A'Man let out a low growl, warm breath washing over Xiao Qing's palm. It was his way of answering Xiao Qing.
Xiao Feng padded over, curiously inspecting his new companion. He lowered his head to sniff the fur around Iron Armor Bear's neck, then gently bumped A'Man's shoulder with his forehead to show that he approved.
Watching the wolf and bear, Xiao Qing felt warmth surge through his chest.
It had been two full years since he awakened his Martial Soul at the age of six. He had fought, been wounded, and fled through this forest. He had also grown.
He had broken through to level twenty at the age of eight and gained two Soul Beast companions: a Wind Shadow Wolf with nearly nine hundred years of cultivation and a five-hundred-year-old Iron Armor Bear.
If word of such an achievement got out, it would be enough to shake every Soul Master Academy in both empires.
But Xiao Qing knew full well that this was only the beginning.
For now, he had only subdued Xiao Feng and A'Man. As his Soul Power grew, he would be able to form contracts with more Soul Beasts. But they would need countless hours to coordinate, develop tactics, and figure out how their attributes worked together.
"Xiao Feng, A'Man, time to head back."
Xiao Qing swung onto Xiao Feng's back and raised the Prism Ball in his left hand. A'Man's massive body turned into a streak of light and disappeared into the Prism Ball in Xiao Qing's hand.
Xiao Feng gave a low howl, dug in with all four paws, and shot toward the depths of the forest like an arrow.
The wind whistled past his ears.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
A'Man recovered faster than Xiao Qing had expected. Thanks to the Prism Ball's healing power, his fractured bones—which should have taken two or three months to mend—had healed completely in less than a month.
With A'Man's sturdy body to help, Xiao Qing expanded the camp in just three days.
He doubled the size of the fish pond beside the tree hollow and channeled water from the stream into it. He also added two more rows to the vegetable patch and planted several edible tuberous plants he had found in the forest.
Once that was done, he began real hunting with his two Soul Beasts. They needed live combat to learn to work together.
Xiao Feng was fast, with fierce attacks, and excelled at skirmishing and harassing enemies. A'Man was tough and powerful, making him ideal for head-on clashes.
But blending those two fighting styles into a single battle plan was no simple matter of one plus one.
Xiao Qing chose a thousand-year-old Black Water Turtle as their opponent.
The Black Water Turtle lived beside a pool east of the lake. It had a mild temperament and never attacked first, but its defenses were among the best of any Soul Beast of its rank.
Most importantly, its attacks were simple. It had only water jets and bites, making it a good opponent for a team still learning to work together.
By the pool, Xiao Feng struck first.
He circled around the Black Water Turtle and raked its shell with his claws, producing a shrill scraping sound but leaving behind only a few pale marks. The turtle slowly turned its head and spat out a water jet as thick as an arm, but Xiao Feng had already leaped away.
A'Man charged at that moment, his massive body slamming into the Black Water Turtle with a dull boom. The turtle slid half a meter, its four stubby legs plowing deep furrows through the mud by the water.
Apparently enraged, it opened its mouth and snapped at A'Man's foreleg. The Iron Armor Bear didn't dodge. He raised a paw and slapped the side of the turtle's shell.
Bang!
The Black Water Turtle went flying, while the recoil numbed A'Man's paw. Fortunately, A'Man was tough-skinned and thick-fleshed. He merely shook his paw and continued attacking.
Xiao Qing stood on a branch twenty paces away, eyes fixed on the fight.
"Xiao Feng, harass it from the left. Watch for it to gather strength before spitting water. As soon as you see it charging up, interrupt it!"
"A'Man, don't get greedy. You're not strong enough to crack its shell yet. When it pulls its head in, back off. Wait for Xiao Feng to draw its attention, then go in again."
With Xiao Qing directing them, the two Soul Beasts gradually found their rhythm. Xiao Feng's harassment created openings for A'Man, and A'Man's powerful attacks left gaps for Xiao Feng to exploit.
Under the pair's assault, the thousand-year-old Black Water Turtle gradually fell behind. It began to show fatigue, and its attacks slowed until it had pulled completely inside its shell.
