Lin Yue immediately rolled her eyes, folded her arms, and said coldly, "Enough, Yu Xiaogang. We wouldn't dare trouble a 'master' like you. Last time, your theory on Soul Ring limits got so thoroughly refuted by a book from a hundred years ago that your face practically swelled up. How do you still have the nerve to call yourself the foremost authority on theory?"
Yu Xiaogang's face instantly flushed crimson. Stiffening his neck, he said, "That book only contains basic records! When it comes to the finer details—the compatibility between Martial Souls and Soul Beast attributes—only I can make accurate judgments! Tang San has Innate Full Soul Power and a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. Ordinary Soul Beasts simply aren't worthy of him. Only I can help him find the perfect first Soul Ring!"
As he spoke, he stared fixedly at Tang San, his eyes full of pleading.
He knew all too well that this was his only chance to get close to Tang San again and regain his trust.
If he could help Tang San choose a suitable Soul Ring on this hunt, perhaps Tang San's opinion of him would change. Even if Tang San did not take him as a master, Yu Xiaogang could still rely on him to secure his footing in the academy.
Lin Yue was about to retort again, but Tang San gently tugged her arm and gave a slight shake of his head.
Tang San raised his eyes to Yu Xiaogang, his tone calm and unreadable. "If you want to come, then come. But just follow along. There's no need for you to do anything extra."
He had his own considerations. Yu Xiaogang might have been a fame-seeking fraud, but he had immersed himself in Martial Soul theory for decades. Perhaps he truly had some unique insight into Soul Beasts compatible with the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. There was no harm in listening. If Yu Xiaogang was wrong, Tang San could simply ignore him. With the dean and the two teachers present, Yu Xiaogang would not be able to cause any trouble.
Since Tang San had spoken, the dean could not say much more. Frowning, he said coldly to Yu Xiaogang, "You can come if you want, but behave yourself on the road and don't cause us trouble. If anything happens, I'll hold you responsible."
Yu Xiaogang immediately beamed with delight and nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry! I'll behave myself! I'll definitely help the children choose the most suitable Soul Beasts!"
And so, the original group of six forcibly gained one more member: Yu Xiaogang. Two carriages rolled grandly out of Nuoding City, heading toward the Soul Hunting Forest raised by the empire.
Along the way, Yu Xiaogang truly did not rest. He kept edging toward Tang San and chattered endlessly about Soul Beasts suited to the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul—Mandala Snakes, Ghost Vines, and the like—speaking as though he knew everything, trying to rebuild his authority.
But after only a few sentences, Lin Yue would leisurely pull out the Complete Compendium of Soul Master Knowledge and the Beast Soul Encyclopedia, flip to the relevant pages, and read out the more detailed and rigorous content from the books. Then she would tack on a few barbs: "That's it? The books explain it far more clearly than you do. They even cover Mandala Snake venom classifications and methods for avoiding Ghost Vine Parasite effects. Do we really need you talking here?"
Yu Xiaogang was left red-faced, but he did not dare confront Lin Yue head-on. He could only shut his mouth resentfully. Yet less than two minutes later, he could not help sidling up to Tang San again to mutter on.
Most of the time, Tang San merely listened quietly. He neither nodded nor refuted him. Occasionally, he asked a question or two about the details, silently comparing Yu Xiaogang's words with the books. He remembered what was useful and treated the rest as idle chatter.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu sat quietly between them. From time to time, she handed Tang San a pastry or Lin Yue a flask of water, and in her soft voice, she chimed in with a few remarks to mock Yu Xiaogang, earning herself plenty of goodwill.
The system notifications rang incessantly in her mind. Tang San's conquest progress had already risen to 12%, while Lin Yue's had reached 18%. She was so happy that the smile never left her lips.
After a leisurely journey of less than half a day, they arrived at the entrance to the empire's Soul Hunting Forest.
A towering stone wall stood at the entrance, where a row of imperial soldiers clad in armor and holding spears stood guard. Security was tight.
They bought a map that clearly marked the divisions of the Soul Hunting Forest, the basic types and age ranges of Soul Beasts, and even the danger levels. Everything was laid out at a glance.
Not to mention hundred-year Soul Beasts—even thousand-year Soul Beasts were firmly confined to designated areas. There was no possibility of them running out at will to hurt people.
The dean presented the travel document issued by the Imperial Academy. After the soldiers verified it, they immediately let them through respectfully.
