Hunting Soul Rings

After leaving the Great Soul Arena, Fu Hua returned to Suo Tuo Library. She did not cultivate at all, merely going about her usual routine of tending to the library, reading books, drinking tea, and chatting with Librarian Sol.

Librarian Sol knew that starting tomorrow, Fu Hua would begin her true academy life, and the time she could spend returning here would be scarce. This peace and tranquility were therefore all the more precious.

Neither of them slept that night. From nightfall until dawn, they talked about everything under the sun—childhood anecdotes, the classmates she had met at the academy, and the teachers with their strange personalities.

There was nothing they could not talk about.

But time was ultimately limited.

Fu Hua raised her eyes, moving her gaze away from the book and toward Librarian Sol, who had unknowingly fallen asleep with his head resting on the sandalwood table.

Her sky-blue eyes were filled with tenderness.

She reached for the still-warm Longjing tea and took a light sip. The tea's bitterness and rich fragrance spread through her mouth, and mist instantly clouded her eyes.

She quietly rose to her feet, tidied the already neat tables and chairs before her, then brewed a pot of fragrant Tieguanyin and poured it into the teacup beside Librarian Sol. Finally, she gently draped an unremarkable, inexpensive coat over his back.

Turning around, she looked at the place where she had lived for five years. Fu Hua parted her lips slightly, her voice soft and gentle.

"I'm leaving, Grandpa Sol. Please take care."

The library's heavy doors slowly closed. The dim light within swayed faintly. The old man lying on the sandalwood table lifted his head and looked around the increasingly empty room. A nearly imperceptible sigh drifted away before all returned to silence.

There were few people on the streets in the early morning, and even the soldiers at the city gate were still drowsy. After passing through the gates, she turned back to look, only to find it utterly desolate.

It seemed she had seen such a scene before.

Within Shrek Academy, morning was still the time for laborers. In the student dormitory, Tang San sat cross-legged on his bed, his aura rising and falling as he soothed the injuries he had sustained during last night's soul fight.

As the sun began to rise, a strand of Purple Qi came from afar and instantly entered Tang San's eyes, suffusing them with violet light. The Purple Demon Eye was a treasure Tang San had brought from his previous life, and in this life, it would surely display its proper value as well.

Turning around, he saw Oscar sitting cross-legged on the other bed with his eyes closed. Compared to his usual habit of sleeping in, he looked far more serious.

Ever since returning last night, it seemed that something had stimulated Oscar. He had begun cultivating diligently for once. Cultivation was inherently difficult for Food System Spirit Masters, even for a Food System Spirit Master with Innate Full Soul Power.

Tang San did not disturb him and simply got up to leave.

He happened to run into Xiao Wu at the door. Seeing the concern in her eyes, he responded with a smile.

"I'm fine, Xiao Wu. There's no problem anymore."

"Mm!"

They went to the cafeteria together. After breakfast, the others gradually began to rise as well.

First came Dai Mubai, followed by Zhu Zhuqing and Ma Hongjun.

Zhu Zhuqing still wore that icy expression. Ma Hongjun, on the other hand, looked much more refreshed. Presumably, he had vented most of his evil fire last night.

On the training ground, Fu Hua had assumed there would be no one there, but she unexpectedly spotted a figure. Her pink, ear-length hair was somewhat messy and fluffy, and beneath her bright eyes lay deep gloom. Ning Rongrong looked utterly listless.

"Good morning, Rongrong," Fu Hua greeted first.

Perhaps not expecting anyone to still be willing to speak with her, Ning Rongrong froze on the spot.

"What's wrong? Didn't sleep last night?"

Ning Rongrong lowered her head, her expression dim.

"Girls need to take good care of themselves, or your father will worry."

She reached out and, from who knew where, produced a comb. She began combing Ning Rongrong's messy short hair, her expression calm and devoid of any unnecessary emotion.

Ning Rongrong's expression was complicated, and she did not know how to begin. After hesitating for a while, she finally asked, "Why? Aren't you angry?"

"Why would I be angry?" As though she found the question foolish, Fu Hua replied without changing her expression.

"I'm not how you see me."

"Everyone is different. Everyone changes as they grow. One keeps growing, while the other merely stops moving forward. So, are you growing, or have you stopped?"

"I... I don't know what I should do..."

"Between letting go and taking hold, which is more important?"

"Are you telling me to let go of who I used to be?"

Fu Hua nodded and smoothed down the last stray lock of pink hair.

"Beginnings and endings are decided by the heart."

Ning Rongrong pursed her lips and said nothing.

Fu Hua once again placed her hand on the wrinkled folds of Ning Rongrong's dress, slowly smoothing them out. Its fresh, beautiful appearance was restored, but the exhaustion on her face remained impossible to conceal.

The morning light was just right, interweaving the two figures with a trace of ambiguity.

A handsome "boy" and a despondent girl—such a scene was the most likely to spark a romantic encounter.

