After traveling for most of the day,
Gao Lu brought Su Chen by carriage to the Soul Hunting Forest a hundred li away.
Outside the Soul Hunting Forest stood an iron fence over four meters high, surrounding the area. Armored soldiers guarded the only gate leading in and out of the forest.
The soul beasts within this Soul Hunting Forest were jointly raised by Spirit Hall and the two great empires. Most were ten-year and hundred-year soul beasts. Anyone holding a warrant issued by Spirit Hall could enter, making it suitable for Soul Warriors and Soul Masters seeking Soul Rings.
As they walked, Gao Lu took out his warrant and waved it at the guards by the gate. The guards promptly let them through.
After entering the Soul Hunting Forest, Gao Lu began introducing it with a hint of pride.
"To enter the Soul Hunting Forest, you need a warrant. Other people can only receive a temporary warrant from Spirit Hall after being inspected when they reach a bottleneck."
"My warrant is no ordinary one. It is a long-term warrant. As long as I verify it with Spirit Hall once a year, I can keep it indefinitely and enter the Soul Hunting Forest whenever I want."
Su Chen widened his clear, innocent eyes and gave an exclamation of amazement, giving Gao Lu plenty of emotional validation.
"Wow! The dean is amazing!"
When asking someone for help, one had to act like one was asking for help. Su Chen was also quite skilled at flattering elders.
Gao Lu was so delighted that he could barely close his mouth. In his eyes, Su Chen would very likely become a future Titled Douluo, or at the very least a Soul Douluo.
Showing off in front of a future powerhouse was simply indescribably satisfying.
He made up his mind to put on a good display before Su Chen and show off the formidable strength of a Battle Soul Ancestor.
Since Su Chen wanted to hunt a hundred-year soul beast, Gao Lu led him deeper into the Soul Hunting Forest. Hundred-year soul beasts could only be found in the depths.
Sometimes, enemies really did cross paths on a narrow road!
While walking through the forest, Gao Lu suddenly stopped, staring nervously at the corpse of a giant snake ahead.
It was a Datura Snake!
A top predator among low-level soul beasts!
This was even a Datura Snake that was several hundred years old. Even Gao Lu would need to spend some time dealing with it.
Behind the Datura Snake's corpse stood two figures, one large and one small.
Yu Xiaogang and Tang San.
Gao Lu walked over with a surprised expression, clicking his tongue in amazement as he examined the Datura Snake's corpse.
"Master, you brought your disciple here to hunt soul beasts too? Impressive. You actually killed a Datura Snake that was several hundred years old."
"The rumors outside really can't be trusted. I thought your strength was truly mediocre and that you only relied on wisdom to make your way through the Soul Master world."
"Anyone who can kill a Datura Snake definitely isn't weak."
Yu Xiaogang, whose face was pale, stiffened at those words.
Luo San Pao had been swallowed whole by the Datura Snake, and Yu Xiaogang had also been poisoned and passed out.
With his meager strength, how could he possibly deal with a Datura Snake?
He had not killed the Datura Snake, but there was no way he could explain that now.
"Nothing special. Just a little snake. It wasn't much trouble for me to deal with."
"But you, Gao Lu, came to the Soul Hunting Forest too. Why didn't you say so earlier? If you had come with us, we wouldn't have been in such danger before."
Thinking back to what had happened, cold sweat kept beading on Yu Xiaogang's forehead.
He had wanted to show off in front of Tang San, but had ended up exposing his whole backside instead.
He had yet to fulfill his ideals or make his name shake the entire Soul Master world, yet he had nearly died in this tiny Soul Hunting Forest.
His resentment was therefore immense, and his words carried a sharp note of accusation.
Gao Lu frowned almost imperceptibly. Out of consideration for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, he had allowed Yu Xiaogang to freeload at Nuoding Academy.
He did not manage classes, did not teach, and could come and go as he pleased. Gao Lu had given him every courtesy.