Yu Xiaogang froze at the sight before him. He had originally thought that once they entered the danger-filled Soul Hunting Forest, he could use his "experience" to lead them away from danger, put on a good performance, and make Tang San see him in a new light.
But who could have imagined that they had come to an imperial Soul Hunting Forest? Forget danger—there was not even a Soul Beast wandering around recklessly!
Perhaps too much time had passed, and he had forgotten that a raised Soul Hunting Forest had a very low threat level.
Seeing his stunned expression, Lin Yue could not help sneering. "What's wrong, Master? Disappointed? No chance to show off your wilderness survival experience?"
Yu Xiaogang's face shifted from green to white, and for a long while, he could not say a single word.
The dean clapped his hands with a smile and said to the three children, "All right, let's head to the Hundred-Year Soul Beast Zone first. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass belongs to the Life element, so it would be best for him to take the support path. We can look for plant-type Soul Beasts aligned with the Life element. Xiao Wu, your Soft Bone Rabbit is suited for close-range assault and agility, so look for beast-type Soul Beasts focused on speed and strength. Lin Yue, just keep watch for now. If we find a suitable target for your second Soul Ring, we'll note it down. Once you break through Rank Twenty, we can come straight here to hunt it. Listen carefully: stay with us the entire time. No running off. Understood?"
"Understood!" the three children answered in unison.
Xiao Wu secretly moved closer to Tang San and quietly grabbed the corner of his clothes with her little hand. In a soft voice, she said, "Brother Tang San, I'm a little scared. Can I stay with you?"
Tang San looked into her watery eyes and could not bear to refuse. He nodded gently.
Xiao Wu instantly blossomed with joy, and the system notification sounded right on cue in her mind: [Ding! SSS-rank target Tang San conquest progress +3%. Current progress: 15%! Please keep working hard, host. Unlock more conquest targets and gain more utterly devoted followers!]
The group headed toward the Hundred-Year Soul Beast Zone. With three Soul Masters protecting them from every side, let alone a Soul Beast attack, not even an insect dared approach.
Compared to the perilous scene in the original storyline, where Yu Xiaogang had taken Tang San alone into the Soul Hunting Forest and nearly been killed by a Mandala Snake, this was a world apart.
Yu Xiaogang trailed at the back of the group. He looked at the dean walking beside Tang San, surrounded by the two children, then at Tang San, who barely acknowledged him. He felt both bitter and anxious, but there was nothing he could do.
As they proceeded toward the Hundred-Year Soul Beast Zone, the two deans and two teachers formed a triangular formation around the three children. Their eyes swept vigilantly over their surroundings. From time to time, they stopped and pointed out passing Soul Beasts, explaining their types, attributes, and compatibility to the children.
Tang San listened especially attentively. He nodded from time to time and silently committed the knowledge to memory.
He could clearly sense that his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul carried an extremely rich aura of Life. The golden patterns on its blades even held the origin aura of a plant-type emperor. It was naturally inclined toward nourishing Life; at worst, it would need water or earth, things plants required.
After observing all the way, the Soul Beasts were either incompatible in attribute or too old. Having only just entered the realm of Soul Masters, he simply could not absorb them.
They had walked for around fifteen minutes when Yu Xiaogang, who was at the rear, suddenly lit up. He hurried to a crack between the roadside stones and pointed at a solitary bluish-green bamboo only half a foot tall. He called out loudly to stop everyone. "Wait! Tang San, come here quickly! There's a Soul Beast here that suits you!"
Hearing him, everyone stopped and turned back.
In the crack between the stones grew a thin bamboo stalk, consisting of only one lonely segment with a few sparse leaves. The Soul Power fluctuations around it were negligible. Anyone with eyes could tell at a glance that it was merely a ten-year plant-type Soul Beast.
"This is a Solitary Bamboo, the most common low-level plant-type Soul Beast!"
Yu Xiaogang's face was full of pride. Just as he had explained the Mandala Snake to Tang San in his previous life, he began introducing it in an endless stream. "This plant-type Soul Beast naturally possesses binding and paralyzing poison attributes. Its bamboo body is also exceptionally tough, making it perfectly compatible with your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. Its only drawback is its low age—just ten years. If we truly cannot find a more suitable hundred-year Soul Beast, choosing this would definitely be the safest option!"
P.S. To answer a question: well, just consider Qian Chongguang dead, okay? (*´◐∀◐`*) I'm writing this as an ensemble story. Also, not every transmigrator is overpowered. Some are genuinely terrible, some are absurdly bad, and some may even be characters who crossed over from another world.
Before you continue