Golden-Armored Armadillo Lizard

So Yu Xiaogang had no choice but to compromise.

"Captain, I can put my Storage Soul Tool up as collateral. As long as you help me obtain my First Soul Ring, once I return to the sect, I'll do my best to raise the money and get it to you as soon as possible."

Yu Xiaogang took out the only valuable thing he had on him.

His father had given him this Storage Soul Tool before he awakened his Martial Soul.

At this point, he could only hand over his Storage Soul Tool.

As for everything else, they would have to wait until he returned to the sect.

"Xiaogang, what are you saying? Do you really think your big brother doesn't trust you?"

"Keep your Storage Soul Tool for now. Once we're back at the sect, you can pay us back the Gold Soul Coins you owe us from this trip."

Seeing that there was no more profit to squeeze out of Yu Xiaogang, the Soul Hunting Squad captain put that plan on hold.

As for the Storage Soul Tool, they truly didn't dare take it.

In this day and age, anyone who owned a Storage Soul Tool was either someone of noble status or someone immensely powerful.

Its value was no small matter.

Up to this point, everything they had done to scheme against Yu Xiaogang had stayed within the rules.

Even if the sect came to investigate later, there would be nothing they could say.

After all, they really had stayed in Thunder Canyon with Yu Xiaogang for all that time.

As for why they hadn't found a suitable Soul Ring, the reason was simple: Yu Xiaogang was too picky.

But if they took the Storage Soul Tool, everything would be entirely different.

That thing was too hot to handle. They truly didn't dare take it.

"Thank you, Captain!"

Yu Xiaogang let out a long breath of relief.

Whatever else happened, as long as he didn't come back empty-handed this time, that was enough.

Once he obtained his First Soul Ring, he would be able to study his Martial Soul more effectively.

Sooner or later, he would become a true powerhouse. Then these people would pay the price.

The Soul Hunting Squad then took Yu Xiaogang deeper into Thunder Canyon.

Since Yu Xiaogang wanted a Soul Ring from a Soul Beast with Sub-Dragon attributes, they would take him to look for Sub-Dragon-type Soul Beasts.

As for what kind they would find, and whether it was truly a Sub-Dragon-type Soul Beast, that would be up to Yu Xiaogang to judge.

They only had to hunt Soul Beasts. The choice of which one to pick was up to Yu Xiaogang.

They knew the Soul Beasts in this area far too well.

They took Yu Xiaogang deeper into Thunder Canyon, and along the way they encountered quite a few Sub-Dragon Soul Beasts.

But none of them suited Yu Xiaogang.

Either they were too old, or their attributes weren't right.

The Soul Hunting Squad felt they'd been tormented by Yu Xiaogang enough already. They decided to show a little kindness and take him to a place where Soul Beasts suited his Martial Soul.

To their surprise, Yu Xiaogang still didn't like any of them.

That infuriated them.

In that case, they might as well keep dragging things out.

At least, the places they'd reached so far were all within their control.

"Xiaogang, you've already experienced the dangers of Soul Hunting, haven't you?"

"If you still don't make a choice and keep staying here, all of us might die."

The Soul Hunting Squad captain deliberately staged a confrontation to make Yu Xiaogang experience the brink of death.

This was Yu Xiaolin's instruction.

At first, they were to lead Yu Xiaogang around aimlessly. Then, once he'd run out of food and supplies, they would make him feel the danger and pick any Soul Ring for him.

To carry out this plan, Yu Xiaolin had arranged for some people to hurl all sorts of verbal taunts at Yu Xiaogang on the way to hunt for a Soul Beast.

They had to keep provoking Yu Xiaogang until he felt that failing to return with his First Soul Ring would be deeply humiliating.

"Th-this... How about we go back and see if there are any suitable Soul Beasts along the way?"

Yu Xiaogang was completely scared now.

He'd nearly died in a Soul Beast's jaws just moments ago.

He'd also realized that Soul Hunting wasn't so simple.

He suddenly felt that all the money he'd spent had been worth it.

If he hadn't paid so much, they wouldn't have worked so hard to save him from that danger just now.

But he truly didn't dare go any farther.

"Fine!"

Hearing Yu Xiaogang say that, the Soul Hunting Squad knew he'd taken the bait.

All their efforts hadn't been in vain.

And they'd not only gotten a large sum of Gold Soul Coins from Yu Xiaogang, but also gotten him to owe them three thousand more.

Helping him obtain a First Soul Ring had earned them ten times what they usually made. It couldn't have gone better.

Soon, the Soul Hunting Squad brought Yu Xiaogang to a gathering place for Hundred-Year Soul Beasts.

"Captain, I want that Soul Beast—the Golden-Armored Armadillo Lizard!"

When he saw one of the Soul Beasts, whose age was just shy of three hundred years, Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up.

This Soul Beast suited him perfectly.

"Th-this... Xiaogang, don't you think there's something off about that Soul Beast?"

"It doesn't look like a Golden-Armored Armadillo Lizard. It looks like some other Soul Beast, but I can't remember what it is right now."

The Soul Hunting Squad captain gazed at the Soul Beast with an expression of confusion.

How could he not know what it was?

A Golden-Armored Armadillo.

It was the one a squad member had caught earlier and deliberately placed in their path.

The Golden-Armored Armadillo Lizard and the Golden-Armored Armadillo differed by only one character in their names, but they were entirely different Soul Beasts.

One was a top-tier Sub-Dragon Soul Beast.

The other was a very ordinary Soul Beast. It had no dragon bloodline and was timid and cowardly—a thoroughly useless creature.

Still, it did have one advantage: its defenses were quite strong.

If Yu Xiaogang obtained a defensive Soul Skill from it, that would still be pretty good.

They would have done their job, at least.

Although Yu Xiaolin had given them certain instructions, they had earned so much money from Yu Xiaogang that they didn't want to go so far as to ruin everything for him.

"Trust my judgment. Do you really think you know more about Soul Beasts than I do?"

"I can tell you for certain: this is the Soul Beast I want, the Golden-Armored Armadillo Lizard!"

At the mention of Martial Soul Theory, Yu Xiaogang immediately brimmed with confidence.

Although he was only twelve years old, he believed he was the person in the sect who had studied Soul Beasts most deeply.

At that moment, he'd long since forgotten that when he'd first entered Thunder Canyon, the very Soul Hunting Squad before him had taught him many of the basics.

Since Yu Xiaogang insisted, the Soul Hunting Squad didn't say anything more. They went and caught the Soul Beast.

"Xiaogang, are you sure you want to absorb this Soul Beast..."

At the last moment, the Soul Hunting Squad captain still wanted to persuade Yu Xiaogang again.

But before he could finish speaking, Yu Xiaogang had already begun killing the Soul Beast.

Then, under the guidance of the other members of the Soul Hunting Squad, he began the Soul Hunting.