Soul Hunting Commission

"Wen Hui! Xiao Xuan! Run! I'll hold this beast back." A man stared resolutely at the black giant tiger devouring a corpse before him.

"But you..." The woman opened her mouth, yet did not know what to say.

"Run! If you don't run now, it'll be too late!" the man roared.

Tears filled the woman's eyes as she gritted her teeth and grabbed the young boy beside her, rushing toward the outer region. She knew this would be their final farewell.

Against a Dark Demon Evil God Tiger that had reached the ten-thousand-year level, let alone the man, even if the two of them joined forces, they would only die.

But she could not die yet. She had to protect their only child.

The young boy seemed to understand the life-or-death danger they faced. He turned his head away and stopped looking at the man. His Second Soul Skill activated, and under the gentle breeze surrounding them, the mother and son's speed increased severalfold.

But the good fortune did not last. Barely five minutes later, a tiger's roar that shook the forest came from behind them. Both mother and son's expressions changed.

"Xiao Xuan. Run. Run quickly! Remember, you must survive." The mother stopped, standing where she was as she looked lovingly at the young boy running with all his strength.

"Mother! Mother!" Amid repeated cries, a young man suddenly jolted awake from his dream in a dimly lit room. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Ah! That scene from two and a half years ago again! Who would've thought that a transmigrator from another world like me would end up so miserable?" The young man wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and gave a bitter smile.

The young man was named Wu Xuan. His actual age was only eleven years and a few months old. Though young, he was already a level-thirty, two-ring Soul Elder.

Wu Xuan rolled out of bed and washed his face, only then noticing that it was already daybreak. He hurriedly pasted on a few clumps of beard and pushed open the door.

"Brother Yang, why are you howling so early in the morning? You disturbed our sweet dreams." A burly man standing outside the room complained.

Yang Ming was the alias Wu Xuan had used when joining this soul-hunting team. When traveling outside, Wu Xuan would never feel at ease without preparing several alternate identities.

"Sorry, Brother Wang Zhen. I had another nightmare this morning." Wu Xuan, disguised, grinned foolishly and apologized.

"A nightmare? It's not that I want to criticize you, but you're already a man pushing thirty. It's one thing that you're short and pale as a ghost, but how can you still have nightmares like some woman? You don't have an ounce of manliness." Wang Zhen lectured him with barbs in his words.

"Hmph!" Wu Xuan snorted and could not be bothered to listen to the burly man's nonsense.

"Oh? You don't like hearing a couple words? If we weren't brothers who'd risk our lives together, who would bother lecturing you?" Wang Zhen said unhappily.

"Old Wang, say less. It's perfectly normal for Brother Yang Ming to have a nightmare. Scolding him first thing in the morning is really getting more and more unreasonable." A thin middle-aged man emerged from another room and tried to mediate.

"Hmph! If he hadn't been howling blindly so early in the morning, who would want to say anything? I'm only saying it for his own good," Wang Zhen replied dissatisfied.

"Enough, enough. Stop talking. Let me ask about something important. Did we get a job yesterday?" Qin Lan waved his hand.

"We did! Old Qin, let me tell you, the employer wants a Thousand-Year Soul Ring this time. Looking across all of Green Pine Town, besides us, what other soul-hunting team can take on a Thousand-Year Soul Ring job? Hahaha!" Wang Zhen laughed proudly.

"A Thousand-Year Soul Ring? It is indeed a big order. Brother Yang Ming, can you join this commission today?" The middle-aged man smiled at Wu Xuan.

"Brother Qin, you worry too much. Naturally, I have no problem with it," Wu Xuan replied with a faint smile.

"Since there's no problem, we'll follow the old rules for the split. I get forty percent of the commission, while Old Qin and Little Ming get thirty percent each. Old Qin and I get forty percent each of the soul beast carcass, while Little Ming gets twenty percent. Old Qin and I pick the carcass parts first," Wang Zhen said in a deep voice.

"Fine. I have no objections." Wu Xuan sounded indifferent.

"Good! Then make your preparations. We'll set out once the employer arrives!" Qin Lan waved his hand, finalizing the day's plan.

Wu Xuan nodded and returned to his room to pack his things. To wait for the greatest opportunity in this world, Wu Xuan had used an alias to join this soul-hunting team nearly a year ago. He was naturally well accustomed to the work.

Star Dou Great Forest, outer region.

