Departure

An Chen returned to the dormitory. Oscar was still celebrating his breakthrough to Rank 30, while Tang San was nowhere to be found.

"Brother Pot, Oscar." Little Fatty Ma Hongjun pushed open the dormitory door and barged in. "The Dean said to pack up. Teacher Zhao will take us to the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow to hunt a Soul Beast for Oscar."

An Chen nodded to show that he understood.

Oscar also wore an excited expression.

"Where's Tang San?" Ma Hongjun looked around the dormitory, sounding puzzled. "Remember to remind him."

He was probably on the roof with Xiao Wu, grooming rabbit fur, An Chen thought, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

Soon afterward, Oscar and Ma Hongjun went out to relax, inviting An Chen to join them.

An Chen shook his head. "I'll probably reach Rank 30 tomorrow too. I need to cultivate."

"Alright, then we won't disturb you." With that, Oscar slung an arm around Ma Hongjun and headed out.

Seeing this, An Chen packed the things he would need tomorrow, then sat cross-legged and began cultivating.

It had to be said that although Grandmaster had only broken through to Rank 30 at the age of fifty, the cultivation method he had compiled was genuinely more effective than what the academy taught.

Who knew how much time had passed before there was a crack, as if a thin membrane within his body had shattered. An Chen broke through to Rank 30.

With the important matter settled, An Chen did not spare another thought before dropping onto the bed and falling asleep.

Early the next morning, after breakfast, Zhao Wuji was already waiting when everyone gathered on the Playground.

Upon seeing Zhao Wuji, everyone was somewhat surprised. They wanted to laugh, but did not dare let it out.

Wasn't this your father's doing? And you still dared laugh in front of him? An Chen looked at Tang San, who was desperately holding back his laughter.

Zhao Wuji did look rather miserable. There were fresh bruises on his face, along with a conspicuous black eye. It was no wonder they wanted to laugh.

"What are you looking at, you little brats? Are your hides itching?"

Tang Hao: Looks like your hide is itching too. An Chen's mouth twitched, and he nearly failed to hold it in.

At the words "little brats," Xiao Wu, that Rabbit Spirit, became displeased and muttered, "Why not call them little blind bears?"

Zhao Wuji's ears twitched, and his eyes widened. "Xiao Wu, what did you say?"

Tang San instinctively stepped sideways, waving a hand behind his back at the same time.

When Zhao Wuji saw Tang San, an awkward look crossed his face. Recalling that massive hammer from that night, he did not pursue the matter further. He said to everyone, "Alright, hit the road. Mubai, lead the way."

Dai Mubai nodded, his expression turning solemn at once. He told the others, "The Star Dou Great Forest is no place for carelessness. It is filled with Soul Beasts, and they are extremely aggressive. They have practically no goodwill toward humans. Everyone must be careful. An Chen and Tang San, you two will be at the front. Oscar and Ning Rongrong, behind them. Fatty and Xiao Wu, you two cover the left and right sides. Zhu Zhuqing and I will bring up the rear. Once we enter the forest, maintain this formation and stay alert to the surroundings at all times. Let's move out."

No one had any objections to Dai Mubai's arrangement. Other than a touch of personal bias in placing Zhu Zhuqing at the rear with him, there was nothing wrong with the formation.

Zhao Wuji watched coldly from the side without joining their formation, then left the academy together with the eight students.

Given Flender's stingy nature, there was no chance of having a carriage. The moment they left the academy, everyone began running.

Not long after setting out, everyone began to understand the importance of yesterday's second class.

Thanks to yesterday's lesson, no one was resistant to Oscar's Sausages anymore.

As they continued their journey, even people like An Chen, who had trained his body since childhood, along with Dai Mubai and Tang San, began finding it difficult to keep up.

But with Oscar's Sausages replenishing them, the exertion from running was nothing at all.

The Star Dou Great Forest lay southeast of the Balak Kingdom, with a small portion of it bordering the kingdom. Suotuo City itself was also in the southeastern part of the Balak Kingdom, less than five hundred kilometers from the Star Dou Great Forest.

With Oscar's Sausage supply, they covered more than four hundred kilometers in a single day. By the time night fell, they were already very close to the Star Dou Great Forest.

When they entered Star Dou Town, they found it bustling with activity.

The people here did not make their living through farming or animal husbandry. All kinds of shops related to Soul Masters lined the streets.

There were shops selling weapons, armor, antidotes, and Recovery Potions. Benefiting from their proximity to the Star Dou Great Forest, the town was no less prosperous than some small cities.

At that moment, Zhao Wuji pointed at an ordinary inn ahead and said, "We'll stay here. Rest for the night and leave at dawn tomorrow. You'll handle your own meals and lodging."

Just as expected of Shrek—students had to pay their own way when going out for practical training, An Chen grumbled inwardly.

The inn had two floors. The first floor was a restaurant, while the second provided lodging. Zhao Wuji got a room for himself and went straight upstairs.

After discussing it with everyone, Dai Mubai booked a three-person room and a two-person room for the boys, as well as a three-person room for the three girls.

"Let's eat before resting. I've eaten so much Sausage today that I'm about to throw up," Ma Hongjun said, voicing everyone's thoughts. Even the usually quiet Zhu Zhuqing nodded in agreement.

The eight of them found a table in the corner and sat down.

"Should we ask Teacher Zhao to eat with us?" Tang San asked Dai Mubai.

Dai Mubai shook his head. "No need. When teachers come out with us, they won't pay any expenses for us, but they also won't accept even the slightest favor from us. That's the academy's rule."

Fatty laughed. "That's pretty good. Everything's clearly settled."

Dai Mubai snapped irritably, "Dead Fatty, stop talking nonsense. You order. You're the best eater here."

Ma Hongjun immediately followed up, "So you're treating us today, right? Your stipend is the highest. You're definitely loaded."

Dai Mubai smiled faintly. "Treating everyone is no problem. The fact that we can gather at Shrek to study is fate in itself. I'm the oldest, so let this meal serve as a welcome banquet for the newcomers."

Fatty burst into laughter, the flesh on his round face jiggling. "Great! Don't worry, Boss Dai, I won't be polite and save you any money."

Before long, Fatty proved Dai Mubai's assessment that he was especially capable of eating. He called over a waiter and rattled off more than a dozen dish names in one breath.

The eight of them sat around the same dining table, but the atmosphere was somewhat stiff.

Zhu Zhuqing's expression was indifferent, and she did not say a word. Ning Rongrong kept her head lowered, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

Only An Chen, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun occasionally chatted and joked, barely easing the awkwardness.

Tang San and Xiao Wu found it difficult to blend into the liveliness. One was too deep-minded, while the other was too innocent and unfamiliar with social conventions, completely unable to follow their jokes.

An Chen had originally planned to sit quietly at the side and watch the show, with no intention of involving himself.

But Ma Hongjun, seated beside him, kept nudging him under the table with his foot and repeatedly shooting him meaningful looks. Left with no choice, An Chen finally joined the conversation.

An Chen sighed inwardly. It seemed Fatty truly did not want to see the relationships among his classmates remain so tense.

Ma Hongjun genuinely regarded Shrek as his home and sincerely hoped that they could get along harmoniously.

Just then, a group of people entered through the inn's entrance.

This group carried an arrogant air of superiority. Every one of them held their head high and chest out, their eyes full of disdain when looking at others.

Those should be the teachers and students from Canghui Academy, An Chen thought to himself.

An Chen had guessed correctly. Looking closely, each of them had an azure emblem embroidered on the left shoulder of their clothes. Inside the circular emblem were two large characters: Canghui.