socalfunplaces Chapter 435 Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent Appears [The Bond of Fate for the Alliance Leader]
Chapter 435 Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent Appears [The Bond of Fate for the Alliance Leader]
Chapter 435 Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent Appears [Bonus Chapter 2 for the Alliance Leader's Fated Bond]
Ye Qifeng flipped his hand and put away the paper, no longer looking at it. To be honest, he had received countless love letters like this.
Who can blame him for being so handsome and having such a great presence?
Wherever he goes, he always attracts the attention of many women, from grandmothers in their seventies and eighties to little girls as young as five or six. Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it's not an exaggeration at all.
After all, there is a mysterious aura within him, and once he unleashes his full power, no woman can resist his charm.
Of course, these elderly and young women and children would at most feel closeness and trust towards him, and would not develop any other feelings that they shouldn't have.
Those who truly coveted him were the young girls and women in their prime.
For example, this female student from Canghui Academy.
After putting away the love letter, Ye Qifeng took Zhu Zhuqing to an empty dining table and sat down to have breakfast.
As for that love letter, Ye Qifeng planned to take it back and give it to his teacher, Bibi Dong. Well, that was Bibi Dong's request.
It's unclear when it started, but Bibi Dong began to pay extra attention to his love life. Any woman who showed even the slightest covetousness towards Ye Qifeng would be thoroughly investigated by her once she discovered it.
The love letter that Ye Qifeng received was one of the pieces of evidence she used in her investigation.
However, while the investigation was underway, as long as those women didn't have any bad intentions, Bibi Dong wouldn't bother with them or make things difficult for them.
Ye Qifeng didn't find Bibi Dong's actions offensive; instead, he let it be.
Anyway, as long as she's happy, that's all that matters.
…………
Not long after.
Shrek and his group also came downstairs.
Upon learning that Zhao Wuji had invited Ye Qifeng and Zhu Zhuqing to travel together, the Shrek Six Monsters reacted in various ways: some were happy, some were displeased, some were indifferent, and some had mixed feelings.
The person who was happy was, of course, Oscar.
Among the Shrek Six Monsters, Oscar had the best impression of Ye Qifeng and Zhu Zhuqing.
The three people who were displeased were Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Ma Hongjun.
All three of them had been beaten by Ye Qifeng, and their hearts were filled with nothing but hatred.
Tang San and Xiao Wu, in particular, harbored a deep-seated hatred for Ye Qifeng, with absolutely no possibility of reconciliation.
The Rogue Rabbit had the worst temper and was about to voice her dissatisfaction, refusing to travel with Ye Qifeng and Zhu Zhuqing. Fortunately, Tang San knew that he couldn't disobey Zhao Wuji at this time, so he quickly covered her mouth.
As for the person who didn't care, that was Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong's relationship with Ye Qifeng and Zhu Zhuqing was just so-so; her impression of them was neither good nor bad.
She might be slightly inclined to the positive side, but their relationship isn't good enough for her to side with both of them.
The last person with mixed feelings was naturally Dai Mubai.
Dai Mubai had no objection to inviting Zhu Zhuqing to accompany him; he would absolutely agree wholeheartedly. After all, this would give him a chance to try and win Zhu Zhuqing's heart and bring her back to his side.
But Dai Mubai objected to the idea of Ye Qifeng getting involved. He was naturally strongly opposed to it, as Ye Qifeng was a pretty boy who was openly trying to steal his fiancée. How could he tolerate that?
Unfortunately, it was Zhao Wuji who proposed this, so Dai Mubai didn't dare to object and could only suffer in silence, keeping his bitterness to himself.
And so, Ye Qifeng and Zhu Zhuqing eventually joined Shrek Academy's group and traveled with them to the Star Dou Great Forest.
…………
After breakfast.
Ye Qifeng, Zhu Zhuqing, and the Shrek Academy members checked out of the room one after another.
Afterwards, everyone gathered at the hotel entrance and ran together towards the Star Dou Great Forest.
Because Ye Qifeng and Zhu Zhuqing did not have a good relationship with Shrek Academy, and the internal relations within Shrek were also disharmonious, the group split into three small groups.
Ye Qifeng and Zhu Zhuqing naturally stayed together and didn't separate.
Zhao Wuji was eager to recruit Zhu Zhuqing into Shrek Academy, so he went to the two of them and tried to make small talk.
So the three of them formed a group.
Those who were dissatisfied with Ye Qifeng and Zhu Zhuqing, such as Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun, also huddled together, whispering among themselves, not knowing what they were saying.
Because of the ostracism from the other Shrek students, Ning Rongrong could only run alone in silence.
Although he wanted to be with Zhu Zhuqing, he noticed that Zhu Zhuqing had a frosty expression and a "don't approach me" look, so he could only look away and give up the idea.
