In an empty street corner, Lin Chen received the Encyclopedia of Soul Master Knowledge. The information this time was far more extensive than what he had received when learning the secret technique.
Precautions for Soul Master cultivation, the study and development of Martial Souls, the selection of Spirit Beasts and their age ranges, encyclopedic knowledge of Spirit Beasts...
All kinds of knowledge related to Soul Masters surged into Lin Chen's mind.
It covered every aspect, without leaving anything out.
At that moment, Lin Chen could call himself a Theory Master—and he was definitely far more reliable than that fraud Yu Xiaogang.
After receiving all the information, the corners of Lin Chen's mouth curled up involuntarily.
The last gap in his knowledge had finally been filled.
"Come to think of it, I don't seem to need to go to Nuoding Academy anymore."
The main purpose of school was to learn knowledge and have teachers help hunt Spirit Beasts for Spirit Rings. But he didn't need either of those things now.
At least, a primary Soul Master Academy was no longer worth wasting his cultivation time on.
But he was still weak, and didn't dare go gallivanting about. He'd better stay put in Nuoding City and develop for a few years before considering a big city.
As for attending Nuoding Academy...
Lin Chen gave a wicked smile, then leisurely headed toward the adult goods store.
"Boss, has my order arrived?"
"It has. It came in three days ago."
The shopkeeper looked up, saw Lin Chen, and hurriedly rose to greet him from behind the counter.
Lin Chen asked, "How many years old?"
The shopkeeper looked a little awkward. "Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue isn't in demand, so Soul Masters usually don't bother collecting it after hunting Spirit Beasts..."
Lin Chen waved a hand to cut him off. "Just tell me how old the one you got is."
The shopkeeper hurriedly replied, "Six thousand years."
As he spoke, he cautiously studied Lin Chen's expression.
He was afraid Lin Chen wouldn't be satisfied.
The deposit meant he wouldn't lose money either way, but a little extra profit was still profit.
"Six thousand years old?"
"Looks like a thousand-year first ring is out of the question. Seven or eight hundred years at most."
"Good enough, I suppose."
As Lin Chen thought this, he took out fifty Gold Soul Coins and handed them to the shopkeeper.
"Get it for me!"
"Right away!"
The shopkeeper was overjoyed. He hurriedly accepted the Gold Soul Coins and turned to enter the back room.
Soon, he came back out carrying a wooden box.
Lin Chen took the box and pretended to open it for a quick inspection.
In truth, he couldn't tell whether it was good or bad, much less determine its age. But he could read certain things from the shopkeeper's expression.
"Looks fine. I'm off."
Lin Chen nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
"Take care. Come back anytime if you need anything else."
Once Lin Chen left the shop, he flipped his right hand, and the wooden box vanished.
The system came with its own storage space.
Lin Chen didn't return to the hotel. Instead, he headed straight out of the city.
Whale Glue had to be roasted over a fire before it could be eaten.
He couldn't start a fire in a hotel room, so he had no choice but to go outside the city.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
After collecting his subsidy, Yu Xiaogang left Spirit Hall in high spirits.
He planned to find somewhere to enjoy a better meal.
The cafeteria at Nuoding Academy was free, and the food wasn't bad, but it was the same few dishes over and over. If money weren't an issue, only a fool would keep eating there.
"I'll go to Huifeng Restaurant."
Just as Yu Xiaogang was about to leave, he noticed a wanted poster on the notice board—or, more precisely, the bounty listed on it.
"Wanted:
[Image]
Wang Hu, Martial Soul: Bloodthirsty Blade, Level 53 Power Attack System Weapon Soul King. Massacred a village in the Balak Kingdom, killing over three hundred people. Suspected to have fled into Fasinuo Province.
Reward for information: one hundred Gold Soul Coins. Reward for capture: one thousand Gold Soul Coins.
Wanted dead or alive."
"Spirit Hall is getting more and more useless. They can't even deal with a mere Soul King."
Looking at the portrait on the wanted poster—a ferocious-looking, burly man—Yu Xiaogang couldn't help shaking his head.
"Too bad I'm not strong enough. If I could kill him, a thousand Gold Soul Coins would be enough to let me live it up for years."
Yu Xiaogang shook his head again, clasped his hands behind his back, and turned to leave.
As he walked, he turned into a narrow alley.
It was just over two meters wide, with houses on either side. At the far end of the alley was the street where Huifeng Restaurant stood.
When Yu Xiaogang had walked halfway down the alley, the door to a house on his right happened to open.
He turned at the sound.
A mysterious figure, cloaked head to toe in black and wearing a mask that left only the eyes, nose, and mouth exposed, came into view.
At the same time, Yu Xiaogang caught a faint whiff of blood.
"Not good!"
Yu Xiaogang had only just grown wary when the other man lunged for his throat.
The mysterious figure was incredibly fast. Yu Xiaogang had only just thought of dodging when a hand like an iron clamp had already seized his throat.
"Ugh!"
Yu Xiaogang let out a muffled groan as his body was dragged into the house against his will.
The door shut.
"Thud!"
The mysterious figure slammed a fist into Yu Xiaogang's stomach. His insides churned, and he immediately curled up on the floor like a boiled shrimp.
"Ro..."
"Thud!"
Yu Xiaogang tried to release his Martial Soul, but the mysterious figure's size-twelve boot kicked him in the mouth, forcibly interrupting the flow of his Soul Power.
"Thud, thud, thud..."
The mysterious figure was the sort who acted instead of talking. He said nothing, only lifting and dropping his foot again and again, like a machine without feelings.
"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! I have money! You can have it all!"
Yu Xiaogang clutched his head with both hands.
But the mysterious figure wasn't moved. If anything, he hit harder.
"Crack, crack..."
The mysterious figure kicked four times in a row, breaking all four of Yu Xiaogang's limbs one after another.
"Ah..."
Yu Xiaogang had only just begun to scream when the mysterious figure kicked his jaw out of place. His screams cut off at once.
"Mm... mm..."
With his jaw dislocated, Yu Xiaogang could only make muffled whimpers.
Only then did the mysterious figure stop.
He crouched down and began searching Yu Xiaogang's body.
"Hm?"
The mysterious figure's gaze suddenly fixed on Yu Xiaogang's belt.
A flash of keen interest sparked in his eyes.
"Mm... mm..."
As if he'd guessed what the mysterious figure was thinking, Yu Xiaogang began struggling violently.
"Slap!"
The mysterious figure backhanded him, knocking out several of his teeth.
"I didn't expect a good-for-nothing like you to have something this valuable."
The mysterious figure finally spoke, his voice dripping with mockery.
He unfastened Yu Xiaogang's belt.
"Mm... mm..."
Yu Xiaogang's expression twisted viciously at the sight.
"Heh!"
The mysterious figure sneered as he examined the belt and spoke.
"So you're not only a good-for-nothing, you're an idiot too. Even now, you still dare bare your teeth at me? You really have no idea what death looks like."
As soon as he finished speaking, a blood-red long blade suddenly appeared in his hand. One white, two yellow, and two purple Spirit Rings rose from beneath his feet.
"Wang Hu!"
Seeing the other man's Martial Soul and Spirit Ring Configuration, Yu Xiaogang's pupils shrank sharply.
Before you continue