He took two more cleaned whole chickens from his ring, skewered them over the fire, and began roasting them patiently. His technique was far more practiced than it had been when he dismantled the Soul Tools earlier.
Sure enough, every trade had its own specialty. He still needed to practice this one more often.
As for the young man in black, Su Luoheng had carried him into the tent. After the treatment earlier, his injuries had mostly stabilized.
If he still couldn't pull through after all that, then there was nothing left to do but accept the loss.
Su Luoheng had already done everything he could.
"Tszz—"
Before long, the fragrant roast meat gave off a rich, savory aroma that made mouths water.
As he roasted the chickens, Su Luoheng also began studying his Soul Skill.
He had barely absorbed the Second Soul Ring before the Blood Flame Bee King came seeking revenge. Then he had fled all the way here. He still hadn't had a chance to sit down and properly examine his Soul Skill.
As it turned out, this Soul Skill was quite unusual.
With a thought, Soul Power began gathering in his palm, gradually taking the shape of a long sword.
A moment later, a flash of light passed, and the Soul Power solidified into a brand-new Ice Rain Sword in his hand.
After checking the state of his Soul Power, Su Luoheng took out the Ice Rain Sword he had forged and compared the two. In appearance, there was nothing wrong. The projected Ice Rain Sword could operate just like the real one, down to the details and Soul Guidance Arrays.
If he didn't say anything, no one could tell that this Ice Rain Sword had been formed from Soul Power!
Chapter 64: Weapon Projection
"Clang—"
He then took a sword in each hand and crossed them against each other.
The original Ice Rain Sword remained pristine, while the one formed from Soul Power developed a tiny chip where the blades collided.
"As expected, there's a difference in quality..."
Seeing this, Su Luoheng murmured thoughtfully.
This was the Soul Skill granted by the Red Gold Bear's Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
He couldn't say it was even remotely similar to the ability the Red Gold Bear had controlled. In fact, it had absolutely nothing to do with it.
That was why Su Luoheng had been so stunned at the time.
Second Soul Skill: Weapon Projection.
As the name suggested, he could use an original weapon as a model and expend Soul Power to construct a real weapon. It worked without any abnormalities. The amount of Soul Power required depended on the weapon's type and quality, but tests showed that a projected weapon was inferior in quality to the genuine article.
Although it had nothing to do with the Red Gold Bear, it fit perfectly with his First Soul Skill.
More accurately, this Second Soul Skill seemed like an extension of his First Soul Skill. After Su Luoheng used his Analysis Soul Skill to leave a mark on his Unlimited Blade Works Martial Soul, he could project that type of weapon again with only a small expenditure of Soul Power. And as long as he had enough Soul Power, there was no limit to how many he could make.
So the best way to use his Second Soul Skill was in combination with his First Soul Skill.
It also had no time limit. Once he activated the Soul Skill and projected a weapon, it was a real weapon.
All in all, the Second Soul Skill was quite good.
It could be considered another way to enhance the Analysis function of his First Soul Skill: it transformed a construct into a physical object.
The forest at night was especially quiet.
The clear moonlight spilled over the simply assembled temporary campsite.
While Su Luoheng was studying his Second Soul Skill, the young man in black inside the tent twitched his eyelids. After some effort, he finally woke up.
Where... was this?
And why was he here?
"..."
He opened his eyes, confusion filling them.
The memories from before he lost consciousness surged back like a tide, finally settling on the moment he had collapsed after killing his two attackers.
He remembered now. He had been ambushed!
Then this place was...
The naturally cautious young man suddenly sat up.
"Gah..."
But a moment later, pain shot through his body, and he couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath. His sudden movement had pulled at the wound in his abdomen.
His brow furrowed, and beads of sweat covered his forehead.
Fresh spots of blood seeped through the bandages around his waist, staining them red once more.
"I really am badly hurt..." the young man in black muttered with a self-deprecating smile.
Just then, something seemed to occur to him, and a hint of panic flashed across his face.
