"Hunt Begins"

"Hehe, interesting. Friendly fire." Long Yao understood instantly. Dai Huabin and the others were probably thinking the same thing.

Long Yao's soft laugh, carrying a hint of amusement and chill, was like a drop of poison falling silently into water. Though extremely quiet, it stirred extremely clear ripples in the hearts of the five companions beside him.

Wang Dong's small hand, already tightly wrapped around his arm, unconsciously tightened further the moment she heard that derisive laugh. A bright, sharp flame filled with soaring fighting spirit ignited in her Beautiful Pink Blue Eyes, which were usually brimming with sweetness and tenderness. Rather than finding anything wrong with it, she felt a hot stream surge from the depths of her heart, filling her entire body with energy. She gently rested her exquisite Pretty Face against Long Yao's shoulder and whispered into his ear in a tone only he could hear, full of excitement and anticipation, "Hmph, that annoying bastard really needs to be taught a lesson! Let him know that provoking us was the stupidest decision he's ever made in his life!" Her eager, coquettishly naive expression made her look just like a little female cat baring adorable yet sharp Claws and Fangs, ready to protect her food.

Huo Yuhao's reaction was even more direct and intense. Those words, "friendly fire," along with Long Yao's assessment, exploded like thunder in the heart where he had long suppressed his rage beneath hatred! He abruptly raised his head. What erupted from his Ink Blue Eyes was a bone-chilling coldness like ten-thousand-year ice from the Far North. His gaze became two invisible swords, piercing through the bustling crowd and pinning itself on Dai Huabin's back as he laughed loudly with his companions nearby. The humiliation he had endured for years, the pain of being cast adrift, his mother's unwillingness before her death—all those emotions found an outlet that was about to erupt at this moment! His hands at his sides had unknowingly clenched into hard fists beneath his broad sleeves, his knuckles giving off faint cracking sounds from the excessive force. He did not need to speak. His boiling fighting spirit and chilling killing intent had already formed an icy vortex around him, one that others found difficult to notice.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in his Sea of Consciousness was even more excited, waving his arms and legs around. His lazy voice became unprecedentedly fired up for the first time. "Get him! Yuhao, beat the crap out of him! That damn Teacher Wang is absolutely right! Friendly fire! What a wonderful term! When the time comes, secretly hit him with a Spirit Shock and say he was affected by that Three-Eyed Demon Fox over there! I'll even help you simulate the Spiritual Power fluctuations. We'll make it flawless! Let him find out why flowers are so red!"

Xiao Xiao, who had always been calm as still water, slightly narrowed her Black Eyes, usually as placid as an Old Well, when she heard that low whisper. The fingertips of the hand holding the Nine Phoenixes Come to Ceremony Flute tapped rhythmically against its smooth surface. In an instant, her mind completed an extremely calm tactical deduction. She directly elevated Dai Huabin's squad from "potential competitors" to "first-priority elimination targets." She did not care about hatred—only efficiency and results. Since the captain had set the tone, her task was to consider how to make this "elimination" plan look like a perfect "accident" in the most efficient and covert way possible. Should she use the Nine Phoenixes Come to Ceremony Flute's sound waves for Mental Interference, causing them to make misjudgments and draw the attacks of powerful Spirit Beasts? Or should she use the Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron's "Cauldron's Tremor" at the critical moment when they were entangled with Spirit Beasts, precisely interrupting their Soul Skill Release? Countless sinister and deadly tactics rapidly took shape in her calm mind.

He Caitou, honest and simple-minded, merely nodded hard. His logic was simple. Classmate Long Yao was his captain and the benefactor who had given him an opportunity. Whoever the captain said to teach a lesson, he would teach a lesson. He hugged the heavy object wrapped in canvas against his chest even more tightly, while a stubborn light called "loyalty" flickered in his Not-so-large eyes.

