Zhang Lexuan continued, "As for the soul beast you need, don't worry. Ruoruo and I will help you bring it back to the academy."
Bring the 30,000-year-old Silver-breast back to the academy?
To be honest, it might be a little difficult. After all, the two of them still have to fight an 80,000-year-old soul beast to obtain Han Ruoruo's eighth soul ring. After that, their remaining combat power would likely be very limited.
While they might be able to kill the 30,000-year-old Silverbrave Beast, capturing it alive would be a different challenge altogether. Moreover, it's not even certain if the Silverbrave Beast is truly 30,000 years old.
In the original story, Qiu'er clearly stated that there should be more than one Silverbrave Beast in the Star Dou Forest, but their numbers are scarce, and they all reside in the core area.
Even the Silverbrave Beast that Qiu'er encountered gave her a hard time. Keep in mind, Qiu'er's true form is a Three-Eyed Golden Lion, possessing the dual extreme attributes of fire and light.
Despite her cultivation being only 15,000 years, she can rival ordinary 100,000-year-old soul beasts.
This alone shows that the Silverbrave Beast is not to be underestimated, especially its innate soul skills, which are highly unpredictable.
With Xuan Zi secretly protecting them, it's safe to say they're fully buffed. Huo Yuhao believes that something significant is bound to happen during their time in the Star Dou Forest.
Looking at Zhang Lexuan's beautiful face beside him, her black hair cascading down to her slender waist, calm yet graceful, Huo Yuhao spoke firmly, "Senior Sister Lexuan, don't underestimate my strength. It's better for me to choose my own soul beast. You can't just push me aside like this."
"Yuhao's Spirit Eye martial soul is extraordinary, Lexuan. You're overthinking it," Han Ruoruo chimed in at the right moment.
Indeed, Huo Yuhao's spiritual soundproof barrier only covered Chu Qingtian. After all, it's better to guard against villains than gentlemen.
"Senior Sister Ruoruo is right. My Spirit Eye martial soul is quite special. Even at night, it can detect movements from a distance," Huo Yuhao added, deliberately amplifying the fluctuations of his spiritual detection so that Zhang Lexuan could sense it.
'So, he had been releasing his spiritual power all along! It seemed his control is far superior to mine.'
Zhang Lexuan looked at Huo Yuhao in surprise, her beautiful eyes blinking.
Then, her eyes lit up as she realized something she had overlooked before. "So that's it. Yuhao, your earlier actions were deliberate, guiding us all along. No wonder this soul ring hunt has gone so smoothly."
She gazed at Huo Yuhao deeply. "Your spiritual power is very strong, but your acting skills still need some work."
This junior's talent was even more extraordinary than she had imagined.
No wonder he was chosen to succeed Elder Mu En as the new heir of the Sea God Pavilion. Thinking of this, a relieved smile bloomed on her face once more.
Han Ruoruo couldn't help but cover her mouth with her right hand. "Alright, Brother Yuhao, you're so secretive. How many things are you hiding from us?"
"Actually, just a little," Huo Yuhao replied, making a gesture with his right hand—clenching his fist, then extending his index finger and thumb, leaving a slight gap between them. A fingertip universe!
Zhang Lexuan spoke solemnly, "Alright, you two rest first. I'll take the first watch. Ruoruo, you'll take the second half of the night."
Huo Yuhao raised an objection. "I can keep watch with Sister Ruoruo during the second half."
"Fine, but you must promise me to meditate properly now and get enough rest. We can't afford to be careless in the Star Dou Forest."
"Understood, Sister Lexuan."
The night passed without incident. Soon, it was Huo Yuhao and Han Ruoruo's turn to take over the watch.
…
[Han Ruoruo]
[Relationship: Close Friends]
[Achievement Task: Eighth Soul Ring]
During their occasional exchanges in the library, Huo Yuhao and Han Ruoruo had developed a fairly good relationship.
Among the reckless group at Shrek Academy, they were rare "intellectuals," and their conversations were endless. Even for this close friend, Huo Yuhao didn't intend to leave easily.
He had already completed two of Han Ruoruo's tasks. The next task would be the third, and the reward would likely be at least a third-level Gu worm.
Third-level Gu' worms were one of Huo Yuhao's main sources of combat power. For instance, the construction of his killing moves was restricted by his own strength, and they were usually initiated by third-level Gu worms.
Aside from some auxiliary Gu worms, second-level and below Gu worms were merely supplementary for Huo Yuhao now. Only third and fourth-level Gu worms were truly suitable for him.
For example, the third-level Frost Rain Moon Gu he obtained from Zhang Lexuan, when combined with his extreme ice attribute, could unleash moon blade attacks with the power of a Soul Emperor.
And this was just a normal attack, as the consumption of activating the Frost Rain Moon Gu was negligible with the assistance of the third-level Tianyuan Baolian (Tianyuan Treasure Lotus Gu).
Even a Soul Saint would find the endless barrage of icy moon blades unbearable.
…
The night was silent.
Han Ruoruo spoke first. "Yuhao, thank you for volunteering to keep watch with me."
Huo Yuhao nodded. "It's nothing. Why don't you think about the eighth soul ring you want? Is there a soul beast that matches your attributes?"
