Entering Soul Hunt Alone, Intercepting the Serpent Ring, First Meeting with Zhu Qing

The night deepened, and the lights of Nuoding Academy gradually grew sparse. Most students had already drifted into dreams, leaving only a few patrolling guards wandering slowly through the grounds.

I had long since completed my entire plan. Taking advantage of the dead of night, I used a casual excuse about needing some fresh air to slip out of the dormitory building without a sound.

Along the way, I pushed the stealth characteristics of my Ink Shadow Spirit Cat to the limit. My figure merged into the darkness like a breeze in the night, perfectly evading the spiritual detection of all the academy guards and dodging the occasional vigilant gaze Tang San cast out his window.

[Memory suddenly interrupted]

In the original story, the Datura Snake was the first great opportunity of Tang San's life. Relying on this century-old poison-type soul ring, his Blue Silver Grass underwent a complete transformation, and it also laid a solid foundation for his subsequent Mysterious Heaven Skill. Now that this opportunity has fallen into my hands, I can only say it is a matter of fate; Tang San is destined to miss out on this stroke of luck in this lifetime.

[Thoughts return, footsteps never falter]

Exiting the city, I used the cover of night to head straight for the western outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest. This area was rarely visited by soul masters, and the thick, poisonous miasma made it perfect for my covert actions, leaving me with no fear of being spotted.

Before long, a faint, fishy, and toxic scent wafted toward me. Deep in the dense forest ahead, a long, cyan-green snake covered in diamond-shaped scales was coiled amidst a pile of rubble, flicking its scarlet tongue—it was the century-old Datura Snake.

Its soul power was at the century level, which would be considered troublesome for a new student, but against my solid level 20 soul power, it was not worth mentioning.

I still held to my bottom line, keeping the Heavy Profound Iron Sword deep within my soul completely still, and only activated my Ink Shadow Spirit Cat martial soul, letting the power of black shadows quietly envelop my body.

With a flicker, I moved as fast as a ghost, using my extreme speed to circle behind the Datura Snake. I gathered condensed soul power at my fingertips and struck precisely at its vital seven-inch point.

Hiss—

The Datura Snake didn't even have time to resist before its massive body collapsed heavily to the ground, its life force instantly dissipating.

The entire process was clean and efficient, without any unnecessary noise, and it didn't alert any high-level soul beasts deeper in the forest.

I walked forward and waited quietly for the century-old soul ring to slowly rise. The emerald, lustrous ring hovered in mid-air, its rich, poison-type soul power flowing gently—a perfect match for my Ink Shadow Spirit Cat.

Sitting cross-legged, I drew the soul ring into my body, carefully restraining my soul power fluctuations the entire time. Even at the critical moment of absorbing the ring, I didn't leak a shred of my true level, nor did I trigger my hidden second martial soul.

A moment later, the first soul ring was firmly branded onto my Ink Shadow Spirit Cat martial soul. My true level remained firmly ten levels above Tang San's, and the level 10 soul power I displayed to the outside world remained unchanged. To others, I was still just an ordinary soul master with Innate Full Soul Power.

After disposing of the Datura Snake's carcass and erasing all traces of the battle, I turned and quietly left the Soul Hunting Forest, as if I had never been there at all.

The next morning, Nuoding Academy officially organized the new students to head to the Soul Hunting Forest to obtain their first soul rings.

Tang San was high-spirited along the way, his eyes full of anticipation. Yu Xiaogang walked beside him, still constantly giving instructions and planning for him to subdue the century-old Datura Snake to create the strongest Blue Silver Grass.

The master and disciple spent the journey imagining their future, completely unaware that the destined opportunity had already vanished like a bubble.

The group of new students arrived in a grand procession at the western side of the Soul Hunting Forest. Tang San couldn't wait to rush toward the pile of rubble from his memories, but when he reached the destination, only scattered stones remained. Where was there any trace of the Datura Snake?

The toxic aura was completely gone, and the entire area was empty.

"How could this be... where is the Datura Snake?"

Tang San froze on the spot, the excitement on his face instantly solidifying, replaced by an incredulous sense of bewilderment.

Yu Xiaogang also stepped forward quickly to carefully examine the surroundings, his brows furrowed tightly. Even with his theoretical knowledge, he couldn't fathom how a Datura Snake that had occupied this place for years could simply vanish into thin air.

"Could it have been hunted by a high-level soul master in advance?" Yu Xiaogang muttered to himself, his heart full of doubt.

Tang San's face turned pale bit by bit. The opportunity for his first soul ring, which he had been longing for, had fallen through, and the anticipation he had built up for so long shattered instantly. A thick sense of frustration welled up in his heart, and the way he looked at his surroundings took on a hint of gloom.

The surrounding students discussed it in hushed tones, all feeling sorry for Tang San; no one knew that I was the one who had caused all of this behind the scenes.

I blended into the back of the crowd, my expression calm, watching the scene unfold without a ripple in my heart.

This is only the first opportunity you have lost, Tang San. Your road of misfortune has only just begun.

Afterward, I made an excuse to venture deep into the outskirts alone to look for a suitable soul beast, separating from the main group to prepare for an early return.

As I reached a secluded valley on the edge of the Soul Hunting Forest, a faint fluctuation of soul power reached my ears, mixed with the roars of soul beasts.

I quietly spread my spiritual sense and saw a slender black figure being besieged by two century-old Hell Spirit Cats, her movements ragged and her situation precarious.

It was a young girl dressed in black tight-fitting gear, her figure slender and cold. Her silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her eyes were indifferent—it was Zhu Zhuqing, one of the Shrek Seven Devils and the future princess of the Star Luo Empire.

At this moment, she was still young, her soul power thin, and she was already at a disadvantage against two soul cats of the same level, with injuries all over her body.

I could have just left, minding my own business, but thinking of my future layout and the harem plan I had already settled on, I decided to help.

With a flash, I quietly swept into the valley, still using only my level 10 surface soul power, driving the speed advantage of the Ink Shadow Spirit Cat and using exquisite footwork to maneuver around them.

Within a few breaths, I had lightly driven the two Hell Spirit Cats away, without revealing any strength beyond reason, remaining low-key and restrained.

With the crisis resolved, Zhu Zhuqing looked at me with vigilance, her cold eyes filled with caution and doubt.

I remained indifferent, not trying to strike up a conversation, just nodding faintly to acknowledge her and saying casually, "There are many soul beasts in these outskirts; it is too dangerous to train alone. It would be better to leave early."

Having said that, I didn't linger, turning and walking away directly, without asking for credit or trying to chat, remaining steady and reliable from beginning to end.

Zhu Zhuqing watched my retreating back, and for the first time, a ripple stirred in her cold heart. This mysterious, reserved boy, who possessed impressive strength yet remained completely unpretentious, had quietly left a deep mark in her heart.

I returned to Nuoding Academy with composure, my layout becoming clearer and clearer.

Intercepting opportunities, distancing myself from the heroine, getting to know Zhuqing, planning every step, and hiding my true strength.

The halos of Tang San and Yu Xiaogang were being stripped away by me bit by bit, and the path ahead for me in Douluo was already paved with foundations.