Xiao Wu excitedly added from the side, "I haven't used any attack or defense talismans, but the space talisman is really useful—it can transport much farther than my teleportation soul skill, and most importantly, it can carry others along!"
"But the teleportation talisman is even better. As long as you've been to the location before, you can teleport there directly. Su Ming only had one, though, and he used it already."
"And then there's the disguise talisman. Su Ming gave me all the ones he had. It can change your aura, and the effect lasts for a year. Su Ming was worried that my soul beast aura might be detected by a Titled Douluo, but little did he know, the system already gave me a similar ability to hide my aura."
"Oh, and Su Ming once used that talisman to disguise an ordinary Blue Silver Grass in Holy Spirit Village as the Blue Silver Emperor. Just imagine Tang Hao talking to a regular Blue Silver Grass—it's hilarious!"
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing both chuckled at the thought.
They also recalled that Su Ming had swapped the 100,000-year-old Blue Silver Emperor soul bone that Tang Hao had hidden in the mountains with a mere hundred-year soul bone. If Tang Hao unknowingly gave that soul bone to Tang San, it would waste a valuable soul bone slot!
Replacing a soul bone was no simple matter—it could be a life-threatening process. That's why many Titled Douluos didn't even have soul bones, as weaker ones were often less powerful than their own hundred-year soul rings.
Meanwhile, Su Ming, after briefly writing in his diary, entered his learning space to continue his talisman studies. He was determined to master talisman crafting soon, starting with level-one talismans.
Level-one talismans correspond to the strength of a soul scholar, making them the simplest to craft. Naturally, their effects were also the weakest, but everything must start from the basics. Progress takes time.
At midnight.
System Notification:
"Congratulations to the host for completing today's diary entry. Reward: First soul ring duration increased by 5,000 years."
Su Ming was pleased. His first soul ring had now reached 15,000 years. Although the soul skill itself didn't change, the longer soul ring would reduce his soul power consumption.
Like Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Su Ming's soul skills were auxiliary, so even without changes to their effects, increasing the soul ring's years would still reduce the energy required.
Meanwhile, the female leads were reading their own diaries.
System Notification:
"Today, the host mentioned the following female leads: Xiao Wu (twice)."
"Xiao Wu receives a reward: Learning Speed Boost Card."
Since Su Ming had only briefly written in his diary today, none of the girls were surprised that Xiao Wu received the reward.
However, they were still envious! Over the past few years, Xiao Wu had earned countless rewards just by staying close to Su Ming. While Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing now had similar opportunities, as they were also near him, others like Hu Liena, Qian Renxue, Bibi Dong, and Liu Erlong had only received one or two rewards years ago. Since then, Su Ming hadn't mentioned them again, much to their disappointment. They couldn't even approach him yet due to the system's restrictions, which made it even more frustrating!
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing looked curiously at Xiao Wu.
Since arriving at Shrek Academy and sharing a dorm room, the three of them would gather every night at midnight to see what rewards they had received. It had become like opening a surprise box, which they found quite thrilling.
Xiao Wu inspected her Learning Speed Boost Card and said, "I got a Learning Speed Boost Card, which means I can learn anything at ten times the normal speed. I'll use it to master more of the Wind God Leg techniques."
The other two nodded. The card wouldn't be very useful for them, as they didn't have much they needed to learn right now.
The next morning, everyone gathered on the training grounds. Sure enough, Zhao Wuji was leading the group, though his injuries hadn't completely healed yet.
Looking at Zhao Wuji, the group wanted to laugh but didn't dare to.
Zhao Wuji still appeared somewhat disheveled, with three bruises on his face. The worst part was his black eye, which made everyone want to laugh, but they knew better than to ask where his injuries came from.
Tang San, however, was puzzled. Neither he nor Su Ming had inflicted those injuries during the exam. The bruises looked like they were caused by blunt force—who could have beaten Zhao Wuji like that?
"What are you looking at, you little brats? Are you itching for a beating?" Zhao Wuji barked.
Hearing "little brats," Xiao Wu mumbled under her breath, "Why not call us little bears?"
Zhao Wuji glared at Xiao Wu. "What did you say?"
Su Ming chuckled, stepping in to protect Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu's retort was pretty funny, but Su Ming also wondered when the phrase "little brats" had become so popular.
Since Xiao Wu's original form was a Soft Bone Rabbit, she naturally wouldn't like being called a "little brat," as she considered herself far superior to common rabbits.
Zhao Wuji glanced at Su Ming and then at Tang San, deciding not to pursue the matter. After all, the bruises on his face were courtesy of Tang San's father. Tang San seemed to have feelings for Xiao Wu, while it was clear Xiao Wu liked Su Ming. Their relationship was complicated, and Zhao Wuji figured it was best to let them sort it out.
Turning to Dai Mubai, Zhao Wuji said, "Alright, let's get moving. Dai Mubai, you lead the team!"
Over the past few days, Dai Mubai had found time to apologize to both Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong. Though he didn't really want to, he had no choice. With Ning Rongrong's clan's Titled Douluo arriving at the academy, Dai Mubai feared that if he didn't apologize, he might end up severely injured or worse. So, he had swallowed his pride.
Dai Mubai addressed the group with a serious tone. "Going to the Star Dou Forest is no joke. There are many dangerous and powerful soul beasts, so we need to maintain proper formation."
"Su Ming will take the lead, with Ning Rongrong and Oscar behind him. Fatty and Xiao Wu will cover the flanks. Zhuqing, Tang San, and I will bring up the rear. This formation will help us stay organized as we approach the forest."
Tang San agreed with the arrangement, as Su Ming was the strongest among them and naturally should be at the front. He and Dai Mubai would cover the back.
However, Su Ming spoke up. "Zhuqing is a sensitive agility-type soul master. She should be up front with me. With her martial spirit's abilities, she's well-suited for scouting."