Chapter 123: Incompetent Wu Feng, Returning to the Star Dou Great Forest
The two of them strolled through the Inner Court.
The setting sun tilted westward, dyeing the entire Sea God Island in a warm orange-red. The light filtered through layers of leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground that swayed gently with the breeze.
Zhang Lexuan walked ahead, introducing the buildings along the way at a leisurely pace.
"Over there is the Inner Court's cafeteria. Although it doesn't have as much variety as the Outer Court's, the ingredients are carefully selected and beneficial for cultivation. If you're too lazy to go to Shrek City in the future, you can eat here."
Lin Xuan looked in the direction she pointed. A simple, ancient two-story building was hidden among the bamboo forest, with wisps of cooking smoke rising and the faint aroma of food wafting through the air.
"That tower is the Inner Court's Cultivation Tower." Zhang Lexuan pointed to the other side.
"Inside, there are cultivation rooms for various attributes. Although it can't compare to the area beneath the golden ancient tree, it's more than enough for you all. If you have time, you can come here often in the future."
"Over there is the Inner Court's Soul Fighting Platform." Zhang Lexuan smiled. "You've already been there several times, so I won't introduce it further."
Zhang Lexuan continued walking forward, and Lin Xuan followed behind, noting down every place she mentioned.
Occasionally, he would ask a few questions, and Zhang Lexuan would answer them patiently. Her voice was gentle, like a spring breeze brushing against his face. Along the way, many Inner Court Disciples saw the two walking side-by-side and couldn't help but cast surprised looks.
Some whispered, while others observed them secretly, but Lin Xuan seemed completely oblivious. His gaze only occasionally fell upon the gentle figure in front of him.
Zhang Lexuan's profile looked exceptionally soft under the setting sun.
Her long eyelashes cast faint shadows over her eyelids; her nose was elegant, and a gentle smile always played on her lips.
Her simple and elegant long dress fluttered gently in the evening wind, making her look like a fairy walking out of a painting.
Lin Xuan withdrew his gaze and couldn't help but shake his head inwardly. In his eyes, this Eldest Senior Sister was perfect in every way.
Her only flaw, perhaps, was that she placed too much weight on Mu En's kindness.
Valuing sentiment is a good thing, but placing too much importance on it leads to losing oneself.
At that moment, Zhang Lexuan suddenly turned her head. Her gaze met Lin Xuan's in mid-air, and those gentle eyes held a faint, subtle smile.
"Is there something on my face?"
Lin Xuan was slightly startled, then smiled and shook his head. "No, I just thought Senior Sister looks exceptionally beautiful today."
Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. "That mouth of yours... no wonder Han Ruoruo, Ning Tian, and the others are so devoted to you."
She shook her head and continued walking. After a few steps, she spoke again.
"By the way, there's something I want to ask your opinion on."
"Please speak, Senior Sister."
Zhang Lexuan slowed her pace to walk side-by-side with Lin Xuan.
"A few days ago, Jing Hongchen, the Hall Master of the Sun Moon Empire's Illustrious Virtue Hall, paid a visit," she said slowly.
"He proposed an Exchange Student Program where Shrek and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy would send students to each other for exchange and learning."
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. "An Exchange Student Program?"
"Yes," Zhang Lexuan nodded. "Jing Hongchen set a condition: he hopes you will be included in the exchange student list."
She turned her head to look at Lin Xuan and continued, "Elder Mu didn't agree directly. He said it would be for you to decide after your cultivation ended."
Lin Xuan remained silent. As expected...
He wasn't surprised at all that Jing Hongchen would make this request. Since the man had placed his precious grandchildren, whom he doted on immensely, here at Shrek, how could he feel at ease if Lin Xuan didn't go over there?
Lin Xuan looked up at the setting sun gradually sinking below the horizon, his mind racing with calculations.
Staying at Shrek was naturally stable, but in the Sun Moon Empire... in a foreign land, there would undoubtedly be more room for maneuver.
Moreover, Shrek couldn't satisfy his ambitions. Not only that, he also needed to find an opportunity to make contact with the Holy Spirit Cult.
Of course, that would be in his identity as the Fallen Heaven Douluo.
After a moment of contemplation, Lin Xuan nodded.
"I agree."
Zhang Lexuan was slightly stunned; she seemingly hadn't expected him to agree so readily.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." Lin Xuan smiled. "It's not a bad thing to go and see the Sun Moon Empire's spirit tool technology. Besides... I can't let them think I'm afraid of them."
After a moment of silence, Zhang Lexuan let out a soft sigh. "Since you've decided, I won't say much more."
She stopped walking, turned around, and looked at Lin Xuan seriously. "However, there are a few things I must warn you about."
