Spirit Hunting Forest

"Those with Innate Zero Soul Power are forbidden from entering."

Xu Zhou stood before the iron gate and read the notice from beginning to end.

The handwriting was very fresh.

The ink had not even dried yet.

Below the notice was Nuoding Academy's seal, dated today.

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed to have been written specifically for him.

"Stop looking."

The headmaster approached, carrying the remaining files.

"The Sealed Archive requires two teachers to open it together. You can't enter right now."

"Who put up this notice?"

"I did."

"Why?"

"That file from twenty-three years ago came out of the Sealed Archive."

The headmaster pointed at the yellowed paper in Xu Zhou's hand.

"Back then, someone believed that even Zero Soul Power could become a Soul Master. He cultivated according to the method in the file and ended up damaging his meridians. The academy sealed away all related materials afterward."

"Was that person really Level Twelve?"

"I don't know."

"What about the Soul Ring that appeared on its own?"

"I don't know either."

The headmaster answered without hesitation.

Anything that could not be investigated clearly was simply thrown into the Sealed Archive.

Given enough time, the Sealed Archive had naturally become a place that contained everything and could be trusted for nothing.

Xu Zhou did not ask further.

That file was indeed somewhat similar to his situation, but becoming a Soul Master within thirty days was more important right now.

If the deadline arrived and he had not even broken through to Level Ten, then even a guide to reaching Level One Hundred hidden in the Sealed Archive would be useless.

First, survive the early stage.

The mysteries ahead could be investigated slowly.

"Xu Zhou!"

Wang Sheng shouted from outside the archive room.

"Grandmaster Yu is looking for you! Tang San is going to the Spirit Hunting Forest!"

Xu Zhou immediately put away the file.

This was the original plotline that needed advancing right now.

Tang San had been at Nuoding Academy for so long, and the leader of Seventh Dormitory had already been chosen, yet his first Soul Ring still had not been obtained. If this dragged on any longer, the original-novel fans might just catch a snake themselves and stuff it into his bed.

When Xu Zhou left the archive room, Yu Xiaogang was already waiting outside.

Tang San stood beside him, a belt inlaid with twenty-four pieces of jade now around his waist.

Xu Zhou glanced at it twice.

"Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges at Night?"

Tang San raised a hand to block the belt.

"No."

"Twenty-four jade pieces."

"Coincidence."

"It can store things?"

"Just an ordinary ornament."

Xu Zhou nodded.

"Then lend it to me for two days."

"No."

Tang San answered far too quickly.

Clearly, he also knew how coveted this soul tool was.

Yesterday, people had been selling fake Tang Sect manuals. If others found out that Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges at Night had fallen into his hands today, then by tomorrow, at least ten identical belts would appear in Seventh Dormitory.

"Stop teasing him."

Yu Xiaogang took out a Soul Hunting Permit.

"The academy has approved me to take Tang San into the Spirit Hunting Forest. The Mandrake Snake route has failed, so we need to search for a suitable Soul Beast again."

"Do you have a target?"

"A direction, but no fixed target."

Yu Xiaogang opened the records in his hand.

"Ghost Vine, Solitary Bamboo, Thorn Grass, and certain snake-type Soul Beasts can all provide suitable abilities for Blue Silver Grass. The final choice will depend on age, condition, and actual combat effect."

This time, he had finally stopped chasing snakes while clutching the answer from the original story.

The events of the past few days had not been for nothing.

Theory had to be put into practice eventually.

Soul Beasts did not stay put. No matter how thoroughly one memorized things, one could only recite them to trees.

"I'm going too."

Xu Zhou spoke.

Yu Xiaogang did not agree immediately.

"You're not a Soul Master yet."

"I know."

"The Spirit Hunting Forest is not the academy. The Soul Beasts inside will not spare you just because you have Innate Zero Soul Power."

"I won't act alone."

Xu Zhou took out his auditor student wooden badge.

"The academy rules say I cannot enter the Spirit Hunting Forest alone. They do not say I cannot follow a guarantor."

After reading the terms on the back of the badge, Yu Xiaogang's brow gradually furrowed.

The rules did indeed say that.

When the academy had left that clause in place, the intent had been to let Xu Zhou follow teachers while studying records on Soul Beasts around the outskirts. They had not intended for him to enter now.

But not intending it did not mean it was forbidden.

"I object."

A teacher responsible for issuing permits approached from behind.

"Tang San is going to obtain a Soul Ring. Taking a child with no Soul Power into the forest will only increase the burden."

"Xu Zhou can handle attacks from Ghost Vine and Ironthorn Vine."

Yu Xiaogang looked at him.

"That was through records and baiting medicine."

"There are no ledgers in the Spirit Hunting Forest for him to check."

After speaking, the teacher added another stroke to the list of companions.

"When he encounters a Soul Beast, he won't even be able to run away."

The Black Ancient Book inside Xu Zhou turned a page.

[The other party believes that after entering the Spirit Hunting Forest, the host can only become a burden.]

