The Shrek Four Dogs Go Soul Hunting, a Man Faced Demon Spider, and Yet Another Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo!

Time flew.

In the blink of an eye, three months passed.

During those three months, Yao Xuan remained at Shrek Academy.

Every day, he took the five girls-Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, Wang Qiu'er, and Qian Renxue-along for leisurely cultivation.

As for Gu Yuena.

During the day, she served as the girls' sparring partner.

At night, she kept Yao Xuan company.

With Yao Xuan's casual pointers and Gu Yuena's personal instruction, the five girls' cultivation and strength steadily improved.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

There were Yu Xiaogang and the "Shrek Four Dogs"-Tang San, Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai, and Oscar.

After three months, Dai Mubai's whip wounds had finally healed.

Ma Hongjun had also climbed off his stretcher, but he was utterly listless and spoke far less, and what he had lost would never come back.

Besides their daily running training, which went on without fail, Yu Xiaogang also ordered them to participate in Soul Fighting at Suotuo City's Great Soul Arena.

In his words, "Actual combat is the best teacher."

This put the Shrek Four Dogs through the wringer, and complaints filled the air.

And so, over those three months.

Tang San's and Oscar's Soul Power both reached a bottleneck.

They needed only one Soul Ring to advance further.

"Dean."

"These students of your disciple have all reached bottlenecks in their Soul Power."

"This disciple would like to take them out on a Soul Hunting trip to obtain Soul Rings."

That day, Yu Xiaogang steeled himself and approached Yao Xuan.

"Go ahead."

Hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, Yao Xuan held his teacup without speaking.

Only after a while did he slowly speak.

Yu Xiaogang froze.

He had prepared a bellyful of words, never expecting Yao Xuan to agree so readily.

"However."

Yao Xuan set down his teacup and added, "I will be going too."

The little trace of joy on Yu Xiaogang's face instantly froze.

But what could he say?

Inside his head, as well as Flender's and Zhao Wuji's, lay the Power of Destruction Yao Xuan had planted.

A single thought could shatter them into scraps scattered across the ground.

"Y-yes, Dean."

In the end, he could only lower his head and answer.

Early the next morning.

The group left Suotuo City, traveled southeast for two days, and arrived at Sunset Forest.

This forest was the largest gathering place for Soul Beasts near Suotuo City.

Mist shrouded it year-round, stretching beyond sight.

"Dean, this disciple thinks it would be more efficient if we split up to hunt for Soul Rings."

Wearing an ingratiating smile, Yu Xiaogang cautiously made his suggestion.

"Fine."

Yao Xuan nodded.

Hearing that word, Yu Xiaogang's heart instantly surged with wild joy.

At last... at last, we can shake off this harbinger of doom!

He hurriedly led his four students toward the other end of the forest.

Watching their retreating figures, Yao Xuan's lips curved.

"I never wanted to travel with you curs in the first place, but since you dared to ditch me? You must be punished!"

He closed his eyes and willed a thought.

In the deepest reaches of Star Dou Great Forest.

A giant ape whose body rivaled a small mountain suddenly opened his eyes.

The next moment.

His figure appeared before Yao Xuan.

It was none other than the Titan Giant Ape-Er Ming.

Looking at Er Ming, who had appeared before him.

Yao Xuan calmly issued several instructions.

Er Ming nodded repeatedly before disappearing into Sunset Forest again.

He headed straight toward Tang San and the others.

At the other end of Sunset Forest.

Yu Xiaogang was leading the four of them cautiously forward.

Suddenly.

The ground beneath their feet began to shake violently.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sounds came one after another, drawing ever closer.

"What... what is that sound?"

Yu Xiaogang's face instantly turned white.

No sooner had he spoken than the woods ahead exploded with a crash.

An enormous creature burst out through the canopy.

He stood over ten meters tall, his entire body covered in dark golden fur.

His eyes were like two lanterns.

"T-the Titan Giant Ape!"

Yu Xiaogang's soul nearly fled his body in fright.

He knew better than anyone what level of Soul Beast a Titan Giant Ape was.

Never mind a level-twenty-nine good-for-nothing like him-even a Titled Douluo would have to weigh their chances.

"Run! Run!"

With a terrified cry, he turned and fled.

Tang San and the others were also scared out of their wits and scattered in all directions.

Amid the panic, Tang San could no longer spare a thought for anyone else.

He plunged into the dense woods and ran desperately forward.

Only after he had run for who knew how long did the rumbling behind him gradually fade.

Tang San braced himself against a tree, gasping for breath.

When he came to his senses, he realized he was lost.

Similar-looking trees surrounded him, and the mist was thick enough to resist dispersing.

Just as he was about to retrace his steps.

A rustling sound came from overhead.

Tang San looked up.

A deathly pale human face hung on a branch above him, facing him directly.

Over three meters long, it had eight legs covered in barbs, sharp as metal and hideously menacing.

It was a Man Faced Demon Spider, a creature known as an evil hunter.

At the sight, Tang San's pupils abruptly contracted.

Just then.

"Hiss-"

A strange sound rang out.

The Man Faced Demon Spider took the initiative to attack.

A strand of white spider silk shot straight at his head.

Tang San rolled across the ground, barely dodging it.

The silk landed on the tree behind him, instantly corroding it into a puddle of thick liquid.

At the sight.

Cold sweat broke out across Tang San's forehead.

This thing's fighting strength was on an entirely different level from the Ghost Vine he had encountered back then!

As he dodged, he drew a Tang Sect Hidden Weapon from his waist-a Zhuge Repeating Crossbow.

The Man Faced Demon Spider was incredibly fast.

Several of its lunges nearly caught him.

Relying on Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Tang San barely managed to hold his own.

A barb on the spider silk had already sliced a cut across his arm.

Finally.

The Man Faced Demon Spider missed another lunge and landed in the clearing before him.

Now!

Tang San pulled the trigger.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Over a dozen bolts burst from the repeating crossbow, every one of them sinking into the Man Faced Demon Spider's abdomen.

"Screee-!"

The Man Faced Demon Spider let out a piercing shriek, struggled a few times, and crashed to the ground.

Tang San dropped onto his backside, panting heavily.

Only after taking a good while to recover did he stand and walk over to the Soul Beast's corpse.

The next moment.

A Soul Ring slowly rose from the corpse.

A purple one.

As Tang San looked at the purple Soul Ring, his eyes instantly lit up.

A Thousand-Year Soul Ring!

It was stronger than his previous two rings by who knew how much.

Suppressing his wild joy, he sat cross-legged and began drawing the Soul Ring toward him.

Just then.

Tang San's mind suddenly went blank, and then he passed out.

Meanwhile, on a distant height.

"Ah, Little Sanzi, trying to merge with a Thousand-Year Soul Ring is still too painful. Since I'm kind, I'll bestow another Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo Soul Ring on you!"

"Collect a few more, and perhaps you can pole-vault your way up to the Divine Realm!"

Yao Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, watching Tang San in the distance, his lips lifting slightly. Then he raised a hand and pointed.

On the other side.

More than half a day later.

Tang San slowly opened his eyes and released his Soul Rings, his heart full of anticipation.

The next moment, he was utterly dumbstruck once again!