The Seven-Ring Soul Sage was fast. In no time, he reached the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest.
The Joint Defense Patrol Army, established through cooperation between the Empire and Spirit Hall, was stationed here specifically to maintain order in the Soul Hunting Forest near Suotuo City.
Flender stepped forward and raised his chin slightly. Seven of the most standard Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—rose from beneath his feet. He didn't need a token; his Soul Rings and Soul Power fluctuations alone were enough to prove his formidable strength and noble status.
The patrol soldiers' pupils contracted at the sight. They didn't stop him and immediately opened the Soul Hunting Forest's massive iron gates.
That was the benefit of strength.
This was a world where strength reigned supreme.
As long as you were strong enough, you could throw your weight around with impunity, and no one would dare stop you!
On the other hand, when you were weak, all kinds of monsters and demons would come swarming to hinder you!
Flender walked inside with his hands clasped behind his back.
Fu Wen followed right on his heels, looking this way and that.
To be honest, in the six years since he'd been reborn into this world, this was his first time visiting the Soul Hunting Forest.
Although this forest had been brought under the Empire and Spirit Hall's control, making it relatively safe,
it was still a genuine, untouched forest.
"Suotuo City's Soul Hunting Forest is enormous. The most powerful Soul Beasts here are over five thousand years old."
"Other Soul Hunting Forests in smaller places usually only have Hundred-Year Soul Beasts. Soul Beasts a thousand years old are rare."
"But this place is different. There are plenty."
Putting on the air of an elder, Flender pushed up his glasses and explained.
"Alright, Dad, enough talking. Just take me over to find that crocodile."
"I can't wait any longer."
Fu Wen was a little excited.
Of course he was! He was about to become a Soul Master.
Who wouldn't be excited?
"Alright."
Flender didn't waste any time. He took Fu Wen up into the air again and flew swiftly through the dense forest. Before long, the view opened up.
A vast lake lay ahead, surrounded by mountains and valleys.
From high above, they could already see a gigantic crocodile sprawled out nearby, sleeping.
Under the sunlight, its tough hide glimmered with a blood-red sheen, painfully bright to the eye.
"The Bone-Splitting Giant Crocodile belongs to the Sub-Dragon Species. Its bloodline is powerful, and its true strength far surpasses what you'd expect from its appearance. Generally speaking, even a hundred-year-old one has the strength of a thousand-year Soul Beast. Many ordinary thousand-year Soul Beasts that aren't from the Sub-Dragon Species are no match for it."
"Usually, Soul Beasts like this wouldn't be kept here. They're specially reserved. You're really lucky this time—the heavens are looking out for you."
"At least, I've never heard of one of these things being in the Soul Hunting Forest before."
"Judging by its size, this one is already four hundred years old. It's perfect for you. There's no need to look for another one. We'll take this."
As he flew, Flender kept his eyes on the crocodile in the distance and explained.
Once he'd finished, he didn't hesitate. With a powerful beat of his wings, he gathered the Soul Power of a Soul Saint, turning it into countless sharp, golden-yellow points of light that hurtled like a storm toward the sleeping Bone-Splitting Giant Crocodile.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!
Of course, he'd controlled the force of the attacks. If he killed it outright, that would be a huge loss.
Only a Soul Master who personally killed a Soul Beast could absorb its Soul Ring.
At most, these attacks would leave it on the brink of death, unable to fight back.
Fu Wen would have to deliver the final blow himself.
No matter how powerful this creature was, it was still only four hundred years old. Even as a Sub-Dragon Species, able to fight above its weight and rival a thousand-year Soul Beast, it was still an ant before a Soul Saint.
Flender didn't even need to use a Soul Ring or Soul Skill. Ordinary Soul Power attacks were more than enough to take it down.
The Bone-Splitting Giant Crocodile never expected to suffer such a calamity just for taking a nap.
Sensing that its life was in danger, it jolted awake and tried to fight back.
But it was already too late.
It was surrounded by a dense barrage of feather-like spikes.
The speed and power of a Soul Saint's attacks were no joke.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!!!!
Rumble!!!!!!!
The next moment, violent explosions rang out from the valley!
"Tsk, what a sight."
High above, Fu Wen dangled from Flender's grip like a little chick. Looking down at the dust billowing after the explosions, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
So this was the power of a Soul Saint. When he'd watched the anime and read the novels in his previous life, it hadn't seemed all that impressive. He'd thought it was nothing special.
But only after seeing a Soul Saint fight a monster with his own eyes today did he understand that a Soul Saint was the real deal.
To be honest, this was the first time in six years that he'd seen his father fight.
More importantly, this time, Flender had only used ordinary attacks.
"You have Innate Full Soul Power at level ten. As long as you don't die young, becoming a Titled Douluo is only a matter of time. Your old man here only had Innate Soul Power at level seven. If I work hard, I might still reach the Eight-Ring Soul Douluo realm, but I can forget about becoming a nine-ring Titled Douluo. Besides, I'm old now, so my chances are even slimmer."
"Maybe by the time you reach the Six-Ring Soul Emperor realm, your ordinary attacks will be stronger than this old man's Seven-Ring Soul Sage attacks."
Flender chuckled.
"Dad, I like the sound of that."
"Of course a son should be stronger than his father. Otherwise, what would be the point?"
"You protected me before. When the time comes, I'll protect you."
"Besides, with me around, who knows? Maybe I'll even help you break through to the nine-ring Titled Douluo realm one day."
Fu Wen said with a smile.
In the original story, Flender was only an eighty-third-level Soul Douluo at the end.
But now that Fu Wen was here, Flender naturally couldn't follow the original path.
As long as Fu Wen found a way to get an Immortal Herb someday, Flender would definitely be able to break through to the nine-ring Titled Douluo realm.
"Alright, it's the thought that counts."
"Let's go down and get your Soul Ring."
"I controlled my strength well. It should still have a breath left in it. Once you get down there, just stab it in the head and it'll be dead."
Flender was both gratified and moved by what he heard.
The fact that this brat could say such things proved that raising him for six years hadn't been in vain.
As he spoke, he took a dagger from his Storage Soul Tool and handed it to Fu Wen.
Fu Wen took it and gripped it tightly.
They landed, and the powerful rush of air scattered the dust.
In the crater of shattered stone, the Bone-Splitting Giant Crocodile was torn open and bleeding, its aura of a king gone. It breathed in more than it breathed out, clearly on the brink of death.
Its eyes fixed on the two humans, Fu Wen and Flender, filled with hatred and helplessness.
Damn humans! It had only been sunbathing, and they were still going to kill it.
"Sorry. The strong prey on the weak. That's just how it is."
"In the old era, Soul Beasts ate humans. In the new era, humans kill Soul Beasts."
"Don't blame me. If you have anyone to blame, blame your bad luck."
As he spoke, Fu Wen stepped forward, wrapped his level-ten Soul Power around the dagger in his hand, and plunged it hard into the weakest spot on the Bone-Splitting Giant Crocodile's head!
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