Douluo: Martial Soul of Lightning

Flender's expression was tense as he faced Dugu Bo. The man was a Titled Douluo—one of the strongest Spirit Masters on the continent—and an unpredictable one at that. But Flender knew he hadn't done anything to provoke him, so in theory, Dugu Bo had no reason to attack.

Calming his nerves, Flender stepped forward with a respectful tone.

"Senior Dugu Bo… what brings you here?"

Dugu Bo's face was stiff, his expression unreadable as he looked at the group. The initial fury on his face had already faded a bit. He was fully aware of the deadliness of his poisonous miasma. With the strength of those before him, there was no way they could have entered his territory without dying.

And besides, everyone on the continent knew that forest was his domain. Who would be bold—or foolish—enough to trespass?

He recognized them. He'd seen these people about half a month ago.

His gaze swept past Flender, Liu Erlong, and Zhao Wuji. All three were Spirit Sages—Spirit Masters above the seventieth rank—and their strength was nothing to scoff at. His granddaughter had mentioned before that someone among them belonged to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.

That gave him pause.

Even Dugu Bo was wary of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. They had two Titled Douluo in their ranks—unmatched support capability and top-tier protection. His gaze paused briefly on Ning Rongrong.

"So it's you—Four-Eyed Cat-Eagle Flender." Dugu Bo's tone was cold, laced with suspicion. "Why are you here?"

"Senior Dugu," Flender replied, bowing slightly, "we're only here to help these students hunt for Spirit Rings."

"Hmph… hunting Spirit Rings? Looks like your students are quite something."

Just as he finished speaking, Dugu Bo's face suddenly twisted. A hint of green crept over his pale features. He clutched his chest, his expression darkening.

His gaze turned icy as he looked once again toward the group—his Spirit Power surged violently around him.

Then—he vanished on the spot.

The Spirit Power wave left the entire group stunned.

Flender had been bracing for an attack, but Dugu Bo had simply… disappeared?

"What… just happened?" Zhao Wuji muttered, utterly confused.

"I don't know," Flender replied, still baffled. "I've heard that Dugu Bo is eccentric, but this is even stranger than I imagined."

"I thought for sure he was about to attack." Yu Xiaogang exhaled deeply. "We wouldn't have stood a chance against a Titled Douluo…"

"Either way, we're not staying here. Move out. Now!" Flender ordered.

"But Dean Flender," Oscar asked, "what about Xiao Wu's Spirit Ring?"

Flender shook his head. "Dugu Bo is unpredictable. Who knows if he'll come back? If he does, none of us can stop him. For your safety, we'll have to come back another time to get Xiao Wu's Spirit Ring."

Xiao Wu quickly spoke up. "It's alright, Dean Flender. My Spirit Ring can wait. Let's leave now."

The sudden arrival of a Titled Douluo had rattled her more than she let on. But what surprised her even more was that Dugu Bo hadn't detected her true identity. Thinking back to the strange aura Lin Jie had transferred into her body before, she realized—it really worked. Or maybe… he simply hadn't noticed her.

Lin Jie knew the truth: Xiao Wu didn't need to hunt spirit beasts at all.

She was a transformed spirit beast. As long as she cultivated to the proper stage, she could naturally generate her own Spirit Ring. Looking toward Flender, Lin Jie added,

"Dean Flender, I agree. Let's head back. It's not safe to stay here any longer."

When he had seen Dugu Bo earlier, he noticed the green tinge on the man's face—a clear sign of poisoning. Most likely, he was suffering from backlash caused by Lin Jie's own serpent venom. But… better safe than sorry. If it wasn't the poison, and Dugu Bo returned, things could get ugly fast.

"Alright then. Everyone—move out!" Flender commanded.

The group quickly left the area, heading back toward the outer edge of Sunset Forest.

By the time they returned to Shrek Academy, everyone finally let out a sigh of relief.

None of them had expected to encounter a Titled Douluo out there—especially one as infamous as Poison Douluo Dugu Bo.

Now that they were back at the academy, everything slowly returned to normal.

Training resumed. Classes resumed. And as for Xiao Wu's Spirit Ring—that was no longer a real problem.

To tell the truth, Lin Jie and the others had long since reached the level required for graduation. The only reason they remained at the academy was to prepare for the upcoming Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament in six months.

Current Spirit Power Rankings:

Lin Jie: Rank 44, Spirit Ancestor (4 Spirit Rings)

Zhu Zhuqing: Rank 42, Spirit Ancestor

Dai Mubai: Rank 41, Spirit Ancestor

Ning Rongrong: Rank 41, Spirit Ancestor

Xiao Wu: Rank 40, Spirit Elder (3 Spirit Rings)

Ma Hongjun: Rank 37, Spirit Elder

Tang San: Rank 34, Spirit Elder

Oscar: Rank 32, Spirit Elder

To close the gap in strength, Tang San, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun had been training relentlessly. A full month had passed since their return.

During that time, Xiao Wu had quietly obtained her fourth Spirit Ring.

At first, everyone was confused about when she'd acquired it. Xiao Wu told them she and Lin Jie had gone out to hunt a spirit beast together. Flender and the others thought back—yes, the two had indeed left the academy for a few days. They hadn't thought much of it at the time, assuming it was just personal matters.

Now that they knew the truth, they didn't question it further—though they did scold Xiao Wu and Lin Jie for leaving without permission.

Tang San, however, noticed something odd.

During the time Lin Jie was supposedly out hunting with Xiao Wu, Tang San had happened to see the two of them laughing and chatting while shopping in town. And for some reason… that bothered him.

It really bothered him.

Fueled by jealousy, Tang San had immediately approached the two, interrupting what had been a cheerful moment between them. When Xiao Wu saw Tang San, she was startled at first—but quickly recovered, and the three of them continued shopping together. Still, the atmosphere had become noticeably awkward.

Back in Lin Jie's room...

Zhu Zhuqing lay in his arms, her flawless face glowing with a satisfied smile. Her skin, glistening with sweat, shimmered in the light, her body soft and delicate after what had clearly been another intense session.

Lin Jie ran his hand gently along her bare back, his expression filled with joy. After half a month of dual cultivation, the pink energy circulating between their bodies had grown even stronger. The connection between them felt... different now—as though their minds were somehow linked.

And why hadn't Zhu Zhuqing gotten pregnant after all this time?

Credit went to Lin Jie's lightning control—he was able to use his Spirit Power to kill off those millions of little cells before they ever reached their destination.

"Zhuqing," Lin Jie said softly, "can you feel it?"

"Mm." Zhu Zhuqing blushed, nodding. She had also sensed the spiritual bond forming between them—an invisible thread that tied her to Lin Jie.

After resting a bit longer, the two got up. Despite reaching Rank 42, Zhu Zhuqing remained dedicated to her training. After leaving Lin Jie's room, she headed straight to the cultivation chamber.

As for Lin Jie—his strength had already surpassed anything Shrek Academy could teach him. He rarely attended classes anymore. When he wasn't training with Zhu Zhuqing or spending time with Liu Erlong, he often found Ning Rongrong popping by to visit him as well.

Just a few days ago, Lin Jie had gone home for a short visit, catching up with his mother, his younger sister Lin Ran, and the adorable little Duo'er.

What pleased him most was that Lin Ran, only eleven years old, had already reached Spirit Power Rank 22. After spending two days at home, Lin Jie returned once more to Shrek Academy.