The Datura Serpent

Outside the Soul Hunting Forest, Tang San saw a true Soul Master team for the first time.

Some carried bows.

Some held knives.

There were also several patrolling Soul Masters wearing the standard robes of Spirit Hall.

They stood at the entrance and didn't talk much, but their presence brought a sense of order to the outer reaches of the Soul Hunting Forest.

Grandmaster took out his token.

A patrolling Soul Master glanced at it, then looked at Tang San.

"First time Soul Hunting?"

Tang San nodded.

"Yes."

The patrolling Soul Master took his registration card and scanned it.

"Blue Silver Grass, Innate Full Soul Power."

"Target: Datura Serpent. Alternatives: Ghost Vine, Silk-Entangling Grass, and low-rank Poison Vine-type Soul Beasts."

He looked at Tang San.

"You've prepared well."

Tang San said, "Thank you."

The patrolling Soul Master turned to Grandmaster.

"Grandmaster, the first Soul Ring carries considerable risk."

"If you encounter a Soul Beast beyond your limits, don't force yourself to absorb its Soul Ring."

Grandmaster's expression shifted slightly.

"I know."

The patrolling Soul Master nodded and returned Tang San's registration card.

"Once inside the forest, don't kill Soul Beasts without good reason."

"If you encounter a Soul Beast that's out of control, defend yourself."

"If you run into danger you can't handle, retreat toward the entrance and blow the Rescue Whistle."

As he spoke, he handed Tang San a small copper whistle.

"Don't take unnecessary risks on your first Soul Hunt."

Tang San took the whistle and carefully put it away.

"I'll remember."

Grandmaster stood to the side without speaking.

In the past, he might not have welcomed a reminder from Spirit Hall.

But Tang San was already used to following the rules, so Grandmaster couldn't very well say there was anything wrong with it.

After all, these warnings really were intended to keep Low-Rank Soul Masters safe.

The two entered the Soul Hunting Forest.

Not long after they set off, Grandmaster released his Martial Soul.

A strange, round creature landed on the ground. It looked like a little pig, with short limbs and big eyes.

Tang San froze for a moment.

So this was Grandmaster's Martial Soul?

Grandmaster seemed accustomed to people's reactions when they first saw Luo Sanpao. He said calmly,

"His name is Luo Sanpao."

"My Martial Soul mutated, but unfortunately, the mutation took an unfavorable direction."

Tang San studied Luo Sanpao intently.

In the past, he might have thought this Martial Soul was strange.

But after reading Martial Soul Basic Identification, he knew that a Martial Soul couldn't be judged by its appearance alone.

"An unfavorable mutation doesn't necessarily make it completely useless," Tang San said.

Grandmaster paused.

Tang San continued, "The textbook says that with a Mutated Martial Soul, you have to consider what it kept and what it lost after the mutation."

"Though Luo Sanpao looks unusual, he must have his own strengths."

Grandmaster glanced at Tang San, his feelings complicated.

The boy hadn't laughed at him.

Nor had he immediately shown pity.

He was analyzing the situation.

That should have pleased Grandmaster, but the approach Tang San was using came from a Spirit Hall textbook.

Grandmaster said quietly, "That's right."

"He has a keen sense of smell and can also unleash a powerful burst of force for a short time."

"But..."

He didn't continue.

Tang San didn't press him.

Everyone had their own wounds.

There was no need to dig them open.

Luo Sanpao sniffed the air ahead and soon led them deeper into the forest.

Along the way, they encountered quite a few low-rank Soul Beasts.

A Ten-Year Wind Baboon.

A twenty-year-old Variegated Cat.

And several Poison Spiders under a hundred years old.

Grandmaster mostly just explained what they were and didn't attack them.

Tang San didn't make a move either.

Once, a Ten-Year Soul Beast blocked the path. Tang San instinctively gripped the Hidden Weapon inside his sleeve.

But the Soul Beast only glanced at them before quickly slipping into the grass.

Grandmaster looked at Tang San.

Tang San let go.

"It didn't attack us."

Grandmaster nodded.

"Good."

"Soul Hunting doesn't mean killing every Soul Beast you see."

Tang San wasn't surprised to hear Grandmaster say that.

Grandmaster had his own obsessions, but he wasn't someone who killed indiscriminately.

At dusk, Luo Sanpao suddenly stopped.

His nose twitched, and the fur on his body stood slightly on end.

Grandmaster's expression changed.

"There's a snake-type Soul Beast nearby."

Tang San immediately went on alert.

"A Datura Serpent?"

"I'm not sure," Grandmaster said quietly.

