As expected, the ground around the Lazy Tree was covered in its lush green leaves, just as Teacher Xiong had said.
The leaves looked like colored glass, glittering in the sunlight. They were quite attractive to Soul Beasts... and women.
Some noblewomen had once wanted to take the Lazy Tree's leaves home as decorations, or even turn them into jewelry.
Unfortunately, the leaves were single-use. Unless they touched soil, they immediately took effect, slowing down whoever touched them.
"Teacher, why can't I see any Soul Beasts?" Twin Brother Older asked quietly.
"You little brat. Do you think Soul Beasts that have lived for hundreds of years are stupid?"
"Even if their intelligence is inferior to ours, they still have their own ways of surviving."
"Those Soul Beasts might be hiding in some corner, waiting for an unsuspecting Soul Beast to wander into their territory."
Teacher Xiong warily watched the area around the Lazy Tree, afraid he might miss even the slightest detail. "Once it's slowed down, that Soul Beast will become the lamb waiting to be slaughtered by the owner of this territory."
"Yikes..." Twin Brother Older drew in a quiet breath, then nodded.
He had always thought Soul Beasts were animals that relied only on brute force. Hearing his teacher's words, he finally realized how frightening they could be.
After waiting there for about fifteen minutes and confirming that no Soul Beasts were guarding the area, Teacher Xiong
finally relaxed his taut nerves.
"Phew... Looks like we're in luck. We've found an unclaimed one."
"Heh, Su Yun, you really are lucky."
"This Lazy Tree doesn't have any offensive abilities at all. It should be a piece of cake for you to take it down."
"Judging by its height, that Lazy Tree is at least three hundred years old. It's just right for you."
Teacher Xiong patted Su Yun on the shoulder and smiled. "I won't say much more. You have your own ideas. Since you want it, go hunt your First Soul Ring."
The twin brothers beside them immediately looked at Su Yun with envy.
He could obtain a Soul Ring without any effort, without even having to fight a Soul Beast.
A Plant-type Martial Soul really did make things easy.
Su Yun didn't hesitate either. He took up the long spear in his hand and prepared to move forward.
But before he could take a single step, a familiar, strange sensation once again welled up from his left hand and flooded his mind.
The Blue Silver Grass nearby was warning him!
Danger!
Su Yun froze, then took a step back and said quietly, "There's danger. Get down!"
Teacher Xiong was the first to react. For some reason, he suddenly found himself trusting Su Yun's words completely. He quickly pressed down the twin brothers beside him.
The four of them dropped to the ground, leaving only four pairs of eyes peering through the grass at the world beyond.
Just as Teacher Xiong was about to ask Su Yun what had happened, a tremor from far away traveled through the earth and shook his chest.
Rumble—
As the tremors grew stronger, a wild bull a full two meters tall suddenly appeared before them, its body covered in savage flame patterns and its hooves wreathed in fire.
"Blazing Savage Bull!" Teacher Xiong's pupils abruptly shrank.
"It must've been drawn here by the scent of the Lazy Tree's leaves, just like us." Su Yun furrowed his brow slightly.
The Blazing Savage Bull before them was clearly more than six hundred years old. In terms of sheer strength, even Teacher Xiong beside him was no match for it.
The Blazing Savage Bull also had exceptional defenses, and it could spew scorching flames in battle.
On top of that, it was stubborn by nature. Once it locked onto a target, it would pursue it to the death.
That was why Soul Master teams entering the Soul Hunting Forest usually did their best to avoid running into one.
As soon as the Blazing Savage Bull arrived, its eyes immediately locked onto the emerald-green Lazy Tree.
"Moo~"
The Blazing Savage Bull looked extremely excited.
"Su Yun, this Blazing Savage Bull is extremely difficult to deal with. Are you sure you don't want me to help?" Teacher Xiong quietly asked, watching the bull's excitement.
Even he would have to put in a lot of effort to deal with a Blazing Savage Bull.
What chance did Su Yun have without a Soul Skill?
Of course I want you to help... Su Yun grumbled inwardly.
