Tang San: There's no way my teacher can't beat a hundred-year soul beast! [Thanks for the support]

The Great Enshrined's disciple, the Second Worship's granddaughter, and the Fourth Worship's great-grandson had defeated the Pope's Golden Generation. Word spread throughout Spirit Hall Academy.

Members of the Enshrined Faction walked through Spirit Hall Academy with their heads held high.

When a member of the Pope Faction ran into his friend from the Enshrined Faction, he had barely begun to ask, "Lin Tao, want to train together tomorrow?"

Lin Tao said, "That's right, one minute! Bai Ranmo, the Great Enshrined's disciple, beat the Golden Generation Trio in one minute!"

His friend stared at him. "?"

What was that supposed to mean?

Conversations like this took place all across Spirit Hall Academy.

Who knew how anyone else felt? Tianyue was thrilled.

She would certainly have to pay for wrecking the Academy's Dueling Platform, but the old man hadn't scolded her. He'd praised her for growing up.

He had even given her 100,000 Gold Soul Coins as spending money!

Tianyue was genuinely friends with Bai Ranmo now. He was someone she could count on, unlike certain pretenders.

Sun Chuantao was happy too. He had bet everything he owned on Bai Ranmo and the others winning.

The odds at the Betting Table were 1.5 to 2.2.

He made a tidy profit of 12,000 Gold Soul Coins. With Bai Ranmo personally watching the payout, the bookmakers didn't dare refuse to pay!

When Qian Daoliu heard his subordinate's report and learned that his disciple seemed to have developed yet another Self-Created Soul Skill, he appeared remarkably calm.

"Mm, that was within my expectations. But Ranmo has been showing off too much. I'll have to give him a proper lecture." That was what he said, but the corners of his mouth were nearly reaching the sky.

Golden Crocodile Douluo said nothing.

He really shouldn't have come to share the good news with his Big Brother.

Qian Daoliu paid him no mind. He was already eager to write a letter.

He simply had to share this—no, he absolutely had to tell Xue'er how outstanding her junior fellow disciple was.

Wait. Xue'er was his granddaughter, while Ranmo was his disciple. Technically, that made Ranmo her senior.

Would Xue'er have to call Ranmo "Martial Uncle," then?

As the Limit Douluo paid his respects to the Angel God Statue, he found himself seriously pondering how the two should address each other.

Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.

Gangzi had finally managed to reassure Tang San, who had begun to doubt his teacher's strength. He had hoped to show off his knowledge to Hei Ranbai too, but although Hei Ranbai seemed convinced by his theories, he showed no interest in becoming his disciple.

Gangzi found that disheartening.

It didn't stop him from deciding to take Hei Ranbai and Tang San to the Soul Hunting Forest to obtain Soul Rings.

"Teacher, are just the three of us going?" Tang San hesitated. He remembered how that man they had met earlier had mocked his teacher.

He didn't look down on his teacher because of it, but going with only the three of them seemed rather risky.

"No need to worry..." Gangzi straightened his back at once and raised the corners of his mouth, looking every inch an expert. "Xiao San, my Innate Soul Power was only half a level, but through two hundred times the effort of an ordinary person, I became a level-twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster. I can handle a Hundred-Year Soul Beast."

Tang San looked reassured.

He had already learned some basics. Someone with only half a level of Innate Soul Power would struggle even to become a Soul Master, yet his teacher had become a Soul Grandmaster. He must have exceptional abilities.

A mere Hundred-Year Soul Beast would be easy for him.

That critic had claimed his teacher's Soul Skills could only make him fart. How could that possibly be true?

Hei Ranbai fought to keep a straight face. He had to recall every sad thing that had ever happened to him before he could stop himself from laughing.

Gangzi's own First Soul Ring was a hundred-year ring, yet the first thing he would do upon entering the Soul Hunting Forest was smack a Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo and consider having Tang San absorb it.

If Hei Ranbai hadn't needed to Subjugate his Shikigami himself, he would absolutely have summoned Mahoraga to see whether Gangzi could beat him.

Then again, Mahoraga might be killed by the stench.

Hei Ranbai felt bad for Mahoraga just thinking about it. He would either have to smell the farts until he adapted to them or be blasted to death by one.

Gangzi didn't notice Hei Ranbai's odd expression. He went to make some preparations first.

The preparations were simple: drinking water and twenty jin of radishes.

Gangzi then rented a carriage, and they set off for the Soul Hunting Forest.

In the carriage, Gangzi gave Tang San a black belt. Tang San named it Twenty-Four Bridges Bright Moon Night. It was a Space Storage Soul Tool.

Gangzi then smiled and handed Hei Ranbai a ring. It was also a Space Storage Soul Tool. Though it held less than Twenty-Four Bridges Bright Moon Night, it would be enough for Hei Ranbai.

Hei Ranbai thanked him gratefully. After a token refusal, he accepted it. He hadn't expected to receive a gift from Gangzi. Apparently, Gangzi still wanted to take him as a disciple.

Hei Ranbai could actually store things in his shadow. There was no air in the Shadow World, though, and anything he put inside it added to the weight he carried.

He rather liked that ability. It let him train his body constantly without carrying weights around.

The four-hundred-li journey was neither especially long nor short. By noon the next day, they had reached their destination: the Soul Hunting Forest.

Markets stood outside the forest. Since Tang San had yet to attend a class, Gangzi took the opportunity to show off his learning by explaining some basic theories to him.

The three soon entered the Soul Hunting Forest.

"Come out, Luo Sanpao!" For safety's sake, Gangzi shook off some of his usual listlessness. He brought his hands together before his chest and made a summoning gesture.

With a pop, a purple-skinned creature that looked like a cross between a pig and a dog appeared before them. It was over a meter and a half long and nearly as wide around. Two Yellow Soul Rings rose beneath Gangzi's feet.

Hei Ranbai tried his hardest not to laugh. Gangzi had given him a space ring, after all. Laughing now would be rude.

"Xiao San, Ranmo, this is my Martial Soul. His name is Luo Sanpao. He's unusual: instead of Martial Soul Possession, he's a Detached Martial Soul produced by a malignant mutation."

The plump Luo Sanpao waddled ahead, his head bobbing from side to side.

After a moment's silence, Hei Ranbai asked, "Gang... ahem, Master, if a Detached Martial Soul gets hurt, wouldn't you be hurt too? Why not let my Divine Dogs scout ahead?"

"Mm, all right." Gangzi hesitated, then nodded.

Once, when he had been hunting for a Soul Ring, something had bitten Luo Sanpao on the backside. Gangzi's backside had suffered the same injury, and the family members who looked down on him had laughed at him for it.

"Divine Dogs!" Hei Ranbai formed the Dog Hand Sign.

His shadow stirred, and the White Dog emerged.

The White Dog had a better sense of smell and was a better scout than the Black Dog. Taking Soul Power consumption into account, summoning only the White Dog was the best choice.