"Ahhh!!!"
Xuan Zi covered his eye, blood flowing down from between his fingers, his roar resounding through the heavens.
This arrow had nearly pierced through his skull.
He had underestimated Lu Cheng's full-strength strike; it was absolutely a blow comparable to that of a Super Douluo. Even as a level 98 Super Douluo, he should not have relied solely on his physical body to take it head-on.
But by the time he summoned his Martial Soul Avatar, it was already too late.
Xuan Zi used his other hand to grasp the crimson arrow, yanking it forcibly from his eye. Blood gushed out uncontrollably, dyeing the hand covering his eye a crimson red.
That eye... was shattered.
"Xuan Zi, taking one of your eyes is the justice I demand for Lexuan..."
The intense pain made his entire body tremble, and the arrogant words spoken by that figure in his mind only caused extreme rage to surge in his heart.
His remaining eye scanned the surroundings, but it was empty; where could Lu Cheng's figure be at this moment?
In his panic, his Godly Taotie Bull had also severely wounded the brat, but given that brat's ability to slip away like a loach, he had no idea where the boy had run off to.
"Lu Cheng, don't let me catch you again!!!"
Xuan Zi could only roar in impotent fury.
...
Star Dou Great Forest, near the easternmost edge, close to the border of the Dou Ling Empire.
On a massive boulder.
A figure in a black robe stood by, and behind him, leaning against the rock face with her long, beautiful legs curled up and folded together, was Zhang Lexuan, her pale blue eyes occasionally looking toward the distant sky with a hint of worry.
Suddenly, a whistling sound rang out.
A black shadow appeared in the sky, and by the time it was seen again, it had already landed on the massive boulder.
Pfft~
Just after landing, Lu Cheng couldn't hold it in; he half-knelt on the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood, as if his internal organs had been shaken and shifted out of place.
This was the full-strength counterattack of a level 98 Super Douluo.
For someone who hadn't even advanced to Titled Douluo, to be able to escape using Mirror Shadow and being severely wounded rather than losing his life there was already considered good luck.
"Are you alright, kid?" Crow frowned slightly.
Lu Cheng narrowed his eyes, glancing at Zhang Lexuan on the other side, whose eyes were clearly full of worry, yet she bit her red lips, hesitant and afraid to speak.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with one hand and waved it dismissively.
"It's nothing. He didn't track my movements."
"Why put yourself through this..." Crow glanced at Zhang Lexuan, then at Lu Cheng, his tone filled with emotion.
He was no fool; he naturally saw the trickery behind it.
This kid wasn't sparring; he was clearly going to demand an explanation from Xuan Zi.
Demanding an explanation from Shrek Academy because this young girl had nearly lost her life in this forest.
Who would have thought that a rising star in the Holy Spirit Cult, someone with monstrous power, would go to such great lengths for a woman from the righteous path?
"Although that old thing severely wounded me, before leaving, I also gave him a big gift... If he doesn't get timely treatment, that eye of his will most likely be completely blind."
Lu Cheng curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a brilliant smile.
It was just that his white teeth were still stained with a trace of blood.
"So what now? Bringing this young girl back to the Holy Spirit Cult?" Crow shook his head, unable to understand this guy's way of thinking.
"No."
Lu Cheng shook his head.
"Since I arranged for you to come here, it was naturally for another matter."
"What matters?" Crow raised an eyebrow.
"A massive opportunity. Consider it the reward for you acting as my protector along the way this time," Lu Cheng said indifferently.
"What do you mean?" Crow narrowed his eyes.
"Ten thousand years ago, seven humans became gods. According to ancient records, most of them consumed a certain immortal herb in their early years, improving their bone structure and enhancing their aptitude, which allowed them to attain their god position.
You naturally know who I am talking about: those seven statues standing at the entrance of Shrek Academy. For these ten thousand years, countless factions have been searching for the location of that immortal herb garden, but all have ended in failure."
