Although she was still a little inferior to Wang Dong'er, she was nevertheless an exceedingly rare beauty on the Douluo Continent.
But this beauty appeared somewhat battered—splattered with blood, and her once exquisite garments now torn and ragged.
Could it be…
Neuvillette instantly understood.
"Could the three of you come over here for a moment?" the middle-aged man beckoned to Huo Yutong's group of three.
At these words, Neuvillette raised his brow.
"Don't you have legs of your own?"
These people were truly arrogant—did they not take him for a person at all…
Still, in the eyes of most, to be seventeen or eighteen and already at the Soul Emperor level was a peerless genius.
Even figures like Long Xiaoyao and Elder Mu had barely reached that threshold. As for the Sea God Pavilion's Saintess, Ma Xiaotao—celebrated as Shrek Academy's greatest prodigy in a hundred years—she had only attained Soul Emperor at eighteen or nineteen.
From their perspective, Neuvillette could at most be a Soul King—still an extraordinary talent, but nothing beyond that.
As for a Soul Douluo…
No one would ever believe it.
"You—!"
Beitang's eyes bulged as he pointed angrily at Neuvillette.
But the middle-aged man, after sizing Neuvillette up a few times, stopped Beitang and smiled faintly:
"No need—it was our offense. We just encountered a beast tide earlier, so we have no choice but to be cautious… By the way, little brother, are you here in the Star Dou Forest to hunt spirit beasts?"
To dare hunt spirit beasts in this place, yet look so at ease, as if on an outing—either they had a teacher protecting them, or some other hidden means.
Perhaps… their teacher was nearby even now.
Neuvillette gave a slight nod.
So it was because of the beast tide… no wonder they looked so ragged.
The uproar caused by the Red King truly was extraordinary.
The middle-aged man's gaze was sharp and penetrating, carrying a trace of shifting, elusive power. His aura faintly locked onto Neuvillette, as though he might attack at any moment.
Then he smiled slightly.
"My name is Mo Yunfei, and these are my companions. We, too, are heading into the Star Dou Forest. After traveling through the night, we're nearly at our destination, but everyone is exhausted. Seeing your bonfire here, I wonder if we might warm ourselves and rest a while?"
"Do as you please."
Neuvillette's reply was terse, his tone indifferent.
His gaze swept past them and withdrew entirely, losing all interest.
The two young women also studied Neuvillette. The girl in yellow even smiled at him, while the one in white only cast a cool glance—the contrast in temperament was clear.
With Neuvillette's permission, the group sat down by the bonfire. At once, two of them quickly erected tents not far from the others.
Their tents were noticeably larger.
The one nearest the fire was a relatively small black tent, clearly crafted from treated oxhide. After setting this up, the two busily began constructing two larger tents behind it.
Mo Yunfei sat with the others on one side of the fire.
When his gaze fell upon Wang Dong'er and Huo Yutong, Wang Dong'er's beauty especially caught his attention.
With her soft, powder-blue hair, matching eyes, and aura suffused with radiant light, Wang Dong'er was not only strikingly beautiful but also carried an exceptional grace. Compared to her, even the girls in yellow and white were somewhat overshadowed.
Meanwhile, the quiet girl calmly roasting fish beside her seemed hardly moved by their arrival.
Seeing this, Mo Yunfei became even more certain—these youths surely had a powerful protector behind them!
Mo Yunfei spoke warmly with a smile:
"Young friends, may I ask your names?"
Wang Dong'er smiled and answered, "I'm Xiao Dong. These two are Yutong and Teacher Neuvillette."
She deliberately concealed their full names.
Neuvillette's expression remained calm and detached.
Not revealing one's surname when traveling—ah, such an old tradition still lived on. Wouldn't you say so, Yun Zhi, Yao Yan?
Mo Yunfei's pupils contracted slightly.
He had caught a crucial word… Teacher.
Composing himself, he smiled again, probing:
"You all look rather young, but your soul power isn't weak. Still, venturing rashly into the Star Dou Forest isn't the wisest choice. Have you been here before?"
While tending to the fish, Huo Yutong answered casually:
"We've roamed the outskirts before. Thank you for the reminder, uncle. We won't go too deep—once we find a suitable spirit beast, we'll leave."
Mo Yunfei pressed further:
"And where are you from? A sect, or an academy?"
Huo Yutong replied smoothly:
"We're from the Xingluo Empire, students of the Xingluo Imperial Academy."
As a native of the Xingluo Empire, her accent naturally fit.
Using the Xingluo Imperial Academy as a cover for their true origins was perfect. After all, part of the Star Dou Forest did lie within the Xingluo Empire's territory.
At the words "Xingluo Imperial Academy," Mo Yunfei's group all showed visible surprise.
That academy was renowned across the continent. Especially in the Xingluo Empire, it ranked among the very top academies.
And this boy, barely seventeen or eighteen, was already serving as a teacher…
Truly remarkable!
The two girls' eyes shimmered, watching the ever-indifferent Neuvillette, as though this aloofness was proof of true strength.
Beitang, however, curled his lip, muttering under his breath:
"Who knows if that's even true? These days, anyone can claim whatever identity they like…"
"Shut your mouth!!"
Mo Yunfei frowned, glaring at him. Once Beitang fell silent, he smoothed it over with a laugh:
"My apologies—my subordinate is poorly disciplined. Please don't take offense."
"So, students of Xingluo Imperial Academy. No wonder you dare enter the Star Dou Forest to hunt spirit beasts."
Mo Yunfei's tone grew noticeably more cautious, and the faint arrogance in his companions also eased. The name of Xingluo Imperial Academy truly carried weight.
Huo Yutong smiled and asked, "Uncle Mo, what about you? Are you also here to hunt spirit beasts?"
Mo Yunfei nodded. "One of our companions has reached a bottleneck. This time, we're just trying our luck in the Star Dou Forest."
As he spoke, their tents were already set up. Mo Yunfei's group ate a little dry rations, chatted more with the three, and then withdrew to their tents to rest.
During their conversation, Mo Yunfei introduced his companions: the tall, thin man was named Beitang, the girl in yellow was Weina, and the girl in white was Mu Xue.
But he said nothing about their origins. He only suggested that the next morning they enter the Star Dou Forest together, offering to look after them a little, as at least some repayment for sharing their fire.
As for such so-called protection—
Neuvillette didn't care in the slightest.
This was the core region of the Star Dou Forest. If real danger arose, who would be protecting whom was far from certain…
Tomorrow morning, he would leave directly.
Dragging these burdens along would only be a nuisance.
End of Chapter