Preparations Before Leaving the Academy and the First Soul Rift

After deciding to travel with Sister Liu Yue to hunt for spirit beasts, Lin Kun immediately began intensive preparations. With only three days, he had to maximize his survival and response capabilities.

First, he had to sort out the school leave procedures. He found Dean of Sound Message again and applied for a long leave, stating that his Martial Soul had been "touched" and he needed to go to a specific environment to find a breakthrough opportunity. With his previous "record" at Wind鸣 Mountain Valley and the Grandmaster's tacit approval, the Dean of Sound Message, though finding the kid troublesome, still approved the leave and once again warned him to be careful.

Next, the most important thing – improving his strength! He looked at his system panel. After a period of frantically completing daily tasks, helping others, and the commotion caused by Little White's [Soul Wail] (which counted as a minor plot fluctuation), his points had actually accumulated to 588! A considerable sum!

"System! Open the store! Filter items that I can afford and that will directly help with spirit beast hunting!" Lin Kun commanded.

The light screen flickered, and the list refreshed:

[Low-Grade Spirit Power Enhancement Potion] x2: 100 points. (Ensure reaching level 6 before hunting spirit beasts.) [Low-Grade Spirit Skill Scroll - Gale Step]: 300 points. (Temporarily increases movement speed, a god-tier skill for escaping.) [One-time Soul Tool - Smoke Bomb] x3: 150 points. (Interferes with vision, creates chaos.) [Low-Grade Healing Ointment] x2: 100 points. (Emergency for external injuries.) [Concealment Dust (Small Portion)]: 200 points. (Reduces presence and aura for a short time, effective against spirit beasts.) [Precise Map (Outer Area of Spirit Hunting Forest)]: 50 points.

Lin Kun quickly calculated. Points were limited, so he had to be thrifty. [Gale Step] was important; combined with his movement techniques, it could greatly increase his survival rate, but 300 points was too expensive. [Concealment Dust] could save his life at critical moments, but it was also expensive. Smoke Bombs and Healing Ointments were necessities. Spirit Power Potions were also needed; being a higher level was always beneficial. The map was cheap and practical.

After much deliberation, he made his choice: "Purchase [Low-Grade Spirit Power Enhancement Potion] x2! [One-time Soul Tool - Smoke Bomb] x3! [Low-Grade Healing Ointment] x2! [Precise Map]!"

[Redemption successful! 400 points consumed, 188 points remaining.]

A warm current flowed through him, and the items were stored in his system space. His Spirit Power also smoothly increased to level 6. With 188 points left, he gritted his teeth and bought another portion of [Concealment Dust] (Small Portion). Now, he only had a meager -12 points left (the system allowed small overdrafts).

"I'm broke..." Lin Kun felt the pain, but looking at the life-saving items in his system space, he felt a lot more at ease.

He also used the money from selling information and the "compensation" from Xiao Chenyu to buy a large quantity of dried meat, water, ropes, insect repellent powder, and other wilderness survival necessities from shops outside the academy, filling his backpack to the brim.

Finally, it was time to communicate with Little White. Through [Mental Resonance], he repeatedly emphasized to Little White: "It's dangerous outside, so you have to stay obediently in my arms. Don't come out casually, and don't use that screaming skill casually unless it's absolutely necessary. Understand?"

Little White, as if understanding but not quite, nuzzled his palm and chirped, "Chirp," as if agreeing.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The night before their departure, as Lin Kun was doing his final checks, Tang San suddenly came to find him.

"I heard you're going out to hunt for a spirit ring?" Tang San looked at Lin Kun's packed luggage, his tone calm. "Yeah, I feel like I'm hitting a bottleneck and want to try my luck outside," Lin Kun replied, wary but keeping a neutral expression. "Alone?" "With... friends," Lin Kun answered vaguely. Tang San was silent for a moment, then took out a small porcelain bottle from his embrace and handed it to Lin Kun: "This is a detoxifying powder I made myself. It's effective against most common snake and insect venoms. Take it just in case."

Lin Kun was stunned for a moment, not expecting Tang San to give him this. He took the porcelain bottle, his heart filled with complex emotions: "Thank you..." "The Spirit Hunting Forest is not like Wind鸣 Mountain Valley; it's full of dangers. Act within your capabilities," Tang San said, then turned and left.

Watching Tang San's retreating back, Lin Kun clutched the porcelain bottle. This fellow countryman's thoughts were truly unfathomable. Was it pure fellow-countryman sentiment? Or did he have ulterior motives?

The next morning, before dawn, Lin Kun quietly left the Seventh Dormitory and arrived at the agreed-upon side gate of the academy.

Liu Yue and a tall, cold-faced young man with a green spear on his back were already waiting there. The young man was about eighteen or nineteen years old, with sharp eyes and a steady aura. He was Liu Yue's cousin, Ling Feng, a level 27 Agility Attack Battle Spirit Master.

"Classmate Lin Kun, you're here! This is my cousin, Ling Feng," Liu Yue introduced softly when she saw Lin Kun. Ling Feng's gaze fell on Lin Kun, scanning him like a falcon. His eyes lingered on his backpack and the bulging area around his chest (where Little White was hidden), and he frowned slightly, seemingly dismissive of Lin Kun's "weakness" and "pet." However, out of consideration for his cousin, he merely nodded faintly: "Let's go, we need to hurry."

