Xuan Zi Covered His Face and Wept

Xuan Zi Covered His Face and Wept

The scene of Xuan Zi failing to appear when a student's life hung by a thread repeated itself.

Zhang Lexuan's feelings were incomparably complicated. A thousand words condensed into a single warning as she urgently alerted everyone, "Junior brothers and sisters, Elder Xuan has gotten separated from the team again by accident."

"Now isn't the time to wallow in grief. Being sad won't accomplish anything. While protecting yourselves, give it everything you've got and work together to fight this soul beast!"

After suffering such a tremendous emotional blow, some of the Inner Court disciples were clearly on the verge of collapse. Hearing Zhang Lexuan's words, they swiftly adjusted themselves. They knew there was no time to mourn Wang Chen; what lay ahead was a soul beast nearly a hundred thousand years old.

The disciples stared at the enormous mantis that had suddenly barged in, their eyes bloodshot.

This mantis soul beast stood nearly ten meters tall, its faintly gleaming shell a deep, dark green.

Its head was triangular, and its two enormous compound eyes radiated cold, savage light. Its scythe-like forelimbs, covered in fine serrations, gleamed with icy light. Blood dripped from those sharp teeth, making everyone's hearts tremble with fear.

In a single exchange, the Three Soul Ghost Mantis had already claimed one disciple from the team.

Zhang Lexuan had already released her Moon Martial Soul. Her entire body was enveloped in a layer of clear radiance as she shouted coldly, "Soul Saints, attack head-on with me! All Soul Emperors, protect the students with lower cultivation beside you, especially those two Outer Court Soul Elders and Quasi Soul Elder."

"Those capable of long-range attacks, support us from afar. Those who can't attack at range, do everything you can to evade the Three Soul Ghost Mantis's forelimbs and ensure your own safety."

Zhang Lexuan's cultivation had already reached Soul Douluo rank, and there were two Soul Saints in the team. Apart from Tang Ya and Bei Bei, the rest were Soul Kings and Soul Emperors.

Screech!

The Three Soul Ghost Mantis charged out from the darkness at astonishing speed. Its compound eyes locked onto two low-ranking Soul Kings on the team's flank, and it immediately swung its two enormous scythe forelimbs.

"Silver Moon True Body, Moonlight!"

Zhang Lexuan reacted at once, instantly unleashing her Martial Soul Avatar. Silver moonlight appeared overhead, and its blazing white brilliance illuminated the entire team. The Soul Skill's power was suited for both close and long-range combat.

A blazing white barrier temporarily blocked the Three Soul Ghost Mantis's scythe blades. The other two Soul Saints were both Strong Attack Soul Saints. They too unleashed their Martial Soul Avatars and launched fierce attacks at the mantis's three pairs of seemingly fragile, slender legs.

When its attack failed, the Three Soul Ghost Mantis saw the two Soul Saints striking toward its abdomen. Its scythe forelimbs whipped up a violent gale as it rapidly leaped away and changed positions.

The gale raised by its scythe forelimbs was not lethal, but the powerful shockwaves sent several Soul Kings flying. Only with the help of disciples on the inner side of the formation, who had been less affected, did they barely regain their footing before coughing up several mouthfuls of blood.

The Three Soul Ghost Mantis leaped through the forest, making the towering trees around it rustle.

Under the dim night sky, it seemed to blend into the shadows of the dense woods. It leaped through the darkness, its oppressive black silhouette flickering constantly around them.

No one dared let down their guard for even a moment. Every nerve was stretched to the limit, and the slightest movement made the disciples' hearts shudder. They feared that, in the next instant, the Three Soul Ghost Mantis would burst from the darkness with its scythe forelimbs raised.

At its level of cultivation, the Three Soul Ghost Mantis was faster than every Inner Court disciple present.

Fearing that the team would suffer further casualties, Zhang Lexuan focused intensely. Fine beads of sweat seeped from her fair forehead, glistening beneath the silver moonlight as she concentrated completely on every faint sound around her.

