...
The team continued to advance, gradually penetrating deeper into the surrounding areas.
However, the Star Dou Great Forest is simply too vast.
Finding a thousand-year-old soul beast of suitable age and with attributes that match Zhu Zhuqing in a short period of time is like finding a needle in a haystack.
After searching for several hours, Xuan Hao and his group did not encounter a suitable target.
Unknowingly, they wandered to the border area between the outer area and the mixed zone.
Sudden.
Xuan Hao, who was bringing up the rear, paused.
His immense spiritual power detected a violent fluctuation of soul power coming from not far away, as well as... a rather familiar sound of arguing.
"What's wrong?" Na'er stopped and turned around to ask.
Xuan Hao pointed to the side, "There's something interesting to watch over there, let's go check it out."
...
After passing through a dense thicket of bushes, the view ahead suddenly opened up.
In a clearing that had been forcibly cleared in the woods, two groups of people were locked in a tense standoff, swords drawn.
One group consisted of familiar faces: Flander led Dai Mubai, Tang San, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun, while Yu Xiaogang stood at the back.
At this moment, Tang San and Ma Hongjun were holding down a strange long snake that was over six meters long and had a huge red fleshy crest on its head.
Phoenix-tailed Crested Snake!
Judging from its size and the color of its fleshy crown, it should be around two thousand years old, which is the most suitable third spirit ring for Oscar!
Opposite them stood two women, one old and one young.
The old man had a full head of silver hair, a snake-head cane in his hand, and six spirit rings coiled around his body.
He was clearly a six-ring spirit emperor!
The young girl, who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, had short hair that reached her ears, a hot figure, and was holding a snake blade in her hand. She was glaring angrily at Shrek and his group.
Snake Granny Chaotianxiang of the Peerless Dragon and Snake Family, and her granddaughter, Meng Yiran.
"Dean Flander, I respect you as a Soul Saint, but we were the ones who discovered and injured this Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent first.
Your Shrek Academy's forceful seizure is a gross underestimation of our Dragon-Snake family!"
The Snake Granny said with a gloomy face.
"Sister Chao, you can't say that."
Flander pushed up his glasses, a forced smile on his face.
"The rule of the Star Dou Great Forest is that whoever catches a soul beast owns it.
Since you let it escape, it's our spoils of war that we captured it…"
Just as the two sides were exchanging heated words and neither was willing to give in.
A faint sound of footsteps came from the edge of the woods.
"Whoosh—"
Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to it.
When they saw the silver-haired boy strolling out with his hands in his pockets and four stunningly beautiful girls, Flander and the Snake Woman, who were negotiating, stopped at the same time.
The short-haired girl, Meng Yiran, who was holding the snake blade, was stunned for a moment after seeing Xuan Hao's face clearly.
Then her eyes lit up and she blurted out:
"It's you?!"
"Yiran, do you know him?"
Snake Granny turned her head with some doubt.
My granddaughter is proud and arrogant, and rarely interacts with boys her age.
When did she get to know this seemingly noble but somewhat wicked young man outside?
"Grandma, have you forgotten?"
Meng Yiran pointed at Xuan Hao with some excitement and explained in a low voice:
"The All-Continent Elite Tournament of Advanced Soul Master Academies three years ago!
The finals were held on the border between the two great empires, and Grandpa took us to watch that match."
"Although he didn't participate in the competition, he was sitting in the VIP section of the Spirit Hall.
I met him in that city back then, and although he was only a little taller than me, he's grown so tall now..."
"However, I would never mistake his face, or that sharp, arrogant aura that seemed to look down on everyone!"
"The VIP seats of the Spirit Hall?"
Upon hearing this, Snake Granny was startled, and her gaze towards Xuan Hao immediately became serious.
The young man who can sit in that position is no ordinary person!
However.
Upon hearing Meng Yiran's words, the Shrek group opposite her instantly turned green.
Flanders, in particular, broke out in a cold sweat.
"broken..."
Flanders was inwardly groaning.
Xuan Hao knows this girl?!
This is a really big problem!
Originally, he relied on his status as a Soul Saint, while the Snake Granny was only a Soul Emperor, and could use his strength to forcefully suppress her and snatch the Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent for Oscar.
However, if the other side brought out Dragon Duke Meng Shu, then he would have to think twice, which is why the two sides were deadlocked.
But now...
