Danger in the Soul Hunting Forest, Yu Xiaogang Runs Away Again

"You..."

Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang was stunned at first, then an inexplicable anger flared in his heart.

If the boy before him hadn't been unaware of his Martial Soul, he would have really wanted to ask, "Are you picking a fight on purpose?!"

"That's right, teacher. Why are we bringing radishes?"

Beside him, Tang San took the opportunity to ask. He had been puzzled from the very beginning, when his teacher had given him money to buy radishes.

"Well..."

"It has to do with my Martial Soul. You'll find out about that later."

Yu Xiaogang suppressed the gloom in his heart, took a deep breath, and laughed it off.

"Yes, teacher."

Tang San answered obediently.

"Mm..."

Yu Xiaogang smiled and patted his disciple's head, then looked over at Tang Wulin. His expression was less than pleasant. This kid was really hard to figure out.

If only he could be like his own disciple, Xiao San. Unfortunately, he wasn't.

For the rest of the journey, Yu Xiaogang kept trying to find topics of conversation, only for the other boy to rebuff him every time.

Later on, Tang Wulin even started meditating right there in the carriage, making Yu Xiaogang so angry that his vision went black.

No matter what I say, this child ignores me. Does he really think I, Grandmaster, enjoy pressing a warm face against a cold ass?

Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth, fuming inwardly.

"..."

The Soul Hunting Forest was far from Nuoding City, a full four hundred kilometers away. It wasn't until the early hours of the next morning that the carriage finally stopped at their destination.

"Got a permit! Forming a team to hunt a five-hundred-year Power Attack System Soul Master! Still need two Defense System members, price negotiable!"

"Hehe, Defense System coming through!"

"Freshly steamed corn buns! You won't lose out or get cheated! Two for five copper coins, three for ten~"

"Boss, give me three!"

"..."

Hawkers called out from all around the Soul Hunting Forest. Only then did Tang Wulin finish meditating and open his eyes.

"Wulin, Xiao San, let's get out."

Yu Xiaogang roused Tang San, who was sitting in meditation beside him, and gave Tang Wulin a long look. No one knew what he was thinking.

"Follow me."

Yu Xiaogang headed toward the forest entrance with practiced ease. With him serving as the token-carrying tool man, Tang Wulin and Tang San entered the Soul Hunting Forest without difficulty.

Once they entered the forest, the clamor of the market outside gradually faded, and a sense of tranquility filled the forest, which teemed with life.

"Next, we'll start looking for suitable Soul Beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest, and as it happens..."

"My Martial Soul has some ability in that regard."

Yu Xiaogang suddenly paused toward the end. Xiao San was one thing; he regarded his teacher as a father. But if Tang Wulin saw his Martial Soul...

"Teacher, hurry and release your Martial Soul, then!"

Tang San looked at him eagerly.

His teacher was Grandmaster, after all. In particular, according to the man himself, his Martial Soul had a connection to Tang Wulin's dragon Martial Soul.

"Very well."

"Come out, my Luo Sanpao—"

With a low shout from Yu Xiaogang, Soul Power surged forth, and two yellow Soul Rings appeared around him. At the same time, a strange animal appeared beside them.

It was covered in light purple fur, with two drooping ears. It wasn't large, only the size of a puppy, but its round, plump body made it look more like a piglet.

At that moment, he was rubbing against Yu Xiaogang's leg, constantly making luo-luo-luo sounds.

"Teacher's Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao?"

"But how come it's a summoned creature? Is this a Martial Soul too?"

Tang San stared blankly at the scene. Was this creature, smaller than a dog and fatter than a pig, really his teacher's Martial Soul?

Was his teacher sure this had quite a connection to Tang Wulin's Martial Soul? And besides, was his teacher actually only a Soul Grandmaster?

Tang San's eyes filled with confusion.

"Little San, my Martial Soul is a mutated one, but unlike yours, it underwent a defective mutation. If its awakening had succeeded, my Martial Soul would have been like Wulin's."

"And because my Martial Soul Awakening failed, my cultivation stopped at rank twenty-nine. I was once called trash among trash."

"In the end, it was only through a fairly steadfast conviction that I became a famous Grandmaster in the Soul Master World, proving what I always say: there are no trash..."

Yu Xiaogang smiled faintly and looked at his disciple as he spoke earnestly.

"So that's how it is, teacher."

Admiration appeared on Tang San's face at once. Even when people called his teacher trash, he had never lost heart. No wonder he had become Grandmaster.

"Mm, as long as you're happy."

Listening to Yu Xiaogang's half-true words, Tang Wulin merely smiled without speaking. He had once thought Grandmaster was simply thick-skinned and shameless, but judging by what he was seeing...

Did Yu Xiaogang really think it was because of his own efforts?

"All right, we're going to hunt Soul Beasts now."

"Both of you, stay close to me. Don't wander too far, and put these masks on."

Seeing no change in Tang Wulin's expression, Yu Xiaogang said no more. He silently curled his lip, then handed each of the boys a mask and spoke slowly.

"..."

"Luo Sanpao is so cute."

As they followed Yu Xiaogang deeper into the forest, Tang Wulin warily kept his distance from Luo Sanpao, placing Tang San, who was very interested in his teacher's Martial Soul, in front of him.

In the end, Tang San was caught in the Soul Skill's blast and even threw up the spicy cabbage he had eaten that morning. Only after a good deal of comforting from his teacher did he recover his spirits.

Meanwhile, Tang San frequently asked him about the Soul Beasts they encountered.

"Teacher, what Soul Beast is that?"

"That's the Green Bamboo I told you about, a Plant-type Soul Beast. It's around fifty years old and has good toughness. It's one of the Soul Beasts suitable for your Soul Ring."

