Star Dou Great Forest.
Flender let out a long breath and abruptly folded the Cat Eagle wings on his back, slowly descending from the air.
His clothes were torn in several places, and his face showed signs of fatigue. Yet behind his lenses, his small eyes gleamed with unprecedented excitement.
The beast had been quite cunning. The moment it realized it was outmatched, it had tried to escape into the dense forest.
If his Cat Eagle Martial Soul hadn't naturally countered it in speed, the beast might really have gotten away.
He pushed up his glasses and glanced over the Ten-Thousand-Year Thunder Flood Dragon he had slain, making sure it had truly breathed its last..
Only then did he give a low shout to Yu Xiaogang, who stood not far away. "Xiaogang, it's done. Come over."
Yu Xiaogang, who had been hiding nearby to avoid interfering with Flender's hunt, finally emerged from the shadows.
The purple-furred Luo Sanpao appeared alongside him.
Luo Sanpao trotted along on four short legs, its round body waddling at Yu Xiaogang's feet.
Its eyes were fixed on the Thunder Flood Dragon's corpse in the distance. It grunted, saliva already dripping from the corners of its mouth.
Yu Xiaogang patted its head, signaling it to settle down.
Flender watched this, the corner of his mouth lifting.
"Does this Thunder Flood Dragon meet your needs?"
Flender pointed at the dragon and the pitch-black Soul Ring floating above its corpse.
"Judging by your assessment and what I sensed while fighting it, it should be just over ten thousand years old."
"That's enough."
Yu Xiaogang's gaze fell on the black Soul Ring, and barely contained excitement flashed in his eyes.
"A ten-thousand-year thunder-attribute draconic Soul Beast, with an extremely thin bloodline."
Yu Xiaogang nodded emphatically, then turned to Flender. "I owe you one for this, Flender."
His voice was full of gratitude.
With his strength as a twenty-ninth-level Soul Grandmaster, hunting a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast was nothing but a pipe dream.
Without Flender's help, even if the Thunder Flood Dragon had lain there and let him attack, he probably wouldn't have been able to scratch its scales.
A Ten-Thousand-Year Thunder Flood Dragon of this quality would be good enough to serve as the fifth Soul Ring for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's most talented disciples.
It was more than enough to serve as nourishment for Luo Sanpao's Martial Soul to continue growing.
"Don't go on about all that."
Flender slapped Yu Xiaogang hard on the shoulder, making him stumble.
Yu Xiaogang tipped sideways and barely managed to steady himself before shooting Flender a glare.
Flender didn't mind at all and grinned.
"We're brothers. Seeing you climb out of the shadows makes me happy, too."
Yu Xiaogang had once given up on himself and spent many years living in seclusion at Notting Academy. How could Flender, as his big brother, not know?
Flender had known Yu Xiaogang was hiding at Notting Academy.
With his connections and means, it hadn't been difficult to track him down.
But he had never gone to see him.
Since Yu Xiaogang didn't want to reach out to him, there was no need to provoke him. It was enough to know that Yu Xiaogang was living well.
He simply hadn't expected Yu Xiaogang to emerge from the shadows of his past so quickly.
He had even taken the initiative to visit him at Shrek Academy and tell him that he had found a way to resolve his Martial Soul's flaws.
When Flender first heard Yu Xiaogang say this, he had been deeply relieved.
He was happy that Yu Xiaogang had managed to pull himself out of the shadows.
Flender no longer cared about his appearance. After wiping his glasses, he plopped down on the ground.
He looked toward Yu Xiaogang, who was carefully examining the Thunder Flood Dragon nearby.
Flender felt even more relieved, and his interest in the peerless genius Yu Xiaogang had mentioned grew stronger.
Lin Mo.
Flender silently repeated the name to himself.
Yu Xiaogang had praised the boy to the skies. He had Innate Full Soul Power, as well as a powerful, unknown Martial Soul.
On top of that, he was born with divine strength. It was as if the heavens themselves were chasing after him to feed him.
Most remarkable of all, according to Yu Xiaogang, the boy was exceptionally perceptive.
He had helped Yu Xiaogang solve his problems and answer his questions several times.
His physical strength was absurdly formidable, too. At the One-Ring level, it was already comparable to that of a level-thirty Power Attack System Beast Martial Soul Battle Soul Master.
The gap between a One-Ring Soul Master and a level-thirty Soul Elder—especially a Power Attack System Beast Martial Soul Battle Soul Master—was plain to see.
Yet in terms of physical strength, Lin Mo could cross two major realms and match a level-thirty Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder.
A talent of this caliber was beyond the word genius. He had to be called a monster!
Lin Mo even planned to absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring as his Second Soul Ring!
If Shrek Academy let this opportunity slip by, they would never get another one.
The thing their academy needed most right now was talented students.
Although the few children they were currently recruiting, Ma Hongjun and Oscar among them, all had decent talent,
Oscar even had the exceedingly rare gift of Innate Full Soul Power as a Food System Soul Master.
But compared to Lin Mo, they were all far inferior.
Thinking of this, Flender clicked his tongue in amazement.
If a genius of this caliber joined Shrek Academy, the academy would truly take off.
With a genius like him leading the way, Shrek Academy would soar in the upcoming Soul Master Tournament, turning from a chicken into a phoenix!
And a genius with Innate Full Soul Power would become at least a Soul Douluo in the future.
Once Shrek Academy made a name for itself, would it still have to worry about attracting good prospects?
But Flender also understood perfectly well that if not for Yu Xiaogang's good relationship with the boy, and all the time and effort he had spent persuading him,
with his talent and temperament, any advanced academy in the Heaven Dou Empire would be begging him to join.
"Flender, stop thinking about Lin Mo over there.
If you want to meet him, you can come back to Notting Academy with me and see him! Then you can decide whether he suits your tastes." A voice suddenly came from a distance, interrupting his thoughts.
Yu Xiaogang beckoned to Flender. He had seen right through what was on his mind.
He and Flender had known each other for decades. One look was all it took to know what the man was scheming.
"But for now, come help me dissect this Thunder Flood Dragon.
With my current strength, even dealing with its corpse is a troublesome task."
The scales covering the Thunder Flood Dragon's body were exceptionally tough. Without Flender's help, Yu Xiaogang's mere twenty-ninth-level Soul Power wouldn't even be enough to break through them.
"Coming!"
Flender slapped his forehead and hurried over to Yu Xiaogang.
He had been so caught up thinking about all that other stuff that he'd forgotten the important business.