He didn't dare lift his head—terrified he might bump into something he absolutely shouldn't.
"As expected…"
Zhang Lexuan's face grew colder.
She held Su Wen with one arm and the jade fan with the other.
Only the holder could truly feel the urgency.....the omen of imminent danger.
"Lexuan, is it really a hundred-thousand-year soul beast?"
Zhang Yi asked grimly as he kept pace beside them.
"Even if it isn't, it's at least a human expert of the same tier,"
Zhang Lexuan replied in a low voice.
"For now, we can't confirm whether its target is us.....or if it's merely passing through."
"Then let's stop hoping for the best and prepare for the worst,"
Zhang Yi exhaled heavily.
Compared to a human expert, they would rather face a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
Neither was easy to deal with—but at least soul beasts followed clearer instincts.
"Not good.....its speed has increased!"
Zhang Lexuan's pupils shrank sharply.
The jade fan in her hand grew warm, the red crystal flaring with blinding intensity.
Only one message echoed through her mind:
Run.
Elsewhere — Star Dou Great Forest, Core Region
Towering ancient cedars blocked out all sunlight, plunging the forest floor into shadow.
Amid them, Xuan Zi stared greedily at a slab of nearly roasted snake meat. The rich aroma filled the air as he swallowed hard.
"Almost done… almost…"
"It's a shame how rare these Crisp Venom Snakes are,"
he muttered regretfully.
"I searched half the forest just to find a thousand-year one. With rice wine, that'd be perfect—but time's up…"
He sighed.
"I'll have to ask the kitchen for more rice wine when I get back. Looks like I'll be sober for a while… hm~"
Just as he hummed a tune and took a bite.....
He suddenly sprang up.
"Damn it! Something's wrong on Su Wen's side!"
"Wasn't it the edge of the core region? How could there be a hundred-thousand-year soul beast....."
His voice cut off abruptly.
Because he suddenly remembered.....
That area was already the core region.
The likelihood of encountering a hundred-thousand-year soul beast there was more than ten times higher than on the outskirts.
"Please make it in time… please…"
Xuan Zi transformed into a streak of yellow light and shot toward the sky.
Behind him, only a lonely campfire remained
And a piece of snake meat, slowly burning to charcoal.
"It's closer!"
Zhang Lexuan's voice was ice-cold.
She called out precise figures.
"The distance is now ten thousand meters. Its speed is terrifying.
At this rate, it'll catch up to us in at most three minutes!"
Clearly, only high-tier soul masters could fully utilize this soul tool's capabilities.
Su Wen had only scratched the surface.
Strictly speaking, if Zhang Lexuan, Ruoling, and the other Soul Saints ran at full speed, they could extend this time by two or threefold.
But the team also had Soul Kings slowing them down—
And Su Wen and Ma Xiaotao further limited Zhang Lexuan's pace.
Zhang Lexuan clearly had no intention of abandoning anyone.
"Prepare to fight."
Her voice was low, calm—and resolute.
"Yes!"
The moment the Senior Sister's cold expression settled in, the Inner Court elites of Shrek Academy finally realized what lay before them.
This would be a battle between life and death.
Without an academy elder present, a single hundred-thousand-year soul beast was more than enough to slaughter them all.
Even with several Soul Saints among them, resisting such an existence head-on was nearly impossible.
Especially one Soul King—his face turned deathly pale.
"I… I don't want to die… I just obtained my fifth soul ring… my future is still—"
"Enough!"
Zhang Lexuan snapped.
She swept her gaze across the group, speaking slowly and firmly.
"No one is dying here. Elder Xuan is already rushing back at full speed.
He will not abandon us. This is a trial—an assessment meant for Inner Court disciples."
Her eyes hardened.
"Ruoling. Zhang Yi. I will report this to the academy and treat this battle as your graduation assessment.
As for the rest of you—this will count toward one of your future evaluations."
She clenched her teeth.
There is only one condition for passing."
Her voice rang out, cold and sharp.
"Survive."
The group came to a complete stop.
They abandoned their last few minutes of retreat time.
Running any farther would only drain their stamina until the beast caught up and slaughtered them. Better to conserve strength and fight with everything they had.
"Ruoling, Li Nian, Zhang Chuyan,"
Zhang Lexuan ordered crisply.
"You three are agility-type soul masters.
Ruoling, take command. Gain air superiority, provide vision, and conduct aerial harassment. Your safety comes first."
"Yes!"
"Zhang Yi," she continued.
You're a control-type soul master. Use your Ghost Vines to restrain it and interfere.
If it changes targets, provide immediate support. Ling Yuan, Bai Nian—you protect Zhang Yi at all costs. He cannot fall."
"Understood!"
"Xiaotao and Su Wen, stay with Zhang Yi. Hundred-thousand-year soul beasts usually prioritize stronger targets—you'll be relatively safer there."
Her gaze sharpened.
"The rest of you—attack with me!"
Zhang Lexuan's voice dropped, heavy with authority.
"Remember this well. This is a battle of attrition.
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