"Who are you people?"
Before the young girl could answer Zhu Ziyang, a stern reprimand reached their ears.
The soldiers of the Star Luo Empire had already surrounded them, but no one dared to act rashly, because Zhu Ziyang's three spirit rings—one yellow and two purple—were too intimidating.
A Spirit Elder, that was a Spirit Elder!
The soldiers were a bit restless.
As an elite unit of the Star Luo Empire's Western Army Group, there were not a few Spirit Elders and Spirit Ancestors among them, but most were at the Spirit Grandmaster level, and their spirit rings were mostly ten-year, with century-old ones being rare, let alone millennium ones!
This young man before them, not to mention being a Spirit Elder at such a young age, but those two purple spirit rings alone had already instilled fear in many battle-crazed soldiers.
Therefore, no one dared to be the first to act, until a middle-aged man appeared.
After this middle-aged man appeared, the soldiers immediately seemed to have found their backbone, gathering behind him, and the reprimand had also come from this middle-aged man.
The man scrutinized Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, and Old Song.
His heart wavered, unsure of the identities of these three; even ordinary soldiers understood that these three were not ordinary, let alone him, a general of the Star Luo Empire's Western Army Group.
So, he did not act rashly, but instead, he bluffed, threatening with an intimidating tone: "Who are you people? We are warriors of the Star Luo Empire's Western Army Group, tasked by the Duke White Tiger to eradicate the Sun Moon Empire's bandits! I advise you not to meddle, lest you bring trouble upon yourselves!"
"Heh heh!" Old Song scoffed at these words, and the aura of a Titled Douluo instantly manifested, directly knocking the middle-aged man to the ground.
The middle-aged man immediately showed fear, activating his Spirit, and five spirit rings—one white, two yellow, and two purple—appeared.
He struggled, trying to stand up, but how could the pressure of a Super Douluo be resisted by a mere Spirit King?
He was instantly suppressed again.
The middle-aged man was about to wet himself, but he could still speak, so he pleaded, "S-senior, this humble one was blind, I did not mean to offend..."
Upon seeing their general in such a pathetic state, the dozens of soldiers behind him had no thought of rescue and scattered backward in a panic.
But how could Old Song let them have their way?
She snorted coldly, and nine spirit rings boomed into existence in the air, a terrifying pressure instantly spreading out, pinning all the soldiers to the ground.
"You should be grateful that you met me today, and not someone from the Sun Moon Empire, otherwise you wouldn't even know how you died!" Old Song said with a grim face, "Go back and tell Dai Hao to control his army! Now scram!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" The middle-aged man looked despairingly at the nine spirit rings behind Old Song, and upon hearing that the other party did not intend to kill him and that his life was spared, he no longer cared what Old Song said, agreeing immediately.
After Old Song withdrew her pressure, the middle-aged man scrambled to his feet, using both hands and feet, and then, with the equally disheveled soldiers who had also gotten up, they carried the bodies of their comrades and fled the area without looking back.
After the Star Luo Empire soldiers left, Old Song said, "Let's go too."
Zhu Ziyang did not get an answer from the young girl, nor did he mind.
He had already saved the young girl's life, and Old Song had driven away the malicious soldiers; whether she could survive next was the young girl's own business.
So, when Old Song suggested leaving, he did not hesitate, following her steps, ready to depart.
Everything happened too quickly and too suddenly; the young girl, Ju Zi, couldn't react for a moment.
It wasn't until she saw Zhu Ziyang had already walked more than ten meters away that she quickly stood up and shouted to Zhu Zi, "Can you tell me your name? I will definitely repay you!"
Zhu Ziyang heard the young girl's shout and replied without turning his head, "Zhu Ziyang!"
He didn't think the young girl would be able to repay him; he answered her merely out of politeness, yet the young girl remembered.
Her eyes filled with determination, she shouted loudly:
"My name is Ju Zi! I will definitely repay you!"
——
It was only after Zhu Ziyang had traveled four or five kilometers that he remembered who Ju Zi was.
"It can't be such a coincidence, can it?" Zhu Ziyang muttered softly, his expression strange.
