Chapter 80: Meeting (Patreon)

Star Dou Great Forest

Arriving in this lush, dense, and ancient primeval forest, Lu Feng felt as if he had returned to his own kingdom.

The flowers, grass, and trees swayed gently without any wind, their branches bending toward Lu Feng as if bowing in reverence to welcome their master.

Activating another form of vision, he shared perception with the plants within a radius of five to six hundred meters. Every rustle of grass, every movement of birds and beasts—nothing escaped his awareness.

Xiao Wu seemed to sense this subtle connection.

Her pink eyes shimmered with admiration as she glanced at Lu Feng repeatedly, unconsciously inching closer to him. The nearer she was, the safer she felt.

Ning Rongrong also hovered around Lu Feng. The secret yoga techniques he taught her had greatly improved her flexibility—her weakest aspect—earning him even more of her gratitude.

As for Ma Hongjun and Oscar, they remained as devoted as ever to their wealthy friend, Lu Feng.

Thanks to his generosity, their romantic lives with Cuihua and Caihua had never been smoother.

Lu Feng had provided them with special VIP cards for the Rose Hotel, allowing them to stay for free five days a month. Beyond that, they only had to pay a mere 10% of the usual rate. With such perks, they frequently took their girlfriends there, enjoying a life of comfort and… ahem… happiness.

In the past, neither Ma Hongjun nor Oscar could afford the Rose Hotel's steep prices.

Ma Hongjun had it slightly better—his victories at the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena earned him enough gold to stay at cheaper inns.

But Oscar, as a food-system soul master, struggled to win in the arena. Without Lu Feng's support, his dates with Caihua would've been limited to village huts or rolling around in grassy fields.

When Cuihua and Caihua's families learned that their daughters had a wealthy friend like Lu Feng—who had gifted them soul tool belts worth thousands of gold—the entire village was stunned.

Naturally, their families fully supported their relationships with Ma Hongjun and Oscar.

Ruhua, however, wasn't doing as well.

Dai Mubai was growing tired of her.

As a noble with considerable wealth, he never lacked female attention. Hooking up with Ruhua had been more of a last resort—like someone used to lavish feasts occasionally nibbling on plain vegetables for a change.

But eating nothing but "vegetables" forever? No way. So, he gradually began distancing himself from her.

That said, Ruhua was thriving in her career. She had been promoted to manager of the Merchant Alliance's Suotuo branch and was studying hard at their academy in her free time.

It made sense—her boyfriend was handsome, rich, and a powerful soul master. If she didn't push herself, the gap between them would only widen. The Merchant Alliance was her only path to climbing the social ladder.

Cuihua and Caihua were the same.

The three sisters were endlessly grateful to Lu Feng.

They knew it was only because of his influence that Manager Ao treated them favorably and invested in their growth.

Of course, Lu Feng had merely lent a hand—their success still depended on their own efforts.

If they had just relied on their boyfriends without striving to improve, they would've deserved being left behind.

At the moment, though, Lu Feng found something odd.

According to the original timeline, their group was supposed to encounter the Canghui Academy team—who would flirt with the girls and provoke a fight, giving Tang San his usual chance to show off.

Yet here they were, deep in the Star Dou Great Forest, with no sign of Canghui Academy.

"Maybe my presence has altered the flow of fate in some way."

Not that it mattered—this was just a minor detour.

What did matter was sabotaging the Son of Destiny's great opportunity. Completing this mission would allow him to absorb even more of the world's fortune.

Soon after, their target appeared—the Thousand-Year Phoenix-Tailed Serpent Chicken.

Working together, they hunted it down with little effort. The serpent was perfect for Oscar's spirit ring.

And the reason it went so smoothly?

Simple—Lu Feng was there.

Lu Feng only needed to use two of his spirit abilities—Life Radiance and Root Entanglement—to drastically slow the Phoenix-Tailed Serpent Chicken down before thick vines coiled around it, immobilizing the creature completely.

Then, Zhu Zhuqing—equipped with two spirit bones—struck like lightning. With her terrifying assassination skills, she delivered a crippling blow to the thousand-year soul beast in a single move.

Tang San? Dai Mubai? They barely had a chance to contribute. Even Zhao Wuji didn't need to lift a finger.

