Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King - [DD2]: 51

The number of Bloodmeld Serpents was overwhelming, seemingly endless. Every time Zhang Lexuan killed a group, another wave pounced on her. These serpents were utterly fearless in the face of death.

To make matters worse, she had miscalculated. There weren’t just one or two ten-thousand-year Bloodmeld Serpents in the group—there were five, two of which had even surpassed twenty thousand years of cultivation. Hidden among the regular Bloodmeld Serpents, they were causing her significant trouble.

Even more troubling was the presence of an even stronger Serpent King, orchestrating everything.

Zhang Lexuan’s expression grew more serious as her brows furrowed. How could such a powerful group appear in the mixed zone? A force this strong could hold its own in the core area of the forest.

What she didn’t know was that they had encountered one of the most powerful soul beast groups in the mixed zone. These Bloodmeld Serpents could easily have moved to the core area but chose not to, avoiding the fierce competition there. Here, in the mixed zone, they reigned supreme.

Not all soul beasts were desperate to squeeze into the core area. Some, like this group, dominated the mixed zone, and when fully mobilized, they could even take down beasts over fifty thousand years old.

It was sheer misfortune that Zhang Lexuan and her team had run into them.

“What a mess!”

Zhang Lexuan sighed. She had little soul power left, which was why she had told Wu Ming and the others to leave earlier. They had already fought a grueling battle, even activating their martial soul avatars, and their soul power was severely depleted. Han Ruoruo had also been injured by the backlash from the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.

Had they stayed, it would’ve meant certain death for all of them.

Escorting them to safety had further drained Zhang Lexuan’s dwindling reserves of soul power. Now, she had less than thirty percent left.

If this continued much longer…

“Am I going to die to these beasts? How frustrating.”

Gritting her teeth, Zhang Lexuan activated her first, second, and third soul rings simultaneously. Countless beams of moonlight descended, instantly killing dozens of Bloodmeld Serpents.

But as she took a few steps forward, another wave of serpents surged at her.

Their overwhelming numbers brought a creeping sense of hopelessness.

“Damn it!”

Zhang Lexuan unleashed one soul skill after another, killing an untold number of Bloodmeld Serpents. But her soul power was depleting rapidly.

“Is this the end?”

Her face was pale, her soul power now less than twenty percent.

Still biting her lip, she continued to fight with all her might, slaughtering hundreds of Bloodmeld Serpents. Yet, the remaining serpents pressed forward, indifferent to death.

The ten-thousand-year Bloodmeld Serpents launched sneaky strikes, retreating after each blow, using their lesser kin to wear her down.

Gradually, her soul power dwindled further, and her face grew paler.

Sensing victory, the serpents began hissing excitedly.

Finally, the Serpent King emerged.

Nearly five meters long, its body gleamed with blood-red scales, and a small bulge had formed on its forehead. This was a Bloodmeld Serpent on the verge of transforming into a flood dragon.

Its cultivation had nearly reached fifty thousand years.

Even at her peak, Zhang Lexuan might have struggled in a one-on-one fight against such a beast. Now, weakened as she was, the Serpent King had bided its time, sacrificing countless serpents to exhaust her.

Only now, when she was on the verge of collapse, did it reveal itself.

The Serpent King’s intelligence, patience, and cruelty were chilling.

Seeing it, Zhang Lexuan’s pupils contracted.

Despite mentally preparing herself for the worst, the sight of this nearly evolved flood dragon sent a shock through her.

“Looks like this is the end for me. Xiao Yu… it seems Sister Lexuan will never see you again.”

A bitter yet beautiful smile crossed Zhang Lexuan’s face, her eyes filled with regret and a hint of reluctance.

But just then, a powerful aura descended from the sky.

The once-ferocious Bloodmeld Serpents trembled in fear.

The Serpent King, which had just revealed itself, let out a terrified hiss.

“Hmph!”

A cold snort came from the heavens, sending the serpents into shock.

A hand reached out from the void, grabbing Zhang Lexuan and whisking her away.

