"You… you actually killed it! Do you have any idea that we were the ones who discovered it first!?"
The voice belonged to two newcomers—an old woman and a young girl.
The elder was a very aged lady, her appearance meticulously kept, every strand of silver hair neatly combed back. In her hand she carried a snake-headed staff, and beneath her feet two yellow, three purple, and one black spirit rings rotated—a total of six, declaring her a spirit Emperor.
Her eyes blazed with fury as she stared at the lifeless body of the Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent, the purple ring floating above its corpse.
Beside her stood a girl of sixteen or seventeen, tall, fair-skinned, strikingly beautiful. Her lithe figure was tightly outlined by a fitted purple combat suit, radiating a vibrant, youthful allure. Her hair was cut short like Ning Rongrong's, but instead of giving off a cute air, she carried a bright and elegant charm.
She too carried a snake staff, though hers was shorter. Two yellow rings circled at her feet, marking her as a Grandmaster-ranked spirit Master. Judging by the way she carried herself, it was obvious she had reached the threshold of rank 30 and had come here to hunt for her third ring. To anyone trained under the Grandmaster—Tang San and Qian Jue among them—it was clear at a glance: the girl shared a bloodline with the elder.
"You discovered it first? Yet when we captured it, none of you were anywhere to be seen," Dai Mubai said coolly.
At once, the Shrek group drew closer together, Dai Mubai and Qian Jue moving to the front, their gazes calm and unwavering. Six spirit rings or not, neither showed the slightest fear.
"Hmph! That was only because this old woman was careless for a moment, allowing it to escape!" the old woman snapped.
"Escape? And you call that 'only'?" Liu Erlong stepped out from behind the Shrek group, voice dripping with scorn. "A spirit Emperor, letting a thousand-year beast slip away from your hands, and you still have the gall to come here to demand answers? Have you no shame!?"
"Oscar, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and absorb your ring," Flender said sternly as he emerged from the other side. His words held no mockery, but the dismissive tone was even harsher than Erlong's ridicule—blatantly ignoring the old woman's presence.
"You…" The woman's lips trembled with anger, but she couldn't speak. She longed to strike immediately, yet seeing how this group remained unshaken even before her spirit Emperor aura, she restrained herself.
Grinding her teeth, she hissed, "So arrogant… may I at least have your names? I am Chao Tianxiang. Should we meet again, my husband and I will be sure to pay our respects properly."
"No names. If you want a fight, just come." Liu Erlong's answer was short. As she spoke, her spirit released—two yellow, two purple, and three black rings rose beneath her feet. Seven rings in total. A spirit Saint.
The heat of her Fire Dragon spirit martial flared, its pressure crashing outward like a tidal wave. Chao Tianxiang involuntarily stumbled back two steps. The young girl shrank completely behind her.
…
Chao Tianxiang drew a sharp breath. She hadn't expected this woman to be a spirit Saint—much less a Power Attack spirit Saint with the perfect ring ratio.
"Very well! Since you're so domineering, I'll concede this time. But remember my words—if you provoke us further, my husband, an eighty-second-rank Spirit Doulup, will make sure you never leave Star Dou Forest alive! Granddaughter, we're leaving!"
With a final cold snort, she turned and strode away, her steps quickening despite her attempt to appear calm. Fear was plain in her retreat.
"That should be the Snake Women of the Unrivaled Dragon Serpent," Flender murmured thoughtfully as he stroked his chin. "The Unrivaled Dragon Serpent couple are always together. If she's here, the Dragon Duke must be nearby. From what she said, it seems he's already reached the Spirit Douluo realm."
"Yes," Grandmaster said grimly. "Their Martial Spirit Fusion Skill is extremely troublesome. Even for us, it would be a difficult fight."
"Hah! As if our Golden Holy Dragon would lose to a pair of worms and snakes," Liu Erlong scoffed, utterly unbothered.
Grandmaster glanced at her, momentarily dazed. The brash, fiery manner she displayed now reminded him of their youth, when the three of them had roamed the continent together. Since their reunion, Erlong had rarely acted this way, choosing instead to stay quietly by his side, content to watch while he worked.
She really had changed a great deal—for him.
He shook his head with a wry smile. In truth, with the serpent already slain and its ring manifesting for Oscar, Chao Tianxiang had no grounds for complaint. A few polite words and a show of strength would've been enough to make her leave quietly. But Erlong had let her temper flare… and yet, how could he scold her? After all, he too was not one to fear trouble.
Taking Erlong's hand gently, he turned back to the group. "That's enough. Oscar, how is the absorption coming along?"