Screech! The Three Soul Ghost Mantis's figure continued to flicker amid the surrounding shadows.

It was looking for an opportunity to strike.

Its elongated shadow darted out one moment and slipped back in the next, tormenting every student's nerves.

At that moment, Zhang Lexuan suddenly received a wave of Mental Power in her mind that brought a cool sensation, along with a request for Mental Access.

She could sense that this Mental Power held no ill intent. With a thought, she allowed it to connect with her mind.

It was Huo Yuhao's Mental Detection Sharing.

Using Simulation, Huo Yuhao had concealed himself and Dugu Luo within the surrounding environment, hiding at the edge of the battlefield.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was a little addicted to the power of Buddha's Wrath Fire Lotus. "Yuhao, take a few Soul Return Pills. Under Simulation's cover, keep making Buddha's Wrath Fire Lotuses."

"If we prepare them beforehand, we'll seize the initiative in battles out in the wild!"

After Zhang Lexuan accepted the mental signal, an incomparably shocking scene instantly appeared in her mind.

Within a radius of nearly three hundred meters, every detail of everything was visible to her without the slightest omission. It was as though she were observing the entire battlefield from a special perspective.

The Three Soul Ghost Mantis, which had constantly flickered through the darkness, now had all its movements clearly displayed on the Detection Map in her mind.

Phew, thank you. Zhang Lexuan secretly let out a breath of relief, sincerely grateful to the person helping her.

The Three Soul Ghost Mantis had no idea that its movements had been exposed. It continued flickering through the shadows of the forest, searching for a weakness in the formation that would let it kill with a single strike.

Whoosh—

A dark shadow suddenly appeared. The Three Soul Ghost Mantis shot out at lightning speed, swinging its scythe forelimbs, ready to cut its target in half as it had before.

"Watch out!" Through the Detection Map, Zhang Lexuan had learned in advance which student the Three Soul Ghost Mantis was targeting.

The student used a Soul Skill to evade at once after receiving the warning, but the tip of a serrated forelimb still struck one of his arms. Blood sprayed out, and the tendons and veins were completely severed. Only a few strands of flesh at his shoulder still held the arm in place.

At that level of injury, the arm was essentially ruined. The student curled up on the ground and struggled violently, letting out agonized wails.

After its attack, the Three Soul Ghost Mantis instantly hid itself once more in the shadows of the dense woods around them.

The surrounding students hurriedly bandaged the injured student and stuffed pain-relieving medicine into his mouth. Fortunately, he had evaded in time and kept his life.

This exposure of the Three Soul Ghost Mantis allowed Zhang Lexuan to identify the pattern of its movements through the darkness in only a few seconds.

Zhang Lexuan predicted where the Three Soul Ghost Mantis would land and decisively attacked. Her Sixth Soul Ring suddenly lit up.

The blazing white moonlight enveloping her rose into the air in an instant, merging into a full moon overhead that rippled with clear radiance.

The next moment, the full moon changed. The clear radiance within it suddenly dimmed, and then the moon's interior turned completely black, leaving only an outer ring of silver-white light.

"Sixth Soul Skill, Moon Ring Imprisonment!"

With a thought from Zhang Lexuan, the silver ring descended ahead of time upon the Three Soul Ghost Mantis's landing spot. The ring flashed with intense white light, briefly imprisoning the Three Soul Ghost Mantis.

With the Three Soul Ghost Mantis's position exposed, the two Strong Attack Soul Saints seized the chance to launch another fierce assault.

The tightly drawn nerves of the other Inner Court disciples finally eased a little. The question, "Why hasn't Elder Xuan come yet?" spread through the team once more.

However, Zhang Lexuan had restrained the Three Soul Ghost Mantis's movements, giving everyone some peace of mind. They were no longer quite so terrified. The Eldest Sister was still reliable.

