Tricked?

Compared to the Star Dou Great Forest, the Soul Hunting Forest was far more peaceful. It lacked the same sense of urgency, and there was no need to worry about a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast suddenly appearing.

More importantly, the Soul Beasts here did not hide. Or rather, with such a small area, where could they possibly hide? It was easy to spot Soul Beasts.

They encountered quite a few Soul Beasts along the way. There were even century-old ones, but they were all only a little over a hundred years old. They would probably have to venture deeper to find ones with higher cultivation.

"A 253-year Wisteria Snake. Useless, let's go!" Ye Han grabbed Xiao Chenyu, who was tempted by it, and pulled him away.

After passing up several century-old Soul Beasts in a row, Xiao Chenyu finally could not bear it anymore. "I'm telling you, I thought that Wisteria Snake from before was pretty good. Kill it, and I'll absorb it!"

Listening to Xiao Chenyu's clueless remarks, Ye Han felt as if he had run into an idiot. But then he thought about it—if Xiao Chenyu had even a shred of common sense, he would not have absorbed a ten-year Soul Ring. Ye Han decided not to stoop to an idiot's level.

"Even if your academy did not teach you about Soul Beasts, they must have told you that the ideal absorption limit for a second Soul Ring is around seven hundred years! Even if you do not absorb a seven-hundred-year one, a six-hundred-year one would still be fine!" Ye Han said helplessly.

Xiao Chenyu could only smile awkwardly. "Well, the teacher did teach us that. But I thought century-old Soul Beasts were already hard to come by. And the teacher also said that the higher the cultivation, the harder it is to absorb. If things go wrong, you could die!"

Ye Han understood as soon as he heard that. Was he not just afraid of dying? Fair enough.

After going deeper once more, they finally found a 560-year Earth Bear. Ye Han had originally intended to go around it, but Xiao Chenyu stubbornly refused to leave.

"I want this one! I think it suits me perfectly!" Ye Han's mouth twitched slightly as he looked at Xiao Chenyu, then he simply turned and walked away.

The next moment, he felt someone hugging his right leg. "Brother Han, please, show some mercy! I know you want to help me find a better Soul Ring! Consider it repayment for the favor I did you with that token. But I think this one is already pretty good. You know my Soul Power was piled up with medicine, so I definitely can't absorb one with such a high cultivation!"

Ye Han's face darkened, but thinking about it, Xiao Chenyu did have a point. Ye Han had initially felt sorry for him and wanted to help him find a better Soul Ring as repayment for the token.

What if Xiao Chenyu truly could not withstand a six-hundred-year Soul Beast? Would he not be harming him instead?

"Let go! We'll take this Earth Bear!" Ye Han said helplessly, shaking his leg.

Xiao Chenyu was overjoyed and clung on even tighter. "Really? Great! I knew hugging Brother Han's thigh was the right choice!"

"If you want to hug it, do it later!" Ye Han said speechlessly.

"No, no, no! I want to hug Brother Han's thigh for the rest of my life!"

A chill ran through Ye Han, but it would not be appropriate to kick Xiao Chenyu away. He could only say earnestly, "If you don't let go, how am I supposed to catch the Earth Bear for you? If it runs away or gets killed by another Soul Master, don't blame me!"

Xiao Chenyu froze and slowly released his grip. "Isn't this Soul King supposed to make the move?" he asked doubtfully.

Suddenly being called out, Zhao Lei casually sat down on the ground and said lazily, "Nope. They kill their own Soul Beasts. I'm just here to accompany them."

Xiao Chenyu suddenly felt like he had been tricked. He did not know Ye Han's rank, but he could tell from his age.

"Then what about my Soul Ring?" Xiao Chenyu asked in despair.

Zhao Lei pointed toward the Earth Bear. "You called him Brother Han all the way here. Isn't your dear Brother Han catching it for you?"

Only then did Xiao Chenyu realize that Ye Han was no longer beside him. When he turned around, he witnessed a scene he would never forget.

A little boy with long golden hair and a face as beautiful as a girl held a spear and sent the Earth Bear flying. Then, he drove the spear through the Earth Bear's shoulder and brutally pinned it to a tree.

Ye Han's training over this period had not been for nothing. He had become increasingly adept at wielding weapons, and more importantly, Xiao Chenyu had irritated him earlier.

What could he do? The unfortunate Earth Bear naturally became the victim. With exquisite martial skill and Noble Phantasms, Ye Han vented all his frustration on it.

When he returned and saw the dumbfounded Xiao Chenyu, Ye Han smacked him on the head. "What are you staring at? Go kill it! Hurry up, before it bleeds to death!"

The slap snapped Xiao Chenyu out of it. He hurried over and killed the Earth Bear. When it came time to absorb the Soul Ring, he cautiously asked, "Brother Han, if I may ask, how old are you?"

"I'll be eight in half a year. What, you don't want to call me Brother because I'm younger than you?" Ye Han asked in confusion.

"No, no, no. Brother Han, are you here to obtain your first Soul Ring?"

"No! We're all here for our second Soul Rings, and we're about the same age. Understand now? Hurry up and absorb the Soul Ring!" Ye Han said impatiently.

Xiao Chenyu felt as if an arrow had pierced his heart. Ye Han and the others' talent made him question his life. He had rushed out to obtain a Soul Ring so he could return and surpass Tang San.