Ning Xue, the newest addition, felt her heart jump at the team atmosphere that instantly filled with solemn killing intent. Surprise flashed through her spirited Big Eyes at first, only to be replaced by an even stronger emotion called "thrill" and "excitement." She licked her somewhat dry Lips, and the corners of her mouth rose uncontrollably into a challenging smile. She had originally thought this would be a proper combat drill, but she had not expected it to begin with such explosive Gunpowder Smell, complete with personal grudges. This... was far too interesting!

At the chief supervisor's command, the torrent formed by hundreds of New Students finally began to move. Like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, they surged through Shrek Academy's heavy iron gates, symbols of glory and history, and set out toward that vast, mysterious Primeval Forest.

The road from Shrek City to Star Dou Forest was a wide, solid dirt road trampled into existence by generations of Soul Masters. Vast, meticulously cultivated farmland stretched out on both sides. Golden waves of wheat rolled layer after layer beneath the autumn wind, carrying the warm scent of harvest. Green Smoke curled from distant villages, accompanied now and then by crisp barks and chicken calls, forming a peaceful, tranquil pastoral scene.

Yet everyone's mood stood completely at odds with that serene landscape. Nearly all of them moved at top speed, while each squad deliberately kept its distance from the others, watching and guarding against one another. The leading teams wanted to enter the forest quickly and seize the initiative; the teams behind desperately chased after them, afraid of losing at the starting line. Only Long Yao's six-person alliance maintained an unhurried, composed pace, leisurely as if they were truly on an outing, standing in stark contrast to the tense, frantic atmosphere around them.

This leisureliness, in Dai Huabin's eyes, became the most blatant, naked provocation and contempt.

"Hmph, a bunch of Court Death idiots!" he said in a low voice to Zhu Lu and another companion as he hurried along, his eyes full of malice. "Do they think they're strolling through a garden? Once they enter Star Dou Forest, they'll have plenty of time to cry! Forget them. We'll enter the forest first, find a suitable place, and prepare a 'big gift' for them!"

Zhu Lu wore a cold smile as well and echoed, "That's right, Brother Huabin. Aren't there plenty of Thousand-Year Mandala Snakes skilled in ambush near that swamp? When the time comes, all we need to do is use a few tricks to lure them over there..."

An hour later, the peaceful pastoral scenery gradually gave way to raw, rugged wilderness. The dirt road beneath their feet became narrower and more uneven. The temperature in the air began to rise as well, turning hot, stuffy, and humid. Huge, strange plants with unrecognizable names appeared along the roadside. Their leaves were broad and fleshy, their color shifting from ordinary Emerald Green to deep Dark Green that carried a hint of danger.

Finally, on the horizon ahead, an endless colossal barrier appeared, as though painted in thick black ink.

That was Star Dou Forest!

It was a majestic sight capable of making anyone seeing it for the first time feel awe and insignificance deep in their heart. Towering Ancient Trees requiring more than a dozen people to encircle rose from the earth like giants holding up the sky, thrusting straight into the clouds. Their dense canopies, so thick that barely a ray of sunlight could penetrate them, intertwined overhead into a vast green ocean. A faint layer of Milky White miasma shrouded the forest entrance, making the scenes within appear hazy and indistinct, full of unknown, mysterious dangers.

The closer they drew, the more keenly they could sense that immense aura unique to a primeval jungle, overflowing with wildness and vitality. The air was filled with a rich, complicated mixture of rotting Falling Leaves, damp soil, and unknown Wild Flowers. All manner of unheard beast roars and birdsong—some high, some low, some sharp—rose and fell from the depths of the forest, as if proclaiming ownership of this territory while warning every Outsider daring to step inside.

When the six finally stood at the forest's edge, only one step away from that deep Dark Green expanse, the clamor and the aura of civilization behind them seemed to be completely cut off by an invisible wall.

"Whew..." Huo Yuhao slowly exhaled. His eyes, which had been gleaming with Golden Light, became incomparably grave. Almost the instant he stepped onto this land, he pushed his Spirit Eyes to their limit.

