After chatting for a while, they went to their respective beds.
.....
Poseidon Lake, Poseidon Island.
Mu En was seen lying on his lounge chair as usual.
At that moment, someone suddenly appeared near Mu En.
The man's appearance could only be described as very sloppy. He was holding a chicken drumstick in his hand, and a bottle of wine was hanging from his waist.
"Pavilion Master, why did you call me? Do you need something?" the man asked.
He was actually a member of the Sea God Pavilion — Xuan Zi!
A Level 98 Hyper Douluo from the Assault Department!
He was the second strongest person in Shrek Academy after Mu En, but he had a terrible habit — he liked to drink and rarely took care of his appearance. Because of that, he looked unkempt.
"Xuan Zi, I want you to accompany someone on a soul beast hunt tomorrow," Mu En said.
Xuan Zi raised an eyebrow with curiosity. "Hmm? Pavilion Master, who is this person that you personally gave me this order?"
Mu En glanced at Xuan Zi as if considering something. "It's fine, this isn't something that needs to be kept secret. He's the successor I've chosen. He will also be the next Master of the Sea God Pavilion."
Although Wang Feng hadn't completed all of Mu En's trials yet, Mu En had essentially already acknowledged that Wang Feng would overcome them.
Xuan Zi was surprised. Then he became intrigued by the person Mu En mentioned. "If what you say is true, then I'll protect him tomorrow."
"How old does the soul ring he needs to be? I'll bring the soul beast he wants right to him," Xuan Zi offered.
Mu En replied, "You don't need to bring the soul beast to him directly. Just keep an eye on him and help him only if he's in danger."
Xuan Zi scratched his messy head and lazily bit into his drumstick. "So I just have to act like a secret bodyguard? Heh, that's easy…"
Mu En simply smiled. "I'll inform Shaoze that you're escorting Wang Feng so he doesn't need to send anyone else to guard him."
Xuan Zi nodded casually. "Alright, Pavilion Master. Tomorrow morning, I'll follow him from the shadows. If he's truly worthy of being your successor, I'd like to see how capable he is."
Mu En closed his eyes again and leaned back. "Don't underestimate that boy, Xuan Zi."
Xuan Zi narrowed his eyes, then raised his bottle of wine toward the sky. "Now I'm curious… hopefully this kid is interesting enough to make tomorrow's trip less boring."
He then turned and walked away leisurely, leaving behind a faint scent of wine that drifted in the afternoon wind of Poseidon Lake.
.....
The next morning.
This time, Wang Feng woke up earlier than usual, as he needed to prepare the items required for the soul beast hunt.
He stored those items in the system's storage.
Then he opened the door and stepped outside without telling Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
His first destination was the principal's office, where he planned to meet Yan Shaoze.
Wang Feng knocked on the door.
Knock knock knock.
"Yes, come in," Yan Shaoze's voice came from inside.
Wang Feng opened the door and stepped in. "Dean, I'm here to discuss the soul beast hunt you mentioned yesterday."
"Oh, it's you, Wang Feng. Just a moment, I'm finishing this report," Yan Shaoze replied as he continued writing a few lines on the document in front of him.
After a few seconds, he set his pen down and looked at Wang Feng with a small smile. "You're earlier than I expected. Have you prepared everything?"
Wang Feng nodded. "Yes, Dean. I've stored all the hunting gear and personal necessities in my storage ring. I'm ready to leave at any time."
Yan Shaoze stood up from his chair and walked to the large window behind him, gazing out toward Poseidon Lake. "Good. Elder Mu En said the academy won't directly help you hunt the soul beast you need. He wants you to handle this independently. But don't worry, you won't be going alone. Someone from the Sea God Pavilion will be watching over your journey."
Wang Feng looked slightly surprised. "From the Sea God Pavilion?"
"Yes," Yan Shaoze nodded. "His name is Elder Xuan. He's one of the strongest people in the academy and a direct confidant of Elder Mu En. With him watching over you, you won't need to worry. But remember, he won't step in unless you're truly in danger."
"Also, don't worry about your teacher, Zhou Yi. I've already informed her about this."
Wang Feng was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I understand. So, when do I leave?"
"Right now," Yan Shaoze said with a smile. "Elder Xuan is already waiting for you at the outer gate. I hope you find a suitable soul ring… and return safely."
Wang Feng gave a small bow. "Thank you for your trust, Dean."
After that, Wang Feng turned and left the room.
The morning air was fresh as he stepped out of the main building. His footsteps were steady and calm, though a trace of excitement and anticipation flickered in his heart.
When he reached the outer gate of Shrek Academy, Wang Feng saw a very eye-catching figure casually leaning under a large tree.
The man wore a long, messy robe. His hair was unkempt, and in his hand was a half-eaten chicken leg. A bottle of aged wine hung at his waist, swaying gently with his every movement.
Wang Feng immediately guessed this must be Elder Xuan.
As Wang Feng approached, Elder Xuan turned and eyed him from head to toe.
"Hmm… so you're the one who's supposed to be the next successor of the Sea God Pavilion?" he muttered, taking another bite of his chicken. "You look skinny. But hey, your soul aura is kinda interesting."
Wang Feng lowered his head slightly in respectful greeting. "Greetings, Elder Xuan. I ask for your guidance on this journey."
Elder Xuan yawned without covering his mouth, then wiped it with the back of his hand. "Relax, I'm not your teacher. I'm just the bodyguard. As long as you don't die, my job's done."
He glanced toward the distant forest. "Let's go. The earlier the better. Maybe we'll get a soul beast before lunch. I don't like being outside too long without wine."
Wang Feng simply nodded, following Elder Xuan, who moved lazily yet somehow carried a heavy, oppressive aura. The hidden power within him seemed to weigh down the air.
Thus began Wang Feng's journey to hunt his next soul beast.
This time, they were heading toward the nearest spirit beast forest to Shrek—Star Dou Forest. Wang Feng had been here before, but only to the outer regions. At that time, he was heading to Shrek City, which required passing through the forest.
But this time, his goal was different.
Now, he needed to find a spirit beast that pushed the limits of what his body could withstand.
His second soul ring was 18,000 years old, so the third would need to be even older—probably in the range of 30,000 to 50,000 years.
Their destination was the deeper parts of Star Dou Forest—a place filled with soul beasts tens of thousands of years old, far more dangerous than the outer areas. This wasn't a place just any Shrek student could enter. Even some teachers avoided it without thorough preparation.
If Wang Feng were alone, he certainly wouldn't dare venture there. But since he had a free bodyguard—ahem, rather, a Sea God Pavilion elder watching over him, he could act more boldly.
So thought Wang Feng. Unfortunately, there was something he didn't yet know. Even though Xuan Zi was incredibly powerful, he was also known for being careless and often neglecting his duties when assigned to protect others.
Many had fallen victim to this before.
But that's for later. For now, let's focus back on Wang Feng's third soul ring.