Time slipped by quietly, and three days passed.
For Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Oscar, every second of those three days had been pure torment.
In the cafeteria, all they could do was watch Xiao Wu put a peeled egg into Qin Chuan's bowl.
On the training field, all they could do was watch Ning Rongrong carefully wipe the sweat from Qin Chuan's forehead with a handkerchief.
Even on the way back to the dorms, Zhu Zhuqing would deliberately slow her pace to walk beside Qin Chuan, occasionally murmuring a few words to him.
It felt as if countless ants were gnawing at their hearts, making them itch and ache.
They couldn't understand it. They just couldn't.
That morning, Oscar successfully broke through to level twenty-nine during meditation, reaching the level-thirty bottleneck.
The news brought a little joy to the trio, who had been taking one blow after another.
Oscar had been born with Innate Full Soul Power at level ten, and he'd been stuck at level twenty-nine for some time. Breaking through ahead of schedule was hardly unusual.
The news brought a little joy to the trio, who had been taking one blow after another.
Upon hearing the news, Zhao Wuji immediately decided to lead the entire group to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a third Soul Ring for Oscar.
This was also standard practice at Shrek Academy: when one student advanced, the whole team set out. It was both a Soul Hunting expedition and a chance for practical combat training.
The eight of them gathered on the academy's training field.
Zhao Wuji's burly frame stood at the front of the group, his voice as steady as a mountain. "I don't need to keep stressing how dangerous the Star Dou Great Forest is. The older the Soul Beasts inside, the more aggressive and cunning they are. Once we enter the forest, you'll follow my every order. No one is to leave the group without permission. Is that clear?"
"Understood!" everyone replied in unison.
Half an hour later, the group reached the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky. Sunlight broke into countless flecks and spilled sparsely across the damp, decaying leaves.
The air was thick with the mingled smells of soil, plants, and some unknown beasts. Breathing it in filled their lungs with a primitive wildness.
Rustling sounds came incessantly from the surrounding bushes.
A half-meter-long, brightly patterned spider dangled from its web, its eight compound eyes staring eerily at the group. A nearly meter-long, dark-green centipede wound its way along a tree trunk, its countless legs making their scalps crawl.
These were all Soul Beasts of around a hundred years. Sensing the terrifying Soul Sage aura emanating from Zhao Wuji, they only watched from a distance and didn't approach.
"Stay close. Don't fall behind." Zhao Wuji barked, then led the way deeper into the forest.
Their target was a Soul Beast at least a thousand years old. Such beasts could only be found in the middle reaches of the forest.
The group advanced in a simple defensive formation.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun took the lead, clearing the way.
Zhao Wuji held the center, while Tang San and Oscar kept to either side, ready to provide support at any moment.
As for Qin Chuan, the three girls had, intentionally or otherwise, formed a protective ring around him in the very middle.
Xiao Wu walked just ahead of him on the left. Her scorpion braid swayed from side to side with every step, and her pink short-sleeved shirt stood out in the dim forest.
As she walked, she kept a wary eye on their surroundings. Not a breath of wind or stir of leaves escaped her notice.
Ning Rongrong walked to Qin Chuan's right. That day, she wore light blue trousers that were easy to move in and a tight white top that showed off her well-developed figure to the fullest.
She held her Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda in one hand, her Soul Power turning quietly as she stood ready to provide support.
Zhu Zhuqing walked diagonally behind Qin Chuan, like his most loyal shadow guard.
Her black outfit almost blended into the gloomy forest. She had the lightest step, landing without a sound, and her catlike eyes stayed fixed on every possible threat nearby.
Surrounded by the three of them, Qin Chuan caught the different delicate scents drifting from each girl: the peach-blossom fragrance on Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong's faint scent of floral perfume, and the cool, clean smell of soapwort on Zhu Zhuqing.
The feeling gave him a subtle sense of satisfaction.
After more than ten minutes of hurrying forward, Tang San and Dai Mubai exchanged a glance. Without a word, they slowed their pace and soon fell to the back of the group, walking side by side.
Tang San lowered his voice, barely moving his lips. "Mubai, if I remember right, the terrain gets complicated up ahead. There are quite a few caves formed naturally."
A murderous glint flashed in Dai Mubai's eyes, and he nodded.
Of course he knew. Those caves were bottomless. Some were lairs of Cave Demon Spiders, some were dens of venomous snakes, and some were simply bottomless pits leading underground.
"What do you mean?" Dai Mubai's voice brimmed with barely restrained excitement.
A cold smile tugged at Tang San's lips. "As soon as we get a chance, we'll shove that thorn in our side, Qin Chuan, inside. Find the deepest hole and seal the entrance with rocks. No one will ever know."
"Good!" Dai Mubai agreed without hesitation.
The idea had circled through his mind countless times, but he'd never found an opportunity to make a move at the academy.
Today, fate had handed them the perfect chance.
Their plot was whispered so quietly that the wind and insect calls in the forest drowned it out completely.
Surrounded by the three girls, Qin Chuan was focused on enjoying their gentle company and hadn't noticed the foul deal being struck between the two men at the back. He only felt that this Soul Hunting trip might not be so dull after all.
Just then, Zhao Wuji, walking at the very front, suddenly raised a hand to signal the group to stop.
Everyone halted at once and warily looked ahead.
"Take a look. What do you see up there?" Zhao Wuji asked, his voice more grave than usual.
Following the direction of his finger, they saw the light in the forest dozens of meters ahead seeming to warp around something. Only on closer inspection could they make out thin, nearly transparent webs, delicate as cicada wings.
"Spiderwebs! Such fine webs!" Xiao Wu had sharp eyes and was the first to spot them.
Zhao Wuji pointed toward the broad area ahead. "That's right. Judging by the area these webs cover, they spread across at least a thousand square meters. They're probably a trap laid by a thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider. With your current strength, getting caught in there would be a serious problem."
"I've heard the Man Faced Demon Spider's webs are not only poisonous, but also incredibly tough—so tough that blades can't cut through them. Once you're caught, the more you struggle, the tighter they cling. In the end, you can only be poisoned to death."
Tang San chimed in at just the right moment, adding his "theoretical knowledge."
"Exactly. The only way to deal with webs like these is fire," Zhao Wuji agreed. "And it has to be a large blaze."
"But where are we supposed to find fire? By the time we get one going, that Man Faced Demon Spider will have rushed out already," Ning Rongrong said worriedly. Without thinking, she edged closer to Qin Chuan.
"Where is the spider? I don't see it," Oscar asked curiously.
"Don't let the peaceful scene fool you. That beast is definitely hiding somewhere nearby, waiting for its prey to show up."
As he spoke, Zhao Wuji picked up a fist-sized stone from the ground, wrapped it in Soul Power, and hurled it toward a dense patch of bushes on the left.
"Smack!"
The stone struck the bushes. The next second, a gigantic spider more than two meters across sprang out!
It was pitch-black, its eight long legs like sharpened spears. Most horrifying of all was the white pattern on its back, resembling a human face—twisted and savage, enough to make one's blood run cold.
Startled, the Man Faced Demon Spider swept its eight gleaming green eyes over the group with venomous hatred. But it seemed to sense Zhao Wuji's strength. Rather than attack, it quickly scuttled into another patch of bushes and vanished.
"We'll go around. Its venom is too strong, so it's not suitable for Oscar." After speaking, Zhao Wuji led the group around on the right, avoiding the deadly trap.
The false alarm made the atmosphere among the group even more tense.