"Spirit Detection, activate!"

An invisible Spiritual Power fluctuation, imperceptible to the naked eye, spread rapidly in all directions from him like ripples across water. Everything within a thousand meters of the forest edge—the rustle of wind through grass, insects chirping, birds calling, even the Life Aura of every tree and the outline of every stone—instantly transformed into the most precise three-dimensional images and was presented extremely clearly in his mind.

"Brother Long Yao," he said in a low, professional voice, "the area within one thousand meters of the forest edge is safe. No Spirit Beasts above ten years old have been detected. However, energy fluctuations are much more active than outside, and there are many low-level, aggressive small creatures."

"Very good." Long Yao merely nodded faintly.

Xiao Xiao had quietly gripped the Nine Phoenixes Come to Ceremony Flute in her hand. Her Pitch-Black Eyes vigilantly swept across the dim forest around them, ready to play Musical Notes capable of affecting the mind at any time.

With a sharp click, He Caitou finally undid the fastener on the huge canvas bag in his arms, revealing its true form—a massive metal cannon barrel, crude in design and brimming with metallic texture, thicker by a full circle than his own arm! Its surface was engraved with densely packed, intricate patterns glimmering with faint Soul Power. It was unmistakably an Individual Soul Tool Cannon!

Ning Xue also tightened her grip on the Ice Crystal Staff in her hand. The blue crystal at its tip emitted threads of Cold Air, lowering the surrounding temperature by several degrees.

Wang Dong, meanwhile, decisively released her Martial Soul. The dazzling pair of Light Goddess Butterfly wings behind her, shining with brilliant blue-gold light, unfurled with a swish. Countless light particles spilled from the wings, enveloping her whole body in sacred, noble radiance.

"Are you ready?"

Long Yao's gaze calmly swept across every companion's face.

Five pairs of eyes filled with determination and soaring fighting spirit answered him.

"Then..."

A confident, commanding smile curved his lips.

"Our hunt... begins."

With that, he stepped forward and became the first to enter that great forest shrouded in endless shadows and the unknown.

[Livestream Bullet Comments]

[High-Energy Warning Ahead]: It's here, it's here! The main show is finally starting! Star Dou Forest instance activated!

[Dai Huabin Must Die]: Streamer! Take down Dai Huabin! Let him find out why flowers are so red! That conversation just now was insanely cool!

[Technical Analysis Otaku]: The six-person alliance has officially entered combat mode! Once Wang Dong activates her Martial Soul, she's practically a moving, stunningly beautiful lighthouse! Is that a Soul Tool Cannon He Caitou has?! Holy crap! A First Year student is already using that?!

[Top Rank Big Brother 'Godly Magnate Brother']: Brothers, send those gifts! Let's fire a salute for our streamer's expedition!

As their figures were completely swallowed by that deep Dark Green, a legendary trial destined to be recorded in Shrek Academy's history—filled with Hot Blood, battle, and conspiracy—officially raised the curtain on its magnificent beginning.

"Spread out and advance. Yuhao, keep your Spirit Detection active at all times," Long Yao said as they moved forward.

Long Yao's clear, decisive order was like a stone tossed into still water, instantly sending ripples through the hearts of the five companions behind him, each with their own thoughts. This was not merely an order, but a declaration of tactics. It marked the official shift of their newly formed, infinitely promising six-person alliance from marching formation into a true hunting posture, prepared to engage at any moment.

"Yes, Brother Long Yao!"

Huo Yuhao was the first to answer in a deep voice, reacting with almost no delay at all. His sharp mind instantly understood the deeper meaning behind the order. As an alliance containing two groups, maintaining a loose formation capable of supporting one another was far safer and more efficient than crowding together.

He immediately stopped walking. His Ink Blue Eyes, shining with Pale Gold Light, slowly closed before snapping open again. An invisible yet vast, pure Spiritual Power surged outward from him in every direction like a tidal wave! This time, his Spirit Detection was no longer confined to one thousand meters. Without holding anything back, he extended it to his current limit—a radius of fifteen hundred meters!

