Soul Hunting Forest

Thanks to Zhao Lei's overwhelming display of strength, Ye Han and the others had an exceptionally comfortable journey home. After all, no faction would provoke a Titled Douluo over a few Gold Soul Coins.

After leaving Heaven Dou Imperial City for some distance, Ye Han and the others resumed their leisurely travel, eating, drinking, and having fun along the way.

Even so, everyone quickly returned to the academy.

Early the next morning after returning, Ye Han got up early to train, leaving Esdeath and the others wondering if they had somehow gotten the time wrong.

After defeating the Soul King from the White Tiger Clan, Ye Han had realized just how many shortcomings he had. Despite possessing such a powerful Martial Soul as the Gate of Babylon, he could only stand in the back and throw out skills, barely able to influence the battle at all.

Ye Han attributed all of it to not being strong enough, which was why he had suddenly begun cultivating.

Training time always passed quickly. Ye Han soon reached Level 20 and it was time to obtain another Soul Ring. However, in order to wait for Honjou Kaede and Yoruichi, the trip was delayed slightly.

It was not because the two lacked talent. Ever since Yoruichi had inexplicably achieved Shikai, she had been constantly studying it. As for Honjou Kaede, she had been busy learning pharmacology.

Just as everyone reached Level 20, the long-silent system spoke again.

Side Quest triggered: Obtain Soul Rings

Mission Description: Everyone obtains a Soul Ring

Mission Reward: One mysterious Treasure Map of the Soul Hunting Forest

This mission caught Ye Han off guard. The Soul Hunting Forest was not somewhere one could simply enter at will. Entry required a permit, and Ye Han did not have one.

To be honest, ever since arriving at the Star Dou Great Forest, Ye Han had assumed he would never visit the Soul Hunting Forest. But now that he had seen this mission, he felt it was necessary to go in at least once.

It was perfect timing. Ye Han and the others were only obtaining their second Soul Rings, and the limit was still hundred-year Soul Rings. The Soul Hunting Forest would be more than sufficient.

Ye Han: "Anyone there? Check the group chat. The system gave us a mission, and we happen to need Soul Rings. The Soul Hunting Forest works too, so how about we go there directly to get them?"

Esdeath: "We're finally getting Soul Rings. I don't care where we go, as long as I can grow stronger!"

Lia: "I'm fine with anything. We have the Soul Ring Release Device anyway. As long as the age is suitable, it'll be fine."

Kurumi: "From what I know, entering the Soul Hunting Forest requires a permit. Xiao Han, do you have one?"

Ye Han: "No!"

Yoruichi: "..."

Honjou Kaede: "..."

Todo: "Let's go take a look first. Everyone's cultivation has reached a bottleneck anyway."

Ye Han: "Exactly! Things will work themselves out when we get there. Let's go have a look. If it really doesn't work, we'll have Uncle Zhao fly us in."

After discussing the basics, Ye Han began packing and went to find Zhao Lei.

To be honest, Zhao Lei had been living quite extravagantly lately. After all, he was the only teacher in the academy with Gold Soul Coins, and the others were incredibly envious.

Zhao Lei was not stingy either. Selling two Soul Bones had earned him one million Gold Soul Coins, more than enough to treat the academy's teachers to a good time.

However, that only lasted a day or two. Once the novelty wore off, everyone settled down again.

"I'm saying, you little monsters, can't you stay put for a while? You only came back half a year ago, and now you're going out again!" Zhao Lei said helplessly.

Ye Han could only shrug. "Can't help it. But you'll have it much easier this time. We're going to the Soul Hunting Forest, where most of the Soul Beasts are only hundred-year ones, so we can handle them ourselves!"

Hearing that he would not need to do any work, Zhao Lei smiled. "Then what do you need me for?"

Ye Han rolled his eyes. "What do you think? The Soul Beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest may not be strong, but the place is small, so it's easy to run into Soul Masters. In the Soul Hunting Forest, Soul Masters are more terrifying than Soul Beasts!"

The Soul Hunting Forest was not too far from the Star Dou Great Forest, so the group soon arrived at their destination.

"We're here! Where's the permit?" Zhao Lei asked boredly.

Ye Han replied directly, "Who has that permit thing?"

"Then how are we getting in?"

Seeing Zhao Lei's incredulous expression, Ye Han pointed toward a group nearby. "We can do what they're doing."

Everyone followed the direction Ye Han pointed. A group of people had gathered together, and someone was shouting loudly, "Soul Hunting Forest! Anyone with a permit can get free help obtaining a Soul Ring!"

With that, everyone understood. They were planning to piggyback on someone else's permit.

Ye Han did not hesitate. He immediately brought Zhao Lei over and shouted, "Soul Hunting Forest! Need someone with a permit! We can help obtain a suitable hundred-year Soul Ring. If the Soul Beast isn't suitable, we can keep looking!"

The moment Ye Han finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent. Most of the people shouting here were wandering civilian Soul Masters, generally Soul Grandmasters, with very few Soul Elders among them. No one dared guarantee they could obtain a hundred-year Soul Ring.

