What should a level 20 Soul Master do when encountering a level 80 Soul Douluo?
What can you do? Lie down.
Cheng Xiao didn't think his current strength was enough to deal with a Soul Douluo, so he might as well give up resisting.
Seeing Cheng Xiao give up struggling, the man flashed to Cheng Xiao's side, grabbed Cheng Xiao's collar, and Cheng Xiao was thrown in front of two girls in a flash.
"I have something to ask you, why are you running?" The man smiled smirk.
"Ha, haha. Senior is really joking." Cheng Xiao fell on his butt, grimaced, stood up, patted his butt, and said awkwardly, "You just wanted to take me down without warning, how could I not run? My elders said that in the Star Dou Great Forest, you can't trust anyone."
The man didn't deny it. What the boy in front of him said was true. He didn't consider himself a big bad guy, but since they were strangers, it was normal for the other party to be a little wary.
"I'm asking you, how long have you been hiding here?" the man asked.
Why ask that? Cheng Xiao couldn't figure out the other person's purpose for a moment, so he made up a story: "Less than half a day..."
"Half a day?" The man's eyes gradually became subtle. He raised his hand and pointed to the giant crystal tree that stretched straight into the sky in the distance: "So this tree was like this when you came?"
Holy crap! Cheng Xiao's heart skipped a beat. How should he answer?
Should he go along with what the other person said and say that it was like this when he came?
No!
He couldn't just pin it on the Crystal Bear, could he? The Crystal Bear's crystallization ability could only last for about a day. The man could roughly calculate it by the next day! Moreover, there were no signs of soul beast activity in this area. If there were soul beasts around, how could he have been safe hiding here before? There were loopholes everywhere!
Tell the truth?
Did he think he had too many hands?
He wasn't even sure if the external soul bone had been fully integrated. If it was only initially absorbed like Tang San's, he could cut off his hands and take it!
External soul bones are far more precious than the other six soul bones. Soul masters' desire for external soul bones is only slightly less than that for a 100,000-year soul ring, and Soul Douluos are no exception!
Even if the other party isn't interested, there are still two daughters, aren't there? The left palm bone combined with the Netherworld Thrust—it seems like a perfect match!
Lying is no good, but telling the truth is even more dangerous!
In a flash, Cheng Xiao's mind raced, and she suddenly remembered the seven people she had killed. She almost blurted out, "No, it was my elders who did it."
"Elders?" The man raised an eyebrow.
"We encountered a three-thousand-year-old crystal bear. After our elders killed it, they obtained a right arm bone!"
Cheng Xiao's mind raced as he raised his blood-covered left hand. "Then suddenly a Terrorclaw Bear attacked us, and the flying stones injured me. My elders had no choice but to take me here to heal. Then my seventh uncle absorbed the right arm bone and, while trying out his soul bone skill, crystallized this tree."
"Right arm bone?" The man glanced at Cheng Xiao's left hand, rubbing his chin, feeling he'd overlooked something. "Where are your elders? Why did they leave you here alone?"
"My elders said the Terrorclaw Bear went mad, and they went to investigate. They told me to hide here."
Zhu Zhuyun sneered. "That's not what you said earlier. Didn't you go ahead and tell me to follow? Now you're telling me to hide here?"
Zhu Zhuqing crossed her arms, leaning against a tree with a cold face, looking at Cheng Xiao indifferently, saying nothing, like a lifeless ice sculpture.
Cheng Xiao glanced at the man, then her gaze swept over the two sisters and the others before she muttered under her breath, "Isn't it because you have so many of you? I'm just a Soul Master, how dare I compete with you for space?"
"..." That makes sense.
The man hesitated for a moment, still unconvinced, before saying, "You can stay here. It's alright. You're just a Soul Master; it's not safe for you to go out alone. It would make us seem domineering. Wait for your elders to come back and pick you up before you leave!"
Was it genuine kindness? Or was he waiting for his "elders" to return and take his right arm bone? Cheng Xiao wasn't sure; one should always be wary.
But Cheng Xiao had no choice but to comply. If he showed any eagerness to leave, he might immediately be exposed. A mere Soul Master rushing into a perilous forest—it just didn't seem right!
"Thank you, senior." The more he did, the more mistakes he made, so Cheng Xiao chose to give up and let things be.
"Dad, you're being too kind again," Zhu Zhuyun muttered, pouting.
The man gave Zhu Zhuyun a slightly reproachful yet indulgent glare.
"Alright, alright!" Zhu Zhuyun turned her head, stretched, and her two fair cheeks looked even more fierce. Then she pointed to the opposite side and said, "This is our place, and that's yours. Don't come over here unless you have to!"
Cheng Xiao shrugged and moved away from them to rest. Only then did he have time to pay more attention to Zhu Zhuqing, who had been silent all along.
Compared to Zhu Zhuyun, Zhu Zhuqing was much shorter, but her figure was not much less impressive. Her temperament was even more aloof. Her long black hair was draped over her shoulders, and her pale skin added to her coldness.
