...
Xuan Hao's heart skipped a beat as he was being watched by Bibi Dong.
His gaze was somewhat unfocused, and he awkwardly avoided Bibi Dong's eyes, pursing his lips and remaining silent.
"Yue Guan, you can go out first." Bibi Dong withdrew her gaze.
"Yes." Yue Guan didn't dare to ask any more questions and quickly withdrew, closing the palace door behind him.
The room fell silent again, with only Hu Liena's even breathing.
"Xuan Hao."
Bibi Dong looked at him and asked, "Were you saved because you survived?"
Xuan Hao kept his head down, his fingers unconsciously digging into the sheets, remaining silent.
He's not stupid.
He knew that at this moment, no matter what lie he told, it would be pale and powerless in front of this shrewd woman.
Looking at the silent Xuan Hao, Bibi Dong already knew the answer in her heart.
Although this child usually talks a lot of nonsense, his silence on important matters often indicates a preconceived notion.
He was indeed saved by that transformed soul beast.
He might even already know the other person's identity and is protecting them in this way.
"Alright."
Bibi Dong did not press him further, nor did she blame him for not reporting what he knew.
"Get some rest."
After saying that, she gave Xuan Hao a deep look, got up and walked out of the main hall.
...
Outside the palace gate, on the long corridor.
Yue Guan was pacing anxiously back and forth when he saw Bibi Dong come out, so he quickly went to greet her.
"Your Majesty..."
"What did you find out?"
Bibi Dong asked.
"Your Majesty, we're too late."
Yue Guan said with a look of frustration.
"The other side is very vigilant. I searched the entire area within dozens of miles of the mixed zone, but there wasn't a trace left.
That aura has completely disappeared. It seems... they've probably already hidden in the core area."
"The core area…" Bibi Dong frowned slightly.
"Yes. Before transforming, 100,000-year-old soul beasts are the overlords of the core area.
But after transforming and rebuilding, they need to come into contact with human auras to grow again.
The mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest is convenient for contacting humans who come into the towns on the edge of the forest, and can be retreated to the core area at any time if danger is encountered," Yue Guan analyzed.
"That was indeed the best hiding place for a transformed soul beast.
I just didn't expect it to run away so fast."
Bibi Dong pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned to ask, "Yue Guan, I'll ask you one more time."
"Are you sure the aura you sensed back then was from someone who had only recently taken human form?"
"Absolutely true!" Yue Guan answered decisively. "That aura was extremely weak and very unstable, like a newborn baby unable to contain its energy fluctuations.
If it were a soul beast that had been in human form for a long time, I couldn't have sensed it from that distance."
"Just transformed... that's equivalent to a human child of a few years old, with soul power only around level ten." Bibi Dong muttered to herself, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
In the midst of such a raging beast tide, even an ordinary Soul Emperor might not be able to pull someone back and help them retreat amidst the chaos.
At the very least, they must be Soul Saint level experts, and Soul Saints must possess special abilities.
How could a newly formed "child" with only level 10 soul power possibly save Xuan Hao from a beast tide?
This doesn't make any logical sense.
unless...
Bibi Dong's pupils suddenly contracted.
If it's a newly formed cub, it naturally can't save people.
But the one who saved people possessed strength at the level of a Soul Saint or higher.
The one that revealed its aura was a newly transformed cub.
What does this tell us?
Bibi Dong suddenly turned around and looked at Yue Guan: "Yue Guan, although you did not do well this time, you have inadvertently discovered a big secret."
"Your Majesty?
What secret?"
Yue Guan looked bewildered.
Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes: "The one who saved people and the one who leaked their aura are not the same person at all!"
"There... are two 100,000-year-old soul beasts there!"
Two 100,000-year-old soul beasts mean two 100,000-year-old soul rings and two 100,000-year-old top-grade soul bones that are guaranteed to drop!
For her, who was in the critical period of cultivating her twin martial souls and urgently needed high-quality spirit rings to fill the gap in her second martial soul, this was simply a perfect gift from heaven.
"Yue Guan! Pass on my order to summon the ghosts immediately!" Bibi Dong said in a deep voice.
"Even though the core area is guarded by the Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape, the two kings of the forest, we are determined to take it this time!"
"As long as you and Ghost use the Polar Stillness Domain to freeze those two beasts for a moment, I am confident that I can take those two transformed soul beasts away!"
"Especially that little thing that just transformed into human form!"
Since that big one was able to rescue people from the beast tide, its strength may have recovered to the level of Soul Saint or even Soul Douluo, making it potentially troublesome to capture.
But the smaller one, which had only recently transformed, was no different from a five- or six-year-old human child and could not escape her grasp!
"There's no time to lose, let's set off immediately!" Bibi Dong ordered.
"The smaller one's aura is still unstable, making this the perfect time to track her. If we delay for a few more days until she stabilizes, finding a needle in a haystack in the vast Star Dou Great Forest will be as difficult as climbing to heaven!"
"Yes! Your subordinate will go and call Old Ghost right away!" Yue Guan also knew that this was a golden opportunity.
If he could capture these two 100,000-year-old soul beasts, not only would his mistakes in front of the Pope be wiped clean, but he could even make a great contribution.
Just then, the heavy palace doors were slowly pushed open.
Xuan Hao, still somewhat pale and wearing only a thin nightgown, walked out with difficulty, one hand on the door frame and the other clutching his aching chest.
"etc..."
Bibi Dong frowned, quickly stepped forward, and said with a hint of reproach in her voice, "Why did you come out?
Didn't I tell you to rest properly? Your body can't take any more strain."
Xuan Hao raised his head, his sky-blue pupils fixed on Bibi Dong, and asked in a hoarse voice:
"Sister... could you take me with you?"
Bibi Dong was stunned for a moment: "What did you say?"
"I said, I want to go too." Xuan Hao took a deep breath and repeated, "Can I come with you?"
Standing to the side, Yue Guan stamped his feet anxiously: "Oh my little darling!
This isn't a picnic!
This is the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest!
We're going to fight the King of the Forest to the death!"
"I want to go." Xuan Hao interrupted Yue Guan, staring intently into Bibi Dong's eyes.
"Sister, take me with you."
Bibi Dong remained silent.
She looked at the stubborn child in front of her, her mind racing.
Logically speaking, this operation was extremely dangerous.
The aftershocks of the battle in the core area could kill even a Grand Soul Master, not to mention that Xuan Hao was still injured.
The most sensible thing to do is to leave him here to recover.
However, looking at Xuan Hao's complicated gaze, Bibi Dong seemed to understand something.
He was saved by that spirit beast.
Now, his teacher is going to hunt down his savior.
Perhaps he wanted to repay a debt of gratitude?
Or perhaps he wanted to plead for mercy?
Or perhaps... he simply wanted to witness the outcome of all of this?
Bibi Dong didn't know what Xuan Hao was thinking, but she knew that if she forced him to stay this time, the child would probably have a lifelong grudge.
"Do you know what we're going to do?"
Bibi Dong stared into his eyes and asked in a deep voice.
"I know." Xuan Hao nodded. "Go and capture…them."
"So you still want to go?"
"That's precisely why I'm even more determined to go." Xuan Hao lowered his head.
"No matter what, it's still... a 100,000-year-old soul beast.
I want to see it with my own eyes."
Bibi Dong stared at him intently for a long time, and finally sighed helplessly.
"Never mind."
She turned around and strode out, her voice cold as she spoke:
"Since you want to go, then come along."
"But once we get there, you must stay by my side at all times.
If you wander off and get killed by the aftershocks of the battle, don't blame me for not warning you."
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