Black Lotus's Acting Skills

Seeing that Chu Zhao had come out to help Hu Liena, he assumed they had a good relationship and wanted to force Chu Zhao to stop by dragging Hu Liena down with him.

Ghost Vines wrapped around Hu Liena's body. In an instant, she shared a small portion of the weight, yet it was already unbearably uncomfortable. She dared not imagine what kind of weight that Soul King was enduring.

Seeing this, Hu Liena's survival instincts immediately flared up. She launched a counterattack at the Evil Soul Master and tried to break free of the Ghost Vine's restraint, but it was far from easy.

For one, her Soul Power was inferior to that Evil Soul Master's.

For another, the Evil Soul Master was fighting desperately. How could he possibly be easy to break free from?

He had sensed the terror of Chu Zhao's martial soul and Soul Skill. Feeling that death was certain, he placed all his hopes of survival on Hu Liena.

He even clung to the thought that, if nothing else, he could drag someone down with him.

Meanwhile, the moment Chu Zhao saw Hu Liena get entangled, she immediately panicked. She kept shouting, utterly flustered.

"What do I do? How can I save you?!"

In her panic, Chu Zhao could only increase the output of her Second Soul Skill. More and more leaves appeared, carrying the weight of life as they pressed down upon the Evil Soul Master.

Dragged along by the Ghost Vines, Hu Liena too felt the assault of that weight and began sinking into the earth.

This was Chu Zhao's Second Soul Skill, Weight of Life.

Life was heavier than Mount Tai. When this Soul Skill was pushed to its limit, a single leaf could weigh as heavily as Mount Tai bearing down from above, enough to crush someone alive.

Though she could not yet bring it to its full potential, the weight was already astonishing.

That Soul King-level Evil Soul Master could no longer withstand it. Under the double crushing force of Chu Zhao's martial soul and Soul Skill, he could not even self-destruct.

He could only die with resentment, reduced to a puddle of mush.

"He's dead. You can stop now."

Hu Liena reminded her, practically squeezing the words through clenched teeth.

Only after her reminder did Chu Zhao hurriedly cut off the output of her Soul Skill. She trotted over to Hu Liena and asked worriedly,

"Are you okay? Let me help you up."

The moment the Evil Soul Master died, the weight on Hu Liena's body vanished. But since everything below her knees had sunk into the ground, she lost her balance and dropped to her knees on the spot.

"I don't need you."

There was some irritation in Hu Liena's voice, purely because she found it embarrassing.

If she accepted Chu Zhao's help again, she would be even more ashamed.

Using her Soul Power, she pulled herself out of the mud. Then, sitting limply on the ground, she reset the bones in her legs. Her calves had been dislocated by the series of crushing burdens just now.

She did not even blink while setting them back in place. She was undeniably ruthless.

"Who are you? Why did you suddenly appear here?"

As she set her bones, Hu Liena questioned Chu Zhao, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"I came to the Star Dou Great Forest with my classmates to hunt for soul rings, but I accidentally got separated from them."

Chu Zhao's lies came effortlessly, carrying even a faint tea-like fragrance.

"Pretty sister, are you blaming me for not saving you just now? My martial soul doesn't have any sharp attacks, and I panicked so badly that my mind was a mess and I couldn't think of anything. It's my fault, I..."

"I'm not blaming you. You did very well. And you saved me, so I should be thanking you."

Hu Liena immediately cut Chu Zhao off, her tone unconsciously turning soothing.

She called me pretty sister!

She looked so pitiful and adorable, and her mouth was so sweet. How could Hu Liena possibly bring herself to question her further?

She had saved her, so she definitely did not have any ulterior motives.

Thinking this, Hu Liena's gaze toward Chu Zhao softened considerably.

On the surface, Chu Zhao looked obedient and sweet, but inside, she was just like her Death God Scythe.

When the Evil Soul Master had tried to drag Hu Liena down with him, it was not that Chu Zhao had no way to help or could not sever those vines. She simply could not be bothered to save her.

But Hu Liena did not know that. Thus, she was deeply grateful to Chu Zhao and even specially suggested,

"The Star Dou Great Forest has been very dangerous these past few days. Why don't you leave with us first?"

"No! I'm going to find my classmates."

Chu Zhao immediately shook her head, then sprang to her feet.

"You should be fine now. I'm going to find my classmates."

With that, she ran off in quick steps, soon vanishing from Hu Liena's field of vision.

Not long after Chu Zhao had gone, someone appeared before Hu Liena. It was the Soul Douluo assigned to protect her, Bibi Dong's trusted subordinate.

"Miss, should we investigate that girl? Her appearance was far too coincidental, and she stole your credit, causing you to fail your mission."

The Soul Douluo spoke to Hu Liena this way, clearly distrustful of Chu Zhao.

But Hu Liena shook her head. "There's no need. She did save me, after all."

At that moment, she had forgotten that a Soul Douluo-level expert was guarding her. Even if Chu Zhao had not appeared, her life would not have been in danger.

Moreover, if she had not given the order that he was not to save her unless she was about to die, this Soul Douluo would have intervened long ago.

"Could you tell what her martial soul was, or her true Soul Power level?"

This was what Hu Liena cared about more. Judging by Chu Zhao's age, she had assumed Chu Zhao was at most a Soul Grandmaster, yet she turned out to be a Soul Ancestor?

But even if she was a Soul Ancestor, the combat strength she had displayed was abnormal!

Her martial soul happened to suppress plant-type martial souls, and with only a Second Soul Skill, she had crushed a Soul King alive, reducing even his bones to fragments.

No matter how she looked at it, it made no sense!

"I couldn't tell either. She should possess some secret treasure or soul bone capable of concealing her strength. Before she made a move, I did not even sense her approach."

The Soul Douluo said, "That is precisely why I wanted to investigate her."

At his words, Hu Liena did indeed begin to consider investigating Chu Zhao.

"She helped me, after all. And she is so young, yet her strength is so formidable. We can try to recruit her or befriend her. Remember, do not harm her."

By saying this, she was tacitly allowing Spirit Hall's people to investigate Chu Zhao.

The two remained where they were, talking and tending to their injuries. Neither gave any thought to why Chu Zhao had suddenly left or why she had run so fast.

By the time they realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

"It's the King of the Forest, the Titan Giant Ape! Why has it gone to the outskirts again?"

The moment the Soul Douluo discovered the Titan Giant Ape, he hurried Hu Liena away while staying behind to cover her retreat.

Hu Liena knew that staying would only hold him back. Besides, the Soul Douluo's mission had been to protect her in the first place, so she immediately left.

However, with her injuries not yet fully healed, she fled in a terribly sorry state.

"Damn it, shouldn't that thing be in the inner region? Was appearing in the outskirts three months ago not enough? Why is it in the outskirts again today?"

Hu Liena muttered in complaint as she fled at top speed.

But when someone was unlucky, even drinking cold water could make them choke.