Bab 33: Chapter 33: The Boss of Star Dou Forest—Sister Xiao Wu Makes Her Entrance
After returning to their room, Tang Xiao and Tang Hao remained tense. They couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed about Tang Yuehua since her return.
They knew that something must have happened during the night Tang Yuehua was taken by the flower thief. However, they dared not bring it up, knowing it would only reopen her wounds.
They had discreetly questioned Zhou Yi.
Unfortunately, their inquiries yielded nothing.
Suddenly, Tang Xiao and Tang Hao heard faint sounds coming from the adjacent room.
Both men pressed their ears against the wall, trying to catch what was happening.
They vaguely heard what sounded like Tang Yuehua weeping.
Her sobs were stifled, as if she was deliberately suppressing them, making it difficult to discern clearly.
"She's definitely crying," Tang Xiao whispered. "She must be heartbroken and in immense pain. But she doesn't want us to worry, so she's keeping it all to herself."
"She's carrying the burden alone!" Tang Hao's fists clenched, veins bulging in frustration.
The two brothers immediately conjured a mental image of their sister crying silently in despair. Their hands tightened into fists, their fury palpable.
If that flower thief weren't already dead...
They would have ensured he learned exactly why flowers are red.
Exchanging a pained look, they slumped against the wall, their faces full of helplessness. Tang Yuehua's muffled sobs stabbed at their hearts, filling them with sorrow so deep it felt suffocating.
Yet, there was nothing they could do.
Should they go in and comfort her?
It wouldn't help.
Even worse, they didn't know what to say.
They blamed themselves.
If only they hadn't drunk so much that night, the flower thief wouldn't have had his way.
And then there was Tang Qi, that irresponsible fool.
He had been tasked with protecting Tang Yuehua, but he too had drunk himself into a stupor. His negligence was unforgivable.
He would have to be severely punished.
Unable to sleep, the two brothers wrestled with anguish, self-blame, and regret as the hours dragged on. Each minute felt like an eternity, every second an ordeal.
Finally, as dawn approached, a loud, stifled sob reached their ears, then silence.
"She must've cried herself to sleep," Tang Xiao muttered.
Tang Hao nodded. "We'll make sure no one disturbs her. Let her sleep in as long as she needs."
But in her room, Tang Yuehua, despite the tear streaks on her face, looked nothing like the sorrowful figure her brothers had imagined. Her cheeks glowed with a healthy flush, her eyes soft and radiant, her entire demeanor exuding a captivating charm.
"You're still here?" Tang Yuehua playfully chided Zhou Yi, her tone carrying a hint of shyness. "It's nearly dawn. If you don't leave now, someone might find out."
"How can I bear to leave?" Zhou Yi leaned in, his warm breath brushing against her ear as he teased, "You, Yuehua, are simply too enchanting."
"Get out!" Tang Yuehua snapped, her face reddening. She had never heard such brazen words before.
"Alright!" Zhou Yi grinned and planted a heavy kiss on her rosy lips before swiftly slipping out, disappearing before her eyes.
Watching his retreating figure vanish, Tang Yuehua felt a sudden emptiness in her heart, an inexplicable sense of loss.
"Scoundrel! Leaving so quickly and decisively... I hate you!" she murmured, clutching her blanket tightly. Just moments ago, he had been so ardent, but now he left as though he had no attachments at all.
It was as if she meant nothing to him.
"Ah, women... so contradictory." Zhou Yi's voice suddenly broke the silence, and before she could react, he reappeared before her. He wrapped her soft, trembling body in his arms and chuckled. "Still saying you don't miss me?"
"Who misses you!" Tang Yuehua exclaimed, her voice filled with surprise and delight, though her heart swirled with a complex mix of emotions.
As Zhou Yi started to misbehave again, she quickly grabbed his wandering hand. "Leave now!"
"Fine, I'll leave... if you call me good brother." Zhou Yi smirked mischievously, clearly enjoying the game. Teasing this usually cold and dignified beauty was unexpectedly fun.
"Hmph! Get out!" Tang Yuehua turned her head away. She couldn't possibly say something so embarrassing.
"Then I won't leave." Zhou Yi held her tighter and added provocatively, "I'll stay and greet your two elder brothers. Maybe we can discuss our wedding arrangements."
"You... shameless!" Tang Yuehua flushed with anger and embarrassment but found herself utterly helpless against him.
