Soul Hunting Squad!

Meanwhile, on the road to the Star Dou Great Forest, Mu Guiyun's expression was somewhat strange. His gaze swept over the members of this expedition one by one, finally settling on the graceful figure at the very front.

Wu Ming, Han Ruoruo, Hua Yao, Zhang Lexuan, Ma Xiaotao, and eight other inner court elites whose names he didn't know...

This personnel configuration instantly reminded Mu Guiyun of the Star Dou tragedy from the original work.

Wait a minute... didn't Zhang Lexuan break through to level 80 nearly three months ago? How could she have run into him now!

And why did Ma Xiaotao have to come along too?!

Could this be the butterfly effect caused by his transmigration?

If Mu Guiyun knew that Xuan Zi had specifically waited for Ma Xiaotao and him to break through their bottlenecks just to avoid having to lead an extra soul-hunting team, he would probably want to beat the old man to death.

For the past two months, Mu Guiyun had dropped plenty of hints to Mu En; after all, the old man's unreliable personality was famous throughout the entire academy.

As for whether Mu En had actually listened, Mu Guiyun wasn't sure.

He couldn't just tell Mu En directly, could he? How would he even explain it?

Forget it, if things really go south, I'll just grab Ma Xiaotao and run.

Mu Guiyun sighed inwardly, then sidled up to Ma Xiaotao, his tone tinged with a hint of anticipation: "Sister Xiaotao, with so many elites dispatched for this soul-hunting team, how many academy elders are accompanying us?"

"Just Elder Xuan!"

Although Ma Xiaotao was puzzled by the question, she explained patiently: "Most of our inner court soul-hunting teams are led by Elder Xuan. After all, the old man..."

Ma Xiaotao rattled on, but Mu Guiyun didn't take any of it in, focusing only on the fact that Xuan Zi was the only elder present.

This is bad!

Recalling Xuan Zi's habit of dropping the ball at critical moments, a wry smile tugged at the corner of Mu Guiyun's mouth.

They were almost at the Star Dou Great Forest, and he hadn't even caught a glimpse of Xuan Zi's shadow yet.

Wu Ming, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, leaned in and teased, "Don't you worry. With our team's lineup, as long as we don't run into a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, it'll be a piece of cake!"

Mu Guiyun: ...

Big sister, I beg you, please stop talking!

Seeing Mu Guiyun's face grow increasingly grim, Wu Ming's playful side took over, and she couldn't help but tease him: "But don't worry, little one. If you run into danger, you can hide in sister's arms. My embrace is very warm, hahahaha!"

By the end, Wu Ming had even spread her arms wide, looking every bit like a female hooligan.

Before Mu Guiyun could speak, Ma Xiaotao, standing to the side, was not amused: "Get lost, Wu Ming! If you're looking for a man, go find one in the inner court. Don't corrupt our Guiyun; he's still young!"

Ma Xiaotao glared fiercely at Wu Ming, then pulled Mu Guiyun behind her. The way she acted like a mother hen protecting her chick made Wu Ming giggle.

"I didn't expect this, Xiaotao. You act all prim and proper, but in private, you're raising a little boy toy. I guess you city folk really know how to play!"

Wu Ming's eyes were full of mockery, her gaze darting back and forth between the two, the implication clear.

"Ahhh! I'm going to fight you!"

Seeing her secret thoughts exposed, Ma Xiaotao instantly flushed red and lunged at Wu Ming, the two of them tumbling into a wrestling match.

"Hahaha, that tickles, Xiaotao, stop, I was wrong!"

Under normal circumstances, Mu Guiyun would have loved to watch women fighting, but he didn't have the luxury of such leisure right now.

The sound of their playful scuffling attracted the attention of the others, who all turned their heads—even Zhang Lexuan at the front was no exception.

Mu Guiyun, still deep in thought about how to break the deadlock, suddenly sensed something. He looked up and saw Zhang Lexuan staring straight at him.

That undisguised gaze made Mu Guiyun's skin crawl; it was like a little girl looking at her favorite doll.

"Senior Sister, long time no see!"

Mu Guiyun scratched his head. He had met Zhang Lexuan many times in the inner court before, but he had never felt like this.

"Long time no see, Guiyun."

Zhang Lexuan offered a gentle smile and greeted him, her gaze then moving away from him without a trace.

Seeing this, Mu Guiyun breathed a sigh of relief and immediately wrapped his arms around Wu Ming's slender waist: "Sister Wu Ming, Sister Xiaotao, stop fighting!"

As for why he didn't hug Ma Xiaotao? When breaking up a fight, you don't grab your own side.

Fortunately, Ma Xiaotao wasn't the type to fight dirty and didn't take the opportunity to land a few punches on Wu Ming.

The farce ended, and the group continued toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

The 14 of them, all at least Soul Kings save for Mu Guiyun, reached their destination in just half an hour.

"Fifty miles ahead, you will enter the territory of the Star Dou Great Forest. Soul beasts are present; stay alert!"

Staring at the warning sign, Mu Guiyun's expression grew even stranger.

This sign was an old acquaintance, known alongside the Blind God King and the God Slayer as one of the three conceptual gods of Douluo.

Just then, Zhang Lexuan clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention: "We are about to enter the Star Dou Great Forest. Let's discuss everyone's soul ring requirements."

They were all inner court elites who dealt with each other often, so they were well-acquainted with each other's martial souls and soul power.

Wu Ming spoke up first: "I need a fire-attribute soul ring between twenty and thirty thousand years old, preferably from an avian-type beast."

She didn't forget to provoke Ma Xiaotao with a look as she finished.

You little Soul King!

"Tsk, it's just a few years of age, what's the big deal?"

Ma Xiaotao clicked her tongue, then proudly puffed out her chest and said sarcastically, "Soul power might widen the gap with age, but some things still depend on talent!"

"You!"

Glancing at Ma Xiaotao's big peaches and then looking down at her own small apples, Wu Ming instantly turned red, yet she had no grounds for rebuttal; this was reality.

The other female students also instinctively hunched over.

Ma Xiaotao's scale was truly too foul!

"The soul ring age I need is similar to Ming'er's, but I require a plant-type soul beast."

The woman speaking was named Hua Yao, whose martial soul was a lotus flower; she possessed decent healing abilities and was the team's healer for this trip.

After Hua Yao stated her requirements, the woman standing beside Zhang Lexuan finally spoke, her voice gentle: "I need a soul ring of about fifty thousand years, with the requirement that it possesses a toughness trait."

Fifty thousand years! A Soul Saint!

Mu Guiyun cast his gaze over; a woman exuding an aura of maturity was standing quietly beside Zhang Lexuan. Her features were delicate, and her long, chestnut-colored hair draped over her shoulders. In particular, that radiance of motherhood was enough to make any junior student call her 'mom' on the spot.

Han Ruoruo! Nicknamed the Golden Fairy, the Inner Court's number one controller!

Seeing Mu Guiyun's gaze fixed on Han Ruoruo, Ma Xiaotao's expression turned unnatural, and a nameless fire rose within her heart.

Using her body to unobtrusively block Mu Guiyun's line of sight, she finally spoke: "I want a fire-attribute soul ring not exceeding twenty thousand years."

An incense stick of time passed, and except for Mu Guiyun, everyone had stated their requirements—all of them ten-thousand-year soul rings, especially Zhang Lexuan, whose age requirement was as high as eighty thousand years!