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Time flowed, and two months passed in a flash. On the inner courtyard plaza of Shrek Academy, the soft morning light was just beginning to show. Zhang Lexuan stood in the center of the plaza, dressed in sharp and practical attire that was perfect for travel.
She was waiting for the teammates who would be hunting spirit rings with her, according to the time set in the mission log. Her gaze was calm, and her Rank 80 spirit power flowed slowly within her body.
Over the last two months, her cultivation had naturally achieved a breakthrough to Rank 80. Now, she only needed one more spirit ring to break through her constraints and reach the next level of power.
Figures arrived one after another until there were twelve people in total, including her. Fortunately, most of the team members were acquaintances who had worked with her before on missions to hunt Evil Soul Masters.
These people knew her well and trusted her. Their eyes held none of the coldness or distance that other students often showed her. Instead, there was a clear sense of respect and trust among the group. Seeing that the designated Team Leader Teacher had not yet arrived, Zhang Lexuan took charge.
She proactively organized everyone, asking them to report their names, spirits, and their roles in battle. She wanted everyone to quickly become familiar with each other's combat styles so they could coordinate their methods.
Soon, they finished talking, but the Team Leader Teacher still hadn't appeared. Time passed minute by minute. Just as the scheduled meeting time was about to arrive, a loud roar echoed through the sky. A stream of earthen yellow light streaked across the clouds and slammed down onto the plaza, stirring up a wave of energy.
The figure that appeared was none other than Elder Xuan. At this moment, Elder Xuan still looked very unkempt and messy. His body gave off a strong smell of alcohol, and his figure swayed as he stood. His eyes were muddy, looking like someone who had not yet recovered from a heavy hangover. Despite his appearance, everyone stepped forward and spoke with deep respect.
"Elder Xuan!" they said in unison.
Elder Xuan squinted his eyes and scanned the group. He didn't seem to bother counting them to make sure everyone was there. He just waved his large hand casually and spoke in an indistinct voice.
"If everyone is here, let's hit the road," he muttered.
Before his voice even faded, yellow light flashed around him again. He took to the air, swaying unsteadily as he flew toward the Star Dou Great Forest. Elder Xuan had been in an extremely foul mood lately, and the reason for his bad temper was Poison Undying. In the past, Poison Undying's strength was only slightly greater than his own.
However, that man had found a new opportunity, and his strength had skyrocketed. Now, Poison Undying could completely suppress Elder Xuan in a fight. Since the Body Sect had established a residence in Shrek City, Elder Xuan had encountered him several times.
Each time, he was beaten badly, which made him feel deeply humiliated and depressed. Because of this, he decided to lead this spirit ring hunting team personally to clear his mind. He had been lying around for a long time and wanted to find some rare wild game in the forest to satisfy his hunger.
As for leading the team, he figured that since Zhang Lexuan was there, there wouldn't be any major trouble. Even if a problem did happen, he believed he could still step in to fix it.
Elder Xuan's figure quickly vanished on the horizon. Left behind, the group looked in the direction he had gone and exchanged awkward glances. The atmosphere felt a bit strange and uncomfortable. Zhang Lexuan was silent for a moment, but she maintained her composure. She looked around at the team and spoke in a clear, steady voice.
"Everyone, let us depart on our own," she said. "Follow the plan we discussed and be extremely careful."
Everyone nodded and focused their energy. Under her lead, the group of twelve transformed into streaks of light, heading toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Kong Mingan was inside his room at the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce headquarters. In the center of the room, a dark purple Ten Thousand Souls Banner stood quietly, fluttering even though there was no wind. Instead of the usual sight of vengeful souls wailing on the banner, there were countless fine, silvery-white streams of light.
They circulated and intertwined like a beautiful galaxy. Each stream of light was a complex torrent of information carried by highly condensed mental force. Countless silvery-white threads extended from the banner and connected precisely to the first spirit ring floating beside Kong Mingan. They looked like tiny neurological pathways.
At this moment, his spirit ring was not the usual black color. Instead, it displayed an illusory, silvery-glowing hue woven from space and spiritual energy. Within the ring, there were tiny points of brilliant light.
Pure mental force and data streams flowed through it, giving off a cold and rational feeling. Kong Mingan sat quietly with his eyes shut, but faint silvery light spilled from the corners of his eyes.
This light was the exact same color as the spirit ring beside him. His usual gentle warmth was gone. Now, he projected a sense of absolute rationality, as if all his emotions had been stripped away.
The Ice Empress stood guard nearby. She did not move an inch, her golden eyes fixed unblinkingly on him. The extreme cold aura around her was ready to be unleashed at any moment if something went wrong. Time passed slowly.
Eventually, the silvery light stopped spilling from Kong Mingan's eyes, and his indifferent demeanor disappeared. He slowly opened his eyes. His black eyes were clear again, though they showed a trace of exhaustion. More than that, they showed the excitement of success.
The Ice Empress immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that when this guy got an idea, he wouldn't listen to anyone. His aura had been flickering, and she was worried he was doing something dangerous to himself. At least, nothing had gone wrong in the end. She crossed her arms over her chest and spoke coldly.
"Did you succeed?" she asked.
"Yes, it was extremely successful," Kong Mingan replied with a smile. He turned his head toward her. "Do you want to try it?"
The Ice Empress raised an eyebrow and leaned in to look at the silvery spirit ring. A hint of curiosity flashed in her eyes. "Try it?" she repeated.
Kong Mingan nodded and held out his hand to her. The Ice Empress naturally placed her hand in his palm. The action was practiced and comfortable, as they had done this many times before.
A warm sensation emerged from her palm, and she felt his mental force spreading toward her Sea of Consciousness. Without any defenses, she allowed his mental force to guide her consciousness. The next moment, she felt something extra appear in her mind. A voice with a strange texture rang directly within her thoughts.
"Lingshu protocol is now online," the voice said. "Esteemed Lady Ice Empress, do you wish to sign the contract and connect to the Ling Shu Network?"
The Ice Empress was startled by the sudden voice and became wary, but she quickly calmed down. She saw lines of glowing text options appear in her vision, accompanying the voice. It felt very strange to her. She blinked her golden eyes and looked at Kong Mingan.
"You created this?" she asked.
"How is it? It is quite interesting, right?" Kong Mingan was in a very good mood. Watching the Ice Empress get startled and then force herself to be calm was very amusing to him. He felt like he could watch her reaction over and over again. Now that this part was finished, he could focus on the next step of his plan.