"Eighth Soul Skill, Blood Moon Eclipse." Zhang Lexuan's strongest Red Soul Ring lit up.

The Silver Moon Ring imprisoning the Three Soul Ghost Mantis gradually became stained with a layer of blood-red light, turning into a blood moon. It reinforced the restraint, imprisoning its soul.

At that moment, the faint light on the Three Soul Ghost Mantis's triangular head flickered. Three wisps of soul swayed within its enormous compound eyes.

This was the sign that it was issuing orders to the Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts under its control.

Through the three-dimensional Detection Map in her mind, Zhang Lexuan could clearly see a Ten-Thousand-Year Mantis-type Soul Beast charging toward them at high speed from the other side of the grass.

And this Ten-Thousand-Year Mantis's targets were Tang Ya and Bei Bei, the weakest members of the team.

The two were protected in the middle of the formation when the Ten-Thousand-Year Mantis leaped straight out of the grass, its scythe forelimbs thrusting toward Tang Ya and Bei Bei.

"Bei Bei, Tang Ya, dodge!" Zhang Lexuan's expression changed. She was about to warn the several Defense System Soul Kings beside Tang Ya and Bei Bei to release their defensive Soul Skills in advance.

However, no one else had Mental Detection Sharing and could not accurately foresee the attack. Clearly, they could not release their Soul Skills ahead of time.

Only when the Ten-Thousand-Year Mantis leaped out of the forest did the Inner Court disciples, who had long since released their Martial Souls, unleash their Soul Skills at their fastest possible speed.

The warning of danger made Tang Ya and Bei Bei's scalps tingle.

One was a Soul Elder and the other a Quasi Soul Elder. Their reaction speed was naturally slower than the Ten-Thousand-Year Mantis's attack.

A scorching arc shifted from invisible to white and purple as it streaked through the air.

It was the Buddha's Wrath Fire Lotus Huo Yuhao had released in advance. Once it flew beyond the range of Simulation, it returned to the form of a lotus seat wreathed in white-purple flames.

And the Ten-Thousand-Year Mantis successfully caught Buddha's Wrath Fire Lotus with its face.

As a massive boom rang out, dazzling white-purple fire blossomed. The mantis's triangular head, at the center of the Fire Lotus, instantly vaporized. Brilliant waves of flame spread outward, and beneath the blaze, the Ten-Thousand-Year Mantis's entire body gradually became blurry and illusory.

Then the attacks of the Inner Court disciples arrived as well.

After a barrage of flashy Soul Skill effects, a Black Soul Ring emerged from the Ten-Thousand-Year Mantis's corpse.

Under the effect of Simulation, part of Buddha's Wrath Fire Lotus's flight path had been concealed, making it impossible for outsiders to see.

But from the visible portion of its trajectory, the Inner Court disciples still determined its approximate origin and all looked toward Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao withdrew the Invisibility effect around himself and Dugu Luo.

Tang Ya and Bei Bei were somewhat stunned as they examined the handsome little boy before them, with his smooth, fair skin and delicate features. They felt as though they had seen him somewhere before, yet could not remember where.

His bright, lively eyes gave Tang Ya and Bei Bei a sense of familiarity.

With a gentle smile on his face, Huo Yuhao said, "Sister Tang Ya, Brother Bei Bei, it's been less than a month. Have you already forgotten who I am?"

Tang Ya's eyes suddenly lit up. "You're... Little Yuhao?"

Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded slightly.

Seeing that Huo Yuhao possessed exceptional looks and bearing, the Inner Court disciples had already begun discussing his identity. They guessed that he might be a genius raised by some great aristocratic clan, out traveling for experience.

Though Tang Ya and Bei Bei had many questions, they knew this was not the time to ask them.

Tang Ya happily changed the subject. "That's wonderful, Yuhao! I've finally seen you again. I've missed your grilled skewers so much."

Bei Bei's mood eased somewhat as well. He teased, "Yuhao, are you interested in opening a barbecue shop in Shrek City? I'll provide the funds."

