Small Town

Not long after they began their journey, Dai Mubai noticed something strange about Oscar and Ma Hongjun.

Their physical stamina was so abundant it didn't seem human; they were like humanoid Beast Spirits!

Oscar in particular seemed to have an endless supply of energy within him. He didn't even break a sweat while running, and he looked as if he were merely out for a stroll.

Were these two... looking after him?

Thinking this, Dai Mubai secretly kept an eye on the two brothers while slightly increasing his pace.

But no matter how much he accelerated, Oscar and Ma Hongjun followed at a leisurely, unhurried pace.

Sure enough!

They were waiting for me!

This made Dai Mubai grit his teeth in secret. He had never been one to admit defeat; although he didn't say it aloud, he had never felt inferior to his older brother!

Even when facing a brother six years his senior, he still wanted to put up a fight!

The group of seven moved faster and faster. As they continued their journey, Dai Mubai's stamina was constantly being drained, and the sweat seeping from his body had already soaked his clothes.

He turned his head to glance at Oscar and Ma Hongjun, then lowered his head and ran on in silence.

"Don't push yourself if you can't handle it."

Oscar summoned a Recovery Sausage and flicked it into Dai Mubai's slightly parted mouth.

"Mmph..."

"Swallow it, or you won't be able to keep up."

Dai Mubai felt insulted, but the exhaustion in his body was real, so he chewed the sausage and swallowed it.

As the sausage slid down his esophagus into his stomach, Dai Mubai could feel a warm current spreading through his body.

With the replenishment from Oscar's sausage, he was surprised to find that the exhaustion from the run was suddenly nothing at all.

Immediately, a warmth spread through his heart, and his pace became much lighter.

For the rest of the journey, he ate a sausage that Oscar stuffed into his mouth every hour or so, and his energy remained consistently high.

Without experiencing it firsthand, one would never understand the importance of a Support Spirit Master.

The miraculous effect of Oscar's sausage made Dai Mubai look at him with newfound respect. What shocked him even more was that he was the only one eating Oscar's sausages along the way.

Even the eight-year-old fatty looked completely relaxed...

He had to admit, he wanted to lure these two brothers to the Star Luo Empire to help him; he would gladly offer them the position of future Imperial Preceptor of the Star Luo Empire!

But he knew that the brothers would likely not agree.

The talent of these two was absurd to the point of being unimaginable!

Who had ever seen an eighteen-level Spirit Master at eight years old? This was eight years old, for heaven's sake?!

The other one was even more absurd—a Support Spirit Master who chased him, a Spirit Master with a top-tier Beast Spirit, and beat him down by five levels!

Was this really a Support Spirit Master?!

Who would believe it if they heard it?!

But it was an undeniable fact. In front of these two brothers, Dai Mubai felt his pride in his own talent being torn to shreds, falling to the ground piece by piece, only to be trampled on.

While Dai Mubai questioned his life, and with the help of Oscar's sausages, they traveled over four hundred kilometers in just one day. As night fell, the group from Shrek Academy was already very close to the Star Dou Great Forest.

Seeing that they couldn't reach their destination today, Flender gave the order to rest.

They happened to have arrived at a small town.

Entering the town, Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up bit by bit. It was much livelier than he had imagined, and the scale of the town was probably two or three times larger than the village where Shrek Academy was hidden!

Except for the lack of city walls, it was like a small city, with shops lining the streets and all kinds of businesses available.

"Dean, let's go eat quickly."

Ma Hongjun rubbed his stomach. He didn't know if it was because of the change in his cultivation technique, but he always felt very hungry.

Oscar held Ma Hongjun's hand and observed their surroundings carefully. The main businesses in this town were related to Spirit Masters.

For example, there were shops specializing in weapons, armor, antidotes, and recovery potions. Even the clothing stores sold special attire with a dozen pockets, suitable for Spirit Masters to carry various supplies during their adventures.

"Don't be in such a hurry, let me take you around for a bit."

Flender ruffled Ma Hongjun's hair and led the group through the town.

"As the saying goes, those who live on the mountain live off the mountain, and those who live by the water live off the water. There are quite a few towns like this around the Star Dou Great Forest. They rely on the resources of the Star Dou Great Forest to survive, while also providing supplies for the Spirit Masters who come here to adventure.

When you roam the continent in the future, you will inevitably visit similar towns, so you need to know the rules here in advance."

Ma Hongjun was starving and said with a bitter face.

"Dean, let's go eat. We are still nearly a hundred kilometers away from the Star Dou Great Forest, and we will have plenty of opportunities to visit towns on the road later."

Hearing this, Flender smiled and tapped Ma Hongjun on the head.

"The Star Dou Great Forest is different from the Soul Hunting Forest. The beasts there are all captive, with relatively gentle temperaments, and they don't usually attack humans proactively.

But a gathering place for wild spirit beasts like the Star Dou Great Forest is different. The spirit beasts here are extremely ferocious, and there are many conflicts among them."

"Often, defeated soul beasts are forced to leave their territories and wander the surrounding areas. If a town is too close to the Star Dou Great Forest, what do you think the outcome would be?"

Oscar nodded slightly. His understanding of this world was still too limited, and most of it had been gleaned from Sky Net intelligence and books from Shrek Academy.

Just as reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles, Oscar decided that he would go out and travel more in the future to accumulate some experience.

The group wandered through the small town for a long time. Oscar silently recorded everything he saw along the way, and he also roughly understood the general temperament of the adventurers near the Star Dou Great Forest.

Most of these people lived life on the edge, willing to sacrifice a pound of flesh if it meant increasing their strength.

A guy like him, with fair, delicate features and a young age, would definitely be seen as a piece of fat here.

Although it was unlikely that anyone would make a move on him within the town, it would be hard to avoid being followed once he stepped outside.

Finally, after a full tour, Flender led them to a stop outside a seemingly ordinary inn and said:

"We will stay here for now and rest for the night. Of course, you will cover your own expenses for lodging and meals."

Aside from Oscar, who had become quite poor from frequently changing his swords, everyone else had made a fortune from the sport of hunting Evil Soul Masters and were all wealthy.

Ma Hongjun reached out to pay, preparing to enter the tavern to order food, but he was stopped by Dai Mubai.

"Let me handle this one. I haven't been in Shrek for long, so how could I let you guys spend your money?"

On the road, Oscar had already given him the mental cultivation method of the Classic of the Supreme Response, so this treat today was a way of returning the favor.

"Fine," Oscar smacked his lips, "but rules are rules. You're treating this time, I'll treat next time, and then it's Ma Hongjun's turn."