(T/N: Quick heads up, this chapter is out of order. The raw is out of order and I've patched some of it together but it's a bit unclear what order the rest is in.)
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After leaving Shrek Academy, Dean Du Weilun led the front while Teacher Zhao Gang brought up the rear. The group of eight set off toward the Star Dou Forest.
Since they were traveling on foot, Huo Yuhao—whose cultivation lagged behind the others—soon began to fall behind, followed shortly by Wu Feng. Yet neither Du Weilun nor Zhao Gang acknowledged it. They acted as if they hadn't noticed at all.
As if this journey itself were a trial.
Fortunately, Chen Junting, Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei, and He Caitou—all high-level cultivators with exceptional physical strength—helped Huo Yuhao and Wu Feng keep pace.
Their speed was impressive. By midday, they'd already reached the outer fringes of the Star Dou Forest.
After another hundred li, they spotted a wooden signpost by the roadside:
"Fifty meters ahead lies the Great Star Dou Forest. Soul beasts present. Proceed with caution."
But before they could cross it, Du Weilun halted.
"It'll be dark soon. Eat something, then set up camp right here. We'll rest and restore ourselves to peak condition. We enter the forest at dawn tomorrow."
At his command, tasks were swiftly assigned.
Since this was still the forest's outer edge—where soul beasts rarely ventured—Xu Sanshi gathered firewood, which Wu Feng instantly ignited with her flames. Huo Yuhao, in charge of dinner, pulled out his barbecue soul engineering device and began grilling the pre-prepared ingredients he'd brought from the academy.
Meanwhile, He Caitou, deployed his specialty: circling the camp and setting up soul engineering devices for perimeter alert. If any soul beast approached, the devices would trigger an alarm.
Chen Junting and Bei Bei handled tent setup. In no time, six tents stood in a hexagram formation: one for Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, one for He Caitou and Huo Yuhao, and individual tents for Du Weilun, Zhao Gang, Chen Junting, and Wu Feng.
Chen Junting and Bei Bei then invited Du Weilun and Zhao Gang to join their meal. Intrigued, the two instructors accepted without further hesitation.
He Caitou took a bite of roast chicken—and his eyes lit up.
Meanwhile, Xu Sanshi munched on grilled fish, talking through a mouthful as if unbothered by bones. "Told you the flavor was extraordinary! If Yuhao opened a barbecue shop in Shrek City, it'd be an instant hit!"
"Yuhao, your cooking is this good!?" Wu Feng exclaimed, eyes wide.
Even Zhao Gang was stunned—though he said nothing.
As they continued forward the next morning—
Huo Yuhao's eyes suddenly narrowed. He whispered urgently, "A large group of soul beasts is approaching from ahead. It looks like a Nether Spirit Wolf pack is setting up an ambush."
The group immediately tensed.
When Huo Yuhao activated his first soul skill during the ambush, the resulting effect left Du Weilun and Zhao Gang utterly astonished.
"You're telling me this is a ten-year soul ring!?" someone gasped.
"This soul ring's effect can probably evolve!" Du Weilun realized, suddenly understanding why Fan Yu had fought so hard to claim Huo Yuhao for the Soul Engineering Department. As Dean of the Outer Sect's Martial Soul Department, he wasn't foolish—he instantly grasped the value of Huo Yuhao's first soul skill. But regret was useless now.
After all, Elder Xuan's warning still echoed in his mind.
Zhao Gang turned to Bei Bei and Wu Feng, asking if they'd decided on their target soul beasts. Their answers aligned—only differing in required cultivation years and attributes.
Zhao Gang unfolded a map from his storage soul engineering device. "Let's confirm everyone's targets. Xu Sanshi—your Xuanwu Turtle martial soul needs a 4,000- to 6,000-year Void Spirit Turtle. Chen Junting—your Seven Kill Sword requires a 10,000- to 20,000-year Golden Demon Bird."
Chen Junting's companions—Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei, and He Caitou—had been startled by his stated requirement: a 10,000- to 20,000-year Golden Demon Bird for his fourth soul ring. But knowing Chen Junting understood the risks of over-limit absorption, they offered no objections.
Hearing "Golden Demon Bird," Chen Junting's heart leapt. 'So this is a subspecies of the Emerald Demon Bird!' He hadn't expected Shrek Academy to actually have intel on it.
Then came Huo Yuhao's turn to absorb his soul ring…
His target: a 1,000-year Spirit Illusion Butterfly.
"Is that… acceptable?" he asked tentatively.
"Teacher Zhao, I'm sure," Huo Yuhao pressed.
Zhao Gang's expression had shifted from his earlier indifference toward Chen Junting to grave seriousness as he fixed Huo Yuhao with a piercing gaze. "Are you certain? Your first soul ring is only ten years. Failure in over-limit absorption has only one outcome—you know that well enough."
"I'm confident, Teacher Zhao," Huo Yuhao insisted.
"Teacher Zhao, let him absorb it," Chen Junting said calmly. "Yuhao's physical constitution now rivals that of a high-tier Soul Grandmaster. He might not handle a 1,100+ year soul ring, but one just barely past the 1000-year mark should be manageable."
Seeing Chen Junting's calm certainty—and knowing he wouldn't endanger Huo Yuhao—Zhao Gang fell silent for a moment, then relented. If the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect approved, who was he to object?
After confirming He Caitou's soul ring requirements—a 4,000- to 6,000-year thunder-attribute sub-dragon species—Zhao Gang finalized their route.
"We'll follow this route tomorrow," Zhao Gang marked the map. "Wu Feng—fire-attribute sub-dragon, 2,000 to 3,000 years. Huo Yuhao—Spirit Illusion Butterfly, 1,000 years."
Du Weilun reappeared beside them.
"This soul hunt is sponsored by the academy," Du Weilun reminded them, "but Teacher Zhao and I will only intervene when you've located your target soul beasts. Until then, rely on yourselves."
The others nodded in agreement. Du Weilun and Zhao Gang melted into the surroundings, staying alert—ready to intervene if needed.
Wu Feng nodded vigorously in agreement.
As it stands, Huo Yuhao's natural talent wasn't exceptional. Reaching Level 20 in four months was likely due to the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's resources—perhaps spirit-boosting pills. Otherwise, with his initial pace of Level 15 at age 11, hitting Level 20 so soon would've been impossible.
Given the relative safety of the outer zone, the journey had been smooth—lifting Du Weilun's spirits considerably.
Chen Junting, ever self-reliant, remained vigilant—but his movements never slowed.
At dawn, the group was at peak condition.
"Bei Bei, assign roles," Du Weilun instructed.
Bei Bei's gentle demeanor turned sharp. "Junior Brother Chen—you're the strongest. Take point and scout ahead. Little Yuhao and Junior Sister Wu Feng, stay right behind him. Yuhao, use your Spirit Detection to map our surroundings; Wu Feng, guard him closely. Sanshi and I will cover the flanks. Caitou, you're on rear guard—use your soul engineering firepower to hold off threats if needed."
"Understood." ×5
"Yes." ×6
When they entered the Mixed Zone, towering trees blotted out the sky, plunging them into gloom. Huo Yuhao no longer conserved soul power as he had in the outer zone. Instead, he broadcast his Spirit Detection results to the entire team.
Now, with martial souls summoned, Chen Junting led the way onto the narrow forest path.
As the group advanced, whenever thickets blocked the path, Chen Junting stepped forward without hesitation. Seven Kill Sword held horizontally before his chest, he unleashed waves of sword aura that cleared a passage in seconds. In the outer zone, the sword intent radiating from him—majestic, ferocious, icy—kept nearly all low-tier soul beasts at bay.
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