Zhu Zhuqing was still in a daze.
She had returned to her normal human form, her beautiful eyes blankly staring at Li Zhexian.
His first Spirit Ring was at the thousand-year level!?
If word got out, no one would even believe it.
What kind of monster was this guy!?
"Alright," Li Zhexian said, waving a hand in front of her face. "Snap out of it."
"I said, per our agreement, you owe me a favor."
"Ah? Oh, right." Zhu Zhuqing nodded.
"I'll keep my word—as long as it's not anything… weird."
Li Zhexian rolled his eyes.
"You think too highly of yourself."
Seeing her face flush with embarrassment, he chuckled and continued,
"I want your help in obtaining my second Spirit Ring."
Zhu Zhuqing blinked, then her eyes lit up slightly. She nodded without hesitation.
"Alright."
Her quick agreement actually caught Li Zhexian off guard.
After all, hunting Spirit Beasts was dangerous business.
He thought for a moment, then added seriously:
"I'll be upfront. I'm aiming for a thousand-year Spirit Beast."
"If that's too much, I understand."
Zhu Zhuqing's expression remained calm as she stepped forward.
"I've already decided."
Of course she knew the risks.
But compared to the danger, she was far more curious—how did this boy manage to absorb a Spirit Ring above his level?
After several steps, she noticed Li Zhexian hadn't followed.
She turned her head and frowned.
"I'm a girl and I said yes. What are you still hesitating for?"
Li Zhexian pointed behind her.
"You're walking the wrong way."
Zhu Zhuqing: "…"
"I'm Li Zhexian," he said, taking a swig from his wine gourd.
"You helping me out this time—consider me in your debt."
Zhu Zhuqing, having recovered from her earlier awkwardness, replied calmly,
"I said I'd help, and I will."
"Besides, you're way stronger than me. I doubt I'll be much help anyway."
Li Zhexian just smiled and didn't say more.
They continued on together.
Watching him drink wine nonstop, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but ask:
"You're drinking so much. Aren't you afraid you'll drop your sword in battle?"
Li Zhexian wiped his mouth, swaying slightly as he replied,
"You don't get it."
"To me, wine is the soul of the sword."
"The more I drink, the more uninhibited I become—and the sharper my edge."
Zhu Zhuqing paused, gazing at his carefree figure ahead of her.
A curious glint flickered in her eyes.
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the towering trees grew even more imposing. The foliage took on a deep, inky green.
They had officially entered the inner perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The air carried a faint, bloody stench.
It was a warning from the Spirit Beasts to intruders.
Zhu Zhuqing scanned the surroundings cautiously.
"Li Zhexian, what kind of Spirit Beast are you after?"
Li Zhexian frowned slightly.
Even he wasn't entirely sure.
He had originally planned a perfect Spirit Ring path for himself—but his first ring ended up being a thousand-year one, completely overturning his previous plans.
"I'm targeting the Swordtail Scorpion."
The Swordtail Scorpion was a type of Spirit Beast that dwelled in dark, shadowy places.
Unlike common scorpions, its tail was shaped like a sword—non-poisonous, but extremely sharp.
According to books, one tail sweep from a Swordtail Scorpion could instantly kill Spirit Beasts of equal age.
Its combat prowess was terrifying.
Li Zhexian was determined to take his Qinglian Sword Martial Soul down a pure offense route.
The Swordtail Scorpion was the perfect match.
"Swordtail Scorpion?" Zhu Zhuqing frowned.
She hadn't heard of that Spirit Beast before.
But just from the name, she could guess it was no pushover.
"Then let's pick up the pace," she said.
"If we wait too long, the forest will get far more dangerous after dark."
Finally—
After half an hour, a hidden valley tucked behind the dense forest appeared before them.
A chill, faintly foul-smelling wind blew from the valley's mouth, carrying an eerie, wailing sound.
Li Zhexian warned,
"Careful. This kind of terrain is ideal for Swordtail Scorpions."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded solemnly.
The two cautiously entered the valley.
It was about fifteen meters wide inside, damp and overgrown with wild grass.
On either side of the valley walls, deep grooves crisscrossed like scars—visibly dangerous.
Li Zhexian reached out and touched one of the grooves.
Smooth as polished glass—not a hint of resistance.
Which meant whatever made these grooves was incredibly sharp.
"Not bad at all," Li Zhexian muttered with a satisfied grin.
These marks were undoubtedly left by Swordtail Scorpions.
And their tail blades were even sharper than he'd anticipated.
"The Swordtail Scorpion really is a perfect match for a sword-type Martial Soul."
"If I can absorb one of their Spirit Rings, my Qinglian Sword will definitely level up."
As he thought this, he glanced at Zhu Zhuqing's tense face and said with a smile:
"Zhu Zhuqing, if you want to back out now, it's not too late."
Zhu Zhuqing gave him a sideways glance.
"Hmph. Don't underestimate me."
"I'm not the kind of person who goes back on her word."
Li Zhexian was about to reply when—
From within the valley, a rustling sound began, soft but approaching rapidly.
His expression shifted.
He grabbed Zhu Zhuqing and pulled her behind a massive boulder.
Zhu Zhuqing felt her small hand suddenly wrapped in his. Her cold little face flushed red.
She instinctively wanted to pull away—
But then she heard Li Zhexian whisper,
"Look!"
Following his gaze—
She saw them.
Dozens of half-meter-long scorpions surged out from the depths of the valley like a dark tide.
Their bodies were a bluish-black, and their raised tails resembled long swords. Even from a distance, she could see the chilling gleam at the tips.
They gathered in the open space of the valley, then raised their blade-like tails and began striking at the valley walls.
CRACK!—CRACK!
Under their strikes, the rock walls crumbled like fragile parchment.
Shards of stone rained down.
"Wh-What do we do now…?" Zhu Zhuqing whispered.
The two of them were pressed so close together they were practically touching.
Her voice trembled slightly.
Li Zhexian didn't notice—his full focus was on the Swordtail Scorpions.
What were they doing?
Group training?
Isn't this a little too disciplined?
Still receiving no answer, and feeling overwhelmed by the scent of the boy so close to her, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't take it anymore.
Her face was burning. She tried to shift away a bit.
"Li Zhexian, you—"
Before she could finish, he suddenly clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Mmm!"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at him.
Li Zhexian shook his head slowly, a serious look in his eyes.
She understood immediately.
Both of them turned their eyes back to the valley.
And what they saw—
The Swordtail Scorpions had stopped.
They lowered their heads, their raised tails dipping down as they quickly scurried to either side, clearing an open path.
At that moment—
Carried on a wave of stinking wind,
A massive, grotesque beast slowly crawled into view…