Word Count: 2,825 Words
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Early morning, Shrek Plaza.
The spirit hunting team had assembled in full. There were eight people in total. Elder Song stood as supervising teacher, with Zhang Lexuan commanding, alongside Ling Bai, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong Er, Li Yongyue, Mo Xuan, and... Ling Qiuxi!
Ling Bai ignored Wang Dong Er's usual corpse-face glare and walked straight up to Ling Qiuxi, amusement glinting in his eyes.
"Didn't you drop out?"
"Yan Shaozhe went on about Shrek's glory needing inheritors and asked me to think it over for a few days. He suggested I join the spirit hunting squad, get my spirit ring with the Inner Courtyard, and experience the academy's wonderful atmosphere.
Only a fool would turn down a free opportunity, so here I am."
Ling Qiuxi's voice was cool and clear. She lifted her snow-white chin and stared up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, every line of her posture radiating aloof confidence, yet her eyes kept sneaking glances at Ling Bai from the corner.
Everything she said was just an excuse. There was only one reason she had joined the spirit hunt: Ling Bai was here.
She had been staying at a hotel in Shrek City these last few days, fully expecting him to come confront her about their identical faces. Instead, she hadn't even caught a glimpse of his shadow. It was as if he had completely ignored her existence.
Today, she had deliberately donned a fitted white combat suit. A black dragon reverse-scale pendant hung low against her high, proud chest. The stark contrast of black and white proclaimed her identity as clearly as words.
She wanted to see shock and delight flash through his eyes, then walk out of Shrek Academy at his side and live a comfortable, carefree life from then on.
Elder Song swept her gaze across the assembled group. "You're all elite Inner Courtyard students with ample experience. I won't waste breath. According to spirit hunting protocol, each member will introduce their name, Martial Spirit, and cultivation. This will help you coordinate in the Star Dou Forest."
She nodded lightly to Zhang Lexuan, who spoke in a bright, clear voice. "Zhang Lexuan. Martial Spirit: Moon. Rank 86 Power Attack System Spirit Douluo. I'll be leading the team. No spirit ring requirements."
Her gaze flicked to Ling Bai, signaling it was his turn.
Though Ling Bai had already graduated, his strength undoubtedly made him the most powerful present, firmly overshadowing even Zhang Lexuan. If he were still a Shrek student, it was anyone's guess who would actually be commanding this operation.
"Ling Bai. Martial Spirit: Seraphim. Rank 80. I need a 100,000-year light-attribute or fire-attribute spirit beast."
He paused for a heartbeat, then added, "If everyone gets the rings they need, we'll end the hunt early. I have other targets that aren't in the Star Dou Forest."
After the two of them finished, Elder Song cut in. "I'm just accompanying you this time. Lexuan is the commander. Xiao Ling has both great strength and a steady temperament; he'll serve as vice-commander. You are to obey their orders and absolutely must not act on your own.
Continue. Huo Yuhao, you're next."
Huo Yuhao hurriedly stepped forward. "My name is Huo Yuhao. Rank 50 spirit power, Twin Martial Spirits: the spiritual-type Spirit Eyes and the Ultimate Ice-attribute Ice Jade Scorpion. I need the fifth spirit ring for my Spirit Eyes, and the second through fifth rings for my Ice Jade Scorpion. Ideally, they'll all be 30,000- to 50,000-year spirit beasts."
The Continental Youth Elite Spirit Master Grand Tournament was about to begin. He urgently needed to grow stronger, and adding rings to his second Martial Spirit, the Ice Jade Scorpion, was the simplest and fastest route.
A 30,000- to 50,000-year spirit beast was worthy of a seventh spirit ring. Historically, that had been the usual choice for the vast majority of Twin Martial Spirit users. After all, spirit beasts of that level that also matched one's Martial Spirit were already exceedingly rare.
Unless heaven itself opened an eye, no Spirit Master was arrogant enough to believe they would one day absorb an entire set of 100,000-year spirit rings.