"But the scent is strong."

They slowed their steps and continued onward.

Before long, they spotted several trails dragged through some low bushes.

There was blood on the ground.

Not far away, a Poison Vine Beast of around a hundred years lay on the ground, its body pierced by a bite.

Tang San crouched and examined it.

"It died recently."

"The bite marks are from a snake-type Soul Beast," Grandmaster said.

Tang San opened the small booklet he had brought with him.

It was the abridged version of Soul Hunting Safety Regulations given to him by Spirit Hall.

He found the page on the Datura Serpent and compared the bite marks and the burns left by its venom.

"It should be a Datura Serpent."

A flicker of approval crossed Grandmaster's eyes.

"Good judgment."

But Tang San wasn't happy.

"It deliberately hunted another Soul Beast."

"And it isn't very far from the entrance."

"Grandmaster, if it keeps moving around, it could hurt the Low-Rank Soul Masters who come in after us."

Grandmaster nodded.

"So even if it weren't for the Soul Ring, we could still drive it off or kill it."

Tang San tightened his grip on the Hidden Weapon in his sleeve.

"Understood."

Just then, Luo Sanpao suddenly let out an urgent cry.

"Sanzao!"

Grandmaster's words had barely left his mouth when a dark green blur shot out of the bushes.

It moved incredibly fast.

It lunged straight at Tang San.

Tang San shifted his step. Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track instinctively carried him sideways.

The Datura Serpent missed and slammed its head into a tree trunk, then immediately turned back.

Its body was long and slender, its scales gleaming a ghostly green, its eyes cold.

Grandmaster's face darkened.

"Nearly four hundred years old."

Tang San felt his heart tighten.

Nearly four hundred years.

That was already close to the absorption limit for a first Soul Ring.

For an ordinary Soul Master, it would be extremely dangerous.

Grandmaster spoke quickly. "Xiao San, don't let it get close!"

"Its venom is potent, which makes it perfect for your Blue Silver Grass."

Tang San didn't answer right away.

The Datura Serpent lunged again.

Tang San sent out his Blue Silver Grass, trying to bind it.

But without a Soul Ring, his Blue Silver Grass wasn't resilient enough to hold a Soul Beast like the Datura Serpent.

The serpent twisted and tore free.

Grandmaster shouted,

"Luo Sanpao!"

Luo Sanpao drew in a breath, and his body swelled.

The next instant, a shockwave blasted out.

The Datura Serpent was knocked back several steps, but it wasn't badly hurt.

It was clearly enraged.

Its tongue flicked in and out, and poisonous gas began to spread.

Tang San took a small pill from his clothes and put it in his mouth.

It was an Anti-Poison Pill he had made himself.

It might not stop the Datura Serpent's venom, but it should help a little.

Grandmaster's eyes shifted at the sight.

Tang San had quite a few secrets.

But now wasn't the time to ask about them.

The Datura Serpent lunged for the third time.

This time, it didn't go straight for Tang San. Instead, it circled around to attack Grandmaster.

Grandmaster's Soul Power was weak. If he were bitten, the consequences would be serious.

Tang San's eyes narrowed.

He sent out his Blue Silver Grass again, wrapping it around the serpent's tail.

At the same time, his fingers flicked, sending a tiny Hidden Weapon flying.

It struck the Datura Serpent beside the eye.

The Datura Serpent let out a shrill hiss, and its attack veered off course for a moment.

At that very moment, Luo Sanpao unleashed another shockwave, sending it reeling to the side.

Grandmaster immediately shouted, "Xiao San, now!"

Tang San didn't hesitate.

He rushed forward, wrapped the snake's body in Blue Silver Grass, and drove the short blade hidden in his sleeve into the Datura Serpent's seventh inch.

The Datura Serpent thrashed violently.

Tang San was flung away and rolled several times across the ground.

Grandmaster followed up with another attack.

Luo Sanpao unleashed one final burst, completely breaking the Datura Serpent's last shred of resistance.

A moment later, the Datura Serpent collapsed to the ground.

A Yellow Soul Ring slowly appeared.

Tang San rose to his feet, breathing unevenly.

Grandmaster looked at the Soul Ring, excitement and tension in his eyes.

"Its age is close to the limit."

"But it's still within range."

Tang San didn't absorb it right away.

First, he looked at the dead Datura Serpent.

It had attacked them first.

It had also killed other Soul Beasts.

This wasn't a case of hunting without cause.

Tang San felt a little more at ease.

"Grandmaster."

"Yes?"

"What if its age had exceeded the limit?"

Grandmaster was silent for a moment.

"I would have told you to give up."

