Zhang Lexuan released Huo Yuhao's hand. Like a robot, she moved with stiff, mechanical steps, drifting forward in a daze.
Those eleven companions had not even left behind skeletons... In this continent's oldest primeval forest, human strength is so frail; soul beasts are the true masters here.
Memories of the deceased surged up like a tide, suffocating Zhang Lexuan. Before her eyes, the voices and faces of those eleven people flickered into existence.
...
"Lexuan."
"Sister Lexuan!"
"Sister Lexuan, where is Elder Xuan? Has Elder Xuan abandoned us?"
"Sister Lexuan, forget about us! You have the highest cultivation, run, quickly!"
...
Tears fell from her exquisite face like broken strings of pearls. Her foot suddenly struck a stone, and with a stumble, Zhang Lexuan collapsed to the ground.
She didn't stand up. Instead, she crawled forward inch by inch, heedless of her soiled clothes. She crawled until she reached the few remaining relics of her companions, covering her mouth to keep herself from crying out loud.
Huo Yuhao didn't say a word. He watched silently, doing his best to expand his Spiritual Interference Domain, making the surrounding mist even more hazy to shield their presence and sound.
This was Zhang Lexuan's funeral for them; he only needed to bear witness.
Using a storage soul tool, she packed away their meager belongings one by one—whether it was scraps of clothing, remnant soul tools, or their weapons. As long as something remained, even if it was stained with blood or torn with skin, Zhang Lexuan carefully organized and stowed them away.
Five minutes later, Zhang Lexuan stood up and sent a mental transmission to Huo Yuhao.
"Let's... go."
She knew the priority of the situation. Staying here for even a single extra second was an act of irresponsibility toward her own life and Huo Yuhao's.
Grabbing Huo Yuhao's hand, she pulled him along at high speed.
Huo Yuhao noticed that while Zhang Lexuan's eyes were still red, she had almost entirely regained her usual gentle expression.
Huo Yuhao silently used the water element to wash away the mud clinging to Zhang Lexuan. All girls value cleanliness, let alone a great beauty like her.
By the time the two successfully evaded the surrounding soul beasts without further incident, they were finally nearing the outermost edge of the Star Dou Great Forest. A full two hours had passed.
It seemed that after the soul beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest experienced their surge in cultivation, they hadn't just stayed idle; the forest's coverage had expanded significantly outward. Otherwise, with Zhang Lexuan's Soul Douluo cultivation, even if she wasn't going all out, it shouldn't have taken this long to run from the Mixed Zone to the Outer Area.
At this point, the tension could finally ease. The two found a relatively flat and hidden spot to sit and rest.
Just as they let out a sigh of relief, Zhang Lexuan's upper body suddenly snapped up. She swung her long hair around 180 degrees and threw herself into Huo Yuhao's arms.
The slender Zhang Lexuan was bent over, which looked a bit awkward, but she seemed intent on maintaining this position for a while.
Leaning her face against Huo Yuhao's left shoulder and gripping his shoulders tightly, a faint sensation soon came from his left shoulder. Tiny droplets fell one by one, wetting his shirt and touching his skin.
"...Thank you, Yuhao. I'm truly so lucky to have met you... I feel lucky from the bottom of my heart..."
"..."
Huo Yuhao reached out and hugged Zhang Lexuan, pulling her shapely, delicate body into his arms as gently as possible, lightly stroking her back.
That whisper was thick with the sound of tears. Originally, Huo Yuhao felt that his time studying and living at Shrek was entirely redundant and meaningless. But after hearing Zhang Lexuan's tearful lament today, he felt that perhaps it wasn't completely without purpose.
Perhaps, meeting them was the meaning...
Her small sobs continued for nearly two minutes. Huo Yuhao did not let go, silently bearing the weight of her tears.
Only when the sound of sobbing quieted down did Huo Yuhao speak.
"Teacher Lexuan, try to let those who died live on through you..."
Huo Yuhao spoke these words; naturally, they weren't something a child could come up with—they were taught to him by Baili Du years ago.
Many things require life experience to understand, but that didn't stop Huo Yuhao from playing parrot to suit the occasion.
"Their hope for life is all entrusted to you! Their joys and sorrows...!!!"
Before he could finish, Huo Yuhao's gaze froze on a figure not far away, unable to look away.
It was a golden soul beast that looked like a sun. Her entire body was like translucent crystal, covered in brilliant golden fur. A vertical eye had appeared on her forehead, and her transparent eyes were like rubies.
She caught sight of Huo Yuhao out of the corner of her eye, and then she froze just like him, her gaze staring straight at Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao was completely stunned. Although he was holding Zhang Lexuan, his Spiritual Detection was always active! Even if a soul beast could block his mental power, Skydream and the Golden Tortoise were inside his Spiritual Sea—they should have at least detected any danger!
But there had been no warning. This golden soul beast had appeared before him as if out of thin air.
For it to appear like this naturally meant its strength and mental power far surpassed his own.
Huo Yuhao swallowed hard, his instinct telling him to flee for his life, but for some reason, he couldn't pull his gaze away from this soul beast.
His first reaction upon seeing it was actually: What a beautiful, regal soul beast...
In terms of appearance, among all the soul beasts Huo Yuhao had seen so far, this "Golden Tabby" was definitely the most beautiful and most in line with his aesthetics.
Zhang Lexuan seemed to realize something was wrong as well. She reluctantly lifted her tear-blurred face from Huo Yuhao's embrace and looked back.
Her body reacted reflexively as she leapt up, shielding Huo Yuhao. Eight soul rings lit up as her own soul power and mental power surged out frantically, igniting her seventh and eighth soul rings without hesitation.
"Yuhao! Run! Go back and find Elder Mu—the old man who guards your dormitory!"
Seeing the blood-red 100,000-year eighth soul ring beneath Zhang Lexuan's feet, the golden soul beast's eyes narrowed slightly.
Feeling a mental power vastly stronger than his own, Huo Yuhao realized things were bad. "Teacher Lexuan..."
As soon as he spoke, Zhang Lexuan's delicate body swayed as if struck by a giant hammer, and she fell backward.
Huo Yuhao hurriedly caught her; fortunately, she had only been knocked unconscious by a mental power shock.
At that moment, the golden soul beast spoke.
"Is she your... I believe the human term is, partner?"