What's Going On?

For a moment, Qian Ren Shuang found it rather funny. Why did this guy make it sound as if their relationship was based on rewarding merit?

"Fine. Three jin it is."

Flender's eyelids twitched as he listened from the side.

It wanted to eat three jin of meat in such a short time. If it had three meals a day... he was genuinely afraid his academy would be eaten into nothing by this little dinosaur.

Flender secretly made up his mind that someday, when he found the chance, he absolutely had to have a proper talk with Qian Ren Shuang about food expenses.

One day, Tang San found Qian Ren Shuang and took out the only two hidden weapons he currently had, the Dragon Beard Needle and the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow. "Brother Shuang, I noticed you've got no options once someone gets in close. I'll give you something for self-defense. Come on, let's go outside and test its power!"

Hearing this from the side, Guilmon immediately grew a little dissatisfied. "Why test it outside? I'll be the test subject!"

"No, that won't do. These things are made to hurt people. It'll be very painful in a bit." Tang San refused again and again when he heard that. He had come to get on Brother Shuang's good side, not to sour their relationship.

"It's fine. He's thick-skinned, tough, and full of energy. Let's just test it like this." Qian Ren Shuang shifted a little farther to the side. He really wanted to see what this self-defense tool Tang San had given him could do.

"Hiss... fine. Don't blame me if it hurts later." After thinking it over, Tang San decided to only shoot at Guilmon's claws with the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow.

Tang San estimated the distance between himself and Guilmon, loaded the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow, aimed at Guilmon's claws, and pulled the trigger.

"Hss-yoo—"

Seeing this, Guilmon cursed inwardly, Who are you looking down on?

Then it reached its hand forward and downward, letting the crossbow bolts shoot onto its skin.

Because Guilmon's skin itself had some elasticity, the crossbow bolts only made the spot they hit sink down by half a centimeter.

Tang San had broken out in a cold sweat when he saw Guilmon suddenly change the position of its claws. Only after realizing the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow had not even pierced Guilmon's skin did he let out a breath of relief.

"That power's about the same as a thousand-year Man-Faced Demon Spider stabbing you," Guilmon said, comparing it to what it remembered feeling.

"Then let's not test the other one, okay? That one is mainly used to break soul power shields. In terms of sharpness, it's not even as good as this Zhuge Repeating Crossbow. It definitely won't do anything if it hits him either."

As Tang San spoke, he handed both items to Qian Ren Shuang.

"Thanks. This way, when the other side carries out a decapitation tactic, I'll have at least some ability to protect myself." Qian Ren Shuang accepted the two hidden weapons without the slightest politeness.

"Right, Guilmon, you used a thousand-year Man-Faced Demon Spider as an example just now? You fought one before?" Thinking that the Man-Faced Demon Spider was one of the several soul beasts his teacher had recommended, Tang San wanted to gather a little information about his potential opponent.

After all, as the old saying went, know yourself and know your enemy, and you would never be defeated in a hundred battles.

"Simply put, when Qian Ren Shuang's mother took him to hunt his first soul ring, we happened to run into a thousand-year Man-Faced Demon Spider on the way, and then that Man-Faced Demon Spider was bitten to death by me."

"What a pity. Otherwise, it could have been my third soul ring," Tang San said with some regret...

The next branching point in the plot mainly appeared when they "prepared to take Oscar to obtain his third soul ring."

On this day, Zhao Wuji and the eight students gathered at the entrance of Shrek Academy.

Because Zhao Wuji had not attacked Tang San previously, naturally, he had not been beaten by Tang Hao into a "little blind bear" like in the original work either.

At this moment, Zhao Wuji's face was glowing with health and his spirits were high. Standing at the very front of the group, he looked rather like an old man about to take them out to broaden their horizons.

He swept his gaze around, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "All right, since everyone is here, let's set off. Our destination—the Star Dou Forest!" With that, he turned and walked away, his steps vigorous as a tiger descending the mountain.

"Wait."

Qian Ren Shuang suddenly spoke and stopped everyone.

Everyone turned back and saw Qian Ren Shuang pinch up his fourth soul ring. He raised it in front of his face, then smeared it across his face as though one of the eighteen warlords before the campaign against Dong Zhuo were dragging red seal paste horizontally over his cheek and nose.

"Soul Skill Switch: Super Evolution Component S!"

As soon as his words fell, a mechanical voice rang out from who knew where, cold, hollow, and echoing with a metallic quality:

"EVOLUTION..."

Guilmon's body began to change.

Strands of red light emerged from within it, interweaving in the air into a huge grid of light that wrapped all of Guilmon inside. Then those grids seemed to be torn apart by an invisible hand, and Guilmon's original skin fell away piece by piece like peeled fruit, revealing an entirely new body beneath.