Within this enormous three-dimensional domain covered by Spiritual Power, nothing could hide. The tangled network of tree roots spreading underground, poisonous beetles no larger than fingernails hidden beneath rotting leaves, Hundred-Year Ghost Vines hanging high from the canopy disguised as Withered Branches... everything was precisely fed back into his mind in a form beyond ordinary sight, composed of pure information. His somewhat youthful face was filled with focus and professionalism far beyond his age. Like a precision radar, he became the team's eyes for scouting and its horn for warning.

Wang Dong understood immediately. Her magnificent, brilliant Light Goddess Butterfly wings gave a gentle flap, and her whole body moved silently yet incredibly swiftly to Long Yao's left rear, like a weightless feather. From this position, she could assist him at the First Moment while using his tall figure as cover to launch deadly surprise attacks. Her Pink Blue Eyes no longer held their usual tenderness. In its place was vigilance as sharp as a blade. She deliberately restrained the sacred, warm light aura radiated by her Martial Soul, maintaining only a thin, nearly invisible layer of Soul Power protection over her body, blending perfectly into the shadow-dappled, dim jungle.

Xiao Xiao, Ning Xue, and He Caitou naturally formed the alliance's second tactical unit.

Xiao Xiao moved with calm speed, shifting more than ten meters to the left and maintaining an ideal distance from Huo Yuhao—close enough to support each other, but not enough to interfere. Her Pitch-Black Eyes resembled two bottomless Cold Ponds as she calmly observed special plants or traps that might exist beyond the range of Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Power, those with concealed energy. She held the Nine Phoenixes Come to Ceremony Flute horizontally before her chest, long fingers resting upon its holes, ready to play mysterious melodies capable of either disturbing the mind or stirring fighting spirit.

Ning Xue stood back-to-back with Xiao Xiao. At the tip of her Ice Crystal Staff had already condensed a visible cloud of Ice Blue mist that emitted threads of Cold Air. She knew her role: the moment Huo Yuhao issued a warning, she was to create an icy zone capable of slowing enemies in the designated area at the fastest possible speed. A flush of excitement and eagerness colored her face, the unique thrill of a genius who had finally found a stage where she could give her all.

The honest, burly He Caitou took the initiative to assume the crucial rear guard role. He strode to the very back of the group and steadily mounted the fierce, crude Individual Soul Tool Cannon on his shoulder. His eyes, which looked somewhat small when nervous, were now wide open as he stared fixedly toward the direction they had come from like an alert leopard, guarding against any ambush from behind. Soul Power slowly began to circulate through his body and flow into the Soul Tool Cannon on his shoulder. The densely packed patterns on the barrel lit up one after another, flickering with dangerous, mesmerizing glimmers.

A lavish, nearly perfect six-person hunting formation had silently taken shape in this danger-filled Primeval Forest: Long Yao and Wang Dong as the assault core, Huo Yuhao as the scouting center, Xiao Xiao and Ning Xue providing dual control, and He Caitou delivering long-range Heavy Firepower support.

They did not advance quickly. Every step was placed with extreme care. Beneath their feet lay a thick layer of rotting leaves accumulated over who knew how many years. It felt soft and spongy, and one careless step could sink half a foot into it. The damp, stuffy air, mixed with the slightly pungent scent of decaying plants, made the youths and maidens entering such an environment for the first time feel somewhat short of breath.

The surroundings were terrifyingly quiet. Apart from the sounds their own group made while moving, deliberately suppressed to the lowest level, only the faint rustling of unknown insects remained. That oppressive calm before a storm was more heart-pounding than deafening beast roars.

"Seven hundred meters to the left front, at three o'clock."

Huo Yuhao, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke in a low, urgent voice. A layer of fine sweat had already appeared on his forehead. Maintaining such broad-range, high-precision Spirit Detection was clearly extremely taxing for him.

