Soul Hunting: The Six-Hundred-Year Dark Demon Dragon

"All right, I'll draw you a rough sketch, but if you can't find it, no refunds."

Xiao Wu picked up a brush from the table and drew a simple sketch.

Li Yan took it in his hands and couldn't help laughing.

He couldn't make sense of it.

"It's right here, here, here... Anyway, you'll definitely see it when you get there. Hand over the thousand carrots."

"First find a place with black rocks, then keep going farther in. You'll definitely see it, but I can't promise how old it is. If it's older than what you want, don't blame me."

While they were talking, Li Gang and Li Yan's mother returned.

As the undisputed number one in Nuoding City, Li Gang basked in glory every day.

"Hmm? Son, you've broken through to level ten? When are you going to hunt a Soul Beast?"

"How about tomorrow?"

Li Yan asked.

"Tomorrow? We're going today, right after breakfast. We'll call your Uncle Wang and head straight into the Star Dou Great Forest."

Uncle Wang lived in Suotuo City, where Shrek Academy was located in the original story. It was close to the Star Dou Great Forest and lay along their route.

"All right, we'll go after breakfast."

Li Yan's mother went into the kitchen to cook, and the others sat together nearby. After the meal, Li Gang took Li Yan straight to Suotuo City without wasting a moment.

They borrowed two ten-year-old horse-type Soul Beasts from the city lord's residence. These Soul Beasts had no other advantages, but they had plenty of stamina and could run fast.

Three days later...

The two arrived in Suotuo City, dusty and travel-worn, and headed straight for Wang's Trading Company in the city center.

Uncle Wang, Wang Hong, was now in charge of Wang's Trading Company.

Uncle Wang's father was a Soul Emperor, so Wang's Trading Company carried considerable weight in Suotuo City.

"Young man, announce us, please. Tell him an old acquaintance from Nuoding City has come to visit."

Li Gang led Li Yan into the shop and hailed a clerk.

The clerk's eyes lit up. He seemed to recognize Li Gang.

"Master Li from Suotuo City? I remember you..."

"Please wait here. I'll fetch the proprietor right away."

Hearing that, Li Gang's tail practically pointed at the sky, as if he were telling Li Yan:

Look how much respect your old man commands out here. Stop being so disrespectful to your elders all the time.

Li Yan paid him no attention and watched the trading company's operations. If possible, he wanted to start one in Nuoding City too.

Buying up large quantities of Whale Rubber on its own would draw attention, but doing so under a trading company's name would be much easier.

About the time it took to drink a cup of tea later, Wang Hong's hearty laughter rang out from the back courtyard.

"Hahaha! Brother Li, it's only been a month. What brings you back again?"

The man who appeared was muscular, with red hair and a red beard. One look was enough to tell he was a Power Attack System Soul Master who excelled in strength.

Li Yan knew that Uncle Wang's Martial Soul was the Red Flame Bear, an outstanding Martial Soul among those of middling quality. In theory, it could reach the Soul Saint level.

"Oh, Xiao Yan's here too? It's been eight or nine months since we last saw each other at New Year, hasn't it?"

"Have you finished the Whale Rubber I brought you last time? Have you made your Uncle Wang a little grandnephew yet?"

Wang Hong didn't mention Li Yan's awakening. He had heard from his old friend that something had gone wrong with his young nephew's awakening.

Li Yan knew Uncle Wang was an unreliable sort, so he deliberately ignored the joking remark at the end.

"Yes, Uncle Wang, it's been a long time."

"But I came today to ask for your help, Uncle Wang. I need my First Soul Ring."

"Your First Soul Ring?"

Wang Hong asked uncertainly. Hadn't something gone wrong with his nephew's awakening?

Had he broken through to level ten less than three months after awakening?

So what you meant by something going wrong with his awakening was that he hadn't awakened with Innate Full Soul Power?

Still, this was their family business. As a man in the trading business, he knew where to draw the line.

"Since it's for my nephew, Uncle Wang will make the trip. Have you decided what kind of Soul Beast you want for your First Soul Ring?"

"Uncle Wang may not have any other skills, but I'm a level fifty-seven high-level Soul King, at least. Hunting a Soul Beast for you will be more than I can handle."

Li Yan asked, "Uncle Wang, is there a place in the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest covered in black rocks? The Soul Beast I want might be there."

"I need a dragon-type Soul Beast. It might be hard to find."

At the mention of a dragon-type Soul Beast, Wang Hong shuddered. The golden flood dragon he had fought for Li Gang last time was still vivid in his mind.

"You really are family, even choosing the same kind of Soul Beast."

"A place with black rocks in the Star Dou Great Forest... I haven't heard of one."

"But the trading company does business. I'll put up a notice here. The caravan guards who travel far and wide should know something about it."

With that, Wang Hong was about to invite Li Gang and his son to sit down.

"Proprietor, bad news!"

"The caravan we sent out last month came back today. There were heavy casualties."

Wang Hong's expression changed. "Sit down, both of you. I have something to take care of."

Every trading company took compensation for the dead and injured seriously. If they failed to comfort their people properly, they would be severing their own roots.

"Uncle Wang, I'd like to see too."

Wang Hong pondered for a moment. His nephew was surely a young genius, and it would be good for him to see blood early and witness the cruelty of the Soul Master World.

"All right, but you're going to see dead people, and others missing arms and legs. Make sure you're mentally prepared."

Li Yan nodded and followed Wang Hong, with Li Gang bringing up the rear.

At the caravan's resting place, one team remained. Its only three survivors were filthy and disheveled, looking as though they had endured considerable hardship.

They were all Soul Elders.

As for those behind them, missing arms or legs, or reduced to corpses, they were One-Ring Soul Masters and Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters.

"What happened? Was there a problem with the caravan's route?"

"We've paid our respects to all the mountain factions along the way. Who refused to play by the rules?"

The caravan's leader was a middle-aged man with rough skin. At a glance, he was clearly someone who had spent years escorting caravans.

"Proprietor, rain held us up for several days on the road this time. To make sure the goods arrived on time and protect our reputation, we took a shortcut through the Star Dou Great Forest."

"Who would have thought that as we went along, we'd find black rocks everywhere? A Soul Beast ambushed us."

Wang Hong flew into a rage. "Didn't I tell you not to change the route on your own? Safety comes first."

He was just about to lose his temper when he saw that the survivors had all lowered their heads.

"All right, all right. Go collect your Gold Soul Coins according to the company's rules."

"Oh, and mark that black stone forest on the map. I'll go there myself and avenge you."

Wang Hong wasn't shooting arrows at random. For one thing, the black stone forest might be the place his nephew was looking for. For another, since the caravan had managed to escape, the Soul Beast was clearly not very strong. It might even be a Hundred-Year Soul Beast well suited to his nephew.

Killing it would give them a Soul Ring, while bringing back its corpse would make everyone in the caravan work harder and raise his prestige in Suotuo City.

Three birds with one stone. However he reckoned it, he couldn't lose.

"Yes, yes! Thank you, Proprietor!"

The middle-aged leader drew a small path on the trading company's original route map.

"All right, go get some rest."

Wang Hong then handed the map to Li Yan.

The more Li Yan looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. He felt sure he had seen this detailed layout of the terrain somewhere before.

He pulled Xiao Wu's simple sketch from his robes. Crude as it was, it had all the essential features.

"Well, that little rabbit really wasn't lying."

"Uncle Wang, this should be the place. When are we going?"