Canghui Academy

The Star Dou Great Forest lay southwest of Suotuo City, with a small portion bordering the Balak Kingdom. It was less than five hundred kilometers from Suotuo City. Since Ye Buqun had been there once before, and the system had its own navigation, they arrived quickly.

Although Doudou was also a Flight-type Soul Master, he could not currently fly higher than fifty meters. Yet riding atop Ye Buqun's greatsword, he could even rise thousands of meters into the sky. Doudou especially loved the feeling of soaring through the heights and was almost reluctant to come back down.

Wherever there was demand, there was a market. On the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest near the Balak Kingdom, there were surprisingly many shops. Having operated for many years, these shops had naturally formed a commercial town.

Ye Buqun and Doudou were in no hurry to enter the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Rings. Women naturally loved shopping, and Doudou wanted to browse around first, see whether they could buy some supplies, and then enter the forest.

Once they entered the commercial town, they found it far livelier than they had imagined. Though it was called a town, it had no city walls. Still, its prosperity was no less than that of Suotuo City. The streets were lined with all manner of shops, offering everything one could want.

Ye Buqun looked around and saw that the goods sold in this commercial town were naturally related to Soul Masters. There were vendors selling weapons, armor, and other equipment; antidotes and potions that restored stamina and Soul Power; plenty selling food, water, and other daily necessities; as well as clothing specially suited for Soul Master adventures.

Wherever there were soul beasts, there was profit to be made. Since these were all goods exclusively for Soul Masters, their prices were more than twice as high as in the city. The meticulous Doudou had long prepared everything and stored it in his other Soul Tool, so there was no need to buy overpriced goods here.

Beyond that, they could also see many Soul Masters recruiting teammates along the road.

"Forming a group to hunt soul beasts! Need a Support-type Soul Master! Join us and get five Gold Soul Coins right away!"

"Party forming! We still need an Agility Attack-type Battle Soul Master! Join us and receive five Gold Soul Coins! Don't miss this chance!"

For ordinary Soul Masters, soul beasts were not as easy to deal with as one might imagine. Some soul beasts were born powerful, and even if they had not lived long, they still possessed formidable strength. Take the Titan Giant Ape, known as the king of the forest. It was said that a hundred-year Titan Giant Ape could contend with a ten-thousand-year soul beast. Many Soul Masters understood this, so they needed to cooperate in battle. With the support of other Soul Masters, the Soul Master who needed the Soul Ring only had to deliver the final blow to the soul beast.

Under normal circumstances, a standard soul-hunting team needed at least six types of Soul Masters. Control-type Soul Masters were responsible for controlling the overall situation; Agility Attack-type Battle Soul Masters for scouting and reconnaissance; Strength-type Soul Masters served as shields to absorb damage; Strong Attack-type Battle Soul Masters were responsible for the main offensive output; Support-type Soul Masters healed and restored Soul Power and stamina; and Food-type Soul Masters handled supplies.

Even if a team had all six types of Soul Masters, actual combat required seamless cooperation between them. As for these temporarily formed Soul Master teams, their level of coordination was obvious.

Ye Buqun had no need to consider any of that.

Doudou, on the other hand, seemed somewhat nervous.

His first two Soul Rings had also been obtained in the Soul Hunting Forest. Compared to the soul beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest, the soul beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest were like small animals such as kittens and puppies. They were also raised by the empire, generally relatively docile, and not many would actively attack humans. But the Star Dou Great Forest was entirely different.

Not only were the soul beasts here mostly fierce and powerful, but even the soul beasts on the outskirts would sometimes leave the forest to attack humans in the commercial town. Thus, the commercial town was often guarded by Soul Master troops specially dispatched by the empire.

It was noon, time for a meal, so the two found a decent-looking hotel and prepared to eat.

The hotel was a small three-story building. The first and second floors were restaurants, while the third floor provided lodging. More than half the seats on the first floor were already occupied. Ye Buqun and Doudou ordered a tableful of dishes there, and just as they were about to eat, five or six eye-catching people entered from outside.

At their head was a thin, tall middle-aged man with a goatee. He wore a white Soul Master robe embroidered with exquisite golden patterns that flashed with conspicuous brilliance as he walked.

Behind him followed several young men and women who appeared to be around Doudou's age. They wore the same uniform as the middle-aged man, except the words "Canghui" were embroidered on their chests.

They were Soul Masters from Canghui Academy. Ye Buqun had only a faint impression of that academy.

Canghui Academy was a somewhat renowned intermediate Soul Master Academy in Suotuo City. Yet this teacher and the students behind him carried an indescribable arrogance as they swaggered inside.

The hotel attendant seemed to know them. Upon seeing them arrive, he hurried forward respectfully, as though they were some important figures.

In fact, Canghui Academy counted as a regular customer of this hotel. Teachers often brought their students here to hunt soul beasts and obtain Soul Rings. The Soul Masters capable of coming to the Star Dou Great Forest generally did not have low Soul Power Levels. Soul Masters were already a noble profession on Douluo Continent, so with such people honoring the establishment with their presence, the restaurant owner naturally did not dare neglect them.

The six teachers and students from Canghui Academy sat down at a large dining table beside Ye Buqun and Doudou. Among them, a burly-looking young man kept sizing up Doudou before grinning. "Hey! Girl in the white dress, come sit with us and eat. Order whatever you want, big brother will pay!"

A thin, lanky male student beside him, with shifty eyes and a rat-like face, had also been eyeing Doudou for quite a while. With a lewd grin, he said, "Come, sit beside big brother. Big brother will feed you."

Doudou was naturally exceptionally beautiful, and he drew plenty of attention whenever he went out. Otherwise, Bule would not have harbored improper thoughts about him.

This string of teasing remarks made the other Canghui Academy students burst into laughter. Even their leading teacher merely smiled and let it pass.

Doudou felt somewhat humiliated. He lowered his head and continued eating without speaking.

Sometimes, an ill-intentioned joke made casually could seem like nothing to the person telling it, but the person being mocked would feel uncomfortable and be unable to say anything. Especially when they did not even know you.

Without even looking at them, Ye Buqun swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "You two who just spoke, slap yourselves twenty times and apologize. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourselves!"