Spirit Beast Forest
Chen Xuan sensed the marked location and walked along a shaded path. Fortunately, there were no large spirit beasts in this area, so there was little danger.
Half an hour later, he reached a spot over three kilometers away and saw a bright pink figure sitting by a thicket of shrubs.
Xiao Wu sat cross-legged, her body glowing with golden light, as if bathed in sunlight, radiating a shimmering brilliance.
As expected, she had intentionally gone so far to condense a spirit ring without being discovered.
Chen Xuan leaned casually against a large tree, waiting for Xiao Wu to finish condensing her spirit ring. Meanwhile, he extended his wide-range perception to cover the surrounding 200 meters, allowing him to detect any movement in advance.
"She didn't even pick a safer place." He shook his head, somewhat speechless. Large beasts were known to appear in this part of the forest.
On his way, he had encountered several ten-thousand-year spirit beasts, indicating they were nearing the forest's deeper areas.
"Too bad none of them suited me," Chen Xuan muttered. This time, he was looking for a wind-type spirit beast to strengthen his wind-based spirit skills.
Back when he absorbed an electric eel from the Star Dou Forest, it enhanced his lightning attribute spirit power by two or three levels.
Harnessing the power of this world was essential for enhancing the potency of spirit skills.
"I wonder if her endurance limit has increased," Chen Xuan murmured.
A mysterious, ruby-like fruit had boosted his physical capabilities, and with the added benefit of lightning baptism, his tolerance for spirit rings had reached nearly ten thousand years.
Xiao Wu had consumed that crystal carrot long ago, and her spirit power had surpassed level 40. With so much time having passed, he wondered if her body's endurance could handle a ten-thousand-year spirit ring.
Chen Xuan speculated that even if she couldn't reach the ten-thousand-year level, she might be capable of handling a nine-thousand-year spirit ring.
Sitting on the grass, Xiao Wu radiated ripples of spirit power as her body glowed brilliantly, still condensing her spirit ring.
Half an hour later, the glow around her body dimmed, withdrawing into her form, and the spirit power fluctuations faded, signaling the end of the process.
"Level 43!" Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled with joy, a broad smile spreading across her face as she beamed with happiness.
"Congratulations."
In an instant, her body tensed, a chill running down her spine as her joyful expression froze.
Those two sudden, simple words were spoken plainly, but to her ears, they were like a demon's whisper, bone-chilling and frightening.
Xiao Wu was scared. Her eyes, laced with fear, rigidly turned towards the source of the voice.
There, in the branches of a tall tree, sat a fairly handsome young man, looking at her with a calm expression.
"Chen Xuan, why is it you!" Xiao Wu's pupils contracted in shock.
She exhaled a breath of relief, but soon became wary, eyeing him with tension, mentally preparing herself for battle.
"Who else would it be?" Chen Xuan said, slightly exasperated. He had been standing guard for over half an hour, even chasing away a few minor spirit beasts in the process.
Xiao Wu's face paled, cold from head to toe, as she asked nervously, "Chen Xuan, how long have you been here?"
Her voice trembled slightly, her body tensed further. A hint of pleading showed in her expression, hoping he had just arrived and hadn't witnessed her condensing the spirit ring.
Regrettably, her hope was in vain. Reality was just what she feared.
"I arrived shortly after you began absorbing the spirit ring," Chen Xuan answered truthfully; there was no reason to lie.
Xiao Wu's face turned deathly white, her body shuddering violently.
"You... you saw everything!"
Chen Xuan nodded, still slightly puzzled. Such a significant event would be impossible to ignore.
At that moment, Xiao Wu felt as if she were facing an enemy, her gaze on Chen Xuan changing.
Revealing her identity as a spirit beast to a spirit master was disastrous; she knew this too well. Even the closest of people could turn on her.
A hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone—who wouldn't be tempted by such a prize?
