"Hahaha! No matter how brilliantly clever Qian Xunji is, he would never imagine that the woman he saved is a transformed hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. The young master of Spirit Hall actually saved a Soul Beast! This is Spirit Hall's greatest disgrace!"
"What a pity! A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, such an enormous opportunity, was right in front of Qian Xunji, and he didn't even know!"
"Fortunately, Qian Xunji hasn't reached Titled Douluo yet. Otherwise, he really would have stumbled into this Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!"
Seeing that Qian Xunji had not discovered Ah Rou's identity as a Soul Beast, the people outside all gloated.
After all, who would not be green with envy at obtaining a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and a Soul Bone without any effort?
Xiao Wu watched Ah Rou on the sky screen, her face filled with longing.
Mom, Xiao Wu wishes so much she could see you one more time!
Meanwhile, on the sky screen.
Ah Rou silently finished her grilled fish and glanced at Qian Xunji, who sat cross-legged, meditating and cultivating. After a moment's hesitation, she ultimately did not move away from the fire.
She lay down right in front of it, curling up inside the cloak.
Watching the fire before her, Ah Rou planned how she would slip away from under this human Soul Master's nose tomorrow.
With her stomach full, drowsiness gradually washed over her, and Ah Rou slowly closed her eyes.
Soon, the only sound left in the underground hollow was the crackling of sparks!
After an unknown amount of time, a piercing howl jolted Ah Rou awake.
Ah Rou's eyes snapped open. Qian Xunji was no longer by the fire. She looked down at herself and discovered that her cloak had fallen open, leaving a large expanse of her body exposed.
Ah Rou hurriedly wrapped the cloak tightly around herself. Just then, footsteps sounded behind her, and she immediately turned to look warily.
Qian Xunji strode inside, still carrying the smell of blood.
Seeing Ah Rou looking at him, Qian Xunji spoke in front of the fire.
"A few Netherworld Wolves found their way here just now. I've already dealt with them."
Ah Rou remained silent.
"Roar!"
Just then, the roar of an unknown Soul Beast sounded outside again. Because of the beast tide, the Soul Beast Forest would probably not be peaceful tonight.
For the latter half of the night, Ah Rou remained half asleep and half awake until dawn.
Meanwhile, atop a large tree more than a dozen li away.
An orange-yellow streak of light and a dark-gray one landed on the crown. As the light faded, Yue Guan and Gui Mei appeared.
"Where could the young master be?"
Worry filled Yue Guan's brow.
"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let the young master retreat alone!"
Beside him, Gui Mei spoke with regret all over his face.
"It's too late to say any of that now. The most important thing is to find the young master first!"
"Yue Guan, do you think the young master might have..."
Before Gui Mei could finish, Yue Guan cut him off sharply.
"Old Gui!"
"The young master will definitely be all right. Don't forget, he's already level 60 and has a god-level Martial Soul. As long as he doesn't encounter a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast, he's more than capable of defending himself."
"You search that way. I'll go this way."
"All right!"
The two channeled their Soul Power and departed in separate directions.
Elsewhere, Qian Xunji held Ah Rou in his arms. She nestled against his chest, both hands tightly clutching the cloak around her body.
Yet as they traveled swiftly, her two long legs were still exposed.
The fierce wind blew against Ah Rou, fully outlining her figure of slender branches and plump fruit.
Whoosh!
Just as Qian Xunji flew past a large tree with Ah Rou in his arms, something suddenly whistled through the air. He looked toward the sound and saw a pointed spear shooting at him.
Still holding Ah Rou, Qian Xunji forcibly twisted his body, and the spear grazed the cloak as it shot past.
Thud!
Hindered by the spear, Qian Xunji had no choice but to land.
Qian Xunji looked up and saw an ape hanging upside down from a branch, watching him.
A Long-Armed Wind Ape!
Soul Beasts of this kind possessed considerable intelligence and knew how to make and use weapons.
One such Soul Beast was not frightening on its own. What made them frightening was that they lived in groups; whenever they appeared, there would be a whole troop.
Sure enough, the next moment, rustling came from the surrounding treetops. Then, one Long-Armed Wind Ape after another emerged from the dense leaves, surrounding Qian Xunji in an instant.
Qian Xunji's heart immediately sank.
He had done nothing to provoke these Long-Armed Wind Apes. Why had they suddenly attacked him?
Yet he did not know that Ah Rou, whom he held in his arms, was a transformed hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. Although she had transformed, she had not yet reached maturity. Even in human form, she remained a Soul Beast in essence.
And now, holding Ah Rou, he was no different from a light bulb in the eyes of other Soul Beasts.
"Oo-hoo-hoo!"
The Long-Armed Wind Ape hanging upside down from the branch suddenly let out a howl.
As though it had given a signal, the surrounding Long-Armed Wind Apes began howling as well.
"Oo-hoo-hoo!"
"Oo-hoo-hoo!"
The howls of the Long-Armed Wind Apes instantly filled the area, closing in on Qian Xunji from every direction.
Just then, a spear abruptly shot toward Qian Xunji from behind.
Sensing the movement behind him, Qian Xunji hurriedly dodged. With a sharp thunk, the pointed spear plunged deep into the ground, its shaft still trembling.
Those Long-Armed Wind Apes had howled loudly to mask the whistle of the spear through the air. These Soul Beasts really were quite intelligent!
Now, more Long-Armed Wind Apes around him hurled their spears.
A volley of pointed spears shot toward Qian Xunji like a rain of arrows.
"Second Soul Skill! Angel Wings!"
A pair of enormous white wings radiating pure, holy light appeared behind Qian Xunji. They spread out to shield him and Ah Rou.
Bang! Bang!
The wings deflected the spears hurled by the Long-Armed Wind Apes, and a forest of spears rapidly formed around Qian Xunji.
"Oo-hoo-hoo!"
Seeing this, the Long-Armed Wind Apes hurled down even more spears!
"First Soul Skill! Angel Blade!"
Fifteen small golden swords of light appeared around Qian Xunji!
"Hah!"
The instant those pure-white wings spread open, the fifteen golden swords of light fired, shooting out in all directions.
Screams from the Long-Armed Wind Apes immediately rang out around him.
Swish!
Qian Xunji beat his wings and instantly rose into the air.
"Angel Blade!"
As he ascended, Qian Xunji unleashed his first Soul Skill again, sending it pouring forward.
Several Long-Armed Wind Apes blocking his path were instantly killed and fell to the ground.
Seizing the opening, Qian Xunji hurriedly broke out of the Long-Armed Wind Apes' encirclement.
"Roar! Roar!"
Just then, the furious howls of the Long-Armed Wind Apes sounded behind him.
Behind him, Long-Armed Wind Apes leaped among the trees in pursuit of Qian Xunji, sending spear after spear shooting toward him from the rear!
Qian Xunji flapped his wings, gaining altitude to evade them.
Watching the Long-Armed Wind Apes pursuing them, Ah Rou lamented inwardly that she had missed a good opportunity to escape!
What Qian Xunji had not expected was that these Long-Armed Wind Apes would keep chasing him until he flew into a stretch of mist-shrouded woods.
The Long-Armed Wind Apes stopped at the edge of the mist, roaring loudly at Qian Xunji in frustration, yet not daring to take a single step forward.