To the Star Dou Great Forest, Hunting the Third Soul Ring

Early that morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Su Ran set out with Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong on the road to the Star Dou Great Forest.

Zhu Zhuqing looked much better now. Once a person had hope and was walking an upward path, their condition would become especially good.

Ning Rongrong was extremely excited. The moment she thought about going on a thrilling forest adventure with the handsome Teacher Su Ran, she could hardly contain herself.

But just as they left the academy gates, they actually ran into the Shrek group, who were also planning to head to the Star Dou Great Forest.

Flender politely greeted Su Ran.

"Teacher Su Ran, you're going to the Star Dou Great Forest too? Since we're on the way, why not travel together?"

Hearing Flender say that, Zhao Wuji's face darkened, and he hurriedly tugged him. "Dean."

Su Ran smiled faintly, only giving a slight nod as he politely declined.

"No need. Please do as you like."

Zhao Wuji immediately let out a breath of relief. If they really traveled together, wouldn't he be scared half to death the whole way?

After that, Wang Sheng untied the horses, and with a soft whistle from Su Ran, two fine white horses came running over.

The white horses were very close to Su Ran. As soon as they saw him, their tails swayed, and they circled around him nonstop.

Su Ran turned to look at Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.

"Can you ride?"

Ning Rongrong shook her head. She was a support-type soul master; how would she know how to ride a horse?

Zhu Zhuqing nodded instead. "I can."

The Star Luo Empire was a military empire. As a descendant of a great Star Luo clan, she had naturally dabbled in horsemanship.

"Conditions are limited. We only have two Thousand Mile Steeds. As long as one of you can ride, that's enough. You take Rongrong and keep up with me. We'll try to reach the Star Dou Great Forest before noon."

Su Ran swung himself onto the horse, moving extremely quickly, his posture carefree and handsome.

Even Zhu Zhuqing could tell that Teacher Su Ran was an expert rider.

In Ning Rongrong's eyes, it was even more incredible. To her, he was an unparalleled, peerlessly handsome Youth with an immortal-like appearance, seated atop a white horse. Wasn't the so-called prince on a white horse no more than this?

"I want to be Teacher's horse!"

"Huh?"

"No, I mean I want to ride the same horse as Teacher."

Ning Rongrong's face turned red. In a moment of carelessness, she had spoken what was in her heart.

"Teacher, although I can ride, I'm not especially skilled. If we go too fast, I'm afraid I won't be able to take Rongrong. Teacher should take her instead."

After their heart-to-heart under the stars the other night, Zhu Zhuqing had already seen that Ning Rongrong harbored "improper intentions" toward Teacher, so she simply decided to help her out.

However, several days later, when she personally saw Teacher Su Ran remove his mask and reveal that breathtaking face, then recalled her generosity today, she would probably wish she could slap herself.

"Come up."

Su Ran reached his hand out to Ning Rongrong and said calmly.

"Ah~"

Ning Rongrong placed her small hand in Su Ran's large one, still immersed in the feeling of holding hands with Teacher. Then, with a sudden pull and a cry of surprise, she was already sitting in Su Ran's arms.

"Sit tight."

"Hyah!"

"Ah!"

With a low shout from Su Ran, he had already ridden off at full speed.

Ning Rongrong was so frightened her soul nearly flew away.

Her whole body shrank into Su Ran's embrace, and both hands clung tightly around his waist.

Only after she grew used to it did Ning Rongrong finally raise her head and look at Su Ran.

From this angle, although Teacher Su Ran wore a mask, she could clearly see his jawline, exquisite beyond compare, and Teacher's Adam's apple—ah, so masculine!

The faint Peach Blossom Fragrance on Teacher's body still lingered around the tip of her nose.

Teacher smelled so good, wow~

() She was intoxicated.

"Hyah!"

On this side, Zhu Zhuqing also mounted from the side and followed closely behind Su Ran.