"Soul Power fluctuations detected. Number: five. They're moving fast, encircling us in a fan formation. Judging by energy intensity, they're all at the Hundred-Year level. Their target... is us!"

They were here!

The instant they heard the warning, nearly everyone's heart jumped!

"Shadow Wolves!" Huo Yuhao's voice rang out again as he added the crucial information. "A pack-dwelling Hundred-Year Spirit Beast. They excel at moving through shadows, attack swiftly, and their Claws and Fangs carry slight Shadow energy capable of corroding Soul Power shields!"

"Prepare to engage!"

Long Yao's voice remained calm, but it held a power that reassured everyone.

Almost as soon as his words fell, Ning Xue slammed the Ice Crystal Staff in her hand forward!

"First Soul Skill: Frost Ring!"

A visible Ice Blue ring of light radiating bone-piercing Cold Air spread instantly from her staff toward the direction Huo Yuhao had indicated! Wherever the ring passed, the damp rotting leaves and soil on the ground rapidly froze over with a thin layer of White Frost gleaming with icy light.

Xiao Xiao was no slower. She brought the Nine Phoenixes Come to Ceremony Flute to her lips, and a melodious Xiao Sound carrying a hint of stagnation rose immediately. The sound was not loud, yet it seemed to possess a strange Magic Power that made the air around them turn thicker.

"First Soul Skill: Sluggishness!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Just as the two control Soul Skills were released, five agile Black Figures, ghostlike in their speed, burst from the shadows of the forest ahead like lightning!

They were five Shadow Wolves, each as large as a leopard! Their bodies were covered in Ink-Black fur, making them almost completely blend into the shadows of the dim forest. Pairs of bloodthirsty, ghostly green eyes locked onto the six "prey" before them, while low, threatening growls rumbled from their mouths.

Yet the instant their swift feet stepped onto the frost-covered ground, their speed abruptly faltered! The slippery surface and bone-piercing chill caused an obvious, awkward stiffness in their smooth pouncing movements. Then the pervasive Xiao Sound, laden with stagnation, made their minds fall into brief confusion and dullness.

Now!

A sharp glint flashed through Wang Dong's Beautiful Pink Blue Eyes!

"First Soul Skill: Side Wing Saber!"

The magnificent wings behind her beat hard. Countless fine Golden Light Blades, dazzling like diamonds, instantly converged into a brilliant beam and descended upon the leading Shadow Wolf like a god's sword!

The Shadow Wolf only had time to let out a brief, miserable howl before the Butterfly God's Light, full of sacred and sharp aura, cleanly split it in half from head to tail! Golden flames clung to its corpse, hissing like melting ice and snow as they thoroughly purified its Shadow energy.

At the same time, the other four Shadow Wolves had broken free of the initial control. Their companion's gruesome death completely enraged them. With earth-shaking roars, they pounced at the group from four different directions!

"He Caitou!" Long Yao's voice rang out again.

"Received!"

He Caitou, who had been guarding the rear, let out an excited growl! His burly body sank sharply, and the muzzle of the fierce Individual Soul Tool Cannon on his shoulder instantly locked onto a Shadow Wolf lunging in from the flank!

The Soul Power within his body surged wildly and without reserve into the Soul Tool Cannon! At its muzzle, a fist-sized incandescent sphere of light rapidly formed, compressed, then compressed further in less than a second!

"Super Explosive Bomb!"

"Boom—!!!"

A thunderous roar utterly out of place in the Primeval Forest suddenly exploded!

A white energy shell trailing a long tail of flame, brimming with destructive aura, shot out like a meteor from a cannon barrel. Accompanied by a shriek that tore through the air, it instantly slammed into the Shadow Wolf!

A terrifying explosion erupted! Incandescent light swallowed everything in an instant. The violent Shockwave formed a visible blast wave that made the surrounding trees sway madly, while countless broken branches and leaves were swept high into the air!

