3: Chapter 3, Section 3: Wang Dong'er!

The night sky spilled over the Star Dou Great Forest like thick ink, the last trace of daylight completely swallowed by the branches and leaves of the towering ancient trees.

Scattered, eerie lights flickered in the forest—the pupils of certain Spirit Beasts glowing in the darkness. Occasionally, the sound of flapping wings pierced the silence, carrying the peculiar eeriness of nocturnal creatures. The humid air was filled with the stench of rotting leaves and damp earth, and in the distance, several long, drawn-out wolf howls echoed through the woods, adding a sense of danger to this already mysterious forest.

Bei Bei and Tang Ya stood back-to-back beside an ancient tree, their Soul Power slowly circulating around them, forming a faint halo of light.

Tang Ya's Blue Silver Grass spread across the ground and tree trunks like the most sensitive antennae, probing for movement within a hundred-meter radius. Yet, in the darkness, even the aura of plants became obscure and difficult to distinguish; after all, her current Soul Power level was only thirty, and she hadn't even added her third spirit ring yet.

"That little brat is hiding quite well."

Tang Ya frowned, her voice kept extremely low. Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the spirit tool on her wrist as she asked with great confusion, "The evil aura of the World-Destroying Black Lotus is clearly nearby, so why can't we find any trace of it?"

As long as she found the target, she would immediately unleash her Hidden Weapons.

Bei Bei clenched his fists, the Soul Power of his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon causing his pupils to glow with a faint blue light in the darkness. "His Spirit is very strange; that black mist seems able to conceal his aura. Be careful, don't be careless."

He always felt there was something wrong with that child's gaze—as calm as if it had been tempered in ice—and it was definitely not as easy to deal with as an ordinary child.

Just then, the bushes thirty meters to the front left suddenly moved, the friction of branches and leaves creating a faint "rustling" sound.

Bei Bei and Tang Ya exchanged a glance instantly, simultaneously assuming a defensive posture.

"Who is it?!" Bei Bei shouted in a low voice, his Soul Power surging instantly. Blue electric arcs crackled between his fists, ready to strike at any moment.

The bushes parted, and a slender figure slowly walked out.

It was a young girl wearing a pale blue long dress, the hem swaying gently with her steps as if moonlight were flowing over the fabric. Her long, powder-blue hair was draped over her shoulders, the tips glowing with a faint luster that shimmered dreamily in the dim light of the forest. Her features were as exquisite as if carved from ice and snow, especially her eyes, which were clear and bright. At this moment, she was looking at Bei Bei and Tang Ya with a mix of vigilance and curiosity. Standing there, she looked like a fairy who had stepped out of the moonlight, completely out of place in this dark and dangerous forest.

"Hello."

The girl's voice rang out, crisp and melodious, like wind chimes ringing softly in the night, as she spoke first: "My name is Wang Dong."

Both Bei Bei and Tang Ya were stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting to encounter such a person here.

Tang Ya was the first to snap out of it, her brows still tightly furrowed. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

The night in the Star Dou Great Forest was not a safe place; for a young-looking girl to appear alone was truly strange.

Wang Donger blinked, her gaze sweeping over the two of them before finally landing on the Shrek Academy badge on Bei Bei's chest. A flash of realization crossed her eyes. "I am a freshman at Shrek Academy. I just met some villagers on the outskirts of the forest who said that two Shrek seniors were chasing someone, so I followed to take a look, thinking I might be able to help."

Her tone was sincere, her eyes clear, and she did not appear to have any malicious intent.

The vigilance in Bei Bei's eyes lessened slightly, but he still did not relax. "How can you prove you are from Shrek?"

Wang Dong took out an identical badge from her spirit tool; the style was slightly newer than Bei Bei's, with the words "Freshman" engraved on it. "This is my admission badge. If you don't believe me, you can check the enrollment registry. My name is Wang Dong."

Bei Bei saw the badge clearly, and his brows relaxed slightly. Shrek's badges were not easy to forge, and although the Soul Power fluctuations on this girl were not top-tier, they were pure and refined, truly resembling those of a Shrek student.

"We are hunting down an Evil Spirit Master."

Bei Bei did not hide anything, his tone becoming grave as he explained, "That guy isn't very old, yet he possesses an extremely evil Spirit. If he escapes, the consequences will be endless."

"An Evil Spirit Master?"

Wang Donger's face sank instantly, and a hint of coldness flashed in her beautiful eyes. "Where is he? I'll help you find him!"

There was undisguised disgust in her voice; clearly, she hated Evil Spirit Masters immensely.

Seeing this, a smile appeared on Tang Ya's face. "That's great! More people means more strength. That brat's Spirit is a black lotus throne capable of releasing corrosive black mist; keep an eye out for that."

"No problem."

Wang Donger nodded, her Soul Power surging slightly. A pale blue light lit up behind her, and in the next moment, the Radiant Goddess Butterfly appeared, illuminating the surroundings.

A flash of surprise crossed Bei Bei's eyes, followed by approval. "Then thank you very much."

With the help of the girl before them, the chances of finding that child were undoubtedly much higher.

The three quickly reached an agreement. Wang Donger stood in the middle, formed hand seals, and her pale blue Soul Power spread out like ripples in water.

In a dark corner, Lu Jing curled up in the hollow of an ancient tree, even his breathing intentionally lightened.

The outside of the tree hollow was covered with dense vines, completely obscuring his figure. Only the faint black mist emitted by the World-Destroying Black Lotus circulated around him, blocking external detection.

He could clearly hear the conversation of the three people outside, and his heart contracted violently, especially when he heard the name Wang Dong.

Damn it, how did this person get here?

He could feel that pale blue Soul Power brushing past the tree hollow several times, each time making his whole body tense up for fear of being discovered.

He had originally thought that by entering the Star Dou Great Forest, utilizing the complex environment and the threat of Spirit Beasts, he would always find a chance to counter-kill or escape. But now, not only had he failed to shake off Bei Bei and Tang Ya, but a helper had been added—and this person was the young mistress of the Clear Sky Sect, the biological daughter of Tang San and Xiao Wu. Wouldn't this just blow everything up?

"Damn it." Lu Jing cursed under his breath, cold sweat seeping from his palms.

The World-Destroying Black Lotus rotated gently above his head, the black mist a bit thicker than before, clearly sensing its master's nervousness. Lu Jing could feel that the power of this Spirit was indeed very strong, but he had just awakened, after all, and didn't even have a single spirit ring. His Soul Power reserves were pathetically low, and he had already depleted quite a bit when blocking that strike from Bei Bei and running away.

If he continued to hide, he would be found sooner or later.

Lu Jing took a deep breath, a flash of determination in his eyes.

He had no choice but to gamble.

Gamble that the power of the World-Destroying Black Lotus would be enough to unleash the power to kill Bei Bei and Tang Ya instantly the moment he was discovered.

He quietly adjusted his breathing, slowly injecting his remaining Soul Power into the Black Lotus, feeling that increasingly active aura of destruction. Outside the tree hollow, Wang Donger's probing continued, the pale blue Soul Power surging in waves like the tide, getting closer and closer to the tree hollow.

Lu Jing's heartbeat grew faster and faster, his fingertips pressing against the edge of the World-Destroying Black Lotus. As soon as the other party discovered him, he would immediately activate his Spirit, giving it his all for one final struggle.

Things had developed to this point; he didn't care about some daughter of Divinity.

The night grew deeper. The wind of the Star Dou Great Forest blew through the trees, carrying a chill and a hint of tension, as if a storm were about to break.