Into the Sunset Forest Again

The shadows of the trees are dense on the outskirts of the Sunset Forest.

The Shrek group walked through the forest for half a day without encountering a single suitable Soul Beast. Ma Hongjun used a branch to push aside the bushes in front of him, muttering to himself.

"Boss Dai wants a tiger, Xiao Ao wants one that can enhance Food System attacks, Zhuqing wants Agility Attack, and Third Brother wants a ten-thousand-year-old spider. If the Soul Beast heard our conditions, they would have run away long ago."

Oscar kicked him from behind. "Keep your voice down, or you'll scare away the food."

Flender turned around. "Going into the forest is for your hunting rings, not for hunting and cooking. Fatty, if you mention food again, find your own dinner."

Ma Hongjun immediately fell silent.

The group that entered the forest this time included Flender, Liu Erlong, Zhao Wuji, Qin Ming, and eight members of Shrek. The four substitutes, Tai Long, stayed at the academy to continue familiarizing themselves with the competition rules. Although having more people meant greater safety, it also created more noise, so Tang San had to expand the search area.

The team advanced according to the battle formation. Dai Mubai led the way, Tang San led the way in the middle, Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu scouted the flanks, Ning Rongrong and Oscar walked in the protective circle. Yuan Yu brought up the rear alone. His aura as a level 64 Soul Emperor was not concealed. The Hundred-Year Soul Beast along the way sensed it and retreated from a great distance.

In the morning, a six-thousand-year-old Ironclad Rhinoceros charged towards him, drawn by the scent. Yuan Yu didn't even draw his sword; he simply used Rock Pattern to erect a stone wall in the middle of the road. The Ironclad Rhinoceros smashed through the first layer, and the second layer rose up next. After smashing through six stone walls in a row, it stopped dizzily in front of Yuan Yu.

Yuan Yu raised his hand and patted its forehead. "Want to keep crashing?"

The Ironclad Rhinoceros, panting heavily, turned and walked away. Ma Hongjun wanted to go up and pat it, but it suddenly turned around, startling him so much that he immediately took three steps back. After everyone laughed, they continued on their way, their formation remaining perfectly intact.

He set the standards before he set off.

Dai Mubai needs a tiger-type Soul Beast that combines strength and explosive power, preferably over six thousand years old; Zhu Zhuqing is suitable for speed-type Soul Beast such as Ghost Tiger and Shadow Leopard; Oscar's choice of Food System is the most difficult, and can only be based on specific abilities; as for Tang San himself, his goal has never changed.

The Ancient Earth Cavern Demon Spider

Upon hearing these words, Zhao Wuji frowned again. "You have your fourth Spirit Ring. Even if you've eaten Immortal Herb, no one can withstand the soul impact of Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast for you."

Tang San said, "I know. I've tempered my body in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and the Eight Spider Lances have absorbed a lot of energy. If I don't encounter a suitable Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, I won't force it; but if I do, I want to give it a try."

Liu Erlong walked ahead. "Let's find it first. I'll then determine if you can absorb it."

Yuan Yu didn't make any guarantees for Tang San; he simply tapped the tree trunk beside him with his scabbard.

"If the mistress dares to bring it up, she knows what she's doing. Once we see her, we'll all take down the spider first, and then he can decide the rest himself."

Tang San nodded.

In the afternoon, the wind in the woods suddenly stopped.

Yuan Yu paused, raising his hand to signal the people behind him to stay still. The airflow transmitted by the Wind Pattern was blocked by a large patch of bushes ahead, and the Water Pattern also sensed several damp spots rapidly approaching from the soil.

"There's a group of things coming along, skimming along the ground."

Tang San squatted down to examine the fallen leaves. Underneath the leaves were fresh claw prints, with only three fingers and long claw tips.

"Ring-Tailed Blade Beast. Socially active, fast, its tail can unleash arc-shaped wind blades."

The moment the words left his mouth, the bushes on both sides exploded simultaneously.

A dozen or so gray-black Soul Beast rushed out, their bodies resembling adult hunting dogs, with crescent-shaped bone blades at the ends of their tails. The first three swung their tails in mid-air, sending cyan wind blades flying along the tree trunks, slicing branches and leaves in all directions.

Dai Mubai immediately stepped in front to block the way.

"White Tiger Bodyguard Barrier!"

Golden light enveloped his body, and the first volley of wind blades forced him back two steps. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass rose from the ground, entangling the two Ring-Tailed Blade Beasts, while Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu slashed in from both sides.

Zhu Zhuqing skimmed along the tree trunk, her Nether Hundred Claws striking the tailbone of a Soul Beast, deflecting its wind blades. Xiao Wu, meanwhile, used the Blue Silver Grass for leverage to turn around, and with a Waist Bow, sent the other beast into the air. Dai Mubai caught it with his palm and slammed it into the horde of beasts, instantly knocking down a bunch of them.

Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda lit up with three layers of light.

"Power, Speed, Soul!"