Tang San looked at him.

Grandmaster added, "Theory isn't worth risking your life over."

Tang San nodded.

Those words strengthened his trust in Grandmaster a little.

At least Grandmaster wouldn't make him take blind risks just to prove his theory.

Grandmaster looked at the Soul Ring and said, "Begin."

"I'll guard you."

Tang San sat cross-legged.

The Yellow Soul Ring slowly drew near the Blue Silver Grass.

An immense force surged into his body.

Pain.

Excruciating pain.

It was worse than Tang San had imagined.

The Datura Serpent's venom, resilience, and aggression were all forced into his Martial Soul.

The Blue Silver Grass swayed in his palm.

The once-fragile blades began to thicken, faint purple-black patterns appearing along their edges.

Sweat beaded on Tang San's forehead.

The Mysterious Heaven Skill began to circulate.

At the same time, he recalled a line from Soul Power Introduction and Meditation.

[When a Soul Ring enters the body, do not suppress it with brute force alone. Guide its traits into the Martial Soul instead of letting it run rampant through the meridians.]

Tang San steadied his mind.

He stopped simply enduring the force.

Instead, he used the Mysterious Heaven Skill to guide it, letting it flow in accordance with the nature of his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.

Entanglement.

Resilience.

Poison.

Little by little, all three became part of the Blue Silver Grass.

Grandmaster stood to one side, surprise in his eyes.

Tang San's absorption was going more smoothly than he'd expected.

This wasn't just talent.

It was more as if Tang San had already understood the relationship between a Soul Ring and a Martial Soul.

Grandmaster's feelings were complicated.

The Spirit Hall textbooks had helped Tang San once again.

But at that moment, he had to admit that this kind of help was a good thing.

At least Tang San wouldn't damage his foundation by blindly enduring the force.

After an unknown amount of time, Tang San slowly opened his eyes.

A Yellow Soul Ring appeared around him.

His First Soul Ring.

He'd done it.

Grandmaster breathed a sigh of relief.

"How do you feel?"

Tang San stood and raised his right hand.

Blue Silver Grass sprouted from his palm, thicker and more resilient than before.

"First Soul Skill."

"Entanglement."

Blue Silver Grass burst from the ground and wrapped around a small tree ahead.

A faint toxicity appeared on the blades.

The tree was soon marked by the tightening vines.

Grandmaster's eyes filled with approval.

"Excellent."

"The Datura Serpent really was a good fit for you."

Tang San nodded too.

"But if I hadn't prepared beforehand, I might not have been able to absorb it so steadily."

Grandmaster paused.

Tang San said seriously, "Choosing a Soul Ring can't depend only on judgment in the moment."

"Identifying a target ahead of time and learning about its habits are both important."

Grandmaster was silent for a moment.

"You're right."

He didn't say it grudgingly.

Tang San's success proved that his theory was useful.

But it also proved that the Spirit Hall's basic guidelines were useful.

The two didn't contradict each other.

At least for now, Tang San had benefited from both.

Spirit City.

Meow Meow lay sprawled across the desk, watching the scene inside the Soul-Calming Bell and nodding softly.

"Still a Datura Serpent."

"But this time, things went much more smoothly."

Bibi Dong said, "He succeeded."

"Mm."

Meow Meow's tail swayed gently.

"He got a good First Soul Ring."

"No pointless killing."

"No recklessly gambling on the limit."

"And Yu Xiaogang didn't force things along."

"A good start."

Bibi Dong looked at Tang San on the screen.

"He certainly has talent."

"Of course he does," Meow Meow said.

"But having talent doesn't mean he has to become an enemy of the Spirit Hall."

Bibi Dong looked at Meow Meow.

"Are you still hoping to recruit him?"

"Not necessarily."

Meow Meow shook his head.

"Someone like Tang San would be hard to win over completely."

"But we can make sure that from the very beginning, he knows the Spirit Hall isn't what he might imagine it to be in the future."

"If he learns to think for himself, then many things won't be able to push him along so easily."

Bibi Dong said nothing.

Meow Meow continued, "Besides, I want to see."

"What if Tang San receives a more complete basic education?"

"What if Xiao Wu learns from the start that there's another path besides conflict between Soul Beasts and Soul Masters?"

"What if Yu Xiaogang can't become Tang San's only source of theory?"

"Would they still end up following the same path as before?"

Bibi Dong didn't understand exactly what Meow Meow meant by "before."

But she understood that he was changing fate.

Little by little.

Not by killing anyone.

But by placing people at different crossroads.

Then watching to see which way they chose.

"You're always too softhearted," Bibi Dong said.

