Chapter 6: Mutated Soul Beast—The Three-Tailed Sword Scorpion King! To hear the Way in the morning, one may die content in the evening.

Deep in the valley, a rustling sound of shifting gravel echoed.

The Sword-Tailed Scorpions retreated in fear.

Shadows cast upon the rock walls appeared before the creatures themselves—three ferocious, sword-like tails swayed and collided, producing the metallic ring of clashing steel. The sound grew louder, drawing nearer. The shadows on the canyon walls expanded until the creature finally emerged.

Its bronze-colored carapace shimmered with a chilling luster, and three long, narrow blades extended from its tail segments. As the scorpion moved, the blades struck against one another, throwing off tiny sparks. An atmosphere of extreme sharpness spread wantonly through the valley. The other Sword-Tailed Scorpions prostrated themselves on the ground, pressing their tails flat in a display of submission.

Behind a giant boulder, Zhu Zhuqing’s beautiful eyes widened, her pretty face filled with disbelief.

"Retreat for now. We must rethink our plan," Li Zhexian whispered, his gaze fixed on the scorpion king with the three tails.

The pair crept away from the valley. Looking at Li Zhexian, Zhu Zhuqing asked in a panic, "What kind of soul beast is that? A Sword-Tailed Scorpion with three tails?!"

Li Zhexian took a deep swig of wine, wiped his mouth, and said, "Human martial souls can undergo mutations, and soul beasts are no exception. This three-tailed creature... perhaps we can call it a Three-Tailed Sword Scorpion King."

After a moment of contemplation, Li Zhexian continued with a sigh, "Ordinary Sword-Tailed Scorpions are already incredibly powerful among soul beasts of the same rank; this Three-Tailed Sword Scorpion King must be even more terrifying."

A look of lingering shock remained on Zhu Zhuqing’s small face. The sight of the other scorpions prostrating themselves before the king had been truly overwhelming.

"What a pity that a Three-Tailed Sword Scorpion King appeared," she said. "Li Zhexian, I’m afraid you won't be able to use a Sword-Tailed Scorpion for your soul ring. Let’s go find another..."

As she spoke, Li Zhexian suddenly interrupted, "Zhu Zhuqing, thank you. You should go."

"Huh?" Zhu Zhuqing looked at Li Zhexian, noticing that while he gulped down his wine, his eyes remained fixed on the entrance of the valley without even blinking.

After a long silence, a hint of astonishment laced Zhu Zhuqing’s cold voice. "Li Zhexian, don't tell me you're planning to go after that Three-Tailed Sword Scorpion King?!"

Li Zhexian turned back to look at her, a curve tugging at the corners of his lips. "Why not?"

"You're insane!" Zhu Zhuqing exclaimed, unable to fathom his logic. "Not to mention how powerful the Scorpion King is, even the other scorpions are more than we can handle! Be rational—we can definitely find another suitable soul beast for you!"

Seeing that Li Zhexian remained unmoved, Zhu Zhuqing clenched her fists, her tone deepening. "Li Zhexian, are you throwing your life away just for a soul ring?!"

"Heh..." Li Zhexian let out an indecipherable laugh. "Zhu Zhuqing... if for six years your soul power made no progress, and those who held high expectations for you, who cared for you, and who loved you could no longer accept your mediocrity and gradually drifted away... then you would understand how precious and difficult it is to become strong."

With his back turned to her, his voice sounded as light and ethereal as clouds in the sky. "If one hears the Way in the morning, one can die content in the evening."

The jungle fell into a long silence, broken only by the rustling of wind through the trees. In Zhu Zhuqing’s trembling gaze, she watched the young man's back. He appeared lonely, yet stood as straight and tall as bamboo. So, this genius youth, who had obtained a thousand-year soul ring for his first, carried such an unknown past.

"If one hears the Way... one can die content in the evening..."

Zhu Zhuqing began to understand. She finally grasped why Li Zhexian was able to achieve a thousand-year first soul ring. Such a heart, willing to sacrifice everything to grow stronger, was truly shocking. In that moment, she felt her own state of mind become clearer.

She took a slow breath and murmured, "What is your plan?"

"Hmm?" Li Zhexian turned around, staring at her cold, pretty face for a long moment without speaking.

Zhu Zhuqing felt embarrassed by his gaze and snapped, "What are you looking at! I already told you, I, Zhu Zhuqing, keep my word! Since I promised to help you get your soul ring, I will do it!"

Li Zhexian was not one to dwell on things. He immediately gave her a thumbs up. "My sister Zhuqing is reliable—when things get tough, she really steps up. You’re a great partner!"

Hearing the term "sister Zhuqing," she blushed deeply and spat, "What kind of name is that? It sounds terrible!"

Li Zhexian smiled and said nothing. He would remember her loyalty. Actions would speak louder than words in the future. Seeing that the day was growing late, he stopped wasting time and laid out his plan.

"The Sword-Tailed Scorpion colony in the valley has formed a complete social system. You can think of it like an ant hill. Ants have different roles, and so do these scorpions. I don't know if you noticed, but there are four exceptionally large thousand-year scorpions in the valley. They act as worker ants, responsible for foraging outside the nest. When those four leave the valley to hunt, that will be our best opportunity to act!"

Listening to him explain, Zhu Zhuqing blinked her beautiful eyes, feeling a bit dazed. But that didn't stop her from feeling a sense of admiration for this youth, who was roughly her own age. It was truly remarkable that he understood soul beasts so well at such a young age.

"Hey, sister Zhuqing, are you listening to me?"

"Huh? Yes, I'm listening. Go on..."

Li Zhexian continued with a solemn expression, "The rest depends on you. When a colony is invaded, the king does not strike first. Sister Zhuqing, I need you to lure the remaining scorpions out of the valley. Even though the four thousand-year ones are gone, it will still be quite dangerous. Can you do it?"

Zhu Zhuqing tightened her expression and nodded slowly. "My martial soul excels in speed; I should be fine."

Li Zhexian said, "One minute. I only need one minute. Just hold them off for one minute."

Looking at the sharpness surging in Li Zhexian’s eyes, she frowned. "Is one minute too short?"

"It will be enough."

Li Zhexian struck a stalk of green bamboo with his palm. With a "snap," it broke cleanly. He then used his fingers like a blade to carve a simple bamboo tube and poured the clear, cold wine from the flask at his waist into it. He handed the tube to her.

"Scorpions move quickly on flat ground; stay in the jungle as much as you can," Li Zhexian said, looking at her earnestly. "And while you're running, remember to drink the wine I gave you."

Zhu Zhuqing took the tube and nodded firmly. "I will!"

...

As evening approached, the setting sun stained the sky a deep, bloody red. Li Zhexian and Zhu Zhuqing hid in the bushes dozens of meters away from the valley. When they saw the four thousand-year Sword-Tailed Scorpions crawl out, Li Zhexian’s spirit surged.

"Move!"