Datura Serpent

Outside the Soul Hunting Forest, Tang San saw a team of Soul Masters in the true sense for the first time.

Some carried bows.

Some brandished blades.

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

These people stood at the entrance, not saying much, yet they made the entire perimeter of the Soul Hunting Forest appear much more orderly.

Grandmaster took out his token.

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

"First time hunting a soul?"

Tang San nodded.

"Yes."

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

"Blue Silver Grass, Innate Full Soul Power."

"Target: Datura Serpent; alternatives: Ghost Vine, Silk-Entangling Grass, or low-rank poisonous vine-type soul beasts."

He paused there, casting a glance at Tang San.

"Well prepared."

Tang San said, "Thank you."

The patrolling Soul Master looked at Grandmaster again.

"Grandmaster, the first Soul Ring carries no small amount of risk."

"If you encounter a soul beast that exceeds your capacity, do not attempt to absorb it by force."

Grandmaster's expression faltered slightly.

"I know."

The patrolling Soul Master nodded and returned the registration tag to Tang San.

"Once you enter the forest, you are not to hunt unrelated soul beasts without cause."

"If you encounter a rampaging soul beast, you may act in self-defense."

"If you encounter danger you cannot handle, retreat toward the entrance and blow the Rescue Whistle."

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

"It's your first soul hunt; don't try to be a hero."

Tang San took the copper whistle and tucked it away solemnly.

"I will remember that."

Grandmaster stood to the side, saying nothing.

In the past, he might not have appreciated such reminders from the Martial Soul Hall.

But now that Tang San was accustomed to doing things by the rules, he couldn't say there was anything wrong with it.

After all, these reminders were indeed intended for the safety of Low-Rank Soul Masters.

The two of them entered the Soul Hunting Forest.

They hadn't walked for long before Grandmaster released his Martial Soul.

A round, peculiar creature landed on the ground; its body resembled a small pig, with short limbs and large eyes.

Tang San was stunned for a moment.

This was Grandmaster's Martial Soul?

Grandmaster seemed accustomed to the reactions of others upon seeing Luo Sanpao for the first time, saying calmly:

"His name is Luo Sanpao."

"My Martial Soul underwent a mutation, though unfortunately, the direction of the mutation was not ideal."

Tang San looked at Luo Sanpao intently.

If it were before, he might have thought this Martial Soul was bizarre.

But after reading Martial Soul Basic Identification, he knew that one could not judge a Martial Soul solely by its appearance.

"A poor mutation does not necessarily mean it is entirely useless," Tang San said.

Grandmaster was taken aback.

Tang San continued, "The textbook says that for a mutated Martial Soul, one must look at what was retained and what was lost after the mutation."

"Although Luo Sanpao has a peculiar appearance, he must have his own advantages."

Grandmaster glanced at Tang San, his heart feeling somewhat complicated.

The child did not mock him.

Nor did he immediately show pity.

He was analyzing.

This should have gratified Grandmaster, yet the line of reasoning Tang San used for his analysis came from the Martial Soul Hall textbooks.

Grandmaster said in a low voice, "Not bad."

"It has a keen sense of smell and is capable of short bursts of explosive attacks."

"It is just that..."

He did not continue.

Tang San did not press the matter.

Everyone has their own wounds.

There is no need to dig them open.

Luo Sanpao sniffed ahead and soon led the two of them into the forest.

Along the way, they encountered quite a few low-level soul beasts.

A ten-year Wind Baboon.

A twenty-year Variegated Cat.

And a few Poison Spiders under a hundred years old.

Grandmaster mostly just gave brief explanations and did not take action.

Tang San did not strike either.

Once, a ten-year soul beast blocked the path, and Tang San instinctively gripped the hidden weapon in his sleeve.

But the soul beast merely glanced at them before quickly diving into the grass.

Grandmaster looked at Tang San.

Tang San let go.

"It didn't attack us."

Grandmaster nodded.

"Correct."

"Soul hunting is not about killing every soul beast you see."

Hearing this from Grandmaster, Tang San was not surprised.

Although Grandmaster had his own obsessions, he was not a man who killed indiscriminately.

By evening, Luo Sanpao suddenly stopped.

Its nose twitched, and the fur on its body stood slightly on end.

Grandmaster's expression shifted.

"There is a snake-type soul beast nearby."

Tang San immediately became vigilant.

"A Datura Serpent?"

"Not certain."

Grandmaster said in a low voice.

"But the scent is very strong."