Of the Shrek Six, only Oscar is good at interpersonal relationships, moving back and forth between the three groups, seemingly trying to bridge the disharmony between them.
However, his efforts were ultimately in vain.
…………
Once outside the town, the group quickened their pace.
Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun, who were leading the race, exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with unspoken understanding. Then, they simultaneously accelerated at full speed, as if to give someone a taste of their own medicine.
Before setting off, they found Oscar and demanded that he not provide Ye Qifeng and Zhu Zhuqing with recovery sausages. Under Dai Mubai's tyranny, Oscar had no choice but to agree.
Therefore, they have Oscar's recovery sausages, which can replenish their energy at any time, while Ye Qifeng and Zhu Zhuqing do not.
If we speed up our journey and exhaust their stamina, we can definitely wear them out and make them look foolish.
Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun's idea was excellent.
What they didn't know was that Ye Qifeng was already a Soul Saint of level 72. In terms of physical strength, he couldn't be judged by the standards of Douluo Continent, and he was simply beyond their ability to outlast.
Zhu Zhuqing might be exhausted, but with Ye Qifeng by her side, how could they possibly succeed?
Even if Ye Qifeng ran with Zhu Zhuqing, it would be an easy task; they were destined to fail.
Zhao Wuji naturally saw Tang San and the other three's little actions, but he didn't say anything. He also wanted to take this opportunity to see where Ye Qifeng and Zhu Zhuqing's limits were.
So I just let them be.
But to Zhao Wuji's surprise, Ye Qifeng's stamina seemed as deep as the sea, showing no signs of weakening in the slightest, and his breathing remained perfectly steady, making him no less capable than Zhao Wuji.
Not only Ye Qifeng, but Zhu Zhuqing, who was only at level 30 in soul power, also did not seem to have much physical exertion.
Zhu Zhuqing was extremely fast, especially with the magical and mysterious illusionary movement technique she used, which made her travel incredibly light and seemingly without expending much energy.
Although there was a light sheen of sweat on her forehead, she hadn't actually expended much energy.
On the contrary, Oscar and Ning Rongrong, who are support-type Soul Masters and have weaker physiques, were exhausted.
Even Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun, who are all Soul Masters, only managed to persevere after eating Oscar's recovery sausages, but they were still quite exhausted.
…………
The town was not far from the Star Dou Great Forest, only a few dozen kilometers away. There were also many temporary gathering places set up by powerful soul masters along the way, but no one stopped. They traveled at full speed and arrived at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest in less than an hour and a half.
The Star Dou Great Forest is located directly south of the Heaven Dou Empire. Its area is equivalent to that of a kingdom or province. The forest spans the two great empires of Heaven Dou and Star Luo, with two-fifths of it in the Heaven Dou Empire and the other three-fifths in the Star Luo Empire.
The Star Dou Great Forest is teeming with spirit beasts, and no humans have settled here. Anyone who dares to enter this area is a powerful spirit master, and at least a Great Spirit Master or higher.
Because no humans have settled here, the area where the Star Dou Great Forest stretches is the place where the border between the two great empires of Tian Dou and Xing Luo is the least distinct.
At the same time, it is also the place where the two great empires have the greatest differences and are vying for sovereignty. Both claim that the Star Dou Great Forest belongs to their respective empires.
In fact, the Star Dou Great Forest has never been conquered by humans, because it has always belonged only to soul beasts.
Soul beasts are the only way for soul masters to obtain soul rings and advance their ranks. They are the most important soul master resources. As one of the three major wild soul beast habitats, the Star Dou Great Forest is naturally something that both empires want to possess.
Especially the Star Luo Empire.
Unlike the Heaven Dou Empire, which borders the three major wild soul beast habitats—Star Dou Great Forest, Sunset Forest, and the Far North—the Sunset Forest is entirely located in the heart of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Within the Star Luo Empire, there are almost no naturally formed wild soul beast settlements. Even if there are, they are only very small forests that cannot give birth to high-level soul beasts, and naturally cannot meet the high-age soul ring requirements for advanced soul masters within the Star Luo Empire.
The Star Dou Great Forest on the northern border is the only source for Soul Masters within the Star Luo Empire to obtain high-level Soul Rings.
Otherwise, one would have to travel across mountains and rivers, cross borders, and go to Sunset Forest or the far north to hunt soul beasts, or venture out to sea to hunt sea soul beasts in order to obtain a high-age soul ring.
The Star Luo Empire would certainly not let go of the Star Dou Great Forest, a land rich in Soul Master resources, and has always wanted to bring it into its territory.
This is also one of the reasons why the Star Luo Empire has launched wars of aggression against the Heaven Dou Empire for many years.
…………
The Star Dou Great Forest has existed for too long, and its history is no longer verifiable.