When the light faded, only a scorched crater more than three meters wide remained on the ground. The unlucky Shadow Wolf had long since been blasted so completely apart that not even a hair remained. Only a Hundred-Year Spirit Ring glowing with faint yellow light slowly rose from the center of the crater.

This earth-shattering shot not only made the remaining three Shadow Wolves freeze for an instant, it even left Ning Xue—seeing He Caitou's strength for the first time—with her mouth hanging open in shock.

The rest of the battle held no suspense.

Under the interference of Xiao Xiao's flute and Ning Xue's frost-induced delay, Long Yao's figure moved through the battlefield like a ghost. Every sweep of the Soul Breaking Spear in his hand precisely and lethally took the life of a Shadow Wolf.

In just over ten seconds, the battle was completely over.

Five yellow Hundred-Year Spirit Rings floated quietly above the wrecked battlefield, proving that the first hunt of their "lavish alliance" had concluded perfectly in an utterly overwhelming fashion.

[Livestream Bullet Comments]

[Holy crap holy crap holy crap!]: That entire chain of coordination! It was absolutely smooth and flowing! My blood is boiling just watching it!

[He Caitou Support Club Founded]: Brother Caitou is awesome!!! That shot! It was fucking incredible! What Cigar Martial Soul? He's clearly a walking Italian cannon!

[Tactical Analysis Master]: A perfect example of team coordination! Huo Yuhao gives the warning, Ning Xue and Xiao Xiao provide dual control, Wang Dong executes a precise kill, He Caitou clears the field with brute force, and the streamer cleans up the rest! This was their first time working together! What will they be like after they fully develop their coordination?!

[Top Rank Big Brother 'Godly Magnate Brother']: Awesome! So damn awesome! It makes me want to jump in and fight too!

"Our first collaboration was pretty good. Fifty points secured." Long Yao nodded in satisfaction. Looking at the cigar clenched between He Caitou's lips, he smiled. "Your Martial Soul is enhancement-type, right? And you're actually skilled with Soul Tools too." (In the Original Work, he should have been one of Teacher Fan Yu's members in the Ultimate Single Soldier Project.)

Long Yao's smiling words, half praise and half simple statement of fact, were like a warm Spring Breeze that instantly blew away the last traces of tension lingering after their first battle. In its place came joy and confidence From the Heart, brimming with a sense of accomplishment.

The first to feel it was He Caitou, who had been directly praised.

A deep Purple-Red blush, like a Fire Burning Cloud, rushed across his honest, burly face. The enormous cigar at the corner of his lips—his Martial Soul—still gave off wisps of faint Green Smoke carrying strange energy fluctuations. When he heard Long Yao's unbelievably accurate assessment—"enhancement-type," "skilled with Soul Tools"—his Not-so-large eyes widened round, filled with indescribable excitement and the shock of being completely seen through, mixed with admiration and awe.

He had thought that his somewhat comical-looking Martial Soul would earn ridicule or confusion from his teammates. Yet he never could have imagined that this unfathomable captain would grasp the core of his abilities so precisely after their first meeting and first collaboration! This was no simple matter of having good judgment. It was a terrifying analytical ability capable of seeing through to the essence of things!

"I... I..." He opened his mouth, his tongue already starting to tangle. His rough voice stammered from excessive excitement. "I... I was just... just guessing! It was... it was Classmate Huo Yuhao's Spirit Detection being accurate, and Classmate Ning Xue and Classmate Xiao Xiao, they... their control was good too..."

He scratched his furry head helplessly, trying to give the credit to others. But the honest smile he could not suppress, stretching all the way to his Ear Roots, thoroughly betrayed the wild joy in his heart. He secretly puffed out his already incredibly broad chest for the first time, feeling unprecedented pride in his "cigar" Martial Soul and his identity as a "Soul Engineer."