The two lightened their footsteps and continued forward.

Not long after, they saw several drag marks beside some low shrubs.

There was blood on the ground.

Not far away, a Poison Vine Beast of about a hundred years lay on the ground, its body already bitten through.

Tang San crouched down to take a look.

"It hasn't been dead long."

Grandmaster said, "These are bite marks from a snake-type soul beast."

Tang San flipped through the small booklet he carried with him.

This was the abridged version of the Soul Hunting Safety Regulations provided by Martial Soul Hall.

He found the page for the Datura Serpent and compared the bite marks and venom burns.

"It should be a Datura Serpent."

A flash of approval crossed Grandmaster's eyes.

"Your judgment is correct."

Tang San felt no joy.

"It actively hunted other soul beasts."

"And it is not too far from the entrance."

"Grandmaster, if it continues to roam, it might harm the low-rank soul masters entering later."

Grandmaster nodded.

"Therefore, even if not for the soul ring, it should be driven away or hunted."

Tang San gripped the hidden weapons in his sleeves.

"Understood."

Just then, Luo Sanpao suddenly let out a sharp, urgent cry.

"Sanpao!"

Before Grandmaster's voice had even faded, a dark green shadow lunged out from the bushes.

The speed was blinding.

It went straight for Tang San.

Tang San shifted his footing, instinctively executing the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, his body sliding to the side.

The Datura Serpent missed its mark, its head slamming into a tree trunk before it instantly whipped back around.

Its body was slender, its scales shimmering with an eerie green luster, its snake eyes cold.

Grandmaster's expression darkened.

"Nearly four hundred years."

Tang San's heart tightened slightly.

Nearly four hundred years.

This was already very close to the absorption limit for a First Soul Ring.

For an ordinary soul master, this would be extremely dangerous.

Grandmaster said quickly, "San, don't let it get close!"

"Its toxicity is potent; it is perfect for your Blue Silver Grass."

Tang San did not answer immediately.

The Datura Serpent lunged again.

Tang San lashed out with his Blue Silver Grass, attempting to bind it.

However, the Blue Silver Grass currently lacked the enhancement of a soul ring, and against a soul beast like the Datura Serpent, its resilience was clearly insufficient.

With a twist of its body, the snake broke free.

Grandmaster shouted lowly:

"Luo Sanpao!"

Luo Sanpao inhaled, its body swelling up.

The next moment, a shockwave blasted out.

The Datura Serpent was knocked back a few steps, but it suffered no serious injury.

It was clearly enraged.

Its tongue flickered, and poisonous mist began to disperse.

Tang San took a small pill from his pocket and placed it in his mouth.

This was an Anti-Poison Pill he had concocted himself.

It might not fully block the Datura Serpent's venom, but it would be of some use.

Seeing this, Grandmaster's eyes flickered.

Tang San had quite a few secrets.

But now was not the time to ask.

The Datura Serpent lunged for the third time.

This time, it did not go straight for Tang San, but circled from the side toward Grandmaster.

Grandmaster's soul power was not strong; if he were bitten, the consequences would be dire.

Tang San's gaze sharpened.

He lashed out with his Blue Silver Grass again, aiming for the snake's tail.

At the same time, his fingers flicked, and a tiny hidden weapon shot out.

The weapon struck the Datura Serpent right beside its eye.

The Datura Serpent let out a piercing hiss, its attack trajectory shifting for a split second.

It was in this very instant that Luo Sanpao unleashed another shockwave, knocking it aside.

Grandmaster immediately shouted, "Tang San, now's your chance!"

Tang San did not hesitate.

He rushed forward, his Blue Silver Grass coiling around the serpent's body as he drove a short blade from his sleeve into the Datura Serpent's vital spot.

The Datura Serpent struggled violently.

Tang San was flung away, rolling several times across the ground.

Grandmaster followed up with a strike.

Luo Sanpao unleashed one final burst of power, completely shattering the last remnants of the Datura Serpent's resistance.

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

A yellow spirit ring slowly emerged.

Tang San stood up, his breathing ragged.

Grandmaster looked at the spirit ring, his eyes filled with both excitement and tension.

"The age is nearing the limit."

"But it is still within range."

Tang San did not absorb it immediately.

He first looked at the dead Datura Serpent.

It had attacked them unprovoked.

It had also killed other spirit beasts.

This was not a senseless slaughter.

Tang San felt a little more at ease.

"Grandmaster."

"Hmm?"

"What if its age had exceeded the limit?"

