On the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Dense layers of foliage cut the dazzling sunlight into tiny golden flecks, scattering them across a woodland path carpeted with dead leaves.
The occasional cries of low-level soul beasts rang out nearby, lending a hint of danger to the seemingly tranquil forest.
An unkempt old man trudged slowly at the head of the group.
His hair was a tangled mess, hanging loosely over his shoulders, and his robes were smeared with dirt from who knew where. He looked thoroughly disheveled.
An enormous wine gourd hung at an angle from his waist. He swayed as he walked, his steps so unsteady that he looked ready to topple into the roadside bushes at any moment.
Two strikingly beautiful girls followed behind him at an unhurried pace.
The girl on the left was petite and not particularly tall, with long, ink-black hair falling smoothly down her back.
Her eyes held a lively, youthful innocence, and a lingering girlish shyness colored her face. Her figure had yet to fully develop, making her look like a small, delicately fashioned young girl.
By comparison, the girl on the right was considerably taller.
Her long, pinkish-blue hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her matching eyes were crystal clear. Her skin was white as snow, while her exquisite features combined a young girl's softness with an unmistakable air of vigor and sharpness.
Clearly, these three were Xuan Zi, Xiao Xiao, and Wang Dong'er, who had come to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt soul beasts.
Ever since learning that Huo Yuhao had left Shrek Academy, Wang Dong'er had been deeply despondent.
She had spent a long time in that dispirited state, unable to muster enthusiasm for anything, and no longer competed with others as she once had.
In