"Guessing? If that shot was a guess, wouldn't Dai Huabin be worse than a blind man?" Ning Xue strode over casually and bumped He Caitou's arm with her elbow without any restraint. Her spirited face shone with excitement, and her eyes gleamed as she looked at the Individual Soul Tool Cannon he had already put away. "Big Guy, that shot was insane! Its power was at least equivalent to the full-force strike of a Level 30 Soul Elder! Are you really a student from our First Year?!"

Xiao Xiao walked over as well. Her Black Eyes, usually cool and calm like water, now held undisguised curiosity and scrutiny as she carefully examined He Caitou, as though evaluating a work of art filled with mysterious power. Although she said nothing, the slight upward curve of her lips showed her recognition of this new teammate's strength. She could clearly sense that what He Caitou's shot contained was not pure Soul Power, but a higher level of force produced through extremely sophisticated structural compression and energy conversion. Soul Engineer... a term still somewhat unfamiliar in the traditional Spirit Master World, was given a new and powerful definition in her heart at this moment.

"Yuhao, Teacher Zhou said the score is based on each group's points, right? We still have to deduct thirty percent of the total points. Your group gets thirty points, and my group gets twenty. How about it?" Long Yao asked Yuhao.

When Long Yao put the matter of point distribution to Huo Yuhao, the team's "brain" immediately pulled himself out of the excitement of their first victory and entered a brief but rapid period of thought.

His brows furrowed slightly. Countless numbers and possibilities flashed through his eyes, gleaming with Pale Gold Light. Thirty points for their support group, and twenty for Long Yao's main assault group, which possessed absolute core combat strength? On the surface, that was entirely unreasonable. Not only had Long Yao made the final kills, but the decisive effect of He Caitou's cannon alone was enough for their group to receive most of the points.

But...

Only a few seconds later, Huo Yuhao's gaze suddenly brightened! He raised his head and looked at Long Yao with blazing eyes. There was no longer the slightest doubt in them. In its place was a deeper admiration and gratitude that nearly overflowed.

"I understand, Brother Long Yao!" His voice was not loud, but it was firm and full of excitement born from complete trust and understanding. "I fully agree with this distribution plan! And on behalf of our second group, I thank you for this 'gift'!"

He deliberately emphasized the word "gift." He understood the deeper meaning behind Long Yao's decision. This was not a simple division of points, but a masterful leadership method meant to awaken the team's potential! By giving more points to the second group, Long Yao had three purposes. First, to greatly improve the confidence and initiative of the three of them, making them psychologically believe that they were indispensable main forces capable of generating immense value; second, to compensate for the gap in raw strength between their group and the first group, ensuring that the two groups' final scores would not differ too greatly and maintaining the alliance's internal balance and harmony; third, and most importantly, to place a positive kind of pressure upon them—a weighty expectation. If they accepted more points, they had to achieve better results and shoulder more important responsibilities!

The feeling of being trusted and expected without reservation made Huo Yuhao feel as if the blood in his entire body were burning!

"I understand," Xiao Xiao's cool voice followed. She quietly looked at Long Yao, a Glimmer of Wisdom flickering in her Pitch-Black Eyes. "This is goal-based motivation. Using favorable points to drive us to unleash one hundred and twenty percent of our potential. I have no objections."

"Wow! Thirty points!" Ning Xue was the most straightforward of them all. She jumped excitedly, grabbed Xiao Xiao's arm, and shook it hard. "Great! We're rich! Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, we can't let Brother Long Yao's generosity go to waste! The next Spirit Beasts are all ours!"

Looking at the scene before her, filled with high fighting spirit and joyful harmony, Wang Dong's heart was full of pride. She gently leaned against Long Yao, her Beautiful Pink Blue Eyes sparkling with laughter. Leaning close to his ear, she spoke in a soft, slightly smug tone only the two of them could hear. "Hmph, I'll admit you're generous. But even if you let them have thirty points, we'll still definitely take first place in the end! Right?"

That confidence came from her deepest understanding of the unparalleled strength and wisdom of the person beside her.

