Li Zhexian drank mouthful after mouthful of wine, yet the more he drank, the brighter his eyes became.
"Going to Star Dou Forest?"
Chen Xin, Feng Bailong, and the others were taken aback for a moment, then suddenly reacted, their faces lighting up with surprise:
"Zhexian, did you… obtain the Blood of a God?!"
Six years ago—
They had protected Li Zhexian when he stormed the Pope's Palace.
Naturally, they also knew that to save the girl who had exhausted all her blood for him, he needed three spiritual items: Yellow Springs Dew, Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow, and the Blood of a God.
For this—
Li Zhexian had gone to the Extreme North and endured two years of freezing torment.
He had also ventured into the Slaughter City—an existence even Titled Douluo feared to speak of.
Only the last item—the Blood of a God—had remained elusive.
They never spoke their doubts aloud.
But in their hearts, they had sighed countless times:
Gods have long vanished from the mortal world.
And even if one truly existed—
With their strength as a group of old men—how could they possibly harm a god, even a little?
Extract God's blood?
Absolutely impossible.
Under their stunned yet excited gazes, Li Zhexian exhaled a warm breath of wine and raised his brows with a grin:
"I had an unexpected encounter in the Rakshasa Secret Realm."
"I did indeed obtain God's blood."
"Good! Good!"
Chen Xin and Feng Bailong clapped their hands, laughing heartily and praising nonstop.
"Brother Zhexian, Zhuqing can be saved now?!"
Ning Rongrong, who had been trailing quietly behind Ning Fengzhi, had been heartbroken ever since Li Zhexian and Qian Renxue stood together.
Now, she poked her delicate face out from behind her father, tears shimmering in her eyes, her voice trembling.
Her greatest blessing at Shrek Academy had been meeting Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing.
"Mm."
Li Zhexian's smile deepened, a spring-breeze warmth in his eyes.
"Then there's no need to rush back to Heaven Dou."
Feng Bailong stroked his beard and said with a chuckle:
"You'll need to refine the God's blood into a medicine to rebuild her life force—
That must not be disturbed by outsiders."
"We will stand guard for you."
Even Dugu Bo's aged face softened with relief.
He, more than anyone, understood—
How much the boy had paid for this day.
"Wind Sword speaks true."
Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Yu Yuanzhen all nodded approvingly:
"With your strength now, Zhexian, no major matter can be discussed without you."
"But first, let Yu Tianheng and Feng Buyu return to Heaven Dou to deliver the news. We will handle matters after returning from Star Dou."
Looking at all the concerned faces before him, Li Zhexian felt a lump in his throat. He bowed deeply:
"Then this junior shall gratefully accept the help of all seniors."
"L-Lord Sword… Lord Sword-Wine…"
At that moment—
The Spirit Master who had been hiding behind Feng Bailong finally spoke.
He barely got a few words out before a sudden gust of wind blew straight into his mouth, nearly knocking him off the flying sword.
Li Zhexian sent out a sliver of sword qi to support him.
"Th-thank you, my lord…"
The Spirit Master clutched his writing brush tightly, both nervous and excited:
"The five-year promise… finally fulfilled…"
"M-may I follow along to record it?"
Li Zhexian chuckled:
"Of course. I'll trouble you for the work."
—
Star Dou Great Forest—ancient trees soared skyward, the depths dark as an ocean.
Chen Xin, Feng Bailong, and Dugu Bo halted at the middle region, smiling:
"Zhexian, go ahead and act freely."
"With us here, even Spirit Hall cannot disturb you."
Li Zhexian bowed deeply—
Then leapt forward with Ning Rongrong and the Spirit Master, entering the forest's depths.
His strength had skyrocketed.
Anything below a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast was nothing to fear.
His figure moved like a sword, as if merging into the vast sea of trees.
But after only a few dozen breaths, the entire forest suddenly fell silent.
The ground faintly trembled.
A violent and oppressive aura surged toward them.