[Judgment incorrect.]

[Cognitive Bias collected.]

Soul Power entered his body.

Xu Zhou did not argue at once.

This teacher's concern was not unreasonable.

He was currently concealing his Soul Power, and outwardly, he really was just an ordinary six-year-old child. If danger truly arose, the others would have to divide their attention to protect him.

If he wanted to enter, he had to prove that he was useful.

Xu Zhou took the Soul Hunting Permit and map from the table and placed them beside the Black Ancient Book.

A few breaths later, words appeared on the page.

[Proofreading has discovered an obvious contradiction.]

[Soul Hunting Permit entry point: East Gate Number Two.]

[Latest patrol record: East Gate Number Two was closed three days ago.]

[Reason: expansion of the Soul Beast Protection Experimental Zone.]

Xu Zhou turned the map toward the teacher.

"This permit cannot be used."

"Nonsense. It was issued this morning."

"The entrance was closed three days ago."

The teacher took it and examined it for a long time, then had someone bring the latest notice.

Sure enough.

The eastern entrance had been sealed.

The person responsible for processing permits had copied an old template, changed the date, but failed to change the entrance.

If they had set off according to this permit, they would have had to return and reapply after reaching the Spirit Hunting Forest.

"This is only a paperwork error."

The teacher filled out a new permit.

"Once inside the forest, you still won't be any help."

"I can inspect maps, patrol records, and Soul Beast ages."

Xu Zhou pointed at Tang San.

"Earlier, someone passed off an Ironthorn Vine over seven hundred years old as a four-hundred-year Soul Beast. The next one may not have two wooden signs hanging from it."

The teacher had nothing to say.

Tang San's first Soul Ring had now become a business.

Some people moved Soul Beasts.

Some forged attack records.

Others deliberately altered their ages.

Xu Zhou was not skilled in combat, but he could reduce the chances of them falling into traps.

From a certain perspective, that was more useful than bringing along another person who only knew how to chop Soul Beasts.

"I will ensure his safety."

Yu Xiaogang signed his name in the guarantor section.

The teacher could only issue Xu Zhou a temporary wooden pass.

"You may only enter the outskirts."

"You must not leave the group."

"Retreat immediately if you encounter danger."

"Understood."

Xu Zhou put away the wooden pass.

Just after they left the academy, a blade of Blue Silver Grass poked out from beside the wall.

Three maps of the Spirit Hunting Forest were tied to its leaves.

Tang San removed the top one.

"Who sent these?"

Xiao Wu ran out from the academy.

"The Soul Beast Protection Faction."

"How do you know?"

"There's a straw hat drawn on it."

The routes on the three maps were completely different.

The original-novel fans' version marked the place where the Mandrake Snake had originally appeared.

The anime fans' version was filled with visual effects and even marked which rock each Soul Beast was supposed to stand beside when it appeared.

The Soul Beast Protection Faction's map was the simplest.

Red areas prohibited hunting.

Yellow areas recommended negotiation.

Green areas could be passed through, but people were not to dig up grass carelessly.

Xu Zhou spread out the three maps, and the Black Ancient Book quickly compared them.

[The three maps contain conflicts.]

[The western river location is inconsistent.]

[Original-novel fans' map drawn: six years ago.]

[Anime fans' map lacks a scale.]

[Soul Beast Protection Faction map is missing the north.]

Xu Zhou picked up the last map.

"Why is the north missing?"

Xiao Wu glanced at the writing on the back of the blade of grass.

"They said the cartographer in the north got chased by a Mandrake Snake and didn't finish it."

Tang San rubbed his forehead.

His first Soul Ring had yet to be found, and the map already had three versions.

"Use the academy's official map."

Yu Xiaogang took out a stamped map.

Xu Zhou placed it beside the Black Ancient Book.

No contradictions appeared.

At least, the existing records matched one another.

"This one will do."

Just as the group reached the city gate, Wang Sheng came running after them again.

"Wait!"

He was panting heavily as he stuffed a new notice into Xu Zhou's hands.

"The betting odds for Spirit Hunting Forest have been updated."

"They're no longer betting on what kind of Soul Beast Tang San's first Soul Ring will be."

"Then what are they betting on?"

"Whether you can come out alive."

Xu Zhou lowered his head and looked.

If he could, the odds were ten to one.

If he couldn't, the odds were one to 1.2.

The number of bettors had already exceeded three hundred.

The Black Ancient Book flipped open on its own.

[A large number of targets believe the host cannot safely leave Spirit Hunting Forest.]

[Small Public Script forming.]

[Current number of believers: 317.]

[Formation requirement: 500.]

Xu Zhou folded up the notice and put it into his clothes.

"Keep going."

Wang Sheng froze for a moment.

"You're not angry?"

"What's there to be angry about?"

Xu Zhou looked toward Spirit Hunting Forest.

Still one hundred and eighty-three people short.

The bookmaker had better work harder.