The Trickery of the Shady Merchant Flender, Hunting Soul Beasts

After a full three seconds of silence, Lin Feng furrowed his brows, turned to look at Flender, and spoke with a hint of uncertainty in his tone.

"Dean, are you certain... we haven't come to the wrong place? Is this really the Shrek Academy you spoke of?"

Flender gave two light coughs, his face remaining calm and unreddened as he replied:

"That is correct, this is indeed Shrek Academy."

Lin Feng felt his world unraveling in the wind.

Damn it! Even though he knew Shrek was poor, he hadn't expected it to be this destitute—it was nothing more than a few dilapidated wooden shacks.

Oscar quietly shuffled over to Lin Feng's side, gave his arm a gentle nudge, and lowered his voice.

"Big Brother, we haven't been scammed, have we? This Shrek Academy is even more run-down than an orphanage. Should we take advantage of his distraction and make a run for it?"

No matter how quiet Oscar's voice was, it could not escape the ears of a Spirit Saint.

Flender adjusted his sliding black-rimmed glasses, his expression remaining entirely indifferent. His gaze swept over the disappointed looks on their faces, and he sighed softly.

"This is the second lesson I am teaching you: never judge anything solely by its appearance."

"The reason the academy is in this state is not because of poverty; it is something I have done by design!"

"The path of cultivation is paved with thorns. What I intend to temper is your will and your state of mind, allowing you to discard your obsessions with wealth and vanity in this humble environment, and to hold fast to your original intention of simply wanting to become stronger."

"If you cannot even endure this bit of hardship and allow external factors to disturb your focus, how can you ever achieve greatness in the future?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Oscar, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"Look at the state you are in now; you are already talking about retreating before you have even begun. It truly disappoints me."

Oscar's face flushed red instantly at these words. A wave of intense shame surged into his heart, and his earlobes burned.

He had actually doubted the Dean just now and even thought about running away—it was embarrassing, truly humiliating!

Flender stepped forward, his voice booming.

"Tell me, why did you come to Shrek?"

Oscar was still a bit timid, stealing a glance at Flender, while Lin Feng remained calm.

"To cultivate, to become stronger!"

"Is that all?"

Flender's brows knitted together, his voice rising another notch.

"Is this the extent of your determination to grow stronger? How far can such resolve carry you?"

"Tell me again, let me feel your determination—what is it for!"

Stirred by this imposing aura, a fierce fighting spirit ignited in Oscar's eyes, and he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"To become stronger! To never be looked down upon by others again!"

Lin Feng also raised his volume by a degree.

"To take control of my own destiny!"

Tsk tsk! As expected of the profiteer Flender, he really has a way with words when it comes to swindling people!

One trick after another; he's got his little brother Oscar practically reaching a mental climax, pumped full of adrenaline!

One month later, the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Forest.

Towering ancient trees blotted out the sun, casting dappled light and shadows across the forest floor.

A sturdy Dark Blue Blood Bear was being pinned firmly to the withered yellow grass by Flender with a single hand.

The bear's paws clawed frantically at the ground, yet its massive body remained motionless. It could only let out unwilling, low growls from its throat, its eyes filled with ferocity.

"Lin Feng, I have scoured every Spirit Master manual and found not a single record of your Money Bag Martial Soul. Even now, I cannot determine if it is an attack, defense, or support type."

"This Dark Blue Blood Bear possesses both attack and defense, along with a minor self-healing support effect. It is just right for you to test the waters."

He gauged the age of the Dark Blue Blood Bear, frowned, and then looked at Lin Feng, saying in a deep voice:

"This Dark Blue Blood Bear is three hundred and fifty years old. For an Tool Spirit or a support Spirit Master, that age is indeed on the high side."

"If it were anyone else, I would never dare let them absorb it, but you are different. Given your temperament, you have a ninety percent chance of success."

"However, I cannot give you a one-hundred-percent guarantee. I can only ensure that your body can withstand the impact of the spirit power, but the tearing sensation during the process will have to be endured by your own willpower."

