Douluo: The Ultimate Self

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Tang San had originally intended to defend the theory proposed by Yu Xiaogang, but at this moment, he didn't know what to say.

Although the process of absorbing soul rings had been painful, the gains were indeed significant. But now, seeing Yang Xiong surpass the standard absorption duration, did that mean his teacher's theory was wrong?

At this moment, Tang San's thoughts were tangled. As for Yang Xiong and Oscar, each had their own cultivation plans. Oscar sat on his bed meditating, while Yang Xiong, after some conversation, went to train in combat with Zhao Wuji again.

Construction of new dormitories had begun near the original ones, but it would still take a few days to complete. For now, Yang Xiong had to share a room with Oscar and Tang San.

Shrek Academy had few students and even fewer dormitories, so Yang Xiong still felt a bit uncomfortable about the arrangement.

Early the next morning, everyone prepared to set off with Zhao Wuji toward the Great Star Dou Forest.

Zhao Wuji, who had been beaten up by Tang Hao, looked utterly miserable. Especially since Tang Hao had used some unknown method—leaving a Soul Sage unable to immediately heal the various bruises on his face.

Yang Xiong had sought out Zhao Wuji for combat training over the past few days, and during their conversations, Yang Xiong had offered some medicinal herbs to treat Zhao Wuji's injuries without hesitation. Initially, Zhao Wuji wanted to refuse, but after looking in the mirror, he reluctantly accepted, realizing the herbs would help.

After discussing some precautions for the Great Star Dou Forest, the group prepared to depart from Shrek Academy.

The Great Star Dou Forest was a full 500 kilometers away from Shrek Academy, and the academy hadn't prepared any carriages. This journey required everyone to run the entire way. According to Zhao Wuji and Dai Mubai, this was also a form of training.

For Soul Grandmasters, 500 kilometers was still quite a distance. However, with Oscar's sausages replenishing their stamina and Ning Rongrong using her Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda to assist everyone, the group managed well. Surprisingly, the three girls chattered nonstop along the way.

In just one day, the group arrived at Hunter's Soul Town on the outskirts of the Great Star Dou Forest.

The Great Star Dou Forest was terrifying at night, so everyone planned to eat and rest in Hunter's Soul Town to replenish their energy before entering the forest early the next morning.

Just as in the original story, they encountered Canghui Academy while eating.

Under the provocative words of Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai, a conflict erupted, and a fight broke out. Even the teachers from Canghui Academy were thoroughly taught a lesson by the group, especially with Tang San showcasing the impressive power of his hidden weapons.

Throughout the altercation, Yang Xiong remained silent, standing quietly to the side.

Oscar, however, was puzzled. "Brother Xiong, why do you seem to dislike this kind of conflict? Principal Flender said we're all 'monsters,' and our academy rule is that those who avoid trouble are mediocre."

Yang Xiong sighed helplessly. "So-called 'trouble' often amounts to bullying the weak. In this situation, we weren't exactly in the right. Especially you, Oscar—you need to be more careful. As a food-system soul master, your combat abilities are weak, and the soul master world is exceptionally cruel. Some people can be extremely ruthless."

Oscar asked, "Don't you think the principal's words are inspiring?"

Yang Xiong shook his head. "Our senior students have a high mortality rate—not just from hunting spirit beasts, but likely also because they provoke too much trouble and end up getting killed. When we go out, we don't always have teachers accompanying us. The strongest among us are only Soul Elders, which is still very weak in the soul master world. Some people may hesitate to attack us because of our academy or because of Principal Flender's Soul Sage-level strength, but many others in the soul master world prefer to eliminate threats completely. Sometimes, staying low-key is better than being overly ostentatious."

"Especially after we graduate, Shrek Academy will no longer be our backing. If we cause too much trouble, it's easy to lose our lives in the soul master world."

Oscar, who came from a commoner background, couldn't help but nod. "Brother Xiong, you really understand the soul master world—it seems you have rich experience."

Yang Xiong shook his head. "This isn't about experience in the soul master world—it's about my personal survival philosophy. I come from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and frankly, not many people dare to provoke me easily. But personally, I believe there's no need to be so ostentatious in life. Rather than saying, 'those who avoid trouble are mediocre,' I prefer another saying: 'don't provoke trouble, but don't fear it either.'"

As a food-system soul master with very weak combat abilities, Oscar fully agreed with Yang Xiong's philosophy of "don't provoke trouble, but don't fear it."

Although Yang Xiong and Oscar spoke softly, everyone could hear clearly as soul masters. However, most didn't care much, as everyone present had some background and a certain degree of pride.

Zhao Wuji had initially been dissatisfied that Yang Xiong hadn't joined the fight, but after hearing Yang Xiong's explanation, he didn't say anything further. Everyone had their own way of navigating the world, and for now, they were just classmates—not yet at the stage of sharing burdens together.

Yang Xiong had his own pride, but he understood the cruelty of the soul master world far better.

In fact, Yang Xiong had always found it somewhat exaggerated that none of the Shrek students, despite their strong backgrounds, had ever encountered foul play while training alone in the soul master world.

Especially considering Ma Hongjun's personality—he loved causing trouble, yet somehow managed to survive and grow stronger, which was almost unbelievable.

As for Dai Mubai, being a prince of the Star Luo Empire, he undoubtedly had covert protection from powerful individuals. Otherwise, with his arrogant nature, he might have been killed long ago.

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After resting for the night, everyone prepared themselves to enter the Great Star Dou Forest in peak condition.

Even Yang Xiong himself was excited. This was his first time entering the Great Star Dou Forest. It wasn't just his first encounter with top-tier spirit beasts, but also his first chance to witness the formidable strength of the Titan Giant Ape. Perhaps in the future, he could even plan something related to this.

Before entering the Great Star Dou Forest, Oscar provided everyone with his sausages. Clearly, everyone now fully recognized Oscar and his sausages.

Zhao Wuji's expression turned unusually serious. "Once we enter the Great Star Dou Forest, no one is allowed to leave my side by more than twenty meters. Especially you two, Oscar and Ning Rongrong—you must stay close to me at all times. Without my orders, do not attack any spirit beasts."

According to Zhao Wuji's arrangements, Tang San and Dai Mubai walked at the front, Zhao Wuji himself took the rear, and Yang Xiong stayed beside Ning Rongrong.

Upon entering the Great Star Dou Forest, Yang Xiong once again felt as if he had stepped into a new world. Even the outer regions were densely packed with towering trees and thick undergrowth, surpassing the Sunset Forest. The terrain was even more complex.

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