Douluo Continent: The Holy Evil Emperor

With only half a month to go before the opening ceremony of the Soul Battle Tournament, and just as Ye Qing and his group were about to head to Star Luo City, a furious roar resounded on Seagod Island, accompanied by an immense and terrifying pressure of soul power.

But before this oppressive aura could spread, it was slapped away by Moon.

"Sigh..." Sensing that Xuanzi was still at level ninety-eight, Mu En sighed, his expression becoming even more melancholy.

The eight-petaled orchid landed in Xuanzi's hands. Mu En was actually quite happy to see it happen. Although he was completely disappointed with the corrupt higher-ups at Shrek Academy, he still cared a lot about the academy.

Regardless of what Shrek Academy's future holds, Xuanzi will likely become a Limit Douluo after obtaining the Eight-Petaled Immortal Orchid, which will sustain Shrek Academy for a period after his death, giving Ye Qing ample time to develop.

But Xuanzi is such a disappointment!

He's already consumed the immortal herbs, but let alone becoming a god, he hasn't even broken through to the Limit Douluo level!

Although his aura had also climbed to the peak of level 98 and his foundation was much deeper than before, Mu En, who had also broken through from level 98 to level 99, understood very well just how difficult it was to break through to the Limit Douluo level.

In the original story, Xuanzi had to swallow an entire Qiankun Creation Pill to break through his limit.

One eight-petaled orchid is clearly not enough!

Without external assistance, even though Xuanzi's cultivation and foundation have increased to a certain extent, it may still take several years or even more than a decade to break through his limits.

It wouldn't be surprising if he hadn't broken through his limit by the time his life was nearing its end; otherwise, Limit Douluo wouldn't be so rare in the Douluo Continent.

The immortal herbs weren't as amazing as they thought, especially for a Soul Master like Xuanzi who possessed the Gluttonous Divine Ox Martial Soul and was already very talented. The Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid probably didn't help him as much as absorbing a 100,000-year-old Soul Bone.

But Xuanzi didn't think so. Their worship of Tang San had reached the point of madness, so they would never doubt that the immortal herb was ineffective; they would only think that their luck was bad.

That's why Xuanzi was so frustrated and furious after his failed breakthrough.

"Now that you've emerged from seclusion, the task of leading the team in the competition is still entrusted to you. Don't be too discouraged. Go out and relax. Remember, haste makes waste. Come back to seclusion after the competition is over, and perhaps you'll be able to break through." A voice transmission echoed in Xuanzi's ear.

Mu En didn't bother to dwell on his aura release, gave him a casual remark, and then closed his eyes to continue sunbathing.

But to Moon's utter surprise, it was precisely because of his words that Xuanzi once again created a major news story for Shrek Academy.

Because Mu En sent Xuanzi to relax!

Good heavens! In the original story, he almost wiped out the entire participating team while on a mission. This time, he's here to relax, so he's bound to be promoted to Supreme Elder on the spot. Already agitated due to his failed breakthrough, it's easy to imagine what kind of big news he'll cause while leading the team.

Ye Qing: "Should we lend a hand?"

In short, when Ye Qing and the others gathered at the entrance of Shrek Academy, preparing to head to Star Luo City to participate in the competition, Ye Qing's expression upon seeing Xuan Zi, who was disheveled and drinking and eating chicken, was truly fascinating.

That old Deng is really persistent!

Xuanzi:

Frustrated by his failed breakthrough, Xuanzi hastily manipulated the reserve team members, persuading them to join the Shrek Academy's supervisory group and become inner court seeds before sending them to Star Luo City.

He followed from the shadows, drinking and trying to soothe his wounded heart.

“The reserve team is traveling too slowly, let’s take them with us,” Dai Yueheng suggested.

Ma Xiaotao nodded, not rejecting the suggestion.

“Sure, arriving earlier will save us time on the long and arduous journey, which is a good thing.” Ye Qing had no objections.

"I'll take Xu Sanshi with me." Ma Xiaotao looked at Xu Sanshi, whose face was full of lewdness, her narrowed eyes filled with a hint of ill intent.

