Star Dou Forest

Three days later.

At the east gate of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan stood beside a luxurious carriage, its entire body pitch-black and emblazoned with the Xiao Clan crest. A simple pack was slung over his back.

The carriage stood a full two stories tall and was pulled by six thousand-year Soul Beasts known as Cloud-Treading Colts, each with a snow-white coat and a magnificent bearing. Soul Guidance Lamps hung on either side of the carriage, casting a faint glow. Its sheer opulence left Xiao Yan marveling at the Xiao Clan's wealth and power.

"Whoa..."

Xiao Yan looked at the recommendation letter in his hand, then at the carriage, which was clearly far beyond what the occasion called for. The corner of his mouth twitched.

Xiao Family Village was clearly a branch of the Xiao Clan, yet it was much poorer and more run-down. He'd thought the Xiao Clan was just a small local family, but he'd never imagined it would be this powerful.

It looked just like the entourage nobles in some Western fantasy world would bring along on an outing or a hunt.

But he was just a poor kid with no connections. Why would the Xiao Clan send out such a grand procession to see him off to school?

"You're Xiao Yan, right? Get in."

The old man driving the carriage drew back the curtain with an expressionless face, his tone cold. Xiao Yan couldn't be bothered to waste words with him, so he stepped up.

But as he passed through the heavy velvet curtain and saw the inside of the carriage, his steps involuntarily faltered.

The carriage had a vast interior, with soft animal-skin carpets and redwood seats on either side. There was even a small round table in the middle, laden with teaware and pastries.

Seven or eight people were already seated inside, men and women alike, ranging in age from their teens to their thirties. Soul Power rippled around each of them.

Xiao Yan took a rough measure of their strength. The weakest Soul Power fluctuations among them belonged to Soul Grandmasters, meaning they were at least Level 20.

And seated right in the center was a familiar figure: Xiao Yulü, Xiao Yan's archrival.

Compared to a few days ago, Xiao Yulü had changed into a fresh black outfit. A jade pendant hung from his waist, and he looked full of energy.

"Oh, Xiao Yan, you're here!"

Xiao Yulü looked up, saw Xiao Yan, and grinned. He patted the empty seat beside him and said:

"Come on, come sit here!"

Xiao Yan casually glanced at the others in the carriage. A few of the younger men looked hostile, while several older ones wore blank expressions, though a hint of wariness showed through.

"Oh, Xiao Yulü, all this fanfare just to send me to school?"

Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow. Xiao Yulü slapped his forehead as if suddenly remembering.

"Oh, right. I forgot to introduce everyone."

"These are some of the best people in the clan. You're heading to Shrek Academy, and you'll have to pass through Star Dou Forest. As it happens, I'm going there to hunt Soul Beasts, so these clan Soul Masters are here to escort me."

"Star Dou Forest?"

Xiao Yan's eyes flickered. After taking his seat, he saw Xiao Yulü stretch lazily and speak in a relaxed tone:

"That's right."

"Didn't I tell you? I want to approach Shrek Academy openly and honorably, so I need to increase my Soul Power quickly."

"I'm Level 10 now. If I want to break through to Level 11, I'll need to hunt a Soul Ring."

Xiao Yulü said it as casually as could be, leaving Xiao Yan momentarily stunned.

Right. Even though his level was linked to Little Fire Dragon's, he still needed a Soul Ring to keep leveling up.

He had Innate Full Soul Power and had obtained his First Soul Ring early on, but as his Soul Power fell, the ring had gradually faded away and merged with the Pokémon Egg.

And ever since the contest three days ago, no matter how he trained, his Soul Power showed no sign of increasing again. Xiao Yan had assumed that, just like in the game, Little Fire Dragon needed to fight monsters and gain experience points to level up.

Now it seemed he'd have to obtain another First Soul Ring.

"So I'm getting to ride along on your trip, then?"

"You could put it that way."

Xiao Yan pondered this. Xiao Yulü nodded, then changed the subject.

"But now that I think about it, Xiao Yan, your First Soul Ring seems to have disappeared. You don't have a First Soul Ring now, do you?"

Xiao Yan froze. He hadn't expected Xiao Yulü to have watched him so closely, even noticing that his First Soul Ring had disappeared.

"Then that's perfect!"

Xiao Yulü's eyes lit up. He slapped his thigh.

"We both have fire-type Martial Souls, so we can go look for Soul Beasts and hunt Soul Rings together. We can watch each other's backs, too."

"Oh? You sure about that?"

Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow. Xiao Yulü thumped his chest and declared loudly:

"Of course! I, Xiao Yulü, always keep my word. Besides, Star Dou Forest isn't safe. With your strength, you'll be one more layer of protection."

At that, Xiao Yan said no more. But the atmosphere in the carriage immediately grew a little awkward.

A few of the young men exchanged glances. One of them, a short-haired young man with a defiant look in his eyes, couldn't help speaking up:

"Yulü, young master, this... doesn't seem appropriate, does it?"

"What's inappropriate about it?" Xiao Yulü shot him a sidelong glance.

"This escort mission was arranged by the clan specifically to keep you safe." The short-haired young man lowered his voice. "Bringing an outsider along now..."

"An outsider?" Xiao Yulü sneered. "Xiao Yan is a direct descendant of the Xiao Clan. How does that make him an outsider?"

The short-haired young man faltered, but still forced himself to say:

"But... but the admission interview spot was originally yours, and then..."

"And then I lost, so the spot is his."

Xiao Yulü cut him off. His voice was calm but left no room for argument.

"Any objections?"

The short-haired young man opened his mouth, but in the end, he lowered his head.

The carriage fell silent again.

Xiao Yan leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest, as if he couldn't care less about anything around him.

But inside, he was grumbling like crazy.

Xiao Yulü really was the young master of the Xiao Clan. He even had ten or so people escorting him on a Soul Beast hunt. With their strength, they could probably clear out an entire small Soul Beast forest.

Still, judging by the way they were looking at him...

Tsk. Sure enough, some of them weren't happy about this.

But that was only natural. The recommendation letter had been meant for Xiao Yulü, and Xiao Yan had snatched it from under his nose. Anyone would feel resentful.

"All right, quit pulling such long faces."

Xiao Yulü waved his hand.

"Let's go."

As soon as he spoke, the carriage began to move.

The Cloud-Treading Colts let out a long whinny. All six Soul Beasts started forward together, and the carriage rolled steadily out of the Xiao Clan gates.

Inside the carriage, several of the older Soul Masters began speaking quietly, discussing the route for the hunt and what to watch out for.

The younger men stole the occasional glance at Xiao Yan, their expressions complicated.

Xiao Yan couldn't be bothered with their feelings. He simply closed his eyes and rested.

The carriage set off, kicking up a cloud of dust. The Soul Masters aboard said nothing more, and gradually fell silent.

None of them could have imagined what dangers they would encounter in Star Dou Forest before long.