Ning Rongrong was the girl he wanted to pursue.
From the moment he first saw her, he had felt something unusual stir in his heart.
It seemed that if he let Ning Rongrong slip away, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
So he tried hard to show off in front of her.
Yet no matter how he performed, he seemed utterly insignificant compared to Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao's growth was terrifying-so terrifying that Oscar could not even glimpse the dust left in his wake.
Catching up to Lin Xiao in the future was all but impossible.
After all, even if he advanced to Soul Elder, he had no confidence that he could defeat a Soul King.
Especially not with such effortless, crushing dominance!
After thinking it over again and again, continuing to hang around Dai Mubai and the others did not seem like a wise choice.
It might even put his life at risk.
Lin Xiao had slain a ten-thousand-year soul beast and killed a Soul King in an instant. That was proof enough that he was no pushover.
"Oscar, what are you thinking about?"
Dai Mubai frowned. Why did this guy look so lost?
He had even taken him out to meet so many beautiful women earlier. Was he not going to say anything now?
Oscar smiled, though his smile looked rather strained.
"Boss Dai, I... I'm going back to rest."
With that, he turned and returned to the hotel.
Dai Mubai's brows knitted tightly. For the moment, he could not figure out what was going on.
But it did not matter, as long as Oscar was on his side.
Tang San, however, grew more wary of Oscar.
That fleeting look in Oscar's eyes had not escaped him.
The guy probably wanted to stay out of this. That was no good.
Once he had boarded the ship, getting off would not be so easy.
Tang San could not help thinking about what they had discussed over the past few days.
The factions within the academy were already very clear.
Oscar liked Ning Rongrong, which meant he was bound to be Lin Xiao's enemy.
They each had someone they liked too, but those girls were all gathered around Lin Xiao now.
Naturally, they could form a faction of their own.
As for how they would deal with Lin Xiao afterward, that required careful planning.
They absolutely could not let Lin Xiao grow stronger.
With the four of them joining forces, they should have some way to bring him down.
Provided they acted before Lin Xiao truly reached Soul Elder.
If Lin Xiao reached Soul Elder first, their alliance would likely be forced onto the defensive.
Then he would have to resort to another method.
Poison!
Hidden weapons and poison were his exclusive abilities, and also his greatest specialties.
He needed to find time to make some hidden weapons.
Tang San pondered for a long while. After returning to his room, he took out paper and a pen and began drawing.
He did not currently have the ability to produce complete high-grade hidden weapons.
The main problem was that he did not have the time either.
He needed to find a reliable smithy to forge the components, then assemble them himself.
High-grade hidden weapons could easily shoot down even a Soul King.
He seemed to have gained considerable confidence in dealing with Lin Xiao.
The next morning, Zhao Wuji came downstairs to find all the students already eating in the lobby.
"You little brats were certainly full of energy last night."
Zhao Wuji laughed heartily.
Naturally, he already knew about last night's commotion and had watched the entire fight from the shadows.
Lin Xiao's ability to defeat a Soul King was indeed unexpected.
But it also seemed perfectly reasonable.
That kid's soul skills were bizarre, with terrifying killing power.
Any ordinary Soul King who faced him was bound to lose.
Still, he had given serious thought to the dispute that sparked this incident.
Those who dared not stir up trouble were mediocrities.
Flender had indeed said that. Put another way, a soul master who dared not stir up trouble was not a good soul master.
It sounded bold and imposing.
But after last night's events, he had realized an important problem.
One thing Lin Xiao had said was absolutely right.
Wanted to stir up trouble?
Then you needed the ability to settle it.
Their opponents this time were only from Canghui Academy. At worst, someone would take a beating; deaths were unlikely.
But what if they provoked other soul masters, or people belonging to a soul master organization?
Those people would not care whether they were students from some academy.
Provoke them, and they would kill you.
Killing was commonplace in the soul master world. There were so many soul masters that nobody would pay much attention to the deaths of a few greenhorns.
Once he returned, he needed to speak with Flender and make sure the students were properly disciplined.
They must not go around stirring up trouble outside. If the academy could not cover for them, they would be in real trouble.
Before causing trouble, they needed to weigh whether they had the strength for it.
If they lacked the strength, they should obediently tuck their tails between their legs and behave. That was the right approach.
"Teacher Zhao, can we set off now?"
Lin Xiao asked.
They would soon enter the Star Dou Great Forest, and he was rather looking forward to it.
His Sword Immortal Clone was already waiting at the forest's edge.
Once the group reached the forest, he would send the Sword Immortal Clone out to slaughter every Man Faced Demon Spider that met the requirements.
However many two-thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spiders it found, it would kill them all-not a single one would be left for Tang San.
Want an external soul bone?
Dream on!
"All right, let's go."
Zhao Wuji waved his broad hand, and the students, who had been waiting for some time, immediately set off.
An hour later, they reached the forest's edge. There was a market here where they could leave their carriage for the time being.
The terrain within the forest was complex, leaving no room for a carriage to maneuver. They could only proceed on foot.
"This is the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest, where we'll mainly be hunting for soul rings. Most soul beasts here are under ten thousand years old."
"But you must not let your guard down!"
"Because even a blade of grass or a tree beside you could be a soul beast."
"And ten-thousand-year soul beasts may also appear in the outer region!"
"Also, it's best to avoid other soul masters. Keep your noses out of other people's business!"
Zhao Wuji gave these instructions sternly.
When traveling through the soul master world, especially somewhere like the Star Dou Great Forest, the first thing to remember was to avoid causing trouble.
That was how one stayed alive.
They must not rush out in a hotheaded frenzy the moment they saw some supposed injustice.
That would often cost them their lives.
Lin Xiao nodded inwardly.
Zhao Wuji was not actually particularly good at teaching students.
But he was very seasoned when it came to the rules of survival for soul masters.
At least he could teach the students how to maximize their chances of staying alive in the soul master world.
"Mubai, clear the way up front. Support soul masters, stay in the middle. Lin Xiao, bring up the rear."
"Zhu Zhuqing, scout ahead and stay alert at all times!"
With their formation arranged, everyone began moving.
At the very back, Lin Xiao could easily observe the entire group.
The instant they entered the forest, he had already ordered the Sword Immortal Clone to move out.
With just a general direction, it would be able to locate the Man Faced Demon Spiders.
Even if it could not find them for the moment, as long as it stayed near the group, it would naturally find them once the Titan Giant Ape appeared.
The group wandered through the forest for several days without finding a suitable soul beast.
They were either too low-level or too high-level.
Oscar wanted to try absorbing a two-thousand-year soul ring, or even one that was three or four thousand years old.
But Zhao Wuji would not allow it.
Not everyone could be like Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao's soul ring was a heaven-bestowed soul ring, unlike those of ordinary soul masters.
Absorbing a soul ring beyond one's limits could easily make one's body explode and result in death.
Several days passed. While scouting their surroundings from a tree, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly stopped.
"Teacher Zhao, a soul beast is approaching fast."
Upon hearing that, Lin Xiao knew the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent had arrived.
In that case, he could maneuver things a little.
At the very least, he would keep Oscar from obtaining this soul ring!
[Ding! Mission issued...]