Xu Sanshi: "Ah... let's not."

"Then I'll take Beibei." Ye Qing winked and smiled at Beibei, wondering if he should let him experience what it's like to be a man in a plane crash.

The others also found partners, and the group began to travel quickly towards the border of the Star Luo Empire.

However, even the regular team members slowed down by bringing people along, especially Xixi and Ling Luochen, who each brought Xiaoxiao and Jiang Nannan. Due to their low physical strength, their travel speed was among the slowest.

Ye Qing could usually get from Shrek Academy to Star Dou Great Forest in just a few minutes, but this time it took him from morning until midday to get close to the outer edge of Star Dou Great Forest.

At this rate, they estimated they wouldn't reach the border of the Star Luo Empire until late at night.

too slow.

Chapter 182 The Rainbow Trio

noon.

The group stopped. In the reserve team, apart from the three Great Soul Masters who were being led away, the other four Soul Masters were already covered in sweat.

Although Ye Qing said he was bringing Bei Bei along, the four of them were already Soul Masters, with Bei Bei, the one with the highest cultivation, even reaching a terrifying level of 46 Soul Power. Given their pride, they naturally wouldn't want to be carried around by someone else.

As a result, the four Soul Masters could not stand the feeling after being led for only a short distance and turned back to run away on their own. It was precisely because of them that the travel speed could not be increased.

"Everyone must be tired, right? Let's stop for a meal and rest for a while, then continue our journey this afternoon." Ye Qing clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

The other six members of the starting team didn't seem to feel anything; although they were a little out of breath, it didn't affect them much.

But the reserve team is not doing well, especially Xu Sanshi, who is lying on the ground like a dead fish.

“I agree…” Xu Sanshi raised his hand tremblingly.

"Alright, Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, you two go gather firewood. Xixi, Chen Zifeng, you two go catch fish by the river." Ye Qing began assigning tasks, casually taking out the corpses of two hundred-year-old deer-like soul beasts from his soul tool and throwing them in front of Ling Luochen. "Ling Luochen, you process the ingredients. Gongyang Mo, help me build the stove."

"Today, the captain will show you all what he's got to do!"

"What about us?" Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo asked, leaning closer.

"Uh... Le Xuan, you and Sister Ruo Ruo go see if there are any other wild animals nearby that can be used as food, and catch a few. Elder Xuan will also need to eat later, and I'm afraid two deer and a few fish won't be enough." Ye Qing said while setting up the stove.

Zhang Lexuan nodded to Han Ruoruo, and then walked deeper into the forest.

Xuanzi, who was hiding in the shadows drinking alone, naturally heard Ye Qing's words. He flashed to Ye Qing's side, plopped down on the ground, and took a swig of wine.

Ye Qing glanced at the old man and asked in a strange tone, "Elder Xuan, you don't seem very happy."

"Don't ask so many questions, kid." Ye Qing's question made Xuanzi even more annoyed, and he gulped down another mouthful of wine.

Most importantly, Xuanzi couldn't lash out yet. If someone else had asked him this question while he was in such a state, Xuanzi would probably have exploded on the spot. But the problem was that the person asking the question was Ye Qing.

The eight-petaled fairy orchid he took was given to him by Ye Qing. If he were to retaliate against Ye Qing again, wouldn't he be nailed to the pillar of shame for being an ingrate for the rest of his life?

Even if he was very frustrated, Xuanzi could only keep it to himself.

Too grassy.

Ye Qing smiled inwardly. After placing the last stone in the correct position, the main structure of the stove was completed.

He turned his head and looked around. Gongyang Mo had set up an identical stove not far from him, just like the one Gongyang Mo had set up, while Huo Yuhao and the others had set up two simple grills for barbecuing.

Huo Yuhao is truly outstanding when it comes to cooking; he's incredibly hardworking and doesn't even need Ye Qing to assign him tasks—he'll finish everything he's supposed to do.

"Well done." Ye Qing smiled and nodded at him.

Huo Yuhao, who was busy at work, looked up after hearing Ye Qing's praise, his expression showing a mix of embarrassment and flattery: "It's what I should do. I also know a little about cooking, so I can help with the barbecue later."

