Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
At that moment, Li Han was on his way to the Soul Hunting Forest.
"Host: Li Han
Age: 7
Martial Soul: Heavenly Thunder Bamboo
Cultivation: Level 20
Techniques: Azure Essence Sword Art, Elephant Armor Art, Blinking Sword Technique, Smoke-Drifting Steps.
Items: Bamboo Bone Pen, Fireball Talisman (15), Golden Light Talisman (3), Heavenly Thunder Bead (1), Soul-Nurturing Wood Bead.
Pills: Yellow Dragon Pill (2), Golden Marrow Pill (2), Essence Nourishing Pill (37), Energy Recovery Pill (50).
Wealth: 137 Gold Soul Coins, 19 Silver Soul Coins, 78 Copper Soul Coins."
Over the past three months, Li Han had made all sorts of preparations in addition to cultivating.
The Golden Light Talismans and Heavenly Thunder Bead had been his greatest gains.
Some time ago, he had bought a bottle of Hundred-Year Golden Armored Beast blood essence at a market in Nuoding City and successfully drawn three Golden Light Talismans.
Once activated, a Golden Light Talisman formed a golden barrier that Hundred-Year Soul Beasts could barely break through.
Even against a Thousand-Year Soul Beast, it could hold out for a while.
With these Golden Light Talismans, Li Han could absorb a Soul Ring without worrying, even if no one was there to guard him.
As for the Heavenly Thunder Bead, Li Han had used quite a few Heavenly Thunder Bamboo Leaves to make it.
Xiao Wu had gone without Heavenly Thunder Bamboo Leaves for several days because of it.
However, after eating a hundred leaves, Xiao Wu found she couldn't eat any more for the time being. It seemed her body had reached its limit and could no longer absorb the power of the Heavenly Thunder Bamboo Leaves.
She would have to wait until her strength advanced another level before she could eat them again.
So lately, Xiao Wu had focused all her attention on cultivating and barely moved.
Otherwise, Li Han probably wouldn't have been able to go to the Soul Hunting Forest by himself.
Xiao Wu would definitely have followed him.
"Maybe when I get back, I'll get to see what Xiao Wu looks like after her evolution.
I'm really looking forward to it."
The Soul Hunting Forest.
After returning to the Soul Hunting Forest several months later, Li Han knew his way around with practiced ease.
He found a deserted spot, put on a mask made from Lone Bamboo, and changed into black clothes.
"Though there's almost no chance the forest guards would recognize me, better safe than sorry.
From now on, I'll keep another identity for when I'm traveling."
Li Han went to the entrance of the Soul Hunting Forest and showed the token Yu Xiaogang had given him.
The guard took the token, inspected it, then immediately bowed respectfully without asking a word.
"Having a token sure is handy."
Li Han smiled with satisfaction, then entered the Soul Hunting Forest.
Compared to his last visit with Mo Hen, when he'd been tied up at every turn, Li Han now had complete freedom.
He searched everywhere for medicinal herbs while also looking for a suitable Soul Beast.
"With my current strength, I should be able to handle a Soul Ring that's over a thousand years old.
I'll set my target at around fifteen hundred to two thousand years, and prioritize Soul Beasts with a strong Wood attribute."
Thinking this, Li Han swept his gaze back and forth across the Soul Beast Forest.
Before long, he came to a pool.
"That's..."
Li Han's gaze fell on the water. A snake-like Soul Beast was circling above it.
"Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent?"
Pale red wings, a blood-red comb, and a fan-shaped tail. Every feature matched.
Judging by its size, it was probably around three hundred years old.
"Its age is too low, and it doesn't have a Wood attribute. It's no good for me."
Li Han shook his head slightly and was about to leave when he suddenly heard footsteps.
"Someone's coming."
At once, Li Han used Breath Concealment Art from the Blinking Sword Technique to hide his aura and concealed himself in the undergrowth.
Before long, three Soul Masters walked over.
All three were men. Two were a little older, both wearing gray robes and looking to be around thirty. The third wore blue and looked to be around twenty; he seemed quite wealthy.
"It's a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent! Looks like it's a hundred years old.
Wonderful! It's perfect for my Second Soul Ring!
Quick, catch it for me!"
The young man was overjoyed when he saw the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent and immediately called out.
"Yes, boss."
The gray-robed men answered at once, then revealed their Martial Souls and Soul Rings.
They were both Soul Grandmasters, each with one white and one yellow Soul Ring. One had a blade for a Martial Soul, while the other had a wolf.
Without hesitation, they charged at the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent in the pool.
"Looks like a hired team out to hunt a Soul Ring. The man in blue is the client, and those two are the Soul Masters he hired."
Li Han mused to himself.
This sort of thing was quite common in the Soul Master World.
Not everyone had a school to help them hunt Soul Beasts. If they didn't, they had to rely on themselves.
Hiring a few powerful Soul Masters to hunt a Soul Beast for them was the best option.
"Two Soul Grandmasters against a hundred-year-old Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent shouldn't be a problem."
Just as Li Han thought this, he suddenly heard a scream.
"What?"
Li Han looked at the pool in surprise. The two gray-robed men had been tightly coiled by the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.
What was most bizarre was that several vines had sprouted from the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's body, binding the two men tightly.
In a matter of moments, the two Soul Grandmasters had been strangled to death.
"Ah!"
The man in blue panicked at the sight and fled, stumbling and rolling as he went.
"This... this isn't a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent!"
Li Han realized what was happening at once. His eyes narrowed as he examined it closely, and he noticed scales on the vines.
"Scales? Could it be... a Chameleon Vine!"
The Chameleon Vine, also known as the Mimic Vine, was a plant-type Soul Beast that could imitate any creature that approached it, becoming an exact match.
It was one of the few masters of disguise among Soul Beasts.
"Looks like this Chameleon Vine grew up among a group of Phoenix-tail Crested Serpents, so it became just like one.
Though it looks the same, it can't use the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's Soul Skills. It can only attack with its own vines.
Those two Soul Grandmasters completely misjudged their enemy, so they were taken out in an instant."
Thinking this, Li Han looked at the scales on the Chameleon Vine's vines.
There were eighteen scales in all!
"No, they didn't just misjudge their enemy. They misjudged its strength, too.
Although this Chameleon Vine is imitating a three-hundred-year-old Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, its actual strength has reached a thousand years!
It takes a hundred years to form a single scale. This Chameleon Vine has eighteen scales, which means it's eighteen hundred years old!"
Li Han's eyes lit up.
Its age was right within the range he could handle.
More importantly, the Chameleon Vine was also a plant Soul Beast, making it a perfect match for his Heavenly Thunder Bamboo.
"I nearly missed such a suitable Soul Ring. Heaven really is looking out for me."
Li Han immediately sprang into action, closing the distance with Smoke-Drifting Steps and leading with a Fireball Talisman!
Whoosh!
The Fireball Talisman flew straight at the Chameleon Vine.
The Chameleon Vine had just killed the two Soul Grandmasters and had let its guard down. But when the Fireball Talisman suddenly came at it, it reacted instantly.
Its vines lashed out and blocked in front of it.
Boom!
The Fireball Talisman exploded against the Chameleon Vine's vines, blasting one clean off!
Smoke billowed everywhere, completely enveloping the Chameleon Vine.
"Hiss!"
The Chameleon Vine's pained cry rang out from the smoke. It shifted restlessly, its pair of snake eyes fixed on Li Han, full of fury!
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