Over the past few years, Shrek Academy had poured a huge amount of cultivation resources into Huo Yuhao. Combined with absorbing the Clear Sky Clan's Frigid Jade Essence Bed and Skydream Iceworm's covert help, a 50,000-year spirit beast was about his current limit.
Ling Bai's target was a 100,000-year beast. Huo Yuhao alone needed five rings. The other students suddenly felt immense pressure. Only the Snow Empress in Ling Bai's Spiritual Sea muttered softly:
"That's for the best. At least the spirit beasts of the Extreme North won't be harmed."
Better them than us. Snow Empress cared only for her homeland.
Next was Wang Dong Er, who had stunned the world in a dress at the Sea God Fated Blind Date Festival. "Wang Dong Er. Martial Spirit: Light Goddess Butterfly. Rank 61 Power Attack System Spirit Emperor. I can perform a Spirit Fusion Skill with Huo Yuhao, so I'm here to support him. No spirit ring requirements."
"Li Yongyue, Rank 60. I need my sixth spirit ring. Martial Spirit: Moon Blade. When Big Senior Sister manifests her Martial Spirit, I get a natural amplification."
"Hello, everyone. I'm Mo Xuan, a Rank 60 long-range comprehensive support-type Spirit King. My close-combat ability is rather poor, so I'll be counting on everyone to look after me in the Star Dou Forest."
"Ling Qiuxi. Golden Dragon. Rank 60."
Everyone's gazes shifted between Ling Bai and Ling Qiuxi, even Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong Er, who weren't exactly on friendly terms with Ling Bai. Every one of them silently speculated on the relationship between the two.
It was only natural. Anyone who saw those two faces side by side would immediately think: There must be a blood connection.
'Rank 80, Rank 60… a God‑level Seraphim Martial Spirit, the ancestor of strength Golden Dragon…'
If they were siblings, then their parents were almost certainly an Angel descendant and a Golden Dragon. Ling Bai and Ling Qiuxi had each inherited one parent's Martial Spirit.
At that thought, everyone couldn't help but click their tongues. What a terrifying pair of parents that must be!
Ling Qiuxi sensed the probing looks around them. Her golden eyes suddenly narrowed into draconic slits and locked onto Huo Yuhao. A devouring, predatory aura rolled off her in waves.
Wang Dong Er immediately stepped up, bristling. She half-shielded Huo Yuhao with her body, pink-blue eyes glaring back without the slightest concession. The team looked ready to fracture before it had even set out.
Zhang Lexuan stepped quickly between the two girls before things could escalate. Ling Qiuxi was currently Yan Shaozhe's key recruitment target; she couldn't be yelled at or slapped around. Zhang Lexuan could only steer the conversation away:
"Now that everyone's introduced themselves, I'll briefly assign our formation for the Star Dou Forest.
I'll scout in front. Ling Qiuxi and Wang Dong Er will guard the left and right flanks. Yuhao and Mo Xuan will hold the center. Yongyue will stay by their side and be ready to support any direction. Ling Bai will bring up the rear.
Elder Song won't intervene unless absolutely necessary. Everything depends on the seven of us working together. If there are no questions, we depart immediately!"
They were all Inner Court students, the lowest still at Rank 50. None of them were the dawdling type. They filed out of Shrek City and, following Zhang Lexuan's formation, headed straight toward the Star Dou Forest.
"What was that look earlier? She seemed about ready to eat you alive. This Ling Qiuxi is just as detestable as Ling Bai."
Wang Dong Er's voice sounded in Huo Yuhao's mind through Spiritual Detection. "They're definitely siblings!"
Huo Yuhao gave a wry smile. This was his first time meeting Ling Qiuxi. He had no idea how he had offended her. It couldn't be because I'm ugly, right?
"Wang Dong Er. Huo Yuhao..."
On the left flank, Ling Qiuxi first turned her head toward Ling Bai, who was hanging far back at the end of the line. A hint of softness flickered in her eyes before she swung her gaze back to Huo Yuhao and shot him another vicious glare.
