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At dawn, as the first golden rays of sunlight pierced through the treetops and spilled onto the forest path, the woods quietly awoke. Leaves rustled gently in the morning breeze, and shafts of light filtered through the canopy, casting dappled patterns on the earth below.
As time passed, the forest grew brighter—sunlight flooding through the branches until the ground shimmered like a sea of gold. The tranquil hush of early morning gave way to vibrant life and energy.
A pinecone tumbled down a slope, followed swiftly by a squirrel. Fearless, it darted onto the path—just as it reached for its prize, the peaceful scene was abruptly shattered.
Creak…
The crunch of wheels over dry leaves and twigs echoed through the trees, accompanied by the rhythmic clop of hooves. Nearby creatures scattered in alarm—and from beneath the shade of ancient trees, a soul-guided carriage emerged.
"Young Mistress, we've reached the edge of the Great Star Dou Forest," the driver announced.
Three figures stepped down from the carriage.
It was Chen Junting, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng—sent from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect to hunt for Ning Tian's third soul ring.
Since enrollment at Shrek Academy was still some time away, they had ample time: secure the soul ring first, then proceed to Shrek City.
"Xiao Liu, thank you for the ride," Chen Junting said politely. "After we finish hunting, we'll head straight to Shrek City—no need to wait for us. You may return to the sect."
Beyond this grove lay the outer fringes of the Great Star Dou Forest. From here on, they intended to travel on foot.
At their current cultivation levels, a short hike was nothing.
"Yes, Young Master Chen," the driver replied with a bow.
At that very moment—just a short distance away—
"Beibei, look!"
A girl who appeared fifteen or sixteen spotted the soul-guided carriage ahead and immediately called to the blue-haired youth trailing behind her.
They were none other than Tang Ya and Bei Bei.
"That's a soul-guided carriage," Bei Bei said, far more cautious than his companion. After scanning the scene with his Purple Extreme Demon Eyes, he didn't exclaim like Tang Ya—instead, he lowered his voice deliberately.
Tang Ya, though bold and impulsive, wasn't foolish. Seeing Bei Bei's hushed tone, she instinctively crouched down.
But once she processed it, she hissed in mock annoyance, "I know it's a soul-guided carriage! And you're supposed to call me 'Teacher Xiao Ya'!" Then, puzzled, she added, "It's not like soul-guided carriages are rare—why so on edge?"
"Alright, alright—Teacher Xiao Ya," Bei Bei relented with an affectionate sigh, his expression softening briefly before sharpening again. "It's not just about being cautious. That's no ordinary carriage."
As Mu En's great-grandson, Bei Bei's vision and experience were naturally much broader. "If I'm not mistaken, that's a top-tier model, far superior even to Shrek Academy's."
"That rich?!" Tang Ya gasped—even in a whisper.
"It's not just about wealth," Bei Bei murmured, already pulling her hand. "It's about whether you have the ability to obtain such things. Come on, Xiao Ya—let's enter the forest from another direction. We don't want to cross paths with them while hunting. Conflict would be… unwise."
"Okay," Tang Ya agreed without hesitation, letting him lead her away.
And so, the wings of fate began to stir…
"Hm?"
After parting ways with the sect's driver, Chen Junting suddenly sensed something. He whipped his head toward Bei Bei's direction—but only caught two retreating figures vanishing into the trees.
"Was that…"
"Brother Junting, what's wrong?" Ning Tian asked, concern in her voice.
Wu Feng, meanwhile, stood on tiptoe to match his line of sight—then squinted into the distance. "There's nothing there!"
"Just two silhouettes," Chen Junting said lightly. He pressed a hand firmly on Wu Feng's head and shoved her down with a playful thump, ignoring her indignant squawk. Then, turning to Ning Tian with a smile, he added, "Probably here for the same reason we are."
Ning Tian didn't dwell on it. From her storage-type soul-guided device, she pulled out a map of the Great Star Dou Forest's outer zones—marked with ten possible soul beast habitats suitable for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda's third soul ring.
Once they confirmed their heading, the trio ventured deeper into the woods.
Soon, a small stream came into view.
"Huh? What's that smell?" Wu Feng suddenly sniffed the air.
A moment later, an irresistible aroma drifted into Chen Junting and Ning Tian's nostrils.
"So fragrant!" Even Ning Tian—who'd tasted every delicacy under heaven—found her eyes lighting up.
"Smells like grilled fish," Chen Junting said, his gaze sharpening. His eyes seemed to pierce through the underbrush, locking onto a lone figure ahead.
"The scent's coming from up front," Wu Feng declared—and charged ahead before Ning Tian could stop her.
She burst through the bushes, revealing a boy roughly their age—but noticeably thinner, hunched over a small campfire. In his hand, a stick skewered a perfectly grilled fish, golden and crisp on the outside, tender within. At Wu Feng's sudden intrusion, his eyes widened in alarm.
Chen Junting's gaze swept the clearing.
Nearby lay an empty salt container… and scattered perilla leaves on the ground.
'Huo Yuhao. So it really is him.'
Studying Huo Yuhao's flustered eyes, Chen Junting silently confirmed the boy's identity. He subtly scanned the surroundings—as if searching for something—but found nothing.
'Wait… where are Tang Ya and Bei Bei?'
A realization struck him like lightning.
'Were those two figures I saw earlier… Tang Ya and Bei Bei?!'
'Does that mean we just became the butterfly's wings?'
Deeper questions swirled in his mind:
'Could it be… that Huo Yuhao joining the Tang Sect wasn't orchestrated by the God-King Tang San at all? Perhaps it was simply part of Huo Yuhao's destined path as a child of fortune—and now…'
Lost in thought—
"Big brother, have some grilled fish!"
A delicious scent snapped him back to reality.
He blinked—and found Huo Yuhao holding out a skewer of fish toward him. Glancing around, he saw Wu Feng and Ning Tian already munching happily.
"You sword-wielding jerk, aren't you gonna eat? It's amazing!" Wu Feng said through a mouthful—only to be silenced by Ning Tian's sharp look.
Ning Tian then turned to Chen Junting, who was staring at her in mild astonishment. Her cheeks flushed slightly. "Brother Junting… Huo Yuhao's grilled fish really is delicious."
"You guys!" Seeing that Ning Tian and the others had actually introduced themselves to each other, Chen Junting couldn't help but feel a bit amused.
Still, the aroma was undeniably tempting.
'Is it really that good?'
Curious but not rude, he accepted the offering. As his fingers closed around the skewer, the usual icy sharpness in his eyes softened into a rare, gentle smile.
"Yuhao," he said warmly, "do you mind if I call you that?"
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