Satisfied, Su Wen finally had time to observe this extraordinary Wind Baboon up close.
It stood roughly one meter tall, its body covered in white fur. Its arms were thick and powerful, its legs short but sturdy, and its claws razor-sharp.....capable of tearing flesh with ease.
It resembled a monkey from his previous life, but unlike other Wind Baboons, its eyes were unusually intelligent.
And after capturing it, Su Wen noticed something else.
His own movements felt… faster.
It seemed that capturing Soul Beasts also provided feedback to the host.
"Let's go."
Zhang Lexuan waved her hand.
The remaining baboons fled along the treetops, vanishing from sight as though escaping from a nightmare.
"From now on, I'll call you Gale."
Su Wen smiled, standing on tiptoe to pat Gale's head.
At six years old, he stood only about one meter thirty—barely half a head taller than the baboon.
"Roar~"
Gale responded with a low, pleased sound.
Zhang Lexuan smiled gently and rubbed Su Wen's head.
"Let's head back, Xiao Wen. Now that you've obtained your first Soul Beast, we should return to camp.
Elder Xuan has been gone for quite some time—if he stays away too long, trouble could arise."
"Alright."
Su Wen nodded, then frowned slightly.
His thoughts drifted to the hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast that would soon appear.
Since he had already joined Shrek Academy, he couldn't simply stand by and watch people die. But saving them… how?
The only solution was to stay close to Xuan Zi.
According to the original events, Xuan Zi had drunk himself unconscious, trusting Zhang Lexuan's group far too much.
His overconfidence nearly led to the annihilation of the entire team—one of the biggest flaws in his character.
As for the conspiracy theory—that Xuan Zi was secretly a grand elder of the Holy Spirit Cult—
Su Wen's mouth twitched.
That would be… raid-level difficulty.
He shook his head, discarding the absurd thought.
This situation wasn't hopeless.
With Xuan Zi—a level ninety-eight powerhouse and one of the strongest beings on the continent—present, anything short of a fifty- or sixty-thousand-year ferocious beast posed no real threat.
A freshly advanced hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast wasn't enough.
All he had to do was keep Xuan Zi alert—and make sure he intervened at the right moment.
Just don't let him pass out drunk like in the original.
That's it.
Su Wen smiled, satisfied with his plan.
…
"Everything that happened today is not to be spoken of. No questions about martial souls or other nonsense."
Back at the camp, Zhang Lexuan swept her gaze across the group, her expression solemn.
"Xiao Tao… never mind. Do whatever you want."
"Don't worry, Senior Sister. We'll keep our mouths shut," a thin young man said, adjusting his glasses with a grin.
"Oh please," scoffed a short-haired girl with green hair and delicate features.
"You're the loudest one here. The moment we return, the entire Inner Court will know."
"You—how vicious! You're ruining my reputation!" the thin boy protested.
"Hmph. If you don't like it, bite me," she shot back.
The other Inner Court disciples laughed good-naturedly, though their gazes frequently drifted toward Su Wen
...filled with awe and curiosity.
As expected.
This child's talent was undoubtedly top-tier.
Elder Xuan personally stepping in, Zhang Lexuan capturing his first Soul Beast, and this explicit confidentiality order—none of it was coincidence.
"Looks like Shrek Academy is getting another monster."
Someone sighed softly.
"Splash—"
Su Wen soaked his entire body in the pool, leaving only his head above the surface as he enjoyed a rare moment of quiet.
It was deep into the night. Before Elder Xuan Zi returned, no one intended to venture deeper into the core of the Star Dou Great Forest, so the group had decided to remain here for another night.
Zhang Lexuan and a tall senior sister with long legs were standing watch.
As for Su Wen, he had originally been dragged into the same wooden hut by Ma Xiaotao, only to be kicked out a few minutes later—apparently because he smelled too "wild."
Which was fair.
For half a month in the Star Dou Great Forest, barely clothed and barely fed, he hadn't been much different from a savage.
Every day had been a scramble for survival—who had time to bathe?