Pick Up the Bowl and Eat

After obtaining his Soul Ring, Lan Si had no reason to stay in the Soul Hunting Forest any longer.

He ambled along without hurry, testing his newly acquired Soul Ring Skill on the surrounding Soul Beasts.

By noon, he finally made it out of the Soul Hunting Forest.

But as he reached the forest's entrance, two fully armored guards blocked his way.

"Stop."

"Uncles, is something the matter?" Lan Si glanced at them, putting on the innocent, frightened look one would expect from a child his age.

Children's appearances really were the most deceptive.

Seeing Lan Si's fair, delicate face, the expressions beneath the two guards' masks softened a little. One of them crouched down and asked, "Which academy are you from, little one? Where's your adult?"

"I'm from Nuoding Academy. I got separated from my teacher a little while ago, so I came back the way we came." Lan Si gave them a half-true answer.

"What an irresponsible teacher." The guard was angry, but didn't dare voice his criticism. He was just an ordinary guard and couldn't afford to offend a Soul Master. Pointing to a wooden cabin in the distance, he said to Lan Si, "Little brother, Nuoding City is a good four hundred li from here. We wouldn't feel right letting you go back alone. Wait for your teacher in that cabin."

"Thanks, Uncle." Lan Si didn't refuse. He had already obtained his First Soul Ring and advanced to Soul Master, so this was a perfect chance to cultivate the Supreme Universe Art and Five Thunders Heart Art again, breaking through to the second level. When he did, his speed, strength, Soul Power reserves, and explosive power would all improve considerably.

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

Both were in a sorry state. Yu Xiaogang didn't seem to have suffered any visible injuries, but his face was deathly pale, with not a trace of color—a clear sign of poisoning.

Tang San carried him on his back, but the difference in their heights left Yu Xiaogang's legs dragging along the ground. Tang San was plainly exhausted, breathing hard and drenched in sweat.

Looks like Tang San found a decent Soul Ring even without the Datura Snake, Lan Si thought with a sigh. He went up to them and asked with feigned surprise, "Tang San, what happened to you and Grandmaster?"

Tang San glanced at Yu Xiaogang, hesitation flickering in his eyes. Then he said to Lan Si, "My teacher and I ran into a Hundred-Year Soul Beast. He was poisoned while protecting me."

"Then let's hurry and get Grandmaster back to Nuoding Academy."

Tang San nodded. Then Lan Si added, "Wait here. I'll go hire a carriage."

With that, Lan Si greeted the two armored guards and hurried toward the market.

By the time Yu Xiaogang woke up, the three of them were already in the carriage.

"Oh, Grandmaster, you're awake." Lan Si, who had been reading a Soul Beast compendium, closed the book and smiled at Yu Xiaogang.

"Lan Si?" Yu Xiaogang looked startled. Turning to Tang San, he asked, "Xiao San, what happened to me?"

Tang San glanced at Lan Si without drawing attention to it, then said to Yu Xiaogang, "Teacher, you were poisoned by a Black Mamba Snake, so I carried you out. Then we ran into Lan Si at the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest."

"What happened to the Black Mamba Snake? And how did your Soul Ring turn out?" Yu Xiaogang suddenly understood and hurriedly asked.

"Don't worry, Teacher. I've got my Soul Ring. After being hit by your Soul Skill, the Black Mamba Snake was already at the end of its strength. I just had to put in a little effort to finish it off." Tang San made it up without batting an eye.

Yu Xiaogang immediately relaxed and smiled with relief. "That Black Mamba Snake was nearly three hundred years old. It may not have reached the limit for a First Soul Ring, but it was still a good one. You'll have to show me your First Soul Skill later."

"Yes." Tang San answered respectfully. After absorbing the Soul Ring, he had not only resolved the problem of the Mysterious Heaven Skill being unable to advance, but also gained a thorough understanding of his Martial Soul. In his view, Soul Power was much like the inner force from his previous life, except this world seemed to have no cultivation method for it, and people could only use it in the simplest way.

Listening to their conversation, Lan Si sighed inwardly. So this is how the plot repairs itself?

It made sense. With Tang San's nature, how could he possibly absorb that worthless Lone Bamboo that was less than a hundred years old?

Still, the Datura Snake had gone from nearly four hundred years old to a Black Mamba Snake nearing three hundred. That was an unexpected bonus.

Their venom was about the same, but the difference in their age was a full hundred years.

"What about you, Lan Si? How did your First Soul Ring go? If you haven't obtained one, we can turn around and head back to the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt that Soul Power Holy Wood. It would be a good chance to test Xiao San's First Soul Skill." Yu Xiaogang looked at Lan Si, a hint of smugness flickering in his eyes.

"No need to trouble Grandmaster. I've already taken care of my Soul Ring," Lan Si said flatly.

"That's good." Yu Xiaogang paid it little mind. As far as he was concerned, Lan Si had probably just picked some random Ten-Year Soul Beast. He went on, "In that case, when you two get to Nuoding City, remember to visit Spirit Hall."

"What for? Haven't we already awakened our Martial Souls?" Tang San asked, puzzled.

A gleam of wisdom flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes as he explained, "Not to awaken your Martial Souls, but to register as Soul Masters. First, you can have your Soul Power tested. Second, you'll receive a monthly allowance. That way, you won't have to keep working as a work-study student and can spend more time cultivating."

"So Spirit Hall is pretty friendly to commoners," Tang San said, a faint smile appearing on his calm face when he heard about the allowance.

"Hmph. They're just buying people's loyalty. That money comes from the two great empires," Yu Xiaogang scoffed.

Tang San frowned. The little goodwill he had felt toward Spirit Hall vanished without a trace.

In his view, feudal monarchs held supreme authority. Spirit Hall was clearly overstepping its bounds by doing this. It might even be plotting a rebellion. That was obviously at odds with the loyal and patriotic principles he had held in his previous life.

Just as the teacher and student were united in their hostility toward Spirit Hall, Lan Si's voice suddenly rang through the carriage. "Grandmaster, I have a question I'd like to ask you."

"Oh? Go ahead." His invincible theory had been proven right in Tang San's case, and he was clearly in a good mood.

"Grandmaster, you must come from a noble family or a great sect," Lan Si said calmly.

Yu Xiaogang furrowed his brows. "Why do you say that?"