This Is a Ten-Year Lone Bamboo

A gleam lit up in Yu Xiaogang's eyes, and his voice trembled slightly. "Xiao San, do you really think so?"

This disciple was the sensible one. Taking him on had not been a loss.

Unlike that unruly Lu Yuan.

Once they returned from obtaining the Soul Ring, he would definitely have Xiao San defeat that fellow with his own hands.

He would make him understand that without his guidance, he would not get far on the path of a Soul Master.

Tang San said, "Absolutely."

"Xiao San~"

"Teacher~"

Notting Academy.

Just after class, Lu Yuan received a message from Teacher Mo Hen.

He learned that Yu Xiaogang and Tang San had already left Notting Academy.

Lu Yuan guessed that the two were going to hunt for a Soul Ring. Planning to interfere, he immediately called Tang Wutong over.

"Wutong, go catch up with Tang San and Yu Xiaogang. Be careful not to let Tang Hao discover you first."

"Once they reach the Soul Hunting Forest, find a way to guide Tang San into absorbing the Soul Ring of a Ten-Year Lone Bamboo. Don't let him absorb any other Soul Ring."

Tang Wutong nodded slightly and carefully memorized the instructions. "I understand."

"Go on. Don't waste time." Lu Yuan smiled and waved a hand.

There was not much point in deliberately preventing Tang San from absorbing the Mandrake Snake's Soul Ring.

After all, the Mandrake Snake's Soul Ring could hardly be considered some great opportunity.

But he was truly curious whether Tang San would really gain the Blue Silver Pole Vault soul skill after absorbing a Ten-Year Lone Bamboo.

Meanwhile.

Soul Hunting Forest.

Using a Spirit Hall warrant, Yu Xiaogang had the guards stationed at the entrance clear a passage for them.

Standing at the outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest, Xiaogang did not hurry onward.

He bent slightly, brought his hands together before his chest, then swiftly spread them downward. "Come out, Luo Sanpao!"

With a puffing fart, a cloud of purple smoke burst from between Yu Xiaogang's palms.

A Purple-Skinned Boar leaped out from the smoke.

"Xiao San, this is my martial soul. You can call it Luo Sanpao, or simply Sanpao."

Yu Xiaogang's face was full of bitterness. "It exists apart from me because it is a malignantly mutated martial soul."

"Sanpao, go clear the way ahead."

"Luo luo."

The plump purple Luo Sanpao waddled forward, shaking its head and swaying its body. It was fairly nimble, sniffing at things as it went.

Before long, Yu Xiaogang raised a hand and pointed at a bamboo stalk by the roadside.

"Determining a soul beast's age is not difficult. Look, there is a Lone Bamboo ahead."

"That is also a soul beast, a plant-type soul beast."

"It would be useful to you. Lone Bamboo is characterized by its toughness. Its attack power is not particularly strong, but its defense is decent."

"This is a ten-year Lone Bamboo, because it is no more than ten meters tall. Only those over ten meters count as hundred-year ones."

Tang San said, "Teacher, should we hunt this Lone Bamboo?"

Yu Xiaogang said, "Not yet. If we do not find a more suitable option, then it will be our last choice."

"Lone Bamboo..."

Hidden on a distant tree branch, Tang Wutong heard Yu Xiaogang's intention to have Tang San absorb a Lone Bamboo with her keen hearing, and she could not help but freeze.

She had originally thought it would be troublesome to lure Tang San into absorbing a Ten-Year Lone Bamboo.

Now, it seemed it would not be so difficult after all.

Lu Yuan came to the second-floor cafeteria, casually ordered one meat dish and one vegetable dish, then carried his tray to an empty seat.

He still had some money, so he did not need to worry about food or drink for the time being.

Even if he ran out of money, with the strength of his protector Tang Wutong, earning more would be easy.

"That guy looks like one of this year's new students."

Just as he took a bite of rice, a voice suddenly rang out.

Following the voice, Lu Yuan turned his head and saw a group of older students gathered around a nearby table, all staring at him.

The speaker was a delicate-looking boy around eleven or twelve years old, somewhat more handsome than Tang San.

Seeing Lu Yuan look their way, the boy waved and approached with a group of lackeys behind him.

"What's your name?" the boy asked.

Lu Yuan replied blandly, "Shouldn't you introduce yourself before asking my name?"

The boy laughed. "Haha, you've got personality. My name is Xiao Chenyu. My father is the City Lord of Notting City, and I'm the boss of the students in this academy."

"My name is Lu Yuan. What do you want?" Lu Yuan asked calmly.

Xiao Chenyu said, "You're new here, so you might not understand the rules."

"From now on, you call me Boss. I'll look after you. Understand?"

"Call you Boss?"

Lu Yuan shook his head with a laugh. "Xiao Chenyu, honestly, even if you volunteered to become my lackey, I might not be willing to take you."

"You're insulting me?!" Xiao Chenyu roared furiously.

Lu Yuan said, "I'm only speaking the truth. It just happens to hurt."

"Boss Xiao, this kid has never had a proper beating. Give him one and he'll behave."

"Boss, this guy still doesn't know how formidable you are. A new student who just arrived at the academy is already this arrogant. Even I want to beat him up."

"Boss Xiao, get him! Beat him until he's crawling around looking for his teeth!"

The lackeys surrounding them began shouting encouragement.

Boss Xiao said in a low voice, "My lackeys all want me to give you a beating. It's inconvenient to fight here. Do you dare come to the little woods behind the mountain and fight me?"

"What's there to be afraid of? If you want a slap across the face, would I stop you?"

Lu Yuan had no interest in continuing his meal. He stood up and headed straight downstairs.

"Hmph, let's go!"

Xiao Chenyu took the lead in following him, waving for his lackeys to come along.

First-floor cafeteria.

Xiao Wu was burying her head in the meal Wang Sheng had treated her to. When she saw Xiao Chenyu rush out of the cafeteria with his lackeys, all looking hurried, her face filled with confusion.

"Wang Sheng, what are Boss Xiao and the others doing?"

Wang Sheng, whose face was covered in pockmarks, shook his head. "Sister Xiao Wu, you think too highly of me. How would I know?"

"Come on, let's follow them and take a look." Xiao Wu said excitedly.

Soul Hunting Forest.

"A ten-year Groundhog is unsuitable for you."

"A ten-year Reticulated Python is too young."

"A three-hundred-year Witch Spider. This one is good... Huh, why did it disappear?"

"This is a four-hundred-year Mandrake Snake. Xiao San, this soul beast is extremely suitable for your Blue Silver Grass. A plant martial soul can still absorb a beast-type Soul Ring. Unfortunately, it died by the roadside for no apparent reason, likely killed by some bird-type soul beast."

Yu Xiaogang led Tang San around the Soul Hunting Forest, yet they never found a soul beast that met the requirements.

Either its age was too low, or it had died by the roadside.

They had finally encountered a Witch Spider, only for it to suddenly vanish without a trace.

If they were not worthless targets for anyone to scheme against, he would almost have suspected that someone was targeting them.

"What terrible luck." Yu Xiaogang sighed.

"Teacher, we have already stayed in the Soul Hunting Forest for five days. Our water and rations are nearly exhausted," Tang San said tiredly.