"My first soul skill, I named it Razor Bone Thorn. Its effect is to release sharp bone spikes that damage enemies. This soul skill can be used at range or in close combat. When used at range, it fires a large number of bone spikes from my palms to attack distant enemies. In its close-combat form, bone spikes as hard as iron grow from my finger bones, allowing me to fight enemies at close quarters."
As he spoke, Ye An demonstrated both the ranged and close-combat forms of the soul skill for Du Busi and Jin Peng.
Du Busi's gaze lingered briefly on the fifty-centimeter-long sharp spikes growing from the finger bones of Ye An's right hand before he nodded in satisfaction.
The effect of this soul skill might have sounded fairly ordinary, but as a soul skill granted by a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, it was clearly qualified—perhaps even excellent.
The ranged bone spikes covered an extremely wide area, making them difficult for enemies to evade completely. The close-combat spikes were exceptionally hard as well, in no way inferior to some powerful Tool Martial Souls.
"Also, my Soul Power has reached level fourteen."
"Oh?"
Du Busi gave a soft cry of surprise, but quickly understood.
After absorbing their First Soul Ring, ordinary Soul Masters could at most reach level eleven or twelve. But Xiao An had absorbed a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, so gaining another two levels of Soul Power was perfectly normal.
A First Millennium Soul Ring truly was terrifying!
"Alright, it's getting late. We need to leave the Star Dou Great Forest as soon as possible. Otherwise, we'll have no choice but to sleep here tonight."
As soon as he spoke, a rustling sound suddenly came from not far away.
Du Busi frowned slightly and looked toward the sound.
The bushes in the distance shook violently, and then two figures emerged from within. The one in front was a handsome middle-aged man dressed in white, his bearing as upright as a pine. Behind him followed a small figure.
She was a girl who looked to be seven or eight years old, slightly shorter than Ye An. Dressed in red, she watched them with a trace of curiosity in her eyes.
That man was... Yan Shaozhe, the dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department?
Du Busi narrowed his eyes slightly. He quickly recognized Yan Shaozhe, and killing intent abruptly rose in his heart.
The Body Sect and Shrek Academy could absolutely be called mortal enemies. Du Bisi, his elder brother, had been defeated by Mu En and died at Mu En's hands. That grudge could never be easily resolved.
Yan Shaozhe was the dean of the Martial Soul Department. If they could leave him in the Star Dou Great Forest... it would be an enormous loss for Shrek Academy.
Though Du Busi did not state his intentions outright, Golden Body Douluo Jin Peng, who had known him for many years, instantly understood. He shifted his footing slightly, his expression gaining several traces of hostility.
Still, he did not act rashly. Ye An and Zhang Lexuan were behind them, and if a reckless move harmed those two Body Sect geniuses, the loss would far outweigh any gain.
Du Busi was clearly considering the same thing.
With his strength as a level ninety-eight Super Douluo, along with Jin Peng at level ninety-six, taking down Yan Shaozhe would not be difficult. But if they drove Yan Shaozhe to self-destruct... even with both of them present, it would be hard to protect Xiao An and Xiao Xuan without injury.
Unless... Jin Peng took Xiao An and Xiao Xuan away right now, while he stayed behind alone to kill Yan Shaozhe.
On the other side, Yan Shaozhe's expression changed slightly as well.
Not long ago, he had discovered Ma Xiaotao's talent outside the academy and accepted her as his disciple. He had come to the Star Dou Great Forest this time to hunt her First Soul Ring, never expecting to encounter Du Busi of the Body Sect!
Naturally, he knew all too well about the enmity between Shrek Academy and the Body Sect.
At this very moment, Du Busi might even have been calculating how to kill him!
Yan Shaozhe secretly regretted it... but at this point, he could only force himself to speak. "I never expected to encounter Senior Du Busi, the sect master of the Body Sect, here."
"Not long ago, my teacher even mentioned you to me, Senior Du Busi."
Yan Shaozhe could only hope that invoking Mu En's name would frighten Du Busi away.
But... if Du Busi truly attacked and was determined to keep him here, even Mu En would find it difficult to discover who had done it.
Teacher?
That old bastard Mu En wasn't dead yet?
Du Busi's eyes shifted slightly.
After his elder brother Du Bisi fought Mu En, no news of Mu En had emerged for a long time. He had vanished from the continent, and Mu En had never appeared again at Shrek Academy. Du Busi had always believed that Mu En had perished together with his elder brother.
And now... Yan Shaozhe had actually revealed on his own that Mu En was still alive?
Was he trying to scare me away with this? Or... was Mu En truly still alive?
Du Busi lowered his gaze and smiled without warmth. "Oh? How did Mu En mention me to you?"
Mu En?
Ye An, who had never figured out the identities of these two, frowned slightly.
The teacher of this middle-aged man was Mu En, so... he should be Yan Shaozhe?
Then the little girl in red beside him was Ma Xiaotao?
Thinking of the feud between the Body Sect and Shrek Academy, Ye An pulled the somewhat bewildered Zhang Lexuan behind Jin Peng. That way, if Du Busi attacked in a moment, Jin Peng could take Zhang Lexuan and him away immediately.
Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath, forcing a smile. "Teacher said that Senior Du Busi is a renowned powerhouse of this era. Among those of the same rank, few could defeat you, Senior."
As he spoke, Yan Shaozhe shielded the curious Ma Xiaotao behind him.
Du Busi neither confirmed nor denied it, but he had already abandoned the idea of attacking Yan Shaozhe.
First, if Yan Shaozhe self-destructed, Xiao An and Xiao Xuan's safety could not be guaranteed. Second, he did not know whether Mu En was truly still alive.
Though Du Busi was more inclined to believe that even if Mu En lived, he was merely clinging to life... with Ye An and Zhang Lexuan here, the Body Sect was destined to stand at the continent's peak in the future. There was no need for him to take such a risk.
If Mu En truly was alive and in fairly good condition... then should they risk Yan Shaozhe's self-destruction to kill him, the Body Sect and Shrek Academy would undoubtedly clash head-on.
No matter the final outcome, it would not benefit the Body Sect's future development.
Du Busi gave Yan Shaozhe a deep look. Without saying another word, he turned and left with Ye An and Zhang Lexuan.
Jin Peng remained at the rear. After giving Yan Shaozhe a slightly cold look, he too turned and departed.
Only after the figures of Du Busi and Jin Peng gradually disappeared into the distance did Yan Shaozhe quietly let out a breath of relief.
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