Chapter 98: Bibi Dong's Excitement
"That is… She Long and Xiaoxue…"
Bibi Dong, who had been helping Su Mo investigate the map, suddenly spotted a familiar figure. She was momentarily stunned, but upon closer inspection, she indeed found Qian Renxue.
Whoosh~
As soon as she identified Qian Renxue, Bibi Dong was overjoyed. Her spiritual sense immediately reached Qian Renxue's location.
"Xiaoxue…"
Seeing the youthful and original appearance of Qian Renxue in front of her, Bibi Dong was far more emotional and delighted than the last time she had met her.
After all, the last time, Qian Renxue was disguised as Xue Qinghe. This time, she appeared in her true form, and she seemed much younger.
Bibi Dong had never seen Qian Renxue looking so youthful and beautiful before.
This was because she had missed Qian Renxue's growth before her return to the Spirit Hall.
Now, seeing this younger version of Qian Renxue filled Bibi Dong with excitement, as though it compensated for the regret of not witnessing this phase of her daughter's life in her previous incarnation.
"Younger Qian Renxue…"
"How could she be here?"
Sharing Bibi Dong's vision, Su Mo also noticed Qian Renxue, now dressed in feminine attire. He found her quite stunning but didn't dwell on it.
He had seen many beauties, and those who didn't belong to him weren't worth his attention. For him, Ning Rongrong was softer, sweeter, and more lovable.
"And She Long… They must be hunting for a spirit ring for Qian Renxue, right?"
Su Mo quickly deduced the reason for Qian Renxue's presence.
Given that she would only reach the level of a Spirit Saint six years later during the coup, it made sense for her to have just reached level 60 now.
Compared to the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, she was already far stronger.
If it weren't for the Shrek Seven Devils' sheer level of plot armor, they could never have caught up to Qian Renxue.
However, her combat skills seemed somewhat lacking. Six years later, she was still defeated by Tang San and Xiao Wu, clearly showing a lack of real combat experience.
It wasn't surprising. While disguised as Xue Qinghe in the Heaven Dou Empire, Qian Renxue had limited time to cultivate, let alone hone her combat skills.
Her Angelic Set's soul bones allowed her to masquerade as Xue Qinghe and even replicate his Swan Spirit. But under disguise, fighting with the Swan Spirit wouldn't improve her combat abilities.
The Spirit Hall's decision to have her pose as Xue Qinghe significantly wasted Qian Renxue's talent and severely hindered her progress in cultivation.
After the plan failed, her rapid improvement upon returning to the Spirit Hall demonstrated her true potential when given the opportunity to focus on training.
"I'd better avoid them!"
With this thought in mind, Su Mo discreetly changed direction, not wanting to cross paths with Qian Renxue.
If it were just Qian Renxue, he wouldn't be afraid. She hadn't absorbed her sixth spirit ring yet, and with her lack of combat experience, her strength was likely equivalent to that of a Spirit King.
After being tempered by the Ice and Fire Immortal Grass, Su Mo's physical strength was comparable to that of a Spirit King, not much weaker than Qian Renxue.
With his formidable physique and his spirit rings exceeding the limits, Su Mo's combat power was already above average for a Spirit Ancestor. Furthermore, with the 50% boost from his Purple-Gold Soul Hunting Spear and Eight Spider Lances, he could match a Spirit King.
If he added his Soul Hunting Crossbow into the mix…
He probably still couldn't defeat Qian Renxue, but he was confident he could escape.
Still, there was no need to take unnecessary risks. Avoidance was the better option.
Su Mo also figured that Qian Renxue wouldn't do anything to him even if she saw him. As a member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, he was currently considered an ally in her eyes.
In the original story, if her plan hadn't failed, Qian Renxue would likely have tried to incorporate the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan into her fold. She had a penchant for recruiting talent and making others submit to her.
Perhaps her habit of playing Xue Qinghe made her see everything through the lens of benefits and value.
In the original, even Tang San, the son of her father's killer, was someone she tried to recruit. In her eyes, everything was about utility and worth.
For this reason, Su Mo believed that even if he appeared before Qian Renxue now, he wouldn't be in danger.
But who could say for sure? There was always a chance.
So, Su Mo decided against meeting the cross-dressing Qian Renxue and prepared to leave.
Thud—
"Chitter—"
However, just as he turned around, a massive Earth Spider emerged from the ground behind him, spitting a web directly at him.
"Third Soul Skill: Soul-Chasing Blade!"
Su Mo's expression darkened. As he retreated rapidly, he swung his Soul Hunting Spear, slashing through the spider's web with a blade of energy.
"Chitter—"
The Earth Spider screeched in frustration. Its eight legs moved swiftly as it lunged at Su Mo.
"Damn it—"
Su Mo cursed, realizing it was a ten-thousand-year Earth Spider. He wasn't sure if it was the one that had chased him before, but regardless, he immediately bolted.
