Obtaining a Soul Ring

Notting Junior Soul Master Academy—Seventh Dormitory

Tang San and Xiao Wu arrived at Seven House together. Unlike in the original story, Wang Sheng did not challenge Tang San.

After Gu Hengzhi met Tang San at the academy gate, he went to the administration office to request leave. Naturally, it was because he had broken through to rank ten Soul Power and needed to hunt a spirit beast to obtain his first Soul Ring.

The next morning, dawn had barely broken, and most of Notting City's residents were still immersed in sweet dreams. In that tranquil hour, two figures, one tall and one short, slowly emerged from the residential district like two shooting stars cutting through the darkness. They were Gu Hengzhi and Su Yuntao.

"Hengzhi, we're about to set out for the Soul Hunting Forest north of Notting City. Have you thought about what kind of spirit beast you want to hunt?" Su Yuntao wore the uniform of a Spirit Hall deacon, standing tall and heroic as though he had stepped out of a painting.

Gu Hengzhi's gaze was resolute. After pondering for a moment, he said, "I have. My martial soul is a Stone Statue. If I can obtain a spirit beast with the earth element, that should be an excellent choice." His voice was low and firm, as if it contained boundless strength.

"That's true." Su Yuntao nodded, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes. "I looked through some records at the Spirit Hall Branch. A martial soul like yours should have quite outstanding defense. If you can add a Soul Ring with a certain level of defensive ability, you may be able to develop toward becoming a defense-type Soul Master. Back then, I went hunting alone. I was short on money and couldn't afford to hire other Soul Masters to help me. After narrowly escaping death time and again, I finally killed a ninety-year-old Lone Wolf. But with me here, I won't let you repeat my mistakes and absorb some useless Ten-Year Soul Ring."

"Brother Tao, thank you!" Gu Hengzhi's gratitude was plain to see. He knew how precious Su Yuntao's kindness was.

As the sun gradually rose in the east, the shops throughout Notting City opened their doors one after another to welcome the new day. Su Yuntao carefully selected two sharp daggers at the market and handed one to Gu Hengzhi. He also bought two waterskins, a large bundle of fragrant cured meat, and several large sheets of golden, crispy flatbread, thoroughly preparing for this spirit-hunting journey.

Once everything was ready, Su Yuntao quickly hired a coachman in Notting City. This was the first time Gu Hengzhi had ever ridden in a carriage across both his lives. At first, the novelty fascinated him, but as time passed, the constant jolting relentlessly tormented his backside. Fortunately, Su Yuntao was thoughtful enough to bring two soft cushions, which somewhat eased the uncomfortable bumping.

He should have set off too, right? A trace of concern rose in Gu Hengzhi's heart as his thoughts gradually drifted into the distance...

At the same time, on the other side of the city, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang also boarded a carriage. Unlike them, however, a ragged drunk reeking of alcohol stood some distance away. He suddenly gulped down his wine, then stealthily followed the carriage carrying Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, as though he harbored some unspeakable secret.

The journey of more than four hundred li stretched out like a winding dragon. It was not particularly long, but it was far from short. Only when night fell like spilled ink did Gu Hengzhi finally reach the destination of this trip—a small town beside the Soul Hunting Forest. There were two reasons they had arrived at the Soul Hunting Forest so quickly. First, so as not to delay Gu Hengzhi's training, Su Yuntao generously gave the coachman several Silver Soul Coins, and the coachman naturally did not dare to slack off, urging the horses onward at full speed. Second, the earth-element spirit beasts Gu Hengzhi sought mainly appeared in the northernmost part of the Soul Hunting Forest, a distant location. Su Yuntao had planned ahead and made ample preparations, allowing them to arrive so quickly.

As for Tang San and Yu Xiaogang—oh, and that drunk—they would not reach their destination until noon the following day.

Near the Soul Hunting Forest, people had built houses and conducted business like diligent bees, turning the area into a bustling marketplace. Su Yuntao rented an inn room in the town for the night. However, the excitement of soon hunting spirit beasts, along with the occasional deep roars of spirit beasts and cries for help from Soul Masters coming from the Soul Hunting Forest, lingered in Gu Hengzhi's ears like demonic sounds and made it difficult for him to sleep.

In the morning, all kinds of cries and calls rose one after another like surging waves. Simple man-made paths crisscrossed the area like a tangled net, tightly enveloping the entire marketplace. The noisy atmosphere was like a pot of boiling water, churning and leaping, making Gu Hengzhi frown repeatedly as irritation welled up inside him.

"Young brother, looking to hunt spirit beasts? Our Firecloud Spirit Hunting Group has two Soul Grandmasters. Our reputation is absolutely guaranteed..."

"Forming a team to hunt a Netherworld Ghost Cat! Twenty Gold Soul Coins to invite skilled experts to join us..."

Similar cries never ceased, buzzing around Gu Hengzhi's ears like a swarm of hungry flies. His gaze swept over the rows of shops, where all manner of weapons, armor, and food supplies were displayed in dazzling abundance.

Su Yuntao led Gu Hengzhi into the marketplace, which was practically a small town, and asked with a smile, "Do you know why I bought everything back in Notting City?" Gu Hengzhi shook his head blankly, a puzzled look appearing on his face.

Su Yuntao pointed at the prices marked in those shops, the corners of his mouth lifting into a sly smile. "Because once you get here, prices are at least double. Back then, I came to the Soul Hunting Forest without preparing anything, and I nearly got fleeced down to my underwear." A trace of anger flickered in his eyes, as if he had recalled an unbearable experience from the past.

Looking toward a shop in the distance, Su Yuntao's gaze sharpened, as though flames were burning in his eyes. His voice lowered slightly, carrying a hint of resentment. "And try not to trust those spirit-hunting groups outside. They're just a bunch of people gathered for profit. For profit, they'll do anything. Not long ago, someone entered the forest with a group to hunt spirit beasts. They had barely gone any distance before they were killed by members of the so-called spirit-hunting group, and their corpse was eaten by spirit beasts. Their family wanted to recover an intact body for burial, so they had no choice but to sell their house to hire Soul Masters to search for the remains. In the end, their whole family was ruined..."

As Gu Hengzhi listened to Su Yuntao's account, a chill rose in his heart. His expression turned grave, and his eyes revealed a trace of fear and vigilance.