Lin Jie had already decided where he would go to hunt for his fifth Spirit Ring—Star Dou Great Forest.
As the largest gathering ground of Spirit Beasts on the continent, and the place with the highest concentration of Spirit Beasts over ten thousand years old, Star Dou Forest was the most suitable location. Other forests did have powerful Spirit Beasts, but they were much harder to find.
He had initially considered the Sunset Forest, which was closer to Heaven Dou Empire, but ultimately chose against it for two reasons.
First, Star Dou Forest simply had more high-level Spirit Beasts. With a greater selection, he could find a more suitable Spirit Ring faster.
Second, he was a bit concerned about possibly running into Dugu Bo in the Sunset Forest. After all, Lin Jie had already plundered his entire medicinal herb garden. Knowing Dugu Bo's personality—a man who once poisoned an entire city for the sake of research—he wasn't exactly the forgiving type. Time may have passed, but one could never be too cautious.
Although he was going alone to hunt his Spirit Ring, Lin Jie had his ultimate cheat—the Mind Web, which gave him confidence in ensuring his safety.
Moreover, going to Star Dou Forest wasn't just about the Spirit Ring—it was also about training. There, he could encounter powerful Spirit Beasts and be baptized in real bloodshed and combat.
Though his current strength was already formidable, his killing intent was still lacking. Once his current objectives were completed, he would need to make a trip to the Slaughter City.
—
After leaving Heaven Dou City, Lin Jie put on a simple disguise and bought a top-grade horse—a Red Mane Horse.
This horse breed was quite famous in the empire, possessing partial Spirit Beast bloodlines. Its speed and endurance were both exceptional. It was also one of the standard warhorses used by the Heaven Dou Imperial Army.
—
Two days later, Lin Jie arrived in Norls City, the capital of the Norls Province—located three hundred li south of central Heaven Dou Empire.
This province was home to several famous advanced academies, making it one of the empire's most important regions for talent development. In fact, two of the Five Elemental Academies were located here: Blazing Academy and Godwind Academy.
Just how close were these two academies? Well, Feng Xiaotian was known to frequently visit Blazing Academy just to pursue Huo Wu—enough said.
Originally, the five elemental academies were tightly united. But in recent years, Elephant Armored Academy had developed some rifts with the others, leading to weakening relations.
Lin Jie only learned this after arriving in Norls City.
Even though over a month had passed since the end of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, the buzz around it had yet to die down.
Apart from Shrek Academy, who took first place, and the Spirit Hall Academy in second, Godwind Academy—which placed third—remained a hot topic in the Norls Province.
—
After arriving, Lin Jie spent two days resting in Norls City. His original plan had been to restock supplies and head for Star Dou Forest.
However, that plan was now delayed—because his path was blocked.
And the person who stopped him… was someone very familiar: Feng Xiaotian from Godwind Academy.
The moment Lin Jie saw who it was, he couldn't help but curse in his heart.
What the hell kind of fate is this? Of all people, I run into him? What rotten luck.
Lin Jie knew that Godwind Academy was located in Norls Province, but not in Norls City specifically. He didn't expect to bump into Feng Xiaotian here—and even more unexpected, Feng Xiaotian had deliberately stopped him.
If it had been a beautiful girl pulling him aside, Lin Jie wouldn't have minded. But Feng Xiaotian? This was truly annoying.
Back during the finals of the tournament, after Godwind Academy was defeated by Shrek, they had left hastily. Lin Jie didn't need to guess why.
Once back, they surely received their share of the imperial rewards—titles, wealth, and honors. Whether they accepted those rewards, Lin Jie had no idea.
But in truth, Feng Xiaotian was no less shocked than Lin Jie.
He had come to Norls City for errands, and never imagined he'd encounter Lin Jie of all people.
Feng Xiaotian's first emotion upon seeing Lin Jie was admiration. He deeply respected the strong, and Lin Jie was exactly that. When Lin Jie defeated him in the qualifying rounds, he had already acknowledged him. But in the finals, Lin Jie used a devastating technique to take him down again—so hard, in fact, that he was bedridden for an entire week. From that moment on, Feng Xiaotian knew he wasn't Lin Jie's match.
After being eliminated, tournament rules forbade them from rejoining or even watching the remaining matches.
