Inside Blue Tyrant Academy.
Liu Erlong stared at the text on the screen. The teacup in her hand shattered with a bang as she crushed it.
Scalding tea splashed onto her, but she didn't notice at all.
This painful experience, which she had regarded as the nightmare of her life, had been laid bare so mercilessly that she completely lost her composure.
Seeing that no one in the group chat was speaking, Bibi Dong in Pope Palace immediately sensed her chance.
[Pope]: "Oh my, wasn't someone just fiercely defending her beloved a moment ago?"
[Pope]: "You were in such a hurry to defend that good-for-nothing. Don't tell me you're that pitiful cousin?"
[Gentle Fire Dragon]: "Shut up! What's it to you?"
Seeing Liu Erlong's furious outburst, the other members of the group immediately understood everything.
One after another, they started munching on sunflower seeds in front of their screens, savoring this earth-shattering gossip.
[Bunny Eats Radish]: "Oh my god, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang is actually that kind of person..."
[Little Witch]: "Terrifying. He's simply the scum of the Soul Master World."
Watching the activity value in the background skyrocket,
Qin Feng contentedly shut off the system screen.
These women really could fight. Toss in a bit of gossip, and they could set the whole place ablaze.
He pulled up the covers, closed his eyes in peace, and drifted into a deep sleep.
He would build up his strength and prepare for the hunt.
A few days later.
At dawn, sunlight filtered through the dense branches, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
On the outskirts of Star Dou Great Forest, the air was heavy with the earthy stench of soil and fallen leaves.
Qin Feng and Hu Liena walked side by side along a rugged forest path.
Their trip into the forest to hunt a fourth Soul Ring was also an excellent opportunity for them to hone their skills.
As they went, the cries of Soul Beasts echoed from the surrounding woods now and then.
Strangely, though, among the hundreds- and thousands-of-years-old Soul Beasts lurking around the outskirts, not one dared approach within ten meters of them.
Walking beside him, Hu Liena kept glancing at Qin Feng from time to time.
She could clearly tell that the low-rank Soul Beasts were keeping their distance entirely because of the faint pressure of the Golden Dragon emanating from Qin Feng.
Though he was deliberately suppressing this aura, it still struck terror into Soul Beasts with inferior bloodlines.
Realizing this, Hu Liena was deeply shaken.
Was this the enormous difference a top-tier Martial Soul could make?
He didn't even need to attack. His aura alone could make all beasts submit.
Still, Hu Liena wasn't discouraged.
She clenched her small fists and silently encouraged herself.
She was the core of the Spirit Hall Golden Generation, with a top-grade Fox Demon Martial Soul. As long as she trained hard, she definitely wouldn't be much weaker than Qin Feng!
Meanwhile.
At another entrance to Star Dou Great Forest,
a large group from Shrek Academy was also making its way inside.
Yu Xiaogang walked at the head of the group with his hands behind his back, putting on an air of profound wisdom.
As he walked, he lectured the students behind him about his theories.
"Remember, the theory of the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul is a truth derived from countless rounds of analysis."
"If you follow my plan when searching for Soul Rings, your future achievements will be limitless."
Tang San followed closely behind Yu Xiaogang, nodding again and again.
His teacher's words were pure gold and jade, every word a pearl.
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar also looked thoroughly convinced, blindly echoing him.
At the back of the group, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu walked together.
The two girls exchanged a glance, their eyes flickering intensely.
After last night's earth-shattering gossip in the Chat Group, their understanding of the middle-aged man chattering away before them had been completely turned upside down.
Grandmaster, unbeatable theories—what a joke.
In their eyes, Yu Xiaogang was now nothing but a sham Grandmaster and a scummy womanizer.
Listening to him take credit up ahead, Xiao Wu curled her lip, disgust rising in her heart.
At the very back of the group,
Zhu Zhuqing stayed silent, walking quietly.
Her eyes kept sweeping across the terrain, while her deliberately measured steps gradually slowed.
Using the cover of a thick patch of bushes,
she slipped away from the Shrek group like a cat, unnoticed by those up ahead.
At a shadowy fork in the path, Zhu Zhuqing immediately changed direction and raced toward the deeper parts of Star Dou Great Forest.
She had already made up her mind. She absolutely wouldn't listen to that sham Grandmaster's bullshit advice.
The theories the group leader had shared were the true top-tier treasures. She would use her own judgment to find the Soul Ring best suited to her.
Deep in the forest,
Qin Feng and Hu Liena continued onward.
The trees grew ever thicker, and towering trunks blocked most of the sunlight, dimming the forest around them.
A sudden rush of wind came from the dense woods to their left.
With branches snapping, a disheveled black-clad figure burst straight out of the bushes.
Qin Feng stopped and took a closer look.
The newcomer was an exceptionally beautiful young woman.
Her tight black leather outfit clung to her body, restraining an astonishingly ample chest.
As she panted heavily, her full breasts heaved, creating a striking sight.
Her long, slender legs, wrapped in black stockings, were not only pale and shapely but carried a fatal allure as she fled.
That perfect figure paired with her cool, radiant face was truly captivating.
Less than twenty meters behind the girl, a massive black Demon Spider came charging after her with its fangs and claws bared.
Its eight thick legs were as sharp as spears, easily slicing through the trees in its path.
The deep, intricate patterns on its carapace revealed it to be a vicious Soul Beast with a cultivation of ten thousand years!
"..."
Zhu Zhuqing's Soul Power was nearly exhausted. Fine beads of sweat covered her pale forehead.
Pursued by a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast, a profound despair flashed through her beautiful eyes.
The Demon Spider was about to pounce.
Qin Feng took a step forward without hesitation.
The overwhelming pressure of the Golden Dragon Martial Soul erupted from him without restraint.
"Roar!!!"
A deafening dragon's roar rang out.
A brilliant Golden Dragon phantom rose behind Qin Feng. Its vast aura crashed directly into the Demon Spider like a raging sea.
The vicious, violent Ten-Thousand-Year Demon Spider stiffened the instant it was touched by this pure draconic might.
Its eight sharp legs trembled violently. It was so terrified that it didn't even dare make a sound.
It spun its huge body around in a panic, scrambling on all eight legs as it plunged into the nearby bushes. In the blink of an eye, it had vanished without a trace.
Zhu Zhuqing, who had just been struggling on the brink of life and death, stared dumbfounded at the dramatic turn of events.