Chapter 60: News from the Soul Beast Forest
As Dai Mubai stopped Lin Bai, Oscar quickly explained to Flender how Lin Bai and his group had performed against the monsters in the dungeon.
When he mentioned that Lin Bai had ridden a giant dragon and slaughtered thousands of creatures on his own, Flender's lazy gaze behind his crystal lenses sharpened instantly. He had always been fascinated by geniuses, and Lin Bai stood out at a glance. More importantly, there was no sign that Lin Bai belonged to any major faction—otherwise, he wouldn't have wasted his time in a place like Notting College.
"Go. You're around the same age, so you'll have common ground. Talk to him and try to recruit him for Shrek Academy."
Flender assigned this mission to Ma Hongjun and Oscar with a confident nod.
Oscar looked visibly uncomfortable. Others might not know, but he was well aware of the academy's financial struggles. If it weren't for the sudden appearance of dungeons—along with teachers earning gold coins by clearing them—Shrek Academy would have been in serious trouble.
Seeing Oscar hesitate, Flender frowned. He shot his student a pointed look.
"Tell him the news I mentioned the other day. No matter what, it'll get them interested in Shrek Academy."
Oscar sighed in resignation. "Fine, I'll give it a shot. Just don't blame me if it doesn't work."
Ma Hongjun, on the other hand, took it as a challenge. Clearing his throat, he put on a serious expression before stepping forward to block Lin Bai's path again.
"Hey, we met in the dungeon yesterday. My name's Ma Hongjun. Let's get to know each other and be friends."
Lin Bai wasn't particularly impatient. He had already spread out his spiritual power and overheard their earlier conversation, making him curious about what news Flender thought would attract him.
"Lin Bai," he introduced himself simply.
Seeing that Lin Bai made no effort to introduce the two girls beside him, Ma Hongjun felt a bit slighted. Still, he didn't let it show and quickly changed the subject.
"Yesterday, you left quite an impression on us. But I noticed you didn't use a soul ring. What's your cultivation level? Oh, by the way, I'm a sixteenth-level Soul Master."
There was a hint of pride in Ma Hongjun's voice. He assumed that Lin Bai had been too focused on leveling up, meaning his soul power might not be that high.
Lin Bai was a bit puzzled by the question but answered truthfully.
"I just broke through to level 29 yesterday. Why do you ask?"
"Twenty-nine... wait, what?!"
Ma Hongjun's voice cracked. He was a year older than Lin Bai, taller than him, and had been growing at what he thought was an impressive pace. But now, he felt as insignificant as an ant standing before a giant.
Lin Bai smirked inwardly. He enjoyed watching others' reactions of shock and disbelief. If he had a system that showed his achievements, he would undoubtedly reach godhood within a year.
Ma Hongjun struggled to process what he had just heard. Eventually, he shook off his disbelief and forced himself to focus on his real purpose.
"Then you'd better be careful when hunting for your third soul ring. Ever since the dungeons appeared, not only have soul masters become stronger, but the Soul Beast Forest has gotten a lot more dangerous."
Lin Bai's interest was piqued. "Oh?"
"In the early days, our dean—who's a Soul Saint —took Dai Mubai to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for his third soul ring. But the soul beasts there had undergone massive mutations. Some thousand-year-old beasts had gained intelligence on par with ten-thousand-year-old ones."
Ma Hongjun paused for dramatic effect before continuing.
"Many soul beasts even regressed to their ancestral forms. The dean encountered creatures he'd never seen before, and some looked eerily similar to dungeon monsters. He originally planned to explore deeper, but he ran into what seemed like a patrol of mutated soul beasts and had to activate his Martial Soul Avatar just to escape."
Realizing he had said too much, Ma Hongjun quickly added, "Ah, um… please keep this to yourself."
He lowered his voice before revealing one last piece of information.
"The dean investigated further and found that many soul masters have gone missing recently. Some died in the dungeons, but most perished in the Soul Beast Forest. That's why I'm warning you to be careful when hunting for your soul rings."
Then, with a hopeful smile, he added, "Of course, if you join Shrek Academy, you won't have to worry about that. We have two Soul Sages who personally oversee our hunts, so none of our students will ever be in danger."
Lin Bai remained silent, processing what he had just learned.
The Star Dou Forest had clearly undergone a massive transformation. Normally, Xiao Wu would have been a reliable guide, but if the forest's layout and soul beast habitats had changed, even she might be useless.
What worried him even more was the connection to the dungeon. If the Silver Dragon King—who slumbered deep in the Star Dou Forest—were to awaken early, the entire Douluo Continent would face catastrophe.
And the God Realm… With their perception of time being vastly different, they were probably still in a meeting, trying to figure out what had happened.
"This is getting troublesome," Lin Bai muttered.
Three months had passed since he arrived in this world, and while he had gained a lot, it still wasn't enough. If he wanted to live a peaceful and carefree life in the future, he had a long way to go.
"Thanks for the warning," he finally said. "Even if this news will eventually spread, it's good to know about it in advance."
Ma Hongjun waved it off casually. "No problem. But really, our academy is top-notch. No other place offers protection from Soul Sages right from the start. You should consider it."
Lin Bai resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Knowing what he did about Shrek Academy, he wasn't buying it. Still, since he had just received valuable information, he didn't want to be rude.
"I'll think about it. You'll be in Notting City for a while, right? I'll give you an answer before you leave."
"Don't!"
Ma Hongjun wasn't that easy to brush off. He had dealt with too many freeloaders who tried to back out at the last moment and had built up immunity to excuses.
"Since we're already here, come with us to meet our dean's friends. Apparently, his disciples are incredibly talented. The dean talks about them so much my ears are about to fall off. Since you're all from the same academy, why not compare your strengths?"
Determined to complete his task, Ma Hongjun shamelessly clung to Lin Bai.
Lin Bai sighed. He had just learned something crucial from these people—he couldn't just ditch them right away. Begrudgingly, he followed them toward Flender and the others.
"Nice to meet you, Dean Flender," he said, giving a half-smile. "I must say, you've raised quite the… persistent student."
"Haha! Hongjun is quite impressive, isn't he?"
Flender laughed heartily, showing no shame whatsoever. It was clear—this master and disciple were truly alike.
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