She had seen Wu Feng and Wang Dong Er in the Star Dou Forest before. She didn't like them, but the only one she truly loathed was Huo Yuhao. He had once tried to lay hands on the destiny of the Star Dou Forest. For that alone, there would be no kindness from her.
They reached the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest before noon. A blood-red warning sign loomed at the edge of the trees: "DANGEROUS SPIRIT BEASTS. ENTRY FORBIDDEN."
"Rest here. Eat something and get yourselves into peak condition," Zhang Lexuan said.
"I'll cook," Huo Yuhao offered at once.
"Good. Yuhao will cook, and the rest of you don't just sit around."
Zhang Lexuan began assigning tasks. "Wang Dong Er and Li Yongyue, gather firewood and shape a pot. Ling Bai and I will catch fish. Ling Qiuxi and Mo Xuan, hunt some game. Let's eat a proper meal. Once we're in the Star Dou Forest, we'll have to be cautious."
Spirit Masters moved with frightening efficiency. In short order, Ling Bai and Zhang Lexuan had skewered twenty large fish. Li Yongyue carved a big pot and eight sets of utensils out of wood with his Moon Blade.
Ling Qiuxi returned triumphantly, carrying a wild bull on her shoulder. Mo Xuan trailed behind her, jaw hanging slack. He had been completely stupefied. He had never seen such a violent woman. Without even manifesting her Martial Spirit, she had floored a thousand-kilogram bull with a single punch. Mo Xuan suddenly felt like the weakest thing in the forest.
Huo Yuhao's grilling skill needed no commentary. The hunting team took out their dry rations and sat nearby. The aroma of grilled fish rose and spread on the wind, tugging ruthlessly at their appetites. They glanced between the steaming fish and the dry, crumbly rations in their hands and found the latter very hard to swallow.
Elders ate first. The first fish went to Elder Song, then to Zhang Lexuan, Ling Bai, and so on.
With everyone watching, no one dared pull any obvious stunts. Even so, an incident still occurred. When Huo Yuhao asked Wang Dong Er to pass a grilled fish to Ling Qiuxi, she gave only two flat words—"Not eating"—and quietly gnawed on her dry rations instead. Wang Dong Er's temper shot through the roof. She nearly started a fight on the spot.
"Why aren't you eating?"
Ling Bai noticed Ling Qiuxi sitting alone with her rations and took a seat beside her, puzzled. In his memory, she adored grilled meat and fish. She always complained she could never get enough. Did spirit beasts change their diet after becoming human?
"I find him disgusting, so his grilled fish disgusts me too."
Ling Qiuxi's beautiful eyes locked onto his. "Why didn't you cook?"
"We have a professional chef. No need."
Purely on cooking skill, Huo Yuhao was indeed above Ling Bai. He possessed a natural chef's constitution.
"But I think yours tastes better."
"Is that so?"
Ling Bai smiled. No one disliked blatant favoritism.
"Of course."
Ling Qiuxi's tone was very serious. "I want your grilled meat. Right now."
"Alright. I'll indulge you."
Ling Bai rose without another word and went to butcher the bull.
Watching him at the fire, Ling Qiuxi's lashes trembled lightly. A breeze toyed with her long golden hair. Starlike motes of light seemed to scatter from the corners of her eyes. Against the glow of the flames, her flawless features looked like a painting come alive.
"Eat up, eat up, you gluttonous girl."
"You're the glutton!"
Ling Qiuxi shot back before happily devouring the freshly grilled beef. She transformed into a little gluttonous fiend, polishing off skewer after skewer without pause.
Ling Bai must have recognized her. So what? She had barged into his fate from the very beginning. They could just keep moving forward with that silent understanding between them.
Eating alone was impossible. Ling Bai grilled another batch of skewers and steaks and passed them around. With grilled fish, grilled meat, and rich fish soup, everyone ate until their brows unknotted and smiles spread across their faces.
Once the break ended, they set off again. The spirit hunting squad officially stepped into the continent's number one spirit beast gathering ground: the Star Dou Forest.