The increases were directed towards Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Tang San. The Blue Silver Grass grew at a sudden acceleration, forming two tripwires along the ground, causing the leading Ring-Tailed Blade Beast to tumble one after another.

Oscar wasn't idle either. He stuffed the Recovery Sausage into everyone's belts in advance, and held the Flying Mushroom Sausage in his hands, ready to take off immediately if the back row was surrounded.

The herd did not stop.

More wind blades pierced through the gaps in the trees, all targeting the rear of the group. Just as Ning Rongrong raised the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Yuan Yu's Sixth Spirit Ring lit up.

"Sea of Misty Clouds"

A light blue-purple Mist spread out, engulfing half the forest. The Ring-Tailed Blade Beast, relying on its eyes and scent to track, immediately lost its way after rushing into the Mist, and its wind blades were deflected by the layers of water vapor, slashing into the open space one after another.

Yuan Yu stood in the mist, drawing his Sun Wheel Blade only with the back of the blade each time.

The Mist obscured the beasts' vision but did not affect the Shrek Seven Devils. Tang San had a wind thread wrapped around his waist left by Yuan Yu beforehand, and each pull would give him direction; the others moved with the Blue Silver Grass, so even if they couldn't see their surroundings, they knew how far away their teammates were.

A nearly four-thousand-year-old Ring-Tailed Blade Beast suddenly leaped onto the treetop, its crescent-shaped tail unleashing five wind blades in succession. The first four blades slashed at the figure in the Mist, but the last one bypassed the tree trunk and went straight for Ning Rongrong's head.

A flash of Lightning Flash appeared beneath Yuan Yu's feet, and he appeared beside her first.

He flicked the Sun Wheel Blade upwards, the wind blade being deflected by the water flow, flying high into the sky close to the blade's edge. He casually flipped the scabbard, and purple and white Lightning shot up the treetops along the path of the wind blade, striking the tailbone of the Soul Beast.

The Ring-Tailed Blade Beast froze and fell from the tree. Dai Mubai caught it and threw it out of the battle circle.

"If you go a little harder, it can be served right away tonight."

"That fat guy will be very happy," Yuan Yu replied.

Ma Hongjun shouted through the Mist, "I heard you!"

A Soul Beast lunged at Oscar from the right, but the back of the blade struck its jaw first, sending it into the bushes. Another beast tried to circle behind Ning Rongrong, but the Rock Pattern beneath its feet rose up, causing it to flip over.

"Three heads on the left, Fatty!"

"They're here!"

The Phoenix Fire Line swept across, forcing the three-headed Soul Beast to dodge to the right. Tang San had already laid out a spider web there; the large blue-green net descended and bound all three beasts together.

The remaining Ring-Tailed Blade Beast realized something was wrong and turned to flee. Yuan Yu didn't give chase; instead, he stirred up fallen leaves with Wind Pattern and slammed them heavily in front of the leading Soul Beast. The Soul Beast was so frightened that it changed direction and led the herd into the dense forest.

The battle ended in less than half an incense stick's time.

Tang San retrieved the Blue Silver Grass and casually counted the number of people. All twelve people were still in formation, and Ning Rongrong and Oscar's clothes were completely intact. In the past, they could handle groups of Soul Beast, but it was difficult to maintain their formation throughout the entire process.

Qin Ming wrote a few lines in the notebook, "The attack was fast enough, but the finish was a bit slow. Zhu Zhuqing pursued too deeply, and Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fire Line almost blocked her retreat."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded and noted it down. Ma Hongjun, unusually, didn't argue, but simply raised his hand at her. "Next time, I'll call first."

"Good."

There were only a few unconscious Soul Beast on the ground, none of which had a suitable age or attribute for anyone. Flender glanced at the dispersing Mist, then looked at Yuan Yu.

"I'm using my Sixth Spirit Ring more reliably than I did three months ago."

"It's just a waste of Soul Power." Yuan Yu sheathed his sword. "Such a large area, if we stay here for too long, we'll get hungry."

Ma Hongjun immediately said, "Dean, he said he can eat if he's hungry, but you deducted my dinner just because I said something?"

"He just finished playing, and you finished playing too?"

Ma Hongjun looked at the three-headed Soul Beast inside the spider web. "I set it on fire."

"Here'll have half a bowl."

Just as the laughter began, a tiger's roar suddenly echoed from the distant mountains.

The heavy sound pierced through the trees, startling several unconscious Ring-Tailed Blade Beast, who struggled even more fiercely. The White Tiger phantom behind Dai Mubai appeared on its own, its gaze locked on the direction from which the sound came.

Tang San walked to a broken tree and touched the claw marks on it.

Four claw marks penetrated deep into the heart of the tree, with pale golden hairs still remaining at the edges.

"The Vajra Tiger King, at least eight thousand years old."

Dai Mubai stretched his shoulders, a fighting spirit rising in his wicked eyes.

"Mine."

The bushes ahead parted slowly.

A pair of dark golden tiger eyes peered out from the forest.