Fatal Temptation

Six months later.

Inside the Lightning Tower training room at Shrek Academy.

Yu Xiaogang sat with his eyes tightly shut. His Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul circled around him as he continuously absorbed the power of lightning from the Lightning Strike Wood Cushion beneath him. Brilliant flashes of electricity surrounded him, lending him an extraordinary air.

Yet Yu Xiaogang's expression was grave. He seemed to have returned to the moment when he had broken through the level-thirty bottleneck: the Soul Power within him had begun to circulate sluggishly, and his body felt as heavy as though it were bearing a massive stone weighing a thousand jun.

But compared to that time, his current condition was much better.

Although his Soul Power was circulating sluggishly, his vitality was exceptionally strong. His Soul Power maintained tremendous momentum throughout its circulation. So even though Yu Xiaogang had encountered a bottleneck, the potential energy he had accumulated within him continued to grow stronger.

It was like a highly resilient spring being compressed further and further, waiting to unleash all its energy once it had built up enough.

At last, a crisp cracking sound rang out. The immense weight on his body suddenly lifted, and the Soul Power within him began circulating smoothly again, even seeming to exult.

Yu Xiaogang had a sudden flash of insight. He formed a hand seal and began circulating the cultivation method of the Mysterious Heaven Skill Fifth Level.

When the Soul Power within him gradually settled, Yu Xiaogang opened his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"I've finally reached level forty. Raising my Soul Power by two levels in half a year is quite an impressive pace."

Yu Xiaogang left the training room and headed toward Flender's office. Over the past six months, the Soul Power of the Shrek Seven Devils had also broken through the level-forty bottleneck. It was time to take the Little Monsters out to obtain their Fourth Soul Rings.

Three days later, at dawn.

The Golden Iron Triangle and the Shrek Seven Devils rode in a carriage to the Sunset Forest.

They had come to hunt Soul Beasts both to obtain Soul Rings and to give the Seven Devils a chance to train. So the Golden Iron Triangle did not step in right away. Instead, they let the Seven Devils explore the Sunset Forest on their own, intervening only if danger arose.

By the end of the day, the Seven Devils had encountered quite a few Soul Beasts. Thanks to the group's flawless teamwork, they defeated them one by one. But the Soul Beasts were all too weak to make suitable Soul Rings, so after beating them, the Seven Devils let them go.

This wasn't because the Seven Devils were unlucky. As their cultivation levels increased, obtaining Soul Rings became more difficult. It was a problem every Soul Master had to face as they grew stronger.

The Fourth Soul Rings the Seven Devils needed now had to come from Soul Beasts between three and five thousand years old. For a small- to medium-sized Soul Master habitat like the Sunset Forest, Soul Beasts of that age were already above average, and there weren't many of them.

Soul Masters also had to consider a Soul Beast's attributes, species, and compatibility with their Martial Soul when choosing a Soul Ring. That made finding a suitable one even harder. The Seven Devils' experience that day was typical of what most Soul Masters faced as they cultivated.

That night, Shrek chose a relatively spacious campsite, pitched their tents, and lit a fire.

For the Sunset Forest, which lay in the north, lighting a fire was the better option. It kept away the nighttime cold and could also help deter the Soul Beasts in the forest.

That was mainly because the Sunset Forest had no venomous snakes or mosquitoes; only large Soul Beasts lived there. In a southern forest like the Star Dou Great Forest, lighting a fire like this would be tantamount to suicide. The venomous snakes and insects prowling through the woods would swarm toward the light, turning the entire camp into a sea of them.

After a simple meal of dry rations, everyone agreed that one person would keep watch while the rest returned to their tents to sleep.

Yu Xiaogang and Flender discussed their plans for the days ahead. They agreed that letting the Seven Devils continue exploring on their own as they had that day wouldn't be very worthwhile.

For one thing, the training wasn't very effective. The Soul Beasts they had encountered along the way weren't very old, and the Seven Devils had subdued them in just a few moves through their teamwork. It hardly counted as training.

For another, it was inefficient. They had explored all day and hadn't encountered a single Soul Beast of a suitable age. If they kept dragging things out like this, no one knew how long it would take to obtain all the Soul Rings. The Advanced Soul Master Academy Competition was just around the corner. After obtaining their Fourth Soul Rings, the Seven Devils would still need time for final training and to get used to working together.

So Yu Xiaogang and Flender agreed that starting the next day, the teachers would lead the search and help the Seven Devils complete their Soul Rings as quickly as possible. After that, they would return to the academy for extra training. That was the right course of action.

Once they had settled on the plan, Yu Xiaogang patted Flender on the shoulder. "Come on, let's get some rest."

"Ah, I'll stay up for now and keep an eye on Mubai. We're in the Sunset Forest, after all. If a powerful Soul Beast shows up, Mubai might not be able to handle it alone. I can step in right away, so it'll be safer." Flender replied.

Hearing that, Yu Xiaogang nodded. It made sense.

He wished Flender and Dai Mubai good luck with the night watch, then turned and walked into the tent without a second thought.

But the moment Yu Xiaogang entered the tent, a glint flashed in Flender's eyes, and a faint, knowing smile appeared on his face.

There were two tents at the campsite. The larger one was for the Seven Devils, while the smaller one was for the three members of the Golden Iron Triangle.

Yu Xiaogang entered the tent. Liu Erlong was already asleep in the middle, so he quietly went to lie down on the right. He pulled the blanket over himself and turned onto his side, trying to fall asleep.

Just then, the corner of Yu Xiaogang's blanket was suddenly lifted. A tall figure slipped beneath it, and he felt her press herself against his back.

The next instant, an astonishing softness and springiness touched him from behind, sending a jolt through him like an electric shock.

Then a pair of long, full thighs wrapped around his lower body. A rich feminine fragrance filled his nostrils, and Yu Xiaogang's body began to burn.

"Xiao Gang."

A gentle whisper came from beside his ear. Her warm breath brushed against him, and the tips of Yu Xiaogang's ears instantly reddened.

"Why is my body..." Yu Xiaogang was confused. His current body might be inexperienced, but in his previous life, he had dated several women. He might react to a beautiful woman beside him, but he had never reacted like this.

"Don't worry. I just added some tonics to your waterskin. They help with circulation and blood flow. It's nothing serious."

Liu Erlong explained, then said somewhat plaintively, "Xiao Gang, if you've accepted me, why do you still avoid me? Why won't you let me get close?"

"Erlong, listen to me. We can't do this."

Yu Xiaogang turned around to explain things to Liu Erlong, but as soon as he did, a glimpse of pale, enticing skin dazzled him.

Yu Xiaogang hurriedly turned away and said nothing more. He only furrowed his brow, doing his best to suppress the burning blood and energy inside him.

Liu Erlong continued holding him from behind. For a moment, neither of them moved.

Just then, a powerful beast's roar suddenly came from outside the tent, followed by Dai Mubai's warning.

"Stop fooling around, Erlong. There's danger outside."

Liu Erlong gritted her teeth, her face full of fury.

"Damn it, who dares ruin my good time!"

Liu Erlong threw off the blanket, quickly put on her clothes, and dashed out.

Yu Xiaogang let out a long breath. Then he sat cross-legged where he was and began circulating the Mysterious Heaven Skill to regulate the blood and energy in his body.

"Careless of me. I actually forgot this part of the story. Thank goodness the King of Earth showed up to save the day."

"I'm grateful to the King of Earth. You're a good scorpion. Thank you for giving your life. God bless you!"