A Chance Encounter with Feng Xiaotian, Huo Wushuang, and Huo Wu

But they generally weren't easy to find.

After they split up, Teacher Zhao Wuji led the six Shrek students into the outskirts of the volcanic region to search.

The volcanic region was fairly well known, and before long, they came across other Soul Beast hunting parties.

Most of those parties knew better than to get close. The moment they sensed people ahead, they steered clear to avoid trouble.

After all, when two hunting parties met, conflict was hard to avoid.

As the Shrek group continued their search, they soon encountered a different kind of party.

Its leader was also a Soul Sage, accompanied by three young people.

Two young men and one young woman.

The moment Lin Hao saw their hair, he had a vague idea who they were.

The three were surrounding a thousand-year Soul Beast shaped like a male lion, while the Soul Sage stood behind them to keep watch.

Clearly, the Soul Sage wanted to sharpen their combat skills.

Both young men were Soul Elders. Judging by her aura, the young woman was on the verge of becoming one too. It seemed this Soul Beast was meant to provide her third Soul Ring.

Normally, when one hunting party came upon another in the middle of a hunt, they would simply go around.

But the thousand-year fire-attribute Soul Beast, which had been pinned down, suddenly erupted. A ring of fire burst from its body, scorching everything around it and blocking the two Soul Elders' Soul Skills.

It seized the chance to break out of their encirclement.

As the Soul Beast unleashed the fiery shockwave, one of the Soul Elders, a young man with short silver-white hair, immediately shouted a warning to the girl.

"Huo Wu, look out!"

Hearing Huo Wu's name made Lin Hao even more certain who the three young people were.

But once the Soul Beast escaped, it fled straight toward Lin Hao.

Talk about bad luck.

Lin Hao instantly summoned his Heavenly Blade martial soul.

"First Soul Skill: Vajra Slash!"

He swung the Heavenly Blade at the Ringflame Flame Lion, which had over sixteen hundred years of cultivation.

The strike left the fleeing beast gravely wounded. It had already been badly hurt to begin with.

After that single blow, Lin Hao made no move to attack again.

Instead, he looked toward the young woman among the three—Huo Wu.

"Hey, you! The one about to become a Soul Elder! Hurry up and absorb your third Soul Ring. Any longer and it'll die."

The red-haired Soul Sage waved Huo Wu over.

"Huo Wu!"

He then cupped his fists toward Zhao Wuji and introduced himself.

"Greetings, friend. I'm Huo Lie, dean of Blazing Fire Academy."

Zhao Wuji returned the gesture.

"I'm Zhao Wuji, vice dean of Shrek Academy."

The two exchanged pleasantries and compliments.

Meanwhile, Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Feng Xiaotian reached the fallen Ringflame Flame Lion.

Huo Wu drew a dagger and drove it into the beast's head, then began absorbing its thousand-year Soul Ring.

Eyes gleaming, Huo Wushuang turned to Lin Hao.

"I'm Huo Wushuang of Blazing Fire Academy. Thank you for holding back just now, my friend."

"Not at all. It was your target, and you were about to take it down. I only landed the final blow."

The silver-white-haired young man in a black mask spoke up.

"I'm Feng Xiaotian of Godwind Academy. Whatever the case, thank you."

The name settled it for Lin Hao. This was the man born with Innate Full Soul Power who would have only four Soul Rings at twenty-four. Lin Hao couldn't imagine how he had managed to cultivate so slowly.

Catching Lin Hao's strange look, Feng Xiaotian asked, puzzled, "What's wrong, friend? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's nothing. I'm Lin Hao of Shrek Academy. Just call me Lin Hao."

That only made Feng Xiaotian want to press him further. There was obviously something on his mind.

"Then, Lin Hao, can you tell me why you looked at me that way?"

"Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Feng Xiaotian nodded.

Lin Hao gave a resigned nod.

"All right."

"Feng, I've heard of you."

"Your Gale Two-Headed Wolf is a beneficially mutated martial soul, and you were born with Innate Full Soul Power."

"But some of the things you've done are... well..."

"And you're nearly twenty now, aren't you? Your Soul Power is far too low. With Innate Full Soul Power, you've only reached the thirties."

When the other five Shrek students heard that Feng Xiaotian had been born with Innate Full Soul Power yet was still only in the thirties at nearly twenty, they gave him odd looks.

"With your talent, you should be at least level forty-five by now. Instead, you've wasted it developing a Self-Created Soul Skill."

"Feng, take my advice and focus on cultivating. Don't waste your gifts."

"You're twenty now. The next Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament is in four years, when you'll be twenty-four—still young enough to compete."

"I hope that when we meet in the arena at that tournament, you'll have become a five-ring Soul King."

Feng Xiaotian grew quieter with every word. It was true: his cultivation was too low. He had spent too much time pursuing Huo Wu and developing his Self-Created Soul Skill.

Just then, Flender arrived carrying a Fire Luan Bird with over eight hundred and fifty years of cultivation.

He tossed it down beside Ma Hongjun.

"Hongjun, your second Soul Ring. Kill it and absorb the ring."

As Ma Hongjun drew his dagger, Lin Hao called out a reminder.

"Fatty, don't forget what I told you!"

Ma Hongjun looked up and nodded firmly.

"Got it, Brother Hao."

Once Ma Hongjun began absorbing the Soul Ring, Flender went over to chat with Huo Lie.

An hour and a half later, Huo Wu finished absorbing her third Soul Ring and woke first.

She thanked Lin Hao, then left with Huo Lie.

Another hour passed before Ma Hongjun finished absorbing his second Soul Ring.

As the Soul Power around him slowly settled, Ma Hongjun opened his eyes and looked around. Only the Shrek group remained; the other hunting party had left. At that, he burst out laughing.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!"