At that moment, Mu Chen walked out of the tent and saw Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong staring at him.
"Teacher, did you sleep well last night?" Ning Rongrong asked with a mischievous smile.
"Pretty well. Why?" Mu Chen replied, feigning confusion.
"Nothing. I'm just glad you got enough rest. I was worried that if you didn't, you might not be able to step in and protect us when danger came," Ning Rongrong sighed.
"You can rest assured about that. Even if a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast showed up, I could still keep you all safe." Mu Chen smiled confidently.
Everyone present was stunned.
Not far away,
Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang were also staring in shock.
He was this confident even against a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast? Wasn't that a bit much? Was he a Soul Saint?
The two exchanged glances. They didn't believe Mu Chen could do it, but they couldn't help wondering.
"Teacher, breakfast!"
Meng Yiran came over just then and handed Mu Chen the breakfast she had prepared. It smelled delicious and was still steaming, clearly freshly made.
"Good disciple!"
Mu Chen gently patted Meng Yiran on the head.
Meng Yiran's face instantly turned red. "Try it first and see if you like it."
Seeing this, Xiao Wu shook her head helplessly. "Teacher just loves patting our heads. After he does it enough, you get used to it. We've all been through the same thing."
Meng Yiran stared at her.
Was that really so?
So it didn't mean anything special!
"Everyone, eat breakfast, then we'll get back on the road!"
Mu Chen faced the group and issued the order.
He didn't want anyone to get into trouble because they hadn't eaten breakfast. If that happened, it would be too late for regrets.
A little while later,
Mu Chen gave Meng Yiran a thumbs-up. "Not bad. Keep it up!"
Meng Yiran smiled sweetly. "I'm glad you like it."
Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang watched the scene, speechless and thoroughly displeased.
They had spent sixteen years raising their granddaughter, only for her to become someone else's disciple—and now she was waiting on him hand and foot.
Before long, everyone was ready, and they continued searching the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Forest.
Around midday,
They stopped in front of a Thousand-Year Azure Vine.
"Azure Vines possess tremendous vitality and toughness. One of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's committee members is a Soul Douluo, and his Martial Soul is an Azure Vine."
"Little San, this Azure Vine is eighteen hundred years old, but its Soul Power is gentle, so absorbing it won't be a problem for you."
As Mu Chen spoke, he pointed at the Azure Vine.
At his signal, a Willow Leaf Blade appeared in each of Tang San's hands. He immediately slashed at the Azure Vine's vulnerable spot.
As a Soul Beast, the Azure Vine naturally wouldn't sit idly by. Its tendrils lashed fiercely at Tang San.
At that moment, Mu Chen vanished from where he stood.
In everyone's view, he suddenly appeared right in front of the Azure Vine.
As the tendril whipped toward him, Mu Chen reached out and seized it, holding it fast. Using only his physical strength, he stopped the Azure Vine's attack.
Tang San trusted Mu Chen to deal with the Azure Vine, so he never stopped moving.
Whoosh!
Both Willow Leaf Blades struck the Azure Vine, but they didn't cut through it immediately.
"It really is tough!"
Tang San's expression shifted. He switched weapons at once. The two Willow Leaf Blades disappeared, replaced by an exceptionally sharp Heavy Axe.
"Yaaah!!!"
His face twisted into a fierce grimace as he gripped the Heavy Axe with both hands and brought it down on the Azure Vine.
Crack!
This time, the Azure Vine was cut cleanly in two by the Heavy Axe.
The tendril that had been struggling in Mu Chen's grip fell still as well.
A Thousand-Year Soul Ring appeared beside the Azure Vine.
"Phew!"
Tang San let out a long breath, then put away the Heavy Axe. With Mu Chen here, he wasn't worried about another Soul Beast suddenly appearing to attack him. He sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Azure Vine's Soul Ring.
"Little friend Mu, your strength is extraordinary!"
"You didn't even release your Martial Soul or use a Soul Skill, yet your speed was terrifying—and you caught the Azure Vine's attack with your bare hands!"
Meng Shu heaped praise on him, beaming with a kind and genial smile.
"You flatter me."
Mu Chen cupped his hands and smiled.
It was hard to slap a smiling face. Although Meng Shu had previously harbored ill intentions toward Xiao Wu, he had behaved himself since Mu Chen warned him.
There was no need for Mu Chen to keep treating him coldly.
Besides,
Meng Yiran was his disciple now, and he planned to train her into a little chef.
An hour passed in the blink of an eye.
The fluctuations in Tang San's Soul Power gradually settled, and the Soul Ring slowly took its place as his third Soul Ring.
Just then, Tang San opened his eyes, and three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—rose around him.
"Teacher, I've become a Soul Elder!" Tang San stood up and clenched his fists, his face bright with excitement.
Mu Chen patted Tang San on the head with a smile. "Don't get cocky. You still have a long road ahead of you!"
"See? Our teacher just loves patting people on the head," Xiao Wu complained.
Meng Yiran and Ning Rongrong, standing beside her, remembered Mu Chen patting their heads earlier, too.
But Ning Rongrong thought of something else as well. He doesn't just like patting heads. He likes patting butts, too.
Meng Yiran murmured, "Tang San's blushing..."
"Uh..."
At her words, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong all looked over at Tang San and couldn't help staring.
"Senior Meng, shall we keep going? We still haven't found a Soul Ring for Yiran." Mu Chen turned to Meng Shu and smiled.
But to Meng Shu, there was something sinister and ill-intentioned about his smile.
"All right!"
Meng Shu answered and started leading the way.
"Let's go!"
At Mu Chen's command, his five disciples, along with Xiao Dai, Xiao Ma, and Xiao Ao, followed Meng Shu.
Chao Tianxiang watched Meng Yiran mixing with Mu Chen, Xiao Wu, and the others. The sight struck her as strangely unsettling.
Time flew by. The following night, everyone rested in a gloomy forest.
While the girls cooked and the boys put up tents, each busy with their own tasks, Mu Chen gazed into the depths of the forest. His aura faded away, and his figure vanished in an instant.
Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang were immediately stunned. They hurriedly looked around.
Xiao Wu and the others were puzzled, too.
At the same time, Xiao Wu kept a wary eye on Meng Shu.
Even though Meng Yiran was Mu Chen's disciple now, Xiao Wu still couldn't trust Meng Shu.
"Rumble, rumble—"
"Bang, bang, bang—"
"Crack!"
A series of violent sounds suddenly erupted from the gloomy forest. Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang rushed out at once.
Seeing them go, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Tang San, and Ning Rongrong gathered together and followed. Meng Yiran quickly went after them as well.
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar stared blankly at the others' backs, then followed after them.
When everyone reached the scene, they saw Mu Chen with his Radiant Dragon King Martial Soul Possessed, his entire body wreathed in light, every scale dazzling.
On the ground in front of him lay a spider, barely alive. From its features, Xiao Wu and the others, along with Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang, recognized it as a Man Faced Demon Spider.
"Yiran!"
"Absorb this Man Faced Demon Spider's Soul Ring!"
Before you continue