Lin Xuan nodded.
"In the Sun Moon Empire, you must prioritize your safety." Zhang Lexuan's voice was much more solemn than before.
"It's not like Shrek. You won't have Elder Mu to protect you, nor will you have us seniors to look after you. You'll be alone; you must be wary of everything."
"A man like Jing Hongchen appears amiable on the surface, but anyone who can reach the position of Illustrious Virtue Hall's Hall Master is definitely no pushover. If he's nice to you, it might not be genuine; if he smiles at you, he might not truly be happy."
Listening to her nagging instructions, a surge of warmth suddenly rose in Lin Xuan's heart. This Eldest Senior Sister truly cared for him.
"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'll be careful."
Zhang Lexuan looked at Lin Xuan and nodded with a smile.
"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Come on, I'll take you to pick out your dormitory."
By evening, the two arrived at a secluded corner.
This place was far from the center of the Inner Court. There was only this single, independent dormitory nearby, so quiet that only the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard.
"This is the place." Lin Xuan looked around and nodded in satisfaction.
Zhang Lexuan looked at the surroundings and couldn't help but feel surprised. "Are you sure? This is quite far from the center of the Inner Court; it won't be very convenient to come and go."
"As long as it's quiet," Lin Xuan smiled. "I don't really like being disturbed."
Zhang Lexuan thought about it and didn't try to persuade him further. "Alright then, this is it."
She turned around and waved to Lin Xuan.
"I'll head back then. Come find me anytime if you need anything."
"Okay, thank you, Eldest Senior Sister."
Lin Xuan watched her back disappear into the twilight before turning to enter the dormitory.
A moment later, after tidying up the dormitory, Lin Xuan unfolded the wings of Shikigami: Nue and flew out at high speed, soaring across Sea God Lake toward the Outer Court.
From a distance, aided by the dim yellow light of the spirit tool lamps by the lake, he saw a familiar, beautiful figure on the shore.
It was Ning Tian. She was sitting on a bench by the lake, her chin resting on her hands, gazing longingly toward the Inner Court.
She looked like a kitten waiting for its owner to come home. Lin Xuan's heart softened slightly, and he suddenly changed direction, silently circling behind Ning Tian.
Ning Tian stared toward the Inner Court, muttering under her breath, "It's been over a month. Why isn't he back yet? Does cultivation take this long..."
As she was muttering, a pair of warm, large hands suddenly covered her eyes from behind.
Ning Tian was startled at first, then immediately felt annoyed. Without hesitation, she promptly kicked backward!
However, in the next moment, her fair and slender leg was firmly caught by a pair of large hands. At the same time, the person pulled hard, drawing her entire body into a warm embrace.
Just as Ning Tian was about to shout a reprimand, a familiar voice rang in her ear.
"Such a vicious kick?"
Ning Tian froze. She jerked her head around and, by the dim yellow light, saw the face that was inches away—the face she had been missing for over a month.
Lin Xuan was looking at her with a mischievous grin. The anger in Ning Tian's heart vanished instantly, replaced by an indescribable sense of grievance.
Her eyes instantly reddened, and she bit her lip, her voice carrying a hint of a sob. "You... did you go find Ling Luochen and the others? Why are you back so late!"
Lin Xuan looked at Ning Tian's red eyes and her aggrieved yet stubborn expression. He retracted his mischievous grin and looked at her seriously.
"You are the first girl I've seen since my cultivation ended."
Ning Tian was stunned. She stared blankly at him, looking into his serious eyes and seeing her own reflection in them.
Then, suddenly finding courage from nowhere, she shifted her feet slightly and instantly closed the distance.
Their breaths mingled; the touch was soft and warm, carrying the unique fragrance of a young girl. Her eyelashes fluttered gently like a startled butterfly, yet she stubbornly refused to pull away.
Lin Xuan was slightly taken aback, but then he reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist. The lake breeze blew, causing their hair to entwine under the dim yellow light.
In the distance, a few frogs croaked; nearby was the sound of the lake water gently lapping against the shore.
At this moment, the World seemed to consist only of the two of them.
A long time later, Ning Tian's cheeks were as red as ripe apples. She lowered her head, not daring to look into Lin Xuan's eyes.
Lin Xuan looked at her shy appearance and suddenly laughed, reaching out to rub her hair.
In the distance, Wu Feng was walking quickly toward the shore, holding a cup of milk tea in one hand and a lunch box in the other.
The milk tea was from Ning Tian's favorite shop, and the lunch box contained Ning Tian's favorite dishes.
"That girl hasn't eaten much all day, just sitting by the lake dazing off... I really don't know what's so good about that guy Lin Xuan..."