Keeping Qian Renxue's location in mind, Su Mo made sure not to run in her direction. He planned to flee first and, if the spider continued pursuing him, figure out a way to kill it later.
With adequate preparation, he was confident in his ability to hunt a ten-thousand-year soul beast.
Swish, swish, swish~
Su Mo fled through the forest, with the massive Earth Spider in relentless pursuit. The creature's rampage left a trail of destruction, knocking over trees and causing a great commotion.
Although Su Mo avoided heading toward Qian Renxue's direction, the disturbance still caught the attention of She Long ahead.
"A mere Spirit Ancestor dares to venture this deep? Courting death?"
"One yellow, two purple?"
"A spear martial soul? Could it be the person the Young Master mentioned?"
She Long frowned as he observed the situation from afar.
Whoosh~
She Long immediately moved to stand in front of Qian Renxue.
"She Long Elder, what's going on over there?"
Qian Renxue asked as soon as She Long appeared. She too had heard the commotion.
"Young Master, there's a brat being chased by a ten-thousand-year Earth Spider ahead. From what I saw, that brat might be the person you mentioned before. He also has a spear martial soul. However, you said that person was a Soul Grandmaster, but this brat is a Spirit Ancestor, and both his second and third spirit rings are of thousand-year quality!"
She Long wasted no words and immediately reported his observations and deductions to Qian Renxue.
"What? Su Mo?"
"How could he be here?"
Qian Renxue was momentarily startled upon hearing this, her curiosity piqued. Realizing that Su Mo was being pursued, she quickly said to She Long, "She Long Elder, please rescue him immediately!"
The son-in-law of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and someone who would eventually belong to her, must be saved—and quickly!
A Spirit Ancestor being hunted by a ten-thousand-year spirit beast could die at any moment.
"Yes, Young Master!"
She Long didn't hesitate. With a flicker, he disappeared.
"Third Soul Skill: Shadow Rift Slash!"
In the next instant, She Long appeared midair. When he was within 100 meters of Su Mo, the spear in his hand unleashed nine slashes, each shooting toward the Earth Spider chasing Su Mo.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The nine strikes crashed violently behind Su Mo, severing the Earth Spider's pursuit path.
"Chitter—"
The Earth Spider, infuriated by the interference, turned its attention toward She Long hovering in the air, letting out an angry screech.
"Scram!"
She Long's single word carried such immense authority that the Earth Spider shuddered, immediately scurrying away into the ground in defeat.
She Long didn't kill the Earth Spider. Unless necessary, members of the Spirit Hall typically refrained from slaughtering spirit beasts unnecessarily—this was one of their principles.
"Brat, are you alright?"
After driving away the Earth Spider, She Long addressed Su Mo below.
"Thank you, Elder, for saving me. I'm fine!"
Su Mo, who had already witnessed She Long's arrival through Bibi Dong's shared vision, sighed helplessly in his heart. He then looked up and expressed his gratitude to She Long.
"It's too dangerous for you to be here alone. Come with me. Our Young Master wants to see you."
She Long reappeared beside Su Mo, grabbed him, and carried him toward Qian Renxue's location.
She Long understood Qian Renxue well. Whether as Xue Qinghe or in her true identity, Qian Renxue had a habit of recruiting talented young individuals.
Thus, bringing Su Mo along was the correct decision.
"…"
Carried by She Long, Su Mo felt a wave of helplessness.
In the end, he couldn't avoid meeting Qian Renxue after all!
It was all that Earth Spider's fault.
He wondered if he was cursed to have a feud with Earth Spiders since they seemed to be the spirit beast he encountered the most.
Before long, Su Mo was brought before Qian Renxue.
When Qian Renxue saw Su Mo's face clearly, a flicker of surprise appeared in her eyes. She hadn't expected it to truly be Su Mo.
She had only suspected it earlier. After all, according to the intelligence she had gathered, Su Mo's spirit power level was only at rank 25!
But the Su Mo standing before her now was clearly already a Spirit Ancestor!
Such a rapid cultivation speed was a bit too astonishing.
Moreover, to venture into the Sunset Forest alone—that was far too audacious!
At this moment, Qian Renxue was genuinely curious about what gave Su Mo the confidence to come here by himself.
"She Long Elder, was it truly him being chased by the Earth Spider? And he was alone?"
Since she wasn't currently disguised as Xue Qinghe, Qian Renxue pretended not to know Su Mo, addressing She Long directly.
"Yes, Young Master, he was completely alone," She Long replied, fully understanding why Qian Renxue feigned ignorance. He cooperated seamlessly and turned to question Su Mo, "Brat, who are you? Why are you here alone?"
"And do you even realize you would've been dead if I hadn't stepped in to save you?"
She Long didn't forget to emphasize his assistance.
This brat was quite interesting. Even ignoring the fact that he was the son-in-law of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the feat of absorbing a thousand-year spirit ring for his second ring was already extraordinary.
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