Soul Hunting Forest, Obtaining Spirit Rings

Two days later, at the break of dawn, when the sky was just beginning to brighten.

At the academy gates.

Three carriages bearing the emblem of Notting Academy stood there.

Fourteen students who needed to hunt Spirit Rings, three accompanying teachers, and the academy principal, who possessed the cultivation of a Soul Ancestor—a total of eighteen people—were all present.

"Once you're in the carriages, remember to report your Martial Souls and corresponding Spirit Ring requirements to the teachers. You were told the requirements in advance, so I won't go into detail here."

The requirements were simple: only Ten-Year Soul Beasts would be hunted for those requiring powerful Attack Power, while weaker Soul Beasts could be chosen at the hundred-year level.

"Board the carriages!" The principal waved his large hand and commanded with imposing vigor.

Everyone obeyed and boarded in an orderly line.

None of the fourteen came from wealthy families, so naturally, no one chose to hire others to hunt Soul Beasts for them.

Although Fang Ling had secretly saved up twenty Gold Soul Coins, enough to obtain the first Spirit Ring he needed.

He had learned the market rates, though, and that was only enough for a Ten-Year Spirit Ring.

A Hundred Year Spirit Ring cost at least a hundred Gold Soul Coins, and the chance of accidents increased dramatically.

Unless one was a powerful Soul Elder, no one dared take on such jobs.

With no money and no reliable team, it was better to follow the academy, which had a Soul Ancestor leading them on this soul hunt.

The carriages sped onward.

There were three carriages and three teachers, with one teacher assigned to each carriage.

The principal sat in the foremost carriage.

Fang Ling was in that carriage as well, with an Iron Shovel slung over his back.

With the principal present, he naturally asked the questions himself.

He took out a pen and clipped a sheet of paper onto a wooden board, preparing to take notes.

"Come on, tell me what Martial Souls you have and what kind of enhancement you need."

"Lu Wen, Tool Martial Soul: Scissors Martial Soul. I need stronger Attack Power."

"Ming Hui, Beast Martial Soul: Drill Mountain Rat. I also need increased Attack Power."

"Fang Liangyue, food-type Tool Martial Soul: carrot. I also need something that can increase Attack Power."

"Fang Ling, Tool Martial Soul: Sickle. I need a Hundred-Year Soul Beast, a Star-nosed Mole."

The previous requests had all been for increased Attack Power, and the principal swiftly wrote them down.

When it came to Fang Ling, he suddenly paused. As he wrote, he asked:

"You've chosen such a specific Soul Beast? You have a Sickle Martial Soul. Are you sure you don't want to increase your Attack Power?"

"Star-nosed Moles are incredibly weak. Their claws are practically nonexistent, and their reaction enhancement isn't particularly high either."

Fang Ling said firmly, "I don't want Attack Power. I'm certain I want a Star-nosed Mole."

"Principal, for such a weak Soul Beast, I can choose a hundred-year one, right?"

There was a faint trace of nervousness in his tone during that last sentence.

The principal saw the Iron Shovel clenched in Fang Ling's hand. He smiled slightly and nodded.

"You can. Soul Hunting Forest has them. They aren't particularly rare there, and they won't be difficult to find."

He then put away both the pen and notebook with a flick of his hand.

"The records are complete. Get some proper rest. It's four hundred li away, and we won't arrive until noon tomorrow."

"Rest up and prepare to welcome your first Spirit Rings!"

Everyone responded in agreement, and Fang Ling's eyes were filled with anticipation.

He was about to officially set foot upon the path of a Soul Master.

After three years of accumulation and three years of grueling training, he had finally reached the result Tang San had achieved upon arriving at the academy.

He hoped this first Spirit Ring would truly grant him a suitable specialization bonus.

After a brief rest during the journey, the three carriages arrived at their destination, Soul Hunting Forest, at noon the next day.