Even if it was only temporary, Xiao Chenyu would have been happy. But now he was panicking. He felt that by the time he returned, Tang San might already be level twenty too.

Sensing Xiao Chenyu's despair, Ye Han smacked him on the head again. "Don't overthink it! Once you absorb the Soul Ring, you'll be a level-twenty Soul Grandmaster. For one instant, you'll surpass us geniuses! Even if it's only temporary!"

After Ye Han said that, Xiao Chenyu felt much better. Moved, he said, "Brother Han, thank you. You'll always be my Brother Han!"

"Get lost, get lost! Go absorb your Soul Ring!" Seeing Xiao Chenyu gazing at him affectionately, Ye Han nearly hit him with a Noble Phantasm from the Gate of Babylon.

As Xiao Chenyu began absorbing the Soul Ring, Lia said with a sigh, "I never knew Soul Masters had it this hard."

"He is too weak, so he cannot control his own fate." Esdeath was as harsh as ever.

Ye Han merely shrugged noncommittally. "Honestly, this world places too much importance on talent! Opportunities may matter too, but talent is the only road to success!"

"Isn't that too absolute?" Though Esdeath believed in the strong devouring the weak, such words left no room for hope.

Ye Han gave Xiao Chenyu a complicated look. "Take him as an example. His Innate Soul Power was probably only level three. His ultimate achievement will likely be Soul Ancestor at most. If he wants to go higher, he can only search for Immortal Herbs or special opportunities!"

"But Immortal Herbs and opportunities aren't things you can find just because you want to. Even if you find them, you need the strength to keep them. People like us, with Innate Full Soul Power, will become Titled Douluo at the very least as long as we do not die young!"

Hearing this reality, the others fell slightly silent. It was a rather heavy topic.

"But it's not as if there's no chance at all. Who can say for sure when it comes to opportunities? Maybe the next time we see Xiao Chenyu, he'll already be a Titled Douluo!" Ye Han said with a smile.

Xiao Chenyu's absorption speed was average. It took a little over an hour, and when it ended, a yellow century-old Soul Ring had appeared on his body.

"Brother Han, look, look! A century-old Soul Ring! Do you want to know what my second Soul Skill is?" Xiao Chenyu asked excitedly.

"Sorry, not interested at all." Ye Han walked ahead without any politeness.

Xiao Chenyu's expression stiffened. He followed beside Ye Han in low spirits.

Ye Han and the others were quite lucky. As night was about to fall, they encountered an 851-year Golden Demon Tiger. Though it exceeded the limit somewhat, Ye Han was not worried in the slightest.

Just as Ye Han was about to act, Xiao Chenyu said excitedly, "Brother Han, let me do it! Let me! I feel incredibly strong right now!"

Seeing Xiao Chenyu's confident expression, Ye Han did not want to discourage him. He could only say tactfully, "This one is 851 years old!"

But perhaps his second Soul Ring had given Xiao Chenyu boundless courage.

He charged straight at the Golden Demon Tiger and soon came back. The difference was that he had run over himself, but he was slapped back.

Ye Han covered his face. This was too embarrassing. Xiao Chenyu had no combat awareness whatsoever. He had rushed in and tried to use his second Soul Skill, but it was interrupted before he could even unleash it, and he was sent flying back.

Seeing this, Ye Han quickly stepped in. When the Golden Demon Tiger saw another person approach, it swung its tiger paw again. Ye Han used his spear to deflect the paw and thrust straight ahead.

The injured Golden Demon Tiger roared, Soul Power surging from its body as its speed increased dramatically. It lunged at Ye Han.

Ye Han laughed at the sight. He casually tossed away his spear, which was swallowed by a golden glow. Then he drew a long blade and slid beneath the Golden Demon Tiger, speeding between its legs.

With its entire abdomen sliced open, the Golden Demon Tiger naturally could not endure for long. It soon died and became a Soul Ring.

Xiao Chenyu, who had suffered only minor injuries, watched Ye Han defeat the Golden Demon Tiger so easily and felt utterly devastated.

Still, it was good that he recognized reality early. Otherwise, if Ye Han was not around next time and he acted like that again, he would only become the Golden Demon Tiger's meal.

Ye Han looked at the Soul Ring before him with excitement. After all, he did not have only one skill. The Soul Ring Release Device would transform along with his first Soul Skill, making it more suited to him.

Sitting cross-legged, Ye Han began absorbing the Soul Ring. Since it exceeded the limit by more than fifty years, he felt a trace of pressure. Fortunately, he had consistently trained and strengthened his body, and it came in handy now.

Before long, Ye Han felt a wave of comfort spread through his body. His rank also rose to level twenty-two, and he quickly checked his two Soul Skills.

First Soul Skill, Control: Spend a small amount of Soul Power to project Noble Phantasms.

Second Soul Skill, Detonate: Infuse Soul Power to detonate a Noble Phantasm. The higher the Noble Phantasm's rank, the greater the power and Soul Power consumption. The self-repair time of a detonated Noble Phantasm is determined by its rank. (Note: Top-tier Noble Phantasms cannot be detonated.)

Ye Han tested it. Although his first Soul Skill, Control, did not seem as good as the previous Amethyst Crystal Guard, it gave him greater control over the Gate of Babylon and consumed less Soul Power.

This made Ye Han more like an archer rather than a warrior.

There was even less need to mention his second Soul Skill. It was a controllable bomb!