Pick Up Your Bowl and Eat

Having obtained his soul ring, Lan Si naturally had no intention of remaining in the Soul Hunting Forest any longer.

He wandered along at a leisurely pace, testing his newly acquired soul ring skill on the surrounding soul beasts.

By midday, he finally emerged from the Soul Hunting Forest.

However, as he reached the gate, his path was blocked by two heavily armed guards in iron armor.

"Halt."

"Uncles, is there something the matter?" Lan Si glanced at the pair, putting on the look of ignorance and trepidation appropriate for his apparent age.

One had to admit, the appearance of a child was the most deceptive thing of all.

Seeing Lan Si's fair, delicate face, the expressions of the two iron-clad guards softened slightly. One of them crouched down and asked, "Which academy are you a student at? Where are the adults?"

"I'm from Nuoding Academy. I got separated from my teacher a while ago, so I just followed the path back," Lan Si said, mixing truth with lies.

"What an irresponsible teacher." Though the guard felt a flicker of anger, he dared not voice his criticism; he was merely a common guard and could not afford to offend a soul master. He pointed toward a wooden hut not far away and said to Lan Si, "Little brother, it's four hundred miles from here to Nuoding City. We aren't comfortable letting you go back alone, so just wait for your teacher in that hut."

"Many thanks, uncle." Lan Si did not refuse. Since he had already obtained his first soul ring and advanced to a soul master, he could take this opportunity to cultivate the Supreme Universe Art and the Five Thunders Heart Art, pushing them to the second level. By then, his speed, strength, soul power density, and explosive power would all see a significant increase.

On the evening of the third day, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang finally emerged from the Soul Hunting Forest.

The two looked quite disheveled. While Yu Xiaogang appeared physically uninjured, his face was deathly pale, devoid of any color—a clear symptom of having been poisoned.

Carried on Tang San's back, Yu Xiaogang's legs dragged along the ground due to the disparity in their heights. Tang San, clearly exhausted, was breathing heavily and drenched in sweat.

It seems that even without the Man-Faced Demon Spider, Tang San still encountered a decent soul ring, Lan Si thought with a sigh. He walked up to them and asked with feigned surprise, "Tang San, what happened to you and the Master?"

Tang San glanced at Yu Xiaogang, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes, before saying to Lan Si, "The teacher and I encountered a century-level soul beast. To protect me, the teacher was poisoned by it."

Lan Si said, "Let's hurry and get the Master back to Nuoding Academy."

Tang San nodded, then heard Lan Si add, "You wait here; I'll go hire a carriage."

With that, Lan Si greeted the two iron-clad guards and turned to walk briskly toward the market.

By the time Yu Xiaogang regained consciousness, the three were already in the carriage.

"Yo, Master, you're awake." Lan Si, who had been reading a soul beast encyclopedia, closed the book and smiled at Yu Xiaogang.

"Lan Si?" Yu Xiaogang was somewhat shocked. He turned his gaze to Tang San and asked, "Little San, what happened to me?"

Tang San cast a subtle glance at Lan Si before saying to Yu Xiaogang, "Teacher, you were poisoned by a Black Mamba Snake, so I carried you out. I ran into Lan Si at the entrance of the Soul Hunting Forest."

"What about the Black Mamba Snake? And how did your soul ring go?" Yu Xiaogang realized, quickly pressing for an answer.

"Don't worry, Teacher. My soul ring is settled. That Black Mamba Snake was at the end of its rope after being hit by your soul skill, so I finished it off with a bit of effort," Tang San lied without a blush or a racing heart.

Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang breathed a sigh of relief and revealed a gratified smile. "That Black Mamba Snake was nearly three hundred years old. While it didn't reach the limit for a first soul ring, it's not bad at all. Later, you must show me your first soul skill."

"Yes," Tang San replied respectfully. After absorbing this soul ring, he had not only solved the issue of his Mysterious Heaven Skill being unable to progress but also gained a comprehensive understanding of his martial soul. In his view, this so-called soul power was actually similar to the internal energy from his previous life, only this world seemed to lack proper cultivation methods, relying instead on simple execution.

Watching the two converse, Lan Si sighed inwardly. Is this the self-correcting nature of the plot?

Thinking about it, it made sense. With Tang San's temperament, how could he possibly have absorbed that piece of trash, the Lone Bamboo, which wasn't even a hundred years old?

Still, a nearly four-hundred-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider turning into a nearly three-hundred-year-old Black Mamba Snake was an unexpected bonus.

The toxicity of the two was similar, but the age difference was a full hundred years.

"What about you, Lan Si? How did your first soul ring acquisition go? If you haven't obtained one, we can turn back now and return to the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt that Soul Power Holy Wood. It would be the perfect chance to test Little San's first soul skill," Yu Xiaogang said, looking at Lan Si with a hint of hidden smugness in his eyes.

"That won't be necessary, Master. My soul ring is already taken care of," Lan Si said indifferently.

"That's good." Yu Xiaogang didn't pay it much mind. In his estimation, Lan Si had likely just picked a random ten-year soul beast. He then added, "In that case, remember to visit the Martial Soul Hall once you two reach Nuoding City."

"Why go to the Martial Soul Hall? Haven't we already awakened our martial souls?" Tang San asked, confused.

A flash of wisdom crossed Yu Xiaogang's eyes as he said to Tang San, "It's not for awakening, but for soul master certification. First, to test your soul power, and second, so you can receive a monthly subsidy. That way, you won't have to work as a work-study student anymore and can spend more time cultivating."

"It seems the Martial Soul Hall is quite friendly to us commoners." Hearing there was a subsidy to be had, Tang San's calm face broke into a faint smile.

"Hmph, it's just buying people's hearts. That money all comes from the two great empires," Yu Xiaogang snorted, his tone filled with disdain.

Hearing this, Tang San frowned, and the small shred of goodwill he had toward the Martial Soul Hall vanished.

In his view, feudal monarchy was supreme, and the Martial Soul Hall's actions were clearly overstepping their bounds. There was even a suspicion of rebellion. It was fundamentally at odds with the loyalty and patriotism he held in his previous life.

Just as the master and disciple were united in their shared animosity toward the Martial Soul Hall, Lan Si's voice suddenly echoed in the carriage: "Master, I have a question I'd like to ask you."

"Oh? Speak." Having seen his invincible theory validated by Tang San, he was in a noticeably good mood.

"The Master must come from a noble family or a great sect, right?" Lan Si asked calmly.

Yu Xiaogang frowned. "Why do you say that?"