"B-Brother Zhexian…"
Ning Rongrong's face turned pale, and she instinctively drew closer to him.
Li Zhexian stepped forward with a smile:
"Don't worry. They're friends."
Before he finished speaking—
Two enormous hands suddenly tore open the thick canopy of trees.
"Hahaha! Brother Zhexian, check out my outfit—don't I look super badass?!"
The Titan Giant Ape, with the Azure Bull Python coiled around it, leapt in front of Li Zhexian.
And the Titan Giant Ape looked somewhat… different from before.
Aside from the newly polished giant cudgel in its hand and the two feather plumes stuck behind its head,
it was now wearing a cape—apparently made from red feathers glued together.
Except…
The craftsmanship was terrible. Feathers were falling off everywhere.
"Da Ming! I told you not to cling to me—
my cape is losing feathers!"
"And…"
The Azure Bull Python spun a metal ring at its tail tip and rumbled:
"You plucked the entire Star Dou Firebird clan bald."
"Ask Brother Zhexian—he trusts Sister Xiao Wu's craftsmanship. What does that have to do with me?"
Faced with the bizarrely dressed pair of terrifying beasts,
the Spirit Master's brush flew wildly as he hurried to record everything—
even sketching rough drawings.
Ning Rongrong stared in shock.
Then, when she looked at Li Zhexian again, her admiration deepened even more.
Li Zhexian quickly turned into sword qi and jumped between Da Ming and Er Ming.
"Senior Da Ming, Senior Er Ming—I came today for an important matter."
"How about we go to the Lake of Life?"
"Alright."
Da Ming nodded.
Er Ming lowered his massive head, glanced at the pale-faced Ning Rongrong, and rumbled:
"Brother Zhexian… is this one also your mate?"
Ning Rongrong's face instantly went from pale to scarlet.
The wording was crude—
But suddenly, she found this big gorilla a bit… cute.
"N-no! Of course not!"
Li Zhexian shook his head quickly, replying seriously:
"We're just friends!"
"Your friend? Then she comes too!"
Er Ming scooped Li Zhexian up onto his shoulder with one huge hand and strode deeper into the forest, the ground shaking.
"Brother Zhexian…"
Er Ming suddenly lowered his voice:
"Sister Xiao Wu said you're very popular in the human world!"
"Can you help your brother get a cape too?"
"One like the Great Sage Equal to Heaven wore!"
Li Zhexian couldn't help laughing.
"With Senior Er Ming's gigantic body… I'm afraid we'd need cloth from a hundred households."
"A hundred households? Then hurry and get it for your brother!"
"A 'hundred-household cloth' isn't something you just get casually."
—
And at the very moment Li Zhexian stepped into Star Dou—
Deep beneath the earth—
Inside a underground palace—
The Divine Butterfly and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion sensed something and became excited and restless.
The two little creatures started headbutting the barrier to the surface again.
Deep within the palace—
A pair of dark-gold dragon eyes slowly opened.
"Why is that human boy here again?"
"Does he think Star Dou Forest is his home?!"
"…Hm?"
"This aura…"
Di Tian's solemn voice paused for the first time, a trace of surprise leaking through:
"A realm of Pure and Immaculate?"
"How could a human possess the physical level of a pure-blooded dragon?!"
In the center of the underground palace—
The Skydream Ice Worm, surrounded by the five fierce beasts, quietly opened one small eye, ecstatic inside:
"Good, good, GOOD!"
"I didn't wait in vain!"
"This human youth is finally here again!"
In its long years trapped in the palace,
the Skydream Ice Worm had not simply resigned itself to being a source of vitality for the five fierce beasts.
It had been thinking.
Plotting.
Running countless simulations of escape.
"This boy's spiritual power is vast—he has the very makings of a god!"
"He's the perfect vessel to hold my Spirit Ring and Spirit Bone!"
"If I miss this chance, I might never again encounter such a suitable human!"
...
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