All that remained were the countless corpses of the Bloodmeld Serpents strewn across the ground.

The space tore open, and Zhang Lexuan was spit out.

She landed on her feet, quickly steadying herself, her eyes scanning the surroundings.

She was in a vast forest, the trees dense and green, with powerful creatures lurking all around. The oppressive atmosphere made her expression turn serious.

This was not the mixed zone. She realized that she had been transported straight into the core area—the domain of the truly powerful soul beasts.

“May I ask which senior saved me? Could I have the honor of meeting you?”

Zhang Lexuan cupped her hands respectfully. Whoever had torn open space to save her had to be at least a Super Douluo, or perhaps even stronger.

“It’s been a few years, and yet you’ve disappointed me. You couldn’t even handle a group of low-level soul beasts?”

A deep, commanding voice sounded from behind her.

Zhang Lexuan quickly turned, her pupils shrinking.

“My lord!”

Standing before her was a man with a dignified face, a strand of golden hair amidst his black locks, and golden eyes radiating majesty and pressure.

It was none other than the Beast God, Di Tian!

“With such meager strength, how do you plan to protect the Young Master in the future?”

Di Tian’s golden eyes bore into Zhang Lexuan, exuding immense authority.

She bit her lip and lowered her head.

If she had been at full strength, she could have broken through, even surrounded by those serpents. As a quasi-Soul Douluo, she could barely manage flight on her own, though it consumed a great deal of energy. At the very least, she could have fought her way out by activating her martial soul avatar.

But the earlier battle with the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, combined with protecting the other inner court members, had left her soul power severely depleted.

Flying or activating her avatar was simply impossible at that point.

But there was no excuse. What was done, was done.

“Lexuan admits her mistake. I await your punishment, my lord,” she said softly, her head still bowed.

“You don’t need to call me ‘my lord,’ just be responsible for the young master,” Di Tian said indifferently.

Hearing the phrase “young master” again, Zhang Lexuan finally understood. She raised her head, eyes full of confusion.

“Young Master?”

“The young Master is Su Yu,” Di Tian said flatly.

“Xiao Yu?”

Zhang Lexuan’s eyes lit up as if she had thought of something pleasant, and a small smile appeared on her lips.

Di Tian noticed but snorted lightly.

“The young master treats you well, considering you the closest person to him. Yet, your performance has been rather disappointing.”

“You haven’t forgotten your mission, have you?”

“You should know why you were saved.”

“Moreover, you swore an oath yourself: that if we helped you get revenge, you would care for the young master for the rest of your life and be loyal to him forever.”

“From the beginning, no one forced you. We didn’t set any conditions. Everything you said was of your own free will. If you regret it now, the consequences might be more than you can bear.”

“I will never regret it,” Zhang Lexuan said seriously, looking directly at Di Tian.

“I made that oath, and I intend to fulfill it for the rest of my life.”

“I will live my life for Xiao Yu.”

“If Xiao Yu accepts me when he grows up, I will marry him and be his wife.”

“If he doesn’t accept me, I will still protect him from the shadows, silently, forever.”

“Hmph, you’ve got quite the imagination, thinking you could marry the young master,” Di Tian snorted.

“Is that… not allowed?”

“…”

Di Tian was silent for a moment before responding.

“Whether it’s allowed or not depends on the young master.”

As Su Yu’s subordinate, Di Tian didn’t dare to overstep on such matters.

“That’s what I meant,” Zhang Lexuan said with a blink, though she felt a bit surprised. It seemed that Su Yu’s status was even higher than she had imagined.

The figure in front of her was undeniably a top-tier powerhouse, perhaps even on par with that figure from the Seagod Pavilion. Yet he showed such respect for Su Yu—it was truly astonishing.

What exactly was Su Yu’s identity?

At that moment, Zhang Lexuan’s heart was filled with curiosity.

Di Tian scoffed coldly but said nothing more. Considering how much Su Yu cared for the girl in front of him, Di Tian thought this matter wasn’t entirely impossible.

