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"What? You've reached level twenty! You're going to capture your second soul beast?"
"Then I'm going too!"
Ma Xiaotao clung to Su Wen's neck like an octopus, wrapping herself tightly around him and refusing to let go.
Su Wen immediately felt a wave of suffocation—physically.
"You're only level forty-four. Besides, the Extreme North is full of ice-type soul beasts. You're a Fire Phoenix—what would you do in a place like that?" Su Wen said helplessly as he pried Ma Xiaotao's restless hands off him.
"The Extreme North?" Ma Xiaotao was momentarily stunned, her beautiful eyes distant. Her teacher's words from a year ago still echoed in her mind.
She never expected he was actually right…
"Ahem."
Seeing Ma Xiaotao sitting dazedly on the bed with a complex light flickering in her eyes, Su Wen grinned and playfully pinched her soft cheek. "Don't worry, just you wait. Once your big bro gets stronger, I'll protect you in the Inner Court."
With that, he turned, waved a hand to summon Gale, and dashed out without a second glance.
A moment later—
Ma Xiaotao's furious, embarrassed roar echoed from the room: "Since when are you my big brother?!!!"
Followed by a flying pillow.
…
Top Floor, Sea God Pavilion
Mu En sat in his wheelchair, his gaze gentle as he studied Su Wen. "So you've decided? Your second soul beast will be ice-attribute?"
"Yes, Elder Mu," Su Wen nodded without unnecessary words.
It was something they all understood.
"Alright. Since you've made your decision, I won't say more. Just one thing—who do you want to accompany you to the Extreme North? That place is no less dangerous than the Star Dou Great Forest. If you happen to encounter one of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North, an ordinary Titled Douluo couldn't escape unscathed. Only a Hyper Douluo or stronger could," Mu En said softly.
Having a Hyper Douluo personally escort a mere level-20 Soul Grandmaster to obtain a soul ring was an extravagance only Shrek Academy could afford. And even then, people were fighting for the job.
Su Wen glanced sideways at Yan Shaozhe, who was desperately trying to catch his eye.
"If Dean Yan is available…"
"Very well. Shaozhe," Mu En said calmly.
"Teacher, I'm here." Yan Shaozhe struggled to suppress the smile tugging at his lips.
"You will accompany Xiao Wen to the Extreme North. Remember, no matter what, your life is the top priority."
"Yes…"
…
Outside the Sea God Pavilion
Su Wen breathed in the mist rising off the lake. It was nearly evening, and the setting sun cast a beautiful golden light across the shimmering water.
As for why he hadn't chosen Xuanzi—he really didn't want to experience another backstabbing.
Would Xuanzi change?
Change my ass!
If he were capable of changing, the Mingdou Mountain Range incident from the original story would never have happened.
Honestly, if Su Wen were Mu En and hadn't read the story, he'd suspect there was a mole in their midst...
Su Wen's attitude toward Xuanzi was simple: Just let the old man be the academy's mascot. As long as he shows up to flex at critical moments, it's fine.
Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo were also decent options, but they were from the Soul Tool Department. Since he didn't plan on joining them, it was best not to owe them any favors. Cai Mei'er, on the other hand, was a bit too weak. After thinking it over, Yan Shaozhe was the most suitable choice.
The man might be petty, but that was mostly limited to the rivalry between the Martial Soul and Soul Tool departments. As "one of their own," Yan Shaozhe was quite reliable.
Even if he was only level ninety-five…
And though Yan Shaozhe remained silent on the way out, he was inwardly overjoyed.
As expected, my bet paid off.
This kid was truly a man of passion. To think he was willing to reserve his second soul beast slot specifically for Ma Xiaotao's sake. Not bad, not bad at all.
The more Yan Shaozhe looked at Su Wen, the more he felt like a proud father-in-law admiring his future son-in-law.
The two bid each other farewell, agreeing to set out early the next morning.
Inside the Cabin
Gale was buzzing with excitement and couldn't stay still, perhaps because he was about to get a new companion. This place was nice, but it was also lonely.
Su Wen glanced at the hyperactive Gale but didn't try to stop him.
Over the past year, Gale had shot up from one meter to a towering 1.7 meters. With his larger frame came a more imposing aura. He once looked like a tame pet next to Su Wen, but now he finally had some of the ferocity of a true soul beast.
His fangs and claws grew sharper, and he wielded his Wind Blade skill with increasing ease.
By Su Wen's estimation, although Gale was only at the level twenty (hundred-year) cultivation level, he could easily crush other Wind Baboons of the same rank. He could even take on two at once without breaking a sweat.
"Still… it feels like something is missing," Su Wen clicked his tongue.
Gale's current power came entirely from the attribute points gained by consuming soul beast flesh. His skills and bloodline, however, remained unchanged.
"Does he have to evolve to the next stage to awaken new skills? To enhance the strength of his wind attribute?" Su Wen pondered. After a long moment, he nodded to himself. That seemed to be the case.
He was weak in the early stages, but his growth potential was immense. As long as he could hold out until level thirty, everything would change for the better.
The night passed peacefully.
The Next Morning
A thin mist drifted over Sea God Island.
After meeting up with Yan Shaozhe, they skipped the small talk and immediately set off for the Extreme North.
Yan Shaozhe furtively pulled a flying-type soul tool from his back, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then shot northward with Su Wen in tow. The sight made Su Wen's face twitch.
"If you use soul tools, why do you oppose the Soul Tool Department?" Su Wen asked softly.
"They're trying to steal our funding! Think of the academy's resources as a big pie. If they take a bigger slice, our slice gets smaller," Yan Shaozhe replied with a grin.
"Besides, using soul tools doesn't mean I approve of their department. I bought this Class 8 flying soul tool from the Sun Moon Empire; it wasn't made by our rookies. That bunch dreams of competing with the Sun Moon Empire, but with what? The Sun Moon Empire has thousands of years of accumulated knowledge to reach its current level. You expect them to catch up relying on a single Class 8 Soul Engineer like Qian Duoduo?"
"A total fantasy," Yan Shaozhe scoffed.
Su Wen remained silent.
From the Martial Soul Department's perspective, he wasn't wrong.
But Dean Yan was undeniably shortsighted. After the Mingdou Mountain Range incident, Mu En strongly advocated for everyone to be equipped with tools like an invincible shield and a flying device. Yet Yan Shaozhe had the gall to object, asking Elder Mu to "reconsider."
So, no matter how reasonable he sounded now, Su Wen remained skeptical.
Shrek Academy, enveloped by the Star Dou Great Forest, offered only two routes to the Extreme North: north or south. The southern path led through the Mingdou Mountain Range and the entire Sun Moon Empire, which was far too dangerous. Thus, the two traveled north.
In just half a day, snow began to appear on the horizon.
A city also came into view.
"Anyang City, one of the northernmost mid-sized cities of the Douling Empire. It marks the border between human territory and the Extreme North. Continue north, and you'll officially enter the Extreme North," Yan Shaozhe explained.
(End of Chapter)