Suddenly, Xuan Hao appeared, a figure capable of shattering any balance!
If Xuan Hao chooses to intervene and help the Dragon-Snake Family because he knows Meng Yiran... then let alone a Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent, it's questionable whether these Shrek members can even leave here standing up today!
But in fact, Flanders and the others were simply overthinking things.
Xuan Hao not only had no intention of helping Meng Yiran snatch the snake, but he was actually hoping that Oscar would absorb it as soon as possible.
After entering the Star Dou Great Forest, he had been subtly monitoring the situation here with his spiritual power, just waiting for this moment!
If Meng Yiran absorbs the Phoenix Tail Crested Serpent here and obtains her third spirit ring, then she will not need another spirit ring.
Then there's the Human-Faced Demon Spider that was chased by the Dragon Lord and, having nowhere to run, bumped into Tang San, eventually unleashing the top-grade external soul bone "Eight Spider Lances"... but that's none of his business!
Without the Dragon God and Snake Goddess chasing and pressuring it from behind, the whereabouts of the human-faced demon spider became uncertain.
Xuan Hao had been eyeing that external soul bone for a long time.
Although he himself didn't like that thing, it would be excellent to take it back and give it to Bibi Dong as a small gift.
Therefore, this story absolutely cannot end here!
But Meng Yiran was clearly unaware of the intricacies of Xuan Hao's thoughts.
Seeing that Xuan Hao didn't speak, she assumed that he had assumed this "relationship."
Spoiled by her family, she immediately sheathed her snake blade and quickly walked up to Xuan Hao.
"Hey, Xuanhao, long time no see."
Meng Yiran raised her exquisite and aloof face and pointed at Flander and the others opposite her, "These people, relying on having a Soul Saint, stole the Phoenix Tail Crested Serpent that should have belonged to me."
"You were already a Soul King three years ago, and after three years, you must be a Soul Emperor now!"
Meng Yiran looked at Xuan Hao with full confidence:
"Can you do me a favor and get my soul beast back?"
"With your Soul Emperor strength, plus my grandmother's assistance... if we join forces, this bespectacled uncle is definitely no match for us!"
"..."
These words were spoken.
The air in the entire forest clearing seemed to freeze at that moment.
The expressions on the faces of everyone at Shrek Academy, whether it was Flander, Dai Mubai, Tang San, or Oscar, became extremely interesting, even... bizarre.
Including your grandma?!
Join forces against Flanders?!
Flander's lips twitched violently as he looked at Meng Yiran's innocent and confident face, inwardly roaring:
Grandma! You really dare to say that!
Do you even know what kind of monster is standing in front of you?!
This guy is a monster who can pin the level 76 Mighty Vajra Bear Zhao Wuji to the ground and kick him around like a ball!
If this guy really started fighting, he could easily beat everyone in the room by himself!
Fighting him? Maybe your grandfather, Long Gong Meng Shu, could try it.
Xuan Hao glanced at the Phoenix-tailed Cockscomb Snake, then at Meng Yiran, who looked expectant and confident of victory.
After a moment, he shook his head helplessly and sighed:
"Yiran, this matter... is not appropriate."
"Not suitable?"
Meng Yiran was taken aback for a moment, her brows furrowing slightly.
"What's not suitable?
Are you afraid you can't beat him? My grandma is..."
"It's not a question of whether we can win or not."
Xuan Hao interrupted her directly, then pointed to Flander, who was still sweating profusely, and said in a serious tone:
"I have some connection with Dean Flander.
We're all acquaintances, and it would be bad if word got out that we'd hurt each other by fighting over a snake."
"A...friendship?!"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the Shrek Academy camp froze in shock.
Flander's hand, which was pushing up his glasses, trembled violently.
He stared wide-eyed at the silver-haired boy whose face seemed to say, "We're very close."
In his mind, it was as if a million alpacas were stampeding through his mind.
What kind of relationship is this?!
The day before yesterday, you kicked down the gate of our college and smashed my vice dean Zhao Wuji into a pit like a sandbag.
He still can't get out of bed!
You casually beat my prized student, Dai Mubai, black and blue!
Just last night, in a restaurant in this small town, right in front of me, you slapped my old friend Yu Xiaogang so hard that he was knocking his teeth out and coughing up blood!
You call this a relationship?!
So in your eyes, as long as someone isn't killed on the spot, they're considered an acquaintance?!
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