The morning mist over the Star Dou Great Forest had yet to fully disperse. The damp air carried the scents of decaying leaves and wildflowers, while sunlight filtered through the dense canopy and scattered mottled flecks of light across the ground.
Tang Ya rolled a freshly picked blade of Sawtooth Grass between her fingertips, but her gaze was involuntarily glued to the young man not far ahead.
The young man wore a moon-white training suit, its hem swaying gently in the forest breeze. His black hair was secured behind his head with a simple Wooden Hairpin, and the clean lines of his profile looked as though they had been carved from polished jade.
He stood alone beneath an old locust tree, his fingers seemingly brushing the patterns on its trunk in idle fashion. Though he was deep within a Soul Beast territory fraught with danger, he exuded an air of ease, as if he were strolling through a courtyard rather than hunting Soul Beasts.
Tang Ya's eyes lit up. She quietly tugged at Beibei's sleeve beside her, and a familiar curve rose at the corner of her lips.
It was the expression of the Tang Sect's leader whenever she encountered a particularly gifted Soul Master—the exclusive activation of her "talent-scouting radar."
"Look at that kid."
Tang Ya lowered her voice, unable to hide the excitement in her tone.
"He's tall, and his stance is as steady as a pine. You can tell at a glance that he's trained his body for years. He even dared to come to the Star Dou Great Forest alone, so he can't be weak. If we could recruit him into the Tang Sect..."
Following her gaze, Beibei immediately spotted the youth named Lin Yao.
He rubbed his brow helplessly. His Teacher Xiaoya never forgot to