Yet this was only a Soul Grandmaster, and he actually dared to question him.
Gao Lu's expression turned cold.
"Master, I don't think I need to report my every action to you."
"You didn't inform me yourself. Now that you nearly got into trouble, you're trying to blame me instead."
"Besides, aren't you perfectly alive? It was only a little snake. How could it possibly do anything to Master Yu?"
"Xiao Chen, let's go."
Only then did Yu Xiaogang notice that the person following Gao Lu was Su Chen.
The little face was full of mockery, and for some reason, Yu Xiaogang's heart skipped a beat.
Su Chen truly wanted to laugh. How did this useless Yu Xiaogang have the nerve to say, "Just a little snake"? His farting pig had been swallowed by that "little snake" without hesitation.
As he passed Yu Xiaogang, Su Chen deliberately stopped.
With a teasing expression, he said meaningfully,
"Master, I didn't know you had such a trick up your sleeve. You actually farted a four-hundred-year Datura Snake to death. That fart of yours was truly earth-shattering and extraordinary."
In an instant, Yu Xiaogang's face turned bright red. His blood surged, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Pfft—"
"Su Chen!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes were bloodshot, and he panted like a bull. The name "Su Chen" seemed to be forced out through clenched teeth, dripping with hatred.
Luo San Pao's attack skill had always been a source of humiliation for him. Now that Su Chen had mocked him so openly, six words surfaced in his heart: You have chosen the Way of Death.
He guiltily glanced at Tang San, who was still absorbing his Soul Ring.
Just now, he had shamelessly claimed the credit for killing the Datura Snake.
Seeing that Tang San had not awakened, he finally relaxed completely.
Blinded by rage, he began brazenly mocking Gao Lu and Su Chen.
"Su Chen, my disciple Tang San has obtained the first Soul Ring most suited to him: a four-hundred-year Datura Snake."
"As for you..."
"Though Gao Lu is the dean of Nuoding Academy, his knowledge of Soul Masters is not even one percent of mine. You think he can pick a suitable Soul Ring for you?"
"Hehehe, keep dreaming!"
"After you have both absorbed your Soul Rings, my disciple Tang San will show you just how great the gap between you is."
"Even the useless Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass can defeat the mutated top-tier Martial Soul, the Three-Legged Fire Crow. You will suffer a crushing defeat—defeated by Tang San, defeated by the abyss-deep wisdom of mine."
Su Chen could not hold back his laughter. Anyone who could endure this without laughing had to have been born incapable of laughing.
Yu Xiaogang was truly absurdly self-confident.
He was using the plant Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass to challenge Su Chen's fire-attributed Martial Soul Great Sun Golden Crow.
Did he not understand elemental suppression? If Su Chen could not burn Tang San's Blue Silver Grass to ashes with a single blaze, he might as well start over.
And this man called himself a master.
The evidence was ironclad. He was a fake master.
Rage burned in Gao Lu's heart. This inherently vile Yu Xiaogang truly made him want to personally throw him out of Nuoding Academy.
Gao Lu had given him every bit of respect, yet Yu Xiaogang left not even half a shred of respect for him.
He had freely mocked Gao Lu for not knowing how to choose Soul Rings.
How was that any different from shitting on Gao Lu's neck?
If it were not for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Gao Lu would absolutely have had him beaten out of Nuoding Academy with clubs.
Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, Gao Lu suppressed all the churning emotions within him.
"Xiao Chen, let's go. I will definitely choose a suitable Soul Ring for you—one even better than a four-hundred-year Datura Snake."
Su Chen glanced at Tang San, who was still absorbing his Soul Ring. He had such a fine Blue Silver Emperor, yet he insisted on absorbing a Datura Snake Soul Ring. Rather than follow the life attribute, he had chosen the poison attribute.
Tang San, the day would come when you regretted this.
Then he strode away.
Before you continue