Hunt Soul (Please Follow!!!)

What kind of Soul Ring did you want?

After giving it some thought, Su Ming said, "First, it needs to have enough years. Then, it should enhance the body—preferably from a Soul Beast that excels in physical strength and possesses a Soul Skill that provides all-around amplification."

Duan Jin nodded at this. "Not bad. Those requirements do suit your Martial Soul. The question now is where you want to Hunt Soul. Nuoding City has the Soul Hunting Forest, but the Soul Beasts there are all raised in captivity. Truly top-tier Soul Rings are rare, and more importantly, there aren't many types of Soul Beasts. You might not find the Soul Ring you want."

"Where does Brother Duan usually Hunt Soul?" Su Ming asked.

Duan Jin smiled.

"I have three Soul Rings so far, and I hunted them all in the Savage Beast Mountain Range. The Savage Beast Mountain Range lies within the Star Luo Empire. It stretches across three provinces and covers an enormous area. It is a large Soul Beast habitat, much like the Sunset Forest of the Heaven Dou Empire."

There were many Soul Beast habitats across the continent. Aside from the Star Dou Great Forest, there were another five large Soul Beast habitats and more than ten scattered smaller ones. In addition, the two great empires and Spirit Hall maintained Soul Beast forests in captivity. It could be said that Soul Beast resources in this era were truly abundant, with no sign whatsoever of Soul Beasts going extinct.

"Most Soul Beasts in the Savage Beast Mountain Range meet your requirements. There are also many top-tier Soul Beast bloodlines there, and their crossbreeding has produced many mutated species."

Su Ming looked conflicted.

"Actually, there's not much for you to gain by continuing your studies at the Junior Soul Master Academy. With your talent, once you reach Gengxin City, you can enter an Advanced Soul Master Academy directly," Duan Jin said.

Hearing that, Su Ming made up his mind.

"I'll return to the academy and apply for early graduation."

"You can put your luggage in this. The space inside this bracelet isn't large, but it's enough for your bedding and such."

Duan Jin handed Su Ming a bracelet.

Su Ming looked at Duan Jin in surprise.

He was just giving me a Storage Soul Tool so casually?

There was no Soul Tool technology in this era. All Soul Tools had been recovered from Relics of distant ages, so their total number was practically fixed. Storage Soul Tools, which were especially convenient to use, were even rarer.

"Take it. I still have three Storage Soul Tools."

Su Ming's mouth fell slightly open.

He felt that Duan Jin seemed incredibly wealthy.

"Many Soul Tools excavated from Relics are damaged. Whether for appearance or practicality, people always have blacksmiths repair them. Gengxin City naturally became the city with the greatest circulation of Soul Tools. As the largest local association, our Blacksmith Association has stored quite a few Soul Tools as well."

Su Ming understood.

Nuoding Academy's graduation requirements were not demanding. Su Ming had already reached Level 10 in Soul Power, and he was leaving to Hunt Soul without intending to return. With sufficient reason, the academy issued him a graduation certificate.

The next day.

Su Ming left the city with Duan Jin.

Nuoding City was located in Fasnuo Province, in the southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire, bordering the Star Luo Empire.

After traveling south for roughly a month, the two approached the western side of the Savage Beast Mountain Range and entered the mountains from there.

"In the Star Dou Great Forest, the closer you get to the core, the older the Soul Beasts become. The Savage Beast Mountain Range is different. This sprawling mountain range can be divided into many smaller regions, each forming a small habitat centered around a powerful Soul Beast."

"There are three overlords in the region we're in now. Each has cultivated for over fifty thousand years and occupies a mountain of its own."

"I obtained all three of my Soul Rings in the valley ahead."

"..."

Duan Jin was quite talkative. As they traveled, he remained alert to their surroundings and searched for prey while explaining things to Su Ming.

Sensing a Soul Power Fluctuation ahead, he told Su Ming to keep quiet and crept forward with him.

Ahead of them, a giant ape covered in jet-black fur was resting.

"Not bad luck," Duan Jin said. "That giant ape's Soul Power Fluctuation is above three hundred years. Judging by its size, it might be a Diamond Ape."

Su Ming stared at the giant ape, his gaze searching through its fur.

Beneath its fur were special patterns. The patterns were black as well and had a metallic texture, hidden amid the pitch-black fur.

These patterns were how one judged a Diamond Ape's age.

Diamond Apes possessed exceptionally strong physical qualities. Not only were they immensely powerful, but they also had tremendous defense. These metallic patterns were the key. In battle, they were the channels through which its Soul Power amplified its body.

This was a conclusion reached by scholars of later generations after dissection, so no such method of judgment existed in this era.

The more intricate these metallic patterns were, the greater the Diamond Ape's Soul Power amplification of its body.

The patterns covered its entire body, branching continuously before ending in circular shapes. The denser these circles were, the more favorable they were for the exertion of Soul Power.

After observing it, Su Ming found that the ends of the patterns beneath this Diamond Ape's fur had already formed four circles. This meant its cultivation had reached four hundred years.

A few pattern ends still had only three circles, so it had not exceeded four hundred years.

Judging by the proportion of four-circle pattern ends, it should have cultivated for over four hundred years, close to five hundred.

"Brother Duan, this Diamond Ape suits me quite well."

Duan Jin's expression turned serious. "I'm not sure of its age. The cultivation characteristics of Soul Beasts like Diamond Apes aren't very obvious. We can only judge by their size and Soul Power Fluctuation."

"Then what is this Diamond Ape's cultivation?" Su Ming asked.

"It's over three hundred years old. I can't say for certain whether it has reached four hundred years. Still, its size seems a little large, so there's a high chance it has cultivated for four hundred years. The limit for a Soul Master's first Soul Ring is just over four hundred and twenty years. I'm afraid this Diamond Ape may exceed what you can bear."

Duan Jin really was quite reliable.

"Brother Duan, let's take this Diamond Ape. I forge every day, so my physical condition is better than that of ordinary Soul Masters. Even if this Diamond Ape's cultivation really exceeds the limit, I should be able to grit my teeth and endure it."

Duan Jin was speechless. "Do you think this is forging? Grit your teeth and endure it? Do you know that if a Soul Ring's age exceeds the limit, a Soul Master can explode while absorbing it?"

"This Diamond Ape is very suitable for me," Su Ming said. "We can't just give up on it like this, can we?"

"Let's search elsewhere first. We'll keep this Diamond Ape as a backup. If we truly can't find anything more suitable for you, we'll come back and hunt this Diamond Ape," Duan Jin said.

Duan Jin wanted to be cautious, and Su Ming had no way to forcefully persuade him. He could only continue searching the Savage Beast Mountain Range with Duan Jin.

And that search lasted an entire month.

"Brother Duan, how about we go with that first Diamond Ape?" Su Ming, covered in dust and grime, suggested to the equally disheveled Duan Jin beside him.

"Fine. If I'd known, we would've hunted that Diamond Ape right away. We wasted a whole month for nothing," Duan Jin said regretfully.

"It's not all bad," Su Ming comforted him. "It's not like we found nothing."

Duan Jin nodded seriously.

"True. Although it's only a small vein, it's still a Meteorite Iron Mine. The Meteorite Iron we mine should be worth at least a six-figure sum in Gold Soul Coins. Once you finish absorbing your Soul Ring and we return to Gengxin City, I'll report this to Teacher. If Teacher leads the group personally, we should be able to drive away that Dark Gold Bear."