"Lu Ming, you stay here and watch over your teammates. I'll be right back."

Looking at Qian Yuelong's calm expression, Lu Ming felt a sense of impending doom. Suppressing his surging sorrow, he asked, "What do you intend to do, Holy Maiden?"

Qian Yuelong flexed her wrists. "Just wait here. Don't die before I get back."

As soon as she finished speaking, Qian Yuelong leaned forward, her figure turning into a twisted afterimage as she swept into the deep forest. Lu Ming didn't even have time to call out to her. After a brief moment of helplessness, he could only continue to lower his head and carefully channel his soul power into his teammate to alleviate the continuous flow of blood.

Meanwhile, 886 also seems to be in a bad mood.

[Host, are you planning to call for reinforcements?]

Qian Yuelong's figure flashed through the forest at lightning speed, and she suddenly grabbed a vine in her hand, weaving it into shapes with lightning speed.

'No, I'm going to absorb my third spirit ring.'

886: 【！！！】

Instantly understanding Qian Yuelong's intentions, 886 hurriedly advised, "[You want to obtain a healing soul skill? But aren't you the last person you want to be a healer? Is it really okay to ruin all your original plans for a complete stranger?]"

Damn, isn't its host the Path of Ruthlessness?

It thought its host's empathy was absolutely amazing!

Qian Yuelong stared calmly at the chaotic accident site ahead, and could already hear the faint groans of the soul beasts.

As if knowing 886's inner thoughts, Qian Yuelong landed in front of a weak soul beast. Her pale purple eyes were devoid of joy or sorrow, carrying a divine indifference and contradictory compassion. With a swift stroke, she ended the soul beast's life.

'I cultivate the path of ruthlessness, but that doesn't mean I've severed all emotions and desires.'

'You can understand my Dao as—the unity of all things.'

The Way of Ruthlessness is generally divided into two types: one is severing emotions and desires, which is the true Way of Ruthlessness.

Another way is that all things are equal; heaven and earth are both ruthless and compassionate, and compassion and ruthlessness are unified.

Ruthlessness is directed at the individual, while compassion is directed at the whole. Ruthlessness towards the individual is precisely compassion towards the whole.

She wore the lotus-shaped vine ring she had woven along the way on her index finger, dragged the severed soul beast corpse out of the center of the horde of soul beasts, and under the fearful, desperate, yet slightly relieved gazes of the other soul beasts, she sat cross-legged right in front of them and began to absorb her third soul ring.

The soul beast she just killed was an ice-skinned frog that was about three thousand years old.

This frog is both poisonous and has a milky appearance. Its skin resembles a snow-skin mooncake, with a dreamy gradient of ice-blue color. It is smooth and flawless, like the smooth jade surface revealed after a stone is cut open. It seems harmless, but in fact, it is poisonous all over. However, its flesh and blood are a holy product for healing. Drinking a mouthful of it can refresh the mind and temporarily relieve injuries. Like hibernation, a layer of frost will condense on the wound, and then the wound will heal as the ice melts.

Therefore, when an ice frog is injured, the wound immediately freezes and heals itself at an alarming rate. Unless it suffers severe damage to its heart or other vital organs, it is doomed to die.

However, drinking the blood of the ice frog raw without any treatment method carries an 80% chance of causing methamphetamine poisoning, requiring a highly yang and hot medicinal herb to neutralize the methamphetamine.

What Qian Yuelong wanted to gamble on was the Ice Skin Frog's healing ability.

The other soul beasts lying in pools of blood, gazing mournfully in this direction, were inherently ferocious. They stared intently at Qian Yuelong, gasping for breath through their noses filled with blood, and began to struggle and twist their bodies, trying to move towards her.

Before they could even take one down with them, the two-legged beast that had ignored all the other spirit beasts present and was sitting in meditation absorbing spirit rings had just sat down for less than five minutes. Before the two beasts that were closest to her could even crawl over, the third purple spirit ring rose from beneath her. Her aura suddenly surged and stabilized, signifying her successful advancement.

Other soul beasts: ?

Sorry to bother you.

The closest soul beast watched in despair as Qian Yuelong opened her eyes and looked at it.

It let out a roar of resentment, watching as the human girl raised her hand. The newly acquired purple soul ring hummed, and a blue-gold lotus phantom materialized beneath the still panting soul beast. Layer upon layer of huge lotus petals, as thin and transparent as gauze, shimmered with a faint blue light and bloomed.

"Third Soul Skill, Floating Flowers and Waves."

The scene of several blue and gold lotus buds, large and small, blooming together was reflected in Qian Yuelong's eyes.

The soul beast, which thought it was about to die, suddenly felt a comfortable coolness spreading through its limbs and bones, and the pain also lessened under this coolness.

There's even an itchy feeling as if it's scabbing over and healing?

They opened their eyes in astonishment and shock, unable to believe that Qian Yuelong, a human, would treat them.

Looking at the effect of her third soul skill and sensing the consumption of her own soul power, Qian Yuelong felt reassured, and a faint smile finally appeared on her solemn face.

Great, the third soul skill is a group healing skill.

The treatment is effective, but it still takes some time to recover.

[Beep - Faith Points +5]

[Beep - Faith Points +3]

The lifeless 886 in the consciousness space stared wide-eyed and hurriedly opened the Faith Value details. It was extremely shocked when it saw the names of the soul beasts.

[Soul beasts can also exploit faith points?!]

Upon hearing 886's words, a hint of surprise flashed in Qian Yuelong's eyes, but she then said with relief:

'The standard for faith points originates from intelligent beings. Soul beasts themselves possess intelligence and are also among the myriad living beings.'

This was an unexpected surprise.

I only acted out of compassion.

It's not that she's hypocritical.

She never claimed to be a good person; since she has no morals, no one can hold her accountable.

As their strength gradually returned, the soul beasts rose from the ground one after another. Their wounds, covered with a layer of frost, froze the blood, resembling a gentle snowfall. This time, they brought not cold death, but new life.

The well-recovered soul beast gave Qian Yuelong a deep look before leaving without a trace of regret.

Even if Qian Yuelong saves them, the food chain relationship between humans and soul beasts will not change in any way.

Similarly, without any hesitation, Qian Yuelong left the soul beasts who were still gathering their strength with a fleeting silhouette.

When Qian Yuelong returned to Lu Ming's side, the Soul King Knight's breathing was so weak that it was almost inaudible.

"Saintess!"

Sensing the approaching unfamiliar presence, Lu Ming raised his bloodshot eyes. Qian Yuelong didn't waste any words and immediately took action.

"Third Soul Skill, Floating Flowers and Waves."

A blue-gold flower bud suddenly appeared, causing the unsuspecting Lu Ming to stagger backward. It completely enveloped the Soul King Knight. Then, starting from the outermost lotus petals, the buds began to bloom layer by layer. The lotus petals, shimmering with pale blue light, peeled off and withered one by one, slowly revealing the Soul King Knight, who was almost entirely covered in frost, in the very center.

Realizing something, Lu Ming looked at Qian Yuelong in disbelief and said in a hoarse voice, "Holy Maiden... what is this?"

"As you can see, my third soul skill, Floating Flowers and Waves." Under her spiritual vision, Qian Yuelong, who had witnessed the Soul King's aura slowly and steadily change from weak to strong, revealed a joyful smile on her face.

Lu Ming's heart skipped a beat, and he felt as if someone was banging a gong and drum heavily next to his ear, making him dizzy.

I felt a mixture of elation and fear.

Oh no! The Holy Maiden is going to become a healing-type Soul Master with no combat abilities!

(End of this chapter)