The Disappearance of Xuan Zi

The Inner Court junior's question did not slow Zhang Lexuan's steps.

For some reason, she had felt uneasy all day, though she could not say why.

She looked up at the moon already risen in the sky and felt a little more at ease.

Her Martial Soul was the moon. Moving at night was like stepping onto her home ground, but she could not think only of herself.

These past few days, she had led a party of nearly twenty into the mixed zone to hunt for Soul Rings.

They had barely stopped, eating in the wind and sleeping under the stars. They were indeed tired.

Fortunately, the Quasi-Soul Kings had all obtained their Soul Rings today and set off back to the academy.

The twelve who remained were all Inner Court disciples. Tomorrow, they would venture deeper into Star Dou's mixed zone to hunt for Soul Rings and face a true trial.

Just as she was about to call back the teammates spread out on either side, the keen senses the night granted her made her stop.

"Who's up ahead? Show yourself!"

Once Bei Bei confirmed the voice was Zhang Lexuan's, he breathed a sigh of relief and stepped into view.

"Bei Bei?"

Zhang Lexuan had never expected to run into Bei Bei here, of all places in the vast Star Dou Great Forest. Her tone turned reproachful.

"What are you doing here?"

Bei Bei was delighted to see Zhang Lexuan, who had cared for him since childhood like an older sister. He did not dare hide a thing and poured out the explanation like beans from a sack.

"This is utter nonsense! You came all this way for a Hundred-Year Soul Beast? What if you'd run into a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast? Were you planning to stuff it to death?"

Under her scolding, Bei Bei and Tang Ya both ducked their heads, hardly daring to breathe.

Huo Yuhao was so startled by her presence that he shuffled a few steps back.

Even the Inner Court disciples dared not make a sound while Zhang Lexuan was lecturing them.

Only when she saw that the two understood their mistake did Zhang Lexuan turn her attention to Lu Yi.

His absorption was nearly complete, and the Soul Power within him was steady.

"Hm?"

As a level-eighty Quasi-Soul Douluo, Zhang Lexuan immediately noticed something amiss.

"He's only absorbed one Hundred-Year Soul Ring, yet his Soul Power fluctuations have reached level sixteen or seventeen. Where did you find him?"

Breaking through several levels after absorbing a Soul Ring was not uncommon. But six or seven levels? How long had he been held at a bottleneck?

That was Zhang Lexuan's guess, but Bei Bei denied it.

"You're saying he only just started cultivating? That you even taught him the Basic Meditation Method yourself?"

Faced with her questioning, Bei Bei nodded honestly.

Impossible!

Zhang Lexuan rejected the idea at once. Years of cultivation experience told her it was absolutely impossible.

If Lu Yi had reached a bottleneck but been unable to hunt for a Soul Ring, that would make sense.

But if he had never cultivated before? Frankly, she did not believe it!

This anomaly stirred Zhang Lexuan's keen interest.

The Soul Ring absorption ended. Feeling the sealed power return to his body, Lu Yi felt clear and refreshed all over.

Just as he had expected, the Soul Skill the Furious Dragon Lizard gave him amplified his Soul Power.

What exceeded his expectations was that the amplification did indeed work on spells.

First Soul Skill, Rampage: strengthened the next spell, increasing its power, duration, or effect.

Strangely, though, the degree of amplification depended on how angry he was, ranging from twenty to fifty percent.

In short, the angrier he was, the stronger the boost.

In a real fight, anger would hardly be difficult to come by. In theory, the Soul Skill should work well.

More importantly, a percentage-based boost would not become useless even in the future.

Lu Yi let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes. A hundred meters away, people bustled about—pitching tents, scattering medicinal powder, and using Martial Souls to start fires. The sight left him surprised and puzzled.

"What happened?"

Seeing that Lu Yi had finished absorbing the ring, Bei Bei hurried over. "Brother Lu, what are the odds? While you were absorbing your Soul Ring, some seniors from the Shrek Inner Court happened to pass by."

"That is... quite a coincidence."

Lu Yi nodded blankly, and Bei Bei pulled him over to Zhang Lexuan.

"Let me introduce you. This is Zhang Lexuan, a senior from the Shrek Inner Court. She's also been like an older sister to me since childhood."

In the night, Zhang Lexuan's waterfall of black hair fell to her waist. Hazy moonlight washed over her red school uniform, lending a touch of softness to her pale, cool features.

She looked like a fairy untouched by the mortal world, yet she did not seem distant. Instead, Lu Yi felt an unexpected warmth toward her.

"Hello, Sister Lexuan!"

Lu Yi obediently greeted the cool beauty before him.

He knew little about this senior sister of the Inner Court, though something about her faintly struck him as odd.

Zhang Lexuan was more interested in Lu Yi's Soul Power Level.

"What level are you now?"

The question caught Lu Yi slightly off guard. Seeing that she had already seen through him, he chose to answer honestly.