Its originally young, childlike voice also became steady and muffled at this moment, carrying an unquestionable sense of power.

"Guilmon, evolve—Growlmon!"

The light faded, and a colossal creature appeared before everyone.

Guilmon, who had originally been only shoulder-height, had now become as towering as a tall building. Sharp horns had grown from both sides of its forehead and in front of the bridge of its nose, making it look murderous and menacing. Thick white hair had grown from the back of its head like a banner waving in the wind.

Most eye-catching were its arms—beside its two thick forelimbs, a curved blade like a sharp knife had sprung out from each side. Dark red light flowed over the blades, and one glance was enough to know they were no mere decoration.

Qian Ren Shuang was not like the male lead in Digimon Tamers—because his family ran a bakery, he could only feed Guilmon bread, resulting in Guilmon being the size of a tall building when it first evolved to Champion level, then later shrinking down to only three or four stories tall.

For all these years, he had kept the meat patties coming in unlimited supply. The Growlmon he had fed into existence was genuinely tall-building level in size.

"Well, I'll be damned..."

Tang Hao, who was hiding in a nearby tree and drinking alone, held a wine gourd in his hand. Looking at this Growlmon, he was so shocked for a moment that he choked.

"The fourth soul ring is a small-scale Martial Soul True Body?" Tang Hao coughed twice and wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth, his conviction to "pull Qian Ren Shuang onto the same front" becoming even firmer.

Talent at this monstrous level, a soul skill unheard of before—if he could become a support to Little San...

Tang Hao narrowed his eyes, his gaze distant.

—

At the same time, deep within Star Dou Forest, at the Lake of Life.

The lake water was a clear, washed blue, rippling with light. A huge golden eye slowly emerged from beneath the surface.

Di Tian—the overlord of Star Dou Forest—was hovering respectfully above the lake, his head slightly lowered as he asked for instructions from the depths at the center of the lake.

"My lord, that demonic dragon's aura has appeared again," Di Tian said in a low, respectful voice. "Should I go bring it back?"

The lake fell silent for a moment. Then a lazy female voice drifted up from the bottom, carrying a hint of indifference. "No need."

The Silver Dragon King's voice sounded slowly. "Our enemies are gods. A fellow without even fifty thousand years of strength isn't qualified to be our ally."

The meaning was clear: in her eyes, that so-called "demonic dragon" was still not up to standard.

Di Tian bowed slightly. "Yes, my lord."

The lake surface returned to calm.

"Hey, stop staring! Getting there like this is still faster!"

Qian Ren Shuang sat on Growlmon's head and shouted down at the others, who were still standing there in a daze.

Growlmon's enormous head was like a small hill. Qian Ren Shuang sat cross-legged on top of it, looking so relaxed it was as if he were sunning himself in his own backyard.

Only then did everyone snap back to their senses, and they scrambled up in a flurry.

Growlmon cooperated too, lowering itself slightly to make it easier for the little guys to climb on.

No one stood on ceremony. Each of them picked a spot on Growlmon they liked and sat down.

Some sat on its back, some crouched on its shoulders, and Oscar even boldly climbed up and sat at the base of Growlmon's tail.

Ning Rongrong sat on Growlmon's broad back in high spirits. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda spun in her palm, and a streak of flowing light shot out—

"Seven Treasures are famed, second: Speed!"

The acceleration effect landed precisely on Growlmon.

"Everyone, hold on tight!" Qian Ren Shuang looked back, confirmed everyone was seated steadily, then pinched up another soul ring. "I've got another acceleration soul skill to add. Soul Skill Switch—High-Speed Component B!"

The second soul ring lit up, and a second layer of acceleration was stacked on.

As Growlmon ran, everyone sitting on it truly experienced what it meant to say, "the body flies ahead while the soul chases from behind."

A fierce wind rushed at their faces, blowing so hard they could not open their eyes, and their hair was blasted straight back.

Because everyone was riding Growlmon to Star Dou Forest this time, they arrived at their destination a full day and a half earlier than before this universe had restarted.

"Roar—"

The moment they set foot on the edge of Star Dou Forest, Growlmon abruptly stopped.

The muscles all over its body tensed in an instant like a fully drawn bow. Its previously fairly gentle expression suddenly turned ferocious, both eyes narrowing at once, its pupils shrinking to pinpoints as it warily scanned the depths of the forest.

It had sensed it—many powerful enemies' auras, lying hidden within this boundless forest.

"Growlmon! Put us down first!" Qian Ren Shuang, the first to notice something was wrong with Growlmon's state, shouted.

Growlmon let out a low growl and crouched down, letting everyone slide off.