Searching

In the Soul Hunting Forest, Xiao Wu felt like she had nothing to do.

The team Jiang Jiu had hired was so solid that there was no need for her to do anything.

Of course, that was for the best.

Unless absolutely necessary, she didn't want to be a "rabbit traitor," either.

But Jiang Jiu's search for a suitable Soul Beast wasn't going as smoothly as finding people to help him had.

"Most of the Soul Beasts around here are Ten-Year Soul Beasts. Let's go deeper," the Nuoding Dean decided.

He had the highest Soul Power here, and the Soul Hunting would mostly depend on him, so naturally no one objected.

They headed inward from the outskirts and searched for a while before finally encountering their first Hundred-Year Soul Beast.

"We've run into another Variegated Cat. Teacher, this one looks like it's just over a hundred years old." Tang San sounded uncertain.

He had confidently identified all the Ten-Year Soul Beasts they'd encountered earlier. Now, seeing a creature that looked like a Hundred-Year Soul Beast, he couldn't help looking toward Yu Xiaogang.

"Not bad." Yu Xiaogang nodded in approval, then praised him. "Xiao San, you've got a solid grasp of your knowledge."

Then he continued, "If your Martial Soul is feline, this Hundred-Year Variegated Cat would be a very good choice."

Xiao Wu leaned over and whispered into Jiang Jiu's ear, "Xiao Jiu, what kind of First Soul Skill do you want?"

"Something like your Waist Bow would be pretty good."

The Waist Bow was a Soul Skill that enhanced waist strength and bodily flexibility. It was a fairly good choice.

Percentage-based enhancement Soul Skills like this were especially effective when the user had trained their own physical stats to a high level.

"Then keep an eye out for other feline Soul Beasts, Xiao Jiu. Absorbing one could very well give you a Waist Bow. Of course, this Variegated Cat is a little too young, so it's not suitable."

Xiao Wu was trying to redirect the danger elsewhere. The idea had only occurred to her after seeing that Variegated Cat.

The Waist Bow wasn't exclusive to the Soft Bone Rabbit clan. Cats and leopards were pretty good at it, too, and their versions had evolved to emphasize different things.

Soft Bone Rabbits mostly used the Waist Bow to escape and dodge predators, while fierce tigers and leopards used it for hunting.

"Felines?"

That ruled out bears and wolves for the most part.

Lions, tigers, leopards, and cats?

Xiao Wu's suggestion made sense to him.

There were no particularly prominent high-bloodline Soul Beasts among rabbit types, so when choosing a Soul Ring, the Soul Skill mattered most.

Soul Skills came about through the combined effect of a Martial Soul and a Soul Beast's Soul Ring. If the two shared some common traits, that made for a good choice.

It wasn't that he couldn't absorb a bear or wolf Soul Beast. Either one might even grant him a Waist Bow. It was just that the connection would be weaker.

When there was a decent option, there was no need to gamble on something more unpredictable.

A day passed, and they still hadn't seen a Soul Beast suited to Jiang Jiu.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang had pointed out several Plant-type Soul Beasts that would suit Tang San as candidates for his Second Soul Ring.

Of course, they were only backups, since they were all a little too young.

"That's enough for today," the Nuoding Dean said, glancing at the sky.

"Thank you for your hard work, Dean and Grandmaster."

"It's nothing. Don't rush. Soul Hunting trips that last several days are perfectly normal," the Nuoding Dean reassured him.

Yu Xiaogang added, "A suitable Soul Beast might show up tonight."

But his stiff expression shifted again. "Though it'd be better if it didn't."

What had happened six months ago had turned out well, but the process had been anything but pleasant. He'd nearly lost his life.

"Let's find somewhere to rest first."

They retraced their steps toward the outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest. Setting up camp closer to the edge would be safer.

Tang San and the others had only encountered a three- or four-hundred-year-old Mandala Snake by sheer coincidence.

Normally, once they had made the proper preparations to repel snakes and insects, the most they could expect at night was the occasional Ten-Year Soul Beast.

"Xiaogang, do you think we can make a fire here?"

"Best not. What if we attract a Thousand-Year Soul Beast?"

Yu Xiaogang knew what his friend meant.

A campfire at night might attract powerful Soul Beasts drawn to the light, and one of them might even be suitable for Jiang Jiu.

As long as it wasn't a Thousand-Year Soul Beast, the Nuoding Dean could hold his own. Anything under four hundred years would be easy for him to handle.

But Yu Xiaogang had been frightened by that Mandala Snake last time. There was no need to take the risk.

The night passed quietly, without a single Soul Beast bothering them. Perhaps it was the "presence" of a Soul Ancestor, or perhaps the medicinal powder Tang San had prepared had done the trick.

"You three little ones are up early."

The Nuoding Dean and Yu Xiaogang had taken turns keeping watch. Yu Xiaogang was a twenty-ninth-level Soul Grandmaster, after all, so standing watch was no problem for him.

Beside a large tree, Jiang Jiu and Xiao Wu woke up leaning against each other. Their body clocks were as punctual as ever. Tang San sat nearby, leaning against another tree.

"Dean, thanks for your hard work," Jiang Jiu said softly. It never hurt to be polite.

"You're not even seven yet. Why are you acting like an old man?" The Nuoding Dean waved a hand, telling him not to say things like that.

"And you, Tang San. You should show a little more energy. Neither of you is as lively as Xiao Wu."

"Of course, I'm just saying. Don't take it too seriously."

"Once Xiaogang wakes up, we'll set off again."

Tang San smiled wryly. He didn't think there was anything wrong with seeming old, considering he'd lived two lives.

Jiang Jiu, on the other hand, was so mature at such a young age.

Tang San had no idea that Jiang Jiu, too, had the mind of an adult.

And the most childish one among the three was actually the one who had lived the longest: a little rabbit who was a hundred thousand years old.

"Xiao Jiu, did you hear that? You should learn from me!"

"Yes, yes."

After Yu Xiaogang, who had kept watch for half the night, woke up, they got ready and continued deeper into the Soul Hunting Forest.

They kept going until midday.

"Xiao San, we've really found a candidate for your Second Soul Ring. We just have to hope this Ghost Vine is still here by the time you reach level twenty."

"Teacher, that Ghost Vine looks to be around five or six hundred years old." Tang San could see the Ghost Vine Yu Xiaogang had described, even from a distance.

"That thing's not easy to deal with. We'd better keep our distance."

The Nuoding Dean remembered that this trip was supposed to be for Jiang Jiu's Soul Ring.

They'd run into such a rare six-hundred-year Plant-type Soul Beast, yet somehow they still hadn't found even one Soul Beast suitable for Jiang Jiu.

After carefully memorizing its location, they backed away and began circling around.

Although Soul Beasts weren't distributed in perfectly distinct layers, there was still some general order to their ranges.

They were more likely to find Hundred-Year Soul Beasts under four hundred years old farther out than this six-hundred-year Ghost Vine.

"We found one!" Xiao Wu tugged at Jiang Jiu's arm.

She had spotted a suitable Soul Beast.

When it came to identifying a Soul Beast's age, she was no worse than Yu Xiaogang.