The Operation Begins

"Get ready."

Watching Ouyang Ling and the accompanying Soul Sage set off for the Star Dou Great Forest, Qian Renxue withdrew her gaze. At that moment, there was no longer worry in her eyes, only a chilling coldness and palpable killing intent.

"Yes."

Ci Xue and She Long acknowledged the order before disappearing from sight.

Qian Renxue, meanwhile, made some preparations and entered the palace disguised as a maid.

Because Xue Qinghe would be leaving on a hunting trip in three days.

So...

After years of lying in wait, the time had come! It was time to replace the pillar with a rotten beam!

Several days later.

The midday sun shone down as a carriage slowly rolled into a small town outside the Star Dou Great Forest, coming to a stop as the dust settled.

"Young Master, we're here."

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Ouyang Ling was the first to jump down. He looked up at the sky, his face utterly calm.

It was not that he was unexcited about his thousand-year second Soul Ring finally being within reach, but rather that Qian Renxue's operation was underway far away in Heaven Dou City.

He had keenly sensed that Qian Renxue intended to replace Xue Qinghe.

Thinking back, when he had broken through to level 20 over two months ago, Qian Renxue had not sent anyone to help him obtain a Soul Ring. Instead, she had made him intensify his training and consume more Whale Glue, delaying things until just a few days ago. It was likely because she wanted him far away from the coming storm.

Although he knew the outcome and had no need to worry, still...

He could not stop thinking about it.

"Hah... hoo..."

Taking a deep breath, he inhaled... then exhaled...

Ouyang Ling looked at the accompanying Soul Sage, who had just finished paying the fare. "Senior, the air near the Star Dou Great Forest really is fresh."

The Soul Sage did not respond to the remark and merely asked,

"Young Master, shall we enter the Star Dou Great Forest now?"

Ouyang Ling did not answer. Instead, he rubbed his chin.

"How long do you think it'll take us to find the Soul Beast we need?"

The sudden question left him momentarily stunned.

Only when Ouyang Ling glanced at him from the corner of his eye did he react. "Hm? Senior, why aren't you saying anything? You have plenty of experience. Give me an estimate."

Fortunately, the accompanying Soul Sage was indeed seasoned. His brief surprise seemed like an illusion and was already gone. In its place was an estimate based on his study of the map.

"...About ten days."

"Ten days. Is that enough?" Ouyang Ling asked.

The accompanying Soul Sage fell silent. "It's enough."

"But we won't need that long, right?"

The accompanying Soul Sage: "..."

Seeing him remain silent, looking all businesslike, Ouyang Ling could only shake his head. "Then let's set off. The timing is perfect."

He then looked toward the dense primordial forest. "If we're fast enough, we might get to spend a few more days experiencing the local customs in town."

"What do you think? Not bad, right?"

"...Fine."

"Then it's settled. When the time comes, I'll treat you to a drink, Senior."

After confirming the precise location of the Soul Beast they needed, Ouyang Ling and the accompanying Soul Sage headed toward the forest. Before long, they entered it, with the latter clearing the way and the former following close behind.

Unlike last time,

To prevent any Soul Beasts from failing to recognize their place, the accompanying Soul Sage fully released his aura, making ninety-nine percent of the Soul Beasts in the outer region too afraid to approach.

Their target had already been decided, so there was no need to spare a glance for anything along the way.

At the same time, also in the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Teacher, how much longer do we have to search?"

A middle-aged man swept aside the vines blocking their path, then turned and glared irritably at the chubby boy following behind him. "Do you think it's easy to find a suitable Soul Ring? Searching for ten days or half a month wouldn't be unusual. It's only been two days, and you're already complaining."

"Huh?!"

Upon hearing it would take that long, the chubby boy's vision went dark.

He regretted it deeply now. If he had known, he would have gone to the Soul Beast Forest instead. It was all Xiao Ao's fault! Xiao Ao had said the Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest were better and had completely tempted him.