Lu Cheng gazed toward the direction of the Sunset Forest, his tone distant.
"You mean..." Crow's pupils trembled.
"Correct. After Tang San became a god, he worried about others obtaining it, so he moved the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to the Sunset Forest, placing the highly poisonous Jade Phosphorus Seven-Absolute Flower on the outside to guard it. Over the years, without natural enemies to limit it and nourished by the energy within the valley, the Jade Phosphorus Seven-Absolute Flower grew wildly and complexly, which is why it looks the way it does today..." Lu Cheng said softly.
"I'm not even curious about your source of information." Crow shook his head, looking at Lu Cheng: "We are both from the Holy Spirit Cult. The world thinks all evil soul masters are sinister and cunning; aren't you afraid I'll kill you and keep this opportunity for myself?"
"You can try..." Lu Cheng chuckled.
"..."
A few seconds later, Crow was the first to look away, calmly asking, "When do we set off?"
"Now," Lu Cheng said.
"Although the poisonous miasma can block powerhouses at the Titled Douluo level, you are at least at the peak of level 94, a level close to a Super Douluo. With me, breaking in shouldn't be a problem."
In recent years, powerhouses have tried to enter the Sunset Forest, but even those at the Super Douluo level, while they managed to break in, were left blind and groping in the dark. Furthermore, threatened by the poisonous miasma, they dared not stay long and could only leave dejectedly.
But his other martial soul was the Blood Pupils, a pure mental type...
Finding that valley would not be difficult.
"Good!"
...
"Elder Xuan, are you alright?"
Seeing Xuan Zi return empty-handed, Ruo Mu was initially full of resentment and wanted to retort at the old guy for causing them to nearly lose their lives in this forest.
But seeing him covering his eye, clearly wounded, and his face looking terrifyingly gloomy, she couldn't help but speak with a worried expression.
"It's nothing; I was ambushed by that brat." Xuan Zi's face twitched. To be beaten into such a state by a kid who hadn't even reached the Titled Douluo level—how could he show his face if word got out?
However, on the way back, his anger gradually subsided, and he began to ponder what Lu Cheng had said earlier.
The matter of Lu Cheng's defection back then... there was likely a hidden story.
"Lexuan should be safe. Forget it, let's return to the Academy first," Xuan Zi said, waving his hand.
The urgent priority was to find Elder Mu and ask for the full story.
And also...
As a Vice Pavilion Master of the Sea Gods Pavilion, how could such an important matter be kept from even him?
Junior Martial Uncle was being too unreasonable!
...
Sunset Forest.
In the sky.
The further everyone moved toward the core area, the scarcer the Spirit Beasts became. In such a massive forest, even ten thousand-year-old Spirit Beasts were pitifully rare.
The strongest ones were merely thousand-year ones or hundred-year spirit beasts in groups.
"This Sunset Forest has really been ruined," Crow lamented.
Zhang Lexuan followed at the very back, her beautiful eyes studying the figure in front, and she couldn't help but feel a bit dazed. It was the same familiar and reliable back as always—tall, giving people a sense of security.
But now... things had changed.
He had long since joined the Holy Spirit Cult, and he had also crippled one of Elder Xuan's eyes. For the two of them, there was long since no possibility.
"Disperse the poisonous miasma; those guys have discovered us." Lu Cheng frowned slightly.
"Alright!" Crow waved his palm.
A dense dark aura surged around his body.
Notes:
ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧
Read advanced chapters at p@atreon/holyangelicdemon
Bonus
50 PS 1 chapter
100 PS 2 chapters
150 PS 3 chapters
Current translation status:
D:WMS |Ongoing| (2/day webnovel, 5/day p@atreon)
Fantasy Giant |Ongoing| (currently p@treon exclusive) (1/day)
Crossover Bizarre Containment |Caught Up|
Two Dimensional Fantasy System |Dropped|