Perhaps only the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena, who is recovering from her injuries in the dimensional space at the bottom of the Lake of Life in the core area, and the Beast God Di Tian, who is cultivating in the land of great danger, and a few other ferocious beasts, know the origin of the Star Dou Great Forest.
We arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest.
Looking out, the tall, dense jungle stretches as far as the eye can see, like a green ocean, or like a giant green beast lying prostrate on the ground, giving people an incredibly awe-inspiring feeling.
The outermost edge of the Starry Sky Forest is a dense forest that blocks out the sky, with trees that are at least twenty meters tall. The dense forest has no paths, and the shadows of the trees make it impossible to see the true scenery inside.
This was the first time Tang San, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Ning Rongrong had come to the Star Dou Great Forest, and it was also the first time they had seen such a magnificent forest. Their eyes were filled with shock and curiosity.
Xiao Wu, standing beside her, had a look of reminiscence on her face.
To avenge her mother, at the age of six, she followed her inner guidance and left the Star Dou Great Forest to cultivate in the human world, where she has been for six years.
She already misses her two younger brothers, Daming and Erming, very much.
Now that I'm back in the Star Dou Great Forest, I must find a chance to go back and see them.
Da Ming and Er Ming are very familiar with my aura. As the overt rulers of the Star Dou Great Forest, they will soon be able to sense my presence and come to meet me.
Xiao Wu thought to herself silently. However, in order not to let others notice her emotions and arouse suspicion, the look of reminiscence on her face quickly disappeared, and was replaced by the same shock and curiosity as Tang San and the others.
The changes in the rabbit's expression went unnoticed by others, except for one person who knew her background, but he didn't intend to expose her.
If that licking beast Titan Ape doesn't come to see this rogue rabbit, then his plan won't be easy to carry out.
Looking at the magnificent sight before them, Ye Qifeng, Zhu Zhuqing, Zhao Wuji, and Dai Mubai all remained expressionless. They had been to the Star Dou Great Forest many times before and were already used to it.
After resting for a while at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, Zhao Wuji gave the Shrek Six Monsters a lecture, and then handed over the command of the team entirely to Dai Mubai.
According to Shrek Academy's rules, the task of acquiring spirit rings must be completed by the students themselves; the teachers will not interfere, and the students will bear the consequences of their own actions, whether they live or die.
The teachers only play a leading and supervisory role; they don't care about anything else.
They will only take action if there is some unexpected incident.
…………
"Set off."
After giving the reprimand, Zhao Wuji glanced at everyone and, seeing that they were all ready, waved his hand and shouted.
Dai Mubai immediately began to exercise his authority as team leader, assigning tasks to his team members:
"Xiao San, you and I will lead the way. Fatty, you will cover the rear. Xiao Wu, Xiao Ao, and Ning Rongrong, the three of you will stay in the middle. Xiao Wu will be responsible for protecting Xiao Ao and Ning Rongrong."
After the five Shrek members nodded in agreement, he turned to Zhu Zhuqing and gave her instructions:
"Zhu Zhuqing, you are in charge of forward reconnaissance and guard duty."
Dai Mubai didn't mention Zhao Wuji and Ye Qifeng.
Zhao Wuji was his teacher, so he didn't need to worry about him. As for Ye Qifeng, he didn't care about him at all and didn't want to pay any attention to him.
Upon hearing Dai Mubai's arrangement, Zhu Zhuqing frowned slightly and did not agree immediately. Instead, she looked at Ye Qifeng and received his nod of approval before coldly nodding in agreement.
This infuriated Dai Mubai.
Afterwards, the group filed in and entered the Star Dou Great Forest.
The forest is filled with the fresh scent of plants and the moist aroma of earth, which smells wonderful and makes one feel refreshed and incredibly comfortable.
The forest has a complex terrain. Initially, there were paths left by humans, which were relatively safe routes left by human soul masters when they hunted soul beasts over the years.
But the further you go in, the fewer these paths there are, and eventually there are no traces of human activity at all; there are no paths left.
At this point, Dai Mubai needed to lead the way.
Who made his martial spirit a white tiger, wielding a pair of eight-foot-long claws, perfect for cutting grass?
Shrek's group's goal is to find a thousand-year-old soul beast, which requires them to venture deep into the outer area of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Watch out, something is approaching."
After an unknown amount of time, everyone suddenly heard a rustling sound. Dai Mubai immediately shouted, and the Shrek Academy members revealed their martial souls and soul rings, causing a burst of soul light to shine everywhere.
With his keen hearing and powerful mental perception, Ye Qifeng instantly determined that the unknown creature making rustling sounds approaching from afar was the snake-like spirit beast suitable as Oscar's third spirit ring—
Phoenix-tailed Crested Snake!
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Postscript:
This chapter is an extra chapter for the Alliance Leader, [Destined Bonds]!
I heard that Master Suming is having some health problems. I wish him a long and peaceful life and a speedy recovery!
(End of this chapter)