In his past life memories, several fragments about "Unrivaled Tang Sect" mentioned that the Empress War God of the Sun Moon Empire was named Ju Zi.
The young girl he rescued was also named Ju Zi, and she was from the Sun Moon Empire, with a beautiful appearance.
It wasn't impossible for her to become Empress in the future.
However, this was too much of a coincidence.
If the three of them hadn't passed through that small town, wouldn't this Ju Zi have perished?
How then could she become Empress?
So, it should be a namesake, not the same person, Zhu Ziyang thought.
Little did he know, destiny, in its turning, always orchestrates the most ingenious arrangements.
"Ziyang," Old Song didn't notice Zhu Ziyang's strange expression; instead, she said with a serious face, "I hope that next time you encounter such a situation, you can control your emotions! True powerhouses are never controlled by their emotions!"
"Old Song, I..." Zhu Ziyang wanted to explain upon hearing this.
"You don't need to explain," Old Song interrupted him, saying, "I know that ultimate attributes often affect the personality of the possessor.
You, with the Ultimate Light Spirit, will inevitably be affected.
However, if you cannot control it, you will certainly suffer in the future."
"I understand!" Zhu Ziyang's face showed contemplation, and he nodded, replying.
"This should have been Old Mu's job, but encountering such a situation today, I overstepped.
I hope you don't find this old woman nagging." Old Song was quite satisfied with Zhu Ziyang's reaction.
She smiled and nodded.
"Of course not." Zhu Ziyang also smiled and nodded.
Old Song's words were indeed correct.
Ultimate elements often affect the personality of the possessor; this is unavoidable.
For example, Ultimate Fire Spirit Masters tend to have fiery tempers; the Ultimate Fire Academy Head in Shrek Academy's history was famously a hot-tempered old man.
Another example is Ultimate Light; light elements have many properties, and different properties cause different personality influences.
Zhu Ziyang is affected by Ultimate Light, so his personality is filled with compassion.
However, he also possesses Ultimate Ice, and his personality will also be influenced by Ultimate Ice, though currently, he has not truly cultivated the Ultimate Ice Spirit, so this influence is not obvious, manifesting as his occasional coldness.
His ability to calmly kill that soldier just now was due to this reason.
"Nannan, how do you feel? Are you better?" Zhu Ziyang turned around, looking worriedly at Jiang Nannan, who was silently following behind them, and asked.
"I'm fine." Jiang Nannan forced a somewhat strained smile, her pretty face pale, and said.
Although the young girl was already a Spirit Elder, it was her first time seeing such a bloody and cruel scene, so it was normal for her to find it difficult to accept.
For many Spirit Masters, they could kill Spirit Beasts without any psychological burden, and even eat their meat afterward as if nothing happened, but they could not accept killing people.
Many Spirit Masters might never kill anyone in their lives, and some Spirit Masters might need ten days, half a month, or even longer to emerge from the shadow after their first kill.
The reason for this is simple: no matter how powerful Spirit Beasts are, they are ultimately beasts in the eyes of Spirit Masters; they are spirit rings, Spirit Bones, a naturally antagonistic relationship.
However, people are different; they are the same kind, the same race.
Therefore, those Evil Soul Masters who can kill without any psychological burden, even enjoying the process of killing, those Evil Soul Masters who treat human lives as cultivation resources and supplements, regardless of the reason, they are complete madmen, devils, and must be killed upon encounter!
"This won't do, Nannan." Old Song also turned her head, saying kindly, "As a student of Shrek Academy, you will be eradicating Evil Soul Masters and eliminating harm for the people in the future! If you can't even endure this much, then how will you contend with Evil Soul Masters in the future!"
"Teacher, I understand, I will work hard." Jiang Nannan's face immediately became serious upon hearing Old Song's words, and she said earnestly.
"Heh heh, good child.
I will help you, don't worry." Old Song lovingly stroked Jiang Nannan's beautiful hair and smiled.
The three quickly entered the Star Luo Empire's territory, and following their previous practice, continued to hold Spirit awakening ceremonies for the villages they encountered along the way.