The Black Water Turtle trusted its shell. It was convinced that as long as it stayed tucked inside, the two Soul Beasts outside could do nothing to it!
When the turtle refused to come out, A'Man roared and reared up, raising both paws to smash down on its shell. With A'Man's strength, the blow would at least stun the Black Water Turtle for several seconds—long enough for Xiao Feng to follow up with a lethal attack.
But just then, Xiao Feng abruptly stopped attacking.
He whipped his head toward the forest to the northeast, his fur bristling as a low whine rumbled in his throat. He stared in that direction, utterly alert.
After living with Xiao Feng for so long, Xiao Qing understood him at once.
"A'Man, stop!"
A'Man's massive paws hung an inch above the Black Water Turtle's shell. He forced himself to stop. Xiao Qing leaped down from the branch and landed between the two Soul Beasts, staring hard in the direction Xiao Feng had warned him about.
The sound of branches snapping came from the forest.
First one person emerged from behind a tree, then two, then three... Five figures appeared in all. The man in front was a one-eyed thug, with a patch over his left eye. His right eye swept across the clearing and lit up when he spotted the Black Water Turtle.
"Looks like our luck's in." The one-eyed thug grinned, revealing yellow teeth. "A thousand-year-old Black Water Turtle. Looks like our third brother's getting a decent Soul Ring, and we'll have a shell to sell, too."
A thin, tall man behind him chimed in. "Boss, that glowing ball in the kid's arms—is it..."
The one-eyed thug's gaze landed on Xiao Qing—or, more precisely, on the Prism Ball in his hand.
He sized up the child, who looked no older than eight or nine, then glanced at the wolf and bear beside him. Confusion flickered across his face before turning to greed.
"Kid," the one-eyed thug rasped. "What's your name?"
Xiao Qing didn't answer. He held his right hand behind his back and gave Xiao Feng a signal. The Wind Shadow Wolf silently shifted his paws, taking up a position just ahead of Xiao Qing's flank.
"Pretty cautious, aren't you?" The one-eyed thug didn't seem bothered. He pointed at the Black Water Turtle. "We're taking the turtle. And you're coming with us."
"Why?"
Xiao Qing finally spoke, his voice calm.
"Why?" The one-eyed thug repeated, as though he'd heard a joke. He looked back at his companions, and they all burst into laughter.
The thin, tall man sneered. "Kid, don't tell me you have no idea how much you're worth?"
Xiao Qing frowned. He understood that this group was after the bounty on his head, too.
"Clear Spring Village. Remember it?" The one-eyed thug's smile faded, his single eye gleaming coldly. "The village that got trampled during the Soul Beast stampede two years ago. The survivors pooled a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins to capture a child named Xiao Qing alive."
"People were about to forget all about it. But a year ago, a Soul Hunting team saw a kid in the outer forest who looked a lot like the portrait. Once word got around, the mercenary groups in the nearby cities all started moving." The one-eyed thug licked his lips. "A hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins would keep us living it up for years."
So that was it.
Xiao Qing finally understood why, over the past year, several groups of Soul Masters had attacked him for no apparent reason and stared at him with greedy eyes. It had all started with this.
But Xiao Qing didn't believe the people of Clear Spring Village had that kind of money. The bounty had most likely been put out by Matthew or one of his men.
"Kid, come quietly, and you'll suffer less."
The one-eyed thug stepped forward. Two yellow Soul Rings and one purple Soul Ring rose around him. He was a three-ring Soul Elder. The four men behind him released their Soul Rings as well; even the weakest was a two-ring Soul Grandmaster.
Five Soul Masters, two of them Soul Elders.
Xiao Qing quickly assessed the situation, weighing possible plans in his mind.
Xiao Feng, with nearly nine hundred years of cultivation, and A'Man, with more than five hundred, could temporarily hold off two Soul Elders together. But the enemy still had three Soul Grandmasters. And these mercenaries had spent years living by the sword; they had far more combat experience than any beasts in the forest.
"Xiao Feng, attack!"
Xiao Qing spoke in a low voice to Xiao Feng beside him.
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