Meow Meow considered it.

"Not entirely."

"I just think that if a problem can be solved with a school, we shouldn't reach for a blade first."

"If the school can't solve it, there's still time to use a blade."

Bibi Dong smiled faintly.

"That does sound like something you'd say."

Meow Meow puffed out his chest.

"I've always been a cat of principle."

Bibi Dong didn't call him out on it.

Just then, a system notification rang out.

[Beep. Tang San has successfully obtained his First Soul Ring.]

[Beep. The host has influenced his preparations for Soul Hunting and his understanding of Soul Ring absorption.]

[Beep. Tang San's trust in the Spirit Hall's basic system has increased.]

[Beep. Yu Xiaogang's theories have become less of a sole authority.]

[Reward: One copy of Blue Silver Grass Research Data, Meow Wish Value +100.]

Meow Meow's eyes lit up for a moment.

Blue Silver Grass Research Data?

That was good.

Blue Silver Grass grew all over the continent. If they could understand it, it wouldn't just be useful to Tang San.

The Spirit Hall could also use Blue Silver Grass to build a more basic Soul Power Sensing Network.

Even the Holy Fire Cat network could complement the Blue Silver Grass network.

At the thought, Meow Meow's tail lifted a little.

"What is it?"

Bibi Dong asked.

"Nothing."

Meow Meow said.

"I just suddenly realized that grass can be pretty useful too."

Bibi Dong looked at him.

"What are you planning now?"

Meow Meow blinked.

"Planting grass."

Bibi Dong: "..."

Lately, this cat had either been opening a school or raising Soul Beasts. Now he wanted to plant grass.

His Holiness the Pope suddenly wondered what Spirit Hall would become in the future.

In the Soul Hunting Forest.

Tang San and Grandmaster didn't leave right away.

Following the advice in the Soul Hunting Safety Regulations, Tang San made a simple record of the Datura Serpent's age, characteristics, location of the encounter, and how it felt to absorb its Soul Ring.

Grandmaster watched from the side, feeling somewhat pensive.

Tang San was too meticulous.

Too meticulous for an ordinary child.

But he liked that about him.

That was how proper research should be done.

"You can keep this record for future reference,"

Grandmaster said.

Tang San nodded.

"That's what I thought too."

After finishing his notes, he looked at the dead Datura Serpent.

"Grandmaster, after a Soul Beast dies, what else can it leave behind besides a Soul Ring?"

Grandmaster replied, "A very small number of Soul Beasts produce Soul Bones."

Tang San's eyes flickered.

Soul Bones.

He'd seen the term in his textbooks, but they'd only mentioned it briefly without going into detail.

Grandmaster explained, "Soul Bones are extremely precious, and the odds of obtaining one are very low."

"You don't need to think about that for now."

Tang San nodded.

Just as the two were preparing to leave, the voice of a patrolling Soul Master sounded from nearby.

"Is anyone up ahead?"

Grandmaster called back, "Yu Xiaogang of Notting Academy. I'm taking my student to hunt his First Soul Ring."

The patrolling Soul Master approached, glanced at the Datura Serpent's corpse, then looked at the fading glow of the Yellow Soul Ring beside Tang San.

"Did you succeed?"

Tang San nodded.

"I did."

After checking the record, the patrolling Soul Master said with satisfaction, "The details are all in order, and the target was appropriate. This was a standard Soul Hunt."

"When you get back, go to the branch hall and submit the results of the Soul Hunt."

Tang San agreed.

The patrolling Soul Master glanced at Grandmaster again.

"Grandmaster, you gave him good guidance."

Grandmaster's expression stiffened slightly.

"It was my duty."

After the patrolling Soul Master left, Grandmaster fell silent for a long while.

Tang San asked, "Grandmaster, what's wrong?"

Grandmaster shook his head.

"Nothing."

He had simply realized that he'd spent all these years misunderstood and unrecognized by so many people.

Yet today, the words "you gave him good guidance" had come from a Spirit Hall patrol officer.

It was a strange feeling.

Grandmaster didn't like Spirit Hall.

But at that moment, it was hard for him to deny that Spirit Hall's new regulations had indeed made Soul Hunting safer and more orderly for Low-Rank Soul Masters.

"Grandmaster, let's head back."

Tang San said.

"Mm."

Grandmaster nodded.

The two headed toward the forest's edge.

The setting sun slipped through the trees.

Beside Tang San, his first Yellow Soul Ring slowly faded into his body.

His journey as a Soul Master had officially begun.

Only this time,

there was a lamp lit by Spirit Hall beside the road.