Abnormalities in Soul Hunting Forest and an Uninvited Guest

Winter break ended, and Nuoding Academy became lively once more. The students returned with local specialties and novel tales from all over, and Seventh Dormitory regained its usual bustle.

Now that they possessed their First Spirit Ring, the new semester's courses were no longer difficult for Tang San and Xiao Xiaoxiao. Master Yu Xiaogang's guidance also became more in-depth, covering advanced knowledge such as Soul Power compression and control, as well as the combined application of soul skills.

Xiao Xiaoxiao studied diligently. She knew that only by becoming stronger as quickly as possible could she keep up with Tang San, protect herself when unforeseen changes came in the future, and perhaps even... protect him.

The peaceful academy life was shattered by a piece of news.

That day, Master summoned Tang San and Xiao Xiaoxiao to his office with a grave expression.

"Soul Hunting Forest outside Nuoding City has been unsettled lately." Master got straight to the point, his brow tightly furrowed. "Several hunting parties have reported traces of unusually powerful spirit beasts in the forest's outer regions. There have even been casualties. The academy has received a request from Spirit Hall to assist with the investigation. We need to send several teachers to look into it, and it will also serve as practical training for upper-year students."

He looked at the two of them. "I intend to bring several students with decent cultivation. Tang San, I have great confidence in your Combat Ability and calm temperament. Xiaoxiao, your Spiritual Detection and Mental Interference could prove unexpectedly useful during an exploration. Are you willing to take part in this mission?"

Soul Hunting Forest? Unusually powerful spirit beasts? Xiao Xiaoxiao's heart tightened. Was there a part like this in the original story? She could not quite remember, but she had a vague sense of unease.

Tang San, however, nodded without hesitation. "I am willing, Teacher."

Seeing Tang San agree, Xiao Xiaoxiao immediately suppressed her doubts and nodded. "I'll go too!" If there was danger, she needed to stay by his side even more.

Master nodded approvingly. "Good. Go back and prepare. We leave early tomorrow morning. Do not spread word of this, lest it cause unnecessary panic."

When Xiao Wu learned the news, she insisted on going along, only to be sternly refused by Master. This mission might be dangerous, and her Soul Power was insufficient. Going would only make trouble. Xiao Wu puffed out her cheeks in anger and ignored Tang San and Xiao Xiaoxiao for the entire day.

Early the next morning, the group gathered at the academy gates. Besides Master, Tang San, and Xiao Xiaoxiao, there were two Soul Elder teachers from the academy and three upper-year students with Soul Power around levels seventeen or eighteen. All of them were Battle Soul Masters and looked quite experienced.

The group traveled by carriage and soon arrived once again at the outskirts of Soul Hunting Forest. Compared to their previous visit, the forest seemed even quieter. The air was permeated with an unsettling sense of oppression.

Master assigned their tasks: the two teachers would each take an upper-year student to investigate from either side, while Master himself would lead Tang San, Xiao Xiaoxiao, and another Assault System Soul Grandmaster named Chen Lin through the central area.

Once they entered the forest, the oppressive feeling grew heavier. Birdsong and insect cries had become much scarcer, as though some terrifying presence lurked here, keeping all other creatures from approaching.

"Stay alert. Watch your surroundings, especially the ground and the treetops," Master instructed in a low voice, his sharp gaze sweeping across the area.

Tang San kept Xiao Xiaoxiao slightly behind him as he quietly circulated Mysterious Jade Hand. Xiao Xiaoxiao also summoned the Phantom Moon Fox, her Spiritual Power highly focused as she sensed the energy fluctuations around them.

Chen Lin was a tall young man whose martial soul was the Iron Arm Ape. He seemed to look down somewhat on the petite Xiao Xiaoxiao, but he still dutifully guarded the other side.

They went deeper into the forest. Other than the strange atmosphere, they found no unusual spirit beasts.

"Master, could the information have been wrong? It doesn't look like there's anything here," Chen Lin could not help saying, relaxing his vigilance slightly.

"Do not let your guard down," Master said gravely. "The calmer it is, the more likely danger is hiding beneath it."

Before his words had faded, Xiao Xiaoxiao suddenly sensed an extremely faint yet violently savage Mental Fluctuation flash through the depths of the dense woods to their left!

"Over there!" She abruptly pointed toward the left front, her voice carrying an almost imperceptible tremble. "There's a powerful mental residue. It's... chaotic and violent!"

Master's gaze sharpened. "Let's take a look! Be careful!"

The four of them cautiously made their way in the direction Xiao Xiaoxiao had indicated. The closer they got, the more distinct that heart-pounding aura became. Even Chen Lin put away his contempt, his expression turning grave.

They pushed aside the dense bushes, and the sight before them made all four draw in a sharp breath!

It was complete devastation! More than a dozen large trees had been smashed in half, while the ground was covered in enormous claw marks and dragging trails. Dark red blood had splattered everywhere, dried and blackened. The air was thick with blood and an indescribable foul stench.

"What... what kind of spirit beast did this?" Chen Lin's face went pale. This destructive power was far beyond what an ordinary hundred-year spirit beast could possess!

