Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, and What He Wanted Jin Shan to Do

Blazing Fire Academy Dean's Office.

"Senior Jin Shan, welcome back."

Huo Feng hurriedly poured a cup of tea and handed it to him.

"Gulp! Gulp!"

Jin Shan took the teacup Huo Feng offered and drained it in two huge gulps. "Refreshing! I was just thirsty."

"Teacher, didn't you say you brought something good? Hurry up and take it out for us to see."

Huo Lei urged impatiently from the side.

"You brat, look how impatient you are. Wait."

With a flick of his right hand, a red streak of light flew out from his Storage Ring and hovered above his palm.

Huo Feng and Huo Lei fixed their eyes on it. Before them was an elongated bone made up of linked segments. Red light flowed across its surface, and the scorching heat it emitted distorted the surrounding air.

"This is— a fire-element Torso Soul Bone!"

Huo Feng was utterly shocked. His eyes brimmed with longing, and he unconsciously swallowed.

"So this is a Soul Bone? A treasure that Soul Masters dream of. The Soul Power fluctuations it gives off are so violent."

It was Huo Lei's first time seeing a Soul Bone, and all his attention was fixed on it.

Cough!

A light cough pulled Huo Feng and Huo Lei out of their trance.

Huo Feng's face reddened, and he stood there awkwardly, at a loss.

Hehehe!

"Teacher, hurry and tell us where this Soul Bone came from and how old it is."

With a fawning grin, Huo Lei spoke in a shamelessly ingratiating tone.

"This Torso Soul Bone came from an Earthfire Dragon with twenty thousand years of cultivation."

"Earthfire Dragons are said to evolve from Earthfire Lizards that have cultivated for more than ten thousand years."

"Earthfire Lizards possess incredibly strong defenses, and once they evolve into Earthfire Dragons, their defensive power goes without saying. Not to mention that this one had twenty thousand years of cultivation."

"Torso Bones are the most precious among the six types of Soul Bones. I estimate that absorbing this Soul Bone would not only greatly enhance a fire-element Soul Master's strength, but also provide a substantial boost to fire-element defensive soul skills."

"Brother Huo Feng, this Soul Bone is for you!"

Jin Shan's description was so extravagant that Huo Feng's eyes shone brightly with desire.

The moment Huo Lei heard that it was a twenty-thousand-year Soul Bone, he was no longer all that interested. He was not exaggerating—two hundred-thousand-year Soul Bones were indeed a little lacking for someone with Twin Martial Souls. Besides, his father did not have a Soul Bone yet, and this one suited him perfectly.

"For me?"

"Senior, wasn't this prepared for Huo Lei?"

Though Huo Feng was overjoyed, he still voiced the doubt in his heart.

"Of course not. I prepared this specifically for you, Brother Huo Feng. As the head of an academy, how embarrassing would it be if you didn't even have a Soul Bone? You're currently at rank seventy-nine. Once you absorb this Soul Bone, you'll reach rank eighty and can immediately add your eighth Soul Ring. Why wouldn't you?"

"Dad, Teacher is right. Just accept it! I have Twin Martial Souls, so I won't lack Soul Bones in the future. You don't need to worry about me."

Huo Lei smiled and reassured him.

"Well then... thank you very much, Senior."

Huo Feng excitedly accepted the Soul Bone Jin Shan handed over and happily put it away.

"Brother Huo Feng, I won't stay any longer. Tomorrow, I'll accompany you to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt your eighth Soul Ring."

"You brat, come to your teacher's room. I have something to tell you."

After saying that, Jin Shan rose and headed for the door.

"Teacher, I'll open the door for you."

Huo Lei hurried forward and rushed to the door.

Huo Lei opened the door. Jin Shan entered first, while Huo Lei eagerly followed close behind and casually shut the door.

"Teacher, why did you call me to your room? Do you have a Soul Bone for me too?"

Huo Lei excitedly rubbed his hands together.

"You brat, do you think Soul Bones are cabbages? It's already fortunate enough that I managed to get one in such a short time."

