It's Gold!

The next morning, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Before Teacher Zhao could get up and call for Zhong Ren, Su Ge had already emerged from his meditation, walked downstairs, and started eating breakfast on his own.

When the others arrived one after another, Ning Rongrong sidled up to him, her eyes filled with a hint of surprise as she looked at Su Ge.

"Su Ge, did you... break through again?"

Ning Rongrong was the closest to Su Ge, and since he had only just broken through, his soul power aura had not yet fully receded, allowing her to perceive it keenly.

Hearing Ning Rongrong's words, the others looked over as well, their eyes filled with a touch of bewilderment.

If they remembered correctly, hadn't Su Ge broken through to level forty-five just the day before yesterday?

"I had a slight epiphany, just good fortune."

He did not offer much of an explanation, nor was he under any obligation to do so, and the group tacitly chose not to press the matter.

Only Zhu Zhuqing looked at Su Ge, the expression in her eyes growing a fraction more resolute.

Before she could truly feel herself growing stronger, the education she had received since childhood had not been enough to give her the determination to break free from her shackles.

But Su Ge's appearance and the improvement in his strength had allowed her to truly see hope!

Sitting on the other side, Xiao Wu couldn't help but mutter to herself. She always felt that Su Ge was more eager to transform into a soul beast than she was. She clearly hadn't been suppressing her soul power level, yet she still couldn't keep up with Su Ge—he simply wasn't human!

The group sat with their own thoughts, digesting the news that Su Ge had grown stronger yet again.

Everyone was a genius with at least innate level seven soul power, so how had a monster like him managed to slip into their ranks?

"Ahem, once you've finished eating, it's time to move out. Our main goal this time is to hunt a suitable thousand-year soul beast for Oscar."

"However, I will not intervene until we encounter a thousand-year soul beast. You are a single unit; remember to coordinate with one another, understand?"

The group nodded in succession, but Teacher Zhao turned his gaze toward the silent Su Ge.

"I won't intervene easily either, don't worry, Teacher Zhao."

He swallowed his last bun, felt Teacher Zhao's gaze, immediately understood his meaning, and waved his hand in response.

"In that case, let's move out!"

Hearing Su Ge's agreement, he breathed a sigh of relief; after all, the trip was intended to build the team's chemistry.

If Su Ge chose to intervene, then even if he himself didn't act, any soul beast under ten thousand years wouldn't stand a chance against this team!

After entering the Star Dou Great Forest, the group advanced toward the depths in the formation they had discussed beforehand.

In the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest, thousand-year soul beasts were relatively rare, so they needed to push deeper to hunt for a third soul ring.

Su Ge continued to leap between the branches, walking at the very front of the team and observing the surrounding environment.

At the same time, the pressure faintly radiating from him caused soul beasts to avoid them, allowing them to travel unimpeded.

Although he intentionally controlled his speed, the pace he displayed was not a whit inferior to an average agility-attack system Soul Emperor!

Moreover, he moved with such minimal disturbance that even Zhu Zhuqing found it difficult for a moment to tell whether Su Ge was an assault-attack or an agility-attack soul master.

After advancing for a distance, the group found a place to rest, while Su Ge leaned against a treetop, estimating the time.

Suddenly, he sensed a subtle movement, as if something were moving at high speed!

It's here!

He stood up and called down to the others: "Get up, something is approaching."

Before Teacher Zhao could even react, he moved like an arrow released from a bow, disappearing from his position amidst a few falling leaves.

By the time Teacher Zhao noticed the commotion, Su Ge had already returned with the information.

He stood on a treetop and said to the group below: "A thousand-year Phoenix-Tail Cockscomb Serpent being hunted. It's about fifteen hundred years old, quite suitable for Oscar."

Before the group could even be surprised by Su Ge's efficiency and knowledge of soul beasts, they heard a rustling sound. Even support-system soul masters like Ning Rongrong and Oscar could feel that something was moving at high speed!

"Su Ge, don't let it get away!"

Feeling the Phoenix-Tail Cockscomb Serpent rushing toward them, Teacher Zhao called out to Su Ge on the treetop.

The latter glanced at Teacher Zhao upon hearing this. Even though he had mentioned that this soul beast was being hunted and was someone else's target, he was still choosing the path of least resistance?

However, he didn't say anything about it; the trouble wasn't his, anyway.

He instantly vanished from his spot. When the Phoenix-Tail Cockscomb Serpent charged toward the group and prepared to break through from Ning Rongrong's direction, Su Ge's figure appeared before her in the next instant. His martial soul manifested instantly, shielding Ning Rongrong.

He curled his fingers into claws, slammed them against the head of the Phoenix-Tail Cockscomb Serpent, pinched its jaws shut to prevent it from using its breath attack, and then smashed its head heavily into the ground!

The Phoenix-Tail Cockscomb Serpent, which had been moving at high speed, was slammed hard into the earth, head-first, its body sliding along the ground due to momentum!

"Done. However, I still suggest we meet the people hunting this beast and discuss the issue of its ownership."

Su Ge looked at the unconscious Phoenix-Tail Cockscomb Serpent on the ground and said tactfully to Teacher Zhao.

After all, anyone capable of hunting a thousand-year soul beast—especially one as fast as a Phoenix-Tail Cockscomb Serpent—had to be at least an agility-attack Soul Ancestor or a Soul King above level fifty.

There was even a chance they might be "gold"—high-level experts. If they snatched the prey and couldn't reach an agreement, things would get interesting.

"What are you afraid of? If it weren't for us, could the hunters have actually caught it? Besides, if someone really comes looking for trouble, don't I have your back?"

Teacher Zhao waved his hand dismissively. One had to know that experts at the Soul Saint level and above were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns on this continent. He had snatched a mere thousand-year soul beast; how many people would dare to gossip about it?

"Little Ao, do it now, lest there be complications."

As he spoke, he handed Oscar a dagger, telling him to pierce the brain through the serpent's fleshy crest to claim the soul ring.

Since Teacher Zhao had already made his decision, Su Ge stopped trying to dissuade him; he had said what needed to be said.

In any case, he only wanted to see if the Human-Faced Demon Spider hunted by the Dragon Duke would produce an external soul bone; the process didn't affect his plans.

Because Su Ge's intervention had saved a significant amount of time, even though Snake Granny heard the voices from the front, she was too late to stop them, as Oscar had already plunged the dagger in!

"How dare you!"

When that purple soul ring appeared, Snake Granny's voice rang out, filled with a hint of fury.

Su Ge knew then that a grudge had been forged today!

Two figures emerged from the direction the Phoenix-Tail Cockscomb Serpent had come from—an old woman and a young girl. They were, presumably, Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang and her granddaughter, Meng Yiran.