Wu Feng shook her head with a helpless smile. However, when she reached the lakeside and saw the two figures embracing under the dim light from a distance, she froze on the spot.
Wu Feng opened her mouth, but she couldn't say a word.
Her heart was filled with a mix of emotions, all churning and tangling together. Even she wasn't sure exactly what those feelings were.
Sadness? Anger? Pain? Or perhaps jealousy?
But who was she jealous of? Lin Xuan? Or Ning Tian?
After a long while, Wu Feng turned around in silence and, step by step, disappeared into the night.
...
Morning at Sea God Island. Inside Lin Xuan's dormitory, the bedding was in a messy heap, and the air was thick with a warm, peculiar fragrance. It was a mixture of a young girl's body scent and an indescribable, subtle aura that could make anyone blush.
Lin Xuan leaned halfway against the headboard, his arm around the graceful body in his embrace. His eyes were clear as he pondered deeply.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I supposed to do?
He then looked down, and a tranquil sleeping face came into view. Her ice-blue hair was scattered across the pillow like a waterfall, with a few stray strands playfully resting against her slightly flushed cheeks.
With slender willow-leaf eyebrows, a delicate nose, and full red lips, her exquisite features formed a face of cool elegance. Even in deep sleep, that cold and aloof temperament did not dissipate.
Looking at this refreshing scene and recalling the intense battles of the past few days, Lin Xuan felt the soreness in his lower back and couldn't help but shake his head.
He was exhausted, while she, on the other hand, had improved quite a bit... in terms of cultivation, of course.
"Truly, the ancients did not lie to me. There are only exhausted bulls; no ploughed fields ever break."
With a soft sigh, Lin Xuan gently withdrew his arm. His movements were extremely light, but Ling Luochen's brow furrowed slightly. She mumbled something incoherently, turned over, and continued to sleep soundly.
Looking at her defenseless state, the corners of Lin Xuan's mouth curled upward.
He then dressed and quietly left the dormitory.
By the shore of Sea God Island, the morning lake shimmered. A breeze blew past, bringing with it bursts of refreshing mist. In the distance, several water birds played on the lake, occasionally letting out crisp cries.
As soon as Lin Xuan landed, he saw several familiar figures already standing by the shore.
Elder Song stood with her hands behind her back, her gaze distant as she looked over the lake. Zhang Lexuan, wearing a simple and elegant long dress with a gentle smile, stood at the front.
Han Ruoruo had her arms crossed, a faint smile on her stunning face. Chu Qingtian, dressed in tight-fitting martial attire, was warming up his wrists with a look of eager anticipation.
Ma Xiaotao had her arms folded, her bright and beautiful face practically screaming "I'm very annoyed." Besides them, there was Gongyang Mo. Having fully recovered from his injuries, he wore a set of magnificent robes. His face, even more exquisite than a woman's, was full of smiles, and his peach blossom eyes stared straight at Lin Xuan, making no attempt to hide the heat in his gaze.
Lin Xuan was stunned by the lineup and asked in confusion,
"This... the numbers aren't right, are they? Why are there so many extra people?"
According to the original plan, there were only supposed to be Elder Song, Zhang Lexuan, and himself. Zhang Lexuan was responsible for helping him hunt Soul Beasts, while Elder Song was there to ensure their safety.
Han Ruoruo asked with a gentle smile, though her tone carried a hint of danger.
"What? Is our little junior brother dissatisfied with this senior sister?" She paused and sighed with feigned grievance, "Fine then, this senior sister will leave. After all, Lexuan is better than me."
Lin Xuan blinked, then looked at Zhang Lexuan with a gaze that seemed to say, 'Did you sell me out?'
Zhang Lexuan looked up at the sky, acting as if she knew nothing.
Lin Xuan: "..."
Gongyang Mo leaned in at that moment, his exquisite face full of smiles. His voice was so delicate it gave people goosebumps.
"I'm different, you know" He winked at Lin Xuan. "I'm actually here to obtain a Soul Ring. But after hearing about your rank, I waited for a full half-month just so I could get my Soul Ring with you"
Lin Xuan's eyelid twitched.
Chu Qingtian laughed heartily. "Lin Xuan, I'm just here to help. I hope you don't mind me dragging you down."
Ma Xiaotao curled her lip and spoke in a stiff tone, "Me too."
Zhang Lexuan finally withdrew her gaze from the sky and explained with a smile,
"Actually, besides Chu Qingtian and Xiaotao, Xixi, Chen Zifeng, and Yao Haoxuan all clamored to help when they heard you were going to get a Soul Ring. But considering that having too many people would be counterproductive, I turned them down."