Master crouched down and carefully examined the claw marks and broken trunks, his expression growing more solemn. "Judging from the traces, it resembles some large feline or bear-type spirit beast, but its strength was abnormally great. And... these claw marks seem to carry remnants of some corrosive energy."

Tang San's gaze fell upon several scattered black feathers beside the bloodstains, each glimmering faintly with phosphorescence. "Teacher, were other spirit beasts involved?"

Master took the feathers and sensed them carefully. His face changed abruptly. "These are... Dark Demon Crow feathers! These spirit beasts usually only operate in the forest's core region. They are bloodthirsty and violent, and... they live in flocks!"

Just then, Xiao Xiaoxiao suddenly felt an intense palpitation! That chaotic and violent Mental Fluctuation appeared again, and it was rapidly approaching!

"They're coming! There are many of them! They're fast!" she cried out, her face instantly turning deathly pale!

"Take guard!" Master shouted. He instantly completed Martial Soul Possession, and Luo San Pao appeared before him, letting out warning cries of "Luo Luo!"

Tang San immediately pulled Xiao Xiaoxiao behind him. His Blue Silver Grass martial soul was released in an instant, the yellow spirit ring lighting up as several vines silently spread across the surrounding ground like venomous snakes.

Chen Lin also immediately completed possession. His arms swelled and thickened, black fur growing over them.

"Caw—!!!"

Piercing, grating screeches erupted from all directions! One black figure after another shot out from the depths of the woods like arrows loosed from a bow!

They were enormous crows, black from head to toe except for their blood-red eyes! Their beaks and claws were sharp, and every beat of their wings stirred up gusts of foul wind. There were so many of them that they descended like a black cloud!

They were Dark Demon Crows! Judging by their size, most were merely ten-year spirit beasts, but mixed among them were several visibly larger hundred-year Dark Demon Crows, the crimson light in their eyes even brighter!

"Damn it! How could so many of them rush out of the core region?" One teacher's furious, startled voice came from afar. Clearly, they had also come under attack!

"Hold steady! Protect yourselves!" Master roared. Luo San Pao took a fierce breath and released a deafening boom, temporarily frightening off the first few Dark Demon Crows that had lunged at them.

The battle erupted in an instant!

Chen Lin roared as he swung his ape arms, smashing the incoming Dark Demon Crows away. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass lashed about wildly, binding and striking, tying up or forcing back the Dark Demon Crows that tried to approach. The paralysis venom attached to it slowed the movements of the crows that were struck.

Xiao Xiaoxiao endured her fear and desperately unleashed Mental Interference. Invisible waves spread outward, and the Dark Demon Crows at the forefront immediately began crashing about like headless flies. Some even attacked one another, effectively easing the pressure from the front.

However, there were simply too many Dark Demon Crows! And they were incredibly bloodthirsty, utterly fearless of death as they kept charging forward one after another!

"Luo Luo!" Luo San Pao attacked again, but against such a large number of enemies, its attacks were woefully inadequate.

A hundred-year Dark Demon Crow broke through the Blue Silver Grass blockade, its sharp claws carrying a foul wind as they shot straight toward Tang San's face!

Tang San had just used Mysterious Jade Hand to slap another crow away, and he was a moment too slow to defend!

At that critical instant!

"Mental Interference! Maximum output!" Xiao Xiaoxiao screamed, pouring all her Soul Power into this attack and targeting the hundred-year Dark Demon Crow's eyes!

Moonlight surged in the Phantom Moon Fox's eyes!

"Caw!" The hundred-year Dark Demon Crow let out a pained shriek. Its claws, which had been headed for Tang San, suddenly veered aside and raked fiercely across a nearby tree trunk, leaving several deep marks!

Tang San seized the chance. With a flash of Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, he dodged the follow-up attack. At the same time, a strand of Blue Silver Grass darted out like a venomous snake, tightly wrapping around that hundred-year Dark Demon Crow's neck before viciously constricting!

Crack! A teeth-grating sound of breaking bone rang out.

But more Dark Demon Crows swooped down! The other two hundred-year Dark Demon Crows in particular cleverly bypassed the front line and lunged from the flanks toward Xiao Xiaoxiao, who appeared to be the weakest!

"Xiaoxiao, be careful!" Tang San shouted urgently. He wanted to rush back to help her, but more than a dozen ten-year Dark Demon Crows had him firmly entangled!

Chen Lin was also being overwhelmed by two hundred-year Dark Demon Crows and could barely look after himself!

Master was surrounded by the greatest number of Dark Demon Crows. Even Luo San Pao's booming attacks could not clear out so many enemies at once!

As those cold, gleaming claws were about to reach Xiao Xiaoxiao, she could even smell the nauseating stench. Terrified, she shut her eyes. Her Soul Power was nearly exhausted, and she did not even have the strength to dodge!

Just as despair took hold—

"Bzz—!"

A strange pressure, as though it could freeze space itself, suddenly descended!

Time seemed to slow.

Every Dark Demon Crow that had been diving at them, whether ten-year or hundred-year, froze in an instant. It was as though an invisible giant hand had pressed them down, suspending them in midair. Their blood-red eyes were filled with absolute terror!