As his teacher, the middle-aged man knew exactly what his disciple was thinking whenever the boy so much as stuck out his backside.

With a single glance, the middle-aged man guessed his thoughts. However, he did not try too hard to persuade him and merely said coldly,

"So, do you still want to keep looking?"

"Yes! Of course!"

At those words, the chubby boy instantly jolted upright.

Complaining was one thing, but he still needed his Soul Ring.

He still wanted to become a powerful Soul Master and bring honor to his family!

"If you want to search, then stop talking and move!"

At that moment, the middle-aged man abruptly stopped. His gaze beneath his glasses instantly locked onto a direction, his round pupils shifting into sharp vertical slits like those of a raptor poised to strike.

A red blur flashed beneath a distant tree.

When the red blur paused, a completely crimson rat entered the middle-aged man's sight, vigilantly scanning its surroundings.

A Fire Rat, a Soul Beast over three hundred years old.

The middle-aged man made his judgment at a glance.

"What luck. We found a Soul Beast suitable for you."

Before the middle-aged man could remind him, the chubby boy blurted out,

"Really?!"

Unable to contain his delight, he shouted.

The enormous commotion immediately startled the Fire Rat. It did not even look to see who it was before turning into a red blur and fleeing into the distance!

Naturally, they could not let their hard-won prey escape.

Without time to scold the chubby boy, the middle-aged man grabbed him and gave chase.

Unfortunately, the forest was dense, while the Fire Rat was small and incredibly fast, able to weave continuously through the trees.

The middle-aged man, on the other hand, was powerful but far too large. With a burden in tow, he could not accelerate and could only trail behind the Fire Rat.

If not for his Martial Soul giving him an advantage in this situation, that Fire Rat of over three hundred years would have shaken him off long ago.

Having locked onto his target, the middle-aged man pursued it relentlessly.

Even if he could not catch it right away, he remained patient. After all, once a Soul Beast of only three hundred years had gone all out and was forced to flee for its life, how long could it possibly keep that up?

Perhaps realizing this, despite its limited intelligence, the creature's instincts began helping it seek a way out.

In the end, the Fire Rat fixed its eyes on a certain direction.

It had just fled from there because a very powerful creature was releasing its aura and continuously claiming territory.

If it led the equally powerful creature chasing it over there, the intruder would surely become enraged. That way, the creature behind it would have no time to continue chasing it with its young.

Thus, the Fire Rat immediately changed direction.

Seeing that, the middle-aged man shouted, "Chase it!"

"Beyond this point is the Mixed Zone."

The accompanying Soul Sage checked the markings on the map. "Once we enter the Mixed Zone, our destination won't be far."

"That was really fast."

Ouyang Ling spoke casually, but his eyes kept scanning the surroundings.

This place was fraught with danger. Although having a Soul Sage protecting him at close range meant there was a ninety-nine percent chance nothing would happen, there was still that one percent.

For example...

Right now!

The accompanying Soul Sage's expression did not change. "A Soul Beast is approaching."

A streak of fire shot toward them. Ouyang Ling, already in Martial Soul Possession, had long been prepared and immediately made his judgment.

"It's coming for me."

A sphere of water condensed in his palm. "Pfft—"

It sounded like a small stone falling into water, yet the water sphere's eruption far exceeded what that sound suggested.

"Let me put out your fire."

The instant it flew from his hand, "Gurgle, gurgle—"

In the blink of an eye, the water sphere expanded into a wave of jade-colored water surging toward the streak of fire.

The fiery streak was like a flame facing an ocean wave. Before it could dodge, it was swept into the Jade Waves and revealed its true form.

Ouyang Ling turned his palm into a pointing finger, and frost burst forth. At the same time the Jade Waves bound the fiery streak, he froze it in place.

Everything happened in a flash.

At that moment, the accompanying Soul Sage's expression tightened.

"There's another one behind it!"