The Dimensional Reduction Strike of Modern Technology, Soul Hunting Forest!

Chapter 7: Dimensional Strike of Modern Technology, Soul Hunting Forest!

Looking at the cultivation method in his hands and reading its description, Huo Si felt an unparalleled shock within his heart.

It wasn't that this technique was particularly impressive or complex.

The manual didn't describe what one would become after practicing it, nor did it contain any complicated auxiliary abilities.

It was extremely simple, even incredibly easy to understand, lacking the endless, self-replenishing soul power characteristic of the late-stage Mysterious Heaven Technique used by Tang San.

Yet, in Huo Si's eyes, it was different.

It wasn't a technique for individual invincibility; in fact, no person or creature could truly "cultivate" it in the traditional sense.

So, how would one fight an enemy?

Oh, you admit there are enemies and people, right? Just capture them all and refine them instantly.

"Cultivate by eating. The Martial Soul eats, and I refine the soul power."

"A dual-path cultivation."

"If you can't eat it, you can spit it out. At the very worst, you only lose the Martial Soul."

[If discomfort endangers your life, summon the Martial Soul immediately, sever all connections, and abandon it!]

Seeing the final note in the manual, Huo Si couldn't help but let out a curse.

"Damn it!"

"Good, what a great way to make the Martial Soul bear all the risks while I enjoy all the benefits."

This technique was likely harmful to both beasts and humans.

Oh, wait—it didn't harm him, Huo Si, so that was fine.

Putting the manual down, Huo Si grabbed Gong Changyun.

"I need you to immediately develop a method to completely sever the connection to the Martial Soul!"

Damn it, they had really pushed the concept of detached soul beasts to the limit.

Huo Si never imagined that the simple, dime-a-dozen soul power meditation techniques of the Douluo Continent could be modified into something like this.

As if thinking of something, Huo Si gripped the manual tightly, his eyes flashing with golden light.

It was fortunate that such an absurdly heaven-defying technique had fallen into his hands; if it had gone to any other soul master with a detached soul beast, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Seeing Huo Si's satisfied and captivated expression, Gong Changyun immediately smiled.

"Although the technique is still in the theoretical stage, putting it into practice will certainly require extensive adjustments, and accidents may occur."

"The pioneer should make do with it for now; the Think Tank will soon be able to research the Soul Beast Devouring Method 2.0 adaptation."

To this, Huo Si could only say: the Think Tank is amazing!

Within the research group, Elder Ke frowned as he watched Huo Si clutching the manual in excitement.

"Immediately research a faster, more practical evolutionary path for the Martial Soul!"

After confirming the target for his first soul ring and mastering the Martial Soul Devouring Evolution Method, Huo Si couldn't wait to bring Chu Youwei back to the Douluo World.

Inside the Nuoding City hotel.

Hum~!

As a massive door slowly manifested and opened, Huo Si returned to the room with Chu Youwei.

Click~!

By the hotel window, Long Weiguo slowly packed away the sniper rifle he had just set up and approached Huo Si with a grave expression.

"There is bad news. It seems we are being watched."

Huo Si's brow furrowed instantly.

"Spirit Hall, or... the Nuoding City Lord's Mansion?"

Hearing this, Chu Youwei's expression darkened, her back soaked in cold sweat as she recalled what Elder Long had said.

"I don't know yet. I only know that a group of people hasn't left since we entered the hotel."

"At first, I was only suspicious, but I went downstairs for ten minutes to buy food, and they followed me again. I'm certain they are targeting us."

"Commander, do you want me to capture them alive and interrogate them to find out who sent them?"

Long Weiguo slowly drew his pistol, his face cold and stern.

"No need. Tomorrow, I will give them the opportunity to make their move."

After pondering for a moment, Huo Si spoke.

Although there were no top-tier experts or powerful soul masters in all of Nuoding City, there were two forces that could not be ignored.

The Spirit Hall branch and the Nuoding City Lord's Mansion of the Heaven Dou Empire.

The next day.

Huo Si, accompanied by Chu Youwei and Long Weiguo, walked out of the hotel under the strange gazes of the front desk staff.

Long Weiguo quickly stepped up to Huo Si's side.

"They've followed us."

Huo Si nodded, ignoring them as he walked straight toward the Nuoding City Spirit Hall Branch.

"Hahaha, Brother Huo, you've finally arrived!"

Su Yuntao quickly stepped forward, casting a discreet glance at Chu Youwei.

Huo Si nodded, saying nothing as he watched the way Su Yuntao looked at Chu Youwei.

A fair lady is a gentleman's desire; it was only natural, though this was a woman Su Yuntao was destined never to have.

"This isn't the place to talk. Come with me."

Inside the deacon's dormitory.

"Brother Huo Si, these are the Awakening Stones. When awakening a Spirit, they must be arranged into a Six-Pointed Star Array, like this..."

"This is the Spirit Power Testing Crystal Ball. It can only hold ten levels of spirit power; it will shatter if it exceeds that."

