A Corner of the Plan, Soul Hunting Forest

This was a narrow path, barely wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side.

A group of four people walked along this path, chatting as they moved forward.

Leading the way were two middle-aged men; one had a sturdy build and sharp eyes, and he was none other than Su Haichao.

Beside him was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in fitted traveling attire and wearing a pair of glasses, a scholarly aura naturally radiating from him.

Following behind the two of them were Tang Shan and his good elder brother, Su Yuntao.

Their destination was the Soul Hunting Forest, but this time both Su Yuntao and Tang Shan needed Thousand-Year Soul Rings; even though Su Haichao was already a Soul Ancestor, just to be safe, he had invited an outside helper.

"Old Su, how is the school running lately?"

Su Haichao turned his head and looked at the scholarly middle-aged man beside him.

This middle-aged man's status was no ordinary one, for he was Su Yuan, the principal of Nod Academy in Nuoding City, and likewise a Soul Ancestor.

His Martial Soul was a Firebird, making him a level-forty-first Power Attack System Soul Master.

To be honest, when Tang Shan learned that this scholarly principal's Martial Soul was actually the Firebird, renowned for its explosive power, he was truly taken aback.

The ancients truly did not deceive us: one cannot judge a book by its cover.

"What else could it be like? Half-dead, as usual."

Su Yuan pushed up his glasses, his face completely indifferent.

"Every year we send a few to intermediate academies, and the rest all return home. It probably takes five or six years just to encounter a good sapling to send to an advanced academy."

"Tsk tsk, it really is hard on you. What were you thinking back then? Refusing to be a proper intermediate academy director, and insisting on coming to a primary academy to be a principal."

Su Haichao shook his head and suddenly asked out of curiosity, "Right, are you very close to that Yu Xiaogang who lives at your academy? It feels like he is just freeloading at Nod Academy."

Hearing this, the corners of Su Yuan's mouth twitched slightly, and he let out a helpless sigh.

"I can't say we're close, I'd just say we're acquaintances."

"Then you still—"

Hearing the unfinished meaning in Su Haichao's words, a wry smile appeared on Su Yuan's face.

"That is a long story."

As it turned out, Su Yuan had once encountered an Evil Soul Master and was on the verge of perishing at the other's hands when he was rescued by a Soul Emperor whose Martial Soul was an eagle.

Su Yuan wanted to repay him, but that Soul Emperor refused, merely saying that if there was a chance, he should do him a favor.

Years later, that Soul Emperor made his request, and Su Yuan resigned from his position as an intermediate academy director to come to Nuoding City and serve as a principal.

"That senior just asked me to take care of Yu Xiaogang and provide him with a place to live, which was more than enough. Since the repayment was so simple, I simply agreed.

Originally I thought that Yu Xiaogang had some special qualities, but I didn't expect him to actually express disdain for even Grandmaster's works."

Tang Shan, who had been quietly eating melons in the back, never expected that while eating melons, he would end up eating his own.

Yet thinking of that certain "Grandmaster's" astonishing statements, he found it unremarkable; he truly could not compare to a hardcore expert who used his former theories to defeat his later ones.

However, what attracted his attention even more was the Soul Emperor who had rescued this Principal Su. Suspected to have an eagle Martial Soul, and being a Soul Emperor as well, he was likely the principal of that Shrek Academy.

To be able to care for Yu Xiaogang like that, coupled with their similar cultivation levels, probably no second person could be found across the entire continent.

This fellow was also quite abstract; not only did he refuse to fight his brother for a wife, but he even took the initiative to matchmake. Furthermore, to be troubled by Gold Soul Coins purely as a high-tier Soul Master was enough to leave one speechless.

Right.

Tang Shan sidled up to his elder brother. "Big Brother, did you go to school at Nod Academy when you were little?"

Su Yuntao nodded, looking puzzled.

"Back then, Dad was still a deacon in the Spirit Hall, not yet the hall master, so he didn't have the qualification to send me to the primary academy under the Spirit Hall's jurisdiction. Dad felt the other primary academies were all much the same, so he simply placed me right under his own nose."

Su Yuntao, lost in thought, looked his little brother up and down.

"Speaking of which, Little Brother, aren't you just about ready to go to school?"

Tang Shan shook his head like a rattle-drum. "Go to school for what? The basic knowledge of Martial Souls and Soul Beasts has basically all been mastered by me. What would I go to school to crowd together with a bunch of brats for?"

Su Yuntao, who had just wanted his little brother to experience the same treatment as him, was completely checkmated by Tang Shan's next sentence.

Tang Shan raised a hand, looking at his eldest brother with a playful expression.

"Besides, Big Brother, if you go and tell others that I'm seven years old this year, they'd actually have to believe it first."

Looking at Tang Shan, whose height had already reached his neck, Su Yuntao was struck speechless.

"Shanzi, come over here for a moment. Tell us, what is the target for your First Soul Ring?"

Hearing Su Haichao's call, Tang Shan hurried his pace a little.

"Tell Principal Su about your plan."

Su Haichao pointed at Su Yuan, who wore a look of keen interest beside them, an ill-intentioned expression on his face.

Facing his old man's actions, Tang Shan did not feel surprised; everything was proceeding according to plan.

He looked earnestly at Su Yuan. "Principal Su, my target for the First Soul Ring is a strength-type Soul Beast. If the Soul Beast's quality is higher, then around a thousand years will do; if the Soul Beast's quality isn't high enough, then raising the age by another few hundred years isn't out of the question."

An expression of astonishment appeared on Su Yuan's face, exactly as Su Haichao had anticipated.

"You guys are definitely not kidding around!"

Tang Shan nodded smugly, "Dean Su, I'm not playing with you. My teacher really said that."

"Who is your teacher?"

