Chapter 102: The Two Masters Arrive

Lu Xueruo flew down with Li Taixing, landing at the edge of the abyss. It was eerily quiet, the bodies of beasts scattered around—the aftermath of Li Taixing's recent battle.

Lu Xueruo surveyed the scene, an idea flashing across her mind. "With so many beast corpses, there must be a lot of inner cores here."

After clearing a spot, she helped Li Taixing down. Meanwhile, a thought crossed Li Taixing's mind, and he summoned the Wind Wolf King, Xiaofeng.

"Xiaofeng, gather the beast cores—but keep out of Senior Sister Lu's sight."

"Understood, Master."

One by one, other Wind Wolf Kings appeared and, under Xiaofeng's command, began collecting inner cores, carefully placing each one into Xiaofeng's storage ring.

Back with Lu Xueruo, she sat beside Li Taixing, looking at him with concern and a bit of nervousness.

"Junior Brother Li, are you really alright?"

"Senior Sister Lu, why not just call me Taixing?" he asked, giving her a playful look.

"Huh? Why?" she asked, taken aback.

"Come on, Senior Sister. After all, I did shield you from that last attack. Besides," he said with a grin, "you called me by my name earlier, and it sounded nice."

Lu Xueruo's cheeks flushed slightly. "Rascal! Even now, you're still so slick."

"Just give it a try, Senior Sister. Maybe it'll help me feel better."

Rolling her eyes, she muttered, "Not a chance."

Ordinarily, she would have scolded anyone else for such a suggestion. Yet, something about him softened her. She couldn't quite explain it, but her annoyance was tinged with an uncharacteristic warmth.

Li Taixing, seeing her reaction, grinned to himself. He thought of Wang Xuanwu and chuckled.

In his mind, he imagined his master cheering him on, shouting, "Taixing, Taixing, you're amazing!" A shiver ran through him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Lu Xueruo asked, noticing his expression.

"Yes, Senior Sister, I just had a strange thought," Li Taixing replied, standing up.

"Wait, why are you getting up? You shouldn't strain yourself."

"I'm fine, see?" He jumped lightly to prove his point, even flexing a bit for effect. Lu Xueruo rolled her eyes but couldn't help finding his antics endearing.

"Alright, Junior Brother, but we need to find a way out of here. That holy beast's shock waves are terrifying, even if it's partially sealed."

"Understood."

High above, two figures descended from the sky. Lu Xueruo's face lit up with relief.

"It's Master and the Fifth Elder!"

Li Taixing looked up and saw Wang Xuanwu and Zhu Qing flying toward them.

"Master!" Lu Xueruo called out.

The two elders caught sight of the young disciples, clearly relieved to see them unharmed.

Wang Xuanwu observed the scene below, noting the sheer number of beast corpses and the treasures they must hold. Good lad, my disciple is collecting resources—and companions—all while impressing his Senior Sister, he thought with amusement.

"Let's get our disciples and leave quietly," he said to Zhu Qing, his tone conspiratorial.

"Agreed. The power of those beasts is immense, many of them likely on par with Nascent Soul-level cultivators," Zhu Qing replied with a nervous glance below. She had no desire to provoke them further and felt relieved to see her disciple safe.

Lu Xueruo, catching Zhu Qing's attention, gently brushed the stray hairs from her face. "Master, I'm fine."

"Good," Zhu Qing sighed with relief, carefully assessing Lu Xueruo, whose robes were dirty but otherwise unharmed.

Meanwhile, Wang Xuanwu landed beside Li Taixing, his gaze calculating.

"Master, what's with the look?" Li Taixing asked, feeling his master's intense scrutiny.

With a smirk, Wang Xuanwu leaned in, whispering, "You're doing well, kid."

Feigning innocence, Li Taixing replied, "Master, I don't know what you're implying."

"Alright, I'll let it slide this time. But your performance here has been impressive." He then nudged Li Taixing's shoulder. "Better collect your pet—time to go."

Li Taixing nodded, quickly recalling the Wind Wolf Kings into his pet space. Once done, Zhu Qing approached with a concerned expression.

"Taixing, are you truly unharmed?"

"Yes, Seventh Elder, I'm perfectly fine."

"Good. Now, let's leave quickly. The holy beast could release another shock wave at any moment, and the power is far too dangerous."

Li Taixing glanced at Lu Xueruo, noticing her lowered head and slightly flushed cheeks. It seems my good Senior Sister hasn't mentioned her earlier injury to her master.

With everything gathered, he turned back to Wang Xuanwu. "Master, I'm ready."

Wang Xuanwu looked deep into the abyss, his brow furrowing. "There's something odd about that holy beast."

Li Taixing tilted his head. "What do you mean, Master?"

"Just a sense that things aren't as they seem." Wang Xuanwu hesitated before adding, "But never mind, you wouldn't be able to do much about it."

"Actually, Master…" Li Taixing paused before continuing, "I'm not too affected by that spiritual shock wave."