"Quit putting on a mysterious act."
Yu Xiaogang shot back at Su Hang. He stopped just inside the forest entrance and took out a small cloth pouch.
When he opened it, a grayish-yellow powder lay inside, giving off a pungent medicinal smell.
He scattered the powder in a circle around their feet, then patted a few times at the hem of his robe.
"Many low-level Soul Beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest aren't worth wasting your energy on."
"This Beast Repellent Powder can make most ordinary Soul Beasts avoid us."
"Tang San, remember: Soul Hunting isn't about charging in blindly. Preserve your strength first, then look for a target."
Tang San nodded.
"Teacher, I'll remember."
Hearing that, Yu Xiaogang felt some of the tightness in his chest ease.
Su Hang had put him under pressure last night, but now that they were in the forest, they had finally entered familiar territory.
Theory, experience, judgment.
Those were what gave him confidence.
Xiao Wu stood beside Su Hang. Her nose twitched, and she immediately took half a step back.
"That smell's so strong."
"Brother Su Hang, I don't like it."
Su Hang smelled the medicinal odor too.
The powder was mixed with several kinds of roots and gland powder. It could indeed drive off some small Soul Beasts.
But there was an obvious problem.
Snakes relied on smell to find their way. Some unusual species were actually more sensitive to this kind of pungent powder.
Especially in an artificially enclosed area like the Soul Hunting Forest, where Soul Beasts had been disturbed by humans for so long that their reactions had become unpredictable.
Su Hang lifted his chin.
"Grandmaster, this powder works on ordinary little beasts."
"But when it comes to snakes with a keen sense of smell, it might not be a good idea."
Yu Xiaogang's hand stopped.
Su Hang's remark had poked another hole in the authority he'd just regained.
"Su Hang, this Beast Repellent Powder is based on years of experience I've compiled."
"You've only just entered the forest, and you're already eager to dismiss it?"
Su Hang glanced at the powder on the ground.
"I'm just giving you a heads-up."
"If you want to prove yourself, fine."
"Just don't blame the weather later."
Xiao Wu immediately chimed in.
"And don't blame the wind direction, either."
The two of them trading remarks left Yu Xiaogang's chest feeling tight.
Tang San stood nearby and offered a word of advice.
"Su Hang, since Teacher dares to use it, he must have his reasons."
"The forest is unpredictable. Let's follow Teacher's plan for now."
Su Hang didn't argue.
He stepped forward.
"Fine."
"Practice is the true test."
Yu Xiaogang's expression tightened at those words.
They sounded perfectly reasonable, but coming from Su Hang, they just didn't sit right.
The group followed a narrow path deeper into the forest.
Branches and leaves crowded around them, and the ground was damp. Now and then, they spotted Soul Beast claw marks.
Yu Xiaogang walked ahead, occasionally crouching to inspect the soil and explain a few things to Tang San.
"These hoofprints were left by a Bamboo Green Deer. It's not very old and isn't aggressive."
"The grass over there has bite marks, so a herbivorous Soul Beast must have passed nearby."
"A suitable Mandala Snake won't appear in a wide-open area."
Tang San listened attentively.
He held a few pebbles in his hand, rolling them nimbly between his fingers.
Su Hang noticed but didn't point it out.
The Tang Sect's techniques were well hidden.
But the more Tang San tried to hide them, the more it said.
Xiao Wu walked beside Su Hang and lowered her voice.
"Brother Su Hang, you said the powder would attract snakes. Is that really true?"
Su Hang looked at the brush ahead.
"The snakes might not come first."
"But trouble's already here."
The words had barely left his mouth when the bushes to their left suddenly rustled.
Several spotted shadows darted out from the low grass, moving fast, their claws tinged with a faint blue.
They weren't large. Their backs were covered in messy patterns, and their tails ended in spikes.
Variegated Cat Beasts.
Common low-level poison-type Soul Beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest.
They weren't very old, but they were nimble and liked to circle around before pouncing.
Xiao Wu immediately tucked herself behind Su Hang.
"Is that the trouble you meant?"
Su Hang nodded.
"Just an appetizer."
Yu Xiaogang immediately stepped forward.
"Tang San, don't panic."
"These Variegated Cat Beasts are only a few decades old. Their main weapon is the poison in their claws."
"This is a good chance to show you how a Soul Master handles an unexpected battle."
He raised a hand.
"Come out, Luo Sanpao!"
Yellow light surged from in front of Yu Xiaogang.
A round little yellow beast landed on the ground. Its ears drooped, and its four short legs kicked a few times.
"Roro!"
As soon as Luo Sanpao landed, Yu Xiaogang pointed ahead.
"Fart like thunder, Earth-Shattering Luo Sanpao!"
Luo Sanpao puffed up its belly, kicked off with its hind legs, and struck a pose toward the Variegated Cat Beast in front.
Bang!
A blast of yellow air shot out.
The cat beast at the front was tossed onto its back and rolled twice across the ground.
Yu Xiaogang was just about to continue his explanation.
"See? Using a Spirit Skill is all about timing."