"The awakening process: arrange the Awakening Stones into a Six-Pointed Star Array, then use your spirit power to trigger it. Once the array activates, it will draw the surrounding spirit power into the awakener's body to assist in the awakening of their Spirit..."

After putting away the Awakening Stones, the Six-Pointed Star Array, and the Spirit Power Testing Crystal Ball, Huo Si gave Chu Youwei a look.

Chu Youwei understood and took a large gold bar out of the parcel in her hand.

"Hehehe... sigh, actually, it's not a particularly difficult matter."

"As long as Brother Huo Si doesn't show these off easily or do anything wicked—well, if you do, just don't say you know me."

"Once Brother Huo Si's spirit power breaks through level twenty, I can recommend you to join the Spirit Hall as a deacon. That would provide a perfectly good explanation for the origin of these items."

Chu Youwei offered a professional smile.

"Then, Deacon Yuntao, if one has broken through level ten but doesn't know their exact level, how should they test it?"

The Spirit Power Testing Crystal Ball used for awakening was enough for now, but Su Yuntao had already explained that it could only detect up to level ten.

The awakening items would definitely be taken back to the Dragon Kingdom eventually; level ten was enough, but not quite enough.

Chu Youwei asked the question.

"Oh! You must be Huo Si's younger sister."

Huo Si smiled, watching Su Yuntao wink at him.

"My cousin, Chu Youwei."

"My cousin, Long Weiguo."

Su Yuntao hurriedly reached out his hand with enthusiasm.

"Oh, oh, so it's little sister Youwei. You can just call me Brother Yuntao from now on."

"Once you break through to become a Spirit Master and absorb a spirit ring, come here, and Brother Yuntao will test you personally."

"Brother Weiguo, you can just call me Brother Yuntao from now on, too."

Seeing Su Yuntao's beaming face, so unlike the "blind" Douluo from the original story, the corners of Huo Si's and Long Weiguo's mouths twitched uncontrollably.

"Ahem..."

"Brother Yuntao, to be honest, I actually have one more thing to discuss today."

Bang, bang, bang!

Su Yuntao patted his chest with a thud.

"Brother, please speak."

"We're all brothers, family. About our little sister..."

Seeing that Su Yuntao's intentions were impure, Huo Si cut him off directly and brought out the target for his first spirit ring.

"I wonder if Brother Yuntao knows this spirit beast and where it has appeared recently?"

He saw Huo Si take out a piece of paper.

The paper clearly listed various details about the Giant-Mouthed Snake, and the target spirit ring was still four hundred years old.

A look of disdain immediately appeared on Su Yuntao's face.

"A Giant-Mouthed Snake? That kind of spirit beast is the most troublesome. Ordinary Spirit Masters can't beat them, and even Great Spirit Masters find them hard to deal with."

"There are some in the Soul Hunting Forest outside Nuoding City."

"They don't usually swarm; they are solitary spirit beasts. But every time one grows up, it wreaks havoc on many other spirit beasts and destroys the ecology of the Soul Hunting Forest. Nuoding City commissions our Spirit Hall branch to deal with them every time."

Hearing this, Huo Si couldn't help but feel pleased. As long as they were in the Soul Hunting Forest, he wouldn't need to travel as far as the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt, which would save a lot of time.

Looking at the information on the Giant-Mouthed Snake in his hand, Su Yuntao seemed to have thought of something.

"Brother Huo Si, you don't intend to hunt this kind of spirit beast for your first spirit ring, do you?"

He glanced at Chu Youwei not far away, and Su Yuntao gritted his teeth.

"If Brother Huo Si isn't in a rush, I'll take leave tomorrow and bring a few colleagues to go hunt it with you."

Huo Si shook his head with a smile.

"That won't be necessary, Brother Yuntao. I'm in a hurry to hunt a spirit beast for a spirit ring so I can head home and awaken the spirits for the people in my village."

Hearing this, Su Yuntao gritted his teeth.

"This is my deacon token. Just show it to the guards at the entrance of the Soul Hunting Forest. The rule inside is that you cannot wantonly hunt spirit beasts you don't need, as it disrupts the forest's ecology."

"Given your financial means, there are teams outside the Soul Hunting Forest. As long as you aren't hiring them to do the hunting for you, it won't be expensive. If you join one of those groups, you won't have to pay a cent with this deacon token."

Huo Si smiled and took the token.

"Could you trouble Brother Yuntao for a map as well? The villagers are visiting the city for the first time, and I'm afraid they'll lose their way."

Su Yuntao patted his chest.

"No problem, we're brothers!"

After walking out of the Spirit Hall Branch, Huo Si took Chu Youwei and Long Weiguo to buy a carriage, then immediately departed.

"Brother Weiguo, you're amazing. You even know how to drive a carriage."

Chu Youwei looked at Long Weiguo with envy.

"I'm not that great at it. It's just that my family had a horse farm when I was a kid. There were places where cars couldn't enter, so we had to use horse-drawn carriages."

Long Weiguo scratched his head.

Huo Si slowly lowered the carriage curtain. Behind them, another carriage followed closely, escorted by several sturdy men on horseback.

"It seems the people we provoked have quite a bit of influence in Nuoding City."