Truthfully, Di Tian didn’t want Su Yu to get too entangled with humans, especially in matters of affection. If Su Yu had to form emotional ties, he believed a divine beast would be a better match.

Even Zi Ji or other female soul beasts would suffice.

As long as Su Yu liked them, Di Tian could arrange it.

But unfortunately, Su Yu was the master. Even if Di Tian had ideas, they were not his to implement.

“Alright, you weren’t saved to discuss these matters, and these are not decisions we can make.”

“The only one who can decide all of this is the young master himself.”

“Can I ask where Xiao Yu is now?”

Zhang Lexuan asked, looking at Di Tian.

“I haven’t seen him in over a year, and I miss him.”

The last time she had seen Su Yu was more than a year ago. To be honest, going to Shrek Academy had caused many inconveniences.

At the very least, she saw Su Yu far less often.

She often wondered if it would’ve been better to stay by his side, accompanying him as he grew. But every time, she reminded herself that she needed to grow stronger to support Su Yu better. She had to endure this distance for his sake.

But even now, her strength was still insufficient.

“Where the young master is doesn’t matter. When it’s time for you to meet, you will meet,” Di Tian replied.

“Don’t you think you’re still quite weak?”

“With your current strength, you dare say you want to see the young master?”

“The young master doesn’t need weaklings like you by his side,” Di Tian said sternly.

Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan bit her lip and remained silent.

Among the students at Shrek Academy, she was already among the top. But compared to Di Tian and others like him, there was no comparison.

“Please guide me, Senior!”

Zhang Lexuan said, cupping her hands respectfully.

“At least you’re not entirely foolish. You’ve reached level eighty by now, haven’t you?”

Di Tian asked.

Zhang Lexuan nodded. She had indeed reached the bottleneck of level eighty and had come here to find her eighth soul ring.

“We’ve provided you with the same resources as the young master since you were a child. We’ve put much effort into raising you.”

“For your eighth soul ring, how many years of soul ring do you think you can withstand?”

Di Tian asked, his gaze sharp.

Zhang Lexuan’s eyes glinted with determination.

“I can withstand a one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring.”

“Good. Then I’ll grant your wish,” Di Tian said, disappearing in an instant.

Moments later, he reappeared, throwing a soul beast nearly seventy to eighty meters long onto the ground.

This soul beast was covered in silver-white scales. It had four legs, each with three claws. A silver horn protruded from its forehead, nearly two meters long. Silver whiskers extended from its mouth, swaying like delicate threads in the wind.

The entire beast radiated a terrifyingly fierce aura. Yet, its life force seemed rather weak.

“This is…”

Zhang Lexuan was shocked.

“A Moon Spirit Jiao? And this big?”

“This is no ordinary Moon Spirit. It is a one-hundred-thousand-year Moon Spirit Emperor. Its life is nearing its end.”

“Didn’t you say you could handle a one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring?”

“Now, it’s yours.”

Di Tian gestured toward the dying Moon Spirit Emperor.

Zhang Lexuan’s breath quickened. Her martial soul was the moon, and a Moon Spirit, a beast that absorbed lunar energy to cultivate, was one of the most suitable soul beasts for her.

And this was a one-hundred-thousand-year Moon Spirit Emperor. It was truly a gift from the heavens.

“Thank you, Senior!”

Zhang Lexuan said gratefully, then approached the beast.

This soul beast would provide her with not only a one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring but also a soul bone, a priceless treasure.

Although absorbing a one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring would be challenging given her current strength, she couldn’t let such a perfect opportunity pass.

“For Xiao Yu!”

Suppressing her excitement, Zhang Lexuan restored her internal soul power. Only then did she release her martial soul and finish off the Moon Spirit Emperor.

The beast remained calm to the end. Even as Zhang Lexuan delivered the final blow, it didn’t resist.

As its life ended, a glowing red soul ring rose from the Moon Spirit Emperor’s massive body.