Jin Shan scolded him with an exasperated smile.

"Hehehe!"

"Teacher, I was only joking."

Huo Lei hurriedly served him a cup of tea, wearing an apologetic smile.

"Has there been any progress in your cultivation lately?"

Jin Shan took the teacup, set it on the table, and gazed intently at Huo Lei.

"Thanks to Teacher's guidance, my Soul Power reached rank forty-two three days ago."

"Mm! Not bad."

"By the way, what was it you wanted me to do for you back then?"

Jin Shan's brows were knit with confusion.

"Oh! Teacher, it's like this. I've always wanted to visit Sunset Forest. It is one of the places where soul beasts gather. Although it is smaller than the Star Dou Great Forest, it is still a vast forest. The danger inside should be much lower than in the Star Dou Great Forest, but Father refuses to take me there. So I wanted you to accompany me inside for a look. Maybe we might even encounter some opportunity."

Huo Lei did not explain the truth, nor could he. Otherwise, he would certainly be suspected. He could only helplessly make up a lie.

"You really dare to dream big, kid. You're a little like me."

Jin Shan looked pleased, then continued, "I happen to want to take a look around Sunset Forest as well, so I'll bring you along!"

"That's wonderful, Teacher. How about we go a month from now?"

Huo Lei looked at his teacher with eager anticipation.

"Why wait a month? Your teacher will take you in a few days."

Jin Shan's forthrightness caught Huo Lei somewhat off guard, and he hurriedly interrupted, "Teacher, aren't you accompanying my father to the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow? The round trip will take time, and it wouldn't be appropriate to set out immediately after you return. So let's go a month from now instead!"

"Right! I got so happy that I almost forgot about your father. Fine! Then we'll go to Sunset Forest a month from now."

Having gotten his wish, Huo Lei lifted the teacup from the table with both hands and offered it to Jin Shan with a beaming smile. "Teacher, have some tea."

Over a month later.

Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City.

"You brat, we've been wandering around Heaven Dou City for days now. You've gotten the Storage Soul Tool you wanted. Shouldn't we be going to Sunset Forest tomorrow?"

Jin Shan looked irritably at Huo Lei, who was playing with a blue ring.

"Teacher is right. We'll set out first thing tomorrow morning."

He hurriedly clenched the ring in his hand and answered solemnly.

"That's more like it. Go back to your own room. I'm going to sleep."

As Jin Shan spoke, he rose from the sofa and walked toward the large bed in the room.

"See you tomorrow, Teacher."

Huo Lei sensibly withdrew from his teacher's room.

Huo Lei's room was right next to his teacher's. They were staying at a luxurious hotel, and Jin Shan had paid all the expenses. Naturally, Jin Shan had also paid for the Storage Soul Tool in Huo Lei's hand.

Returning to his room, Huo Lei flopped headfirst onto the soft bed.

He put the Storage Ring he had just acquired on his right hand, studied the blue ring, and muttered to himself, "With this treasure that has twenty cubic meters of space, I'll never have to worry about not being able to store soul beast corpses again."

"What should I do next?"

"If I enter the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well directly, I'll not only alert the enemy, but the immortal herbs might not be safe either. Someone like Tang San is capable of anything. If he can't have them, he won't let anyone else have them either. He might directly destroy the immortal herbs."

"The best scenario would be to wait until Tang San and Dugu Bo leave the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, then intercept them in Sunset Forest. Teacher could hold Dugu Bo back, but I can't beat Tang San either! That kid Tang San ate immortal herbs, so after coming out, he'll already be immune to fire. Besides, he has the Tang Sect's secret arts and a whole body full of vicious hidden weapons."

"In the original story, Tang San kept his Eight Spider Lances out while traveling after leaving the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. If that's the case, I can only launch a sneak attack, restrain Tang San, and seize the Wishful Treasure Pouch. That's the only way."

"Even for a sneak attack, I'd need at least a control-system Soul King."

"But the problem is, where can I find a suitable Soul Master in such a short time?"