His attitude was indifferent, but at least there was no malice. Lin Kun secretly observed him using [Insight Skill]:

[Ling Feng, Level: 27, Martial Soul: Gale Spear, Spirit Rings: Yellow, Yellow. Traits: Extremely fast, sharp attacks, cautious and aloof personality.]

He seemed to be a reliable combatant. Lin Kun felt slightly relieved.

Without further ado, the three left Nuoding City and headed towards the Spirit Hunting Forest.

Along the way, Ling Feng spoke very little, only occasionally reminding them to watch their direction and be alert to their surroundings. Liu Yue, on the other hand, was a bit nervous and excited, chatting with Lin Kun from time to time to ease the atmosphere. Lin Kun remained silent for most of the time, silently observing his surroundings while using his Book Martial Soul to record the route and environment.

During a rest stop, Ling Feng took out some dried food to share. Seeing Lin Kun also take out dried meat from his backpack, he couldn't help but say, "Hunting spirit beasts isn't a picnic. Conserve your energy; unnecessary burdens will only slow you down." Clearly, he still had reservations about Lin Kun carrying a "pet."

Lin Kun had to explain, "It's very well-behaved and won't cause trouble." Little White also cooperated by squirming in his arms without showing its head.

Ling Feng said no more, but the disapproval in his eyes was still evident.

After a day of travel, by evening, the three finally reached the outskirts of the Spirit Hunting Forest. Compared to the Spirit Hunting Forest near Nuoding City, this area was larger, and its aura was more primal and dangerous.

After paying the entrance fee, the three stepped into the forest. The light immediately dimmed, and the air was filled with the scent of dampness and decaying leaves. Faint beast roars could be heard from the distance.

Ling Feng's expression immediately became serious. His Gale Spear Martial Soul quietly manifested, and two spirit rings, one white and one yellow, slowly rotated beneath his feet: "Follow me closely, stay quiet, and be alert to your surroundings. Liu Yue, your target is to find a nimble spirit beast of at least five hundred years old. Pay attention to your senses. Lin Kun, you..." He glanced at Lin Kun, "Be careful yourself. Shout for help loudly if you encounter danger."

"Understood," Lin Kun nodded, also becoming fully alert. [Insight Skill] was activated to its maximum range, and his Book Martial Soul vibrated slightly, sensing everything around him. His Mental Threads extended like invisible tendrils within a five-meter radius around his body, guarding against any disturbance.

Ling Feng was clearly familiar with the Spirit Hunting Forest, choosing a relatively safe route that avoided several areas where powerful spirit beasts might reside. Liu Yue also released her Martial Soul. Her Martial Soul was the rather rare "Moonlight Orchid," which emitted a faint fluorescence and had a special affinity for plants and certain spirit beasts, aiding in perception.

Along the way, they encountered several ten-year and hundred-year-old spirit beasts, all of which were easily dispersed or avoided by Ling Feng. Lin Kun silently recorded the information of these spirit beasts.

As night fell, the three set up camp under a sheltered cliff face. Ling Feng skillfully set up simple warning traps and then assigned guard duty: "I'll take the first half of the night, Liu Yue the middle, and Lin Kun, you take the second half. Any problems?"

"No problem," Lin Kun and Liu Yue both replied.

The campfire crackled, dispelling the night's chill and a hint of unease. The forest night was not quiet; strange calls echoed one after another.

Lin Kun held Little White, leaning against the cliff face and feigning sleep, but in reality, he dared not fall completely asleep. His Mental Threads maintained a minimum level of vigilance.

In the latter half of the night, it was Lin Kun's turn to keep watch. He sat by the campfire, adding firewood, his ears perked up, carefully listening to the movements around him.

Suddenly, Little White in his arms stirred restlessly and let out a very faint "chirp." Almost simultaneously, [Insight Skill] and his Book Martial Soul sent a warning!

[Warning! 100 meters ahead to the right, abnormal spirit power fluctuations detected! Quantity: Three! Target: Unknown! Slowly approaching! Intent: Unknown!]

Someone! Or rather, a Spirit Master was approaching! And their movements were stealthy, with ill intentions!

Lin Kun instantly woke up, cold sweat breaking out. He immediately and gently nudged Ling Feng awake, lowering his voice: "Brother Ling Feng, there's a situation! About 100 meters ahead to the right, three people are approaching!"

Ling Feng's eyes snapped open, his gaze as sharp as a knife, without any trace of grogginess from just waking up. He listened intently for a moment, his expression changing slightly, clearly also sensing the extremely subtle movements.

"Wake Liu Yue and prepare for contingencies." Ling Feng lowered his voice, gripping his Gale Spear tightly, his eyes becoming extremely focused.

The newcomers were not friendly! In the dead of night in the Spirit Hunting Forest, silently approaching another group of Spirit Masters' camp was definitely not a friendly act!

Lin Kun's heart leaped into his throat. His first real battle and crisis seemed to be upon him!

If you find this book to your liking, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.