After the Dragon and Snake Duo departed, Lin Xian finally let out a breath of relief.
He glanced at Tang San, still unconscious on the ground, then smiled and shook his head.
It looked like he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.
Before long, Xiao Wu would probably return on her own.
In truth, staying in the Star Dou Great Forest for now was the safest option for her.
But Lin Xian had a feeling she would still come back—without training in human society, there was no way for her strength to increase rapidly.
"Zhuqing, come on," Lin Xian said with a grin. "Let's go catch a few wild chickens!"
Zhu Zhuqing was momentarily confused.
"Why catch wild chickens now?"
Neither of them knew how to roast chicken. Otherwise, they wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state back in the Star Dou Great Forest.
"This master has a brilliant plan," Lin Xian said confidently. "Besides, even if we can't do it, Tang San definitely can. We'll just have him roast them for us."
"Alright~"
The two of them immediately set off to search for wild chickens.
Before long, they had caught seven or eight. Each one looked plump and full of meat—if prepared properly, they would definitely taste good.
Lin Xian sorted through them, picked out the largest one, and began fiddling with it for some unknown reason.
That said, its two claws looked… a little unusual.
Seeing that Tang San still showed no signs of waking up, Lin Xian and Zhu Zhuqing each began cultivating on their own.
Two hours later, Zhao Wuji and the others finally arrived.
Following the trail forward, they soon found Lin Xian's group.
Seeing that everyone was safe, Zhao Wuji's heart finally settled.
Then his gaze landed on Tang San lying on the ground.
His expression instantly changed.
Behind this kid stood the Clear Sky Sect—and the Clear Sky Douluo himself.
If Tang San died here, even a hundred Zhao Wujis wouldn't be enough to appease their fury.
Thankfully, after checking Tang San's condition, Zhao Wuji confirmed there was no threat to his life. It seemed he had simply collapsed from exhaustion.
"Lin Xian, what happened to Tang San?" Zhao Wuji asked.
"He was in a rush to find Xiao Wu and ran into a Man-Faced Demon Spider," Lin Xian replied. "We worked together to kill it, and after that, he passed out."
As he spoke, Lin Xian pointed toward a large pit nearby.
The flattened corpse of the Man-Faced Demon Spider still lay inside.
Everyone walked over to take a look.
A thousand-year Man-Faced Demon Spider was an extremely dangerous spirit beast.
The fact that they had managed to kill it was astonishing.
Zhao Wuji couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Truly worthy of being little monsters.
At that moment, Ning Rongrong hurried over to Lin Xian.
"You… you're not hurt, are you?"
Seeing the worry in her eyes, Lin Xian smiled and shook his head.
"I'm fine."
(´•ω•)ノ(._.`)
Ning Rongrong visibly relaxed, the smile on her face growing much brighter.
Just then, Zhu Zhuqing walked over.
"Rongrong, why do I feel like you're even more worried about his safety than I am?" she teased. "Could it be that—"
Before she could finish, Ning Rongrong's cheeks flushed red, and she hurriedly cut her off.
She threw her arms around Zhu Zhuqing.
"I was worried about you too!"
Watching the two girls hugging, Lin Xian felt a dangerous thought spark in his mind.
No.
Stop right there.
If I keep thinking like this, I'll end up locked in the 'little black room.'
Elsewhere, Dai Mubai set the unconscious Oscar down on the ground. Carrying him for so long had drained his stamina, and he desperately needed a rest.
Just as everyone began preparing to set up camp, a faint footstep caught Zhao Wuji's attention.
"Who's there?"
He was extremely cautious now. Losing Xiao Wu had already been painful enough—there could be no more mistakes.
"Teacher Zhao, it's me."
A slender figure ran out from the forest.
Everyone except Lin Xian froze.
Xiao Wu stood there, looking somewhat disheveled. Her clothes were torn in several places, and her neat scorpion braid was messy. However, her complexion was rosy, and she looked slightly more mature than before.
Dai Mubai's eyes widened.
"Xiao Wu—you're not dead?"
Xiao Wu snapped irritably, "Are you hoping I am?"
"No, no—of course not. It's just great that you're alright. You have no idea how frantic Tang San was after you were taken. He insisted on going to look for you no matter what."
Hearing this, Xiao Wu smiled faintly.
Of course she knew why Tang San had been so anxious.
A hundred-thousand-year spirit beast that was practically already in his hands had slipped away—anyone would be anxious.
Heh.
Ridiculous.
Seeing Tang San lying unconscious nearby, Xiao Wu curled her lips slightly.
After that, she explained her escape to everyone.
Something about a thunderous roar, spirit beasts being frightened unconscious, successfully breaking through to Rank 30, and seizing the chance to absorb her third spirit ring…
It was an unbelievably miraculous chain of events.
But as long as she had returned safely, Zhao Wuji didn't pry further. He could only chalk it up to her good fortune.
Meanwhile, Ma Hongjun's attention was fixed on the pile of wild chickens.
"How did you guys get so many wild chickens?" he asked.
Lin Xian glanced at him.
"We originally planned to roast them, but then I remembered none of us know how. Which one of you is good at cooking?"
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun exchanged looks and both shook their heads.
Zhu Zhuqing and Lin Xian went without saying.
As the Little Witch of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Ning Rongrong had never even touched spring water, let alone cooked.
As for the little rabbit over there—she was a strict vegetarian.
In the end, everyone's gaze fell on Zhao Wuji.
"Don't look at me," Zhao Wuji said quickly. "I may be your teacher, but I don't know how to barbecue either."
Lin Xian shook his head helplessly.
"Then we'll wait. Once Tang San and Oscar wake up, we'll see if either of them knows how."
After setting up camp, everyone returned to their respective tents and began meditating to recover.
After being busy for so long, they all needed proper rest. Tomorrow, they still had to continue searching for spirit beasts.
The tent Lin Xian set up was quite spacious—five or six people staying inside wouldn't feel cramped.
Ning Rongrong naturally went in early and snuggled up next to Zhu Zhuqing.
Xiao Wu stood outside the tent for a long while, hesitating, before finally stepping inside as well.
No one else thought anything of it.
After all, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were supposedly inside too.
But the moment Xiao Wu entered, she was startled.
Neither Ning Rongrong nor Zhu Zhuqing was there.
She had clearly seen them go in.
This must be one of Lin Xian's methods.
"You're not hurt, are you?" Xiao Wu asked softly as she approached him.
"I failed to restrain my aura and was discovered by Er Ming. That's why all this happened. I'm really sorry…"
"I'm fine," Lin Xian replied. "But you should stay inside properly. It's still too dangerous to wander around."
"I know," Xiao Wu said, clenching her small fists. "But I still need to grow stronger… I have to avenge my mother."
(Author's Note)
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