Half the clan's resources was already a grave crime. What came after that was unforgivable; even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs. Could he have been bewitched by an Evil God?
One had to know that although the Spirit Hall kept a tight lid on things, Evil Soul Masters still existed. What's more, some gods guided people down this path.
"What a sick bastard."
Chen An checked the body but found no sign of any of the above. That left only one possibility, so he couldn't help grumbling.
He looked at the scraps in the Long-Armed Ape's hand, then at the big Long-Armed Ape he'd beaten until it looked like a pig's head.
His face plainly said, "You had this kind of trash on hand and didn't say so sooner? We wouldn't have needed to go looking."
If the big ape knew what Chen An was thinking, it would definitely have said, "You didn't tell me sooner either."
"Little Stone, come here."
Hearing this, the big ape obediently set the trash on the ground, then silently backed away several steps.
"Teacher, if I absorb this Soul Ring, won't it affect my personality?"
Luo Xiaoshi's hands didn't stop. He brought his staff down again and again, until the trash, already half-dead, couldn't get back up.
A yellow Soul Ring rose into the air, its color unusually vivid, making its high age all the more apparent.
"Just absorb it. Why all the questions? With me here, what are you worried about?"
Little Stone instinctively wanted to nod, but stopped himself, especially after seeing the big ape's miserable state. Better not tempt fate.
"Relax. This thing is dead as a doornail."
Chen An took a pill and a spirit herb from his Storage Ring and handed them to Luo Xiaoshi.
"Absorb these two first, then absorb the Soul Ring. If you run into danger, think of the scene you saw before."
Little Stone obediently took the pill and herb, then immediately sat down cross-legged. Absorbing this stuff meant he had to keep his mind firmly focused.
Once it began, all they could do was wait. Chen An estimated the whole process would take around forty minutes, provided everything went smoothly.
"Master, why aren't those two running away?"
Zhu Zhuqing came over. It was mainly strange that the two Long-Armed Apes hadn't taken the chance to flee.
Chen An looked up. Both Long-Armed Apes were watching Little Stone. The smaller one looked as if it were worshipping him, while the bigger one seemed deep in thought. From its eyes, Chen An could tell it was trying to confirm something.
"No idea, but it's fine. They wouldn't dare try anything."
Thinking of the cultivation method Little Stone practiced, Chen An realized that although he hadn't yet condensed a Dharma Form, he had already taken on some of its aura.
That explained why the two Long-Armed Apes were acting this way.
"Then, Master, what kind of Soul Ring should I absorb when I reach level 30? A thousand-year one?"
A ten-thousand-year Soul Ring for her third one was still beyond what Zhu Zhuqing dared imagine. That was far too far ahead of its time.
"Think bigger. Ten thousand years."
After being spurred on by Luo Xiaoshi, Zhu Zhuqing had gone into seclusion for a while and made some progress. She was now level 28, with her foot on the threshold of level 29.
But reaching level 30 would still take some time.
Chen An estimated that after they returned, she'd reach level 30 soon enough, probably sometime after enrollment began. He had a feeling Zhu Zhuqing was trying to hold back her level.
Unless Little Zhu turned into a little pig and changed her mind on the spur of the moment, choosing speed over quality, she wouldn't advance much faster.
"Okay! Then that's my goal."
Zhu Zhuqing was looking forward to it. If she managed it, she'd be the first Soul Master in history to have a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring as her third one.
Chen An smiled at her eager expression, though his mind kept turning over the possibilities.
He understood his own path now: he could become stronger simply by taking on students and teaching them.
Just helping Little Stone reach level 20 had loosened the bottleneck in Chen An's own cultivation. Once he completed his mission—recruiting students for the new term—he'd probably break through level 90.
Thinking about it, he was tempted to give Zhu Zhuqing a God-Condensed Soul Ring as her third one. Chen An would step in and help her when the time came. She was his eldest disciple, after all; he had to help her reach the ten-thousand-year tier.
"Roar, roar! (This aura! It's so oppressive!! Why do I want to bow down!!!)"
As Chen An thought, the big Long-Armed Ape began scratching its head and shouting. It seemed agitated, hopping from foot to foot in a frenzy.