"Are we going to choose this one, then?"

"Not for now, but if we really can't find anything else, we'll have to choose it."

"Teacher, what's that one? It's a plant, but why is it shaped like a hammer?"

"Heaven-Consuming Shoot, a kind of Plant-type Soul Beast. Judging by its appearance, it's only around ten years old. It's rare for this Soul Beast to reach a hundred years, though it tastes quite good."

"..."

During this time, because Yu Xiaogang's attack capability was not outstanding and he had to give his all even against a hundred-year Soul Beast, quite a bit of time was wasted on his demonstrations of killing Soul Beasts.

Even by late afternoon, when dusk was approaching, he still hadn't found suitable Soul Rings for the two children with him.

It looks like the quality of the Soul Beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest is even worse than I thought. Or is it that Yu Xiaogang only dares to lead us around the outermost area and doesn't dare go deeper into the forest...?

Tang Wulin couldn't help feeling somewhat helpless. Naturally, he hoped for a thousand-year First Soul Ring, though he also knew there was no way Yu Xiaogang could defeat one.

He had also asked the system, and some achievement rewards increased a ring's age. Thus, his requirements weren't actually high: three or four hundred years would do, and he didn't care if it was a cat or a dog.

But...

Aside from a 180-year-old spotted cat, he hadn't found a second suitable Soul Beast. Was that right?

"Teacher, it seems that finding a suitable Soul Beast isn't easy for a Soul Master."

As they walked through the forest, Tang San couldn't help speaking up. He didn't know when he would encounter a suitable Soul Beast himself.

"That's right. The hardest part of absorbing a Soul Ring is finding the Soul Beast. Aside from those from great clans, people often need a long time to find a suitable one."

Yu Xiaogang smiled and nodded as he spoke slowly.

"By the way, Wulin, perhaps you already know I've had this idea for a while, but I still want a definite answer now..."

"I think highly of your talent and very much want you as my disciple. Are you really unwilling to take me as your teacher?"

Afterward, Yu Xiaogang found it hard to conceal his thoughts. He changed the subject, looked toward Tang Wulin, and couldn't resist asking, a sincere smile on his face.

"Grandmaster, you know I'm not interested."

Tang Wulin's expression didn't change. He wasn't interested.

"..."

"All right, then. I, Grandmaster, won't bring it up again. After this Soul Ring hunt, I won't bother you anymore."

Although Yu Xiaogang wasn't surprised, the smile on his face still froze for a moment. A cold glint had already appeared in his eyes.

A genius is only a genius once he's fully grown!

He admitted that the person before him was indeed as talented as Xiao San, with a bright future ahead of him. But he was somewhat ungrateful. In that case...

What if he led the boy astray?

The limit for a First Soul Ring was a little over four hundred years, so he would hunt one only a few decades old, a hundred at most, for him. Wouldn't that gradually widen the gap between them?

The best fate for a genius who couldn't be of use to him was destruction. If anyone was to blame, it was Tang Wulin himself for failing to assess the situation!

"Hmm...?"

"Teacher, there's a big leopard coming over there!"

At that moment, Tang San frowned. A flash of purple light passed through his eyes, and in the distance, a yellow figure was already racing toward them.

But he had a feeling there was more to it, because the spotted tiger was a powerful Soul Beast, a hegemon among beasts. There was no reason for it to run so fast under normal circumstances.

"Hmm? Why can't I see it...?"

"It's a 180-year-old spotted leopard."

Yu Xiaogang's eyesight was clearly inferior to Tang San's. Only after a while did he see what was happening in the distance. He spoke in surprise, his eyes lighting up at once.

"Wulin, this spotted tiger is just the right age for you! Sanpao, let's get ready to fight!"

As he spoke, a broad smile flashed across his face. He patted Luo Sanpao's rear, in a very good mood.

"Huh?"

Tang Wulin looked at him in silence. The limit for a First Soul Ring, according to the knowledge Yu Xiaogang had plagiarized, was over four hundred years, yet he wanted Tang Wulin to absorb a Hundred-Year Soul Ring?

If Grandmaster wanted to harm him, he should just say so.

"Such a clumsy... If he can't have me, he'll destroy me?"

Tang Wulin couldn't help frowning.

"Farts like thunder, Earth-Shattering Luo Sanpao!"

At the same time, Luo Sanpao moved at Yu Xiaogang's command. Great clouds of yellowish smoke suddenly appeared and blasted toward the spotted leopard.

In an instant, the spotted leopard, which had nearly unleashed all its potential and was racing along as if on wings, came to an abrupt halt. Clearly not expecting such a thing, it collapsed, foaming at the mouth.

"Wulin, you can get ready to absorb your First Soul Ring... Ah!"

Yu Xiaogang was just about to say something when Tang San instinctively tugged at his sleeve. At the same time, the sight in the distance made his pupils contract.

Three breaths after the spotted leopard stopped, a Soul Beast over ten meters long suddenly appeared and swallowed it in one bite.

The Mandala Snake was a top-tier snake-type Soul Beast. Each meter represented a hundred years of cultivation, and even one at the hundred-year level was a rare sight in the entire Soul Hunting Forest.

And the one they had encountered...

Had already reached the thousand-year level!

"..."

At that moment, Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath. Looking at the scene before him, he quickly made his decision.

He scooped Luo Sanpao onto his shoulder, then lifted Tang San right off the ground and ran toward the outskirts of the forest, as far as he could.

Come on...

When it came to running alone, he, Yu Xiaogang, was a professional!

As for Tang Wulin...

What did he have to do with the two of them, master and disciple?