Chapter 136: Favor of a Legend
The moment Feng Yao saw Elder Xuan, his eyes lit up. He knew that Huo Yuhao was highly regarded within Shrek Academy, but he hadn't expected him to be this highly valued.
As the former captain of the Shrek Seven Devils, Feng Yao naturally recognized Elder Xuan. He was a terrifying existence—one who had reached Level 98. Across the entire continent, the number of strong individuals who stood at that peak could be counted on one hand.
Even when Feng Yao had obtained his sixth and seventh soul rings, the strongest to assist him had only been a senior from the Sea God Pavilion. Not even then had he been qualified to receive Elder Xuan's personal help. And yet now, for Huo Yuhao's second soul ring, Elder Xuan had come in person. The thought made Feng Yao feel extremely fortunate that he had maintained a good relationship with Huo Yuhao.
After all, Feng Yao came from a well-established family. Talents like him, born into noble bloodlines, were often not nurtured to their full potential by Shrek Academy, which usually reserved its deepest support for those who pledged their allegiance completely. This meant he would rarely—if ever—be eligible for someone like Elder Xuan's personal help in the future.
But now, thanks to this soul ring hunt and Huo Yuhao's relationship with Elder Xuan, he might just have an opportunity to build rapport. If Elder Xuan took a liking to him, there was a chance that Feng Yao's eighth or even ninth soul ring could be enhanced with a 100,000-year-old soul ring. If that happened, he'd undoubtedly become a top-tier genius, one who would likely step into the realm of Super Douluo.
Super Douluo!
Though the prestige of a Titled Douluo had diminished somewhat compared to ten thousand years ago, the standing of a Super Douluo had not faded in the slightest. A Level-95 Titled Douluo was still the backbone of the empires—often ranking among the top five, sometimes even the top three powerhouses of an entire nation.
And if one reached Level 97, they became the absolute pillar of an empire—often serving as mentors to emperors and princes, holding almost unshakable prestige.
The more Feng Yao thought about the status that came with being a Super Douluo, the more eager he became to perform well before Elder Xuan.
"Master Xuan, you can relax and take a seat for Xiao Yuhao's soul ring this time," Feng Yao said earnestly. "Leave everything to me. I have a few friends—together, we'll ensure Xiao Yuhao gets the best possible soul ring."
Elder Xuan glanced over at him, stroking his beard. "Your friends?"
Feng Yao lowered his head slightly and replied respectfully, "Yes, a few of them are from my class—the previous Shrek Seven Devils. They're now six-ring Soul Emperors. There's also one Soul Sect with four rings, but don't worry, he won't cause any trouble."
"Shrek Seven Devils from your class? Who are you?"
"Replying to Master Xuan, I am Feng Yao, captain of the previous Shrek Seven Devils."
"The captain of the previous Shrek Seven Devils? Ah… yes, I remember now. You were that brat with a particularly powerful soul bone."
"Thanks to the blessings of our ancestors," Feng Yao said modestly, lowering his head. After all, soul bones could be passed down through generations. Families with a steady lineage of Soul Douluos or Titled Douluos often accumulated top-tier soul bones over thousands of years.
"The influence of your ancestors, eh? Not just that—I heard you acquired another soul bone recently?"
"Thanks to Mr. Qin of Shrek Academy, I was fortunate enough to gain extra rewards when I hunted the 67,000-year-old Wind Demon Wolf Ape for my seventh soul ring," Feng Yao replied humbly.
When Elder Xuan heard this, even he couldn't help but show some surprise. "Your seventh soul ring was 67,000 years old? Not bad, kid. When you reach Level 80, I'll take you myself to hunt something even better."
"Thank you, Master Xuan!" Feng Yao exclaimed, excitement shining in his eyes. With Elder Xuan's promise, his eighth soul ring was practically guaranteed.
With the 67,000-year-old Wind Demon Wolf Ape skull bone and the 85,000-year-old Wind Demon Tiger right leg bone, Feng Yao had both offensive and movement-type enhancements. Together, these allowed him to attempt to absorb an eighth soul ring nearing 90,000 years. Even if the ninth soul skill turned out to be ordinary, the power of the eighth would give him the potential to break into the Super Douluo realm.
And if he could continue to stay on Elder Xuan's good side, perhaps even his ninth soul ring could come from a 100,000-year-old soul beast.
Soon after, Feng Yao used his soul communicator to summon his companions. Together, they gathered around and ate the grilled fish prepared by Huo Yuhao.
Feng Yao himself had grown accustomed to Yuhao's cooking—he often came for a bite when he had the chance. His companions, though, had only heard of Yuhao's cooking from Feng Yao. This was their first time tasting it, and while they were initially skeptical, all doubts vanished after the first bite.
For Elder Xuan, however, it was a whole different story.
His Taotie Divine Bull martial spirit made him exceptionally sensitive to food. And the flavor of Huo Yuhao's grilled fish stirred his immense appetite almost instantly.
And so…
"What's the point of fighting over a few grilled fish?" Elder Xuan barked. "Move aside! I'll divide them."
He raised a hand and pointed. "One for Feng Yao, one for An Ye, one for Xu Kun, one for Li Ming, one for Xu Si, one for Yuhao… and the last one is mine. Any objections?"
Everyone: "…"
"Hm?" Elder Xuan grunted as he looked around.
"No, no, no objections, Elder Xuan. You divided it very fairly," Feng Yao said quickly. "We all agree!"
Thus, under Elder Xuan's "fair" division, Huo Yuhao's grilled fish was swiftly distributed. The students, still hungry after their share, hunted additional prey. Elder Xuan—reluctant to waste any food—helped them finish those off as well.
However, this time, Elder Xuan did not simply eat for free.
His sharp gaze fell upon the lone Soul Sect in the group—a youth whose presence was clearly out of place among so many Soul Emperors and Soul Saints. The boy's age and soul power fluctuations, hovering around Level 50, made Elder Xuan realize exactly why he was here.
"Li Ming, is it?" Elder Xuan asked, narrowing his eyes. "What level are you now?"
"Replying to Master Xuan, I've reached Level 50," Li Ming answered quickly.
Seeing Elder Xuan question Li Ming, Feng Yao promptly stepped in.
"Master Xuan, we'll handle Li Ming's soul ring ourselves later. We wouldn't dare trouble you for something so small."
After all, Elder Xuan had come to help Huo Yuhao obtain his soul ring—not to assist a Soul Sect in acquiring his fifth ring. It would be disrespectful to burden a powerhouse like him with such a mundane task.
But Elder Xuan simply stroked his beard, thinking of Yuhao's grilled fish and all the delicious food that might appear in the Soul Beast Forest.
"No problem. I'm bored anyway. I'll help Li Ming get his fifth soul ring. It's not a big deal. A ten-thousand-year soul beast is nothing to me."
Feng Yao and the others lit up with joy.
Initially, they had planned to help Huo Yuhao get his second ring first, treating the meal as their reward. Afterward, they'd return to Director Du Weilun and prepare to assist Li Ming in hunting his fifth soul ring—likely with the help of Soul Douluos for safety. It would have been a time-consuming process.
But now Elder Xuan himself was willing to step in!
How could they not be excited?
With Elder Xuan's Level 98 strength, even a ten-thousand-year soul beast would be hunted with ease. There would be no risks—only rewards.