Even if he couldn't absorb the spirit ring himself, passing on the information to a powerful individual would guarantee a substantial reward.
"What... what do you want?" Xiao Wu clenched her fists, her voice strained and trembling.
"What do you mean?" Chen Xuan was momentarily stunned, then realized what she meant and said, "Are you referring to your spirit beast identity? If so, I've known for a while."
"You've known all along?" Xiao Wu's eyes widened, the shock overwhelming.
She quickly noticed a flaw. If he had known for so long, why hadn't he exposed her or informed a Title Douluo, which would have brought him protection and rewards?
Besides, didn't humans despise spirit beasts the most? If Chen Xuan had known about her spirit beast identity for so long, why had he acted so differently towards her before?
"You... you're lying! If you really knew, you would have killed me for the hundred-thousand-year spirit bone." Xiao Wu's body trembled as she backed away, refusing to believe his sweet words. No one could resist the allure of a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone.
Hearing this, Chen Xuan laughed. This little girl, usually so naive, suddenly showed her intelligence at moments like this.
"Silly girl, don't overthink it. I've never intended to harm you." His smile faded as his expression turned serious.
"Men's words are deceitful, I don't believe you!" Xiao Wu's face was tense, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she stared at Chen Xuan, her eyes full of vigilance.
Her heart pounded, feeling insecure. She continued to step back to maintain distance from him.
"Do you think I need to lie to you?" Chen Xuan remained where he stood, avoiding any sudden movements that might alarm her.
He activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, his blood-red eyes forming a yin-yang fish pattern as he said, "Since I unlocked these eyes, I've seen through your spirit beast identity."
Xiao Wu halted, her expression conflicted, clearly hesitating.
Chen Xuan's words made sense—there was no reason for him to deceive her. Moreover, the power she felt from his eyes carried a chilling and formidable spirit power.
Although she still didn't trust him completely, the fear in her heart subsided slightly. When he was still at the Spirit Ancestor level, he could take on the entire Tianshui Academy by himself. Now, as a Spirit King, if he wanted to harm her, she would have already been captured.
"Then... when did you find out?" Xiao Wu asked, still wary despite being less frightened.
"Before the start of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Tournament," Chen Xuan admitted, choosing not to hide the truth any longer.
He sighed softly, knowing it would take time for Xiao Wu to trust him again.
Xiao Wu didn't believe him at first. Anger flickered across her face as she accused, "You're lying! If what you say is true, then... why did you... you people hate spirit beasts the most. Why did you still..." Her voice trailed off, growing quieter until it was barely audible.
She knew this too well, which was why she feared exposing her spirit beast identity. If San Ge (Brother San) or her friends found out she wasn't human, would they still care for her? Or would they turn against her with weapons?
Now that her identity was exposed, could she return to San Ge and the others?
Tears welled in her eyes as painful thoughts flooded her mind. Just imagining Rong Rong, Zhu Qing, and the others showing disgust or raising weapons against her made her heart ache terribly. She didn't want that to happen.
Chen Xuan's gaze softened, and he sighed. "I never planned for things to end up this way. If I'd known those two fruits were dual cultivation fruits, I would never have let you eat one."
Only today, after reaching level 50, had the system informed him that they were special fruits meant for dual cultivation. There was no premeditated plan to violate Xiao Wu, and he could swear to it.
Xiao Wu said nothing, but the alertness in her eyes lessened.
"What's done is done; there's no point in discussing it further." Chen Xuan was never one to shirk responsibility.
He took a deep breath, eyes resolute as he looked at Xiao Wu with seriousness. "I know you don't need me to take any responsibility, and perhaps deep down you even resent me. But you are now pregnant, and I must take responsibility—for you and for the child."
Xiao Wu's delicate frame trembled, her heart clenching. Staring at Chen Xuan in shock, she said, "You... you already knew!"
Her voice quivered, betraying disbelief. Chen Xuan indeed knew everything.
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