Their targets were all 10,000-year spirit beasts. That meant pushing deep into the Hybrid Region and perhaps even entering the Core Region. After crossing into the Outer Region, the group broke into a full run under Zhang Lexuan's lead.
The Outer Region was dominated by 10-year and 100-year spirit beasts. They had no intention of carefully scouting such a low-grade area and simply barreled through at full speed.
A layer of shimmering white light surrounded Zhang Lexuan's body. Wherever she passed, shrubs on the ground were sliced aside to open a path. The oppressive aura of a Spirit Douluo ensured that not a single low-level beast dared approach.
Spiritual Detection Sharing blanketed the squad. Everything within a five-hundred-meter radius was revealed in minute detail—trees, terrain, slopes and depressions, every distance and angle—all of it appeared clearly in their minds.
After about an hour of travel, they rested fifteen minutes to restore spirit power. The sky was beginning to darken. Judging by the cultivation level of the spirit beasts nearby, they had long since left the Outer Region and were already deep in the Hybrid Region.
The depths of the Hybrid Region crawled with 10,000-year spirit beasts. The squad's pace slowed. Ling Bai's footsteps paused for a mere fraction of a second as his Spider Emperor Sense flared a warning. A danger signal lit up in every mind through Spiritual Detection Sharing at the same instant.
Zhang Lexuan raised a hand and the group halted. Guided by Spiritual Detection, she turned to look in one direction.
There, a petite lion-type spirit beast raced between the trees. Its body was one and a half meters long, with a shoulder height of about seventy centimeters. Its purple mane shone with an exceptional luster, and its big tail arched high behind it.
The purple lion's speed was astonishing. Light flashed around its form, leaving a long string of afterimages in its wake. In a single breath, it had covered a hundred meters.
Zhang Lexuan recognized the species. "A Purple Shadow Lion, with a cultivation of around twenty thousand years. Li Yongyue, do you want it?"
Li Yongyue's eyes lit up instantly at the words 'Purple Shadow Lion.' A 20,000-year Purple Shadow Lion was absolutely perfect for him!
Purple Shadow Lions were rare speed-type lion spirit beasts. The cutting power generated by their speed had few equals among spirit beasts of the same level. It was exactly the kind of spirit beast he desired, a perfect match for his Moon Blade.
"Big Senior Sister, yes! I want it!"
Li Yongyue nodded so fiercely his head nearly became a rattle. It was normal for a Spirit Master to go a month without encountering a suitable beast. He hadn't expected such a spectacular start to the day!
"Don't be hasty."
Ling Bai cut in. "The Purple Shadow Lion is fleeing. Something's chasing it."
"What?"
Mo Xuan and Li Yongyue were astonished. First, they were surprised that a Purple Shadow Lion with its powerful bloodline was being hunted by another spirit beast at its level of cultivation. Second, they were shocked that Ling Bai's perception was so terrifying. Its range was even greater than Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection Sharing.
Sure enough, four new targets burst into the range of Spiritual Detection Sharing the very next heartbeat.
Four mantis-type beasts with sleek, powerful frames charged after the lion. Their bodies were covered in rock-hard carapaces like indestructible armor, and each of their twin scythes gleamed like a pair of ice blades, cold light spilling off them in a way that promised to cut apart anything that stood in their way.
"Ice Blade Mantises!"
This time it was Huo Yuhao's turn to cry out in delight.
Mantis-type spirit beasts were famed for their attack power and agility. The Ice Blade Mantis was the foremost among them. The frigid aura clinging to its twin scythes reached such extremes that enemies couldn't even get close. On top of their frightening offensive power, Ice Blade Mantises also possessed formidable defense. Their shells were as hard as iron. Ordinary spirit skills struggled to leave so much as a scratch.
"All four Ice Blade Mantises are around thirty-five thousand years. They might be four brothers!"
Huo Yuhao's voice was urgent with excitement. "It's said Ancestor Tang San once absorbed the three Fifteen Ton Ant Emperor brothers. Today, these four Ice Blade Mantis brothers must be fated for me!"