The carriages slowly came to a stop outside a noisy marketplace.

Cries of vendors rose and fell, narrow paths crisscrossed in every direction, and the place bustled with activity, making one's Qi and Blood surge.

This was a sight none of them had ever seen within the academy.

Even Fang Ling leaned his head out, watching curiously.

Unlike the bustle of marketplaces in his Previous Life, the people passing through here looked far more vicious.

They all carried an indescribable aura of murderous hostility.

The principal led everyone down from the carriages and had them parked in an area watched over by attendants.

He took the sheets listing the required Soul Beasts from the other two teachers.

After glancing over them and finding nothing unreasonable, he led the group directly toward the gates of Soul Hunting Forest.

At the same time, he taught the students about the precautions they needed to take here.

"The people here are all desperate criminals, and everything sold in those shops is expensive."

"That's why I told you to bring everything you needed."

"And it isn't just Soul Hunting Forest. The same goes for places near major Soul Beast habitats like Sunset Forest and Star Dou Great Forest."

His words stirred up some unpleasant memories. He smiled, shook his head, and continued.

"Do you see those Soul Hunting Groups?"

"We see them," everyone answered.

The principal's voice lowered. "A Ten-Year Spirit Ring costs ten Gold Soul Coins. A hundred-year one costs at least a hundred."

"It also depends on the type of Soul Beast you need, as well as the expenses or casualties along the way."

"If you run into unscrupulous people, the price might rise to a thousand Gold Soul Coins. They may even rob and murder you afterward."

"If you hunt Soul Beasts in the future, find a team with a good reputation. Better yet, go with family members or academy teachers. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" Everyone shuddered.

After walking for a while, they arrived before a massive iron fence more than ten meters tall.

The principal led them to the entrance of Soul Hunting Forest and showed the captain of the soldiers guarding the gate an official permit.

It was a permit specifically for academy soul hunts. With such a large group of obviously young, inexperienced Soul Master students, there could be no mistake.

The captain immediately ordered the soldiers to clear a passage.

Everyone entered directly.

Inside the forest, it was much quieter than outside.

The air was fresh, making it seem as though their Soul Power had begun to stir, leaving their bodies feeling utterly comfortable.

"A Spirit Beast Forest is a dangerous place. You must never leave the protection of the teachers, understand?"

The three accompanying teachers were all Soul Grandmasters in their prime.

There were two men and one woman. All three had the potential to break through to Soul Elder, and they were not comparable to Yu Xiaogang, that Great King of Farts.

Their combat strength was the same.

However, there were too many students, and they could not watch over everyone at all times.

Therefore, even the somewhat stronger Soul Beasts could only be limited to Ten-Year Spirit Rings.

The group moved forward slowly.

Perhaps because they wanted to protect him, the weak cripple, Fang Ling, who was smaller and only in third grade, was placed at the very center.

Fang Ling was puzzled, but he smiled and thanked everyone, indicating that they were all correct.

He had no need to prove anything.

This trip was solely to obtain a Spirit Ring. He did not want unnecessary complications.

Being protected was naturally for the best.

If a Soul Beast happened to kill one of the weaker Soul Masters on the outskirts, he could only tearfully assess the situation.

If he could win, he would help avenge them by killing it and earning some points. If he could not, he would run.

However, in this enclosed forest, where the strongest Soul Beasts were no more than a thousand years old and the overwhelming majority were merely ten-year or hundred-year Soul Beasts, with a Soul Ancestor leading the group, that possibility was very low.

After they had traveled some distance, the principal narrowed his eyes, identified something, and suddenly signaled everyone to stop.

He stared at a tree trunk and said softly, "A seventy-year Wind Lynx. It excels in agility and offense. Who wants it?"

As expected of a Drill Mountain Rat Soul Master, he was as nimble-minded and quick-moving as a rat. He stepped forward before anyone else and raised his hand high.

"I want it!"

"Good!"

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