"Yeah? A Ci, I feel like my fire got stronger!"
Huo Wu drew back the flames and turned her palm over and over, as if trying to unravel the mystery.
"Hmph, you've reached Ultimate Fire. I've had it for ages."
Murong Ci folded his arms and snorted.
"I'll beat you to death!"
Huo Wu grinned and lunged at Murong Ci, swatting at him wildly.
"Alright, alright. Let's go. It's time to get your fourth Soul Ring."
Murong Ci took Huo Wu's hand and called for Feng Xiaotian to come along.
The three members of the Academic Affairs Committee saw them off with smiles, each secretly hatching their own plans.
"A Ci, where are we going to hunt a Soul Beast?"
Huo Wu skipped along, brimming with excitement.
"How about the nearby Sunset Forest? It can't compare to Star Dou Forest, but it's still a pretty good place. Besides, I know it well."
He really did know it well. Murong Ci couldn't possibly spend an entire month at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, so naturally, he'd gone exploring in Sunset Forest.
But he'd only visited the outskirts, hiding his presence with Ultimate Wood. The area around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was full of Soul Beasts over fifty thousand years old.
Murong Ci wasn't confident he could handle them.
"Ahem."
Feng Xiaotian coughed twice, trying to remind them he was there.
"Oh, right. I forgot about you. Are you coming with us, or heading back to Divine Wind Academy?"
Feng Xiaotian pondered for a moment, then looked at the young couple clasping hands and clicked his tongue twice.
"I'll head back. There are Soul Beasts in Wind-Eroded Canyon, and the place suits my Martial Soul."
Murong Ci slowly nodded.
"He who knows when to yield is a wise man. Off you go."
Feng Xiaotian grunted in reply, then turned and flew away.
"He can fly at just level forty? He's so strong..."
Huo Wu clicked her tongue, clearly a little dissatisfied with her own strength.
"It's alright. You're stronger than him. You have me."
"Hmph!"
A blush crept across Huo Wu's cheeks.
Seeing it, Murong Ci couldn't help chuckling as he reached over and pinched the reddened spot.
Huo Wu didn't resist anymore; she only grew redder and redder.
[Her affection has passed 90. She's yours forever.]
"When did that happen?"
"When you first came over and kissed her."
Murong Ci scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
He had to admit, French kissing felt pretty good.
With the third wheel gone, the two continued on their way. Sunset Forest might not measure up to Star Dou Forest, but finding a Soul Beast suitable for a Soul Ancestor wouldn't be a problem.
The depths of Sunset Forest bordered the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. The middle reaches held a handful of Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, but most were only a thousand years old.
The two ventured deeper and suddenly heard the bubbling sound of lava.
"Well, aren't we lucky? Wherever there's lava, there are fire-type Soul Beasts. Want to take a look?"
Murong Ci asked excitedly, seeking Huo Wu's opinion.
"Just go if you want. Why ask me?"
Huo Wu made a mild complaint, but tightened her grip on his hand.
Murong Ci saw how she said one thing but meant another and didn't hesitate any longer. He took her hand and headed straight for the source of the sound.
There they found a large pool of lava. A lizard was sprawled on a rock in the middle of it.
The two crouched in the grass and watched. The lizard was crimson red and enormous, measuring four or five meters long.
"It's a Ten-Thousand-Year Crimson Flame Dragon Lizard. Good quality, and it's lived a long time. It even has a trace of dragon blood. It's a good match for you."
"A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast? A match for me?"
Huo Wu stared at him, dumbfounded and incredulous. She didn't think she could possibly absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring!
"I'm not as monstrous as you. How am I supposed to absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?"
Huo Wu's whole body trembled a little. She seemed frightened of the Crimson Flame Dragon Lizard.
"What are you afraid of? You're not me. If I got a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring for my third, you can get one for your fourth. It's not like I can't beat it."
Before Huo Wu could react, Murong Ci patted her butt. She lost her footing and stumbled right out of the grass.