"Roar—!!"

As a miserable howl came from nearby, a crimson giant tiger more than three meters long and over a meter tall at the shoulder suddenly burst from the towering bushes.

Several bloody wounds on the crimson tiger's fiery-red fur continued to seep blood, but none of them were fatal. The truly deadly wound was on its abdomen, extending all the way to the root of its left hind leg.

The crimson tiger staggered a few steps before finally being unable to run any farther. It turned and looked behind it, its one bloodshot eye radiating terrifying ferocity.

"Fine beast! Where do you think you're running?" A wild laugh rang out.

The next second, three figures sprang out from the bushes in succession, once more slowly closing in on the crimson tiger in a triangular formation.

This crimson giant tiger was a soul beast that had only recently broken through to the thousand-year level. Its full name was the Crimson Flame Tiger, and it was the target of Wu Xuan's group for this commission.

Before the three could complete their encirclement, flames erupted around the Crimson Flame Tiger. With an angry roar, it spat a searing blast of fire at the foremost figure among the three, who wielded a massive bladed axe.

Three soul rings—one white and two yellow—rose around Wang Zhen, who held the massive bladed axe. Immediately afterward, the second yellow soul ring flashed, and a pale-red axe phantom instantly condensed along the blade.

The axe phantom fell, colliding with the Crimson Flame Tiger's stream of fire.

"Whoosh!!"

A scorching wave swept out as the axe blade cleaved through the fire stream. Wang Zhen's face flushed red, his blood and qi surged, and the impact of the flames forced him back several steps.

Just as the Crimson Flame Tiger sought to seize the chance and fight for its life—

A somewhat short figure holding a sharp-bladed short spear seized the opening after the Crimson Flame Tiger released its Soul Skill. A whirlwind shot from his palm and struck the tiger's right eye dead-on. Blood sprayed out in an instant, and another shrill roar came from the Crimson Flame Tiger's mouth.

"Well done, Little Ming!" Qin Lan shouted in praise.

Third Soul Skill, Ground Trap!

The third yellow soul ring around Qin Lan lit up. The middle-aged man slammed a claw into the ground, causing the earth to tremble violently. The Crimson Flame Tiger, still howling in agony, suddenly had all four limbs sunk into the ground.

How could Wu Xuan miss such an excellent opportunity? A cold gleam flashed over the sharp blade of his short spear, but no soul ring lit up. Clearly, the short spear was merely an ordinary iron weapon.

With the whirlwind's assistance, the short spear plunged into the Crimson Flame Tiger's abdomen. Wu Xuan then released the spear, a light breeze swirling beneath his feet as he instantly retreated more than three meters away.

The moment Wu Xuan withdrew, the blinded Crimson Flame Tiger let out a miserable roar. Blazing flames instantly covered its body, and with a violent burst of strength, it broke free of the Ground Trap. It began thrashing wildly without regard for its life.

Second Soul Skill, Great Blade Slash!

Taking advantage of the Crimson Flame Tiger's mad thrashing, Wang Zhen charged forward and brought his massive bladed axe down on the tiger's other bloodied wound.

The Crimson Flame Tiger howled in pain and struggled again without holding anything back.

Wang Zhen's expression turned serious. He rolled across the ground, dodging the Crimson Flame Tiger's wild thrashing. "Don't deal a killing blow. Hold this beast back. It won't be able to last much longer."

"Yes!" Wu Xuan and Qin Lan answered in unison.

Second Soul Skill, Light Spirit Wind!

Wu Xuan's second soul ring quietly lit up. With the breeze enveloping them, the three men's speed abruptly increased by fifty percent.

Wu Xuan's spear thrust deep into its abdomen, along with the several-foot-long wound Wang Zhen had dealt with his axe, had successfully inflicted severe injuries on the Crimson Flame Tiger.

With injuries like these, there was no need for them to act further. The weakness from blood loss would soon leave it utterly exhausted, until it died.

The protagonist awakening his martial soul, then hunting his First Soul Ring and Second Soul Ring—there had originally been an outline for all of it.

But after I started writing, I felt the transition before and after was not smooth, so I directly deleted the first three or four chapters.

I'll just start with the protagonist after he turns twelve.

Just to clarify.

For his First Soul Ring, he hunted a Wind Spirit that was over five hundred years old.

For his Second Soul Ring, he hunted an eight-hundred-year-old Shadow Wind Leopard.