The next day, Zhu Ziyang and his companions searched the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest for spirit beasts suitable for Jiang Nan Nan, Bei Bei, and Xu Sanshi's new spirit rings. At the same time, they also kept an eye out for the Celestial Vine that Xu Jiujin desired.
By afternoon, they encountered a Golden Earth Dragon, a soul beast of exactly fifteen thousand years. For Bei Bei, who needed a fifth ring, it was a perfect match.
"Attack!" Zhang Yuexuan commanded, though she herself did not move. For her, an eighty-seventh-rank Soul Douluo, a soul beast under twenty thousand years wasn't worth lifting a finger. The battle would fall to the others.
Those others were obvious: Bei Bei, since it was his spirit ring, and Jiang Nan Nan, Xu Sanshi, Huo Yuhao, and Xu Jiujin. Of the seven, only Zhu Ziyang and Zhang Yuexuan refrained from striking.
In truth, sending five people against a mere fifteen-thousand-year Golden Earth Dragon was overkill. The poor beast died without ever understanding why its end was so tragic.
Once the fight ended, Bei Bei immediately began absorbing its spirit ring. At the same time, he performed the secret method Mu En had left him. After a sequence of mysterious gestures and adjustments that left the others stunned, the Golden Earth Dragon's ring fused into him successfully. As expected, Bei Bei also inherited part of Mu En's legacy.
One of Mu En's three ultimate techniques: Dragon Emperor's Evil-Breaking Slash!
This was excellent news for Shrek Academy. It meant that in years to come, the Academy would again possess a Dragon God Douluo wielding the Bright Holy Dragon Martial Soul. For Shrek's enemies—especially evil soul masters—this was nothing short of disastrous, for the Evil-Breaking Slash and Dragon Emperor Domain had been created specifically to counter them.
On the third day, fortune seemed to smile again. In the depths of the forest, they discovered a twenty-thousand-year Celestial Vine. Xu Jiujin's delight was plain for all to see.
But there was a problem. The Celestial Vine was already claimed—by a fearsome Purple Aurora Mink with cultivation of fifty thousand years. Shock and excitement surged in equal measure among Zhu Ziyang's group. The shock came from encountering such a rare and powerful beast; the excitement from the fact that this Purple Aurora Mink was perfectly suited for Jiang Nan Nan's sixth ring.
The Purple Aurora Mink was a rare, top-class soul beast. Its entire body gleamed with amethyst scales, pure and translucent like crystal, radiating an extraordinary luster. Though its form was tiny—barely fifty centimeters even at the ten-thousand-year level—its speed was blinding, moving like a streak of aurora light, impossible to follow with the naked eye.
"Split up. I'll take the mink with Ziyang. The rest of you handle the Celestial Vine," Zhang Yuexuan ordered.
"Yes!" the five others answered at once before moving into position.
Zhang Yuexuan and Zhu Ziyang rushed toward the Purple Aurora Mink. Their plan was to strike before it realized their presence, pinning it down before the fight even began.
"Moon Suppression!" Yuexuan's fourth soul skill flared instantly, sending a beam of moonlight imbued with binding power at the mink.
But in a blink, the creature sensed danger and darted out of range. Its speed was as terrifying as its reputation claimed.
Yet it was futile.
Zhu Ziyang's left eye glowed silver, and suddenly, time itself froze. The Celestial Vine's writhing tendrils halted midair. The Purple Aurora Mink, whose speed had left only afterimages, now stood fully revealed, locked in place.
Against frozen time, all agility was meaningless.
Moon Suppression struck, followed immediately by Yuexuan's fifth soul skill—Moon Blade—which sliced away the mink's hind legs, leaving it crippled and unable to flee.
Had this been a hundred-thousand-year beast, perhaps time itself would have been too fragile to hold it. But this creature had neither the speed nor the cultivation to defy such power. Its fate was sealed.
In three steps, Zhu Ziyang closed the gap. Just as time resumed, he seized the struggling mink by its forelimbs and struck once with overwhelming force, knocking it unconscious.
Meanwhile, on the other side, five-on-one against the Celestial Vine ended swiftly. The ancient plant was cut from its roots, its vitality vanishing. Though another vine might grow there in decades or centuries, its twenty-thousand years of accumulation now belonged to humans.
Xu Jiujin immediately began absorbing the Celestial Vine's spirit ring, while Zhu Ziyang laid the limp Purple Aurora Mink before Jiang Nan Nan.
"Nan Nan, it's yours."
"Mm!" Jiang Nan Nan replied firmly. She struck cleanly, ending the beast's life before sitting cross-legged to begin absorption.
A fifty-thousand-year ring would have been impossible for most Soul Emperors. But Jiang Nan Nan was no ordinary Soul Emperor. Her Taiyin Jade Rabbit Martial Soul granted her a resilient body, and with years of rigorous training, she had already taken a twenty-five-thousand-year fifth ring. Though difficult, a fifty-thousand-year sixth ring was well within her limits.
As Jiang Nan Nan and Xu Jiujin immersed themselves in absorption, the others turned their focus to the corpses.
Astonishingly, the Purple Aurora Mink yielded no soul bone, despite being an animal-type beast with high cultivation. But the Celestial Vine—a plant-type soul beast, which had barely a tenth the usual chance—produced a soul bone, and not just any soul bone, but a rare torso bone.
The group exchanged bewildered glances. Should they be grateful for their luck or simply dumbfounded?
"Yuexuan-jie, you decide," Bei Bei said, handing the bone over reluctantly. He had thought to gift it secretly to Tang Ya, but Shrek's rules were clear: soul bones went first to the one who gained the corresponding spirit ring. If they did not need it, then the group decided. If no one wanted it, the Academy would handle it.
But Xu Jiujin was a special case—she was not truly a Shrek student.
"This…" Zhang Yuexuan hesitated briefly, then sighed. "Let's follow the rules. If Jiujin doesn't need it, we'll decide as a group."
"Agreed," the others nodded. None were surprised—this was exactly Yuexuan's character.
An hour later, Xu Jiujin finished her absorption. She opened her eyes, joy shining in them. "Everyone, thank you so much!"
"You're welcome," Zhang Yuexuan said warmly. "This was what we should do."
"Judging by your smile, you got quite the soul skill. Care to share?" Zhu Ziyang asked with a grin.
"No problem," Xu Jiujin laughed. "My sixth soul skill is called Star Chains. It summons a chain of light that can link up to five allies together. While linked, our defense increases, and any damage taken by one is evenly distributed among all."
"What a powerful support ability!" Xu Sanshi's eyes lit up. As a defense-type soul master, he immediately saw the value. "With this and my Xuanwu Substitution, I could tank ten Bei Beis at once!"
"Oh? Is that so? Then we'll test it when we return!" Bei Bei shot back with a dangerous smile.
"No wonder the Star Crown Martial Soul can rival the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda," Zhang Yuexuan praised. Then she revealed the gleaming green torso bone. "Jiujin, look."
"Is that… a soul bone?" Jiujin gasped.
"Yes," Zhang Yuexuan confirmed. "A torso bone from the Celestial Vine. By Shrek's rules, it belongs to you. Whether you absorb it or pass it on is your choice."
"I…" Xu Jiujin hesitated only briefly before nodding. "I'll absorb it myself."
"Very well. Absorb it now—we'll protect you. And rest assured, we'll keep this matter secret, sworn on Shrek Academy's honor," Yuexuan said kindly.
The others had no objections. Though Bei Bei looked a little regretful, he still voiced his support.
With gratitude in her eyes, Xu Jiujin sat and began absorbing the Celestial Vine's torso bone.
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