The commotion interrupted Chen An's thoughts, but it was nothing to worry about. He'd let things unfold naturally.
Instead, he was looking forward to seeing what Little Stone's second Soul Skill would be, and was also eager to find out what Little Zhu's third Soul Skill would be.
"Hmm?"
He turned his gaze to Luo Xiaoshi. The process was nearing its end. Sweat covered Little Stone's forehead, and a faint aura, similar to the Great Sage's, seemed to emanate from him.
"Could that thing really have escaped my detection?"
Chen An furrowed his brow, but an idea occurred to him: could this have accidentally triggered a mutation?
It was possible, but Luo Xiaoshi wasn't giving off black smoke, and his expression hadn't worsened. Better not interfere.
He lowered the foot he'd already started to lift.
"It's almost over."
Things had gone unexpectedly smoothly, with no further incidents. The only exception was the Long-Armed Ape bowing down, seemingly submitting to Luo Xiaoshi.
"This kid's got some luck. Could meeting me have changed his fortunes? Probably."
Luck was something you couldn't see or touch, but ever since Luo Xiaoshi had started cultivating, Chen An could tell he had plenty of it.
Before that, his life had been pitch-black. After beginning his cultivation, he first obtained the monkey's cultivation method, then broke through to level 20 and drew out his aura. After this, he should also undergo a Martial Soul Mutation, and now even a Soul Beast had submitted to him.
Once the two Long-Armed Apes saw that Luo Xiaoshi had finished absorbing the Soul Ring and was in no danger, they let out a couple of meaningless roars, then made themselves scarce.
Before leaving, they thanked Chen An for sparing their lives and begged him to come back when Luo Xiaoshi reached level 70. Their clan was willing to offer him a great boon.
Chen An thought it over and agreed to tell Luo Xiaoshi, but didn't promise he'd come.
The Long-Armed Apes had no choice but to accept. They thanked him again.
"A boon from the Long-Armed Apes? A Long-Armed Ape? How did this suddenly get connected to that?"
There was clearly no answer for now. Seeing that Luo Xiaoshi was mostly fine and had only briefly lost consciousness, Chen An hoisted him onto his shoulder.
"Zhuqing, let's go back to the academy."
"Coming."
Chen An didn't want to spend the night in the Star Dou Forest. Putting aside the possibility of Soul Beasts attacking, the discomfort of sleeping in a primeval forest was something only those who'd tried it could understand.
By the time they got out, it wasn't very dark. They found the coachman they'd hired earlier and set off.
"Awake?"
In the carriage, Chen An and Zhu Zhuqing were eating the bread they'd brought along. When Little Stone woke up, Chen An spoke and tossed him a piece.
Little Stone caught the bread and began chewing. He polished off three pieces before he felt even a little full.
"Don't eat so much bread. We'll stop for a meal soon and get you some meat.
Little Stone, what happened to your second Soul Skill and your Martial Soul?"
Luo Xiaoshi swallowed the bread in his mouth and in his hand, then wiped his mouth before answering.
He was a little surprised, but when he recalled the all-red Soul Ring he'd seen earlier, the surprise vanished completely.
"My second Soul Skill is Limit Burst. When activated, it increases all my abilities by 150% for three minutes, blocks pain, and keeps me conscious the whole time."
It looked like a berserker's set of skills, which suited him well. The ability probably had a limit to how much it could improve him, and the further he progressed, the less effective it would become.
But that wasn't a problem. Chen An would step in once it started losing its effectiveness.
Little Stone continued, "My Martial Soul did mutate a little. It's not called the Stone Monkey anymore. It's called the Spirit Stone Monkey."
Chen An nodded as if everything was under control, while inwardly cheering.
That's the stuff! That's the stuff!
At this rate, Little Stone's Martial Soul might really become that one specially appointed by Tathagata Buddha, the Jade Emperor, and Guanyin Bodhisattva to fetch the scriptures: the Great Sage Equal to Heaven of Flower-Fruit Mountain's Water Curtain Cave.
Just thinking about it got him a little excited.
Before you continue