Chapter 3: Tang Ya, Bei Bei
One day later, at noon.
In the area of the Star Dou Great Forest near the Star Luo Empire, the trees were still towering, but there were already many traces of human activity in the woods.
Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on a high branch of a giant tree, meditating with his eyes closed.
The two Divine Dogs had already been sent further away, one to the left and one to the right, waiting for Huo Yuhao's aura to appear.
During meditation, his mind was connected to his Shikigami.
Suddenly, a shared visual image from the White Jade Dog abruptly flooded into his consciousness.
The vision shook slightly; it seemed the Divine Dog's head was being rubbed by someone.
A pretty face brimming with youthful vitality leaned in close. The young girl's eyes were filled with joy as she vigorously rubbed the thick fur on the side of the Divine Dog's neck.
"What a cute doggy! So fluffy and warm! Is it someone's pet? Why is it here?"
Standing behind the girl was a youth with a gentle temperament and shoulder-length blue hair.
He did not lower his guard, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings as he whispered a reminder.
"Xiao Ya, be careful. This wolf-dog is quite large and has a strong aura. If it comes to a fight, we might not be able to subdue it quickly."
Lin Xuan opened his eyes on the treetop, his expression turning somewhat strange.
Tang Ya, Bei Bei.
Luck... seemed even better than he had expected?
To run into these two so soon.
With his thoughts racing, Lin Xuan made a decision.
Instead of waiting here like a sitting duck, it would be better to use these ready-made guides. As long as he followed them, he would definitely find Huo Yuhao.
With a thought, the White Jade Dog, which was enjoying Tang Ya's petting, and the Black Jade Dog, which was stealthily searching on the other side, received his command simultaneously. They turned without hesitation and sprinted back toward Lin Xuan.
"Eh? Why did it run away?"
Tang Ya, who was happily petting the dog, was stunned. She watched the White Jade Dog's retreating back as it vanished into the bushes, feeling a bit reluctant to see it go.
"Bei Bei, let's follow it! Its owner must be nearby! To be able to raise a Soul Beast like this is incredible!"
She had always been lively; she acted as soon as she thought of it, chasing after it before she had even finished speaking.
"Xiao Ya! Don't be reckless!"
Bei Bei looked helpless but could only follow immediately.
The two didn't chase far before rounding a few thick bushes. The view ahead suddenly opened up into a small clearing in the woods.
The White Jade Dog that had just run away was now lying quietly under an ancient tree.
Beside it was another wolf-dog of similar size, entirely pitch-black.
And between the two majestic wolf-dogs, a figure stood casually leaning against the tree.
It was a youth who looked even younger than Bei Bei, with a tall and slender build.
His short, ink-black hair had a few unruly tufts sticking up. He had a handsome face, and his eyes, in particular, were a deep black, like the purest black crystals.
But Bei Bei's steps faltered the moment he stepped into the clearing, his back subconsciously tensing up.
Even though the other party's stance was casual and full of openings, he felt an intense sense of danger!
What's with this guy? Is he a genius raised by some Sect? Just by his stance, I can tell he's strong!
Tang Ya didn't think that much; her eyes lit up.
Her gaze shifted between Lin Xuan and the two docile Divine Dogs. A bright smile blossomed on her face as she took a few quick steps forward, her voice full of admiration.
"Hello! Did you raise these two majestic and obedient doggies? How did you do it? What kind of Soul Beasts are they? I've never seen anything so special!"
Lin Xuan gave a gentle smile and shook his head slightly.
"They aren't Soul Beasts I've raised."
"Eh? Not Soul Beasts?" Tang Ya asked, puzzled.
Lin Xuan smiled and didn't answer immediately. Instead, he rubbed the heads of the two Divine Dogs and then snapped his fingers.
As the sound faded, the two Divine Dogs instantly melted like ice and snow, turning into shadows that returned to the shadow beneath his feet.
"As you can see, this is my Martial Soul. To be precise, they are creations of my Martial Soul."
"Ah?"
Tang Ya was dumbfounded. "There's actually someone whose Martial Soul ability is to create animals?"
Bei Bei stepped forward now, slightly shielding Tang Ya with his body, and said with a kind smile.
"Hello, my name is Bei Bei, and this is my girlfriend, Tang Ya. We are both students of Shrek Academy. I'm sorry for approaching your Martial Soul without permission just now."
"Oh? Shrek Academy?"
Lin Xuan put on a surprised expression.
"So you're my seniors! My name is Lin Xuan, and I'm a freshman at Shrek Academy this year."
"To think we'd meet a junior here!"
Tang Ya's eyes suddenly lit up brilliantly as she clapped her hands in excitement.
"Then, Junior, can you summon those two doggies again for me to see? In exchange, if you ever have any trouble at the academy, just tell your senior! I'll look out for you!"
She patted her chest, looking very heroic.
But then, as if remembering something, she scratched her head awkwardly and added.
"However... if I'm the one handling things, you'll just end up worried. There's basically nothing I can do right. To put it bluntly, if you leave it to me, you might as well not have said anything; I'll definitely mess it up for you."
"..."
Lin Xuan knew Tang Ya had a lively personality, but he didn't expect her to be this lively.
I thought you were the academy's heavy hitter, but it turns out you're just the garnish?
"Ahem, Xiao Ya, stop talking for a moment."
Bei Bei really wanted to cover his face right now, but this was the Star Dou Great Forest after all. Often, humans were more dangerous than Soul Beasts.
He looked back at Lin Xuan and, after weighing his words, asked warmly.
"Since you're a junior, that makes things easier. Xiao Ya and I are here to hunt Soul Beasts for Soul Rings. I assume Junior Lin is here alone for a similar purpose?"
He asked this both to probe and to find a reasonable excuse to end the conversation and then "go our separate ways."
This junior always gave him an unfathomable sense of danger; it was better to keep a distance.
Lin Xuan nodded and went along with his words.
"That's right. I've already hunted a suitable Soul Beast and obtained my Soul Ring. I'm just resting here for a bit to consolidate my cultivation."
Hearing this, Bei Bei felt slightly relieved, and the smile on his face became more natural.
"Then congratulations, Junior. In that case, we won't disturb your rest..."
His word "rest" hadn't fully left his mouth.
"Rumble—!!!"
From deep within the distant forest, a terrifying, world-shaking roar suddenly erupted!
It was as if an ancient giant beast was frantically trampling the earth, or like thunder exploding underground!
An overbearingly fierce aura, accompanied by evil fluctuations that made the soul tremble, swept in like a tsunami, instantly enveloping the area!
Bei Bei and Tang Ya's faces changed drastically!
In the next moment, the dense forest several hundred meters to their side was swept as if by an invisible giant blade, collapsing, snapping, and falling with a crash!
Amidst the billowing dust, a massive, hideous, and terrifying figure appeared!
It looked like a tiger, its body covered in pitch-black fur, with hideous bone spikes growing from its back and a hooked scorpion tail. Gray-black evil energy swirled around it!
It violently smashed through all obstacles and leaped out!
"Fuck!"
Seeing this ferocious god, Lin Xuan cursed inwardly!
What kind of dog-shit luck is this?
The Star Dou Great Forest is so big, yet I still run into the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger?!"