Chapter 69: Demanding Repayment for a Favor

"Boom…!"

"Roooar…!!"

Terrifying dragon roars echoed through the sky.

Flames surged around Liu Erlong's body—she was now a blazing red dragon wreathed in fire. Her scale-covered body was being bitten into by the giant lizards, spurting gold-red blood.

She had already gone all out against the Titan Giant Ape earlier. After being blasted away, she suffered serious injuries and could only exert about sixty percent of her full strength.

Now she was being besieged by a horde of Titan Giant Lizards while also protecting Jiang Zhu beneath her—too many constraints!

"Roar…!"

One Titan Giant Lizard bit into Liu Erlong's wing.

She flapped her wings, trying to shake it off.

In the next instant, two more lizards latched onto her hind legs. She let out a cry of pain but didn't dare flee—because Jiang Zhu was right beneath her!

If she moved from this spot, Jiang Zhu would be torn to shreds by these soul beasts!

These lizards were cunning. Realizing Liu Erlong was using her legs and tail to shield Jiang Zhu, they focused their attacks on her thighs and tail. Liu Erlong was starting to get overwhelmed.

Her dragon body was covered in wounds, and its color was growing paler.

"Sob… I'm sorry, Dean… I… I've run out of soul power. I can't heal you anymore…" Jiang Zhu wept softly, the staff in her hands dissolving into starlight.

Regret flickered in Liu Erlong's eyes.

She shouldn't have let Jiang Zhu waste her soul power trying to test soul skills on her just now!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

A dozen Titan Giant Lizards surrounded Liu Erlong, spewing acid at her.

Streams of green liquid shot toward her like arrows. Her lower half was ablaze, guarding Jiang Zhu, but her upper body flames weren't strong enough to fully block the acid.

"Ssssss…"

Her dragon form dimmed further.

Anxiousness filled Liu Erlong's eyes.

If this went on, she wouldn't last. In the end, both she and Jiang Zhu would die in the Star Dou Forest!

But her body felt so heavy. Taking Jiang Zhu and escaping was nearly impossible.

She had wings, yes, but they were more for gliding. Otherwise, the "Flying Horn" of the Golden Iron Triangle wouldn't have gone to Flender!

And from the start, these Titan Giant Lizards had targeted her wings. If she could fly, that would've been a miracle!

This was exactly why even many noble children from wealthy families—whose first soul rings were from hundred-year beasts and fifth rings from thousand-year beasts—still faced mortal danger in the Star Dou Forest.

Even a Soul Sage like her could get surrounded and torn apart by soul beasts!

"That damn Zhou Sheng'an! He's really screwed me over! I don't care if I die, but I haven't even seen my Xiao Gang yet! What a loss! He might be heading to Blue Tyrant Academy in a few days…"

Liu Erlong couldn't help blaming Zhou Sheng'an.

She was close to death anyway—what did it matter what she thought?

Jiang Zhu cried, "Dean! Just go! Don't worry about me…"

"Shut up! Don't you dare think I can't tear these beasts apart!" Liu Erlong roared, suddenly bursting with divine power. Her front claws grabbed a Titan Giant Lizard and violently tore it in half!

"Die!!!"

With a furious roar, Liu Erlong ripped apart the highest-year lizard among them!

For a moment, the rest of the lizards froze in shock—some even hesitated, wanting to retreat.

But then Liu Erlong's body swayed, and her Dragon God form dimmed further, revealing a faint human outline within.

"Roooaaar…!!!"

The lizards went berserk again.

Liu Erlong had no strength left and was reduced to a sandbag, bitten and pummeled from all sides.

Jiang Zhu knelt on the ground, Liu Erlong's massive, flaming legs shielding her like pillars of fire. She sobbed, "Teacher… Teacher will come save us, right…"

Liu Erlong replied irritably, "Him? He's lucky if he's not already in that giant black monkey's stomach!"

After speaking, she collapsed forward, now lying prone. A glint of resolve flashed in her eyes.

Only thirteen Titan Giant Lizards remained now, with the strongest only at around twenty thousand years. The rest were all under ten thousand.

If they came in close to bite her again, and she unleashed one final burst of strength, maybe she could take them all down at once!

Jiang Zhu didn't know Liu Erlong still had a plan. Thinking all hope was lost, she cried her heart out.

"I'm sorry, Dean…!"

Her cries seemed to agitate the lizards, who all charged at once.

Just then, a thunderous roar erupted from afar.

"Roooaar…!!!"

The roar carried an overwhelming might.

The sky itself seemed to darken.

The leaves around them rustled wildly, treetops all bowing in the same direction!

The lizards froze—then without hesitation, turned and fled!

The energy carried by that roar also drained Liu Erlong's last breath of strength.

Her dragon form vanished, and her true body was revealed—a jade-like, voluptuous figure now stained with blood.

The lurking Lynx Soul King also turned tail and ran without looking back.

At the same time, two sets of footsteps approached Liu Erlong.

Jiang Zhu clung to her, face full of fear, staring toward the direction of the sound.

Two figures darted out from the trees, rushing toward them.

When she saw who it was, Jiang Zhu's face lit up in joy. She couldn't help but cry out, "Teacher! It's Teacher! Dean! We're saved! Teacher's okay—he came back to save us!"

Lying on the ground, Liu Erlong smiled too. Who wants to die if they can live?

But in the next second, she pouted and said, "We're saved—what's that got to do with him? Jiang Zhu, don't mix up cause and effect… Also, quick, cover me up. Don't let that bastard take advantage of me."

Her clothes had all been incinerated when she activated her Martial Soul True Body.

Jiang Zhu quickly draped a coat over her.

Liu Erlong had no strength left, treating the coat like a blanket.

As for her being seen in such a sorry state by Zhou Sheng'an—even with some "spring scenery" exposed—she didn't care much. After all, she was already in her forties or fifties.

"Dean Liu, are your injuries serious?"

Zhou Sheng'an rushed over and looked at the bloodied Liu Erlong lying on the ground like a human gourd, his face full of concern.

After verbally accepting Xiao Wu as his disciple, he'd rushed back with Er Ming. As he'd expected, had he been a moment later, Liu Erlong and Jiang Zhu would've been in real danger!

"I'm just tired! I can handle anything! But you—how did you escape?"

Liu Erlong pretended she didn't care about the Grandmaster, eyeing Zhou Sheng'an with suspicion.

Zhou Sheng'an's expression didn't change as he calmly explained, "That Titan Giant Ape ran into another fierce beast and started fighting it. It flung me away. On the way, I ran into this little girl."

Liu Erlong let out a breath of relief. When she saw Xiao Wu, her eyes lit up. For some reason, she immediately had a good impression of the girl.

"Seems like you've got some luck… Alright, once I've rested, we're leaving. Don't forget—you still owe me a favor. If it weren't for me, you'd have been bullied by those people from Star Luo by now…"