Millennium Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight shone into the town, the Shrek Seven Devils assembled one after another.

Zhao Wuji checked their numbers and nodded slightly once he confirmed everyone was there.

"Little Monsters, you're about to enter the Soul Beast Range of the Star Dou Great Forest. Let me stress this again: no one is allowed to leave the group without permission during the hunt. Otherwise, once we return to the academy, I'll report it to Dean Flender."

"You all know the Dean's temper. If he finds out, whether you'll get to come next time will be anyone's guess."

"Yes!"

The Shrek Seven Devils answered.

"Good. No time to waste. Let's go."

After half a day of travel, Qin Ye and the others finally reached the dense Star Dou Great Forest.

The instant he stepped into the forest, Qin Ye sensed its rich aura of life. The forest beneath his feet was like an inexhaustible fountain of life, the polar opposite of Slaughter City's dreary surroundings.

"So this is the Star Dou Great Forest? How magnificent."

"Brother Ye? What are you thinking about?"

Xiao Wu leaned close to Qin Ye's ear, her rabbit ears twitching gently as her pink eyes studied him curiously.

"Brother Ye, thank you so much. Thanks to you, my soul power level reached level 30 last night. Soon, I'll be able to obtain my own third soul ring too."

Xiao Wu had come over specifically to thank Qin Ye.

"Really? Congratulations, Xiao Wu. If you spot a soul beast you like later, just tell me. I'll catch it for you."

"N-no need, Brother Ye," Xiao Wu hastily refused. "I-I can hunt for my soul ring myself. I won't trouble you."

Xiao Wu's rabbit ears drooped, as though she were hiding some secret she couldn't reveal.

Of course, Qin Ye knew Xiao Wu didn't need to hunt soul beasts, so he had only been joking.

Qin Ye was about to stroke Xiao Wu's soft rabbit ears when the Heart Demon's warning sounded in his ear.

"Master, be alert. A thousand-year soul beast is approaching from eleven o'clock. It's moving fast!"

Qin Ye immediately turned a serious gaze in that direction, with Zhao Wuji and Tang San following suit.

"Everyone, be careful. Something's approaching."

As Zhao Wuji directed the group, he stole a glance at Qin Ye.

Such keen perception. Is this little fellow's mental power really at a monstrous level?

"Zhu Zhuqing, come up into a tree with me first. Let's see what that soul beast looks like."

"Mm, all right."

Zhu Zhuqing and Qin Ye activated their Nether Civet Martial Souls at the same time and climbed the nearest large tree. From afar, they spotted a serpent with an enormous, fiery-red crest flying just above the ground.

It was none other than the Millennium Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent that had appeared in the original story.

"Everyone, we may have found our target. It's a thousand-year Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent. Oscar, we've found your soul ring."

Qin Ye pointed from the tree.

"Teacher Zhao, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent will reach the spot I'm pointing at in ten seconds. I'll use Heart Demon Interference to disrupt its consciousness. Then immediately apply your Gravity Soul Skill, and we'll take it down."

"All right. I'm ready."

Zhao Wuji chose to trust Qin Ye without hesitation. In his eyes, Qin Ye had always been a dependable boy. Though he was sometimes a little wild, Zhao Wuji had to admit that this was exactly the kind of monster Shrek wanted to cultivate.

Wild enough, driven enough, and cautious enough.

He was the ideal Shrek monster.

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

"Down!"

Qin Ye instantly fixed the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent with a glare, causing the swiftly moving serpent to pause for a moment.

"Third Soul Skill, Gravity Enhancement!"

A gravity halo immediately encircled the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's body, as though a small mountain had materialized atop it.

"Hiss!!!"

The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent instinctively began struggling violently, its body thrashing back and forth.

"Still trying to run? If I, the Immovable Wisdom King, let you escape, I might as well have lived my whole life for nothing."

"Fourth Soul Skill, Position Tracking!"

Zhao Wuji's fourth soul ring settled directly around the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's body like a heavy shackle, immediately stopping its slender body from thrashing.

"Zhu Zhuqing, now! With me!"

"Got it!"

"First Soul Skill, Hell Stab."

"Second Soul Skill, Netherworld Hundred Claws."

Qin Ye and Zhu Zhuqing launched swift attacks from either side, striking the enormous crest atop the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's head.

In the blink of an eye, their attacks swept past!

"Hiss!"

The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent let out an agonized cry. Gravely wounded in an instant, it collapsed to the ground.

"Done."

Qin Ye and Zhu Zhuqing landed together and exchanged a well-timed high five.

"Brother Ye, we're getting more and more in sync. It looks like last night's extra practice really paid off."

The cat tail behind Zhu Zhuqing gently reached around Qin Ye and tickled his back.

"Brother Ye, shall we do it together again tonight? This time, you can't favor Xiao Wu. I'm almost at level 30 too. You need to take care of me as well."

Qin Ye raised his right hand and brushed Zhu Zhuqing's soft, lovely cheek. "I know. What an insatiable little thing. You seem so cold and aloof, Zhu Zhuqing, but I never imagined you'd have so much energy behind closed doors. You've really opened my eyes."

The more Qin Ye looked at Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful, long, black-clad legs, the more he liked them. He wished he could take them in his hands and play with them right away.

"Then I've decided to devour you tonight. Don't admit defeat too soon, or Xiao Wu and Rongrong won't show you any mercy."

"Don't worry. I'll show you, Brother Ye, just how the Hell Spirit Cat keeps the Evil-Eyed White Tiger wrapped around her little finger. Hehe."

Qin Ye gently pinched Zhu Zhuqing's waist before turning to the others behind him.

"Oscar, come get your soul ring. The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent still has a breath left. Just take a dagger and stab its crest, and this soul ring will be yours."

Qin Ye tossed Oscar a dagger. After catching it, Oscar nodded solemnly at him.

"All right, Brother Ye. Thanks. I, Oscar, won't forget this kindness."

Oscar strode toward the dying Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent. It had completely lost the ability to resist and could only lie helplessly on the ground, at their mercy.

Just before Oscar's dagger descended, a sharp shout suddenly came from the woods.

"Stop!"

The next instant, two figures sprang out of the woods, one old and one young, both women.

Both held Snake-Head Scepters, and the older woman had six soul rings around her. Judging by their colors, it wasn't hard to tell that she had already used a soul skill.

Qin Ye's brow twitched slightly as he looked at Snake Granny and Meng Yiran, who had suddenly appeared.

These two got here fast. We were so close to securing it.

Qin Ye secretly clenched his fists and stared coldly at Snake Granny.

Since they've come with ill intent, I'll just have to fight.

Qin Ye didn't want to get bogged down in the Star Dou Great Forest. In his eyes, Dragon Duke and Snake Granny weren't worth winning over either. Since they were bound to come looking for trouble, he wasn't going to indulge them.