His heart tightening, he abruptly lifted the thin blanket covering him. He was still wearing the same tattered black robe, stained all over with blood.
At the sight, his expression eased.
Then he checked himself carefully.
Only after confirming that nothing on him had been touched did his expression finally settle, and he let out a long breath.
"Good, good..."
His taut nerves finally relaxed.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the entrance.
At the sound, the young man in black grew wary again.
"Tap, tap—tap, tap—"
At the same time, light footsteps approached. Soon, the flaps on either side of the tent entrance were pulled apart, and Su Luoheng walked in after hearing movement inside.
He greeted the young man in black, who was already awake.
"You really did wake up. You're recovering pretty quickly."
"You are..."
The young man in black paused. The newcomer's appearance seemed familiar.
He was certain he had seen him before, but there were too many faces he could recall, and he couldn't place him right away.
He ventured, "We've met before, haven't we?"
"Candied hawthorn."
At the reminder, the young man in black immediately remembered.
"You're the little brother from that day!"
"Did you save me?"
"Mm." Su Luoheng smiled and nodded, then took out a candied hawthorn skewer. "What a coincidence. I saw you lying by the roadside just now, so I picked you up and brought you here."
"How are you feeling now? Do you need any more help?"
"Thank you, little brother."
The young man smiled weakly, his face pale, then shook his head. "I feel much better now. I still have healing pills with me, so don't worry."
"I'll be right outside. Just call if you need anything."
Su Luoheng nodded and turned to leave.
But just as the young man went to take out a pill, he suddenly realized there was no response.
Huh?
Where was his Soul Tool?
The young man in black looked down in confusion. A moment later, he froze.
Both his hands were completely bare. The bracelets, rings, and other Soul Tools he had been wearing had all vanished without a trace. If he could still take something out, that would be a real miracle.
So...
Where had his Soul Tools gone?
Thinking of this, he looked toward the person who had already reached the entrance.
"Little brother, wait!"
"Hmm?"
The young man in black shook his wrist and asked, "Little brother, when you saved me, did you see the Soul Tools I was wearing?"
"Oh, those. I almost forgot!"
He slapped his forehead and replied without changing his expression, "I was afraid they'd get lost on the road, so I picked them all up for you. See if anything's missing."
As he spoke, Su Luoheng took out the bundle of Soul Tools he had been clutching.
His clear eyes brimmed with sincerity, as though he really had done it only out of concern.
"Well, thank you for that, little brother..." The young man in black saw through the act without calling him on it, and thanked him with a knowing smile.
"It was the least I could do..."
Su Luoheng's smile, meanwhile, was a little awkward.
"..."
"Oh, no!"
After a moment's silence, Su Luoheng suddenly cried out and knocked his forehead in dismay. "The chickens outside are still roasting! You rest here. I have to go check on them, or they'll burn!"
Without waiting for the young man to reply, he hurried out of the tent.
Watching him go, the young man in black wore the faintest curve of a smile. This little fellow was quite interesting!
Then he took out a pill and began recovering.
Half an hour later.
The bonfire in front of the campsite blazed fiercely.
The two chickens on the grill were turned back and forth. Fat dripped down with a sizzle, filling the air with a rich, enticing aroma.
Su Luoheng sat before the fire, focused on turning the chickens.
Their fragrance wafted all around.
The young man recovering inside the tent naturally caught the smell of the roast chicken. The tempting aroma stirred his stomach, which began to growl even though he hadn't felt hungry before.
The interruption made it impossible for him to keep meditating and recovering.
He stopped treating his wounds and got to his feet, leaving the tent.
Hearing the sound, Su Luoheng looked back. The young man in black had changed into a clean set of clothes. Some color had returned to his formerly pale face, but he still looked rather weak.
Chapter 65: Xu Jinyu
Su Luoheng asked, "How are you feeling?"
"More or less..." The young man in black pointed to his abdomen and smiled bitterly. "The rest of the injuries will need a while to heal. I forgot to ask earlier, little brother. What's your name?"
"Su Luoheng. And you?"
"My name is Xu Jinyu."
Before you continue