"Uh... I feel like I'm above level fifteen, but I can't say exactly."

A sly glint appeared on Zhang Lexuan's face. "I hear you'd never cultivated before, and Bei Bei only taught you the meditation method a couple of days ago?"

Lu Yi understood. His abnormal level had aroused her suspicions.

But even if he told her the truth, she probably would not believe it.

After a moment's thought, Lu Yi said frankly:

"There was an old Soul Master in my village. When he saw I had Innate Soul Power, he taught me a few tricks to practise. It wasn't until I saw Yuhao receive a cultivation method from Sister Tang Ya that I learned cultivation required one. That's when I asked Brother Bei for the meditation method."

With that, Lu Yi even took out his wand and demonstrated the Levitation Charm on the spot.

"That's it. I've always practised this way."

Zhang Lexuan was secretly astonished that Lu Yi could move objects without touching them, though she still had her doubts.

Without a special cultivation method, moving objects from a distance was usually something only high-level Soul Masters could do with Soul Power released beyond their bodies. Yet a child who had not even had a Soul Ring before had mastered it.

Presumably, the wooden stick in his hand was unusual. As he repeatedly practised moving objects, his Soul Power had grown without his realising it.

But under the circumstances, she could hardly press him further in front of everyone.

"I see!"

Unorthodox cultivation methods were hardly rare across the continent. She sensed no evil aura clinging to Lu Yi, so as a member of the Inspection Corps, she had no need to concern herself with it.

"A shame you lost several years, though."

She could not help thinking that if Lu Yi had cultivated normally, he would likely have become a Soul Grandmaster long ago.

Fortunately, Lu Yi met Bei Bei, and Bei Bei met me.

The Tang Sect had only one examination-free admission place each year, and it could not be carried over. Tang Ya had already given it to the disciple she had just taken in.

Bei Bei only had to put in a word to get Lu Yi into Shrek, but Lu Yi would still have to go through the process. Would it not show greater regard for him if she, a senior of the Inner Court, handled it herself?

"Lu Yi, was it? Tell me, would you be interested in studying at Shrek?"

After speaking, Zhang Lexuan worried that Lu Yi, coming from a small place, might not know how renowned Shrek Academy was. She added, "It's the best Soul Master Academy on the continent. Once enrolled, you can learn better cultivation methods."

"I would!"

Lu Yi agreed without hesitation.

Shrek was the only academy he knew of, and entering it had been his only choice from the start.

Besides, he had met Bei Bei and Tang Ya as soon as he crossed over. Perhaps it was fate.

"Good!"

Zhang Lexuan trusted her judgment. Even if Lu Yi had started a little late, he was worth nurturing.

"Bei Bei, leave the Star Dou Great Forest and return to the academy first thing tomorrow morning."

With that, Zhang Lexuan took a letter from her storage ring and handed it to Bei Bei. "This is my recommendation letter. Once you reach the academy, help Lu Yi enroll."

Bei Bei nodded, then asked curiously, "What about you, Sister Lexuan?"

At his question, a rare smile appeared on Zhang Lexuan's cool face.

"We haven't finished hunting for Soul Rings yet. I might as well tell you: I'm already a level-eighty Quasi-Soul Douluo. You're still young. Don't let romance hold back your cultivation!"

With his secret exposed so mercilessly, Bei Bei instinctively glanced toward Tang Ya. Fortunately, his bright-red face was not obvious in the darkness.

Zhang Lexuan at level eighty. A twelve-person Soul Hunting party. And Xuan Zi absent...

Several clues flashed through Lu Yi's mind, and a chill shot up from the soles of his feet.

If he remembered correctly, Zhang Lexuan's party would encounter a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that appeared without warning. With Xuan Zi nowhere to be found, the party would suffer terrible losses.

Yet a campfire had already been lit, and the Inner Court students were busy with their tasks, utterly unaware.

Lu Yi's heart began to race. The joy of being accepted into the academy vanished.

Cold sweat soaked his clothes. He hurried to warn her. "Sister Lexuan, isn't it dangerous to light a campfire when you're deep in Star Dou hunting for Soul Rings? Why—"

"You're worrying too much, Brother Lu!"

Bei Bei cut Lu Yi off and glanced at Zhang Lexuan. "With Sister Lexuan here, and all these Inner Court seniors, we can finally get a good night's sleep!"

He slung an arm around Lu Yi's shoulders and led him toward the campfire. "Tonight, you can try Little Brother Huo's roast meat!"

Just then, flocks of birds burst from the deep forest and swept over the camp.

After a brief commotion, the entire area fell silent, as though someone had pressed a mute button.

The campfire flames flickered, then went out without warning.

The Inner Court students stopped chatting and laughing, looking toward the dark forest in confusion.

In the moonlight, Zhang Lexuan's expression grew grave.

A silent pressure descended. Unease surged through Lu Yi. Of everyone present, perhaps only he knew that disaster was coming.

What was coming has come!