Days flowed by peacefully in Heaven Dou City. While steadily cultivating according to his routine, Marco closely monitored the movements of those who had entered Blue Tyrant Academy (now Shrek Academy) through the informants Osler had arranged. The initial reports showed nothing unusual—the Shrek group seemed to have settled in, engaging in daily training without any special activities during their occasional outings.
Just as Marco was beginning to believe that the absence of the Immortal Herb had indeed caused an impact, Osler brought new information: Ma Hongjun had broken through to the thirtieth rank, and the entire Shrek Academy faculty and students were preparing to head to Sunset Forest to hunt for his third Soul Ring, escorted personally by the Golden Iron Triangle and Zhao Wuji.
Hearing this, a glint flashed in Marco's eyes. The location had changed from Star Dou Great Forest to Sunset Forest, but the crucial event of "hunting for a Soul Ring" had still occurred. He was almost certain that this seemingly ordinary Soul Beast hunt would not proceed quietly. After giving a brief instruction, he quietly left Heaven Dou City. With his exceptional stealth skills, he easily tracked the Shrek group's trail, following them from a distance like an invisible observer.
On the outskirts of Sunset Forest, the Shrek group was resting in a relatively open clearing. The atmosphere was more serious than usual, given the purpose of hunting a Soul Ring for their companion, but the young ones still radiated energy.
"Fatty, not bad! Reaching the thirtieth rank without a sound!" Oscar nudged Ma Hongjun with his elbow, wearing his usual teasing grin. "Tell us, were you secretly training at night? Your third Spirit Ability better be impressive—don't let it be like before, where you had to struggle just to release a tiny flame."
Ma Hongjun puffed out his chest proudly, his chubby face beaming with excitement. "Screw you, Xiao Ao! This is what I call building up strength quietly! This time, I'm definitely going to find a powerful Soul Beast and get an awesome Spirit Ability. You'll all be jealous!" He waved his fists as if already envisioning himself dominating the battlefield.
Xiao Wu hopped over nimbly, tugging at Ma Hongjun's ear with a laugh. "You dead fatty, don't just talk big! When the time comes, don't get chased around by a Soul Beast until you're scrambling for your teeth, needing us to save you!"
"Ouch, Sister Xiao Wu, take it easy!" Ma Hongjun yelped in exaggerated pain, drawing laughter from the group.
Dai Mubai stood nearby with his arms crossed, a smile in his Evil Eye as he spoke calmly, "Alright, enough fooling around. Fatty, don't worry about the Soul Ring. With the teachers and us here, we'll definitely find the most suitable one for you. But once we enter the forest, everyone stay alert. Sunset Forest isn't as dangerous as Star Dou, but there are still ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts. We can't let our guard down." As the captain, he never forgot to remind everyone of safety.
Zhu Zhuqing sat quietly on a Bluestone, meticulously wiping her Cat Claw Blades with a cloth. Her cool eyes occasionally swept over her playful companions, a faint, almost imperceptible curve touching the corners of her lips.
Ning Rongrong handed out water pouches to everyone, her voice clear and bright. "What Dai Lao-Da says is right—conserving energy is crucial. Grandmaster, which direction should we search next?"
Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang unfolded the map, pointing at the marked area: "According to records, there have been traces of Red Luan activity in this region. The Red Luan possesses pure phoenix bloodline and is a top-tier fire attribute Soul Beast. If we can find one of suitable age, it would greatly benefit Fatty's Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul. We'll rest briefly before exploring in this direction." His tone was calm, but his eyes sharply observed the surroundings.
Flender adjusted his glasses, whispering to Zhao Wuji and Liu Erlong beside him: "Red Luans aren't easy to deal with. Let's hope we're lucky enough to encounter a solitary young bird of suitable age." Zhao Wuji chuckled darkly, while Liu Erlong gazed tenderly at the students playing around.
Tang San didn't join the playful activities. Standing at a slightly elevated position, purple light faintly flickered in his eyes as his Purple Demon Eyes carefully scanned the surrounding dense forest. "Teacher, the aura in that depression to the east feels rather chaotic with fresh Soul Beast traces. We'd better detour around it," he calmly suggested.
From a distance, Marco's Mental Power spread like an invisible Spider Web, enveloping the area. Hearing the words "Red Luan," his heart stirred slightly. The Red Luan, a top-tier Soul Beast with phoenix bloodline, wasn't uncommon in Sunset Forest, but adult Red Luans were extremely powerful and quite rare. The Shrek team's target was clearly a young bird or lower-aged individual. However, he vaguely sensed things wouldn't proceed so smoothly.
The team set out again, carefully advancing deeper into the forest according to Grandmaster's plan. Several days later, they finally discovered their target near a grove growing crimson spirit fruits - a juvenile Red Luan about twelve hundred years old, with feathers vibrant as sunset clouds and extraordinary majesty, pecking at the spirit fruits.
"It's a Red Luan! Perfect age!" Grandmaster's eyes revealed mixed surprise and delight. "Careful! Red Luans are extremely fast with domineering flames. Don't startle it - formation positions!"