When Tang San and the others arrived at the training ground, this was the harmonious sight that greeted them. As they approached, they swept their strange gazes over Ning Rongrong and Fu Hua.

Why did it feel... like there was something going on between them?

The timing was perfect. The bell signaling the start of class rang, and Flender arrived late as usual. Yet Oscar was still nowhere to be seen among the crowd.

"Where's Oscar?" Flender frowned.

"When I woke up, he was still cultivating. I didn't wake him up—I guess he entered meditation and lost track of time!" Tang San explained.

"He can't miss today's class. Afterward, we still need to hunt a Soul Ring for Fu Hua. Mubai, go call him."

Before Dai Mubai could set off, a figure came sprinting over from the distance. It looked like Oscar. His face was full of excitement, and he was shouting something as he ran.

"Oscar, showing up this late again? Want to run laps?"

"No, Dean, listen to my explanation—I broke through! I've reached level thirty!"

"What?"

Food System Spirit Masters already had great difficulty cultivating, yet Oscar had reached level thirty at only fourteen years old. Even Flender could not help but be astonished.

The further Auxiliary System Spirit Masters progressed, the more difficult their cultivation became. Yet once they truly crossed that threshold, the benefits they gained were astonishing. Gaining two Amplification Effects at level twenty was entirely different from gaining three effects at level thirty.

The amount of Soul Power also determined the quality of the amplification. Level-twenty Soul Power could not compare to level-thirty Soul Power.

Flender was not the only one shocked. Ning Rongrong was as well. As an Auxiliary System Spirit Master herself, she naturally understood just how difficult cultivation was. Even within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had been hailed as a genius. Yet compared to Oscar here, she seemed to pale into insignificance.

Her already exhausted nerves became even more fragile. Her former pride and former glory had been battered to pieces here.

But as the saying went, without destruction, there could be no rebirth. Perhaps being broken before rising again would be a good thing for her.

"Good, good! Oscar, well done. You're now the third Spirit Master in our academy to break through level thirty. On behalf of the academy, I congratulate you. After this class, Zhao Wuji will take you to hunt Soul Rings."

Excitement overflowed from him. Dai Mubai and the others offered their congratulations as well, and Oscar's face was filled with joy. The only exception was Ning Rongrong.

Fu Hua stood beside her, silently observing everyone's reactions. Naturally, she was happy for Oscar's breakthrough, but from the corner of her eye, she continued watching the changes in Ning Rongrong's expression.

Her exhaustion had turned to bitterness, but there was even more enlightenment within it.

Fu Hua could not help nodding in admiration. Ning Rongrong was exceptionally intelligent; her talent had merely been buried beneath years of indulgence. Now that it had begun to show, she likely would not be lost among the crowd in the future.

"Alright, time is pressing. Let's begin this class now!"

After everyone calmed their joyful emotions, Flender began getting to the point.

"Oscar will be the main focus of today's class. Every one of you must eat one sausage produced by his martial spirit today."

At Flender's words, everyone's faces turned bitter, as though they had swallowed an entire vat of bitter melon juice.

If Fu Hua remembered correctly, every Food System Spirit Master had a specific Spirit Incantation for summoning their martial spirit. And Oscar's incantation... how should she put it? It was a little unusual, always giving people the wrong idea.

Back then, even Fu Hua had been thoroughly rattled by it. But with the experiences she had accumulated, she was no longer quite so helpless.

As Oscar summoned his martial spirit—

"Your daddy has a big sausage! Your daddy has a little cured sausage!"

Cough, cough! Fine! Even with fifty thousand years of history, Fu Hua still found it a little uncomfortable. After all, the more one experienced, the easier it was to let one's thoughts wander.

A faint blush rose on her stern face as her sky-blue eyes gazed upward at a forty-five-degree angle.

Ignore it! Ignore it! Just ignore it!

Holding two sausages with distinctly different flavors, Oscar wore a lecherous expression as he said, "So, who's going first?"

For Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, this sort of lesson had long become routine. They were just about to step forward when someone moved even faster than them. A pink figure arrived in front of Oscar.

She swept him with a fierce gaze, making his hair stand on end.

She snatched the two sausages from his hands and viciously bit both of them in half. Instantly, Oscar felt a certain part of his body go numb, and he could not help taking a step back.

The sausages melted as soon as they entered her mouth. A warm current rose from Ning Rongrong's abdomen and spread through her limbs, sweeping away the fatigue from her sleepless night. Even the dark circles beneath her eyes vanished.

The First Soul Skill restored, while the second Soul Skill detoxified.

The sausages made with level-thirty Soul Power were remarkably effective, and even Ning Rongrong could not help showing surprise.

Oscar swallowed and asked in a trembling voice, "Rongrong, were you hungry or something?"

"Your sausages taste pretty good." As she spoke, she even licked her pink lips.