"The eighth soul ring," Han Ruoruo paused, then continued, "Personally, I'd prefer a soul beast over 80,000 years old, but soul beasts of that level are strong enough to rival Titled Douluos. I suppose ordinary soul beasts would work too, as long as they have metal and water attributes and are suitable. I'm not too picky."
Huo Yuhao made a suggestion. "Actually, if we can't handle it, we can always ask Vice Dean Cai to step in. That's probably one of the reasons she's here."
"True, but I'd rather not resort to that," Han Ruoruo shook her head. "I don't want any juniors getting injured, or worse, dying during the process of obtaining soul rings."
"It's common for soul masters to get injured while hunting for suitable soul rings. Senior Sister, don't worry," Huo Yuhao paused, then added, "Besides, Sister Lexuan will likely send them back tomorrow. With only the three of us remaining, our mobility will be much higher. If we can't defeat a soul beast, we can always retreat."
"Alright, you're calling me Senior Sister again instead of Sister Ruoruo? I didn't expect you and Lexuan to be so close."
Han Ruoruo raised an eyebrow. Though her tone was calm, Huo Yuhao sensed the underlying question.
"It's just a normal senior-junior relationship," Huo Yuhao replied vaguely, completely oblivious.
"Really?" Han Ruoruo pressed further.
She and Zhang Lexuan had known each other for years, but she had never seen Lexuan act the way she did yesterday.
"Maybe?" Huo Yuhao sounded unsure.
"Yuhao, you should be more confident."
"Well, maybe I'm just good at making friends."
"Ah?"
The night was still long. Perhaps it was time to meditate?
…
Early Morning
Wu Ming's absorption of the seventh soul ring went smoothly. As she stood up, his features had become more refined, her skin glossier, and her eyes shone with a golden light.
Two yellow, two purple, and three black soul rings—the perfect combination for a Soul Saint—rose around her.
Chu Qingtian was the first to congratulate him. "Congratulations, Senior Sister Wu Ming, on becoming a Soul Saint! And Senior Sister, you've become even more beautiful after absorbing the soul ring. It seems the Giant Earth King suits your Golden Crow perfectly."
Wu Ming's eyes lit up as he looked at the others. "Have I really become more beautiful?"
It's natural to love beauty, and even someone as carefree as Wu Ming was no exception.
Huo Yuhao nodded. "There's definitely a change."
In terms of shamelessness, he was still far behind Chu Qingtian.
Wu Ming laughed heartily, stepping forward and patting Huo Yuhao's shoulder vigorously. "Yuhao, I want to thank you again for your help. From now on, if anyone in the inner court dares to mess with you, I'll take care of them! Next, your fourth soul ring is on me. I want to test the power of a Soul Saint too."
Chu Qingtian also thumped his chest. "That's right, Junior Brother Yuhao! The soul beasts you need will be taken care of by us. My leopard claws won't let you down!"
Though Jiang Nannan and Dugu Yun were somewhat helpless, they still voiced their support.
Huo Yuhao smiled but said nothing.
'Are you sure you can handle a 30,000-year-old Silverbrave Beast?'
Seeing the harmonious scene before her, Zhang Lexuan smiled slightly. She was pleased to see such camaraderie.
Shared adversity was the best way to strengthen bonds.
…
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Thanks to the storage soul guide, food wasn't an issue. However, living in the dangerous mixed area—or even the core area—of the Star Dou Forest was still stressful and exhausting.
It was precisely because of this constant danger that everyone's cooperation had become more seamless. Fighting together in such a perilous environment was undoubtedly the best training.
Huo Yuhao had successfully integrated himself into the group, thanks to his timely abilities.
When measuring a soul master's future potential, personal strength wasn't the only factor. Teamwork and character were equally important.
It was difficult for someone with a solitary personality to achieve great things, but those who were sociable often found help when needed. To gain support, one first needed good relationships.
Huo Yuhao was clearly well-liked. Zhang Lexuan was truly grateful that the academy had students like him.
"Alright, Wu Ming, if you want to test your martial soul avatar, do it back at the academy. In the Star Dou Forest, except in emergencies, don't use it recklessly. After using it, you'll be weakened for a period of time."
After calming Wu Ming down, Zhang Lexuan continued, "Wu Ming, Chu Qingtian, you two should take Jiang Nannan and Dugu Yun back to Shrek Academy before dawn. Leave the rest to me and Ruoruo."
"Yes, Senior Sister." Though reluctant, Wu Ming and Chu Qingtian agreed.
The two junior sisters were clearly exhausted, and it wouldn't be wise to push them further.
Huo Yuhao agreed with the decision. In fact, he even felt that having only two inner court disciples escort them might be risky. So, he suggested that Vice Dean Cai accompany them back.
After considering Huo Yuhao's suggestion, Cai Mei'er nodded. "Alright, I'll escort them back. I'll return soon. You three, be careful."
After all, they were still in the core area. Caution was necessary.
Moreover, in her opinion, Huo Yuhao and the others were under the secret protection of Elder Xuan. There shouldn't be any problems!
…
[I've just launched a new fanfiction project titled Protagonist's Mother Is My Wife.
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From chapters 31: Exclusive to Patreon paid members.]
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