Thieves in Soul Hunting Forest, Xiling Mountain Range

"You're still not satisfied?"

"I only have one soul skill, while you already have three. And you're still complaining? I'm so jealous I almost want to hit you, yet you're still not satisfied!"

Xiao Wu's mouth fell open in astonishment. After hearing Yu Yan's dissatisfied muttering, she could not help questioning him.

She was no longer Xiao Bai, who had only just entered human society. Through books, she had gained a deep understanding of humans and Soul Masters.

With just one Soul Ring, Yu Yan had gained two soul skills, including a Martial Soul Fusion Skill that allowed him to fight opponents above his level.

Under such heaven-defying circumstances, Yu Yan was actually still dissatisfied. Where did he get the nerve to complain?

Envy, jealousy, and resentment—those were Xiao Wu's most sincere feelings at that moment.

"I was just telling the truth. It's only thirty-two seconds. The duration really is a little short."

Immersed in studying his own Martial Soul, Yu Yan genuinely felt that thirty-two seconds was rather short.

As a man, he could not accept being short on time, whether it was the duration of a soul skill or anything else.

"Damn it, Yu Yan, I really can't take this anymore!!!"

Hearing those words again, Xiao Wu gritted her teeth and came to Yu Yan's side. One hand locked around his neck while the other vigorously poked at his head to vent her frustration.

"Stop, stop, stop..."

Yu Yan's cries for her to stop did not make Xiao Wu cease. Instead, she increased her strength slightly.

With his Soul Power depleted, Yu Yan had no ability to resist Xiao Wu at all.

Two or three minutes later, Xiao Wu finally released Yu Yan's neck in satisfaction and removed her hand from his head.

"That felt good."

Sitting cross-legged beside Yu Yan, Xiao Wu looked at his thoroughly disheveled hair and smiled happily.

"Damn it, Xiao Wu. Even if you're jealous of me, you didn't have to go this far, did you?"

"Damn it, Yu Yan. Do you know how infuriating what you just said was?"

"It was all right, wasn't it? Didn't you already know I could use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"

Knowing and seeing it with your own eyes are completely different things. You were the one who told me that."

After a meaningless yet meaningful argument, Yu Yan was the first to fall asleep. His Soul Power had been depleted, and he was exhausted. He needed a good rest.

Xiao Wu was still in fairly good spirits, so she took on the night watch. When it was time to switch shifts, she did not wake Yu Yan, who was sleeping soundly.

"Xiao Wu, why didn't you wake me? We agreed to each keep watch for half the night."

Yu Yan woke at his usual biological-clock hour and looked toward Xiao Wu, who was reading by the campfire, asking why she had not awakened him.

"You looked tired, so I didn't wake you," Xiao Wu explained. Then she continued, "Stop talking about useless things and hurry up to absorb Purple Qi for cultivation. I still need to mooch off your Soul Power to cultivate."

Xiao Wu had learned Yu Yan's stiff topic-changing technique very quickly.

"All right, let's go cultivate."

Without fussing over the matter, Yu Yan led Xiao Wu to a nearby mountaintop and began their once-daily Purple Qi cultivation session.

When their cultivation ended, Yu Yan's Soul Power had reached ninety percent of level twelve. Once tonight's full moon had passed, he would successfully break through to level thirteen.

Xiao Wu's cultivation speed was not much different from Yu Yan's. Yu Yan had Purple Qi and Moon Essence to assist his cultivation, while she possessed the world-rare Innate Full Soul Power, so her cultivation speed was not slow either.

After simply eating the dry rations they carried, the two set off once more for Vast Sea City.

As they advanced into the core region of the Xiling Mountain Range, at a spot not far from the iron fence around the Soul Hunting Forest, Xiao Wu suddenly grabbed Yu Yan and made a shushing gesture at him.

Understanding Xiao Wu's meaning and choosing to trust her, Yu Yan immediately shut his mouth, suppressed his aura, and followed Xiao Wu into the bushes behind a large boulder to hide.

After hiding, Xiao Wu activated Full Amplification to enhance her hearing. She listened carefully to the distant movements, then, before the people in the distance arrived, pressed close to Yu Yan's ear and quietly explained:

"I heard four or five people. They're rushing toward us from the Soul Hunting Forest, and they're moving very fast. They'll be here soon, so I thought we should hide and avoid them."

After hearing Xiao Wu's explanation, Yu Yan said nothing and gave her a thumbs-up.

Before long, four figures entered Yu Yan and Xiao Wu's field of vision: an elderly man past fifty, a fat middle-aged man, a sturdy young man, and a masked leader. They wore matching grayish-green clothing.

As they neared the Soul Hunting Forest's fence, Yu Yan noticed that the sturdy young man held an unconscious little cat in his arms. Its entire body was black, but all four paws were white.

The four approached the fence, felt around on the ground for a while, then crawled out through a tunnel they had dug beforehand.

Poachers?

At the sight, Yu Yan and Xiao Wu instantly understood who these people were. The two of them had discussed poachers only yesterday.

Soul Masters were a wealthy group, and the Soul Hunting Forest could bring enormous profits. One needed a token to enter the Soul Hunting Forest, and obtaining one required paying a price.

Those unwilling to pay that price yet still wanting to enter the Soul Hunting Forest for benefits—and who put that idea into action—were the so-called poachers.

Driven by profit, poachers could never be completely eradicated and emerged endlessly.

Yu Yan and Xiao Wu both recognized the little cat in the sturdy young man's arms. It was a very famous and clever ornamental feline Soul Beast, extremely popular among nobles.

This Soul Beast was originally called the Spirit Cat, though it had different names depending on its coloring.

This entirely black Spirit Cat with four white paws was also known as Tiaxue Xunmei, or Black Cloud Covers Snow.

It was called Tiaxue Xunmei because the black cat's four white paws resembled marks left while treading through snow in search of plum blossoms. The white paw pads stood out especially against its black fur.

Black Cloud Covers Snow referred to the white patches on its belly and limbs amid its entirely black fur, like white snow adorning dark clouds.

Black Spirit Cats were regarded as guardian deities, while four entirely white paws symbolized purity and good fortune. Thus, they were often seen as an Omen of Auspiciousness, capable of bringing luck to their owners.

In short, Spirit Cats of this coloring were extremely rare. If sold to nobles, they could fetch an exceptionally large sum of Gold Soul Coins.

Yu Yan and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance, neither intending to make a move. The strength of these people was unknown, and they were all desperate poachers. It was better not to provoke them.

"Third Brother."

After leaving the Soul Hunting Forest area, the gaunt leader looked around. After confirming that no one was nearby, he called out to the people behind him.

The fat middle-aged man stepped forward. A gray-furred fat dog appeared and merged with him, while a white Soul Ring emerged.

A faint glow flickered over the fat middle-aged man's nose. He inhaled deeply, sensing the situation around them.

Not good!

Upon seeing the fat middle-aged man's actions, Yu Yan and Xiao Wu looked at each other, the same emotion appearing in their eyes.

They were hidden very well, and they had suppressed their auras to a very low level. However, they had not concealed their scent. With the other party using a soul skill to enhance his sense of smell, the two of them would most likely be exposed.