"You little brat, you can help someone obtain a hundred-year Soul Ring?" the surrounding Soul Masters laughed.

Ye Han naturally knew his level was not convincing, which was why he had brought along a useful tool.

"I can't, but Uncle Zhao is a Soul King! The Soul Hunting Forest is nothing to him!" Since the Soul Hunting Forest belonged to the empire and Spirit Hall, and Ye Han had caused such a huge disturbance only half a year ago, a Soul King could intimidate these people without attracting Spirit Hall's attention.

The moment they heard Zhao Lei was a Soul King, the surroundings fell silent. Then someone mocked, "A Soul King? Once you reach Soul Ancestor, you can become a noble. Why wouldn't you have a permit for this place?"

Seeing someone deliberately picking a fight, Ye Han said disdainfully, "What, we can't forget to bring it? Seriously, where did you get the courage to talk like that? You're probably over thirty already, yet you're only a Soul Grandmaster!"

"You!" The Soul Grandmaster had been about to retort, but then he felt the terrifying aura radiating from Zhao Lei. No Soul Rings appeared, but the pressure was so suffocating that Zhao Lei might actually be a Soul King.

This was completely beyond his expectations. He immediately used a secret technique—escaping through urination. "I suddenly need to use the bathroom. See you!"

The others quickly moved a little farther away from Ye Han's group. They could not afford to provoke a Soul King.

After waiting for a while, a boy ran over. "Is what you said true?"

"Of course it's true, as long as you have a permit!" Ye Han smiled when he saw someone had taken the bait.

"Fine! My name is Xiao Chenyu. I have a permit, as long as you can help me find a hundred-year Soul Ring!" The name Xiao Chenyu instantly reminded Ye Han of someone familiar.

"Isn't your father the Notting City Lord? Why do you need to obtain a Soul Ring yourself?" Ye Han asked probingly.

Xiao Chenyu was startled and said in horror, "Were you sent by my father to capture me and take me back? Let me tell you, I won't go back until I obtain a Soul Ring!"

Looking at the kid, Ye Han felt helpless. "Your father can send a Soul King after you? Use your brain and think it through!"

"Then how do you know my father is the Notting City Lord?" After Ye Han said that, Xiao Chenyu felt it made sense. His father was only a Level 42 Soul Ancestor, so how could he possibly command a Soul King?

Ye Han grinned mischievously. "I don't know you, but I know Tang San. Besides, with your talent, you shouldn't be getting your Level 20 Soul Ring this quickly!"

At the mention of Tang San, Xiao Chenyu instinctively took a step back. He had been beaten badly back then and had only barely made it to graduation. He had not expected to encounter someone who knew Tang San while coming out to obtain a Soul Ring.

"I reached Level 20 because of my talent! My talent is good, so naturally I level up quickly!" Xiao Chenyu had been somewhat flustered, but when Ye Han questioned his talent, he replied unhappily.

Ye Han did not believe that at all. Until he figured out how Xiao Chenyu had leveled up, he did not intend to accept him. After all, Evil Soul Masters existed in this world. Who knew whether Xiao Chenyu had any connection to them?

But as Ye Han was thinking, Honjou Kaede said timidly, "Cultivation built up through medicine isn't good for the future!"

The moment Xiao Chenyu heard that, he reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and cried out excitedly, "I'm not! I didn't! Don't make things up!"

After hearing Honjou Kaede's words, Ye Han suddenly understood. Smiling, he said, "Okay, you're in. Let's go inside and find you a Soul Ring. Even if your Soul Power was piled up through medicine, I'll find you a powerful Soul Ring!"

Having his sore spot poked again, Xiao Chenyu simply stopped explaining. With a gloomy expression, he followed Ye Han and the others into the Soul Hunting Forest.

"Xiao Chenyu, what kind of Soul Beast do you want to find?" Ye Han asked with a smile as he looked at the curious Xiao Chenyu.

"I-I don't know either. Just find me a hundred-year Soul Ring!" Xiao Chenyu knew nothing about Soul Beasts. He only knew that he was Level 20 now, so a hundred-year Soul Ring had to be the right choice.

Hearing such a clueless answer, Ye Han asked curiously, "You don't know anything, so where did the ten-year Soul Ring on you come from?"

Xiao Chenyu became agitated. "Did Tang San tell you?"

"Well! You can assume so. Logically speaking, as the city lord's son, you shouldn't have a ten-year Soul Ring."

Xiao Chenyu became somewhat embarrassed at the mention of it. "I got that Soul Ring from killing a pig behind my house. I didn't know anything back then, so I absorbed it!"

Originally, Xiao Chenyu had thought having a Soul Ring looked cool, regardless of whether it was a ten-year one. But later, when he saw that even commoners like Xiao Wu and Tang San had hundred-year Soul Rings, he could not accept it. He had grown deeply resentful of his first ten-year Soul Ring.

Xiao Chenyu had come here because he had reached Level 20 and sought out his father, but the latter had been far too busy lately and told him to wait.

After waiting for more than a month with no response from his father, how could Xiao Chenyu endure it? He had finally reached Level 20 with the help of medicine, so he packed up and set off on his own.