Grandmaster was silent for a moment.

"I would have made you give it up."

Tang San looked at him.

Grandmaster added another sentence.

"One cannot gamble their life on mere theory."

Tang San nodded.

This sentence increased his trust in Grandmaster a little more.

At the very least, Grandmaster would not let him take blind risks just to prove his own theories.

Grandmaster looked at the spirit ring and said:

"Begin."

"I will stand guard for you."

Tang San sat down cross-legged.

The yellow spirit ring slowly drifted toward his Blue Silver Grass.

A massive surge of power flooded into his body.

Pain.

It was excruciating.

It was stronger than Tang San had imagined.

The toxicity, resilience, and aggression of the Datura Serpent were all being forced into his martial spirit.

The Blue Silver Grass swayed in his palm.

The originally delicate blades of grass began to thicken, with faint purple-black patterns appearing along their edges.

Sweat beaded on Tang San's forehead.

He began to circulate his Mysterious Heaven Skill.

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

[When a spirit ring enters the body, one must not rely solely on brute force to suppress it; one should guide its characteristics to merge with the martial spirit, rather than allowing it to collide with the meridians.]

Tang San steadied his mind.

He no longer just endured it by force.

Instead, he used the Mysterious Heaven Skill to guide that power, circulating it according to the essence of his Blue Silver Grass martial soul.

Entanglement.

Resilience.

Poison.

The three elements gradually integrated into the Blue Silver Grass.

Grandmaster stood to the side, surprise appearing in his eyes.

Tang San was absorbing it more steadily than he had anticipated.

This was not just talent.

It was more as if he had understood the relationship between a soul ring and a martial soul in advance.

Grandmaster felt conflicted.

The Martial Soul Hall textbooks had helped Tang San once again.

However, at this moment, he had to admit that this kind of help was good.

At the very least, Tang San would not damage his foundation by blindly resisting the pressure.

It was unknown how much time had passed before Tang San slowly opened his eyes.

A yellow soul ring hovered around him.

First Soul Ring.

It was a success.

Grandmaster let out a sigh of relief.

"How do you feel?"

Tang San stood up and raised his right hand.

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

"First Soul Skill."

"Entanglement."

The Blue Silver Grass surged from the ground, binding a small tree in front of him.

A faint toxicity shimmered on the blades of grass.

Marks were quickly constricted into the small tree.

Grandmaster's eyes revealed his gratification.

"Very good."

"The Datura Serpent was indeed suitable for you."

Tang San nodded as well.

"However, if I hadn't made preparations before registering, I might not have been so steady."

Grandmaster was taken aback.

Tang San said earnestly, "Choosing a soul ring cannot rely solely on on-the-spot judgment."

"Determining the target in advance and understanding its habits beforehand is very important."

Grandmaster was silent for a moment.

"You are right."

He did not say these words reluctantly.

Tang San's success proved that his theories were useful.

But it also proved that the basic standards of the Martial Soul Hall were useful.

The two did not conflict.

At the very least, Tang San had benefited from them now.

Martial Soul City.

Meow Meow lay on the desk, watching the images inside the Soul-Calming Bell, and nodded gently.

"Still the Datura Serpent."

"But this time, it was much steadier."

Bibi Dong said, "He succeeded."

"Mm."

Meow Meow's tail flicked lightly.

"That was a good first soul ring to obtain."

"No indiscriminate killing."

"No blind gambling on limits."

"Yu Xiaogang didn't force the progression either."

"It counts as a good start."

Bibi Dong watched Tang San on the screen.

"His talent is indeed not bad."

"Of course it isn't."

Meow Meow said.

"But having good talent doesn't mean he must become an enemy of Martial Soul Hall in the future."

Bibi Dong looked at Meow Meow.

"You still want to recruit him?"

"Not necessarily."

Meow Meow shook his head.

"A person like Tang San is hard to fully recruit."

"But we can let him know from the very beginning that Martial Soul Hall is not what he will imagine it to be later."

"As long as he has an extra bit of judgment in his heart, many things in the future won't be so easily pushed along."

Bibi Dong did not speak.

Meow Meow continued:

"Besides, This Meow also wants to see."

"If Tang San receives a more complete basic education."

"If Xiao Wu knows from the start that there is another path between Soul Beasts and Soul Masters."

"If Yu Xiaogang cannot become Tang San's sole source of theory."

"Then, will they still end up walking the same path as before?"

Bibi Dong did not understand what "before" specifically referred to.

