Director Liu's Martial Soul was an iron-colored long saber. That was probably a trait of his Martial Soul; flames burned along the blade.
At the same time, Soul Rings began to appear around him.
His lineup was the classic One White, One Yellow, and One Purple.
Watching the envy in the eyes of the teachers protecting him,
Su Ze could understand how they felt.
As commoners,
they considered this lineup exceptionally good.
After all, commoners usually had to obtain their First Soul Ring themselves.
So a white First Soul Ring was standard for them.
As for the Yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring and the Purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring that followed,
those represented Director Liu's own hard work.
Su Ze remembered Qin Ming, a genius Soul Master from Douluo Continent, whose lineup was also Yellow, Yellow, and Purple.
As a Soul Elder, Director Liu was already impressive for a commoner.
After that, under Soul Elder Director Liu's lead,
Su Ze and the others began roaming Thunder Gorge.
Since all the Soul Beasts here had the Lightning Attribute, and the environment was unusual,
the Soul Beasts in Thunder Gorge were especially fond of attacking people.
The group encountered quite a few ambushes along the way.
Fortunately, they had Director Liu, a Soul Elder, as well as several Soul Grandmasters protecting them.
The group made it through each of the attacks without serious injury.
But after so many attacks, the teachers had used up a great deal of Soul Power.
After they fought off an attack from a Thunder Wolf that was nearly a hundred years old, Director Liu glanced at the panting group around him.
He turned to Su Ze and said, "Little Su, given how things are going, finding a Thunder Fang Rabbit seems very unlikely."
"How about this? We look for the more common Thunder Spiders instead."
Of course, Su Ze wasn't about to be unreasonable after hearing Director Liu.
After all, they were helping him for free.
He had no right to demand that they risk their lives for him.
Besides, there was nothing wrong with Thunder Spiders.
Maybe one would really suit his Martial Soul, Sikong Zhen, and its ultimate skill!
"It's fine, Director Liu. Either Thunder Spiders or Thunder Fang Rabbits will do."
Hearing Su Ze's sensible answer, Director Liu nodded again.
If Su Ze had stubbornly insisted that they keep going,
Director Liu would have had to reconsider whether it was worth continuing to invest in him.
With such a poor attitude, there was little chance he'd ever repay them for their kindness.
On the other hand, someone like Su Ze, who knew when to yield and could put himself in others' shoes, was much more likely to repay them in the future.
Director Liu was very pleased with Su Ze's attitude. He felt his own enthusiasm rise, too.
He immediately led the group toward a place he knew where Thunder Spiders gathered to nest.
When Director Liu led Su Zhe and the others to the Thunder Spider nest,
the scene before them left everyone stunned.
The Thunder Spider nest was being bombarded by bolts of lightning.
The Thunder Spiders that had once lived there had fled from the violent lightning.
The culprit was a green bamboo shoot.
It swayed in the wind as lightning struck it again and again.
"What is that thing?"
"How can a bamboo shoot withstand so many lightning strikes?"
Everyone, including Director Su, stared at the bamboo shoot in the distance, baffled.
Su Ze's eyes lit up.
During the five days he'd spent reading, Su Ze had learned about nearly every Soul Beast with the Lightning Attribute.
Among them was one of the most sought-after Soul Ring sources for Lightning Attribute Soul Masters.
It was called the Thunderous Nether Vine!
It was the Soul Beast every Lightning Attribute Soul Master dreamed of finding.
A hundred-year-old Thunderous Nether Vine looked just like a bamboo shoot.
More importantly, the moment Su Ze saw the bamboo shoot, the Sikong Zhen Martial Soul within him began to stir.
It felt as though it was craving the bamboo shoot in front of him.
Recalling what he'd read,
and matching it with the way his Martial Soul was reacting,
Su Ze didn't hesitate for a moment before speaking to Director Liu beside him.
"Director Liu, my Martial Soul is yearning for that bamboo shoot."
"It's the one. Please, we have to hunt it!"
Director Liu's eyes lit up when he heard Su Ze's words.
If a Soul Beast could make Su Ze's Martial Soul react like that, it had to be a perfect match for him.
Helping him hunt it would make Su Zhe's future path much smoother.
And that meant an even greater return for him, the investor.
Without a moment's hesitation, Director Liu turned to the teachers behind him and said, "Move out! That's our target."
"Understood!"
At Director Liu's command, the five other Soul Masters immediately began working together.
Director Liu led the way, with Su Ze right beside him, and they charged straight toward the bamboo shoot drawing the lightning.
The instant they got close, the lightning that had been striking the bamboo shoot changed course and shot toward Su Ze.
As the lightning rushed toward them, two tall male teachers behind him raised earth-yellow shields and stepped in front.
The moment the lightning struck, the male teacher's earth-yellow shield shattered.
The teacher himself was sent flying backward.
Soon, another burly male teacher with red hair rushed forward. An azure shield appeared around him.
He took over and stood in front of Director Liu.
At the same time, a female teacher behind them raised her hand. An azure lotus bloomed beside her,
and healing light shone over the male teacher lying on the ground.
With the two male teachers taking turns to defend them, Director Liu charged almost unharmed right up to the hundred-year-old bamboo shoot.
At that moment, the black-haired man, who'd been quiet and motionless until then, finally made his move.
Golden Soul Power surged around him,
and a powerful golden cage sprang up around the bamboo shoot, restraining it.
The bamboo shoot could no longer move.
Director Liu raised his saber, its blade blazing with fierce flames.
Boom!
As the Flame Saber came down, the bamboo shoot was severely wounded.
Watching from nearby, Su Ze was grateful he'd come with Director Liu.
If he'd tried to obtain this hundred-year-old Thunderous Nether Vine alone, it would have been a pipe dream.
"Su Ze, hurry and move!"
"Understood!"
Su Ze nodded and immediately drew the iron-colored dagger he carried with him.
He struck the bamboo shoot in front of him, which was barely clinging to life.
As the bamboo shoot was cut down,
the lightning raining from the sky stopped at once.
At the same time, a deep yellow Soul Ring emerged from the bamboo shoot.
"It's a 300-Year Soul Ring! Su Ze, can your body withstand it?"
Director Liu's voice held both delight and worry.
Director Liu didn't know the exact limit of what a Soul Master's first Soul Ring could be.
But years of teaching and experience told him that a commoner Soul Master who absorbed a Soul Beast older than 200 years
had a very high chance of dying.
So he was extremely worried about this 300-Year Soul Ring.
If Su Ze absorbed it and died from the strain, his earlier investment would have gone down the drain.
Su Ze confidently nodded and said, "Don't worry, Director Liu. I had a special opportunity that strengthened my body."
"I'll definitely be able to absorb a 300-Year Soul Ring."
The special opportunity Su Ze mentioned was, of course, his daily meditation.
After meditating every day for a week, Su Ze could clearly feel that his physical strength had at least doubled.
And his Martial Soul was special: Sikong Zhen was fused with the Storm Dragon King.
Any excess energy from the Soul Ring
could be absorbed perfectly by his Sikong Zhen Martial Soul.