"No, Teacher. I still want to rely on my own strength." Su Yun tightened his grip on the long spear and gave Teacher Xiong a cheerful smile. "If I really can't hold on, you'll have to come save me right away."
Whoosh!
As soon as he finished speaking, Su Yun shot forward like an arrow loosed from its bow!
"Wow! Su Yun's so fast!"
"Is he really a weapon-type Soul Master? Can the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul actually make a Soul Master faster?"
The twin brothers exclaimed in amazement at Su Yun's speed, which far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Teacher Xiong didn't answer. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on Su Yun.
If Su Yun showed any sign of losing, he had to step in immediately.
With that thought, the Soul Power within Teacher Xiong began to circulate once more.
"Hum!"
A cold glint arrived first; then the spear thrust forward like a dragon!
Just as the Blazing Savage Bull eagerly approached the Lazy Tree, its hooves touched the leaves on the ground and its speed slowed for an instant.
A sharp whistle split the air beside its ears!
After training so hard for so long, Su Yun finally had a chance to put his spear techniques to use again. He naturally wouldn't let the opportunity slip by.
He would use this Blazing Savage Bull... to christen his spear!
For the past month, Su Yun had often searched for Soul Beasts in the academy's back hills to practice his spear techniques.
However, he had never killed a single Soul Beast.
It wasn't that he was softhearted. He simply didn't think there was any point in killing a Soul Beast younger than a hundred years old.
If he wanted a Soul Beast to christen his spear, it had to be a powerful one!
"Whoosh!"
The spear's glint flashed across the Blazing Savage Bull's eye like a star.
Su Yun stepped with the Wind God Leg and used Catching the Wind and Grasping the Shadow, seizing the instant when the Blazing Savage Bull couldn't react!
His spear was aimed straight at the Blazing Savage Bull's eye!
With his relatively small build, when facing a massive Soul Beast like the Blazing Savage Bull, his first priority was to take away its greatest advantage.
And that advantage was none other than its eyes.
Once it lost its sight, no matter how strong the Blazing Savage Bull was, its limited intelligence meant it would eventually be surrounded and killed by other Soul Beasts.
Su Yun's strategy was sound.
However, he had overlooked one thing.
The Blazing Savage Bull didn't just possess brute strength. It also had fire!
"Boom!"
Just as the long spear in Su Yun's hand was about to pierce the Blazing Savage Bull's eye, coming within an inch of it, a tiny flame suddenly flickered in the bull's eye.
The next second, a fiery chain that resembled a snake shot out from the Blazing Savage Bull's eye!
"Hiss!"
The instant the fiery chain touched the spear, it seemed to come alive. It coiled straight up the shaft, then lunged at Su Yun like a python locking onto its prey!
Su Yun frowned at the sight, but didn't panic. He silently recited one of the fifty stances from the Prairie Fire Spear Technique, then gripped the cold spear shaft tightly with both hands. His slender arms, thin as lotus roots, suddenly unleashed tremendous force.
The force burst forth like water from a fountain, driven by Su Yun's shoulders. The long spear in his hands shook rapidly like a gong being struck.
Under the violent, high-speed vibration, the fiery snake that had been coiled menacingly around the spear shaft immediately burst apart, dispersing into pale red Soul Power that scattered in every direction.
The way Su Yun had dealt with the Blazing Savage Bull's attack left Teacher Xiong, who had been hiding nearby and was just about to intervene, utterly dumbfounded.
The two twin brothers, who had been standing around doing nothing, were even more astounded.
"Su Yun, don't be afraid! After the Blazing Savage Bull uses its Flame Pupil, it has to wait half an hour before it can use it again!" Teacher Xiong suddenly remembered the bull's weakness and called out a warning.
"So that's how it works?" Hearing Teacher Xiong's reminder, Su Yun understood.
He fixed his calm gaze on the Blazing Savage Bull before him and kept his breathing steady, minimizing the amount of Soul Power he used.
"Let's try another move!"
With that thought, Su Yun surged forward again and began trading blows with the Blazing Savage Bull.
Before you continue