But Oscar felt only a chilling cold.

Afterward, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun sampled them as well. Tang San and Xiao Wu reluctantly ate theirs, while Fu Hua and Zhu Zhuqing could only do so helplessly.

Aside from the unusual Spirit Incantation, the effects could not be ignored. Only then did Fu Hua feel relieved. If both the incantation and the flavor had been strange, she might have wanted to hit someone.

"Alright, since everyone has recovered more or less, let's go find Zhao Wuji!"

With that, Flender flicked his sleeve, turned around, and strode away in a dashing manner.

Zhao Wuji had been waiting for quite some time. When the group arrived at the village entrance, they found him standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, looking utterly bored. His face was mottled with bruises, making everyone want to laugh but not dare to.

"You little brats, what are you laughing at? Looking for a beating?"

"Why don't you call yourself a blind bear?" Xiao Wu could not help muttering.

Then why hadn't you minded during the assessment?

Zhao Wuji's bruised eyes fixed directly on Xiao Wu. Tang San stepped forward, blocking his line of sight.

"Alright, let's get going! Otherwise, we won't arrive until dark."

The Star Dou Great Forest lay between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire. Its territory was vast, and it contained countless varieties of Soul Beasts. The closer one got to its center, the higher the Soul Beast levels became; even Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts appeared there.

However, their trip to the Star Dou Great Forest would only take them through its outer regions. They were searching for a thousand-year Soul Beast for Oscar, and with Zhao Wuji accompanying them, they were already very safe.

On the small road leading to the Star Dou Great Forest, the running group kicked up clouds of dust. Tang San led the way, followed by Oscar and Ning Rongrong. Ma Hongjun and Xiao Wu ran on either side, while Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Fu Hua brought up the rear.

Fu Hua could be said to be the strongest member of the entire team. Having her stay behind with Dai Mubai to cover their retreat was more than suitable. If danger arose, Tang San at the front could also react quickly.

Ma Hongjun and Xiao Wu on the flanks could respond at any time as well. The safest ones were undoubtedly Oscar and Ning Rongrong; after all, they were merely support-type Soul Masters and not skilled in combat.

The group traveled quickly. With Oscar's recovery sausages along the way, they could be said to have suffered very little exhaustion. Among them, Fu Hua ate the least.

Traveling like this was also a form of cultivation for her.

Because Oscar needed to make sausages, Tang San and Dai Mubai would take turns supporting him by the arm. As for Ning Rongrong, she was practically being held halfway in Fu Hua's embrace.

Even with the added weight of another person, Fu Hua felt no burden whatsoever. Her pace was also the fastest among them, but for the sake of team coordination, she had slowed down.

As for Ning Rongrong, who was half-held in Fu Hua's arms, she remained silent, her eyes lowered as though she were pondering something.

A deep sense of distance could be felt from her. The others were unwilling to speak to her, and she was unwilling to speak to them. Even Fu Hua had sensed a trace of resistance when she reached out to her.

Fortunately, the journey was not long. The group soon arrived at a small town near the Star Dou Great Forest. The merchants coming and going here sold travel supplies, armor, healing medicine, clothing, and more.

It was a case of living off the mountain when near a mountain, and living off the water when near water.

The group quickly found a hotel to stay at. It was a two-story building, with dining on the first floor and lodging on the second. Zhao Wuji booked himself a single room, while Dai Mubai handled the rest of the arrangements.

In the end, they decided on two four-person rooms, just enough for the eight of them.

What? You're asking about Fu Hua? Please, she's a girl too, okay?! (Who says our Fu Hua has no figure? Put her in a qipao and she'll stun you to death.)

"Let's eat before going upstairs! I've eaten sausages all day long—I'm getting sick of them. Fu Hua really has it good!" Ma Hongjun voiced everyone's thoughts, and even the icy Zhu Zhuqing nodded in agreement.

They all looked at Fu Hua, who had not even broken a sweat despite running while carrying someone, and silently called her a monster in their hearts.

Shrek Academy was known for accepting only monsters. That made her a monster among monsters.

"The path of martial arts has no end. You are still far from it," Fu Hua said slowly after taking a sip of cold tea.

The others immediately looked bitter.

Who was like you?! You're practically a Soul Beast!

Even Xiao Wu could not help nodding in agreement. It felt as though even Soul Beasts were no match for her, as if she could kill one with a single punch.

The group fell silent. Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were treating everyone, with some ordering dishes and others resting. For a moment, they directly ignored what Fu Hua had said.

They really couldn't take it!

PS: Taking a day off tomorrow. I want to write some daily-life stuff. Also, why can't I beat the second stage of Karen Fantasy's hard mode?! Damn it, my Forgotten One!

PS1: I can't beat it even with Herrscher of Reason—why? It's a pity I don't have Herrscher of the Void or Gyakushinn Miko. Otherwise, if all three Herrschers came out together, who in the world could stand against them?