No wonder the Nether Python had snapped and chased after it.....this little rascal had eaten one and taken another for the road.
Gale scratched its head awkwardly.
Su Wen's mouth twitched.
"You ate two?!"
"Next time, leave some mercy. For treasures like this, at least leave one for the owner."
Gale nodded obediently.
That explained why the stat increase had stalled—jumping twice. First by 0.07, then only 0.02.
"Roar."
But then—
Thud.
A limp snake body was dropped right in front of Su Wen.
Xuan Zi reappeared, casually picking at his teeth.
"I gave it a good beating. Kill it or spare it—your call."
"He didn't say thank you?"
Su Wen glanced at the Nether Python's lifeless expression and raised an eyebrow.
"If he didn't, then beat him again—until he does."
Gale: "..."
Nether Python: "..."
Xuan Zi rolled his shoulders, grinning as he reached out again.
"Hisssss!!!"
The Nether Python let out a despairing cry.
"Wait!"
Su Wen suddenly froze and looked at Xuan Zi.
"It… can't talk, can it?"
"Who told you it could?"
Xuan Zi asked, confused.
"Aren't most ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts able to speak human language? This thing's over thirty thousand years old…"
Su Wen explained.
"Not all of them,"
Xuan Zi sighed.
"Special species like the Nether Python can only speak after breaking through to a hundred thousand years."
"…Then why didn't you say so earlier?"
Su Wen's mouth twitched.
"I thought you meant 'beat it up hard,'"
Xuan Zi shrugged.
Nether Python: hiss (Are you kidding me…)
"Ah… hahaha."
Su Wen scratched his head awkwardly.
The Nether Python's resentful stare looked like it could burn holes through him.
"Alright."
Su Wen tossed the remaining Dragon-Whisker Fruit to the Nether Python.
Humans couldn't use it anyway. Giving it to Ma Xiaotao would only harm her.
Gale had already eaten two and needed months to digest them...by then, the fruit would've long expired.
No sense wasting it.
"Hiss…"
The Nether Python looked at Su Wen in surprise.
After hesitating for a moment, it snatched the fruit and fled toward the interwoven branches of distant ancient trees.....moving like lightning, full of vitality, showing none of its earlier pitiful state.
Xuan Zi: "..."
Damn it—played me.
"Well, kid, you're pretty interesting,"
Xuan Zi said lazily, taking another bite of chicken leg.
"I thought you'd ask me to kill it."
"My martial soul has a natural affinity with Soul Beasts,"
Su Wen replied.
"At the very least… I won't kill indiscriminately."
Xuan Zi pulled out his wine gourd and tipped it toward his mouth.
Nothing came out.
"No wine left?"
He peered into the gourd, then sighed.
"Food's almost gone too.
Living off the Soul Beasts around here is miserable....either too tough or too mushy. How's an old man supposed to survive like this…"
"Wait."
Xuan Zi suddenly looked at Su Wen, who had already slipped back into deep meditation.
A spark of inspiration flashed in his eyes.
"Oh.....got it!"
I'll just sneak away for a bit… just a little while. It should be fine, right…"
Xuan Zi muttered softly to himself.
He waved his hand in front of Su Wen's eyes, called his name twice, and only after confirming that Su Wen was still deep in meditation did he finally relax.
Cautiously, he placed a long feather fan beside him.
This fan was an ancient soul tool passed down through the Sea God Pavilion for thousands of years.
It carried the aura of a Super Douluo. Even if Xuan Zi left, the fan would simulate his presence.
At the same time, it could automatically trigger defensive protection in case of danger.
As long as they didn't encounter a hundred
-thousand-year Soul Beast, safety was more than guaranteed.
"This is the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest's core region.
Twenty- to thirty-thousand-year Soul Beasts are everywhere, but hundred-thousand-year ones… there are only a few in the entire forest.
Besides, if anything happens, the fan's defenses will activate. I'll make it back in time."
Satisfied, Xuan Zi nodded.
His figure vanished.
Yawn~"
Su Wen slowly woke up.
Xuan Zi was nowhere to be seen. Only the long feather fan lay beside him.
His heart skipped a beat.
"Oh no."
Gale immediately returned to the Poké Ball.
Su Wen had no idea where Xuan Zi had gone.
He picked up the fan and examined it closely.
A defensive-type soul tool.
Su Wen's mouth twitched.
Clearly, Xuan Zi had taken advantage of his deep meditation to go searching for food.....and alcohol.
This was the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest!
And he just… left?
Su Wen's expression darkened.
He had now fully experienced just how unreliable Xuan Zi could be.
"Whew…"
Su Wen narrowed his eyes and scanned the surroundings.
Perhaps due to the fan's presence, even after Xuan Zi vanished, no Soul Beasts dared approach.
He let out a slow breath.
At least Xuan Zi hadn't completely lost his mind.....he'd left behind a trump card.
"Well… since we're already here, might as well eat."
Su Wen sighed.
The sun dipped toward the horizon as evening approached.
In the distance below, campfires had already been lit by the Shrek Academy team.
His body moved lightly, agile as a monkey.
From the thousand-meter-high ancient tree, he leapt from massive roots and branches, descending rapidly.
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