But she understood that Meow Meow was changing fate.

Changing it bit by bit.

Not by killing anyone.

But by placing people at different crossroads.

And watching how they choose to walk.

"You are always soft-hearted."

Bibi Dong said.

Meow Meow thought for a moment.

"Not entirely."

"This Meow just feels that if a matter can be solved by a school, don't use a blade first."

"If the school cannot solve it, it won't be too late to use the blade then."

Bibi Dong chuckled softly.

"That sounds exactly like something you would say."

Meow Meow puffed out his chest.

"This Meow has always had principles."

Bibi Dong did not expose him.

Just then, the system prompt rang out.

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

[Ding, Host has influenced his soul-hunting preparations and perception of soul ring absorption.]

[Ding, Tang San's trust in the Martial Soul Hall basic system has increased.]

[Ding, the uniqueness of Yu Xiaogang's theories has decreased.]

[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?

This is good.

Blue Silver Grass is spread across the entire continent; if it can be thoroughly researched, it won't just be useful for Tang San.

Martial Soul Hall could also use Blue Silver Grass to establish a more fundamental Soul Power Sensing Network in the future.

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

Thinking of this, Meow Meow's tail perked up a little.

"What is it?"

Bibi Dong asked.

"Nothing."

Meow Meow said.

"Just suddenly felt that grass is quite useful too."

Bibi Dong looked at him.

"What are you planning to do again?"

Meow Meow blinked.

"Planting grass."

Bibi Dong: "..."

This cat was either opening schools or raising soul beasts lately, and now he wanted to plant grass.

Her Excellency the Pope suddenly felt a bit doubtful about what Martial Soul Hall would eventually become.

In the Soul Hunting Forest.

Tang San and Grandmaster did not leave immediately.

Following the suggestions in the Soul Hunting Safety Regulations, Tang San briefly recorded the age, characteristics, encounter location, and absorption sensations of the Datura Serpent.

Grandmaster watched from the side, feeling somewhat silent in his heart.

Tang San did things too meticulously.

So meticulous that he did not seem like an ordinary child.

But he liked this meticulousness.

True research should be done this way.

"This record can be kept for the future."

Grandmaster said.

Tang San nodded.

"I was thinking the same."

After he finished writing, he looked at the Datura Serpent that had already died.

"Grandmaster, after a soul beast dies, besides the soul ring, what else is left behind?"

Grandmaster said: "A very small number of soul beasts will produce a Soul Bone."

Tang San's eyes flickered.

Soul Bone.

He had seen this term in his textbooks, but the textbooks only mentioned it briefly without going into detail.

Grandmaster explained: "Soul Bones are extremely precious, and the probability is very low."

"You don't need to think too much about it for now."

Tang San nodded.

Just as the two were preparing to leave, the voice of a patrolling Soul Master came from not far away.

"Is there anyone ahead?"

Grandmaster replied: "Yu Xiaogang from Notting Academy, bringing a student to hunt for his First Soul Ring."

The patrolling Soul Master walked closer, glanced at the Datura Serpent's corpse, and then looked at the residual yellow light of the soul ring beside Tang San.

"Success?"

Tang San nodded.

"Success."

After checking the records, the patrolling Soul Master said with satisfaction: "Registered clearly, the target is appropriate, this is a standard soul hunt."

"After returning, go to the branch hall to submit the soul hunting results."

Tang San acknowledged.

The patrolling Soul Master took another look at Grandmaster.

"The guidance from the Grandmaster is quite good."

Grandmaster's expression stiffened slightly.

"It is only right."

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

Tang San asked, "Grandmaster, what is wrong?"

Grandmaster shook his head.

"It is nothing."

It was just that he had suddenly realized something.

For all these years, he had been misunderstood and unrecognized by many.

Yet today, the words "well-guided" had actually come from the mouth of a Martial Soul Hall inspector.

The feeling was very strange.

Grandmaster did not like Martial Soul Hall.

But at this moment, he found it hard to deny that this new set of regulations from Martial Soul Hall truly made hunting souls safer and more methodical for Low-Rank Soul Masters.

"Grandmaster, let us head back."

Tang San said.

"Mm."

Grandmaster nodded.

The two of them walked toward the edge of the forest.

The setting sun dipped down through the trees.

Beside Tang San, his first yellow spirit ring slowly faded into his body.

His path as a Soul Master had officially begun.

Only this time.

Beside this path, there was an extra lamp lit by Martial Soul Hall.