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Liu Tianfeng winked at Xue Tianxing, with some expectation in his eyes.
Xue Tianxing nodded in understanding, and when he turned to look at Oscar, his smile grew even wider, and he said to Oscar:
"Wow, it turns out to be a food-type martial spirit! You have such spirit power at such a young age. Now I believe you will definitely become the continent's number one auxiliary spirit master in the future."
Oscar's cheeks turned slightly red due to the compliments, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up, and the pride was almost overflowing from his eyebrows.
Xue Tianxing saw that the time was almost right, so he slowed down his tone and asked seriously:
"Xiao Ao, you have such great talent. Have you ever thought about joining our Barak Kingdom?"
Xue Tianxing paused, laid out the conditions one by one, and said to Oscar in a sincere tone:
"If you wish, I can immediately ask my father to confer you the title of Viscount. I can also bring your parents to Barak City and provide them with a house where they can live in peace and comfort. As for the resources for cultivation—spiritual rings, spirit bones, and training rooms—as long as the kingdom has them, you will not be left wanting. The royal family will fully support your training."
As soon as these words were spoken, the table fell silent.
Flanders sighed secretly on the side - what was coming had finally come.
Although Flanders didn't want to let Oscar go from the bottom of his heart, he knew very well how dilapidated Shrek Academy was. A few leaky wooden houses and a few teachers who were just there to make up the numbers. How could they compare with the resources of the Barak Kingdom?
Besides, Xiao Ao has not officially enrolled in school yet. He is just learning some basics with Shao Xin. In the end, it all depends on his own intention.
Thinking of this, Flanders remained silent, holding the teacup in silence.
Oscar was completely stunned, his eyes wide open.
Although he was young, he understood what "Viscount" meant, and he also understood how rare it was to have a "stable and happy family."
He came from an ordinary family, and his parents worked hard every day to make a living. If he could really follow Xue Tianxing, not only would he be able to practice well, but he could also let his parents live a good life...
Oscar clenched the sausage in his hand, his heart beating rapidly, and his eyes were full of shock and a hint of hesitation that he could not hide when he looked at Xue Tianxing.
But Oscar was still troubled.
The conditions at Shrek Academy were poor, with leaking roofs and bland meals being commonplace, but over the past three years, the teachers had truly cared for him – Teacher Shao Xin always secretly saved dried soul beast ingredients for him to practice his martial soul; Zhao Wuji also often took him to train his physique, so that he could avoid enemy attacks in future battles… How could he just let go of such heartwarming things?
Flanders looked at him clutching the corner of his clothes with his brows knitted into knots, sighed, and spoke to help:
"Xiao Ao, if you haven't thought it through, don't rush to agree. Wait until we help you obtain your second spirit ring, and then you can slowly make a decision. I think His Royal Highness the Prince and Senior Leng Jian wouldn't be stingy with this little time, right?"
After saying that, Flanders looked up at Xue Tianxing and Liu Tianfeng with a pleading look in his eyes.
Xue Tianxing nodded readily and smiled at Oscar:
"Dean Flanders is right. Xiao Ao, just think about it. Once we have all hunted spirit rings, you can give me an answer."
Oscar finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded heavily.
"Okay, let's eat first."
Xue Tianxing raised his hand and greeted:
"After eating, go to bed early. You need to be well rested before heading into the forest tomorrow."
Liu Tianfeng responded, and several people picked up their bowls and chopsticks again. The atmosphere at the table was a little more relaxed than before.
After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms. Oscar had just walked to the door of his room when Xue Tianxing poked his head out from the next room and whispered:
"Xiao Ao."
Oscar turned around and saw Xue Tian walking towards him and said to him:
"I forgot to tell you, if you really want to come to Barak, I will not only provide you with resources, but also help you solve the problem of slow cultivation of your food-type martial spirit."
"Solve...slow training?"
Oscar was stunned. It was generally acknowledged that it was difficult for a food-type soul master to train. Even the teachers only said "hard work can make up for lack of talent" and that time should be exchanged for soul power. He had never heard of anyone being able to "solve" it.