While he was still recovering from his injuries, their team instructor rushed them out of Spirit City. Feng Xiaotian understood the reason well enough.
Though they didn't watch the match live, they later saw the recordings. When the results were revealed, Feng Xiaotian—and all of Blazing Academy—were stunned.
Shrek Academy had actually defeated Spirit Hall's elite team—three Spirit Kings and four Spirit Ancestors.
It was unbelievable.
—
Feng Xiaotian admired Lin Jie, but he was also… jealous.
After their second loss to Shrek, the girl he liked—Huo Wu—started mentioning Lin Jie nonstop. At first, it was just occasional remarks. But it soon escalated—she became downright obsessed.
Since Godwind Academy wasn't far from Blazing Academy, Feng Xiaotian often visited just to see her. But now, when she saw him, her attitude hadn't changed. She still treated him as just a friend—and she said so herself.
Feng Xiaotian could feel it: Huo Wu had someone else in her heart. That person… was Lin Jie.
The moment he spotted Lin Jie in Norls City, jealousy surged in his chest. Before he realized it, he'd already rushed over to block his path.
—
"Feng Xiaotian. What a coincidence," Lin Jie said, somewhat surprised.
"I didn't expect this either, Lin Jie."
"Then why are you standing in my way?"
Feng Xiaotian knew it was rude, but he didn't move. He had a goal—to win Huo Wu's heart. And in his mind, the best way to do that… was to defeat Lin Jie. A slim chance, perhaps—but still a chance.
Looking at Lin Jie, he said, "I want to challenge you. One more match."
Lin Jie raised an eyebrow. "Feng Xiaotian, are you serious? You should know you're no match for me. What's the point?"
"I know I can't beat you," Feng Xiaotian admitted. "But I still have to do this. I have my reasons."
"You're doing this… because of Huo Wu."
Feng Xiaotian clenched his teeth. "Yes. I've liked her for a long time. I used to visit her at Blazing Academy all the time. But just a few days ago… she told me we're only friends. At that moment, I knew—she has someone else in her heart. And that someone is you."
"I remember every time I went to see her, the name she brought up the most was yours. She said she just wanted to defeat you, but I could tell—she likes you, Lin Jie."
Lin Jie was a little taken aback.
It was true—he and Huo Wu had shared a couple of passionate kisses. He still remembered them vividly. He wasn't exactly a saint, and Huo Wu was undeniably attractive. He naturally had some fondness for her.
Now, hearing that she might actually have feelings for him… he felt a bit smug, though also confused.
"Feng Xiaotian, how can you be so sure she likes me? Are you just using this as an excuse to pick a fight?"
"No. I just want to prove to her that I, Feng Xiaotian, am not inferior to Lin Jie. So, Lin Jie—do you dare accept my challenge?"
Feng Xiaotian's words were loud enough to draw a crowd. Curious passersby stopped to watch the unfolding drama.
He didn't care about the onlookers. All he wanted was to challenge Lin Jie and prove himself to Huo Wu.
But Lin Jie did care. He felt like a monkey in a zoo with all these people staring at him. And he hated unnecessary drama.
Still, judging by Feng Xiaotian's stubborn expression, he knew the guy wasn't backing down. Lin Jie disliked trouble—but sometimes, it was better to end things quickly.
"Feng Xiaotian, if you want to fight, at least pick a proper place. This isn't it."
"You agree?" Feng Xiaotian was surprised. He hadn't expected Lin Jie to accept. Glancing around at the crowd, he nodded. "Alright. Follow me."
Lin Jie had no idea where Feng Xiaotian intended to go, but he wasn't worried.
Feng Xiaotian stayed quiet as they walked. He didn't know what to say anymore. His challenge had been impulsive—driven by jealousy. But now that Lin Jie had accepted, he couldn't back out.
Still, when he thought of Huo Wu, his heart grew heavy.
—
Before long, Feng Xiaotian brought Lin Jie to a quiet, open clearing—free from prying eyes.
Once there, Lin Jie looked at him and said, "Look, Brother Feng—we don't really have any bad blood, right?"
Feng Xiaotian nodded. "We don't."
"So you're doing this entirely over Huo Wu? Isn't that a bit much?"
"I… I just can't let it go."
Lin Jie sighed. "Fine. I'll give you a chance. Let's get this over with—quick and clean."