A Bear Is Valuable All Over, and You Can Even Eat Its Paws

"Little Monster, have you decided what kind of soul beast you want to hunt?" Lu Qibin asked with a smile.

"My Heaven Breaking Hammer awakened at a weight of one hundred and eight jin. Based on my father's, eldest brother's, and second brother's experience, after becoming a Soul Master, the Heaven Breaking Hammer will gain another hundred jin in weight. So, I plan to add an earth-element, strength-type soul ring as my first one. Bears, apes, and dragons would all work, but my favorite are bear-type soul beasts!"

"I want to try absorbing one around eight hundred years old!"

Tie Xiong said with a grin.

Zhao Wuji laughed in disbelief. "You really dare to dream. Dragon-type soul beasts are born with at least ten-thousand-year strength, so forget about that. Maybe you can try when you get your fourth or fifth soul ring!"

"Given your situation, your first soul skill would be best as a boosting-type skill. Vajra Apes and Vajra Bears would both suit you well!"

Flender pondered for a moment. "Little Monster, why do you like bear-type soul beasts?"

"Hehe, bears are valuable all over, and you can eat their paws too!" Tie Xiong said, eyes wide as he swallowed.

He remembered the time when he ate bear paws every year at the Blacksmith Shop.

Because the three Tie brothers loved eating them, Tie Xin bought them once every year. Even now, Tie Xiong still savored the memory.

Zhao Wuji's face immediately darkened. My martial soul is a Vajra Bear. Do you have any respect for me?

A bear could be killed, but not humiliated. He glared at Tie Xiong with an unfriendly expression.

"Then we'll look for a bear-type soul beast!" Flender said.

"Seriously, Boss Fu? Eating bear paws counts as a reason?" Zhao Wuji looked at Flender in despair. Was choosing a soul beast really this casual?

Flender adjusted his glasses and said profoundly, "Don't forget that Little Monster intends to absorb a soul ring beyond his limit. His state of mind during absorption is extremely important. The impact from such enormous soul ring energy will be immense, and I don't know whether he can succeed. So don't underestimate the role of mental resolve. Perhaps Little Monster's craving for bear paws will give him one more sliver of determination to endure until the end and absorb it successfully!"

Shao Xin, Lu Qibin, and Zhao Wuji were dumbfounded. The dean truly was the dean; everything he said made sense.

Tie Xiong, meanwhile, was filled with anticipation. "A Vajra Bear, an Earth Bear, a Blood Demon Berserk Bear, or a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear—any one of them will do!"

They were all strength-type soul beasts, with top-tier power, attack, and defense.

Bears of the Star Dou Great Forest, here I come!

What Tie Xiong did not know was that because of his preferences, bear-type soul beasts across Douluo Continent would suffer terribly in the future!

Flender shook his head, unwilling to pay him any attention. The soul beasts Tie Xiong had named were all top-tier creatures.

The first few could still be found in the Star Dou Great Forest, but the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear was a legendary soul beast, capable of rivaling dragons. Flender wanted to say, What the hell are you dreaming about?

"Set off!" Flender shouted.

Tie Xiong ran out with the four teachers. Stingy as Flender was, he simply could not bear to rent a carriage.

He claimed that running could serve as training.

Combined with the supplies they had bought the previous day, including food and drink, they did not spend a single Gold Soul Coin along the way.

The Star Dou Great Forest was one of the three great soul beast habitats. Its area was nearly equal to that of the Balak Kingdom, and it lay roughly five hundred kilometers southeast of Suotuo City.

To accommodate Tie Xiong's speed, the group did not reach the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest until three days later.

They arrived at a supply town.

Flender and the other four were very familiar with the place. Clearly, this was not their first visit.

Tie Xiong, however, curiously examined the shops lining both sides of the streets. There was everything imaginable.

Then he watched Flender and the others haggle over a few antidotes and recovery potions.

When it came time to stay at an inn, Flender booked two double rooms and one single room.

Flender occupied one room alone; Zhao Wuji and Shao Xin shared one; Tie Xiong and Lu Qibin shared the last.

The five of them stayed the night like that. Tie Xiong could only sigh at how poor Shrek Academy really was.

A Soul Saint and a Soul Emperor had ended up living like this.

Tie Xiong could never do the same.

For now, he remained at Shrek Academy only because he was still weak and needed these teachers to help him hunt soul beasts.

Once he grew stronger, he would definitely leave.

"Teacher, what kind of soul beast are you planning to hunt?" Tie Xiong asked curiously in their room after dinner.

Lu Qibin was the oldest teacher at Shrek Academy, though his Soul Power was not the strongest. His talent could only be considered above average.

Every day, he had to use his fourth soul ring, Star Luo Illusion, to help Tie Xiong temper his spiritual power.

But perhaps because of his age, he liked children more and took especially good care of Tie Xiong.

The two had now become very close.

"Little Monster, what soul ring do you think my Star Luo Chess martial soul should add?" Lu Qibin intended to test Tie Xiong.

Tie Xiong thought for a moment. "Teacher is a control-system Soul Master, so I assume your earlier soul rings already have control skills. You can either continue strengthening your control abilities or increase your offensive power. I've always had an idea: Teacher's Star Luo Illusion can create an Illusion Realm for enemies, and the chess pieces in Star Luo Chess can also turn into attacking techniques. If your sixth soul skill became an area attack using the chess pieces, then paired with Star Luo Illusion, its power would increase tremendously. It might even produce an effect similar to a domain!"

Lu Qibin was immediately astonished. Little Monster even knew about domains.

He had actually been somewhat hesitant himself.

He had discussed it with Flender several times, but they had never reached a final decision.

They could only wait to see what opportunity they encountered after reaching the Star Dou Great Forest. After all, one could not simply add whichever soul ring one wanted.

Ten-thousand-year soul beasts were already exceedingly rare.

In Lu Qibin's view, either control or offensive soul skills would work.

If he continued down the control-system path, he could contribute more to the team.

If he chose a powerful offensive skill, his individual survival ability would greatly improve.

But he had not expected Tie Xiong to think things through so clearly.

"Teacher, I still recommend that your sixth soul skill be a powerful offensive one. If it's an area attack, just imagine it: countless chess pieces raining down like meteors, smashing every enemy trapped in the Illusion Realm into pulp. How impressive would that be?" Tie Xiong said exaggeratedly.

"You really dare to imagine things!" Tie Xiong's suggestion had to admit, deeply tempted Lu Qibin.

As a result, Lu Qibin suffered from insomnia and did not rest well that night.

His previously steady state of mind had unexpectedly become restless.

Early the next morning, the sun had just risen, and the pale white glow on the horizon had yet to fade.

Flender led them out of the town and hurried toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

The farther they went, the more Tie Xiong could sense the forest's fresh air, carrying the fragrance of plants.

It was something one could never experience in a city.

The group did not move very quickly, with Tie Xiong surrounded by the four teachers.

Tie Xiong felt that even his Soul Power had become much more active. No wonder soul beasts were willing to live here.

The trees grew denser and denser, and he gradually saw the vast, lush forest stretching across the horizon.

Bears, here I come.