Chapter 25: The Law of the Jungle (This chapter may be somewhat uneventful)

Mu Yang’s Tang Sword, originally following a straight path, curved ever so slightly and struck the frightened Softbone Rabbit, which had just leapt up in alarm. Perhaps because the Tang Sword—Human Heart—was simply too sharp, the Softbone Rabbit was sliced cleanly in two. From its corpse, a black soul ring slowly emerged, tinged faintly with purple at its core.

Without delay, Mu Yang seized the rabbit’s body and tucked it into his spatial ring. The scent of fresh blood quickly attracted the Night Cat Demon, who was currently being trained nearby. Its trainer was a Soul Sage, an agility-type soul master. Since Old Bow had just stepped away, the Soul Sage had allowed himself a brief moment of relaxation. But in that fleeting time, the Night Cat Demon, lured by the scent, slipped onto the field.

Old Bow was startled to see the Night Cat Demon appear. Hadn’t he left it in the care of a Soul Sage? How had it escaped? But it was already too late—the Night Cat Demon had bounded onto the stage. Now, Old Bow could only hope it would leave on its own, so he could concoct some excuse to persuade Mu Yang not to kill it. Otherwise, the Night Cat Demon’s fate was sealed.

As Mu Yang prepared to step down from the platform, the Night Cat Demon leapt up. Since he already had fresh rabbit meat, he wasn’t interested in other prey for the moment. Yet, as he looked at the Night Cat Demon, reason told him it was an adorable creature worth keeping as a pet. His instincts urged him to seize it now, lest it escape and cause trouble later.

With this thought, Mu Yang pulled out a rabbit leg—still bloody—and dangled it to catch the Night Cat Demon’s attention. He waved the leg, signaling for the creature to come over, promising it a treat.

The Night Cat Demon, a ten-thousand-year soul beast, possessed a certain intelligence. Understanding Mu Yang’s gesture, it slunk closer, gazing up at him. Without further ado, Mu Yang scooped the creature into his arms and stuffed the rabbit leg into its mouth.

Surprised by this sudden embrace, the Night Cat Demon reacted instinctively, its claws raking a long gash across Mu Yang’s arm. At that moment, the poison within Mu Yang surged, but he managed to control it just in time, sparing the Night Cat Demon from death. Thanks to his extraordinary regenerative ability, the deep wound quickly healed.

Cradling the Night Cat Demon, Mu Yang looked to Old Bow and said, “Grandpa, would you let me keep this little cat?”

Old Bow could only agree. Nevertheless, having witnessed Mu Yang’s powers of recovery, he called the boy over. After all, Mu Yang was now part of Shrek; while many orders he might refuse, the academy still wished to nurture the path of his martial spirit.

Of course, Mu Yang’s strength was a key consideration. To possess such power and resurrection-like recovery at only nine years old—and this with only his martial spirit, unaided by any soul rings—was unprecedented. If soul rings were added, how much stronger could he become? Moreover, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament was fast approaching; with Mu Yang on the team, Shrek’s victory was nearly assured.

Mu Yang harbored no dislike for Shrek, nor for Huo Yuhao. What unsettled him was the ever-present law of the jungle. Yet, whether he liked it or not, this was the inescapable reality of survival. To attempt to change it was, in itself, another contest of strength.