Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xiaoming were not present, as Oscar had broken through to Rank 30, reaching the realm of Soul Elder. Flender and the others were preparing to accompany Oscar to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for a soul beast and obtain his third soul ring.
Hearing about the trip to the Star Dou Forest piqued Chen Xiaoming's interest. That place was his domain—he was very familiar with it.
With nothing better to do, Chen Xiaoming decided to lead Tang San, Oscar, and the others to the Star Dou Forest. Originally, Flender planned to send Zhao Wuji, but seeing Chen Xiaoming volunteer, he was secretly delighted.
After witnessing the battlefield the day following the previous fight, the chaotic devastation left Flender even more shocked by Chen Xiaoming's strength.
The group set out on foot toward the Star Dou Forest. Along the way, everyone relied on themselves unless they encountered unsolvable trouble—Chen Xiaoming had no intention of intervening.
After several hours of travel, they arrived at a small town near their destination. The town was roughly three times the size of the village where Shrek Academy was located, resembling a small city with bustling streets lined with various shops.
"We'll stay here tonight and set off at dawn tomorrow."
Chen Xiaoming casually picked an ordinary-looking inn, indifferent about accommodations.
The inn was a modest two-story building with a simple dining area on the first floor and rooms on the second. After a day of travel, Chen Xiaoming was hungry—he wouldn't mistreat himself.
He called Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others to dine together.
"Oh? Teacher Chen treating us? Time to feast!"
Fatty Ma Hongjun grinned mischievously, snatching the menu from the waiter and ordering skillfully.
In no time, he had ordered over a dozen dishes, his face beaming with excitement.
"Not bad. This place may be small, but it's well-stocked. Let's hope the food lives up to expectations."
Tang San and the others glanced at Fatty, holding their breath. Daring to extort Chen Xiaoming—was he seeking death?
Chen Xiaoming chuckled, took the menu, and shot Fatty a glance. This little fatty was straightforward—he liked that.
"Serve the dishes as ordered."
He instructed the waiter softly, turning back to the wide-eyed group.
"Why are you all looking at me like that? Do you really think I'm some ill-tempered, eccentric person?"
"Haha, of course not, Teacher Chen."
Oscar grinned, playing along. None of them dared speak ill of someone whose strength they had personally witnessed.
Chen Xiaoming didn't mind. It was rare to share a table with the Shrek Seven Devils—once a dream of his past life.
"You are all geniuses, but you're still too young."
He poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it slowly.
"The halo of genius gives you pride, but it makes you forget the most important truth of this continent—strength reigns supreme!"
Placing the cup down, he clenched his fist.
"No matter how talented you are, it's useless. Just like how I easily defeated you before—I spared your lives, but other strong people wouldn't."
"On this continent, the bigger the fist, the louder the voice!"
His gaze swept across Tang San, Oscar, and the others. Though his words were for everyone, they were mainly directed at Tang San.
With Tang San's complicated ties to the Spirit Hall, without his protagonist's plot armor, he would have been eliminated long ago. Even Tang Hao couldn't protect him all the time—one sneak attack from a Titled Douluo would spell his end.
Tang San noticed the meaningful look in Chen Xiaoming's eyes but couldn't fully grasp its significance. Though the words made sense, they seemed to hold a special warning for him.
"Don't think I was too harsh during your trials. Talent matters, but strength comes first. A genius who can't grow is no genius at all."
Chen Xiaoming's words hit like a hammer, leaving Dai Mubai and the others deep in thought.
As Chen Xiaoming reached for the teapot, Oscar quickly poured tea for him—ever the opportunist.
Chen Xiaoming nodded approvingly and sipped his tea, glancing at everyone. Ning Rongrong understood the logic but dismissed the warning. As the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, who would dare harm her?
Shaking his head, Chen Xiaoming knew that among the Shrek Seven Devils, only Oscar and Ma Hongjun came from humble backgrounds. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing were royalty, Tang San had the Clear Sky Clan, Ning Rongrong had the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Xiao Wu was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form.
Personality-wise, Tang San, Oscar, and Fatty were down-to-earth—qualities Chen Xiaoming appreciated.
"Since we're gathered here today, I'll share a little more with you."
With a casual wave of his right hand, a gentle soul power ripple enveloped the group, isolating them from outside ears.
"This world has both soul masters and soul beasts. But do you know why soul masters dominate this continent instead of soul beasts?"
"Soul beasts are difficult to cultivate but possess immense strength. A ten-thousand-year soul beast can defeat a Soul Emperor one-on-one. A hundred-thousand-year soul beast can challenge even Titled Douluo. Why, then, have soul beasts become prey to soul masters?"
Dai Mubai and the others were stunned. With their limited experience, they had never considered this question.
Only Xiao Wu's eyes flickered with surprise.
"Tomorrow you'll enter the Star Dou Forest—I'll tell you more then..."
Before he could continue, the waiter arrived with their dishes. With a wave of his hand, Chen Xiaoming dispersed the soul power barrier and fell silent.
"Too many prying eyes here. I'll explain more in the forest tomorrow."
He picked up his chopsticks and began tasting the food.
Xiao Wu pouted, shooting an annoyed glance at the waiter, leaving him utterly confused.
As the meal progressed, Chen Xiaoming grew more familiar with the group. When the Blue Sunshine Academy provoked them, Chen Xiaoming casually slapped their turtle-backed teacher away.
Turtles, frogs—whatever they were—had no place here.
-------
Want to read ahead of schedule?
Join here for advance chapters: patreon.com / igotneonlight