"Little Ye, don't misunderstand. This old man has just been cooped up in the academy for too long and felt like going out for a walk."
Elder Wang made it sound very casual, as though he were merely stepping out for a stroll.
The Star Dou Great Forest was not far from Shrek City. To a powerhouse at the level of a Title Douluo, it truly was no different from taking a walk.
"Um, Elder Wang, I only brought rations with me this time."
"It's fine. Once we reach the Star Dou Great Forest, this old man will personally get whatever we want to eat."
Although the strongest Soul Beasts in the outer regions were only around a thousand years old, even thousand-year Soul Beast meat became a rare delicacy after passing through Ye Tian's hands.
Though thousand-year Soul Beast meat had no effect on a Title Douluo beyond filling his stomach.
Elder Wang was simply craving it.
He had originally arranged for Master Ye to prepare a full table of food for him the next day, but just as he came over, Little Ye was preparing to head to the Star Dou Great Forest.
Well, wasn't that perfect? One meal had turned directly into an all-you-can-eat buffet, and he could even pick whatever ingredients he wanted. It was simply wonderful.
Elder Wang: Hmm... helping the child choose a Soul Ring is an extremely important matter. No matter what, we'll have to stay in the Star Dou Great Forest for ten days to half a month. We must find the most suitable one for the child. We can't be careless about it.
The other Inner Academy disciples and elders: How could you be so selfish?! (Pah!)
"O-Okay."
Ye Tian had nothing else to say.
After temporarily handing his work over to the cafeteria's second-in-command, a food-type Soul Saint with a Soul Power Level of 71, Ye Tian also requested a week of leave from the Inner Academy's higher-ups.
One week should be enough time to help his nephew, Bai Ran, obtain his first Soul Ring.
As for the fact that his Soul Power was only at level 9.9?
Ah, he might break through on the way to the Star Dou Great Forest.
Besides, finding a suitable Soul Beast was no easy task.
Even though a Title Douluo was accompanying them, and he could sense whatever Soul Beast they wanted with his spiritual power.
But just as Elder Wang had said, he was only tagging along for a "walk" and would not provide any special assistance.
Besides, Elder Wang was hoping to stay in the Star Dou Great Forest for a few more days.
After all, even a Title Douluo like him had to queue up and make reservations if he wanted a meal cooked by Little Ye.
The main reason was that Elder Wang was embarrassed to compete with the Inner Academy disciples for spots in the "dietary tonic" program.
There was only so much allocated each month. If Elder Wang ate one more bite, the Inner Academy disciples would have one bite less.
Those children were Shrek Academy's future, and the dietary tonics made from ten-thousand-year Soul Beast meat were especially helpful to Soul Masters below the Soul Saint rank.
Elder Wang: I still know how to weigh what matters more. I'm not some shameless old bastard like Xuan Zi.
One day later.
Ye Tian arrived at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest with Bai Ran.
Sigh, they could actually have arrived several hours earlier, but Elder Wang had somehow gotten hold of a thousand-year Boiling Blood Bull.
Thinking that this kind of Soul Beast's meat could replenish blood and vitality, and that it would be quite beneficial for his nephew Bai Ran.
Ye Tian prepared it, turning it into a whole roasted bull.
As a result, they had been delayed for quite some time.
Meanwhile, Elder Wang happily took out a roasted bull leg from his storage Soul Tool.
A thousand-year Boiling Blood Bull was enormous. Other than the dozen or so pounds of beef tenderloin Ye Tian had taken, all the remaining meat had gone into Elder Wang's pocket.
If he ate sparingly, one bull should last him for more than a dozen meals.
Just as Elder Wang held the bull leg and prepared to take a bite.
His head suddenly throbbed with pain, and the bull leg in his hand vanished without a trace.
At the same time, he heard the voice he least wanted to hear right now.
"Wang Youcai, you bastard. You got something good and didn't even call me?"
"Xuan Zi, are you a dog? You could smell the food in my hand from so far away?!"
Although Wang Youcai was only a level ninety-three control-type Title Douluo, while Elder Xuan was a level ninety-eight Super Douluo.
The two were figures from the same generation and had spent so many years together in the academy, so Wang Youcai naturally did not treat Xuan Zi with much courtesy.
What was more, Xuan Zi had snatched the roasted bull leg from his hand.
If he had not truly been unable to beat him, food-protective Wang Youcai would definitely have shown Xuan Zi why flowers were so red.
"How could that be?"
"Then how did you find us? Don't tell me you also came to the Star Dou Great Forest for a walk."
"Wang Youcai, did you forget? Little Ye submitted his leave request to the Inner Academy's higher-ups, and I just happen to be one of those higher-ups."
When Xuan Zi received Ye Tian's leave request, especially after seeing that the reason given was to bring his nephew to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a Soul Ring, he chose to follow them in secret.
He had originally planned to quietly kill a few thousand-year Soul Beasts and have Little Ye make a few dishes, but he never expected Old Wang to beat him to it.
Unfortunately, most ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts were protected by the powerful beings within the Star Dou Great Forest. Killing them without cause would create unnecessary trouble.
Shrek City was so close to the Star Dou Great Forest that if any disturbance occurred there, Shrek Academy would be the first to suffer. Elder Xuan was not so gluttonous that he would bring disaster upon the academy just for a little food.
Xuan Zi: Youcai, how did you know I love roasted bull legs?
Wang Youcai: Aminos, did I ask you?!
"Youcai, take out all the beef. I don't need much, just a few thousand pounds will do."
In just a moment, Xuan Zi had gnawed away more than half of the several-hundred-pound bull leg.
The sight made Wang Youcai click his tongue. At that rate of eating, no amount of wealth could sustain him. No wonder the academy set a fixed monthly food allowance for Elder Xuan.
If he were not restricted, this guy might really eat the academy into bankruptcy.
"What are you thinking? The whole bull only weighs a few thousand pounds. If I gave it all to you, what the hell would I eat?!"
"Then let's split it seventy-thirty."
"I get seventy, you get thirty?"
"If you don't want me to beat you to your knees and make you beg for mercy seven times in three minutes, then that's how we'll split it."
Elder Wang: Six hundred sixty-six... I'm already a Title Douluo, yet I'm still getting bullied. Is there any justice left in this world?
Before you continue