When Tang San returned to the Shrek Academy from Suotuo City that day, it was already dark.
He carried the parts for making the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, which he obtained from the blacksmith's shop; all that remained for him was to assemble them.
But when he arrived at the dormitory entrance, he found Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Mubai and others standing in the courtyard, their faces not looking too good, pacing back and forth, as if they had been waiting for him for a long time.
" Tang San, you're finally back." Dai Mubai rushed up to greet him. "Have you seen where Xiao Wu went?"
Upon hearing this, Tang San immediately had a bad feeling. His brows furrowed tightly, and his voice became urgent. "No, I went to Suotuo City to take care of some business today. She didn't come with me. What happened?"
Dai Mubai's expression also darkened. " Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu are in the same dormitory, but I haven't seen her all day."
"It's so late now, and she still hasn't come back. I wonder if something happened to her. I've already sent Little Ao to find the dean."
Upon hearing this, Tang San's first thought was that Xiao Wu wouldn't have disappeared without a reason.
She has a lively personality and always tells him where she's going, even if it's just to go to the city to buy snacks, she'll run over beforehand to call him to come along.
But now, it's already dark.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Let's quickly search around this village first. If we can't find her, we'll search in the city. We have to find her no matter what."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, her expression also somewhat unpleasant.
After spending some time together, she and Xiao Wu had clearly become friends.
Dai Mubai patted Tang San on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll search together. Xiao Wu will be alright."
Then, the group dispersed and ran off in different directions around the village.
As night deepened, the moonlight was obscured by clouds, with only a few scattered lights flickering in the darkness in the distance.
Tang San quickened his pace, searching through the grove behind the village, then going to the riverbank, and even peeking into the yards of several farmhouses.
Every time he opened the door and found no one there, his heart sank a little further.
He searched like that all night.
By the time the first rays of sunlight shone on his face the next morning, Tang San had already searched every corner around the village.
Then, someone found a small patch of blood on a lawn behind a hill.
The bloodstain had dried, its color dark, and it had seeped into the soil; it was only about the size of a palm.
Tang San crouched down and gently touched the bloodstain with his finger.
It's already dried.
He couldn't be sure if it was Xiao Wu's blood, but the appearance of this bloodstain made everyone's hearts sink.
Tang San's gaze lingered on the bloodstain for a long time, then he got up and carefully searched every inch of the surrounding land.
But no other clues were found—no footprints, no signs of a struggle, not even a single fallen hair.
There were only some neatly cut... bits of grass and leaves around.
Tang San stood there, head bowed, silent for a long time.
His chest heaved violently, his breathing was heavy and rapid, his eyes were bloodshot.
He felt like he was going crazy.
How could Xiao Wu suddenly disappear? She's so clever and alert; even if she encountered danger, she should have been able to escape.
Unless... her opponent's strength far surpasses hers, leaving her no chance to escape.
Tang San dared not think any further.
His Riot Games were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, yet he felt no pain.
I had a premonition that this was where Xiao Wu had her accident.
Although some traces have been buried, clues can still be seen through his Purple Demon Eye.
Now, all he hopes is that Xiao Wu is still alive!
Flender appeared beside him at some point, his smile long gone.
He patted Tang San on the shoulder, his voice soft. "Don't be so pessimistic. Maybe she went into the city for some business? Let's go back into the city and look for her again."
Everyone could tell that these were just words of comfort.
Given Xiao Wu's relationship with Tang San, it's impossible for her to disappear without saying anything if she wants to enter the city.
Tang San remained silent for a long time, then stood up, his voice hoarse. "... Let's search again."
His steps were a little unsteady, but he didn't stop.
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke, and they silently followed.
On the other side.
Inside the main hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School.
Ning Fengzhi sat in the main seat, and Gu Rong sat in the chair to his right.
The doors to the main hall were pushed open.
Chen Xin walked in, his robes still carrying the faint scent of morning dew, his steps steady, his expression calm.
Gu Rong had been leaning lazily against the back of his chair, but the moment Chen Xin stepped into the main hall, he suddenly sat up straight.
Those slender eyes narrowed slightly, their gaze sweeping over Chen Xin before revealing a look of surprise.
"You old bastard," Gu Rong said, her voice tinged with disbelief, "You've broken through to Level 97?"
Chen Xin nodded, walked to her seat, picked up a cup of tea from the table, and slowly took a sip.
"Yes, thanks to that Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone."
His tone was calm, as if he were talking about something insignificant, but his excitement was still palpable.
Ning Fengzhi relieved upon hearing this.
The anxiety that had been weighing on his mind finally subsided.
" Uncle Jian, with this Soul Bone, it should be much easier for you to break through to Level 98 in the future, right? What kind of Soul Skill does this Soul Bone possess?"
Chen Xin put down his teacup, pondered for a moment, and sighed, "There are two Soul Skill."
"One is Invincible Golden Body, which provides eight seconds of absolute defense and doubles your strength during its use. The other is Teleportation, which allows for instantaneous movement within a hundred-meter range."
"It's a pity," he shook his head, "It's not an offensive type of Soul Skill. The skills of this Soul Bone are more inclined towards self-defense, which is actually more suitable for Old Bones, and you, Fengzhi, or Rongrong."
Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi smiled and waved his hand, "I don't need Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone. It would be too wasteful for me. I'm just a support-type Soul Master, so whether I have Soul Bone or not doesn't make much difference."
If it were Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, Ning Fengzhi wouldn't refuse, but Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone... forget it.
Gu Rong snorted coldly, crossed his arms, and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "It suits me, but I haven't seen you give me this Soul Bone."
Chen Xin glanced at him, her words utterly merciless. "Well, there's nothing I can do about it. Who told me I'm a little stronger than you?"
"You!" Gu Rong choked for a moment, "You're only a tiny bit taller than me."
Even a little bit is high.
"You old slut, all you've got is a sharp tongue."
Being good with words is a skill in itself.
"Say it again?"
I said, I'm better than you.