Xiao Wu sat beside Tang San, her feet swinging gently, both hands braced against the log she was sitting on. She tilted her small face upward, looking even more delicate and lovely under the glow of the stars and moon.
Half a year had passed. High-intensity cultivation and ample nutrition had brought about changes in all the Shrek Seven Devils, who were now in the midst of their adolescent growth spurts. Tang San's height had now slightly surpassed Xiao Wu's, reaching close to one hundred and eighty centimeters, while Xiao Wu was the tallest of the three girls, hitting a remarkable one hundred and seventy-five. And yet Tang San had only just turned fourteen, while Xiao Wu was still a bit short of her fourteenth birthday.
Tang San's shoulders were a bit broader than before. He still looked utterly ordinary, his gaze kept inward. If all seven of the Shrek Seven Devils walked together, he would absolutely be the least noticeable one.
Dai Mubai often teased him, saying that the least noticeable one was the most dangerous.
"Xiao Wu, it's getting late. Let's head back and rest. We set off tomorrow." Tang San bumped his shoulder gently against the girl beside him.
Xiao Wu nodded softly, picking up the Passion Berry that had been lying across her thigh. She gazed at the shimmering iridescence on its petals, brought it to her lips for a light kiss, and breathed in the faint fragrance that only she could perceive. "Brother, I still haven't reached level forty. Are you disappointed?"
Tang San smiled gently. "How could I be? Your cultivation speed is already faster than I expected. If we hadn't all consumed immortal herbs, your speed might have even surpassed mine — let alone anyone else's. Xiao Wu, cultivation must be taken step by step. You mustn't rush it. Otherwise, if you're not careful and succumb to deviation because of impatience, that would cause real trouble. You must remember what your brother says — you absolutely cannot come to harm. Our overall strength is already formidable. You don't need to worry about anything. It won't be long before you cross the level-forty threshold too. I can promise you, if you're willing to eat this Passion Berry, your soul power will surpass everyone else's and you'll become the strongest among us."
Xiao Wu let out a cheerful laugh and hopped to her feet. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hold anyone back. Brother, what kind of Soul Beast are you planning to hunt this time?"
Tang San said, "Who can say for sure? There are a few possibilities, but it all comes down to our luck. Whoever encounters a suitable Soul Beast will be the one to hunt it. Our martial souls are all different, so there will be something fitting for each of us."
Xiao Wu nodded. "I hope we'll have good luck. Brother, could you help me comb my hair? It's gotten a bit messy."
Tang San blinked. "Comb your hair?" This was the first time Xiao Wu had ever made such a request of him. "But if you go back to sleep, won't your hair just get tangled again?"
Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue at him. "You're so silly! Can't I just cultivate from the time I get back until morning?"
As she spoke, she pulled a comb from inside her clothing and handed it to Tang San.
It was a wooden comb, one that looked quite ordinary, but the wood itself was of exceptional quality. The deep purple comb had an incredibly fine grain — it was hard and resilient to the touch, and a faint woody fragrance drifted from its surface.
If Tang San hadn't possessed the Purple Extreme Demon Eye, which allowed him to see fine details even in the dark, he would have thought the comb was black.
It was precisely because even the grain-observing realm of the Purple Extreme Demon Eye could not find a single flaw in the wood that he was surprised.
"This comb is made of wonderful wood!" Tang San couldn't help but say.
Xiao Wu nodded, something shimmering deep in her eyes. "Mom gave it to me. She carved it herself from the finest red sandalwood. It has no decorations at all, but it's the last thing Mom left for me."
Tang San had never heard Xiao Wu mention her family before. Hearing her speak of her mother now, his heart skipped a beat. When he looked at Xiao Wu, he could clearly see a glistening sheen in those captivating eyes.
Xiao Wu reached up and gathered her scorpion braid, untying the pink ribbon at the very bottom. Her eyes never left Tang San the entire time. Her left hand supported the braid while her right hand slowly drew through the hair from the root. The black hair that had been woven into the braid gradually loosened under her five fingers, spreading apart like a dark cascade unfurling.
The light of the stars and moon bathed them as Tang San watched the braid quietly disperse in front of Xiao Wu. His gaze grew a little lost. Right now, Xiao Wu was truly beautiful — the stars and moon seemed nothing more than her backdrop, and she alone was the center of this painting.
Xiao Wu gazed deeply at Tang San, slowly turning as the braid came undone. When the last tangle gently released, she tilted her head slightly, and the silken black waterfall trembled, completely enveloping her slender frame.
The black, silk-smooth hair fell all the way to the ground, with at least a foot of it caressing the log beneath her feet. In that moment, Xiao Wu seemed to have merged with the night itself. From where Tang San sat, all he could see was that beautiful expanse of black.
Perhaps because the hair had been braided for so long, once it was released it fell in large, loose waves, swaying gently with every slight movement of her body.