The hunting process proved far more difficult than anticipated. Though this thousand-year Red Luan hadn't reached adulthood, as a descendant of top-tier Soul Beasts, its power was astonishing. It moved swift as lightning, its wings fanning scorching heat waves while the crimson flames it spat from its mouth reached extremely high temperatures - even Zhao Wuji's Immovable Bright King Body didn't dare take them head-on.
"Seven Treasures have names, first: Strength! Second: Speed!" Ning Rongrong's enhancements timely descended.
"I have a mushroom sausage!" Oscar's sausages continuously replenished their consumption.
Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing harassed from the flanks while Tang San's Blue Silver Grass constantly entangled to restrict its movements. The Golden Iron Triangle and Zhao Wuji led the main assault. After exerting tremendous effort, the group finally managed to create an opening where Ma Hongjun seized the chance, striking the Red Luan's wing joint with a long-charged Phoenix Fire Line, causing it to cry mournfully and crash down.
"Success!" Ma Hongjun shouted excitedly. Ignoring his exhaustion, he immediately sat cross-legged and began absorbing the purple Soul Ring radiating dense fire attribute energy. The others sighed in relief, gathering around to protect him during the absorption, their faces showing both joy and lingering fear.
However, just as Ma Hongjun's Soul Power began merging with the Red Luan Soul Ring at this critical moment, a sudden change occurred!
An indescribably terrifying pressure erupted from the forest's deepest depths like a volcanic explosion! The fury, sorrow, and destructive aura contained within that pressure made everyone's souls tremble!
"Not good!" Grandmaster's face instantly turned as pale as paper. "It's an adult Red Luan! At least fifty thousand years of cultivation! Run!"
But it was already too late! A massive, magnificent figure resembling burning sunset clouds tore through the air at speeds beyond visual perception! This was a giant Red Luan dozens of times larger than the juvenile one they'd encountered earlier! Its feathers glowed with eye-searing crimson, like flowing magma, with long tail feathers trailing brilliant streams of light. Yet within its phoenix-like eyes burned rage capable of incinerating everything! It had seen the dead fledgling on the ground and the Soul Ring merging with Ma Hongjun!
"Screeeech—!" A piercing cry that could split clouds and shatter stones, filled with boundless grief and fury, echoed through the forest! The powerful sonic waves mixed with scorching Soul Power impacts caused everyone except the Golden Iron Triangle and Zhao Wuji to bleed from their ears and noses, feeling dizzy and disoriented!
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill! Golden Sacred Dragon!" Flender, Grandmaster, and Liu Erlong reacted without hesitation, their eyes wide with desperation as they unleashed their ultimate trump card. The massive Golden Sacred Dragon roared as it charged toward the giant Red Luan descending from the sky like a god delivering punishment.
Zhao Wuji also roared as he activated his Immovable Bright King Body, releasing his gravity control Domain at full power in an attempt to buy the students a slim chance of survival. "Kids, retreat now!"
However, how could the wrath of a top-tier Soul Beast with over fifty thousand years of cultivation be easily handled? The Golden Sacred Dragon was sent flying backward in its first collision with the giant Red Luan, its golden light dimmed! With a single flap of its wings, the Red Luan sent countless crimson flames raining down like meteor showers, each fireball containing terrifying high temperatures and explosive energy!
"Mubai! Watch out!" Xiao Wu screamed, using instant movement to push Dai Mubai aside as the spot where he'd been standing was blasted into a deep crater by a fireball.
"Fatty!" Tang San's eyes nearly burst from their sockets as Blue Silver Grass madly surged forth to protect Ma Hongjun, but a passing flame instantly turned the grass to ashes.
Zhu Zhuqing relied on her extreme speed to weave through the rain of fire, facing danger at every turn. Ning Rongrong and Oscar were desperately protected by Zhao Wuji, with amplification lights constantly flickering.
Their formation was instantly shattered! The terrifying flames and shock waves sent everyone flying in all directions!
Amid the chaos, Tang San was sent flying by a tremendous force, his blood and energy churning as he crashed into a burning thicket. As he struggled to get up, a sinister, cunning aura locked onto him! A ten-thousand-year Crypt Demon Spider was taking advantage of the chaos to attack, its sharp spider legs stabbing directly toward his back!
Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes detected the crisis, and he urgently employed Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to evade. Still, his shoulder was slashed open with a deep, bone-revealing wound that emitted black energy! The potent poison instantly spread!
"Damn it!" Tang San's heart turned cold as he urgently circulated his Profound Heaven Skill to expel the poison. He wrapped Blue Silver Grass around the Crypt Demon Spider, fighting while retreating, forced deeper into the forest.
In the distance, Marco quietly observed everything. His gaze swept over the mighty fifty-thousand-year Red Luan, then fell upon the poisoned and battered Tang San and the scattered Shrek Academy members.
"Red Luan... top-tier bloodline Soul Beasts are indeed protective of their young. A thousand-year fledgling drawing out a fifty-thousand-year overlord... this 'accident' is quite reasonable," he thought to himself. "Tang San poisoned and forced into a desperate situation... is the world's 'compensation' mechanism about to begin?"
He no longer paid attention to the tragedy of the main battlefield. His figure moved like smoke, silently following Tang San who was fighting while retreating. The real "climax" would likely fall upon this "child of the Mandate of Heaven." He wanted to see what kind of "opportunity" had been prepared for Tang San deep within the Sunset Forest.