She was always alone, never talking or showing any emotional fluctuations. Her icy demeanor was enough to make anyone who wanted to approach her keep their distance.
Was this the most hardworking of the Shrek Seven Devils?
In the original story, this girl had a seventh-level innate soul power, but when she entered Shrek Academy more than five years later, she had reached level 27. Her cultivation speed was undeniably fast. Without perseverance, it would be difficult to achieve such a level of cultivation speed.
Unfortunately, no matter how much she cultivated, she couldn't catch up to her sister. Zhu Zhuyun had cultivated for seven years longer and was probably already at level forty. The advantage of being ahead couldn't be changed by effort alone.
As Cheng Xiao was thinking this, suddenly, Zhu Zhuqing seemed to sense something, turning her head and their gazes met.
Still as indifferent as ever, her eyes never wavering, Zhu Zhuqing stared directly at Cheng Xiao without uttering a word of questioning.
Cheng Xiao gave in, a slight twitch of her lips revealing a hint of apology before her gaze drifted away.
Time slipped by, and Cheng Xiao went over the events in her mind many times, convinced that her words had no obvious flaws.
Lies are easily exposed, but half-truths are quite deceptive. Her words should hold for a while.
However, the longer it dragged on, the greater the chance of problems arising.
After all, she had no so-called "elders," so how could she wait for someone to come back for her?
After pondering for a while, Cheng Xiao gradually showed signs of anxiety and impatience, glancing outside every now and then.
Zhu Mo, the father of the Zhu sisters, had been observing Cheng Xiao's every move. When Cheng Xiao showed anxiety, he seemed thoughtful, a slight smile playing on his lips, and began to close his eyes for a nap.
Night fell, a campfire was lit, and the Zhu family set up several tents, taking turns keeping watch. Cheng Xiao also set up his tent, but appeared anxious and unable to sleep.
Late into the night, Cheng Xiao took the opportunity to greet the watchmen and tentatively walked outside. His face was grim, and he was hesitating whether to take the opportunity to escape. Now was the perfect time…
"You want to escape?"
Suddenly, a cold, icy voice rang out from behind him.
Cheng Xiao jumped, almost scared out of his wits. He turned around abruptly and saw Zhu Zhuqing standing not far behind him, her gaze icy.
"Ouch, what are you doing? Don't you know how scary it can be? You almost scared the soul out of me!" Especially since he had something to hide...
Cheng Xiao was furious, but also a little relieved. Luckily, he had hesitated for a moment, otherwise, if this girl had yelled, he would have exposed himself before he even gave himself away.
"I just came out to pee! Why are you running away? I didn't do anything, why should I run away?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't answer, tilting her head as if considering the truth of Cheng Xiao's words.
Seeing that Zhu Zhuqing didn't follow up, Cheng Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, then feigned anger and said, "What? What are you still standing here for? Do you want to watch?!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing immediately turned around and went back.
Seeing this, Cheng Xiao wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead. He had indeed peed, but he didn't dare to think about running away anymore.
After being frightened, his mind became incredibly clear.
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Even if he tried to escape, he couldn't get very far. A bunch of agility-type Soul Masters could catch him even if he ran for a quarter of an hour. It seemed like they were letting him run free, but he didn't really have many choices.
Cheng Xiao crawled back into the tent.
Early the next morning, Cheng Xiao packed up the tent early. After Zhu Mo came out, he approached him and respectfully cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your protection yesterday, Senior. My elders haven't returned all day, and I'm afraid something has happened to them. I can't sit here any longer and want to go find them, so I've come to take my leave."
Zhu Mo twisted his slightly stiff neck and said, "Perfect timing. We're also preparing to leave. It's not safe for you to go alone. Why don't we travel together? It would be best if we could meet your elders in the forest. If not, we'll take you out after we hunt down some Soul Beasts."
Cheng Xiao's expression froze. So kind? If he weren't in the Star Dou Great Forest, Cheng Xiao would have wondered if he had transmigrated again to a wonderful world of mutual help and support.
"Yes. Thank you, senior."
Zhu Mo certainly wasn't being kind; only he knew what he was thinking...
After everyone finished packing, they headed towards the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Along the way, Zhu Mo didn't recklessly charge through with his Soul Douluo strength; instead, he was quite cautious, carefully avoiding various Soul Beasts.
Logically, with his strength, he didn't need to be so careful; unless it was a Soul Beast over 80,000 years old, it was difficult for them to pose a significant threat to him.
As they walked, Zhu Mo pointed and instructed his two daughters, explaining the things they needed to be careful about when entering the Star Dou Great Forest.
"If your strength is insufficient, you must be extremely cautious. Avoid them if you can, don't kill every Soul Beast you see. If the blood stench is too strong, it's easy to attract even stronger Soul Beasts. If you have nowhere to hide and are targeted by a Soul Beast, then it's not too late to kill it..." Zhu Mo warned his two daughters.
