Soul Hunting Forest, I've Arrived

"Please wait a moment in the reception room; I will go call Deacon Su Yuntao!"

"Alright! Sorry for the trouble, Brother Zhang!"

"No trouble at all, it's all part of the job!"

Zhang Yuan responded with a smile before leaving the reception room. Ling Yun sat by a window, observing his surroundings.

Sunlight spilled into the room, making it look magnificent, yet it lacked any sense of gaudy ostentation, possessing a refined quality instead.

The person who designed this building was a master with a great sense of style.

Data Room.

Zhang Yuan knocked on the door, which was left ajar. The people inside looked out, among them Su Yuntao.

"Deacon Su Yuntao, the Ling Yun you mentioned is here! I have already brought him to the reception room!"

Upon hearing this, Su Yuntao was overjoyed! The data he had been reviewing made him dizzy; it was dry and tedious. Having the chance to go to the Soul Hunting Forest, which wasn't overly dangerous, was like a vacation to him.

He had only discussed Ling Yun with Ma Xiunuo that morning, and the boy had arrived by the afternoon—this was perfect!

He felt the thrill of a paid vacation.

He quickly tidied up the documents in his hands and placed them into a cabinet. Once finished, he appeared at the door like a gust of wind, and the two headed toward the reception room.

The others looked at Su Yuntao's retreating back with envy and began to discuss, "He really hit the jackpot this time!"

"Who's to say he didn't!"

"Sigh! Why don't I have such good luck, finding a seedling with Innate Full Soul Power! I haven't even found one with soul power exceeding level five."

"There are just too few people who can awaken soul power!"

"..."

Feelings of envy, jealousy, and resentment collided in the small data room, leaving the air thick with a sour scent.

In the hallway, Su Yuntao patted Zhang Yuan on the shoulder and praised, "You did well. I'll treat you to a drink next time!"

"Work hard, become a Soul Master soon, and I'll recommend a good position for you then!"

"Many thanks, Deacon. I will certainly work hard..."

After Zhang Yuan said several things that put Su Yuntao in a great mood, he tactfully withdrew to return to his post.

Watching him leave, Su Yuntao quickly approached the reception room.

Inside the reception room, Ling Yun heard footsteps and turned his gaze toward the entrance.

The footsteps grew closer, and soon the two came face to face.

Both of their faces were wreathed in smiles. "Brother Tao! You look more spirited than ever, and even more handsome!"

"Is that so?" Su Yuntao was in high spirits and continued, "You've grown sturdier, too! Not bad! It seems you've spent the last half-month well."

"After all this time, have you considered it? Any interest in joining the Martial Soul Hall? You've seen it yourself, the environment here is quite good..."

Su Yuntao didn't forget to pitch the benefits of the Martial Soul Hall, his eyes filled with pride.

"Brother Tao, I'll say the same thing: right now, I yearn for freedom!"

"Fine! Let's not talk about that!"

"I didn't think you'd know that you need a Soul Hunting Permit to enter the Soul Hunting Forest. I didn't think much of it before, but looking at it now, you're not simple, kid!"

"This was never a secret. I've been to Nuoding City more than once, so naturally, people talk. Besides, my mother was a Soul Elder before she passed, so I know a few things about Soul Masters."

Ling Yun said this as a precaution, to keep Su Yuntao from letting his imagination run wild.

With a mother who was a Soul Elder, even if he appeared knowledgeable or had an exaggerated level of awareness, there was at least a source for it.

"So that's how it is! Let's not dwell on that! I have good news for you: Master Ma Xiunuo has approved my leave and even assigned me an assistant. The two of us Soul Grand Masters will personally take you to hunt for a soul ring."

"With two Soul Grand Masters, we will definitely find you a soul ring closest to your limit."

"Thank you, Brother Tao!"

"It's nothing! Once you become a high-level Soul Master in the future, just remember that you started out from Nuoding City, that's all!"

