Seeing the Protagonist Group Again

Star Dou Great Forest, Outer Zone.

"Fengzhi, you really are something. To think you came up with such a brilliant move to win people over!"

A group of more than a dozen people walked through the dense primeval forest. A white-haired old man laughed cheerfully at the middle-aged man beside him.

As he spoke, he glanced back.

Their formation was neatly divided.

Leading the way were three people: Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Behind them were eight people, all dressed in black. Four had a small blue pagoda embroidered on their chests, while the other four bore four small blue dragons.

They were the Soul Douluo experts dispatched by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, two of the Upper Three Sects.

They were the assistance Ning Fengzhi had recruited for this campaign.

At the rear of the group walked three more people.

Their builds varied greatly.

All three wore black, their faces obscured.

They were the three Title Douluo mercenaries the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had hired from across the continent.

At the front of the group, Ning Fengzhi shook his head lightly upon hearing Chen Xin's words.

"Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, I feel that something about this is not quite right."

"Oh?"

Chen Xin and Gu Rong exchanged a glance, both somewhat puzzled.

"You're worried we'll fail?"

As Chen Xin spoke slowly, he glanced at the group behind them.

"Fengzhi, you're overthinking it. It's just a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."

Could there possibly be a more extravagant lineup anywhere on the continent?

They had two guardian Douluo from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, a group of Soul Douluo, and the three people following at the rear.

They were Yu Yuanzhen, head of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, who had come for fame and profit in the soul master world; Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, whom Prince Xue Xing had apparently sent with some unknown benefit, ostensibly to help the Heaven Dou Imperial Family clear obstacles in the soul master world; and a Title Douluo from one of the Lower Four Sects, who had likewise come for fame.

With a lineup of eight Soul Douluo and five Title Douluo, plus the finest support from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda on the entire continent, wouldn't hunting a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast be more than easy?

Chen Xin could not understand what Ning Fengzhi was worried about.

Yet Ning Fengzhi merely shook his head lightly at Chen Xin's puzzled expression.

"No, Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone. Although our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect did seize the initiative this time, don't you think it's strange that Spirit Hall has shown no reaction at all?"

Ning Fengzhi spoke quietly.

As soon as his words fell, Chen Xin and Gu Rong were both taken aback.

Chen Xin frowned slightly. After pondering for a moment, he nodded gently.

"Something is indeed off with Spirit Hall."

"Normally, they're always the most eager when it comes to things like this. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect only ever gets to drink the leftovers."

Though Gu Rong understood Ning Fengzhi's meaning as well, his expression did not change much.

He waved a broad hand.

"You two just think too much."

"So what if it's a trap? We'll just kill that Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, then take its soul bone and corpse back to display them."

"What could Spirit Hall possibly do then? Steal our credit? They want to reap the benefits without lifting a finger? They should take a look at the lineup we have today first!"

Gu Rong snorted. His voice was loud enough for the entire group to hear, brimming with confidence.

Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin exchanged a look.

Although they both felt there might be a problem with this matter, Gu Rong's words were not without reason.

If they simply crushed that soul beast head-on, what could Spirit Hall possibly do to take away their credit?

This expedition had already become common knowledge throughout nearly the entire soul master world.

Who did not know that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had gathered a group to help the Heaven Dou soul masters clear away the beasts blocking their path?

Even if Spirit Hall had set a trap, so what?

Thinking of this, Ning Fengzhi visibly relaxed.

"Uncle Bone is right. Uncle Sword, let's not overthink it anymore. The priority now is to kill that soul beast as quickly as possible."

Chen Xin did not reply, but he nodded and accepted the plan.

They had already approached the Mixed Zone.

Meanwhile, Ning Yao had also arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest.

However, he ran into another group of people.

As he moved between the towering trees, Ning Yao heard faint conversation drifting to his ears.

He extended his spiritual power forward and discovered several very young soul masters.

Four men and three women.

The longer he looked, the more familiar they seemed.

"A rabbit? And Dai Mubai?"

His brows shifted slightly as he curiously looked toward the people several hundred meters away.

He seemed to recognize who they were.

Weren't these the Shrek Seven Monsters from the original story? Except there were only six of them now, because Zhu Zhuqing was absent, while the seventh person was Liu Erlong, who was leading them.

He knew that Yu Xiaogang and Flender had gone to Spirit City.

Still, Ning Yao had not expected to encounter the rest of the protagonist group in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Could it really be such a coincidence?

Curious, he could not help quickening his pace, wanting to see what this group was doing.

He continued until he reached a distance where he could clearly hear their voices.

"Xiao Wu, are you sure there's an herb nearby that can heal Headmaster Flender's injuries?"

Dai Mubai spoke with some doubt.

Xiao Wu had practically dragged them into the Star Dou Great Forest today.

She said she had found an herb in an ancient book that happened to treat Headmaster Flender's condition and could cure him.

As Dai Mubai spoke, the others also turned to Xiao Wu, waiting for her answer.

Liu Erlong was the most confused of them all.

"Yes, Xiao Wu. Why didn't you tell us earlier? Why did you specifically choose a day when neither Xiaogang nor Boss Flender was around?"

That was what confused them most.

After all, they had heard in Heaven Dou City that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had gathered Douluo from all over to enter the Star Dou Great Forest and sweep through the soul beasts in the Mixed Zone.

However, they could not dissuade Xiao Wu, and Tang San insisted on supporting her, so they had taken the risk and come here.

Faced with everyone's questioning gazes, Xiao Wu merely clutched the hem of her clothes, lowered her head, and kept walking forward.

"I... I never expected even the well-informed Master not to know about it."

"Don't worry. It's right ahead. We'll be there soon!"

Xiao Wu retorted.

Medicine? Treating Flender?

Naturally, all of that was a lie. It was merely an excuse to get them to protect her as she headed deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.

Of course, if they did find any medicinal herbs, they could pick some along the way.

But Flender's symptoms were simply too strange. Even as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, she had no idea what had happened to him or what medicine he needed.

As for why she was willing to deceive even Tang San just to come to the Star Dou Great Forest...