Tang Hao followed Tang San, while Chen Ming followed Tang Hao, constantly observing the every move of the father and son duo.
This time, the Shrek team was no longer led solely by Zhao Wuji as in the original story. Instead, Zhao Wuji was accompanied by Dragon Staff Soul Emperor Li Yu Song and Star Chess Soul Emperor Lu Qi Bin, forming a stronger lineup.
To be honest, with Shrek Academy's original team setup, they had defense when needed, attack power when required, agility for quick strikes, control abilities, and support. By all accounts, it was an excellent soul-hunting squad.
Given Shrek's setup and geographical location, they could take on missions involving ten-thousand-year soul beasts every few months. The money earned from such missions would be enough to train several talented students and even renovate the academy's basic facilities.
Although their resources couldn't compare to the top academies within the Heaven Dou Empire, if they pooled their resources, their training conditions could surpass those of most intermediate-level academies. At the very least, they wouldn't have to endure their current situation as a struggling academy with limited resources and meals lacking meat.
It was puzzling why the people of Shrek were so adamant about enduring hardships instead of earning money. Their largest annual income came from the registration fees they tricked out of students. Even Chen Ming was at a loss for words to criticize this.
During his observations, Chen Ming also witnessed Oscar's third soul skill.
Due to the butterfly effect, Oscar absorbed his third soul ring more than two months ago. Thus, his soul skill was no longer the Mushroom Sausage from the original story, which allowed a person to fly for one minute at the speed of a thousand-year Phoenix Tail Crest Serpent. Instead, it came from the meat of a Gale Demon Wolf, resulting in the Wolf Meat Sausage.
According to Chen Ming's observations, the Wolf Meat Sausage carried a wild wolf-like stench. Xiao Wu, being a rabbit, gagged and retched after taking a bite. Even Tang San frowned after eating it. However, the soul skill's effect was decent.
Based on overheard information, this soul skill not only increased speed by 30% but also enhanced attack power by 15%, lasting for half an hour. The sausages maintained their full effect for a day, but their effectiveness halved with each subsequent day, and their taste worsened. They could last for a maximum of three days.
From the perspective of a food-type Soul Master, this was a very good ability. In some ways, its amplification effects even surpassed soul masters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda of the same level. However, in terms of functionality, it couldn't compare to the third soul skill in the original story.
As for the soul incantation, it followed the same style as Oscar's first two skills, requiring him to chant "Hehehe, here comes the little wild wolf" to summon the sausage. Paired with Oscar's current scruffy, bearded appearance, and unseemly demeanor, the entire performance was enough to make anyone feel nauseous.
Just like in the original story, the group first encountered the fleeing Phoenix Tail Crest Serpent. However, since Tang San didn't need this soul beast's ring, the group didn't bother chasing or capturing the snake and let it escape. The snake then narrowly avoided a confrontation with the Serpent Grandmother Chao Tianxiang and Meng Yiran.
On the first day of soul hunting, they didn't find a suitable target. Thus, the group camped out in the Star Dou Forest for the night. That night, the Titan Giant Ape from the original story arrived as expected, drawn by Xiao Wu's aura.
However, unlike the original scenario where it came alone, this time the Titan Giant Ape was accompanied by a green serpent wrapped around it.
Yes, the Titan Giant Ape was entwined with the Sky Azure Bull Python. The two beast kings had come together from the Lake of Life within the Star Dou Forest.
Not long ago, the Spirit Hall had staged a battle in the Star Dou Forest. Both the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python participated in the fight, pursued and attacked by Spirit Hall soul masters. They witnessed three beast kings of similar strength fall at the hands of humans, along with countless ten-thousand-year soul beasts, and even saw the Beast God of the Star Dou Forest humiliated by human experts.
Since the exposure of hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, soul masters from various factions had been hunting them relentlessly. Over the past few months, several hundred-thousand-year soul beasts had indeed fallen to human hands. The Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python, with their fixed habitats and exceptional quality, became prime targets. The Star Dou Forest descended into chaos as human experts delved deep into its territory. Many high-level soul beasts were forced to awaken, yet they struggled to unite under such circumstances. This period marked one of the best opportunities in centuries for soul masters to hunt within the Star Dou Forest.
Just a month ago, Yu Yuanzhen, patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, led his younger brother Yu Luomian, several Soul Douluo elders, and soul masters of various types into the Lake of Life, intending to hunt the Sky Azure Bull Python.
Their plan was simple: allow Yu Luomian to absorb the Sky Azure Bull Python's soul bone to reach level 90, then absorb its soul ring to become a Titled Douluo. Finally, they would bring their bodies back to the clan, using its dragon-blood-infused flesh to nurture the next generation of geniuses.
Although centered on the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, the clan was a full-fledged sect with soul masters of other types, including defense, control, and support. Without such a balanced setup, their arrogance and sharp tongues would have led to their destruction long ago.
Most of their members possessed dragon-related martial spirits, often mutated from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, but no one could deny the strength of their all-dragon lineup. Within the Douluo Continent, the clan's dragon-themed team was exceptionally powerful.
Even though they didn't collaborate with Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda soul masters due to internal conflicts, their team included a Rainbow Dragon martial soul user. This soul master's auxiliary ability was on par with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, significantly bolstering the clan's strength, especially Yu Yuanzhen's combat power.
If not for the Titan Giant Ape's desperate efforts to protect its brother, the two hundred-thousand-year super soul beasts would have been slaughtered by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's hunting team that day.
From that moment on, the two brothers became inseparable, even during trivial activities like eating or resting, to prevent humans from exploiting any opportunity to kill one of them. When it came time to retrieve Xiao Wu, the Sky Azure Bull Python refused to let the Titan Giant Ape venture into the forest outskirts alone, so it came along, wrapped around its brother.
With the two hundred-thousand-year beast kings moving together, the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest became lively. Initially, Zhao Wuji thought the Titan Giant Ape was merely at the ten-thousand-year level and was prepared to risk his life by activating Martial Soul Avatar to buy time for the students to escape.
This time, however, seeing the two beast kings appear simultaneously, Zhao Wuji, Li Yu Song, and Lu Qi Bin collapsed to the ground in despair, giving up any thought of resistance.
The Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python roared in unison upon spotting Xiao Wu among the humans. Two immense forces were unleashed simultaneously.
Gravity and Slowness—though distinct, these powers complemented each other seamlessly in the hands of the two brothers, who had been together for tens of thousands of years. In an instant, Zhao Wuji, Lu Qi Bin, Li Yu Song, Dai Mubai, and Tang San were all pinned to the ground, powerless against the crushing might of the beast kings, and fell unconscious.
Witnessing this, Xiao Wu's eyes immediately reddened. She jumped out, standing in front of the two beast kings to block them from releasing any further aura or power toward her brother Tang San.
Seeing Xiao Wu like this, the Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python exchanged glances, feeling as if a part of their hearts had been broken. Their already close bodies pressed even tighter together, and their large faces showed expressions of grievance.