"Understood, Father." Zhu Zhuyun nodded, but judging from her slightly flippant tone, she clearly didn't take it to heart.
Zhu Zhuqing remained aloof, merely nodding silently without uttering a word.
Cheng Xiao silently observed this scene of fatherly love and filial piety, her expression shifting as she gazed at Zhu Zhuqing's somewhat lonely figure. She couldn't help but think to herself, "This father is a bit too biased."
When Zhu Mo was instructing them, his gaze was mostly fixed on his eldest daughter
, Zhu Zhuyun, while Zhu Zhuqing seemed merely an accessory, not receiving much attention. It was understandable; Zhu Zhuyun was seventeen and at level forty—her talent, if not top-tier, was certainly remarkable. If nothing unexpected happened, the eldest daughter would undoubtedly be the future Star Luo Empress, making it difficult for Zhu Zhuqing to turn the tide.
A little favoritism was understandable.
Midway through their journey, the group stopped to rest. Cheng Xiao took the opportunity to say she was going to the river to fetch water. When she returned, she pinched her stiff cheeks and immediately put on an excited expression, finding Zhu Mo: "Senior, my... my elders are likely nearby! I need to go find them!"
"Hmm? How did you know?"
Cheng Xiao quickly took out an object: "I just saw this by the river, it belongs to my Uncle Dai!"
"Oh?" Zhu Mo took it; it was a Spirit Hall mercenary token.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Zhu Mo's mind, as if he remembered something, and he asked, "What are your elders' names?"
"My Uncle Dai's name is Dai Chong, he's a Soul Master, and their team has seven people..."
Both sides had introduced themselves during the hiring process, so Cheng Xiao recited it without hesitation.
If revealing their spirits hadn't made his purpose too obvious, Cheng Xiao would have loved to tell Zhu Mo about Dai Chong and the others' spirits to increase credibility.
"Let's go, let's follow them and look for them." Zhu Mo stood up, not even planning to rest anymore.
Then, Zhu Mo sent everyone out to search for the people, while they moved at an extremely slow pace.
After a while, those who had gone out returned one after another, all shaking their heads to indicate that they hadn't found them. Suddenly, one person returned and immediately whispered a few words to Zhu Mo.
"Really?" Zhu Mo narrowed his eyes.
The person bowed, indicating that he dared not speak presumptuously.
Zhu Mo's gaze fell on Cheng Xiao, but he only saw Cheng Xiao's expectant face. He frowned and gestured with his lips, "Lead the way."
"Senior, have you found my elders?" Cheng Xiao feigned surprise.
Zhu Mo remained silent.
Under that person's guidance, the route was no longer aimless, but straight towards the direction where Cheng Xiao had ambushed Dai Chong and the others.
The closer they got, the faster Cheng Xiao's heart beat. Success or failure hinged on this moment, but he knew that this was the most crucial time and he couldn't show the slightest flaw. So he forced himself to calm down and put on an excited and eager expression.
It really tested his acting skills. Cheng Xiao thought he should have gone to film school in his previous life.
Suddenly, Cheng Xiao seemed to sense something and looked up, his gaze meeting Zhu Zhuqing's cold, clear eyes. Her gaze was fixed on him, and for a long time, she didn't look away. Her obsidian-like eyes were like a cat's eyes in the dark, sending a chill down his spine.
For some reason, Cheng Xiao's heart skipped a beat, a ridiculous feeling that "this girl has seen right through me." Feeling guilty, he dared not meet her gaze any longer and casually looked away.
"Calm down, calm down! She's just an ice queen! She couldn't possibly see through me!" Cheng Xiao kept reassuring himself, trying to banish that fixed gaze from his mind.
Finally, they arrived at their destination. A scene of utter devastation greeted them. Several corpses were almost unrecognizable, and the Crystal Bear's body was gone. Cheng Xiao held his breath, overjoyed.
It was time to put on his acting!
Cheng Xiao was struck dumb, his face turning deathly pale. He staggered and collapsed onto a mangled corpse, tears streaming down his face, his sobs echoing through the forest.
"Seventh Uncle, you died so tragically!"
A man approached Zhu Mo, respectfully handing him the collected items: "Mercenaries registered with the Spirit Hall, the captain was Dai Chong, the others' identities are… they were probably ambushed, and someone finished them off. Looks like a seasoned double-crosser."
"Did you find them?" Zhu Mo's eyes flashed.
The man shook his head: "No, one corpse's right arm is missing."
The comments made him lose confidence. He revised it several times, sigh. He didn't know if it would satisfy everyone.
The mercenary treasure hunt was just a setup, actually intended to introduce the Zhu Zhuqing sisters and create some interaction, after all, the Douluo Continent female lead is still an important seasoning. He didn't expect some people wouldn't accept it. He'd
been doubting himself all day, feeling so bad…
When no one was around, he worried that his writing wasn't good enough, that no one would read it.
When there are people around, seeing negative reviews makes me doubt myself.
My mentality is terrible; as a newbie, I have absolutely no confidence.
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