Scummy Fox

To build Saint Freya Academy, Lu Jingming had spared no expense, investing hundreds of millions of Gold Soul Coins.

After all, most of the building materials used by the academy had been purchased from the Sun Moon Empire through special channels.

The mimic cultivation chamber in particular had cost a fortune to construct. Its technology was exceptionally advanced, making it priceless.

It was no exaggeration to say that, in terms of its campus environment alone, Saint Freya Academy was no inferior to any other renowned academy.

One sunny day, Lu Jingming strolled through the academy with the Pink-haired Little Fox in his arms.

As he passed by the crystal-clear lake, he casually scattered some food for the golden carp raised within.

The carp swam about merrily, scrambling for the food as ripples spread across the lake. Then, Lu Jingming arrived at the pavilion by the shore.

Jing Liu was sitting atop the pavilion railing, quietly gazing at the sparkling lake. Her eyes were slightly unfocused, as though she were contemplating something.

Meanwhile, Chang Li and Zhang Lexuan sat at the pavilion's stone table, playing chess. Zhang Lexuan's brows were tightly furrowed, clearly trapped in a difficult position and at a disadvantage.

That was only natural. After all, the one who had taught her chess was Chang Li, the very person she was playing against. Chang Li was highly accomplished in the game and had studied it extensively.

Lu Jingming walked over to Zhang Lexuan's side. After taking just one look at the board, he immediately understood that she had been driven into a corner. The situation was dire, and she had almost no chance of turning it around.

Zhang Lexuan helplessly set down her chess piece and sighed softly. "As expected of Sister Chang Li. Compared to you, I still have a long way to go."

Chang Li's lips curved into a gentle smile. "Your chess skills are not weak. I have merely studied it longer and understand the game more deeply. Compared with certain people, you are already quite good." As she finished speaking, she gave Lu Jingming a meaningful glance.

Lu Jingming immediately felt a little embarrassed and instinctively looked away.

Chang Li had once tried to teach him chess as well, but his mind had never been on it. He had only learned the basic rules; as for his actual skill level, it was too embarrassing to mention.

Seeing this, Zhang Lexuan could not help covering her mouth and laughing softly. Naturally, she knew exactly who Chang Li meant by "certain people."

At that moment, Jing Liu had somehow silently appeared beside Lu Jingming. She said flatly, "It seems you're ready. Then let's go."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lexuan hurriedly reminded him, "Jingming, choosing your first Soul Ring is extremely important. You must be careful, and be sure to stay safe out there."

In truth, she knew that with Jing Liu by Lu Jingming's side, there was naturally no need to worry about his safety. Her reminder was simply born of habitual concern.

Chang Li also smiled and waved. "Go early and return early."

She had complete confidence in Jing Liu's strength and was not worried in the slightest. The powerful aura and sense of security Jing Liu gave off put everyone at ease.

"Yip!" The Little Fox seemed to realize that Lu Jingming was going out. She immediately leaped from his arms and landed lightly in Zhang Lexuan's embrace.

She had no intention of leaving with Lu Jingming. There was no delicious Fried Tofu outside, after all. She had no desire to step outside her comfort zone!

Watching the Little Fox abandon him without the slightest hesitation, Lu Jingming's mouth twitched. Just as expected of you, Miko. You're rotten to the core—wherever there's food, that's where your loyalty lies!

Under normal circumstances, obtaining a first Soul Ring was not difficult. Normally, one only needed to find and kill a Soul Beast with compatible attributes in a small Soul Beast forest.

However, Lu Jingming's situation was different. He planned for his first Soul Ring to be at least a thousand years old.

Thousand-year Soul Beasts were already scarce in ordinary Soul Beast forests. Finding one whose attributes happened to meet his needs was even more difficult.

There were not many choices if he wanted to seek out a larger Soul Beast gathering ground. Haiyuan City was a coastal city of the Star Luo Empire, quietly situated at the empire's westernmost edge.

To the north lay the border between the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire, where Maple Leaf Prefecture, a border city of the Heaven Dou Empire, stood.

To the west stretched a vast ocean. Beyond it lay the territory of the Sun Moon Empire.

To the south was the border between the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire—the Mingdou Mountain Range.

This mountain range was steep and treacherous, its peaks rising and falling like a sleeping dragon lying between the two empires.

For many years, it had been the frontline where the border armies of the two great empires faced off. Small-scale conflicts rose one after another and never ceased.

The soldiers of both sides fought back and forth here without end, as if they wanted to beat each other's brains out.

To the east lay the heart of the Star Luo Empire—Star Luo City. This grand and magnificent capital bore the glory and splendor of the Star Luo Empire for ten thousand years.

Traveling east from Haiyuan City, crossing Star Luo City, one could reach the Star Dou Great Forest at the center of the continent.

This forest was boundless, home to countless powerful and mysterious Soul Beasts. It was a place where Soul Masters dreamed of obtaining Soul Rings.

In an ordinary world, Haiyuan City should have possessed limitless prospects due to its uniquely advantageous location.

It had abundant marine resources and stood close to two great empires. Whether for trade or cultural exchange, it possessed exceptional conditions. Developing on this land should not have been difficult.

However, due to various historical conflicts, although the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire had yet to erupt into a full-scale war, small-scale frictions along the border had never stopped.

The border armies of the two great empires had faced each other around the Mingdou Mountain Range for years, and conflicts were constant.

This tense situation made it impossible for Haiyuan City to establish normal maritime trade with the Sun Moon Empire.

Maple Leaf Prefecture of the neighboring Heaven Dou Empire faced the same predicament. The two cities could only barely sustain themselves by relying on the sea.

On Douluo Continent, Sea Soul Beasts far outnumbered land Soul Beasts. Most Sea Soul Beasts lived in groups and were rarely found alone.

Whenever they appeared, they usually came in swarms with overwhelming momentum. Thus, coastal cities across every empire on Douluo Continent often suffered from the harassment of Sea Soul Beasts.

Faced with these ferocious Sea Soul Beasts, the residents of those cities were exhausted from dealing with them and had no time to obtain resources from the ocean to drive their cities' development.

Haiyuan City six years ago had been just such a city, struggling amid hardship.

It was not valued among the Star Luo Empire's many cities, and it had long suffered frequent attacks from Sea Soul Beasts, making development extremely difficult.

Moreover, the city lacked powerful sects and clans to oversee it, leaving its overall strength relatively weak.