Entering Soul Hunting Forest Alone, Snatching the Snake Ring, and First Meeting Zhu Zhuqing

As night deepened, the lights of Nuoding Academy gradually dwindled. Most of the students had already fallen asleep, and only a few patrol guards still paced slowly around the grounds.

I had already laid out my entire plan. Taking advantage of the late hour, I casually made an excuse about going out for some fresh air and slipped away from the dormitory without a sound.

I pushed the Ink Shadow Spirit Cat's stealth to its limits, blending into the darkness like a wisp of breeze in the night. I deftly evaded every guard's spiritual sense, as well as Tang San's occasional wary glances out the window.

[Memories abruptly interrupted]

In the original story, the Datura Snake had been Tang San's first great opportunity in life. Thanks to that Hundred-Year poison-type Soul Ring, his Blue Silver Grass had undergone a complete transformation, and it had laid a solid foundation for his later cultivation of the Mysterious Heaven Skill. Now that this opportunity had fallen into my hands, all I could say was that fate had played its part. Tang San was destined to miss out on this stroke of good luck in this life.

[Thoughts returned; footsteps never slowed]

Under cover of night, I left the city and headed straight for the western outskirts of Soul Hunting Forest. Soul Masters seldom ventured into this area, and it was thick with poisonous miasma—perfect for acting in secret without worrying that anyone would stumble across me.

Before long, a faint, acrid stench of poison washed over me. Deep in the forest ahead, a long snake with emerald-green scales and diamond-shaped armor coiled among a pile of rocks, its forked scarlet tongue flickering. It was a Hundred-Year Datura Snake.

Its Soul Power was around the Hundred-Year level. It would have been a troublesome opponent among the new students, but against my very real twentieth-level Soul Power, it was nothing.

I still held fast to my bottom line. The Heavy Profound Iron Sword deep within my soul remained perfectly still; I simply activated the Ink Shadow Spirit Cat Martial Soul, and black shadow energy quietly enveloped my body.

I blurred into motion, swift as a ghost, and circled behind the Datura Snake at top speed. Concentrated Soul Power gathered at my fingertips, and I struck precisely at the snake's vulnerable spot, seven inches behind its head.

Hiss—

The Datura Snake had no time to fight back before its massive body crashed to the ground, its life snuffed out in an instant.

The whole process was clean and swift, without a sound to spare, and I didn't alert any of the high-level Soul Beasts deeper in the forest.

I stepped forward and quietly waited for the Hundred-Year Soul Ring to rise. A lustrous emerald ring floated in midair, its rich poison-type Soul Power flowing slowly—perfectly suited to my Ink Shadow Spirit Cat.

I sat cross-legged and drew the Soul Ring into my body, carefully restraining every fluctuation of Soul Power throughout the process. Even at the critical moment of absorbing the ring, I didn't reveal the slightest trace of my true level, let alone stir my concealed Second Martial Soul.

A short while later, the First Soul Ring was firmly imprinted upon my Ink Shadow Spirit Cat Martial Soul. My true level still stood securely ten levels above Tang San's, while the level of ten that I showed to others remained unchanged. To outsiders, I was still nothing more than an ordinary Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power.

After dealing with the Datura Snake's corpse and wiping away every trace of the fight, I quietly left Soul Hunting Forest as though I had never been there.

The next morning, Nuoding Academy officially organized an outing for the new students to Soul Hunting Forest to obtain their First Soul Rings.

Tang San was brimming with excitement all the way there, his eyes filled with anticipation. Yu Xiaogang walked beside him, still giving instructions and laying out his plan to help Tang San subdue a Hundred-Year Datura Snake and forge the strongest Blue Silver Grass.

Master and disciple spent the journey imagining their bright future, unaware that the opportunity destined for them had already turned to smoke.

The group of new students arrived at the western side of Soul Hunting Forest in a grand procession. Tang San hurried straight to the pile of rocks he remembered, but when he reached it, all that remained was a jumble of stones. There wasn't the slightest trace of the Datura Snake.

The poisonous aura had vanished without a trace. The whole area was deserted.

"How could this be...? Where's the Datura Snake?"

Tang San froze on the spot. The excitement on his face congealed, replaced by bewilderment and disbelief.

Yu Xiaogang hurried forward as well, carefully examining the area. His brows knit tightly. Even with all his theoretical knowledge, he couldn't understand how the Datura Snake that had occupied this place for years could have disappeared into thin air.

"Could a high-level Soul Master have hunted it ahead of us?" Yu Xiaogang murmured, thoroughly perplexed.

Tang San's face slowly drained of color. The First Soul Ring opportunity he had long yearned for had vanished into thin air, and all the anticipation he had built up shattered in an instant. A deep sense of defeat welled up within him, and a gloomy look crept into his eyes as he glanced around.

The new students around them whispered among themselves, lamenting Tang San's bad luck. No one knew that I had secretly caused all of this.

I stood at the back of the crowd, watching without a change in expression, completely unmoved.

This was only the first opportunity you'd lost, Tang San. Your streak of bad luck had only just begun.

Afterward, I used the excuse of going deeper into the outskirts alone to search for a suitable Soul Beast and left the group, preparing to head back early.

As I passed a secluded valley near the edge of Soul Hunting Forest, a faint fluctuation of Soul Power reached my ears, mingled with the roars of Soul Beasts.

I quietly spread out my spiritual sense. A slender black figure was surrounded by two Hundred-Year Hell Spirit Cats, her movements ragged and her situation perilous.

She was a young girl in a fitted black outfit, slender and cool in bearing, with cascading silver hair and indifferent features. She was one of the Shrek Seven Devils and the future princess of the Star Luo Empire—Zhu Zhuqing.

She was still young, with scant Soul Power, and had already fallen into a disadvantage against the two Soul Cats of the same level. Wounds covered her body.

I could have simply left. It was none of my concern, and I could have minded my own business. But thinking of my plans for the future—and the harem plan I had already settled on—I decided to help her.

I flashed into the valley, still using only the ten-level Soul Power I showed on the surface. Relying on the Ink Shadow Spirit Cat's speed and my refined footwork, I darted around the two Soul Cats.

Within seconds, I had driven the two Hell Spirit Cats away with ease. I hadn't displayed any strength beyond the ordinary, remaining discreet and restrained throughout.

With the danger over, Zhu Zhuqing warily looked at me, who had appeared out of nowhere. A trace of suspicion and confusion showed in her cool eyes.

My expression remained calm. I didn't try to strike up a conversation, merely nodding faintly before casually advising her, "There are plenty of Soul Beasts in these outskirts. Training alone is too dangerous. You'd be better off leaving soon."

With that, I didn't linger. I turned and walked straight away, without taking credit or making conversation. I had been composed and dependable from beginning to end.

Zhu Zhuqing watched me walk away. For the first time, a ripple stirred in her cool heart. This mysterious, reserved young man, capable yet unassuming, had quietly left a deep impression on her.

I returned to Nuoding Academy at my leisure, my plans growing clearer by the moment.

Snatching opportunities, keeping my distance from the heroine, making Zhuqing's acquaintance, advancing step by step, and concealing my strength.