Feeling Zhou Yi's intentions escalating once more, Tang Yuehua gritted her teeth and reluctantly whispered, "Good brother... Is that enough?"
"What? I didn't hear you."
"Good! Brother!" Tang Yuehua leaned close to his ear, enunciating each word with barely concealed frustration.
"Good girl." Zhou Yi laughed heartily, giving her flushed cheek a playful pinch. "Alright, I'm leaving now. But I'll be thinking of you. You'd better be ready to see me anytime."
"Get out!" Tang Yuehua shouted, throwing a pillow at him as Zhou Yi vanished once more.
Tang Yuehua hurled a pillow at him.
"Who do you think I am?!"
"Always ready to receive guests?!"
"You shameless scoundrel!"
He always had a way of stirring her emotions.
Zhou Yi adjusted his belt as he stood by the window, casually tossing the pillow back at Tang Yuehua.
"This time, I'm really leaving. Goodbye!"
With a wave of his sleeve, Zhou Yi stepped into the air, leaving without a trace.
Ascending Immortal Steps.
He moved as effortlessly as an immortal.
"What a remarkable man!"
Tang Yuehua's beautiful eyes watched Zhou Yi's disappearing figure. Without releasing his martial soul or using wings, he could walk on air, and at an astonishing speed no less.
This utterly overturned her understanding of the world.
Even Titled Douluo, though capable of flight, were often limited in speed and agility.
Unless one possessed a flying martial soul or specialized soul skills, free and flexible flight was simply unattainable.
Take Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu, for instance, both at Rank 99.
Tang Chen, with his unparalleled talent, achieved Rank 99 purely through cultivation, possessing extraordinary combat prowess far surpassing Qian Daoliu, who relied on divine blessings to reach the same level.
However, Qian Daoliu's Angel Martial Soul granted him the ability to fly.
Thus, Qian Daoliu could defeat Tang Chen in aerial combat, earning the title "Invincible in the Sky."
This was a bitter reality.
To think that even at Rank 99, one could still be limited by the constraints of space—what a disgrace.
If Zhou Yi possessed Rank 99 cultivation, his Ascending Immortal Steps would allow him to surpass the speed of sound. His True Qi would envelop him, displacing the air without creating a sonic boom or even the faintest gust of wind.
Even without a flying martial soul or soul skills, he could easily overpower someone like Qian Daoliu.
Of course, with the immense power of Zhou Yi's Sacred Heart True Qi, defeating the likes of Qian Daoliu or Tang Chen wouldn't require Rank 99 at all.
At most, Rank 90 would suffice for Zhou Yi to claim invincibility below the gods and to face even a deity in a one-on-one exchange.
Returning home, Zhou Yi avoided alarming anyone, opting to rest and replenish his energy.
After breakfast, he accompanied Liu Erlong to the Star Dou Forest to hunt a soul beast and acquire a soul ring.
With Zhou Yi tirelessly nourishing her body with Sacred Heart True Qi, Liu Erlong's physique had undergone immense improvement. This time, Zhou Yi aimed to secure her a soul ring of at least 5,000 years.
Thanks to his exceptional vision and perception, it only took two days for them to locate a suitable soul beast.
It was a volcanic crocodile clad in fiery, armored scales.
Its age was an impressive 7,000 years.
Though the original canon claimed that a fourth soul ring could only absorb soul rings under 5,000 years old, Zhou Yi paid no mind to such constraints.
"One Sword to Part the World!"
A terrifying sword aura surged forth, carrying the earth-shattering intent to sever worlds. The volcanic crocodile roared, unleashing a beam of molten lava from its gaping maw.
Yet the sword aura effortlessly bisected the lava beam without a sound.
The sword energy pierced through with unstoppable momentum, gravely wounding the volcanic crocodile, leaving it on the brink of death, gasping for its last breath.
Had Zhou Yi not held back, the beast would have been cleaved in two with a single stroke.
From a nearby thicket, a pair of ruby-red eyes widened in astonishment.
A pink rabbit, just about to soak in the hot springs near the little crocodiles, was utterly stunned. Her delicate rabbit face radiated disbelief.
"This person… who is he? Without even activating his martial soul, he wielded an ordinary iron sword and severely injured a 7,000-year-old volcanic crocodile with one slash?!"
The sheer terror of that strike sent shivers down her spine, her fur bristling in fright. It was as if she herself would have been split in two by the blade.
And she wasn't just any soul beast—she was a 100,000-year-old soul beast.
The leader of countless soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest—Sister Xiao Wu.
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