The next moment, another, smaller Variegated Cat Beast darted from the brush on the right.
It didn't charge at anyone. Instead, it circled behind Luo Sanpao and skimmed its claws across the ground.
Luo Sanpao's short legs trembled. Its belly, which had just puffed up, deflated at once.
"Roro! Roro!"
It spun in place, tucked its tail between its legs, and bolted behind Yu Xiaogang's legs.
Yu Xiaogang nearly tripped over it and hurriedly stumbled back a couple of steps.
"Luo Sanpao, steady yourself!"
"Roro!"
There was no steadying Luo Sanpao now.
The cat beast pounced again. Luo Sanpao squealed even louder, then slammed its whole body into Yu Xiaogang's shin.
Yu Xiaogang staggered, and his instructor's air completely fell apart.
Xiao Wu couldn't hold back and laughed, clutching her stomach.
"Brother Su Hang, is it about to pee itself?"
Su Hang gave a quiet cough.
"Show Grandmaster some mercy."
"Though his dignity's already on the ground."
Tang San didn't laugh.
The Variegated Cat Beasts pounced quickly, and one had already circled behind Yu Xiaogang's side.
Tang San flicked his wrist, sending a pebble flying from between his fingers.
Smack!
It struck the joint in the cat beast's front paw.
The creature lurched sideways, its pounce knocked off course, and slammed into a nearby tree root.
A second pebble followed right after, striking another cat beast in the forehead.
His movements were clean, his aim precise.
Su Hang stayed where he was and didn't rush to comment.
A blacksmith's son couldn't have learned a technique like that.
Yu Xiaogang glanced at Tang San too.
He'd wanted to praise him, but Luo Sanpao was still scurrying around his legs. He had to focus on getting the little beast under control first.
"Luo Sanpao, come back!"
"Roro."
Luo Sanpao shrank back beside Yu Xiaogang, its ears drooping even lower.
The pebbles had stopped the remaining Variegated Cat Beasts, but they didn't retreat.
They circled the group, scraping at the dirt with their claws. Clearly, the Beast Repellent Powder on the ground had made them even more agitated.
Su Hang stepped forward.
Xiao Wu immediately called out.
"Brother Su Hang, watch out! Their claws are poisonous!"
Su Hang didn't stop.
Dark purple lightning spread out from beneath his feet.
The aura of the Chaos Thunder Shadow Dragon pressed through the forest.
A deep dragon's roar echoed through the trees.
The Variegated Cat Beasts stiffened. Their front paws pressed to the ground, and their tails drooped.
The low-level Soul Beasts that had been darting about moments earlier now all lay flat in the dirt, too afraid to move.
Su Hang raised a hand and waved.
"Get lost."
The cat beasts scrambled back into the brush, rolling over one another. In the blink of an eye, they were gone.
Xiao Wu immediately ran to Su Hang's side, her eyes shining. She grabbed his sleeve with both hands.
"Brother Su Hang, you're amazing!"
"You didn't even have to fight them. They just dropped flat on their own!"
The pebbles in Tang San's hand came to a stop.
He looked at the way Xiao Wu so naturally clung to Su Hang, and his chest tightened again.
They hadn't known each other for long, yet Xiao Wu trusted Su Hang this much.
Meanwhile, he couldn't even get a friendly response to a simple greeting.
Yu Xiaogang brushed off his clothes and forcibly recalled Luo Sanpao.
"That was just an accident."
"Variegated Cat Beasts are easily riled by smells, and there were more of them than usual."
Su Hang looked at the powder still scattered on the ground.
"Grandmaster."
"How is that any different from what I just warned you about?"
Yu Xiaogang was at a loss for words.
Tang San put the pebbles back in his cloth bag and spoke up for Yu Xiaogang.
"The forest is full of surprises. Teacher can't predict everything."
Su Hang nodded.
"Now that's the truth."
"So from now on, don't treat the experience you've gathered as ironclad rules."
Yu Xiaogang flicked his sleeve and continued onward.
"Our target is the Mandala Snake."
"Don't waste time on low-level Soul Beasts."
Xiao Wu muttered quietly to Su Hang.
"He's getting impatient."
Su Hang stepped after him.
"See through it, but don't say it out loud."
Among the branches high above,
Yue Guan stood atop a phantom flower petal, watching the group leave below.
He had originally been keeping an eye on Su Hang, but he had also seen Tang San's few flicks of the stones just now, clear as day.
Gui Mei hid behind the tree's shadow, black mist flowing along its trunk.
"That child's technique just now didn't look like that of an ordinary farm boy."
Yue Guan toyed with a petal between his fingers.
"He's Tang Hao's son. It's normal for him to be hiding something."
Gui Mei didn't answer at once.
"But his technique was far too practiced."
"Precise, ruthless, and controlled cleanly."
"A six-year-old couldn't have trained to that level without something going on behind him."
Yue Guan narrowed his eyes.
"His Holiness the Pope wants us to investigate Su Hang. Now it seems Tang San isn't clean either."
Before you continue