Journey to the Star Dou Great Forest in Search of Fire-Element Soul Beasts

"Finding Soul Beasts that contain the Fire Element won't be difficult. Shrek Academy has produced experts with Ultimate Fire before. Soul Beasts suited to such constitutions and attributes mainly live in the deserts of the continent's northwest, as well as scattered Volcanic Regions across the continent and the Scorching Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest."

With Su Qingfeng's Second Attribute decided, the next step was to hunt an elemental Soul Beast that matched it.

For his first Soul Ring, Su Qingfeng had been fortunate enough to receive the Snow Empress's worship and directly obtain Ultimate Ice.

For this Second Soul Ring, he probably would not be so lucky. Otherwise, this Little Junior of his would be far too heaven-defying.

"Let's go to the Star Dou Great Forest. It is, after all, one of the continent's largest gathering places for Soul Beasts, so the chances of encountering Soul Beasts with stronger bloodlines are higher. We'll leave tomorrow."

Mu En made the decision decisively.

"Tomorrow? Isn't that a little rushed?" Yan Shaozhe asked in surprise.

"The sooner we settle the matter of his Martial Soul, the sooner we can rest easy."

Mu En spoke blandly.

"Fine, then I'll arrange the Martial Soul Department's affairs right away. I'll take Little Junior to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a Soul Beast." Yan Shaozhe nodded.

"No need. Stay at the academy. The new students have just finished their matches and need to be assigned to classes. There will be plenty to do, so remain here and handle those trivial matters. The academy can't do without you. Besides, you're only Rank 95 in the end. The Star Dou Great Forest is filled with dangers. If a Soul Beast nearing one hundred thousand years appears, you would have trouble dealing with it as well. I'll personally take Qingfeng to hunt a Soul Beast. Only then can I be at ease."

Mu En told Yan Shaozhe to stay properly at Shrek Academy. To be cautious, he had to personally act when going somewhere as dangerous as the Star Dou Great Forest. These useless disciples truly can't be entrusted with anything important. When will this old man finally be able to retire?

Hopefully, after finishing this job, I can cultivate a disciple invincible beneath the heavens!

Yan Shaozhe was speechless. Teacher, why did you make Rank 95 sound so weak? That was the realm of a Super Douluo, a revered existence ranked among the very best on the entire continent!

And besides, was a Soul Beast that even a Rank 95 Soul Master could not defeat really something a Rank 20 Soul Master should encounter? What the heck?!

(°Δ°`)

The next day, while the new students were still holding a Grand Ceremony for the end of their assessments and distributing competition rewards, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong searched through the crowd for Su Qingfeng. Ning Tian and Wu Feng were searching for him as well. After the final two battles, they had completely changed their opinion of that masked Specially Selected Student.

But Su Qingfeng had already left the academy with Mu En.

Dawn shone from the east, bathing Su Qingfeng and Mu En in its light. They resembled an Immortal Pine flourishing with life and an aged, withered locust tree.

Just beyond Shrek Academy's territory, on the main road leading to the Star Dou Great Forest, a red-clad young woman stood with her arms folded, as though waiting for someone.

"Great Ancestor, Little Martial Uncle, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

When Mu En and Su Qingfeng appeared, Ma Xiaotao revealed a fiery smile.

Mu En did not even shift his gaze as he said flatly, "Go back where you came from."

"Oh, Great Ancestor, I know you're going to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Little Martial Uncle's Second Soul Ring, and it has to be fire-attributed. I know all about that. The flames within me are Evil Fire, interwoven with strands of Ultimate Fire. I'm familiar with those fire-attributed Soul Beasts too, so I can lead the way. And I'm not weak, either. I'm a Six-Ring Soul Emperor, after all, and my rank has even improved recently. Great Ancestor, my dear Great Ancestor, just let me come with you."

If those Inner Court students saw Ma Xiaotao acting coquettishly while clinging to a hunched old man, their jaws would surely drop.

"Fine. But when the time comes, rein in that temper of yours. If you interfere with Qingfeng's absorption of the Soul Ring, then even if you are our ancestor's descendant and Shaozhe's disciple, this old man will not spare you."