"Good! Well done!" Zhao Wuji cheered, impressed by the young couple's seamless teamwork and overwhelming strength. Their coordination was almost instinctive.

Zhu Zhuqing had also broken through to Level 31 just two days prior—her progress was nothing short of astounding.

"It's yours, Xiao Ao," Lu Feng said.

"Thanks, Brother Feng! And Sister Zhuqing! And everyone!" Oscar beamed.

Sure, his thousand-year spirit ring couldn't compare to Lu Feng's ten-thousand-year third ring, but for someone like him, this was already an incredible catch.

Just as Oscar was about to deliver the final blow—

"Halt!"

A sharp voice cut through the air.

Zhao Wuji tensed, immediately summoning his spirit and spirit rings in alert.

Two figures emerged from the dense foliage—an elderly woman and a young girl.

The elder appeared to be in her seventies, her silver hair neatly combed. Wrinkles lined her face like dried tangerine peel, but her eyes gleamed with sharp vitality beneath their aged haze. In her right hand, she gripped a three-meter-long serpent-headed staff—her spirit—adorned with six spirit rings.

Beside her stood a striking girl of about sixteen or seventeen.

Her short, slate-blue hair framed a face of icy beauty. Dressed in form-fitting martial attire, her curves were impossible to ignore. She, too, carried a serpent staff, though slightly shorter than the elder's. Two yellow spirit rings hovered around her.

Her sapphire-blue eyes locked onto the wounded serpent with possessive intensity.

Meng Yiran.

And her grandmother, Snake Douluo Chao Tianxiang.

A faint smile tugged at Lu Feng's lips.

They're here.

He'd worried his presence might've altered events enough to prevent this encounter. But fate hadn't strayed that far.

Truthfully, Lu Feng had sensed their approach long before Zhao Wuji—thanks to his shared perception with the plants. He'd simply chosen not to react.

"That Phoenix-Tailed Serpent Chicken is mine," Meng Yiran declared coldly.

"Says who?" Xiao Wu shot back, hackles raised.

"Check its underside. You'll find three fresh wounds," Meng Yiran retorted.

Oscar inspected the serpent and nodded. "She's right. There are bleeding gashes."

"Exactly. We've been hunting it for hours," Meng Yiran said smugly. "Even without your interference, we would've taken it down. So it belongs to us."

Meng Yiran had come to the Star Dou Great Forest for one purpose—to obtain her third spirit ring, and this Thousand-Year Phoenix-Tailed Serpent Chicken was the perfect fit.

"That doesn't necessarily mean anything," Xiao Wu argued, refusing to back down. "If we hadn't intercepted it, it might've escaped you completely."

Having once been a leader among spirit beasts, she wasn't about to let her teammates get cheated.

Zhao Wuji remained silent.

The dangers of the Star Dou Great Forest weren't limited to soul beasts—human soul masters competing for resources could be even deadlier.

Soul beasts were territorial. If you stayed out of their domain, they usually wouldn't attack. Even if they did, fleeing their territory often meant safety.

But when soul masters clashed over valuable prey? The battles were far more brutal, often ending in bloodshed until only one side remained.

From the old woman's appearance and serpent staff, Zhao Wuji quickly deduced her identity—Snake Douluo Chao Tianxiang, one half of the infamous Dragon-Snake Duo.

And if her husband, Dragon Douluo Meng Shu, was nearby?

That would be a disaster.

The Dragon-Snake Duo were renowned for their spirit fusion ability, which could rival even a Titled Douluo. Against them, a mere Spirit Sage like Zhao Wuji stood no chance.

Not to mention, he had to prioritize his students' safety—he couldn't afford to fight recklessly.

Meanwhile, Snake Douluo was also sizing up Zhao Wuji. When she saw his seven spirit rings, her expression tightened.

This won't be easy.

Her husband was too far away to assist immediately. As a Soul Emperor, she was no match for a Soul Sage alone.

And judging by Zhao Wuji's burly physique and formidable aura, she had a good guess as to who he was.

What's more, the eight young soul masters behind him all radiated formidable energy—none weaker than her granddaughter, Meng Yiran.

Especially…

Her gaze landed on Lu Feng.

Her eyes widened in shock.

Then, without hesitation—

She almost dropped to her knees.