A Soul Eater Demon Blade who controlled twelve Soul Eater puppets had been restrained, disarmed, and poisoned, yet he had still managed to rely on his own strength to defeat an expert who controlled eleven puppets!
Lu Zhen had completely underestimated him.
Mu Rong's tall frame swayed as he walked forward, exhausted and numb with pain.
He had really overestimated himself.
The martial world was full of strange things, and there was no shortage of oddities. Even if you didn't run into some powerful martial artist, you could still end up in danger because of someone's unusual abilities.
Like that spider demon. It was fast, and its web-controlling ability was weak, but it had a terrifying poison. If Mu Rong hadn't had an unusually strong constitution, he would never have seized the one chance to close in. Today, the one surrounded by Soul Eater puppets would have been him.
Compared to that, the Soul Eater puppet master they'd fought today was practically a true, solid lesson in how brutal and realistic the martial world could be.
Soon, they arrived at the forest's edge.
Perhaps because he'd been intimidated by Mu Rong's strength, the forest demon had fought with all its might. But he was a Soul Eater puppet master, a quick and nimble one at that. In the end, he'd still lost because his soul power was insufficient.
"Boss, I've disgraced myself."
The forest demon walked over, his face full of remorse.
"It's fine. Losing isn't the end of the world."
Mu Rong patted him on the back and comforted him.
"Find your weakness, and next time you'll get your revenge."
By nightfall, the two of them had fought their way through the demons and reached the second stage of the trial.
They studied at the academy during the day, then went into the forest at night to fight demons and gain experience.
The next day, then the third...
The two of them spent a full six months like that.
Mu Rong had defeated ninety-seven demons, earning thirty-eight merit points.
The forest demon had defeated twenty-five, earning forty-eight merit points.
After taking into account the high cost of entering the trial and the resources they'd spent on healing, Mu Rong's soul power finally broke through to fourteen ranks.
That was something he wouldn't even have dared to imagine back in the human world.
By constantly fighting to the death against demons and then refining his soul power at night, he'd raised his cultivation speed to an astonishing level.
That evening, the two finished their demon hunt and were heading back to the academy.
A man in his thirties, wearing ordinary clothes and sporting a slightly chubby build, blocked their path.
"Excuse me, young man. Could you spare a moment?"
The man's back was turned toward them. His voice carried a hint of smugness.
"Can I help you?"
Mu Rong stopped. There was no hint of anger or happiness in his voice beneath the mask.
"My boss would like to have a chat with you. Are you interested?"
The man grinned, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Sorry, I'm not interested."
Mu Rong rejected him outright.
When it came to the major Soul Eater clans, he kept his guard up. Unless they were after his power and wanted to recruit him for their organizations, or were trying to rig a match to make him lose and rake in Soul Coins, he couldn't think of any reason they'd approach him.
And he had no interest in getting involved with the affairs of the Soul Eater clans.
"Haha, young man, don't be in such a hurry to leave."
The man's smile remained unchanged.
"Is there really nothing that interests you? The pay is quite generous."
When Mu Rong heard the words "generous pay," he paused.
If the price was high enough, even rigging a match could be a profitable business.
"Oh? How generous?"
"Come with me and see."
The boss was delighted. He hurriedly led Mu Rong into a luxurious reception room.
"Young man, you look strong, and your record is impressive. If you're willing to join my Soul Eater clan and become one of my elite Soul Eater warriors, I'll give you a thousand Soul Coins. How does that sound?
"If you win, I'll triple it!"
The boss revealed his offer.
"Just Soul Coins?"
Mu Rong laughed coldly.
"You think I look like someone short on Soul Coins? I'll be blunt, old man. You've got nothing that interests me. Forget it. You'd be better off finding someone else."
As he spoke, Mu Rong rose to leave.
The boss's expression darkened.
"Young man, now that you've come to my territory, you don't get to leave just because you want to."
As his voice fell, the reception room's door shut. Before long, an old man with a gloomy, sunken face appeared in the room.
The forest demon jumped in surprise, but Lu Zhen had already stepped in front of Mu Rong without hesitation.
Mu Rong felt the old man's powerful soul energy, deep as the sea.
A trace of fear rose in his heart, but it disappeared almost immediately.
"What, are you planning to threaten me?"
Mu Rong greeted the boss's glare without the slightest change in expression.
"Haha, you've got guts. Then let me ask you something."
The boss peeled off his kind-looking mask and sneered.
"Genius Soul Eaters are as common as feathers in the sky, but few of them ever make it to the end. Do you know why?"
"Ah, is it because they don't have the ability? Or because they're crushed by old fogeys like you, who think you're the real deal?"
Mu Rong pursed his lips.
"Shameless!"
The Soul Eater clan boss slapped his hands together.
"So what are you thinking now?"
"What am I thinking now..."
Mu Rong didn't finish speaking. He flicked his wrist, took a token from his Soul Eater device without even looking at it, and tossed it straight at the boss.
"If I disappear inside your Soul Eater clan, I believe the first person the Seven Great Noble Families will come looking for is you. By then, the consequences for your clan will be severe."
The boss caught the token by reflex, then lowered his gaze to examine it.
On the front was a finely carved Seven Treasures Pagoda. On the back was an ancient character: "Lu."
The boss's pupils shrank.
The Seven Great Noble Families! A guest elder token!
The token's meaning was clear as day. Anyone who saw it would know that the bearer was a guest elder of the Lu family!
Cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.
Just then, a murderous roar erupted in his mind.
But if the man standing before him really was one of the Seven Great Noble Families, then the little Soul Eater clan boss and his entire family would have to bear the wrath of three great clans!
"Ahaha! I understand! What a huge misunderstanding!"
The boss's expression changed so quickly it was almost comical. He hurriedly put on an ingratiating smile, stood up, and took the token in both hands before respectfully returning it to Mu Rong.
"Ah, this is just a misunderstanding! One big misunderstanding!"
"Oh? That's what you call it?"
Mu Rong calmly sat back down.
"Exactly! It was all a misunderstanding! My apologies, Young Master Lu! Hahaha!"
The Soul Eater clan boss bent over with laughter, his waist nearly touching the floor.
"Since that's the case, we'll be on our way. Farewell."
Mu Rong took the token and played with it in his hand.
"Then... Young Master, may I ask what you meant by..."
"While you're fighting demons, have Cai Bo gather information for me about all the rare flowers and herbs on this continent, especially ancient medicinal herbs and unusual plants with medicinal properties. The rarer, the better.
"What do you think? Does that sound difficult for you?"
Mu Rong paused, then added another sentence.
"My big brother has been looking for this kind of thing lately, too. I believe you must already know about his reputation."
Before you continue