The next morning, before anyone had fully woken up, a sudden disturbance rippled through the camp. A wave of energy passed by, causing the tent to shudder slightly from the pressure.
"What was that?!"
Oscar burst out of the tent in a panic.
Several figures appeared one after another, scanning their surroundings with vigilance.
"It's fine. Just a powerful Demon Ape passing by," Flander said, glancing into the distance and waving dismissively. "Your teacher Erlong will handle it easily."
Once they confirmed there was no danger, everyone relaxed.
Still half-awake and unable to fall back asleep, they decided to pack up their things and prepare to move on.
Ma Hongjun looked at his teammates thoughtfully. After a moment, he decided not to interfere with their spirit ring hunts.
Soon, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others successfully obtained their fourth spirit rings.
"Oscar, what's your fourth spirit ring ability?" someone asked.
Compared to an offense-type Soul Master like Dai Mubai, everyone was more interested in what Oscar's support-type ring could do.
"You'll never guess it!" Oscar said proudly. "Even though the Pink Lady isn't a powerful soul beast, the ability I gained from it is very practical."
"After eating my Hyperactive Pink Sausage, your soul power will increase by 30% for three minutes. But there's a major downside—once the effect ends, you'll be extremely weakened for three whole days."
Oscar's excitement was evident.
The effect was clearly something to be used only in critical moments—the aftereffect was just too harsh.
Ma Hongjun already knew about this skill, so he wasn't surprised.
The others, however, suddenly understood the trade-off.
"So that means Oscar's fourth skill can only be used as a last resort. That makes it useless for the Advanced Spirit Master Tournament, doesn't it?" Ning Rongrong said with a teasing look.
Oscar, who had been glowing with pride moments earlier, immediately fell silent.
What Ning Rongrong said was true. The competition had very short intervals between matches, making it impossible to afford a three-day weakness.
"Still, Oscar's Hyperactive Pink Sausage can boost our whole team's power by 30% in an emergency," Dai Mubai said. "In life-threatening situations, it could be vital."
Oscar, who had been feeling a bit discouraged, perked up again after receiving Dai Mubai's approval.
"Told you it was useful," he said with a smirk.
He cast a glance at Ning Rongrong, who looked like she wanted to slap him.
"Alright, let's get back on track," Flander said. "We've been in the Star Dou Great Forest for three days. Mubai, Oscar, Rongrong, and Zhuqing—you've all obtained your fourth spirit rings."
"That leaves only Hongjun, Xiao Wu, and…"
His gaze landed on Gu Yuena, and his voice faltered.
In truth, he had never seen Gu Yuena use any spirit ring abilities. He couldn't even tell what level she was at.
But he had a strong hunch—Gu Yuena was far more powerful than she let on.
"Teacher, do you have any suggestions for my fourth spirit ring?" Ma Hongjun asked, helping Flander out of the awkward moment.
Flander's expression turned serious at the question.
"I do have some thoughts. Right now, your greatest weakness is the lack of a group attack ability. So ideally, your fourth spirit skill should be focused on group offense."
"But this forest is massive, and finding a suitable soul beast in a short time won't be easy."
Flander sighed.
The stronger a soul beast was, the larger its territory. Whenever they found one, it usually meant there wouldn't be another within several miles. That natural territorial behavior made their search much harder.
Ma Hongjun thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up with an idea.
"Teacher, natural treasures have a powerful allure for soul beasts. If they sense the aura, they'll rush over—even if it's not their territory."
"This Ganoderma lucidum in my hand gives off a strong fragrance. It should be enough to lure them here."
He took out a pale purple Ganoderma from his storage space. Its delicate scent was refreshing—just smelling it made one feel energized and clear-headed.
"Great idea. If we stay here and wait, a suitable soul beast is bound to appear eventually," Liu Erlong said, nodding approvingly.
"Brother Hongjun, this really is a smart plan," Ning Rongrong praised with a bright smile. Her admiration was written all over her face.
"Are you planning to take this chance to leave?" Gu Yuena quietly asked Xiao Wu, who stood beside her.
Over the past few days, the two of them had been waiting for the right opportunity for Xiao Wu to slip away unnoticed.
Until now, there hadn't been a good moment.
But this—this might be it.
"No, I want to stay and see Brother Hongjun find the soul beast that suits him," Xiao Wu said, shaking her head.
She wanted to be there to contribute to Hongjun's spirit ring hunt.
Gu Yuena understood and said no more.
Once the trap was laid, everyone settled in to wait for their prey.
Time passed quickly.
During the day, four ten-thousand-year soul beasts and hundreds of thousand-year beasts were lured by the Ganoderma's scent.
But none of them were a good fit for Ma Hongjun.
"Maybe we should call it a day?" Ma Hongjun suggested, turning to the group.
After waiting so long, everyone was tired and nodded in agreement.
Just as they stood up to leave, Flander suddenly turned sharply toward the treetops in the distance.
His spirit form manifested instantly, and a flash of sharp light gleamed in his eyes.
"Hongjun, looks like your patience is being rewarded. You've found the right one."
Flander smiled in satisfaction.
"The Red Flame Fire Owl is the ruler of flying soul beasts. It has terrifying firepower and exceptional speed. If you can capture it, your fourth spirit ring will be secured."
Liu Erlong followed his gaze and added, "It looks like it's over ten thousand years old. If the seven of you work together, you should be able to take it down."
She chose not to intervene. This spirit ring hunt was also a test and training experience—an opportunity she wouldn't take away from them.
The Shrek team wasn't surprised. Over the past few days, any ten-thousand-year soul beast they encountered had been driven away by Liu Erlong and Flander. Only the ones suitable for them were left for actual combat.
"This Red Flame Fire Owl is a bit different," Flander noted. "Its feathers aren't entirely black—look closely, there's a red shimmer across its body. That likely means it's a mutant soul beast, stronger than the average Red Flame Fire Owl."
The gleam in his eyes sharpened. This owl was perfect for Hongjun.
Ma Hongjun also spotted the large black bird hidden high in the treetops.
It didn't recklessly approach—suggesting it had some intelligence.
But it was too late. He had set his sights on it.
And tonight—it wouldn't be flying away.