it while saying, "Awake?"

"I just went to your village. There are no traces of evil soul masters left inside. I also helped bury those two corpses that died protecting you on the road."

After speaking, he dropped his joking demeanor, walked up to Yue Ling, and gently patted his shoulder.

"I used my soul power to investigate... the whole village, not a single survivor. But I am quite familiar with that aura of evil..."

Yue Ling's body stiffened. He looked up abruptly, his eyes trembling: "Who is it!"

Elder Xuan pondered for a moment and said firmly, "A titled Douluo from an organized group of evil soul masters."

The short sentence hit Yue Ling's heart like a massive boulder.

A titled Douluo...

He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white, his nails digging into his flesh.

He would remember this blood feud.

One day, he would personally slaughter every evil soul master, making the organization behind them, and that Fifth Elder, pay with their lives for the entire village and his parents! And... Tang San!

Elder Xuan and Zhang Lexuan exchanged a glance; neither spoke to disturb him, waiting quietly for him to calm his emotions.

A full hour later.

Yue Ling's legs went weak, and he fell to his knees with a thud, bowing his head heavily to the two of them until his forehead struck the ground with a dull sound.

"Thank you both seniors for saving my life! This boy has no way to repay you!"

Elder Xuan looked at him, his eyes clear and serious: "Kid, I didn't save you for nothing."

"No matter what request you have, Senior, I will agree! Even if it's my life, that's fine!" Yue Ling looked up, his eyes resolute.

Zhang Lexuan, watching this scene from the side, felt a mix of emotions, unable to help but think of herself when she was young.

She was born into a noble family in the Heavenly Soul Empire with innate full soul power and a rare Moon Martial Soul. But her family was too powerful and drew jealousy; in a single night, her entire household was wiped out, leaving no survivors.

It was her mother who had died protecting her bed, allowing the young her to survive.

Later, Elder Mu discovered her talent and, after her desperate pleas, helped her avenge her blood feud. But the price was that she would guard Shrek for life and become Bei Bei's child bride.

For so many years, she had carried this responsibility, until today...

Elder Xuan wiped the grease from his hands and spoke solemnly.

"I have three conditions. First, become my closed-door disciple. Second, swear by your martial soul to guard Shrek for life. Third, after you graduate from Shrek's inner court, you must join the Shrek Inspection Team to specialize in hunting evil soul masters."

After speaking, fearing Yue Ling might have reservations, he added, "I am a Super Douluo; you won't lose out by taking me as your master."

Yue Ling thought quickly.

Joining Shrek and becoming the disciple of a Super Douluo would grant him the best resources and the fastest growth. Joining the Inspection Team to hunt evil soul masters—every single point aligned perfectly with his own desires.

He needed power, a platform, and the legitimate authority to hunt evil soul masters.

Without a moment's hesitation, he knelt heavily once more.

"Disciple Yue Ling, greets Master!"

He performed the formal apprenticeship ceremony of three bows and nine kowtows, officially becoming Elder Xuan's disciple.

Immediately after, he no longer hid it; with a thought, his second martial soul quietly emerged.

A fairy flower resembling a peony, with a thin stem and no leaves, its petals stained with a faint blood-red hue, bloomed silently—it was the Love-Sickness Heartbreak Red.

In front of Elder Xuan, he swore a solemn oath by his martial soul to uphold his promise for life.

Elder Xuan's eyes lit up the moment he saw the martial soul, his eyes crinkling into slits as he laughed.

"Twin martial souls? Good! Excellent! Hahaha!"

Zhang Lexuan, as the chief senior sister of Shrek's inner court, was extremely knowledgeable. She recognized the origin of the martial soul at a glance, her eyes filled with shock as she murmured softly.

"The King of Flowers... Love-Sickness Heartbreak Red. To think someone could actually possess such a martial soul."

Elder Xuan turned his head curiously: "Lexuan, what is special about this flower martial soul?"

"There are too many special things about it."

Zhang Lexuan regained her composure and explained earnestly.

"It is the king of plant-type martial souls. Any plant-type soul master in the world will find their martial soul absolutely suppressed when encountering the Love-Sickness Heartbreak Red, and the power of their soul skills will be greatly diminished. It is the same principle as an ultimate attribute suppressing a common one."

As she spoke, she looked at Yue Ling and asked softly.

"Yue Ling, this martial soul of yours should also come with a domain, right?"

Yue Ling hesitated slightly, then nodded: "Yes, Sister Lexuan."

Zhang Lexuan was slightly startled at the mention of "Sister," and in her trance, she thought of Bei Bei, then shook her head gently to suppress the distraction.

He hadn't enrolled in Shrek yet, so he wasn't technically her junior brother, but such an address was harmless.

She asked with curiosity: "Can you let me see the effects of your domain?"

Yue Ling felt the small amount of soul power and mental energy he had recovered, enough to support one activation of his domain, and nodded immediately.

With a thought.

"Heartbroken Red Domain!"

The moment the words fell, an invisible domain expanded abruptly with him at the center.

A faint, sorrowful floral fragrance permeated the forest with an overbearing presence, and red petals began to drift down.

It was not pungent, yet it seeped into the soul.

This domain precisely drew out the deepest, purest obsessions and emotions hidden in the depths of one's heart.

Those with love would drown in a gentle illusion; those with obsessions would sink into a false sense of fulfillment.

In this world, who is without obsession? Who is without love or hate?

Because of this, this domain was almost impossible to break.