Plans for the First Soul Ring!

Flender had never considered this line of thought before.

Light Element soul beasts were far too rare, and hunting them was difficult. Few people would risk their lives solely to test a hypothesis.

Moreover, when most Soul Masters chose soul rings, they prioritized the practicality of the soul skill rather than attribute compatibility.

But Ma Hongjun's suggestion had shown Flender another possibility.

"Kid," Flender said slowly, with a gravity even he had not noticed in his own tone, "your idea is theoretically feasible."

Ma Hongjun was delighted inside, but his expression remained calm.

"However," Flender shifted his tone, "Light Element soul beasts are extremely rare, and most of them live in dangerous regions. With your current strength, you have no chance of hunting one."

"Isn't there a teacher?" Ma Hongjun blurted out.

Flender's lips twitched slightly. It was impossible to tell whether he was pleased by the flattery or annoyed by it.

"You really know how to take advantage." He snorted. "The upper limit for a first soul ring is four hundred and twenty-three years. Finding a Light Element soul beast within that range isn't entirely impossible."

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up.

"There's a Soul Hunting Forest in Suotuo City," Flender said thoughtfully. "It's not home to any high-level soul beasts, but we might find a century-old Light Element soul beast there. Even if we don't, Fire Element soul beasts are an alternative—your martial soul is Fire Element, after all. Light is only meant to balance its evil nature. Fire is the foundation."

Ma Hongjun nodded to show that he understood.

Of course, he knew Flender was right.

Light Element soul beasts truly were rare. If he really could not find one, settling for a Fire Element soul beast would not be unacceptable. But since there was a chance, he had to fight for it.

"Teacher, shall we go now?" Ma Hongjun asked tentatively.

Flender glanced at him, amusement in his eyes.

"You're quite impatient."

"I'm afraid the Evil Fire will flare up again," Ma Hongjun said honestly.

He was not pretending. That backlash just now had left him deeply shaken, and he had no desire to experience it again. The sooner he obtained his first soul ring and began purification, the sooner his suffering would lessen.

Flender fell silent for a few seconds before finally nodding.

"Fine. The sooner we go, the sooner we return. You've only just awakened, and your Soul Power is still unstable. Securing your first soul ring while the momentum is there will also benefit your cultivation."

He turned around and changed direction. Rather than heading toward Suotuo City, he took a fork in the road.

"The Soul Hunting Forest is north of Suotuo City, about half a day away. We can reach it before dark, camp outside the forest tonight, and enter the woods first thing tomorrow morning."

Ma Hongjun hurried after him, unable to suppress the excitement swelling in his heart.

It had been six years since his rebirth.

Six years of waiting, six years of training, six years of restraint.

Everything had been for this day.

His first soul ring. A Light Element soul beast. He was determined to get one.

"Teacher," Ma Hongjun suddenly called out.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Flender paused but did not turn around. He merely said flatly, "Enough nonsense. Keep up."

The corners of Ma Hongjun's lips lifted slightly as he quickened his pace.

The setting sun stretched the master and disciple's shadows long across the winding country road, one tall and one slight, walking side by side.

Ahead lay the Soul Hunting Forest.

It was where Ma Hongjun would obtain his first soul ring.

It was also the first step toward changing his fate.

It took roughly half a day to travel from Grass Chicken Village to the Soul Hunting Forest.

Flender did not use Soul Power to travel. Instead, he walked with Ma Hongjun.

Partly to accommodate the child's stamina, and partly because he wanted to use this opportunity to learn more about his newly accepted disciple.

"Kid, have you encountered Soul Masters before?" Flender asked casually as he walked ahead.

"No." Ma Hongjun answered truthfully. "I'd never even seen a Soul Master. I only knew that Spirit Hall came to the village every year to awaken martial souls."

Flender nodded.

This child had been born into a farming family, yet he had displayed such composure and talent during his awakening. That was indeed rare.

Even rarer was his idea about a Light Element soul ring—though it sounded like a child's wild fantasy, the more Flender thought about it, the more sense it made.

"How much do you know about soul beasts?" Flender asked again.

Ma Hongjun thought for a moment and decided to reveal some of his "knowledge" in moderation.

After all, he could not possibly have learned too much while living in the village for six years, but he also could not act completely ignorant.

"I heard some things from the village hunters," Ma Hongjun said. "Soul beasts are divided into ten-year, hundred-year, thousand-year, ten-thousand-year, and hundred-thousand-year levels. The older they are, the more dangerous they become. My first soul ring can absorb one that is a little over four hundred years old at most."

Flender raised an eyebrow.

"You know that too?"

"The hunters told me." Ma Hongjun's expression did not change.

Flender did not pursue the matter and continued onward.

"Four hundred and twenty-three years. That is the limit for a hundred-year soul beast. Beyond that age, your body won't be able to withstand it. You'll explode and die."

Flender spoke blandly, as if discussing something utterly ordinary. "So what we need is a Light Element soul beast around four hundred years old."

"Teacher, what kinds of Light Element soul beasts are there?" Ma Hongjun asked.

Of course, he knew a few, but he needed Flender to bring them up.

Flender pondered for a moment, seemingly searching through the information in his mind.

"Light Element soul beasts are indeed rare, but they aren't nonexistent. There are several common century-old types—Light Butterflies, Holy Light Sparrows, Radiance Deer, and Sun-Day Foxes. There are also some mutated soul beasts with Light Element attributes, such as light snakes and wolves, but those are impossible to find by searching."

Ma Hongjun silently memorized the names.

Light Butterflies—he had seen them in some fanfiction works from his previous life. They were relatively common low-level Light Element soul beasts.

Holy Light Sparrows sounded good too, and they had some connection to his "phoenix."

"What are the traits of these soul beasts?" he continued asking.

Flender glanced at him, seemingly wondering why the child was so curious. Still, he patiently explained:

"Light Butterflies excel in speed and illusions. They are skilled at using light to confuse opponents. Their offensive power is average, but they are excellent at staying alive."

"Holy Light Sparrows possess both Light and Fire attributes. They can release Holy Light Flame and suppress Dark Element soul beasts."

"Radiance Deer are purely support-type soul beasts. They can release healing and enhancement auras."

"Sun-Day Foxes are nimble and cunning. They excel at turning invisible under sunlight and launching ambushes. Their attack power isn't high, but they're extremely troublesome."

Ma Hongjun listened while calculating in his heart.

Would a Light Butterfly's illusions and speed suit his first soul skill?

What he needed was to purify the Evil Fire, not fight.

The practicality of a soul skill was certainly important, but his foremost goal right now was suppressing its evil nature.

The Holy Light Sparrow's dual attributes sounded more compatible with his martial soul.

The Evil Fire Phoenix was Fire Element to begin with. If he added Light Fire as well, perhaps they would create a chemical reaction.

The Radiance Deer's support abilities were not bad either. A healing aura could save his life, but its attack power was too weak, and he might suffer for it early on.

The Sun-Day Fox... it was too cunning. Flender might not be able to hunt one easily.