"Weiguo, once we're out of Nuoding City, find a secluded spot and take care of them."

The moment he saw the emblem on that carriage, Huo Si knew the other party's identity. They weren't from the Spirit Hall, and once their identities were exposed, there was no need for them to continue existing.

"Yes, sir!"

"Giddy up!!!"

In a certain mountain forest, Huo Si slowly stepped out of the carriage, with Chu Youwei following close behind.

"Run! Why aren't you running anymore!"

"Haha, you won't be able to escape today even if you grew wings!!"

"I'm just curious, you were a beggar three days ago, how are you suddenly so wealthy!!!"

Huo Si stepped onto the ground and straightened his black silk garment.

He looked up at the ten sturdy men on horseback and the carriage stopped not far away.

"Do you really think you have me cornered?"

As soon as the words left his lips, Huo Si slowly lowered his raised right hand.

Bang~! Bang~!! Bang~!!!

The moment his hand fell, a series of gunshots rang out.

Sparks flickered like tongues of fire.

On horseback, the lead man's expression changed.

Two white spirit rings flashed. Before he could even release his spirit, his head exploded instantly, and he fell from his horse.

One, three, five, nine!

By the time the last man's yellow and white spirit rings lit up, he had finally managed to release his spirit. He kicked his horse's leg to break it, and as the horse neighed, he actually tried to use the animal as a shield against the gunfire.

Long Weiguo immediately put away his pistol and raised the assault rifle that had been hanging around his neck.

The caliber of a pistol couldn't tear through a horse's flesh, but an assault rifle was different. Its terrifying caliber tore through the horse's body and skeleton, piercing straight through the man hiding behind it.

Puchi~! Puchi~!! Puchi~!!!

"Argh~!!!"

Huo Si frowned.

"You could have died without any pain, but your own cleverness forced you to choose the most painful way to go."

In the carriage, an old man widened his eyes, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.

"How is this possible!"

Long Weiguo instantly raised his assault rifle, pulled the trigger, and opened fire without a word.

Bang~! Bang~!! Bang~!!!

A pistol's power was low, so hitting the body might not kill, which made headshots necessary. But when you're holding an assault rifle, it doesn't matter where you aim; a single burst is enough to kill anyone.

"Money Shield!"

The old man raised his hand. Two yellow spirit rings appeared instantly, and a golden shield in his hand blocked the violent line of fire.

Clang, clang, clang~!!!

Sparks flew from the shield as dents began to appear across its surface.

"Quite tough!"

Long Weiguo gritted his teeth and began to fire in controlled bursts.

The bullet holes were like pits, precisely marking the trajectory of the previous shot. After three rounds, combined with the groundwork he had already laid, the elder's Money Escape was pierced in an instant.

"Young Master, run!"

BANG!

The elder's head exploded instantly, white brain matter scattering across the ground.

Thump-thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

Long Weiguo's heart hammered violently. Having personally killed eleven cultivators of the Douluo World, his blood began to boil, and his battle intent climbed to its peak.

He lowered his assault rifle, his right hand decisively reaching for the grenade at his waist, his gaze locked firmly on the carriage.

"Leave no survivors. I already know who they are—just kill them all."

Seeing Long Weiguo staring vigilantly at the carriage but hesitating to pull the grenade pin, Huo Si gave the order.

Click!

Upon hearing Huo Si's words, Long Weiguo did not hesitate in the slightest and pulled the pin.

With a powerful throw, the grenade slid through a gap and into the carriage.

ROAR!

Two yellow and one purple soul rings flashed, and the phantom of a turtle with gold coins carved into its shell slowly emerged.

BOOM!

The carriage exploded violently.

A severed arm, emitting a faint trace of soul power, flew out.

"Arghhh!!!"

A shrill scream rang out instantly, and the Soul Master's martial soul shattered.

"Damn, a Soul Master can tank a grenade?"

Huo Si hurriedly looked at the carriage, which had been blown to pieces.

The screaming slowly faded.

"No, you can't kill me, I am from the Jin Family of Nuoding City..."

HUM!

A youth in tattered clothes, his chest torn apart, reached desperately toward his waist with his right hand and pulled out a token made of gold.

Huo Si's expression shifted slightly, and he snatched the pistol from Chu Youwei's waist.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The youth's breath ceased completely. Forcing back his nausea, Huo Si crouched down and slowly reached for the storage pouch at the youth's waist.

"Not a bad haul... to actually obtain a storage soul tool."

Huo Si summoned his martial soul.

The moment the little snake appeared in his hand, it acted timidly, but the instant it flicked its tongue, its eyes turned cold.

Huo Si slowly lowered his hand. The little snake frantically licked the blood, then opened its mouth...

Watching the creature struggle to open its tiny mouth, unable to even swallow a finger, Huo Si's mouth twitched.

After disposing of the bodies, the trio followed the map to the outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest. They presented their token and entered the forest under the respectful gazes of the guards.

"The only benefit of a Spirit Hall identity token is the transcendent status it holds in the hearts of ordinary, low-level soul masters."

"The air in the mountains is truly refreshing."