The academy teacher, Du Weilun, felt his mouth twitch violently.
Watching Neuvillette's calm, deliberate movements, he started to wonder—was this young man really severe? Truly worthy of the title Holy Son, he had elevated the team's upper limit to an unbelievable level.
Neuvillette's expression remained composed, his gaze drifting toward the core of the forest.
"You have two choices. The first—leave this place."
For a long moment, silence stretched—until a deep, rumbling voice suddenly echoed from within the forest.
"Human, your arrogance knows no bounds…"
"This is the territory of soul beasts. Don't think that just because you have a powerful elder behind you, you can do whatever you want.
High atop an ancient tree, Elder Xuan was sprawled lazily on a thick branch. He tore into a roasted chicken, washed it with fine wine, and patted his stomach with a satisfied sigh.
Hearing the voice coming from not far away, he chuckled.
"This soul beast… too young. It's never tasted Neuvillette's punishment."
"Who's protecting whom is still uncertain…"
"If a real fight breaks out, I'll probably have to hold that kid back instead."
He muttered, "Such rich dragon blood… second only to Di Tian and Zi Ji in the Star Dou Great Forest."
"The Abyssal Demon Dragon… so, another hundred-thousand-year beast has appeared. It has reason to be arrogant, but crossing paths with that monster? Bad luck for it."
Muttering a few more words, Elder Xuan rolled over and ignored the matter, soon slipping into light snores.
The next instant, a faint black mist spread across the sky.
Before the group's eyes, countless ancient trees toppled with deafening crashes as an enormous figure emerged.
Gigantic wings slowly unfurled as the monstrous dragon loomed before Neuvillette. Its grotesque head lowered slightly, and a pair of jet-black vertical pupils locked onto the humans below—insignificant insects in its eyes.
The Shrek students collectively paled, terror etched across their faces.
Never had they expected such misfortune—encountering a soul beast of this caliber in the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest!
"This is… the Abyssal Demon Dragon. An adult reaches twenty meters—already a ten-thousand-year beast. But this one… It's a hundred meters long. Could it be… the Hell Demon Dragon spoken of only in ancient records?"
Wang Lang's face went deathly pale as he craned his neck to take in the towering figure.
"A hundred-thousand-year soul beast…"
A sovereign of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Why was such a being here…?
Several students' legs trembled uncontrollably.
This was a genuine hundred-thousand-year soul beast! Even its unintentional aura was enough to make Shrek Academy's proud geniuses stagger on the verge of collapse.
"What do we do…"
Ma Xiaotao's eyes shone with rare solemnity as she looked up at the fearsome beast whose shadow blotted out miles of forest. Her fair hands clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"Boy, do you still dare repeat what you just said?"
The Hell Demon Dragon sneered at the trembling "ants" below, throwing its head back in booming laughter before fixing its mocking gaze on the figure standing at the front—Neuvillette.
It was amusing, curious even, to see how pathetic this human would become.
Yet just as everyone turned their desperate eyes toward Neuvillette, he let out a soft sigh.
"Why is there always someone so eager to throw their life away…"
He really didn't need another spirit ring.
Straightening his tall frame, Neuvillette gazed up at the Hell Demon Dragon, its massive form reflected in his eyes. Black mist curled faintly around him, lending his presence the aura of a messenger from the underworld.
Suddenly, his gaze flickered. His eyes swept over the crowd until they landed on a girl whose face had turned slightly pale. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
This shared spirit link… it may not help much, but at least it shows her earnest heart. I'll accept it.
Lifting his head toward the looming beast, his voice came calm and steady.
"Even if your clan leader, Zi Ji, stood here today, my words would still hold."
"You… you know our clan leader?"
The Hell Demon Dragon's vertical pupils widened with a flash of doubt, then it burst into mocking laughter.
"Human, you truly are arrogant… Even if you have a powerful elder behind you, I should at least teach you a lesson you won't forget—"
But in the next moment, its laughter froze. Terror spread across its monstrous features as its gaze snapped back to Neuvillette.
The tip of his staff tapped the ground.
A surge of aura erupted from his body without restraint.
Purple, purple, black, black, black, red, red, red—eight spirit rings rose in sequence from beneath his feet.
The eighth ring shone especially bright, etched with four faint golden patterns that made the Hell Demon Dragon's pupils constrict violently.
Neuvillette stood there, staff in hand, his expression calm as he fixed his gaze on the beast above.
Thunderclouds thickened in the heavens. The sky roared with thunder, lightning surging like enraged serpents across the clouds.
A vast rift tore open in the heavens.
From within it emerged a colossal dragon—its massive head, powerful limbs, and body covered in deep azure scales that gleamed in ordered rows.
Descending from the sky, this blue dragon carried an aura even more terrifying than the Hell Demon Dragon itself. It floated solemnly above Neuvillette, radiating unmatched majesty.
"Cough… cough…"
After a long silence, the Hell Demon Dragon swallowed hard, its gaze fixed nervously on the tall, commanding figure below.
Its voice came out awkward, almost hesitant.
"Can I ask… what was your second option?"
(End of Chapter)