Li Zhu!

Chu Qing smiled, ruffled Ning Rongrong's hair, and said, "I'm fine. If we managed to defeat that old geezer so smoothly this time, it's all thanks to my Rongrong!"

Hearing the words "my Rongrong," Ning Rongrong's face flushed instantly. She didn't deny it, instead changing the subject: "We owe this to Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing as well; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy to take him down."

Zhu Zhuqing, a woman of few words, remarked pointedly, "It's nothing. Classmates should help one another."

Dai Mubai's face turned red; after all, he was the one who started the trouble, yet it was Chu Qing who had to clean up the mess.

Xiao Wu stared blankly at Chu Qing and Ning Rongrong standing together—a golden boy and jade girl, a perfect match. Her delicate white hands were clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, though she didn't seem to notice.

Tang San's expression was complex, but in the end, he said nothing.

Ignoring Tang San and the others, Chu Qing looked earnestly at Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing. "I really have to thank you both for this."

Zhu Zhuqing gave a bright smile. "It's really nothing. Besides, that attack of yours earlier was quite cool."

Seeing Chu Qing speaking to her, Xiao Wu's face lit up with joy. Her tense hands relaxed naturally as she replied, "It was nothing."

At this moment, Zhao Wuji, who should have arrived to save the day, finally showed up late. Seeing Ye Zhiqiu beaten to his last breath, he looked surprised. "You lot did this?"

Everyone instinctively looked toward Chu Qing, who accepted their gazes without a hint of modesty.

Zhao Wuji said, "Good lad! You're worthy of being a student of Shrek Academy! Don't worry about the rest; I'll handle the negotiations!"

He then intended to treat the dying Ye Zhiqiu, as causing a death would be troublesome.

But suddenly, a streak of black flame struck, instantly slicing through Ye Zhiqiu's throat.

Zhao Wuji was stunned, then roared in anger, "What are you doing! Do you have any idea what kind of trouble we'll be in if you just kill someone like that?"

Chu Qing replied calmly, "It wasn't me who wanted to kill; it was him. If I hadn't turned the tide, we would have all been killed by him."

Zhao Wuji's face darkened as he looked back at Dai Mubai, Tang San, and the others. Though they looked reluctant, they all nodded, acknowledging the truth of Chu Qing's words.

Indeed, without Chu Qing, they might not have survived. Ye Zhiqiu had gone mad and clearly intended to kill.

Zhao Wuji sighed. "Fine, what's done is done." He told everyone to return to their rooms to rest, but before leaving, he cast a deep look at Chu Qing.

To be so young yet so decisive in killing—this child had the makings of a great figure.

The members of Canghui Academy didn't dare linger any longer and scrambled out of the small town in a flash.

What no one noticed was that the flame that killed Ye Zhiqiu did not extinguish. Instead, it burrowed into Ye Zhiqiu's body, quietly enveloping the five spirit rings within him.

Shortly after, the five spirit rings dimmed and eventually vanished.

At the same time, Chu Qing's first spirit ring shifted from a standard yellow to a deep yellow, with a hint of purple appearing at the edges.

As the medicinal power of the Infernal Delicate Apricot continued to take effect, combined with the consumption and refinement of the Whale Rubber and the breaking of his three-year shackles, the Nihility Devouring Flame had undergone another transformation. After devouring the spirit rings, his own spirit ring age could actually increase accordingly.

The ball of flame from earlier was precisely a sub-flame left behind by Chu Qing.

The only cost was that the power of the karmic fire would multiply with each spirit ring devoured, but since Chu Qing had just broken through his shackles, it would not affect his cultivation in the short term.

Early the next morning, Chu Qing woke up to hear Flender speaking animatedly to Dai Mubai and the others in the lobby: "As the saying goes, those who dare not cause trouble are mediocre! Dai Mubai, you did the right thing! It was just a small Canghui Academy; if you provoke them, so be it!"

Chu Qing looked on with disgust; he truly could not comprehend such an outrageous set of values.

When Flender saw Chu Qing, he dropped his previous indifference and began to shower him with praise.

Having nearly reached his limit, Chu Qing waited until everyone was gathered before striding to the front of the group to head toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

He was considering whether to leave Shrek Academy early; this place was truly too absurd.

It was early morning, and the air in the Star Dou Great Forest was damp, with crystal-clear dew covering the grass—a scene full of vitality.

Chu Qing released the Nihility Devouring Flame, scattering countless sub-flames to help him scout the area with maximum range.

He already had an idea for his third spirit ring. The ability of the Nihility Devouring Flame to devour space had many ingenious uses, both in actual combat and in negotiations. Currently, without Ning Rongrong's help, he could only devour a very small space and teleport a short distance. Therefore, he intended to find a space-type spirit beast to strengthen his spatial attributes.

It was just not that easy to find. Space-type spirit beasts were rare, and the Star Dou Great Forest was vast, so it would come down to luck.

Chu Qing sighed, but there was no other way. The Star Dou Great Forest was already one of the largest habitats for spirit beasts on the Douluo Continent; if he couldn't find one here, he wouldn't find one anywhere else.

By the time Oscar had obtained his third spirit ring, evening had fallen, and the space-type spirit beast Chu Qing was looking for remained nowhere to be found.

After refining his third spirit ring, Oscar had broken through to level 31. He triumphantly sought out Ning Rongrong to show off his disgusting third spirit skill, his eyes drifting toward Chu Qing with a look that seemed to convey contempt.

Chu Qing couldn't be bothered with him; he simply warned Rongrong to stay away from him and continued searching for his desired spirit beast on his own.

Xiao Wu stood outside the camp, her gaze piercing through the forest toward the depths. Everything here was so familiar to her.

Suddenly, a long cry tore through the air, and a flash of fire illuminated the area as if it were broad daylight!

Immediately after, in the blink of an eye, a black giant claw several meters wide struck out, grabbing Xiao Wu by the waist. Xiao Wu was caught off guard and tried to dodge, but the claw seemed to be coated in some kind of toxin that instantly paralyzed her nerves. Her body went limp, and she lost consciousness.

Chu Qing was standing outside the camp when the giant claw struck. His eyes narrowed as he looked up to see a giant bird body above the black claw! It was crimson all over with a wingspan of at least ten meters. Most peculiar were its eyes, which were golden, and its entire being exuded the aura of a king.

Chu Qing's pupils contracted: "Li Zhu!" It was actually it!

The others had long since been awakened by the noise and rushed out. They were all shocked to see the giant bird, and when Tang San saw Xiao Wu in its talons, he was struck with terror and rushed toward the bird. The bird gave him no chance, immediately flapping its wings and soaring high into the sky.

But Chu Qing was faster. He had already channeled his spirit power to tear open a spatial rift, and with a single flash, he grabbed onto the giant bird's feathers!