Moonlight Wood

After taking care of the Thunder Fire Bird and collecting the Lightning Strike Wood, the Shrek Group didn't stop to rest. They took advantage of the night and left the valley, heading north through the forest.

Sunset Forest looked very different at night than it did by day. In the hazy moonlight, the group witnessed many strange sights.

Drawing on his knowledge, Yu Xiaogang explained each phenomenon they encountered, offering an in-depth look at the Soul Beasts behind them and their habits. Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun all learned a great deal.

The group traveled for a little over three hours, crossing valleys, marshes, rivers, and lakes before finally entering a lush stretch of woodland.

Using the information from Old Ghost, Yu Xiaogang pinpointed the general area. He then sent Flender into the air to search for a place where moonlight gathered.

Following Flender's directions, the group wound their way through the dense forest. At last, halfway up a mountain, they found a gigantic ancient tree.

The tree stood more than ten zhang tall and measured about three zhang across. It looked conspicuously out of place among the surrounding woodland.

When they approached it, they felt an overwhelming sense of its sheer size. Beneath the ancient tree, the group looked tiny.

Flender gazed at the ancient tree and couldn't help sighing. Then he turned to Yu Xiaogang and asked, "Xiao Gang, what kind of Plant-type Soul Beast is this?"

Yu Xiaogang stepped forward and felt the tree's bark. It was cool to the touch and smooth, with wisps of Soul Power seeping from within, carrying a distinctive chill.

Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang nodded. "This is Moonlight Wood, a Soul Beast formed when an ordinary tree undergoes a mutation. It has no stable lineage and can only come into being through mutation."

"By day, it's no different from an ordinary tree. At night, it absorbs moonlight on its own and condenses Soul Power, growing year after year."

Flender nodded thoughtfully. "No wonder it has such a powerful life force. It absorbs moonlight and uses the power of nature to nourish itself."

Yu Xiaogang shook his head and patted the trunk. "A powerful life force? It's strong on the outside but weak within. This Moonlight Wood is almost dead."

The others were taken aback. Moonlight bathed the ancient tree, which gave off a faint glow. Its sturdy branches brimmed with vitality. Nothing about it suggested that it was near death.

Puzzled, they all turned to Yu Xiaogang.

Yu Xiaogang didn't keep them in suspense. "Moonlight Wood comes from ordinary trees that have mutated, so its bloodline is naturally flawed. It gained the ability to absorb moonlight and condense Soul Power, but it can't use the Soul Power stored inside its body effectively. It only knows how to keep accumulating it."

"This crude way of storing Soul Power inevitably damages the tree. In the early stages, Moonlight Wood can repair that damage with its powerful life force. But as Soul Power accumulates, the damage to its body grows more severe. By the later stages, it may seem to have become even more vigorous, but it can no longer repair the damage within."

"These injuries continue to build up until, one day, they erupt all at once. When that happens, the Moonlight Wood dies in an instant."

"Moonlight Wood usually doesn't live longer than fifteen hundred years. This one is already very close to that age."

"So that's how it is," the others said, finally understanding.

Yu Xiaogang turned to Ning Rongrong. "Come on, Rongrong. Step forward and channel your Soul Power into the Moonlight Wood. This will be your third Soul Ring."

Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up. She stepped forward and followed Yu Xiaogang's instructions, condensing a stream of pure Soul Power and sending it into the trunk.

The Moonlight Wood shuddered, then blazed with light as its aura surged to its peak.

Just as the others were marveling at the sight, the mighty Moonlight Wood withered. Like a candle that had burned itself out, its trunk rapidly shrank until it was only a third of its original size.

A purple Soul Ring slowly emerged from the roots. Ning Rongrong sat down where she was and guided the ring onto the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda before her chest, then closed her eyes and began absorbing it.

Flender had witnessed the whole process with his own eyes. He couldn't help marveling, "To kill a thousand-year Soul Beast so easily—I've never seen anything like it!"

To avoid disturbing Ning Rongrong as she absorbed the Soul Ring, Yu Xiaogang quietly walked over to Flender and smiled. "Only a Soul Master with a Weapon Spirit gets that lucky. You, I, and Erlong all have Beast Martial Souls, so we don't get that chance."

Flender nodded, then glanced at Yu Xiaogang with a crafty look.

"Knowing you, there's no way this Moonlight Wood is that simple. Is there some other treasure, too?"

Yu Xiaogang nodded. "After Moonlight Wood dies, it condenses a section of its heartwood. When activated with Soul Power, this heartwood helps a Soul Master condense Soul Power more effectively. It'll be useful for a Mimicry Training Ground."

"Once Rongrong finishes absorbing her Soul Ring, we'll take it out."

Before long, dawn arrived. The sky grew brighter, and a thin mist rose from the ground, spreading through the forest.

Ning Rongrong opened her eyes after absorbing the Soul Ring. Feeling the increase in her Soul Power and the new information in her mind, she smiled with satisfaction.

"Rongrong, what's your third Soul Skill?"

"My third Soul Skill is called Soul Power Amplification..."

Seeing the original goal achieved once more, Yu Xiaogang nodded with satisfaction. He then directed Flender to cut open the Moonlight Wood's trunk and pull out a length of pure white heartwood.

The Moonlight Wood Heart was about three meters long and one meter in diameter. They cut it into several pieces and stored them in a Soul Tool.

After tidying everything up, the group continued through the woodland, heading due east in search of the last target of their journey: the Thunder Leopard.

The sun climbed higher, and the thin mist in the forest gradually dispersed. Heat began to rise from the ground.

In the dense forest, before a huge cave, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun faced off against a Soul Beast.

The Soul Beast before them was nearly six meters long, with black fur patterned in blue.

Its muscles were thick, but its build was balanced, giving it a nimble, agile appearance. Its head was small and round, its ears short and rounded, its nose triangular, and its amber eyes were fixed on the three before it.

This was the Thunder Leopard, the final target of their journey.

The surrounding ground was charred black, with traces of faint purple-red flames and flickers of blue lightning lingering across it.

These were the marks left behind after Ma Hongjun and the Thunder Leopard had used their Soul Skills.

Even with the boost from Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, Zhu Zhuqing still couldn't match the Thunder Leopard. Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Flame was powerful enough, but he couldn't keep up with the Thunder Leopard's speed. The fight had once again reached a stalemate.

Yu Xiaogang had expected this. The three Soul Beasts he'd chosen for this trip each had a distinctive attribute. Apart from the relatively simple Moonlight Wood, the Thunder Fire Bird and Thunder Leopard were both challenging opponents: one had tremendous aerial maneuverability, while the other could move incredibly fast on the ground. Neither was a match for Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun to handle.

He'd had the three of them try anyway to knock some of the swagger out of them. After joining Blue Tyrant Academy, they'd become the most outstanding members of their age group, and it was only natural that they'd grown proud.

This trial had been like a bucket of cold water, forcing them to take another look at themselves and settle down.

As for the other members of the Seven Monsters, each had their own concerns, so the trial hadn't really affected them.

Seeing that he'd achieved his goal, Yu Xiaogang had the three return, then turned to Liu Erlong.

Liu Erlong smiled faintly and began walking toward the Thunder Leopard. An invisible killing intent started to radiate from her.