After all, it was a white Poké Ball—not at all sturdy. Under the onslaught of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast at full power, the ball could hardly contain it. Lasting one or two minutes would be impressive.
But Su Wen had never expected it to hold the beast permanently—he just needed some time. Whether the ball could be repaired after breaking... At a moment of life and death, who cared?
The ball trembled violently.
As if something terrifying was sealed inside.
Fine cracks spread across its surface like a spiderweb.
Hiss...
Su Wen clutched his head, curled up on the ground, his face turning purple in pain.
This was the first time he'd felt his brain being torn apart—like someone stabbing his mind with a knife and stirring. The pain was so intense he nearly lost consciousness, unable even to scream.
"Xiao Wen, are you alright? Don't scare me..."
Ma Xiaotao rushed over, scooping Su Wen into her arms, her pretty face full of anxiety. The evil fire around her was almost losing control.
Zhang Lexuan, supported by another female student, also watched Su Wen anxiously—she was the only one who knew about his martial soul, though not the details.
But for a twelve-year-old boy to seal a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, whatever the method, the cost was obvious.
About a minute later—
Bang!
A crisp shattering sound.
The white ball in Su Wen's hand quietly broke apart. A beam of blood-colored light shot out—the furious Blood-Eating Demon Tiger. It roared and lunged again.
But in the next instant, its terrifying aura stalled—then plummeted like a punctured balloon.
"Huff..."
Zhang Lexuan sighed in relief.
Her eyes were cold.
"Kill!!!"
...
"Hope I'm not too late, hope..." Xuan Zi's face was extremely grim.
Though he muttered hopefully, he knew well that over two hours had passed since the warning was sent. With the enemy's strength, he might only find the fresh remains of the Shrek students, digested by the hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
Even if any survived, the casualties would be severe.
Crash~
As he crossed another ancient tree, he finally stopped.
He saw a massive corpse that made his pupils contract, but soon realized the hundred-thousand-year soul beast was already dead—its body covered in wounds, with several fatal gashes to the neck and abdomen.
The wounds didn't look like those from a normal kill—more like a venting of rage.
Nearby, the Inner Court disciples had set up a temporary camp.
Bandaged wounded, scouts, but no sign of Zhang Lexuan, Su Wen, and the others.
Xuan Zi's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be...
He strode into the camp.
Everyone noticed him, but instead of hope, their gazes were laced with disappointment and silence, the feeling of lost trust weighing on him.
"Lexuan?"
Finally, inside a tent, he found Zhang Lexuan—
And Su Wen, pale and lying in Ma Xiaotao's arms.
"Elder Xuan, you're here?" Zhang Lexuan sighed softly.
"..."
Xuan Zi took a deep breath. "How is the child?"
"He bought us a minute at the most critical moment, at the cost of his martial soul breaking, to stall the Blood-Eating Demon Tiger. But whether his martial soul can reform..." Zhang Lexuan shook her head.
Xuan Zi opened his mouth, full of shock.
A six-year-old, just stepping into soul mastery, could actually affect the outcome of a Title Douluo-level battle.
"Roar~!"
A low growl came from outside.
A snow-white baboon squeezed in, growling at Xuan Zi as if blaming him for dereliction of duty.
"Sigh, when we get back, I'll ask Elder Mu to let me resign as vice master of the Sea God Pavilion. The responsibility for this failed mission is mine. I've let everyone down..." Xuan Zi slowly closed his eyes.
"That's your business, no need to tell me," Zhang Lexuan said softly.
Xuan Zi opened his mouth, full of regret.
He knew that although Lexuan wouldn't say it, there was a thorn in her heart.
Ma Xiaotao bit her lip.
She wanted to rebuke Xuan Zi but was stopped by Lexuan's glance.
Even her teacher Yan Shaozhe could only treat Elder Xuan with utmost respect. There was no way the Academy would really let him resign over this.
As team leader, being careless was usually fine. But in the dangerous Star Dou Forest Core, treating it like a picnic...
"Xiaotao, are you okay?" Xuan Zi hesitated.
"Hmph!" Ma Xiaotao snorted and ignored him.
…
…
…
Su Wen felt as if he was falling into a deep pool.
He could only watch himself sink into endless darkness.
Suddenly—
A beam of light flashed before him.
A hand reached down. Su Wen grabbed it with all his strength, struggling to climb up.
Gasp...
The world shattered.
Su Wen gasped for air, jolting awake. He was in a peaceful bedroom—not luxurious, but exuding simple elegance. All wooden furniture, a faint woodsy aroma in the air, sunlight streaming through the window.
The whole room was warm and cozy.
He turned his head.
A slender white hand was entwined with his, fingers long and fair, with nails painted crimson, quite alluring.
And the owner of this hand...
Was Ma Xiaotao, fast asleep at his bedside.
He was lying on a soft wooden bed. As he sat up, his head felt dizzy, but his body was otherwise fine.
Wait, my martial soul!
Su Wen's pupils shrank. He quickly checked his condition.
His meridians were normal, none of the usual blocked meridian tropes. The Poké Ball that floated in his spiritual sea was... still there.
It had self-repaired?
Su Wen was confused—but relieved.
In this world, strength was everything. Without it, you couldn't survive.
If he had really been crippled, there'd be trouble.
The Poké Ball was empty—Gale wasn't inside. But Su Wen wasn't worried. Although he'd blacked out, he vaguely remembered the weakened Blood-Eating Demon Tiger being killed by the Shrek Inner Court disciples.
Gale had probably returned with the team.
He believed senior sister would handle it.
Then he checked his soul power.
"Huh? Fourteenth rank?!!"
Su Wen blurted out.
His level had risen instead of falling!
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