Soul Hunting Forest

The next morning.

The sun shone brightly beneath a cloudless sky.

Inside Nuoding Academy, ceremonial cannons boomed into the sky, and the place buzzed with noise.

Today was the opening ceremony, and the square was packed with teachers and students from every grade.

However, a middle-aged man and a six-year-old student were leaving through the academy gates.

The middle-aged man was named Yu Xiaogang, and the six-year-old student was Tang San. After yesterday's apprenticeship ceremony, they now addressed each other as master and disciple.

"Teacher, are we going straight to the Soul Hunting Forest?" Tang San asked curiously.

"No. First, we'll go to the market to buy some white radishes, along with the supplies we'll need to hunt Soul Beasts."

Yu Xiaogang looked down at Tang San and cautioned him, "Little San, remember this. Hunting Soul Beasts is never a trivial matter. In their habitat, Soul Masters may have to face more than one Soul Beast. If you act rashly without making thorough preparations, you'll pay a terrible price."

Tang San nodded solemnly. "I'll remember, Teacher."

"Come on. I'll teach you about Soul Masters and Soul Beasts on the way there and back."

With that, Yu Xiaogang hailed a carriage outside the academy, took Tang San by the hand, and climbed aboard. They headed toward the market.

Much later, the opening ceremony ended, and another middle-aged man and six-year-old student walked out of the academy gates.

The middle-aged man was Dean Ding, and the six-year-old student was Ye Chen. The two were about to head to the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt Soul Beasts.

As usual, Dean Ding wore a teal outfit that made his neither tall nor stout frame look rather dashing. He didn't look a day over fifty. Easygoing by nature, he always wore a dagger and a pipe at his waist, along with a low-quality Soul Tool pouch.

By comparison, Ye Chen's blue clothes were much plainer. He also had a dagger at his waist, and a pack containing a change of clothes and provisions on his back.

Dean Ding led Ye Chen to the spot outside the academy where people waited for carriages. After hiring one, the two immediately set off for the Soul Hunting Forest outside Nuoding City.

They traveled four hundred li in all. It wasn't until noon the next day that they finally reached their destination.

When he stepped down from the carriage, Ye Chen saw a lush forest ahead. Iron railings enclosed the entire forest. Within them, the woods were shadowy and tranquil, filled with the breath of nature.

Dean Ding explained that the forest ahead was the Soul Hunting Forest. Although the empire had paid for its construction, the Spirit Hall was responsible for managing it.

Outside the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest, there was a rest area built by the Spirit Hall Branch for the forest guards. Beyond it stood a large cluster of buildings—or rather, shops—where hawkers called out one after another.

"Come on, come on! We've got a permit. We're forming a group to hunt defensive Soul Beasts. Four more needed!"

"Looking to hunt speed-type Soul Beasts! Seven people waiting on a permit!"

Hearing the Soul Masters shouting around him, Ye Chen couldn't help feeling fortunate.

Dean Ding was a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor with an artifact-type Martial Soul. His Fire Ring Martial Soul could split into as many as five rings of flame and restrain his opponents.

With Dean Ding accompanying him, Ye Chen wouldn't need to worry about too many mishaps when they hunted Soul Beasts in the forest later.

"Ye Chen, have you decided which Soul Beast you want to get your First Soul Ring from?" Dean Ding asked, taking a puff from his pipe and gazing at the Soul Hunting Forest through a trail of white smoke.

Ye Chen nodded. "I have. The Soul Hunting Forest keeps Blazing Birds with a hundred years of cultivation. I want one to be my First Soul Ring."

"A Blazing Bird?" Dean Ding took another puff and considered it. "Your Torchic Martial Soul has outstanding fire attributes and kicking techniques, while Blazing Birds have especially strong legs and a considerable ability to boost flames. It really is the best choice for your Torchic Martial Soul's First Soul Ring."

"Now that we know what Soul Beast we're looking for, our Soul Hunting Operation will be much simpler. Let's go. It's been a long time since I personally helped a student hunt a Soul Beast. I wonder if I've gotten weaker."

As he spoke, Dean Ding hung his extinguished pipe from his waist. After showing the permit to the guards on duty, he walked calmly through the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest, with Ye Chen close behind.

Once they passed through the iron railings and entered the forest, the shouts from the nearby market faded away. The damp air carried the faint scents of various wild animals.

Ye Chen noticed that the deeper they went into the Soul Hunting Forest, the stronger the animal scents became. He couldn't help tensing up and staying on high alert.

Once they entered the Outer Zone, Soul Beasts began poking their heads out from all around. Among them were Nether Wolves, Variegated Cats, and Ekans, among others.

Some crouched low, waiting to pounce. Others had been woken from their rest. Still others puffed up their fur in a threatening display.

Whenever they encountered a Soul Beast, Dean Ding explained its habits and abilities to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen suggested letting his Torchic battle the Soul Beasts they came across by the roadside to gain practical experience. Dean Ding agreed, watching over him as he puffed on his pipe.

Ye Chen directed Torchic in battles against Soul Beasts such as Nether Wolves and Variegated Cats.

These Soul Beasts had cultivation levels of less than a hundred years. They were all Ten-Year Soul Beasts, and Torchic handled them with ease.

As a result, the combat experience gained from beating these Ten-Year Soul Beasts had little effect on Torchic's growth. Its Soul Power increased very slowly.

Seeing that they couldn't level up quickly, Ye Chen stopped wasting time on Ten-Year Soul Beasts and proposed that they enter the Core Zone of the Soul Hunting Forest to search for Soul Beasts.

And so, the two walked along a forest path, chatting about all manner of things related to Soul Beasts.

By nightfall, Dean Ding and Ye Chen were still in the Outer Zone of the Soul Hunting Forest. They found an open patch of ground near a water source and prepared to spend the night there.

Ordinarily, whether in the Soul Hunting Forest or any other Soul Beast habitat, people weren't allowed to light a fire while camping, lest it attract Soul Beasts.

However, the Soul Hunting Forest was a convenient place for low-ranking Soul Masters. Few of the Soul Beasts kept there had cultivation levels exceeding a thousand years.

Even the Soul Beasts living in the Core Zone weren't as powerful as one might imagine.

With Dean Ding's strength as a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, he couldn't single-handedly withstand a Beat Up by the Soul Beasts in the Core Zone. But he could roam the Outer Zone unchallenged, so there was no need to worry that lighting a fire would attract Soul Beasts.

"Whether you can light a fire in a Soul Beast habitat really depends on the situation."

As he spoke, Dean Ding pitched a black tent. It was just the right size for an adult and a child.

He patted the tent to make sure it was sturdy, then took a puff from his pipe and said with practiced ease, "Ye Chen, remember this: everything has two sides. Lighting a fire in a Soul Beast habitat will inevitably attract Soul Beasts, which is extremely dangerous. At the same time, we can use that to hunt them."

"For example, if we're looking for fire-type Soul Beasts, they're especially sensitive to heat. As long as we're sure we're strong enough, we can light a fire at night to draw them in. Then all we have to do is wait at our leisure and set an ambush, and we can hunt them with ease."

As he scattered sulfur powder and insect repellent around the tent, Ye Chen listened with rapt attention to Dean Ding's stories about hunting Soul Beasts.

After half an hour, they had finished setting up camp. The two sat together by the fire, eating provisions and drinking water.

Dean Ding studied the map of the Soul Hunting Forest and said thoughtfully, "Soul Beasts with pure fire-type bloodlines, like Blazing Birds, don't live alone in the forest. They live in groups in places with abundant fire-type energy. Looking at the map, the Dead Volcano in the Core Zone must be their habitat."