Then, a streak of light beyond description, like a star falling from the highest heavens, swept past in utter silence.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor any dazzling radiance.

The Dark Demon Crows frozen in midair were like ice and snow under sunlight. Silently, bit by bit, they dissipated and vanished, leaving behind not even a trace of ash.

It took no more than a breath.

The flock of crows that had just blanketed the sky and threatened them with death was gone.

It was as though they had never existed.

Only the wreckage scattered across the ground and the lingering scent of blood proved that the brutal battle had not been an illusion.

The pressure faded.

Tang San rushed to Xiao Xiaoxiao's side at once, grabbing her arm. There was an urgency in his voice that even he did not notice. "Are you all right?"

Xiao Xiaoxiao's face was pale. Her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed, only managing to stay upright because Tang San was holding her. Still shaken, she shook her head, her voice trembling. "I-I'm fine... What was that just now...?"

Master and Chen Lin also gathered around, their faces full of shock as they warily looked toward the direction from which the pressure had come.

The depths of the forest were silent.

Footsteps sounded.

They were light, yet they seemed to step directly upon everyone's heartbeat.

A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

He was a man who looked to be around thirty, dressed in a simple gray robe. His long black hair hung loosely around his shoulders, and his features were ordinary, even somewhat overly pale. Only his eyes were different—deep as an ancient frozen pool, devoid of the slightest emotional ripple.

He walked slowly, as though he were merely a traveler who had stumbled into this place.

But the moment Master saw him, his pupils contracted sharply. He immediately shielded Tang San and Xiao Xiaoxiao behind him, his body tensing to its limit as cold sweat even seeped from his brow. He had never been this nervous before, not even when facing a ten-thousand-year spirit beast!

Tang San also sensed an extreme danger. He quietly circulated Mysterious Jade Hand and completely blocked Xiao Xiaoxiao behind him.

The gray-robed man's gaze lightly swept over the devastation on the ground. It paused for a moment where the Dark Demon Crows had vanished before finally settling on Master. His voice was utterly plain, yet it carried an unquestionable authority. "Did you cause the anomaly here?"

Master took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He bowed respectfully. "This junior is Yu Xiaogang, a teacher at Nuoding Academy. I was ordered to investigate the unusual movements of the spirit beasts here. Thank you, Senior, for saving us just now. May I ask Senior's esteemed name?"

The gray-robed man did not answer. Instead, his gaze passed over Master and settled on Tang San behind him... and Xiao Xiaoxiao, whom Tang San was tightly protecting behind his back.

His gaze lingered on Tang San for a moment. In those ancient-well-still eyes, there seemed to be an extremely faint, nearly imperceptible ripple.

Then his gaze shifted to Xiao Xiaoxiao's face.

Xiao Xiaoxiao had been secretly observing him with both curiosity and fear. The moment their eyes met, she felt her heart pound, as though her entire being had been seen through. Instinctively, she shrank further behind Tang San.

Seeing that instinctive gesture of reliance, the gray-robed man's pale face seemed to show the faintest trace of something resembling... amusement? It passed so quickly that it might have been an illusion.

"Your Spiritual Power is passable. Your martial soul is somewhat interesting," he said flatly, without explanation.

After saying that, he looked at no one else. He turned and took a step forward, his figure vanishing silently into the depths of the forest like ink dissolving into water, as though he had never appeared.

He left behind only the four of them, still shaken and filled with doubts.

Once that suffocating pressure had completely disappeared, everyone finally let out a long breath. Their backs were already soaked with cold sweat.

"Teacher, he..." Tang San looked at Master, his eyes filled with questions. That man had been too powerful—powerful beyond his understanding.

Master's face remained pale. He shook his head, lingering fear still in his heart. "Do not ask, and do not mention him to anyone else. That person... is not an existence we can speculate about. Since he has left, do not pursue the matter further."

He looked toward the place where the Dark Demon Crows had vanished, his brows tightly furrowed. "It seems the anomaly in the forest is more complicated than we imagined. We must return and report to Spirit Hall immediately! This is no place to linger!"

The atmosphere on the way back was unusually silent.

Xiao Xiaoxiao's heart was still pounding. Who was that man in gray...? Was there a character like him in the original story? The way he had looked at her... was so strange. And what did he mean when he said her "martial soul is somewhat interesting"?

She secretly looked at Tang San beside her. He remained silent, but his tightly pressed lips and faintly furrowed brow showed that he was thinking as well. When danger had come just now, he had protected her behind him without hesitation...

At that thought, the fear in Xiao Xiaoxiao's heart was gradually replaced by a trace of sweetness.

Though they had encountered unexpected danger and a mysterious powerhouse, perhaps... it had not been entirely without gain?

At least, at the moment between life and death, she had seen his instinctive reaction.

That was enough.

The anomaly in Soul Hunting Forest hung over Nuoding City like a dark cloud.

And the mysterious gray-robed man who had appeared so suddenly became a massive question mark, branded deep into Xiao Xiaoxiao's heart.