Lin Xuan nodded. To the side, Elder Song, who was gazing at Sea God Lake, turned her head slightly. She couldn't help but marvel at Lin Xuan's current prestige among the Inner Court Disciples; it was becoming quite significant.
It was fortunate that Lin Xuan didn't have a faction behind him. If he were a member of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Elder Song didn't even want to imagine how much of the academy's talent would have been poached.
Suddenly, Ma Xiaotao spoke up. "Where's Ling Luochen? Why is she so quiet this time? I haven't even seen her for several days."
Lin Xuan's expression stiffened slightly. Zhang Lexuan spoke up to explain,
"Ling Luochen told me a few days ago that she had some urgent matters to attend to recently, so she couldn't come."
Hearing this, Ma Xiaotao looked suspiciously at the calm-faced Lin Xuan. She had a feeling that the 'matters' Ling Luochen mentioned were probably not that simple.
At that moment, Elder Song clapped her hands, and her aged voice rang out. "Since everyone is here, let's set off. Lexuan, you will lead the group this time. Unless there's an exceptional circumstance, I will not intervene."
With that, Elder Song turned into a breeze and abruptly vanished from the spot.
Zhang Lexuan nodded, her smile fading as she looked at everyone with a serious tone.
"There's no time to lose. Everyone, keep up. We aim to reach the Star Dou Great Forest before noon."
After speaking, she was the first to take to the air, with the others following closely behind.
A few hours later, at noon, the sun was high in the sky.
After passing through a small town, the group officially entered the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest. They continued deep inside without stopping, and their formation changed accordingly.
The two Soul Douluos, Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo, led the vanguard. Chu Qingtian and Lin Xuan were on the flanks, Gongyang Mo was in the center, and Ma Xiaotao brought up the rear alone.
Along the way, the weak Soul Beasts that could only survive in the outer region sensed the danger before Lin Xuan and the others even arrived, scattering and fleeing in all directions.
Thus, it wasn't until they were almost through the outer region that they encountered their first—well, more accurately, their first swarm of Soul Beasts.
"On guard!"
At Zhang Lexuan's command, everyone immediately dispersed, landing on the thick branches of the surrounding trees.
Lin Xuan stood on a branch to the left, his gaze fixed on the direction the vibrations were coming from.
The ground was trembling continuously. A booming sound approached from the distance like ten thousand stampeding horses. The sound grew louder and closer, shaking the leaves until they rustled and fell.
Chu Qingtian's expression was grave. He narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice,
"This doesn't look right, does it? It feels like a Beast Tide."
Soon, accompanied by the crashing of falling trees, the source of the ground's tremors finally appeared before them.
It was a black torrent composed of countless ants!
Dense and overwhelming, they surged out from the depths of the forest like a black tide! Wherever they passed, the vegetation was gnawed clean, leaving only bare earth behind!
Han Ruoruo took a closer look and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"No need to be nervous, everyone. It's just a swarm of Thousand-Pound Ants."
The Thousand-Pound Ant was a Soul Beast with particularly resilient vitality and immense strength, capable of lifting objects over five hundred times its own body weight. The black carapace covering its back provided decent defense and a certain level of impact resistance.
However, this kind of Soul Beast didn't have any innate Spirit Abilities, and individuals were very weak. But the Thousand-Pound Ant race had an extremely high reproductive rate.
As the saying goes, enough ants can bite an elephant to death. To Lin Xuan and the others, a swarm like this was just a bunch of experience points, but for ordinary Soul Masters, these Thousand-Pound Ants were like the heralds of death.
In the blink of an eye, the Thousand-Pound Ants had rushed beneath the group!
They began to stack on top of each other along the tree trunks, climbing upward in layers like a black waterfall flowing in reverse! The dense sight was enough to trigger anyone's trypophobia!
"Attack!"
At Zhang Lexuan's command, Ma Xiaotao was the first to strike!
Her phoenix wings suddenly unfurled, and she soared into the sky, hovering in mid-air! The Soul Rings beneath her feet flashed, and crimson flames surged wildly around her!
The next moment, the Phoenix Flame transformed into a massive pillar of fire, crashing down toward the swarm of Thousand-Pound Ants below!
"Boom—!"
The flames swept through, and a towering heatwave erupted!
The Thousand-Pound Ants, whose cultivation ages were generally around ten years, were nothing more than lambs to the slaughter before the flames! They had no Spirit Abilities and no long-range attack capabilities; against such a large-scale fire attack, they were completely defenseless!
Large swaths of Thousand-Pound Ants were burned to charcoal, and the air was filled with a nauseating smell of scorched organic matter.
Soon, after the others joined the battle, the swarm of Thousand-Pound Ants was completely wiped out
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