Su Yuan immediately caught the main point of Tang Shan's words and hurried to ask.

"You certainly know my teacher, Dean. It's Grandmaster."

As soon as these words came out, Su Yuan, who was already astonished by the previous remark, almost went dumbfounded.

Who was Grandmaster? He was currently recognized on the Douluo Continent as the number one person in theory, and his influence continued to ferment with the appearance of some Soul Masters who achieved a Thousand-Year Second Ring.

Perhaps a Titled Douluo appeared suddenly and low-level Soul Masters might not recognize him, but when it came to Grandmaster, he truly was a household name.

Su Yuan's expression changed from shock to suspicion.

"Are you guys certain you aren't tricking me?"

Su Haichao walked with his hands behind his back, looking unconcerned as he spoke inditatively.

"Don't forget the Sixth Theory of Martial Souls issued half a year ago. Let me ask you, what is Shanzi's martial soul?"

"The Sixth Theory of Martial Souls, body martial soul with full soul power—so that's how it is, so that's how it is."

After Su Haichao's hint, Su Yuan understood at once.

"Grandmaster had the fortune of meeting the Blue Silver Emperor, so it's hardly strange that he took someone with full soul power and a body martial soul as a disciple."

People only believed the truth they concocted in their own minds. With just a simple prompt from Su Haichao, Su Yuan had already filled in the entire background story.

"Tang Shan, is this Grandmaster's arrangement?"

Su Yuan, gradually recovering his composure, grew somewhat curious.

Tang Shan nodded obediently.

I am Grandmaster myself, and I want to absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring while saying it's Grandmaster's arrangement—there's zero problem with that.

"How high is your certainty?"

Tang Shan made a nine gesture.

"A ninety-percent probability is indeed worth a try."

"Grandmaster is truly Grandmaster. Not only did he allow numerous Soul Masters to verify the possibility of a Thousand-Year Second Ring, but he also cultivated a disciple who might achieve a Thousand-Year First Ring."

"If you really pull this off, Tang Shan, you'll probably be the very first person on the continent with a Thousand-Year First Ring."

That's not necessarily true.

Tang Shan narrowed his eyes slightly. The time of his theory's release back then should have coincided with the martial soul awakening of a certain angel miss.

He simply didn't believe that a Peerless Douluo wouldn't think of using soul bones to enhance physical fitness. Perhaps this theory had already created a cultivation monster of the Douluo Continent; he just wondered if that angel miss still insisted on going undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire. If so, what a waste of talent.

As for using soul bones to enhance physical fitness, Tang Shan had thought of it long before the theory was released, but soul bones weren't that easy to absorb either.

Look at a certain Twin Martial Souls Quasi-Soul Elder in Douluo II—absorbing a thousand-year External Soul Bone still ended in failure. This was certainly related to the fact that the producing soul beast was too powerful, but it also showed that while soul bones could be inherited, they weren't without absorption conditions.

Even if other sects could find exceptionally gentle soul bones that were easy to absorb, having a quasi-Soul Master without a single soul ring absorb one would only raise the difficulty even higher.

Not everyone was Angel Big Sis, whose ancestors were deities, whose soul bones could be inherited, and who had a Peerless Douluo for a grandfather.

Thinking and thinking, Tang Shan couldn't help feeling sour in his mouth.

What kind of starting hand was this? Against-the-heaven family background—aside from having an outrageous pair of parents, it was practically holding the script of a heaven-defying protagonist.

Unfortunately, it still lost to a brain-dead romantic.

It wasn't that romantic foolishness couldn't exist, but unless you were the protagonist, the consequences of a romance-addled brain were unpredictable.

Tang Shan reminded himself once more: on the Douluo Continent, you could start with appearance, but you could only stop at appearance.

Just look at what happened to everyone whose matters didn't stop at appearance.

Bibi Dong started from talent; the Silver Dragon King believed in wisdom; Ma Hongjun turned over a new leaf.

And what about those who started from appearance?

Feng Xiaotian won the beauty's heart; Tian Meng subdued his great nemesis.

And there was also a certain Huo Gua—leave aside what kind of "dog-training" abuse he suffered, just ask you if he wasn't drooling over the blue-haired girl with the Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

And the result? Judging from actual gains, Wang Dong'er, Wang Qiu'er, and Tang Wutong—that was a full three people; he simply won completely, didn't he.

How outrageous was that.

Feeling his body get hoisted up, Tang Shan snapped out of his mental storm. At this moment, he found that his old man had already tucked him under his armpit.

"We need to pick up the pace, or we won't reach the town near the Soul Hunting Forest by nightfall."

Su Haichao lowered his head with an explanation, exchanged a glance with Su Yuan, and both simultaneously urged their soul power forward, sprinting away.

"Yuntao, use your soul skill to keep up by yourself."

Watching the two adults and one child getting further and further away, Brother Tao stood dumbfounded in place.

No way, Dad. My little brother's physical fitness currently feels like it's even stronger than mine, yet you scooped him up and just left. Is that fair?

Resignedly, a bright yellow soul ring materialized beneath Su Yuntao's feet. With his Martial Soul Possession active, wolf-like traits manifested across his body, and he triggered his soul skill to give chase to the three figures in the distance.

The Soul Hunting Forest was jointly established by Spirit Hall, the two great empires, and the remaining kingdoms and duchies.

The reason for its establishment was very simple: to provide low-level soul masters with a relatively safe environment to acquire their first few soul rings.

Otherwise, heading straight to the Star Dou Great Forest just for a ten-year or hundred-year soul ring, even if it were only the edge of the outer perimeter, would still entail enormous risks.

Without low-level soul masters, where would high-level soul masters come from? A Titled Douluo was not a castle in the air; it was impossible for one to appear out of thin air.