"As expected of fine steeds that can travel a thousand miles. These should be Thousand Year Soul Beasts themselves, Azure Cloud White Dragon Horses. They must be expensive. This isn't 'limited conditions' at all. Even in noble estates, they're rarely seen. One Azure Cloud White Dragon Horse is worth several thousand gold."

Zhu Zhuqing had some discernment and recognized the white horses Su Ran had summoned. Riding them felt extremely graceful, as if one were treading on clouds, light and swift.

On the other side, Xiao Wu could not help asking, "Dean, their Peach Blossom Spring Academy is riding horses to the Star Dou Great Forest. What about us?"

"Their Peach Blossom Spring Academy covets pleasure and takes shortcuts. That won't do. Every one of us at Shrek is a hardy little monster who can endure hardship. We'll run there. Not only will it train our bodies, it'll save money too."

Flender glanced at Oscar, and Oscar, sharp as ever, immediately understood.

"I, your father, have a big sausage."

"I, your father, have a small sausage."

One thick and one thin, two sausages with completely different flavors appeared in Oscar's palms.

He made several Recovery Great Sausages and Detoxification Small Sausages in succession, which could be used to restore his teammates' strength and Soul Power, as well as remove negative statuses.

"Don't worry. Suotuo City isn't far from the Star Dou Great Forest, less than five hundred kilometers. With Xiao Ao's sausages restoring everyone's Soul Power, Teacher Zhao Wuji will lead you in running for a day, and you'll definitely get there."

Flender comforted Shrek Academy's students.

Xiao Wu's little mouth pouted.

"The Peach Blossom Spring Academy next door kept saying their conditions were limited, but they're traveling on such beautiful white horses. We actually have to run. Aren't we the ones with truly limited conditions?"

"All right, Xiao Wu, stop complaining. If we have to run, then we run. The dean isn't wrong either. Running there can count as training."

Tang San, who had grown up enduring hardship, had no complaints about this. After all, being able to rely on Shrek was already quite good for him. Dean Flender and the others were Soul Sage powerhouses.

Thinking back to his time at Nuoding Academy, Master had to beg the dean of Nuoding Academy for help before they managed to hunt a single Ghost Vine.

"If I'd known this, we might as well have joined Peach Blossom Spring Academy."

Resentment rose in Xiao Wu's heart. Without comparison, there was no harm.

Life in Shrek was truly too miserable. Just look at those two girls who joined Peach Blossom Spring Academy—not only had their strength transformed, they were glowing with vitality too.

Starting from the same point, Ning Rongrong, a support, could already fight an Assault System Soul Master of the same level in Single Combat.

Who knew how far Zhu Zhuqing would learn?

I want to get stronger too!

Tang San glanced at Xiao Wu again, and only then did Xiao Wu sigh with a helpless look.

"Fine, fine. If we run, we run."

"Honestly, suffering for no reason. Sigh~"

While everyone from Shrek Academy was running under the scorching sun like a bunch of idiots, Su Ran had already brought Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing to a small town on the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, found a hotel, settled the white horses, eaten lunch, and then headed straight into the Star Dou Great Forest.

Su Ran was fairly familiar with the situation around this part of the Star Dou Great Forest. Almost all of his Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings had been obtained in the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Star Dou Great Forest was currently divided into four regions: Edge Zone → Outer Circle → Mixed Circle → Core Circle.

Aside from the Core Circle, which Su Ran was not familiar with, he had explored both the Outer Circle and the Mixed Circle to some extent.

The Edge Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest consisted of human gathering towns and villages. Unless special situations such as a beast tide broke out, generally only ten-year soul beasts appeared there. The Outer Circle had hundred-year soul beasts and Thousand Year Soul Beasts wandering about, while the Mixed Circle was much more dangerous, occupied by quite a few Ten Thousand Year Soul Beasts.

This time, to hunt Third Soul Rings for Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, the area they needed to go to was the Outer Circle.