The others parted to reveal Oscar, seated cross-legged as he absorbed the ring. His brow was furrowed, but his expression showed no real pain. The Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent was a gentle beast; there should be no problems.
"It should be fine. He'll awaken soon. The day is still young—once he recovers, we can decide whether to keep searching for Tang San and Xiao Wu's rings, or make camp here for the night."
With that, Grandmaster withdrew with Erlong and Flender, speaking quietly among themselves.
…
"So, what do you all think?" Qian Jue turned to the others, opening the decision to them.
"Let's keep moving," Dai Mubai suggested. "It's still early, and we haven't spent much energy yet. No sense wasting daylight."
"Fine."
"Agreed."
"Listen to Boss Dai."
Their choice was unanimous. All that remained was to rest and wait for Oscar to finish.
Half an hour later, Oscar finally opened his eyes.
"Well, how is it? What ability did the Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent give you?" Dai Mubai asked eagerly, stepping forward.
Oscar didn't answer right away. Instead, his eyes welled with gratitude as he looked at Qian Jue.
"Ah Jue—no, Brother Jue! From this day on, you're my big brother!" Oscar leapt up and threw his arms around him.
The others immediately understood and crowded closer, excitement plain on their faces.
"Xiao Ao, did you really get a third skill that lets you grant flight!?" Tang San asked, voice trembling.
"You can actually make people fly…?" Ning Rongrong muttered in disbelief. Could a Food-type really be this powerful—granting flight as early as the third skill?
"Enough hugging, show us already." Qian Jue laughed as he pushed Oscar off.
"Uh…" Oscar's grin faltered.
"What's wrong?" Everyone looked puzzled.
"You can see it… but promise not to laugh," Oscar said sheepishly.
"Why would we laugh? Unless the incantation is even more perverted than your sausages," Xiao Wu teased, eyes widening.
Oscar chuckled awkwardly. Raising his hand, he summoned his Martial Spirit. His third ring glowed, and he recited the incantation:
"I, your father, have a mushroom sausage!"
"Pft—HAHAHAHA!" The group burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Dai Mubai doubled over, clutching his sides as he stared at the sausage with its mushroom-cap tip. "Too perfect! Xiao Ao, you've strayed too far down the road of shamelessness!"
Even Ning Rongrong couldn't stop laughing, though her cheeks flushed red.
Oscar looked at the sausage in despair. Glancing at Rongrong's laughing face, he sighed inwardly. 'How will I ever confess to her like this…?'
"Enough laughing, let's test it." Qian Jue, though amused, cut the laughter short. Having read the original works, he already knew what this skill should be.
"Yeah, if you want to fly, quit laughing—or I won't share!" Oscar snapped, pretending to be angry. Then, quickly changing his tone, he offered one to Qian Jue with a grin. "Brother Jue, you try it first?"
"Why not." Qian Jue accepted and bit into the mushroom cap. To his surprise, it actually tasted like mushrooms.
The moment he finished, power surged in his back. Six translucent wings of light unfurled, shimmering faintly.
With a thought, the wings beat, lifting him smoothly into the air. He soared overhead, moving faster than full sprint on land.
"Wow…" Ning Rongrong's eyes sparkled at the sight. Suddenly, the indecent incantation didn't seem quite so bad.
Qian Jue wove through the trees, savoring the freedom of true flight. It was different from riding his wolf spirit—lighter, freer, exhilarating. But just as he leaned into a sharp turn, the wings dissolved into starlight, and he plummeted.
He twisted midair, landing safely in a cloud of dust.
"What happened?" Ning Rongrong asked.
Oscar scratched his head sheepishly. "Um… it only lasts one minute."
"Seriously… tch!" Everyone rolled their eyes at him.
"One minute isn't much," Qian Jue admitted, brushing off dust.
But Grandmaster stepped forward. "Don't underestimate this skill. One minute at that serpent's speed could carry you several kilometers, terrain ignored. In combat or retreat, it's invaluable. With careful tactics, this can turn battles."
He turned to Oscar. "How many sausages can you make with full soul power? And how long do they last?"
"Ten or so… and like my first skill, they last twelve hours."
"That's more than enough. This is a powerful skill. When we return, we'll add a new course to practice coordination around it. Make sure you all master it."
With that, Grandmaster withdrew once more, leaving the group to themselves.
Oscar's third skill complete, their rest taken, Qian Jue and Dai Mubai called everyone together. It was time to continue deeper into the forest, searching for Tang San and Xiao Wu's third rings.
And so, their hunt stretched on… for two more days.