Ye Qing's strength is exceptionally powerful, a fact that Huo Yuhao had already deeply acknowledged during the training matches.

Unlike Ye Qing, who received help from the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm and had the Ice Crystal Ancient Tooth Tiger sacrifice himself, Huo Yuhao believed that Ye Qing's soul ring configuration was entirely due to his own strength.

Yellow, purple, black, red...

Such a terrifying combination of spirit rings would have been an unattainable dream for Huo Yuhao if not for the help of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm. Huo Yuhao held Ye Qing, the most powerful of them all, in high esteem.

It's normal for him to feel flattered and overwhelmed by Ye Qing's approval.

"Okay, then I'll have to trouble you later. I really can't handle it all by myself." Ye Qing nodded with a smile.

Ling Luochen had already finished processing the two deer, and Ye Qing began his performance. The two deer, skinned and cleaned, were dismembered on the spot by Ye Qing using his Eight-Point Light Wheel. As the director of Shrek Meat Processing Plant, Ye Qing was a professional in this regard.

Pieces of venison of varying sizes were neatly arranged to one side, while thigh bones and ribs were piled up and cut open by Ye Qing before being thrown into the pot.

Immediately afterwards, the others saw what true luxury was. Ye Qing actually used a storage soul tool as a portable kitchen, and he casually took out all sorts of seasonings and plates and placed them on a table in front of him.

Xuanzi looked at Ye Qing's actions with a strange expression, and then, recalling the two deer he had just thrown out, he nodded after a long while, his eyes filled with approval.

This is a common sentiment among foodies, because like Ye Qing, he feels uncomfortable if his soul tool is not equipped with a complete set of ingredients and cooking utensils.

Of course, there is a difference between the two. Xuanzi carries so much food with him because he is a complete glutton.

The reason Ye Qing brought so many ingredients and cooking utensils was naturally to woo girls. He used these utensils to have many outdoor picnics with Bi Ji and Zhang Lexuan to enhance their relationship.

The difference is immediately apparent in this comparison.

A plate of fresh cilantro was washed and arranged on a plate. The diced radish and blanched deer bones were put into a pot to stew. The deer meat was cut into strips and chunks and skewered for grilling.

The tenderest pork tenderloin was sprinkled with various seasonings by Ye Qing, wrapped in tin foil and mud, and used to make beggar's deer.

At this moment, Chen Zifeng and Xixi, who had gone to catch fish, also returned, each carrying three or four plump bighead carp. However, it was clear that these two were completely unskilled in fishkeeping, as these ten or so fish had not been processed at all.

Ye Qing gave Huo Yuhao a look and said, "Junior Brother Huo, go and process these silver carp. Keep a few heads to make fish head soup, and grill some of the rest and fry some."

"Okay, senior." Huo Yuhao nodded, got up, and led Chen Zifeng and Xixi back to the river to process the bighead carp.

Not long after, Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo returned. Zhang Lexuan was empty-handed, while Han Ruoruo held the Golden Rope in her hand and was followed by three or four roe deer and stags.

Ling Luochen returned to his old ways, dealing with the prey that Han Ruoruo had brought back.

As the atmosphere grew increasingly lively, the unique aroma of food began to permeate the camp. In particular, when Ye Qing sprinkled chili oil, chili powder, and cumin powder onto the venison, the rich meaty fragrance immediately made everyone's eyes widen in anticipation.

The bubbling and fragrant radish and deer bone soup was also constantly tempting everyone's appetite.

Compared to Ye Qing's grilled meat, which used all sorts of heavy seasonings, Huo Yuhao's simple grilled fish seemed rather ordinary. Even though he grilled the fish exceptionally well, it ultimately lost out to the heavy seasonings.

While the allure of school uniforms is undeniable, Balenciaga and Valentino ultimately reign supreme.

Smelling the enticing aroma wafting from Ye Qing's side, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but reveal a hint of envy and determination in his eyes. He vowed that he would definitely develop a set of top-notch seasonings and become the best chef in Douluo Continent!