As night fell, the Star Dou Great Forest was enveloped in a soft moonlight, appearing exceptionally tranquil.
The campfire roared in the open space, its light illuminating Zhang Lexuan's face and adding a touch of warmth to her cool and aloof features.
Toji sat by the campfire, holding a branch with several pieces of prepared wild boar meat skewered on it.
Their movements were practiced and composed, as if they were already accustomed to wilderness survival.
The wild boar meat sizzled over the fire, its fat dripping into the flames with a soft crackling sound, filling the air with an enticing aroma.
Zhang Lexuan sat to the side, resting her chin on her hands, her eyes glued to Toji Barbecue.
Her eyes held a hint of curiosity and anticipation, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing a faint smile.
"I didn't expect you could grill meat," Zhang Lexuan said softly, a hint of surprise in her voice.
Toji gave a faint "hmm," his gaze remaining focused on the grilled meat.
"My cooking skills are alright; at least I used to cook for myself all the time."
Zhang Lexuan blinked and asked curiously, "Before? But I've never seen you cook before."
Toji didn't answer, but simply handed her the roasted meat:
"Try it."
Zhang Lexuan took the grilled meat, carefully blew on it, and then took a bite.
The meat's outer skin is roasted to a crispy perfection, while the inside remains tender, juicy, and incredibly fragrant.
Her eyes lit up immediately, and she couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:
"Delicious! I didn't expect your grilled meat to smell so good."
Toji watched her eat with relish, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
"If you like it, that's good."
While eating the barbecue, Zhang Lexuan secretly glanced at Toji. The firelight illuminated his profile, softening his otherwise stern face.
A warmth filled her heart, and she couldn't help but say:
" Toji, you seem quite versatile. Not only are you strong, but your cooking skills are also excellent, unlike the boys in the academy..."
What happened to them?
"Compared to you, I think they're incredibly immature," Zhang Lexuan sighed. "I still prefer someone like you—mature, reassuring, and..."
Zhang Lexuan's voice trailed off, until only she could hear it...
Toji glanced at Zhang Lexuan, as if he wanted to say something, but the next second his brows furrowed, as if he had sensed something.
A deep roar followed, and then several dark figures slowly emerged from the woods.
They were a pack of wolf-shaped Soul Beast, their eyes gleaming with an eerie green light in the darkness, clearly drawn by the aroma of roasting meat.
Zhang Lexuan glanced at the group of Soul Beast.
A dozen or so wolf-shaped Soul Beast, each with ten years of cultivation.
"Should I do it?"
Zhang Lexuan prepared to put down the grilled meat she was holding.
Ke Toji remained seated, looking at the wolf-shaped Soul Beast, releasing his aura and gently exhaling.
"Roll."
Upon hearing Toji's voice, the wolf-shaped Soul Beast trembled instantly, their ferocity vanishing in an instant, replaced by deep fear.
They growled a few times, then tucked their tails between their legs and quickly disappeared into the darkness.
Zhang Lexuan put down the grilled meat, dumbfounded.
"Don't be surprised. Sometimes, Soul Beast are more perceptive than humans. They generally won't provoke beings stronger than themselves."
Toji explained the sentence.
"Too."
Zhang Lexuan blinked.
Toji handed her the roasted meat:
"Eat more, we still need to find Soul Beast tonight."
Zhang Lexuan took the grilled meat, a bright smile spreading across her face:
"Um."
It's also on the other side of the outer edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The teachers and students of the Shrek Academy set up camp in an open space, with a bonfire burning brightly. The firelight shone on everyone's faces, making them look especially warm.
Du Weilun sat by the campfire, holding a piece of roasted Soul Beast in his hand, his gentle gaze sweeping over the students around him.
Beside him, several teachers were busy distributing food, while students sat in small groups, chatting quietly.
Han Ruoruo sat by the campfire, holding a bowl of hot soup in her hands, but her gaze was somewhat unfocused.
Her brow furrowed slightly, a hint of worry on her face.
"Senior, what's wrong? Why aren't you eating?" the student sitting next to her asked softly.
Han Ruoruo came to her senses and forced a smile:
"It's nothing, I'm just a little worried about Lexuan."
"She's already level 30. She said she'd join this operation to get her Third Soul Ring, but she didn't show up."
"I'm wondering if Lexuan had something to do that prevented her from coming..."
As Zhang Lexuan's roommate, best friend, and confidante, Han Ruoruo was naturally very worried about Zhang Lexuan.
"Don't worry, by the time she comes back next semester, she might have obtained her Third Soul Ring, and her cultivation level might even be higher than ours."
Han Ruoruo nodded, about to say something, when suddenly a violent fluctuation of Soul Power came from the depths of the forest, followed by a deafening roar.
The people around the campfire fell silent instantly, and all their eyes turned toward the direction from which the sound came.
"What happened?" a student asked nervously.
Du Weilun stood up, his gaze fixed solemnly on the depths of the forest:
"There's the sound of fighting, and it's not far from us."
"I'll go check out the situation first. You all stay where you are and wait. Don't wander off. The Star Dou Great Forest is dangerous, even with your teachers' protection, understand?"
"Understood."
" Teacher Du, let me come along too," Han Ruoruo said quickly, standing up.
After looking at her for a while, Du Weilun thought that with his cultivation level, he could easily roam freely in the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest, so he didn't refuse. It would be good for this core disciple to broaden her horizons.
With Han Ruoruo in tow, they passed through the dense forest and soon arrived at a clearing.
Du Weilun and Han Ruoruo were stunned by the sight before them.
In the open space, Zhang Lexuan was standing next to the corpse of a huge Soul Beast.
She was covered in blood, but had an excited smile on her face.
A purple, Thousand-Year Soul Ring is slowly rising from the corpse of the Soul Beast.
"I succeeded! I successfully hunted down the Thousand-Year Soul Beast all by myself..."
" Lexuan!" Han Ruoruo exclaimed in surprise and ran over quickly.
Hearing the voice, Zhang Lexuan turned around and saw Han Ruoruo and Du Weilun. Her expression stiffened slightly. " Ruoruo, Teacher Du, what brings you here?"
Han Ruoruo ran to Zhang Lexuan's side, looked her up and down, and said with a hint of reproach in her tone:
"You scared me to death! I thought you were in danger."
Zhang Lexuan smiled and said in a relaxed tone, "It's nothing, I was just Soul Hunting beasts. Look, I've successfully killed this Thousand-Year Soul Beast, and I'll be able to absorb its Soul Ring soon."
Du Weilun stepped forward, looking at Zhang Lexuan with a complicated expression. " Lexuan, you killed a Thousand-Year Soul Beast all by yourself?"
Zhang Lexuan nodded in confirmation.
"Yes, it was a bit difficult, but we succeeded at least."
"Although I really want to praise you, your behavior is simply outrageous." Du Weilun frowned. "Do you know how dangerous this kind of behavior is?"
As he finished speaking, Toji's voice rang out again from behind Du Weilun:
"If students don't experience this, they will never grow."
Du Weilun's body stiffened for a moment, his pupils contracted slightly, and cold sweat instantly seeped out on his back. Then he slowly turned around.
Upon seeing it was him again, Du Weilun felt like cursing.
Is it really necessary to be this scary every time?
"We meet again, but you're still the same as last time, completely oblivious to what's behind you." Toji looked at Du Weilun with a blank expression.