Several days later.
The outskirts of Star Dou Forest.
After several days of traveling, the group had finally made it from Shrek Academy to Star Dou Forest.
Zhao Wuji stood amid the dense jungle and let out a long breath, then looked at Lin Yan and Ma Hongjun behind him.
"Do you two have a clear target? I know the habitats of some Soul Beasts. If I take you straight to where they live, we'll save a lot of time."
The two froze. They hadn't expected Zhao Wuji to know Star Dou Forest so well that he even remembered the locations of some Soul Beasts' habitats.
That really would save them a lot of trouble.
Just then, Ma Hongjun stammered,
"I don't know... But it should at least be a fire-attribute Soul Beast."
Zhao Wuji showed little reaction to Ma Hongjun's answer. He hadn't expected either of them to give a sensible response anyway; he'd only asked out of habit.
Then he turned his gaze to Lin Yan.
"What about you?"
Lin Yan nodded, his eyes brightening.
"I want a fire-attribute Soul Beast that's at least a dragon-blooded species. One with light or holy attributes would be even better."
The boy sounded confident. It was clear that Lin Yan had given his answer serious thought.
Zhao Wuji was surprised, and even delighted. He hadn't expected there to be a Little Monster with brains among this year's students.
A smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he looked at Ma Hongjun.
"Chubby, take a page from Lin Yan's book. How did he manage to learn so much in just two months?"
Then he changed tack.
"But your requirements are still too strict. By your reckoning, there aren't many Soul Beasts you need with a cultivation of a hundred years or more."
"After all, the purer a Soul Beast's bloodline, the better its talent, and the faster it grows."
"If some do grow slowly, they've probably already become food for other Soul Beasts."
Lin Yan wasn't disappointed by the answer. If anything, his eyes shone even brighter.
"It doesn't matter!"
"I can feel that my Martial Soul suppresses dragon-type Soul Beasts. I can make an exception and absorb a thousand-year first Soul Ring."
Zhao Wuji gave a snort of derision.
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread!"
"You really aren't afraid your body will burst, are you?"
"I'm not afraid. I want a thousand-year first Soul Ring, and I know I can do it."
Seeing Lin Yan's excitement and how utterly serious he looked, Zhao Wuji didn't bother engaging with him further.
The thing Zhao Wuji liked least was leading Soul Hunts, especially with little kids like Lin Yan! He couldn't be bothered to explain all that to him now. When the time came, he'd simply put a Soul Beast right in front of him.
Then he turned to Wen Ruan.
"What about you? Have you done your homework?"
"I..."
Wen Ruan looked conflicted. Clearly, she hadn't decided what kind of Soul Ring she wanted. Or perhaps Shrek Academy simply didn't teach its students any of this.
The girl stammered for a long while without answering. Then Lin Yan suddenly stepped forward.
"Teacher Zhao, Senior Sister needs a dragon-blooded Soul Ring too—and it has to be an ice-attribute one."
Before Zhao Wuji could question him, Wen Ruan stepped forward to object.
"That's not true, Teacher Zhao. Don't listen to him. I only need a butterfly-type Soul Ring."
Zhao Wuji saw the ambiguous relationship between the two and gave them an amused, knowing look.
But he quickly wiped the smile from his face and said coolly,
"It doesn't matter. She needs to hunt her own Soul Ring. That's the most basic ability and courage a Little Monster should have."
Then he looked at Ma Hongjun.
"The Soul Beast Chubby needs is more common. We'll look for his first, then yours."
"What about Senior Sister?"
Lin Yan challenged him again. Zhao Wuji answered nonchalantly,
"There are tons of butterfly Soul Beasts in Star Dou Forest. We'll run into one along the way. We can just pick one then."
Honestly, Lin Yan was very unhappy with that answer.
Wen Ruan's Ice Flower Butterfly Martial Soul had innate Soul Power of level seven, putting it among the top-tier Martial Souls.
Following the conventional path, Wen Ruan should have become a control-type Soul Master. Her first Soul Skill was indeed like that, with only simple temperature-lowering and slowing effects.
But Lin Yan had thought of another path: "Butterfly God Dragon Transformation."
Just like Wang Dong'er's Light Goddess Butterfly, he wanted Wen Ruan's Ice Flower Butterfly to gain dragon blood as well. That way, she would have not only control abilities but also considerable offensive power.
Clearly, this was the path best suited to Wen Ruan. It might also be the more difficult one.
Lin Yan came to stand before Wen Ruan.
"Senior Sister, trust me! You have to absorb an ice-attribute dragon-blooded Soul Ring. Otherwise, your second Soul Skill won't have any offensive power!"
"Are you really willing to settle for being an average Soul Master? Your first Soul Skill already isn't useful in actual combat."
Wen Ruan lowered her eyes. This was one of the few conversations the two had had on the journey. She knew Lin Yan meant well, but...
"At least butterfly-type Soul Beasts won't be too hard to hunt."
At that, Lin Yan's expression suddenly froze.
That was right. Wen Ruan had to hunt her own Soul Ring. How could her "Ice Ring" Soul Skill possibly help her hunt a hundred-year dragon-blooded Soul Beast?
Maybe, to her, an average butterfly-type Soul Ring really was the best choice.
But times had changed. Lin Yan was right here today!
Whether because of their encounter last night or for some other reason, he wouldn't let Wen Ruan settle for second best.
"I'll help you!"
The three words left the boy's lips and reached the girl's ears.
Wen Ruan looked up, her eyes filled with confusion and delight.
"What?"
"I said I'll help you!"
"Don't absorb a butterfly Soul Beast's Soul Ring. After I get my Soul Ring, I'll help you hunt an ice-attribute dragon."
Silence fell. At his firm answer, Wen Ruan's eyes welled up in an instant.
What was this? A confession?
They weren't even related. Why was he so good to her? Why was he willing to risk his life to hunt a Soul Beast for her?
Was it because of what had happened last night? Did he feel guilty?
Or did he really like her...
A breeze brushed past, lifting the girl's hair. A strand caught in her tears and clung to her fair cheek.
The sight made her seem all the more tender and pitiable...
A moment later, however, the girl stubbornly turned her head away.
"No!"
"You're nothing to me. I won't accept your charity."
Clearly, Wen Ruan was getting all tangled up again.
Lin Yan's attitude grew firm.
"You have to listen to me!"
"W-Who said I'd listen to you?"
The two bickered and tugged at each other, acting just like a young couple.
In the end, Zhao Wuji, standing nearby, could only roar in exasperation,
"Hey, hey, hey! Do you two think we're a pair of lightbulbs?"
"Quit dawdling and hurry up. Let's find some Soul Beasts."