Naturally, he also hoped to use this method to keep Huo Yuhao in Shrek City first.

After all, he clearly knew what Huo Yuhao's level had been a month ago. Even to kill a hundred-year Wind Baboon, he had at least needed to use an illusion along with a self-created fist technique.

And now, he could actually deal a devastating blow to a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

This talent left Bei Bei utterly astounded. As expected of someone who wanted to establish a sect. Uh... it seemed Xiao Ya also wanted to rebuild a sect.

Huo Yuhao still wore a gentle smile. "Brother Bei Bei, once I make the barbecue shop bigger and stronger, I'll consider opening a Chain Store in Shrek City."

At that moment, a ray of moonlight flashed before the three of them. With a flicker, Zhang Lexuan appeared in front of Huo Yuhao, carrying a question.

"Hello, little brother." Zhang Lexuan smiled as she greeted him.

"Was that request for Mental Access in my mind just now sent by you?"

Zhang Lexuan greatly liked this Soul Skill. As long as she had such a Detection Map in her mind, she would no longer have to worry about being ambushed.

Huo Yuhao nodded, scratched his head, and replied with a smile, "Yes. The effect that appeared in your mind just now is one of my Support Type Soul Skills."

At his words, Zhang Lexuan rarely revealed a gentle smile. "Little brother, thank you for this time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to restrain the Three Soul Ghost Mantis's movements."

Without that Detection Map, Zhang Lexuan knew very well that their losses would have been far worse. The Three Soul Ghost Mantis had kept hiding in the darkness to ambush them, leaving them completely helpless.

Her Sixth Soul Skill would not have been able to hit it either. Mantis-type Soul Beasts were naturally skilled in speed, and if the opponent did not take the initiative to attack, it was difficult to catch its trail.

After Zhang Lexuan successfully imprisoned the Three Soul Ghost Mantis.

Xuan Zi arrived.

Everyone saw an earthen-yellow light streaking toward them at incredible speed from the distant sky. Before long, it stopped above their heads.

"Eldest Sister, Elder Xuan has returned."

The student's mood was clearly low. He had the suffocating feeling of having countless things he wanted to curse, yet all of them clogged in his throat.

Zhang Lexuan's expression returned to its cold indifference, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Huo Yuhao clicked his tongue inwardly. Sure enough, this was Xuan Zi leading a team to hunt Soul Rings—the true main quest was avoiding becoming Soul Beast prey.

As the earthen-yellow light gradually faded, it revealed Elder Xuan's figure.

The old man cheerfully took a swig of wine and slowly descended from the sky, dragging a chicken as large as half a carriage in one hand.

After landing, under the emotionless stares of the students, Xuan Zi tossed the chicken onto the ground.

Drunken Xuan Zi looked around, then abruptly sobered up and froze slightly.

"Wang Chen... why is he so severely injured?"

"He... he's stopped breathing?"

Xuan Zi's wine-soaked mind went blank. His lips trembled as he muttered absentmindedly.

"And him... why has he lost an arm?"

Zhang Lexuan's cold face remained expressionless, but the male student beside her instantly had red eyes, tears welling up.

"Elder Xuan, Wang Chen died so unjustly. He trusted you so much before this..."

Xuan Zi instantly fell into a deathly stupor. A few muddy tears involuntarily slid from the corners of his eyes.

He covered his face and wept.

He painfully closed his eyes, his heart filled with overwhelming regret and guilt.

One female student could no longer bear to watch. She abruptly raised her head and stared fixedly at Xuan Zi.

"Is this the tempering you spoke of? We faced a soul beast nearly a hundred thousand years old. Why didn't you appear? You ran off to catch a chicken instead?"

"I heard from the Eldest Sister that it was the same last time. When you lead a team, do these 'accidents' where you get separated from the group happen often?!"

"Or is it that the academy has so many talented, outstanding students that it doesn't matter if it loses one or two?"