Deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting mottled shadows on the leaf-strewn ground. A small team of four moved cautiously through the towering ancient trees, the air filled with the scent of damp earth and a faint floral fragrance.
"Don't waste time, we need to find a suitable third spirit ring for you as soon as possible," Furina said to Tang Ya, her sharp gaze scanning the surrounding jungle.
Tang Ya nodded slightly, her Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul already flickering in her palm. "Mm, I can already feel my Soul Power becoming restless."
"Let's go!"
As they were traveling, a thousand-year Datura Snake suddenly lunged out from the bushes, its crimson tongue hissing and its vertical pupils gleaming with a dangerous light. This was the very snake Soul Beast that had become Tang Ya's third spirit ring in the original story.
However, before it could attack, a purple light flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes, and his Third Soul Skill, "Magic Eye," was activated. The Datura Snake suddenly froze in place, its vertical pupils reflecting the image it feared most—a Ten-thousand-year Snake King far larger than itself, lunging at it with a bloody maw. With a terrified hiss, the Datura Snake fled in panic, vanishing into the depths of the dense forest in an instant.
"What a pity about that thousand-year Datura Snake," Tang Ya said with some regret.
Huo Yuhao smiled and said, "No need to feel sorry. I believe we can find a Soul Beast even more suitable for you."
After continuing deeper into the forest, they finally discovered a peculiar plant Soul Beast in a sunny clearing. It was a thousand-year Demon Willow, but unlike ordinary ones, its leaves were a crystal-clear emerald green, shimmering with a jewel-like luster in the sunlight.
"This is... a mutated Emerald Demon Willow!" Bei Bei whispered in surprise, then explained in detail: "Its willow branches have an attack range of twenty meters, and the hooked thorns carry a toxin no weaker than that of a Datura Snake. Most importantly, its regenerative ability is extremely strong; even broken branches have a one-in-three chance of re-rooting and growing. This characteristic of wearing down enemies with an endless offensive is perfect for Xiao Ya's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul."
Tang Ya's eyes lit up, and she clenched her fists in excitement. "That's the one! My third spirit ring must be this!"
Bei Bei nodded solemnly. "Leave it to me."
He actually had a point to prove. When they encountered the Datura Snake earlier, he had wanted to show off his strength as a top student of Shrek Academy, but Huo Yuhao had ended the battle in a single move, leaving him without even a chance to act. If he had to face that thousand-year Datura Snake alone, it would have been a tough fight. This made him sigh inwardly: comparisons really are odious.
But now, he could finally show his skills. After all, ten thousand years ago, Demon Willows couldn't move and could only defend their position, which was a perfect opportunity for them.
"I'll provide support for you," Huo Yuhao said, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
His first spirit ring lit up, and Spiritual Detection and Spiritual Sharing were activated simultaneously. Bei Bei suddenly felt the surrounding scenery become clearer than ever before. Every subtle movement of the Demon Willow and the trajectory of every swaying branch formed a three-dimensional image in his mind. Even more miraculously, he could sense the flow of Soul Power within the Demon Willow, predicting its next move.
"This..." Bei Bei looked at Huo Yuhao in shock. "Is this really an effect that a ten-year spirit ring can provide?"
He clearly felt that the support effect of this Spirit Ability had already surpassed the sum of the first four Spirit Abilitys of most support-type Martial Souls. Yet Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes Martial Soul was clearly control-type, yet it possessed such powerful support capabilities. This simply overturned his understanding of the Spirit Master system.
While Bei Bei was still shocked by Huo Yuhao's abilities, Furina had also sprung into action. The cake Martial Soul in her hand emitted an enticing aroma, and her second and third spirit rings lit up in succession.
"Fruit Cake can make you immune to various negative statuses for a short time while comprehensively boosting all your attributes." Furina handed a colorful piece of cake to Bei Bei. "blueberry cake increases movement speed by sixty percent."
"What? Immunity to negative effects, attribute bonuses, and a sixty percent speed boost?!" Bei Bei almost choked on his own saliva. "And you call that 'not much'? Even the support effects of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda are only about this level!"
Tang Ya couldn't help but sigh as well. "The support abilities of you two are just too ridiculous. You're going to put other support-type Spirit Masters out of business!"
Furina put her hands on her hips proudly, her silver hair shimmering in the sunlight. "Of course. Do you know what I call the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?"
"What?" the two asked curiously.
"Just an outdated antique," Furina said, her words startling them. "Martial Souls that can't keep up with the times will eventually be phased out. With the intervention of the Sun Moon Empire and the introduction of its soul tool technology, the Martial Soul system across the continent is undergoing profound changes. Nowadays, with the great fusion of Martial Souls, the stronger the parents' Martial Souls are, the stronger the offspring's awakened Martial Souls will be, and they might even mutate into entirely new types."
She paused and continued, "The era of the so-called Upper Three Sects from ten thousand years ago is over. If people still cling to old, stale concepts, then things like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Clear Sky Hammer, and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda will eventually be surpassed by newcomers."
Tang Ya listened, dumbfounded. "Furina, your ideas are so unique!"
Bei Bei had a helpless expression. As a successor of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, he should have felt angry at those words, but his Martial Soul was specifically the mutated Bright Holy Dragon, with potential far exceeding the ordinary Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. This forced him to admit that Furina's words did indeed hold some truth.
"Alright, all the buffs have been applied to you," Furina clapped her hands. "Bei Bei, it's your turn to perform!"
Tang Ya also cheered him on from the side. "Go for it, Bei Bei!"
She knew very well that in this situation, her Blue Silver Grass was indeed at a disadvantage. Facing a fellow plant-type but more aggressive Demon Willow, her binding skills would be hard to utilize.
Bei Bei took a deep breath, feeling the surging power within him. With the enhancement of Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Sharing, he could clearly perceive every weakness of the Demon Willow; Furina's cake had pushed his state to its Peak.
"I'm going in!"
Lightning flickered around Bei Bei as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul instantly possessed him. With the sixty percent speed boost, his figure was as fast as a flash of lightning, easily dodging the willow branches swinging toward him.
His dragon claws, flashing with golden lightning, struck with the force of thunder, accurately slashing toward the Demon Willow's main trunk.
At this moment, he not only wanted to obtain the ideal spirit ring for Tang Ya but also to prove the strength of a Shrek Academy elite.
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