Leaning on his cane, Mu En headed southeast as he spoke. That was the direction of the Star Dou Great Forest, which was not particularly far from Shrek Academy.

Though Mu En leaned on a cane, he was not slow in the slightest. Each step appeared small, yet he had actually crossed dozens of meters.

Ma Xiaotao directly took Su Qingfeng's hand and chased after Mu En's figure.

The moment she held Su Qingfeng's hand, Ma Xiaotao felt an icy force flow into her palm. It was Ultimate Ice's suppression of Evil Fire. Even without deliberately using it, she could feel it.

Others might have found that cold unbearable, but to Ma Xiaotao, it was nothing but comfort—like placing an ice pack over a CPU that had overheated to its limit, making it sizzle.

Ma Xiaotao even revealed an expression of enjoyment.

Su Qingfeng also felt himself enveloped by a warm mass of heat. This had some effect on his cultivation of Ultimate Ice as well. Ice and fire naturally nourished and restrained each other; they could suppress the damage caused by each other's attributes within their bodies, allowing both sides to cultivate faster instead. There was a reason Yan Shaozhe said Ma Xiaotao needed to find a husband with Ultimate Ice.

No wonder Ma Xiaotao cared so much about Su Qingfeng. He was handsome, talented, and his constitution was compatible with hers.

The journey to the Star Dou Great Forest was Su Qingfeng's most comfortable outing yet, far better than his previous trip to the Far North. There was no freezing environment here. Inns and hotels lined the route, while the Star Dou Great Forest itself was lush and scenic, with fresh air.

And Ma Xiaotao was there to take care of him.

Over the past three months, Ma Xiaotao had not given up learning to cook. Through diligent study, her culinary skills had improved by leaps and bounds. She had even learned Grilled Fish from Huo Yuhao. Though her dishes were not exquisite, they could still be called first-rate, and they tasted far better than Mu En's cooking.

Because of this, Mu En even began to regret bringing Ma Xiaotao along.

My beloved disciple is looking down on me again. Who understands this?

Still, Ma Xiaotao truly was excellent at leading the way.

Before this, she had come to the Star Dou Great Forest four or five times to hunt Soul Beasts for herself, and she had also visited many times while carrying out academy missions. She was quite familiar with the distribution of fire-attributed Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest.

When they came upon a wooden sign that read, "In five li ahead, you will enter the Star Dou Great Forest. Soul Beasts may appear. Proceed with caution," it meant they had reached the forest's outermost area.

"Great Ancestor, Little Martial Uncle, this way. The Star Dou Great Forest has a diverse climate and complex environments, nurturing countless different Soul Beasts. But Fire Element Soul Beasts prefer dry, high-temperature environments, which most Soul Beasts do not favor."

Ma Xiaotao led Su Qingfeng and Mu En deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest as she spoke.

"There are Volcanic Regions within the Star Dou Great Forest as well, and they consist of continuous ranges of volcanoes. Some are dormant, while others are active volcanoes that could erupt at any time. Lava River Belts also run through the low valleys around those volcanoes. Most of the powerful fire-attributed Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest live around these Volcanic Belts and Lava Rivers. They extend from the Outer Circle of the Star Dou Great Forest into its central depths. I have never dared enter the central region. Based on my years of observation and speculation, there are likely powerful Soul Beasts over seventy thousand years old living inside."

"Moreover, those Volcanic Regions and Lava River Belts are extremely hot. Ordinary Soul Masters do not even dare approach them. Once that lava touches the body, the lightest outcome is severe burns; in the worst case, your body will be roasted through. I once saw a Soul Master fall into a Lava River. In only two seconds, his entire body turned black like charcoal."

"So, Little Martial Uncle, you must hold my hand tightly. If anything happens to you, I won't want to live either."

Ma Xiaotao looked at Su Qingfeng earnestly and affectionately. From the moment she first saw him, she had already vowed that she would marry no one but him and remain faithful to him alone.

Mu En: Why did this old man agree to let Xiaotao come along? At my age, you're feeding me dog food. How can you bear to do this to me?

This old man is so jealous, so jealous!

This old man wants to be lovey-dovey with the one he loves too.

Unfortunately, those days can never return!