The next morning, at first light, Zhao Wuji energetically woke everyone up one by one.
After leaving the town, everyone quickened their pace without realizing it, excitement they could barely contain shining on every face.
There were two exceptions, however: Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun.
Yesterday, after Shen He had helped them regain consciousness, he had directly given the troublemaking brothers a generous package of probation, warning them that if they caused trouble again, he would expel them both from Shrek Academy.
After being thoroughly chewed out by Shen He, the two immediately became obedient.
Although Zhao Wuji felt indignant on Dai Mubai's behalf, he was helpless as well and could only shake his head and let it go.
Shen He's meaning was crystal clear: Shrek Academy did not cultivate hypocritical double-standard dogs, nor would it tolerate them.
If they obediently listened to him, they could continue staying at Shrek Academy.
But if they started spouting that "those who didn't dare cause trouble were mediocrities" nonsense again, whether teacher or student, they would all be kicked out of Shrek Academy.
Dai Mubai was so frightened that he did not even dare breathe heavily. He knew that once he returned to the Star Luo Empire, his elder brother would definitely skin him and turn it into a tiger-skin mattress.
Before long, a lush green vista came into view, like an ocean of green. The air carried a fresh fragrance that lifted everyone's spirits.
The trees on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest towered into the clouds. Paths through the woods were hard to find, and all they could hear was the rustling of leaves as they blocked out most of the daylight.
Seeing this, Zhao Wuji quickly called everyone to a halt and repeatedly reminded them of the safety precautions.
Oscar took out the Recovery Big Sausages and Detoxifying Little Sausages he had prepared long ago, handing one of each to everyone.
Because the soul ring age had increased, both types of sausages remained effective for forty-eight hours after being eaten.
Afterward, Shen He led the way, Zhao Wuji brought up the rear, and the group entered the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.
As soon as they entered the forest, Xiao Wu bounced around like a delighted little rabbit, her face full of smiles and not the least bit afraid.
Zhao Wuji could only shake his head at the sight, but there was nothing he could do. After all, she was not running off.
As for Shen He, his eyes held a hint of amusement as he watched the wild rabbits fleeing in all directions after being startled by their footsteps. He wondered how many of them were relatives of Xiao Wu, that "rabbit spirit."
However, he found something strange. When Xiao Wu saw those rabbits, her eyes seemed to instinctively drift toward their heads. What did that mean?
Suddenly, a rapid rustling sound shattered the silence, putting everyone on guard. The sound drew closer and closer, moving so quickly that it seemed as though something was flying.
Zhu Zhuqing was light on her feet and swiftly climbed a tree. After taking a close look, she said, "There's a flying snake. It isn't high up, only about three meters above the ground. It has a blood-red crest on its head, and its tail is shaped like a fan."
Upon hearing this, Great Master Yu hurriedly asked, "How long is it? What color are its wings?"
Zhu Zhuqing examined it carefully before replying, "Its wings are light red. As for its length, it's roughly six to eight meters."
Great Master Yu was delighted upon hearing this. "Hahaha, this is a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent rarely seen in a thousand years! Judging by its length, its cultivation is at least between thirteen hundred and eighteen hundred years. Oscar, you lucky brat, its soul ring should give you a pretty good soul skill!"
Oscar's heart bloomed with joy.
Zhao Wuji spoke up as well. "Listen up. Proceed according to the original plan and prepare for battle!"
But the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent seemed to sense the danger. It flapped its wings and shot away, covering more than ten meters in the blink of an eye.
Zhao Wuji's expression darkened. His third soul ring suddenly lit up, and a powerful force instantly pressed the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent down onto the ground.
Although it could no longer fly, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was still astonishingly fast. It twisted its body along the ground, trying to escape.
Seeing this, Zhao Wuji's fourth and fifth soul rings shone at the same time, with the fourth soul ring precisely encasing the snake's body.
Immediately afterward, his body followed. With a light flick against the snake's crest, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent fainted and collapsed onto the ground.
"Little Ao, hurry up and absorb the soul ring."
Oscar took out a short blade and gestured around the snake's head. Just as he was about to strike—
Suddenly, another series of hissing sounds came from nearby.
It was a pink snake, its entire body shrouded in a pink mist. Flowers and grass withered wherever it passed, and even the ground bore long black marks, clearly corroded by its potent poison.
"A thousand-year Soul Devouring Charm Snake? It can spit out a mist with powerful aphrodisiac and corrosive effects, and its venom is even stronger in that regard." Great Master Yu spoke in alarm.
"If its soul ring were absorbed, it should be able to grant a martial soul a corrosive ability."
"The Soul Devouring Charm Snake is the natural enemy of the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent. Even if this Soul Devouring Charm Snake is the same age as the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, it can still hunt the latter at will."
As Great Master Yu explained, the Soul Devouring Charm Snake drew in its body. Then, with a powerful thrust of its tail, it shot toward Great Master Yu like a spring.
At the same time, it sprayed a thick pink mist toward Zhao Wuji, who posed the greatest threat to it.
Zhao Wuji had originally intended to charge forward, but he did not dare to test his strength against the Soul Devouring Charm Snake's terrifying poisonous mist. He could only dodge for the time being.
"You take me for an easy target?! Then I'll show you what I, Great Master Yu, can do!"
After advancing to Soul Elder, Great Master Yu had clearly become much more full of himself. When he saw the Soul Devouring Charm Snake shooting toward him, not only did he fail to dodge, he even summoned Luo Sanpao to meet it head-on.
He raised a hand and waved. The first Hundred Year Soul Ring on his body flew out and encased Luo Sanpao.
"Fart like thunder, heaven-shattering and earth-splitting—Luo Sanpao!"
Luo Sanpao growled softly, and the sound of its inhalation rang out like a hurricane roaring.
Its already-fat belly expanded at an astonishing speed, looking like a ball gradually being inflated.
Luo Sanpao's clear blue eyes suddenly brightened. Its round body abruptly sprang upward, and with a thunderous boom, an explosion erupted in midair.
Along with that resounding blast, a yellow orb of light suddenly shot out.
The Soul Devouring Charm Snake was indeed extremely fast. After all, it was capable of hunting Phoenix-tail Crested Serpents. Even if it was somewhat slower than one, the difference was negligible.
But the consequence of moving so quickly was that it became extremely difficult to brake.
Moreover, the Soul Devouring Charm Snake was in midair. No matter how it moved, it could not alter its trajectory.
Under normal hunting methods, it would fly straight toward its prey's head and bite down, injecting its venom and leaving the prey no chance to resist.
However, Luo Sanpao's method of attack was unusual. It had its rear facing the enemy, producing an unexpectedly ingenious result.
The Soul Devouring Charm Snake's pointed head drilled directly into Luo Sanpao's rear.
With its chrysanthemum attacked, Luo Sanpao's pig body suddenly trembled violently. It could no longer hold it in.
In the next instant, the Soul Devouring Charm Snake's thin, elongated body was actually blown up like an inflating balloon.
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