Soul Hunting Forest!

Only now did Tang San finally say the words he had left unsaid in front of Tang Hao the night before.

"Tang Hao, you've already earned a death sentence!"

Of course, as the saying went, a gentleman could wait ten years to take his revenge!

Hatred was hatred, but Tang San also understood that clearly.

Although he possessed the Tang Sect Secret Arts, he was still just a Soul Scholar without even a Soul Ring, while his opponent was the renowned Clear Sky Douluo.

To fight him head-on would be no different from throwing an egg against a rock!

But fortunately...

I'm still young. I still have time!

I'm not yet grown; when I am, things will change!

Tang Hao, we have plenty of time to settle the score over my mother.

As for the years you spent caring for me, consider that repayment for raising me. From now on, you and I are strangers.

If we meet again, one of us will die!

The journey of four hundred li wasn't especially long, but it wasn't short, either.

The carriage jostled along, and by noon the next day, Qin Yun and the other three had arrived at their destination: the Soul Hunting Forest!

However, when Tang San and Xiao Wu climbed down from the carriage, they discovered that the Soul Hunting Forest was completely different from what they had imagined.

A forest!

In their minds, a forest should be brimming with the breath of nature, secluded and tranquil, with fresh air and few people.

But this Soul Hunting Forest before them—or at least the area outside the forest—felt more like an enormous marketplace.

A large cluster of buildings stood outside the forest, or rather, shops.

Shouts rose and fell all around them. Simple, man-made paths crisscrossed the area, and the noisy atmosphere made Tang San frown.

"Got a permit! Forming a group to hunt strength-type Soul Beasts. Two more needed!"

"Hunting agility-type Soul Beasts! Seven people with permits. Ten Gold Soul Coins!"

Shouts like these rose and fell around them. Most of the shops lining the area sold weapons, armor, and various food supplies.

Qin Yun led the three of them into this marketplace, which was practically a small town.

Only then did the three understand why Qin Yun had bought so many supplies before they set out.

"Damn, one carrot costs fifty Copper Soul Coins? What the hell, are they robbing us?"

Xiao Wu pointed at the prices posted in the shops. If Qin Yun hadn't stopped her in time, she might have started a fight.

Qin Yun said, "Don't get worked up. Prices here are at least double what they should be!

"Are you wondering why it's so lively outside a forest?

"The reason is simple: wherever there are Soul Beasts, there's profit.

"That's especially true of forests where the state keeps Soul Beasts in captivity.

"Soul Masters are a wealthy crowd, and there are plenty of people eager to make money off them!"

The wool came from the sheep!

The two great empires didn't dare oppose Spirit Hall, so they could only stand by as it threw money around!

But!

When it came to dealing with ordinary Soul Masters, the two great empires not only had the guts—they had plenty of it!

"Brother Yun, what did those people mean when they called out about forming groups?"

Qin Yun said, "Soul Beasts aren't that easy to hunt.

"Some Soul Beasts are naturally powerful. Even if they haven't cultivated for long, they can still be extremely dangerous."

A Titan Giant Ape or a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear could kill a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast even when it was only a thousand years old, and neither was even considered to have an especially high-grade bloodline.

Take the Emperor Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, for example. With a cultivation of only fifteen thousand years, she could not only transform ahead of schedule, but was so powerful that she was no weaker than a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!

Unless you had overwhelming strength, trying to stand against a Soul Beast like that alone was pure fantasy!

"Groups like these are formed so several people can work together, each hunting the Soul Beast they need and obtaining a Soul Ring.

"With others' help, you only need to land the final blow on the Soul Beast yourself.

"This is the most common and safest way to hunt Soul Beasts on the continent. But forming a group—is it really that easy?"

"In theory, an excellent Soul Beast hunting team needs at least five different roles."

As if giving the three of them a lesson in Soul Master knowledge, Qin Yun slowly spread his hand and held up five fingers.

"Food-type tool Soul Masters handle supplies; recovery-type tool Soul Masters restore their condition and Soul Power.

"Agility-type Battle Soul Masters scout; strength-type Battle Soul Masters hold the line; attack-type Battle Soul Masters eliminate the enemy.

"Only a team made up of these five roles can be considered complete.

"And the coordination between them isn't something that can be built in a day or two.

"Even the gradual process of learning to work together takes at least several years.

"More importantly, members of the same team must trust one another—absolutely.

"Otherwise, when danger strikes, the team can fall apart in an instant!"

"Of course, you only need a general understanding of all this. Teams like these can only last up to the Soul Saint level at most—that's the theoretical limit.

"If they go any higher..."

"What happens if they go higher?" Xiao Wu asked indistinctly, munching on a carrot.

"Heh. In front of true powerhouses, so-called teamwork is a joke!"

Before the Soul Saint level, everyone's cultivation was about the same, and there wasn't much difference in their fighting strength, so they could still work together.

But if they advanced any further, their coordination would inevitably start to fall apart.

Only a good-for-nothing like Gangzi would make such a big deal of teamwork, hoping to use the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament to make a name for himself.

But in practice?

Look at those Titled Douluo. Who bothers with teamwork?

Apart from people like Yue Guan and Gui Mei, who had a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Titled Douluo were all powerful figures who held sway over their own territories. Where would they even get the chance to gang up on someone?

After explaining things briefly, Qin Yun led the three of them deeper into the marketplace.

He had worked around the Soul Hunting Forest for years, so he knew this place like the back of his hand.

The marketplace was noisy and chaotic, but when they left it and saw the great forest before them, even Tang San couldn't help but feel shaken.

The towering trees spoke of their age.

A massive iron fence encircled the forest's outer perimeter, its side facing the forest bristling with sharp spikes.

The fence stood over ten meters tall and looked incredibly sturdy.

And that wasn't all. Outside the fence, a hundred soldiers patrolled the area.

They were all clad in full-body fine-iron armor and carried long spears. Their ranks were immaculate, and a hundred steel-clad warriors standing together gave off a chilling air.

"Not just anyone can enter a Soul Hunting Forest where Soul Beasts are kept in captivity.

"Generally speaking, only Soul Masters with a permit issued by Spirit Hall can enter the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt Soul Beasts.

"Some people do sneak in, but things rarely end well for them.

"These soldiers only guard the outer perimeter. Inside the Soul Hunting Forest, Spirit Hall has its own Law Enforcement Group, which checks permits at any time.

"Those people show no mercy."

Tang San asked, "Brother Yun, then does the Soul Hunting Forest belong to Spirit Hall or to the state?"

"Hmm, good question. Don't ask it again.

"Although the two great empires paid to build the Soul Hunting Forest, so in theory, they should have jurisdiction over it, unfortunately that isn't the case. The little arm can't twist the big thigh!"