Chapter 6: Beibei and Tang Ya berate Shrek Academy! What a trashy force!
"who?!"
Just as Liu Yuan was silently reciting the three names in his mind, Bei Bei, who had been chatting and laughing, suddenly became serious and her gaze shot like lightning towards the bushes where Liu Yuan was hiding.
At the same time, his right arm instantly transformed into a dragon, with crackling blue-purple lightning and a powerful aura spreading out instantly.
Tang Ya, who was standing to the side, also reacted very quickly. She threw away the grilled fish in her hand and held several Blue Silver Grass seeds between her fingers, ready to launch an attack at any time.
Even Huo Yuhao, who was grilling fish, subconsciously gripped the White Tiger Dagger in his hand, his body tense, and his bright eyes warily scanned his surroundings.
"rustle..."
Seeing that he could no longer hide, Liu Yuan did not continue to hide, but slowly walked out from behind the bushes, raising his hands to indicate that he had no ill intentions.
"Don't be nervous, I am human."
By the light of the fire, Beibei and Tangya were able to see who had come.
He was a ragged boy who looked to be only twelve or thirteen years old.
Although he was somewhat unkempt, his eyes were exceptionally bright, especially the pupils, which seemed to have two pupils overlapping, giving him an extremely eerie feeling.
"Humans?"
Upon seeing that it was a human boy, the lightning on Bebe subsided slightly, but the wariness in his eyes did not completely disappear: "Friend, it's not a good habit to lurk in the shadows and spy in the dead of night."
Liu Yuan gave a wry smile and pointed to the grilled fish in Huo Yuhao's hand: "Sorry, this friend's grilled fish just smelled too good. I've been eating dry rations in the forest for over a month, and I just couldn't resist the aroma, plus my stomach is acting up..."
As soon as he finished speaking, as if to confirm his words, Liu Yuan's stomach let out a deafening "rumble".
The scene was quite awkward at one point.
"Pfft."
Tang Ya was the first to burst out laughing, instantly shattering the tense atmosphere.
She waved her hand, scattering the Blue Silver Grass seeds in her hand: "Alright, Beibei, it seems he really is a glutton. Look at the way he looks like a reincarnated starving ghost, he doesn't seem like a bad person."
Bei Bei shook his head helplessly, dispelled his martial soul possession, and returned to his refined and amiable appearance. He cupped his hands to Liu Yuan and said, "I am Bei Bei, this is Tang Ya, and the one grilling the fish is Huo Yuhao. Please forgive me for my rudeness earlier."
"It's alright, it's alright. It's only right to be vigilant when you're out and about," Liu Yuan returned the greeting.
"My name is Liu Yuan, and I am also a Soul Master. I came to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a Soul Ring, but I got lost and wandered around for more than a month without getting anything. Instead, I was caught by your grilled fish."
"So that's how it is." Huo Yuhao felt a sense of familiarity as he looked at Liu Yuan's eyes shining as he stared at the grilled fish.
He also came from a poor background, so he naturally knew what hunger felt like.
So he picked up two freshly grilled bluefish and handed them to Liu Yuan: "Liu Yuan, since you're hungry, let's eat some together. I happen to have quite a few left."
"Then I'll take my leave!"
Liu Yuan didn't stand on ceremony and took a big bite of the grilled fish.
Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a wonderfully fresh aroma.
"Mmm! Delicious! So delicious!" Liu Yuan exclaimed sincerely. "Huo Yuhao, your cooking skills are amazing! If you opened a shop in the city, the business would definitely be booming!"
Huo Yuhao scratched his head sheepishly: "Liu Yuan, you flatter me. It's just some rustic crafts."
With grilled fish as a medium, and coupled with Liu Yuan's forthright personality, the four quickly became acquainted.
Everyone sat around the campfire, eating grilled fish and chatting.
By the firelight, Beibei observed Liu Yuan discreetly.
Although Liu Yuan claimed to be a Soul Master, the fluctuations of his Soul Power were not very strong, and his tattered clothes and thin figure clearly indicated that he did not live a comfortable life.
"He's probably just like Junior Brother Yuhao, a child with a tragic fate," Beibei thought to herself.
To dare to venture into the Star Dou Great Forest alone requires not only courage, but also indicates that one has been driven to the brink by life.
If a family or sect is backing them, who would be willing to let such a young child venture into such a horrible place alone?
Thinking of this, Beibei felt a pang of pity.
"Brother Liu Yuan," Bei Bei asked, "You said you came to the forest to obtain a spirit ring? Haven't you found a suitable one yet?"
Liu Yuan sighed and wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth: "Yes. My martial soul is quite special, and the soul beasts I need are a bit hard to find. I've been searching for quite a while, and I haven't even seen a single one."
"In that case…" Beibei glanced at Tang Ya, and seeing the latter nod slightly, she smiled and said.