Xue Tianxing didn't say much, but just smiled and patted Oscar's shoulder:
"Rest well, we'll talk tomorrow."
After saying that, he went back to the room, leaving Oscar standing there. The night was very cool, but his heart was burning with anxiety, and he kept repeating the same sentence over and over again: "The solution is slow to practice."
At this moment, Flanders' door creaked open and he stood at the door wearing a coat, obviously having heard what had just been said.
Flanders waved to Oscar.
Oscar nodded, walked up to Flanders, and whispered:
"The dean said he could help me solve the problem of my slow training..."
"Yeah, I heard that."
Flanders leaned against the door frame, looking at the dark forest in the distance, sighing again and again, and said to Oscar:
"The conditions he offered are so tempting, not only you, but me too. Especially regarding cultivation—you've just reached the Great Soul Master level and haven't experienced what it's like yet. You'll know once you absorb your second soul ring. For a Food-type Soul Master, each level up requires twice as much soul power as an ordinary Soul Master. It's so slow it's frustrating."
Oscar bit his lip:
"But I've been in Shrek for three years. You brought me back from the village and said I'd be officially enrolled when I turned twelve..."
"Silly boy."
Flanders smiled, raised his hand and rubbed his hair, the relief in his eyes could not be hidden, and then said to Oscar:
"The academy is a place to train people, not a place to bind them. The Barak Kingdom can offer you a better path, so why not go? As for starting school at twelve... just remember these old guys from Shrek. Come back and visit when you have time. That's better than anything else."
Oscar looked at the fine lines at the corners of Flanders' eyes, and thought of Xue Tianxing's promise, and the hesitation in his heart suddenly disappeared.
He nodded vigorously, as if he had made a great decision, and said to Flanders:
"Dean, I've made up my mind! Once I get the spirit ring, I'll go to Barak!"
Fearing that Flanders would be sad, he quickly added:
"When I have the ability in the future, I will definitely renovate Shrek Academy! I will build you a dean's office with a fireplace!"
Flanders was amused by him, but his eyes felt a little hot. He raised his hand and patted his back:
"Good boy, that's all you need to do. Go back to your room and get some sleep. You still need to hunt for soul rings tomorrow."
Oscar let out an "Ah" and skipped back to his room.
Flanders stood there, looking at his back, the smile on his lips gradually faded, but he nodded slightly - the child having a good future is better than anything else.
The next day, just after dawn, the cobblestone roads in the town were still covered with morning dew, and Xue Tianxing and Liu Tianfeng were already waiting at the door of the inn.
Not long after, Flanders came out with Oscar. Oscar was carrying a bulging bag, with a bit of excitement in his eyes, and he was obviously looking forward to obtaining the spirit ring.
"Let's go."
Liu Tianfeng took the first step, and the frosty white soul power quietly spread under his feet, bringing up a breeze.
Flanders also patted Oscar on the shoulder, and the four of them walked towards the Star Dou Great Forest, one in front and one behind.
The moment you step into the forest, the surrounding noise is isolated behind you.
The towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, and the sunlight could only shine through the gaps between the branches and leaves, casting mottled spots of light. The air was filled with the scent of damp grass and a faint fishy smell.
However, with Liu Tianfeng, the 89th-level Soul Douluo, around, ordinary soul beasts didn't dare to get close at all - although he didn't deliberately release soul power, the aura accumulated from years of fighting with soul beasts was enough to scare low-level soul beasts away.
Occasionally, a blind thousand-year-old soul beast would poke its head out from the woods, but would be frightened back into the depths of the dense forest after being given a cold glance by Liu Tianfeng.
Flanders walked in front, relying on his years of experience in hunting soul rings to identify the direction. He would occasionally bend down to check the claw marks on the ground, and sometimes listen attentively to the movements in the forest.
Xue Tianxing and Oscar followed in the middle, occasionally conversing in low voices - Oscar was the talkative one, chattering about the abilities of his martial soul, and Xue Tianxing listened patiently, occasionally asking a few questions about the details of the food-type soul master's training, which gave him the motivation to continue talking.
Liu Tianfeng walked at the end, like a steady mountain, his eyes sweeping around, eliminating potential dangers one by one.