"Of course, if you are afraid of the risk, we can take more time to find one with a lower age..."

Lin Feng interrupted him directly, shaking his head.

"Dean, let's go with this one."

Three hundred and fifty years was not much of a risk; his soul was not something a typical six-year-old could compare to.

Lin Feng took out the short dagger he had prepared beforehand. Without a moment's hesitation, he stepped forward, pressed his left hand against the neck of the Dark Blue Blood Bear, and gripped the dagger tightly in his right. Using the force of his body, he decisively plunged it with all his might into the bear's most vulnerable vital point on the side of its neck!

Scalding dark blue blood sprayed out instantly, splashing all over Lin Feng. It flowed along the grass, winding its way until it quickly pooled into a small pit of blood on the ground.

The low growls of the Dark Blue Blood Bear ceased abruptly. Its massive body twitched twice, and then it went completely still.

Flender watched Lin Feng's decisive demeanor, and as he recalled the training of the past month, the admiration in his eyes grew ever more intense.

Steady yet decisive, his personality was nothing like that of a typical six-year-old.

Every time he trained, he pushed his body to its absolute limit, never once calling for a stop or giving up.

This strength of will and perseverance was exactly what gave him the confidence to let Lin Feng take this risk; his mental state was far superior to his peers, surpassing even Dai Mubai, who was several years his senior.

Oscar stood to the side, his small eyes fixed intently on Lin Feng's back, his admiration for this big brother growing even deeper.

The corpse of the Dark Blue Blood Bear gradually lost its warmth, and a pale yellow century-level spirit ring slowly floated up from the body.

Lin Feng felt a surge of joy, and his Gold Bag spirit instantly manifested in his palm; he immediately focused his mind and began to absorb this, the first spirit ring of his life.

Soon, he would be able to unlock a portion of the secrets of his spirit and verify the conjectures he had held during this time.

Surging spirit power poured into his meridians, instantly stretching them until they throbbed with sharp pain, as if countless tiny needles were darting beneath his skin.

Lin Feng gritted his teeth, his brow furrowed, and he hurriedly calmed his mind to refine the spirit power; cold sweat slid down his temples, soaking his bangs and dripping onto the grass.

Flender watched Lin Feng's absorption state with full concentration, ready to deal with any sudden situation at any moment, while his peripheral vision swept toward Oscar beside him, saying in a low voice:

"Oscar, do you know now why I wouldn't let you absorb a spirit ring over three hundred years old?"

Oscar recalled how he always slacked off during training and wanted to give up at the slightest hint of hardship, then looked at Lin Feng gritting his teeth to endure, knowing full well that if it were him, he would have no chance of withstanding such a surge of spirit power.

He scratched his head in embarrassment, his small face turning red, and he nodded guiltily.

"I know, I know."

"Dean, I will definitely train seriously from now on, learn well from Big Brother, and never slack off again!"

"I'll hold you to that."

Flender nodded in satisfaction at these words and added a final nudge:

"Lin Feng absorbing this spirit ring today is worth two months of your hard cultivation."

"This time it's two months, but the next time you absorb a spirit ring, the gap might be half a year, and later on, even two or five years."

"Although you both have high talent, if you don't strive and don't work hard, the gap will only grow wider and wider."

Oscar's heart skipped a beat, and he clenched his small fists.

The moment he thought about the gap between him and his big brother growing ever larger, he felt a strong sense of urgency.

His gaze, which had been somewhat scattered, instantly became firm.

"From now on, I must train with all my might."

Flender adjusted the black-rimmed glasses that had slid to the tip of his nose, a subtle, imperceptible smile curling the corners of his mouth.

As the saying goes, one does not fear others being gifted; one fears those with talent working harder than oneself.

This was exactly the effect he wanted: using Lin Feng's drive to apply pressure to the other students, so that he could thoroughly ignite the cultivation atmosphere of Shrek Academy.