"If you don't mind, why don't you join our team for now?"
"It just so happens that Xiaoya also needs to acquire her third soul ring, and Yuhao also needs to gain experience. Having more people to look after you is much safer than you wandering around alone."
Upon hearing Beibei's invitation, Liu Yuan's heart stirred.
This is exactly what he wanted!
Although his strength increased greatly after obtaining his first spirit ring, the Star Dou Great Forest was still fraught with danger.
If you're unlucky enough to encounter a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast or some extremely strange being, going it alone is ultimately too risky.
Moreover, it's not easy to rest peacefully at night.
But following these three...
Putting everything else aside, Huo Yuhao is the chosen one of this world, and although Tianmeng Ice Silkworm doesn't have much combat power, it can still save its life in critical moments.
Moreover, Bei Bei and Tang Ya are both formidable fighters, especially Bei Bei, who is a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex family and whose strength should not be underestimated.
"That's wonderful!" Liu Yuan immediately showed a grateful expression.
"To be honest, I've been living on tenterhooks these past few days, afraid that I'd be carried off by a soul beast while I was asleep. I feel much more at ease being with you all!"
"You're too kind," Bei Bei said with a smile. "We're all Soul Masters, so it's only right that we help each other when we're out and about."
And so, Liu Yuan naturally joined the team.
Over the next two days, the four of them traveled together and continued their search on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Although it was a temporary team, everyone got along surprisingly well.
Liu Yuan himself has high emotional intelligence, and coupled with his understanding of the characters in the original work, he easily integrated into this small group.
He chatted with Huo Yuhao about cooking tips, with Bei Bei about martial soul theory, and even with Tang Ya about plant-type soul beasts.
During a break, the straightforward Tang Ya couldn't help but ask curiously, "Liu Yuan, you don't look that old. Why are you out here all alone? Where are your family members?"
The moment the question was asked, the atmosphere fell silent.
Liu Yuan was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "My parents... have long since passed away."
"Ah? I'm sorry..." Tang Ya covered her mouth in a fluster.
"It's nothing, it's been a long time." Liu Yuan shook his head, his tone calm but tinged with bitterness.
"They were originally serving a powerful force. But during a mission, they encountered a formidable enemy and both perished. That force..."
At this point, Liu Yuan sneered, "Not only did they not give me much compensation, but they even kicked me out some time ago."
Of course, he didn't explicitly say that the organization was Shrek Academy.
After all, Beibei and Tangya are also Shrek's people, and saying it now will only cause unnecessary embarrassment and estrangement.
But these half-truths successfully ignited the anger of the crowd.
"What?! There are such cold-blooded and ruthless forces in this world!" Tang Ya's face turned red with anger, and she slapped the tree trunk. "This is like discarding a used tool after it has served its purpose! It's too much!"
Huo Yuhao felt the same way, clenched his fists, and said with indignation in his eyes, "Brother Liu, it's better to leave this kind of power! They will regret losing you sooner or later!"
Even the usually composed Bei Bei frowned deeply, a hint of disgust flashing in her eyes: "It's truly disheartening. Although the Soul Master world is a dog-eat-dog world, this kind of practice is just too inhumane."
Liu Yuan's gaze turned somewhat strange upon hearing this.
What if they knew that the person they were talking about was Shrek?
What will they think?
However, Liu Yuan still didn't say anything.
Moreover, this occurred while everyone was filled with righteous indignation and felt indignant on behalf of Liu Yuanming.
Sudden.
"Hiss—!"
A faint but chilling rustling sound came from the dense forest ahead.
Immediately afterwards, a chilling mental fluctuation spread out like a tide.
Liu Yuan's brow twitched, and his dual pupils activated almost instantly, his gaze piercing through layers of branches and leaves, locking onto a dead tree fifty meters ahead.
On that withered tree, a giant spider, the size of a millstone, translucent grayish-white in color, with a hideous ghost face pattern on its back, was silently weaving an invisible web.
Its eight long legs were covered with barbs, each one gleaming with a chilling light. On its head, six compound eyes gleamed with an eerie light, staring intently at the intruders.
"This is..."
Liu Yuan's pupils contracted sharply, then burst forth with intense surprise.
"Soul Spider!!"
Moreover, judging from its size and the clarity of the ghost face on its back, its cultivation level is probably around one thousand years!
It possesses a powerful mental toxin that can not only paralyze the body but also erode the soul. Moreover, it has an extremely tenacious vitality and can regenerate even severed limbs in a short period of time!
Healing ability? Yes!
Mental attributes? Yes!
This is simply a perfect piece tailor-made for his second spirit ring!
You search high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly!
"Everyone be careful!"
Liu Yuan shouted, pointing in the direction of the soul spider, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement.
"That's a thousand-year-old soul spider! Its attributes are perfect for me! Could... could you all please help me?!"
(End of chapter)