Star Dou Great Forest was located southeast of Balak Kingdom, sharing a very short border with Balak Kingdom, but Suotuo City itself was also in the southeast of the Kingdom, not far from Star Dou Great Forest, less than five hundred kilometers.
With the aid of Oscar's sausages, barely using one days time, at nightfall, the Shrek Academy party had already run more than four hundred kilometers. Seeing that they would be unable to reach the destination today, Zhao Wuji issued orders to rest. Since they had just reached a small town, if they continued further, whether there would be supply was hard to say.
Zhao Wuji indicated a very ordinary looking hotel ahead, saying
"We will stay there. Rest one night and set out early tomorrow. You bear your own lodging and food costs."
The hotel was a small two storey building, the first floor was a simple dining hall, on the second floor were accommodations. Zhao Wuji rented a single room and went directly upstairs. Dai Mubai and everyone after simply talking it over, rented a five person room for the five boys and another three person room for the three girls.
JoyBoy knew what was going to happen next so he didn't go with others to eat and continued to cultivate in the room. The others returned to the room at night time after dinner and went to sleep except Tang San who cultivated for some time before going to sleep. The next morning while others were asleep, Tang San and JoyBoy finished their morning routine. JoyBoy had left his ten clones to cultivate spirit power in his dorm room in the academy and had decided that he will let them cultivate till he returns to the academy.
Everyone left after having breakfast. Leaving the little town, everyone accelerated forwards, the distance from here to Star Dou Great Forest was already very close, and everyone hurried on at full strength.
Star Dou Great Forest was situated on the south edge of Heaven Dou Empire, the forest spanning the two great empires. Since the spirit beasts here were numerous, this was also the region where the border between the two nations was least clear. From looking at a map, the larger part of Star Dou Great Forest's area was within Star Luo Empire, but of course, Heaven Dou Empire had never recognized this point.
After arriving in the forest, everyone stopped for some time and ate Oscar's sausage to replenish their used spirit power except JoyBoy who was now in a state of constant vigilance.
Zhao Wuji looked solemnly at the eight students before him,
"You listen to me closely, Star Dou Great Forest can't be the kind of place like national captive devil beast forests. The devil beasts here are all extremely dangerous, you may at any time be confronted by a thousand year, or even ten thousand year level devil beast attack. As a result, after entering the forest, none of you must leave more than twenty meters away from me. Ning Rongrong, Oscar, you two must follow me even closer. Without my order, none of you are allowed to rashly attack spirit beasts, do you understand?"
"Understood."
Oscar quickly recited spirit incantations, in a moment's work, in his hand he held several fresh and dried sausages. He gave everyone a fresh sausage and a dried sausage, saying
"My sausage is able to maintain its freshness for twelve double hours in the air, in other words, it will have effect if eaten within twelve double hours. The fresh sausage recovers and treats in addition to allaying hunger, the dried sausage's main effect is detoxification."
Everyone accepted it one by one including JoyBoy, carefully putting it away. They understood that Oscar was afraid that in a crisis there wouldn't be time to give them sausage, and so just gave them some in advance. JoyBoy took the sausage because of its detoxification ability. He knows that one can never be too sure when it comes to poison.
JoyBoy even boosted his endurance up to one hundred fifty times when he entered the forest because he didn't want to take any kind of risk. After getting his fourth spirit ring, JoyBoy's maximum limit on his boost increased to one fifty times without using his spirit rings.
"Set off."
This time, Zhao Wuji let JoyBoy, Dai Mubai and Tang San walk in front, he personally took the rear, as they took the first step into Star Dou Great Forest. Everyone moved forward for probably one double hour or so. By now it was already noon. In this time, they had also encountered not a few spirit beasts, but for the most part it was ten year and hundred years, and the most part they had avoided the spirit beasts they came across without any direct conflict.
"Well, everyone rest a moment."
Zhao Wuji passed down orders to rest for one double hour. This was still the outskirts of Star Dou Great Forest and not many high level spirit beasts would be seen, so it was still relatively safe. Their goal was to help Oscar hunt a suitable thousand year spirit beast, so they had to continue deeper inside. The further they went inside the more dangerous it would be, and resting time also would become even rarer. Consequently, adjusting to peak condition in the relatively safe area was absolutely necessary.
When everyone had rested roughly half a double hour, suddenly, JoyBoy, Tang San and Zhao Wuji's gazes simultaneously turned in one direction. Zhao Wuji shouted in a loud voice
"Get up, there is something approaching."
JoyBoy, Tang San and Dai Mubai with an unusual understanding took the lead in covering in front of Oscar and Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing and Fatty followed to guard the sides, in the first moments, they all except JoyBoy released their spirits, including Zhao Wuji. JoyBoy simply boosted his strength and agility to one hundred and fifty times.
The rustling sounds went from small to large, even if it was the Auxiliary Spirit Masters Oscar and Ning Rongrong both could clearly sense that creature approaching at a very high speed.
"Zhu Zhuqing, take a look at what it is."
Zhao Wuji ordered in a low voice. Zhu Zhuqing still did not utter a word, quietly leaping up, cats claws extending on her hands, climbing a large tree as if walking on level ground to look in the direction of whence the sound came. Very quickly, Zhu Zhuqing's voice came from the tree
"It looks like a flying serpent, only it doesn't fly very high, it can only fly about three meters off the ground. On its head is a crest, it would appear still larger than its head, bright red like blood. Its tail is comparatively unusual, fan shaped."
JoyBoy realized that its the same spirit beast from the novel that will give Oscar his third spirit ring, 'The Phoenix Tail Crest Serpent'. After asking Zhuqing for details on the looks of the beast, Tang San soon explain everything about the beast to others including its age, its characteristics, possible abilities it can provide through the spirit ring which impressed them. Zhao Wuji couldn't help but ask
"Since you are clear on this kind of spirit beast, then, what is the best method of catching this it?"
Tang San replied without the slightest hesitation
"Any type of snake is afraid of aggressive birds, and especially afraid of long beaked crane type birds. Although there is no Crane Spirit among us, Fatty's Phoenix is still considered the king of birds. The atmosphere of his spirit should be able to have a certain suppressive effect on this kind of Phoenix Tail Crest Serpent. The Phoenix Tail Crest Serpent is not particularly aggressive, so we need to be careful and must not let it escape."
"It's here."
At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing's voice came just in time, with a low shout.