"Wait here for a moment; I'm going to inform Master Ma Xiunuo, and then we'll set off."

After Su Yuntao finished speaking, he hurried off in a flurry of activity.

Ling Yun watched his enthusiastic demeanor, feeling a warmth in his heart. Brother Tao is a man of true character! If I didn't know better, I'd think he was going on vacation!

The requirement of a Soul Hunting Permit to enter the Soul Hunting Forest was extremely unfriendly and troublesome for commoners.

First, one needed a certificate issued by the Martial Soul Hall proving that an individual had reached a major bottleneck requiring a soul ring to advance, and they also needed three nobles to vouch for them before they could receive a permit.

And that was only for the lowest-level temporary permit, which had to be returned to the Martial Soul Hall after the hunt.

Only higher-level Soul Hunting Permits could be held long-term; that was generally how the soul hunting groups operated.

The primeval forests were too dangerous, so the Soul Hunting Forest, managed jointly by the Martial Soul Hall and the two great empires, was the optimal solution for low-level Soul Masters.

Fortunately, his talent was good; otherwise, the path through Su Yuntao would have been impossible, and he would have had no choice but to seek out a soul hunting group.

Soul Hunting Forest.

The ten-meter-high iron fence stretched endlessly, and at the outer entrance, soldiers clad in refined iron full-body armor stood guard with long spears in hand.

After Su Yuntao presented his warrant, he led Ling Yun and his goddess Sisi inside.

Inside the forest, teams from the Martial Soul Hall patrolled, checking warrants at irregular intervals; the fate of any stowaways was generally not a pleasant one.

The trio had not traveled fifty meters before the clamor of the outside world was cut off by the dense forest and the iron fence.

"Little Yun, are you planning to take the power attack route, the control route, or the agility route?"

"My Martial Soul is suited for both the control and power attack paths."

"The Yin-Yang Mirror Martial Soul has no specific requirements for soul beasts, so there are no attribute conflicts; as long as the age is appropriate, it will work!"

"For the same age, a soul beast with stronger innate racial talents is naturally better, but you two don't need to feel too much pressure."

Sisi chimed in, "In that case, I recommend the Flame Lion, the Earth Violent Bear, or the Diamond Tiger... these kinds of soul beasts."

"These are all top-tier soul beasts. For a first soul ring, three to four hundred years is optimal, and the two of us as Soul Grand Masters can handle that."

After listening, Su Yuntao spoke up, "Then that's what we'll do!"

Ling Yun had no objections; this was his first time in the Soul Hunting Forest, and in such situations, listening to those with experience was never wrong.

"Little Yun, don't stray more than three meters from me later, and Yuntao, you lead the way!"

Sisi took charge without hesitation, and Su Yuntao had no objections; with his goddess giving orders, he was full of motivation.

After venturing a distance inward, the area became overgrown with weeds, tangled vines, dense tree branches, and thorns visible everywhere.

Su Yuntao held a Mountain-Splitting Blade, hacking away at any plants that hindered their progress, and occasionally scaring off animals they encountered. Most were just wild beasts, not even ten-year soul beasts.

Soon, they arrived at the side of a river where the view was relatively open, free from the thick weeds and shrubbery.

Some soul beasts had come to drink, watching them vigilantly upon seeing the three, then bolting away once they finished drinking.

Others completely ignored their presence, moving about leisurely; among them, a herd of Iron-Armored Oxen was the most arrogant.

"This is a herd of Iron-Armored Oxen. They possess immense strength, and their defense is among the top tier for soul beasts of the same level."

"The main thing is that they are herd-dwelling soul beasts. It's fine if you don't provoke them, but if you do, their horns are nothing to sneeze at."

"The third one on the left is quite suitable for you in terms of age, but unfortunately, the leader is over five hundred years old, and there are quite a few of them. If we start a fight, we might be able to run, but we can't win!"

"Let's keep it as a backup for now!"

"We can't afford to provoke them!"