The Crimson Flame Dragon Lizard spotted Huo Wu and immediately shook off its languor, shifting into a battle stance.
"Murong Ci, I hate you!"
Huo Wu roared, but the lizard had already pounced.
With no choice, Huo Wu summoned her Fire Shadow and fought desperately to hold it off.
But the moment she released her Fire Shadow, the dragon lizard stopped, too afraid to approach.
That was the suppression Ultimate Fire exerted over fire-type Soul Beasts.
Murong Ci had known this would happen all along. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been willing to shove Huo Wu out there.
Though, her butt really did feel nice.
Huo Wu was stunned, but as the top genius of Blazing Fire Academy, she was no empty boast. In an instant, she seized the opportunity to fight.
Flame Surround and Resisting Fire Ring activated together to shield her. With the boost from Ultimate Fire, ordinary flames could no longer harm her.
With Huo Wu's flames as powerful as they were now, even if Tang San had received an Immortal Herb's boost, he would never have been able to say, "My Blue Silver Grass is fireproof."
One strike was all it would take to turn Blue Silver Grass into ash.
"Second Soul Skill, Flame Fireball!"
Huo Wu cried out as countless fireballs shot toward the dragon lizard.
The dragon lizard understood by now. Huo Wu's flames might be of exceptionally high quality, but she had too little Soul Power. A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast like it could handle her easily.
It immediately spewed a stream of fire from its mouth, colliding with Huo Wu's fireballs.
Huo Wu struggled to hold her ground. This Soul Beast was clearly more than she could handle.
Seeing how hard she was struggling, the dragon lizard stopped spewing flames. It set its right hand ablaze, leaped into the air, and reached for Huo Wu.
Its right hand even sprouted the faint outline of a dragon's claw. The power of dragon blood was truly terrifying.
Murong Ci seized the opening as the dragon lizard unleashed Flame Dragon Claw and acted without hesitation.
He activated his second Soul Skill, Ice Scorpion Pincer, and drove it hard into the dragon lizard's head!
The dragon lizard let out a pained howl. Ice was its natural nemesis, and Ultimate Ice even more so.
The dragon lizard died without ever realizing Huo Wu had only been bait.
Still, without Huo Wu drawing its attention, this Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast wouldn't have been easy to kill.
A pitch-black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring rose into the air. Huo Wu bounced over to Murong Ci, chin held high.
"How about that? I killed it all by myself!"
Honestly... how could she be this shameless?
Murong Ci shook his head helplessly, indulging her arrogance.
He pulled her into his arms and channeled fire-attributed Soul Power into her to replenish her strength.
"Tired? Rest for a while. You can absorb it in a bit."
Huo Wu basked in his embrace and the warmth of his Soul Power, her beautiful eyes half closed.
"And this dragon lizard should taste delicious. After you absorb the Soul Ring, let's take it back to Blazing Fire and eat it."
Huo Wu burst into giggles and pinched Murong Ci's nose hard.
"You, always thinking about food."
She beamed, her eyes full of affection.
Suddenly, Murong Ci felt a flash of light brush past the corner of his eye, making him shiver.
He turned to look and saw an unnatural glow on the dragon lizard's right hand, its flames roiling strangely.
A domineering, dragon-aura-laced fire energy surged toward them.
It was a Soul Bone!
The dragon lizard had dropped a Soul Bone!
Huo Wu was well-informed, but the appearance of a Soul Bone still shocked her. It was an incredibly rare treasure, something one could only dream of obtaining!
How many Soul Masters could only hope to encounter such a treasure!
"It's yours. I don't need it."
Murong Ci's voice sounded beside Huo Wu's ear, his warm breath mingling with his words.
Huo Wu turned sharply. Her eyes glistened, and she wanted to say something, but at the sight of Murong Ci's resolute expression, her lips trembled and no words came out.
Huo Wu suddenly wrapped both arms around Murong Ci's neck, pulled his head down, and kissed him.
Their tongues entwined, the faint scent of roses filling their mouths. The sound of their kisses went on and on, lingering for a long time.