After this brief yet efficient battle and the discussion that followed, the cohesion and tacit understanding within this newly formed six-person alliance rapidly improved at a visible pace. They were no longer six independent geniuses, but two genuine battle units with clear roles and shared goals, capable of entrusting their backs to one another.

"Alright, the points are settled," Long Yao said again, drawing the discussion to a close. "Clean up the battlefield and gather the Spoils of War. He Caitou, Shadow Wolf claws are good materials for making some Soul Tool Core Magic Arrays. Don't waste them. We'll rest for Ten Minutes, then continue deeper in."

"Yes!"

Everyone answered in unison, their morale even higher than before.

Huo Yuhao began skillfully dissecting the Shadow Wolf corpses with a small knife, sorting useful materials into categories. Ning Xue and Xiao Xiao stood guard nearby while restoring the Soul Power they had just expended. He Caitou carefully took specialized tools from his backpack as if handling treasures, cautiously processing the Sharp Claws severed by Wang Dong's Butterfly God's Light and Long Yao's Soul Breaking Spear, claws still carrying faint energy.

Like a happy butterfly, Wang Dong flew over to the Spirit Rings that were about to dissipate because no one had absorbed them. With curiosity, she extended her Slender Jade Fingers and lightly touched one. The yellow Spirit Ring silently dispersed from her fingertips like smoke.

Sunlight filtered through layers upon layers of canopy, casting mottled patches of light over them. After a bloody battle, this small forest clearing was instead filled with a different kind of warmth, one brimming with hope and vitality. Their journey had only just begun.

Time: Douluo Calendar Year 2030, Autumn, Eighth Day of Enrollment, 9:45 AM

Location: Shrek Academy, Central Plaza

Viewers: 69,776

Equipment: Shrek Academy Uniform x1, True Vast Sea Ring (Divine Artifact), Student Badge x1, Inspector's Token, Light Combat Suit, Distress Jade Talisman

Items: Dormitory Key x1, [Ancestor's Relic - Handwritten Copy], Gold Soul Coin ×1,003,870

First Martial Soul: Soul Breaking Spear [Traits: Armor Break, Soul Devouring, Penetration]

Second Martial Soul: Chaos Holy Dragon (Hidden) [Traits: Strength, Time, Space]

Soul Power: Level 45 (Soul Ancestor) [Status: True Vast Sea Ring Shielding, External Perception at Level 24]

Spirit Rings: [Soul Breaking Spear] First Soul Ring (Yellow Hundred-Year), Second Soul Ring (Purple Thousand-Year), Third Soul Ring (Black Ten-Thousand-Year), Fourth Soul Ring (Black Ten-Thousand-Year)

[Chaos Holy Dragon] First Soul Ring (Black Thirteen-Thousand-Year), Second Soul Ring (Black Twenty-Eight-Thousand-Year), Third Soul Ring (Black Forty-Six-Thousand-Year), Fourth Soul Ring (Rose Gold Hundred-Thousand-Year)

Spirit Skills: [Soul Breaking Spear] First Spirit Skill: Swift Shadow Stab, Second Spirit Skill: Whirlwind Spear, Third Spirit Skill: Armor Breaking Spiral, Fourth Spirit Skill: Thousand Spirit Spear Rain

[Chaos Holy Dragon] First Spirit Skill: Star Ring, Second Spirit Skill: Holy Dragon Claw, Third Spirit Skill: Void Claw, Fourth Spirit Skill: Time and Space Roar

Soul Bones: None

Soul Spirits: None

Stored Donations: [Million-Year Spirit Beast Inverse Scale] x1, [God-Bestowed Soul Ring (Hundred-Thousand-Year)] x1, [Fountain of Life (Concentrated Liquid)] x1, [Dragon Blood Body Tempering Pill] x10, [God King Godhead (Incomplete)], [Couple Limited Edition · Flowing Light Wing Flight Soul Device] ×1, [Sparkling Diamond] x10