A Chance to Face a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast-Cherish It!

Jiang Hao saw Xuan Zi, who had disappeared from the scene last night, and heard Ma Xiaotao call the cool, aloof senior student Zhang Lexuan. Put those pieces together, and nothing good could come of it!

Jiang Hao's face went pale. He had thought he could safely finish this Soul Hunt and return as long as he stayed with the group and kept his distance from Xuan Zi. He hadn't expected the group itself to be the most dangerous place of all. Zhang Lexuan and the Star Dou Great Forest, with no one calling her the eldest senior sister yet, plus a Xuan Zi who had wandered off—however he looked at it, this was the exact setup for the accident that had cost the academy so dearly! Worse, they had two burdens along this time, one of them a level-forty weakling. If they ran into the Wolf King, wouldn't they be completely screwed?

No, I have to save myself! Come on, brain trust, think of something! Among Jiang Hao's Clones were four or five Soul Masters with the Mental Attribute, the very ceiling of intelligence. Surely they could give him a satisfactory answer.

The many Clones in his mind all started talking at once. "Main Body, say your stomach hurts and you've got your period. Have us go back to the academy to rest for a while, then come out Soul Hunting again."

"No, that won't work. How about saying your Martial Soul can foresee the future? Tell Xuan Zi to take these Inner Court students back to the academy first, then tear into him afterward for abandoning his post."

"That won't work either. That old bastard Main Body's Martial Soul is himself. There's no way he could have a heaven-defying Soul Skill like that. Think of something practical! Like which of us can fly fastest, so the old bastard can switch Martial Souls and run for it when the time comes."

"Old bastard, over here! I have a plan! We just need to find a chance to leave one Clone at the scene while Main Body runs off. Wouldn't that keep us safe? Sacrificing one little Clone would buy safety for over two thousand of our brothers. And once we're out, we can gather Soul Rings for everyone first, then come back and fight. Wouldn't that be perfect?"

Who was that? Jiang Hao's eyes lit up. "You there, come out and let me see who you are!" Delighted by the plan, he searched through the crowd of mental presences and finally found himself standing in a corner.

"There you are, you clever kid! Sanpao! From now on, I'm calling you Cannon Bro. You're the chief of my brain trust, and any good resources will go to you first."

"Lexuan, I need to use the bathroom. My stomach hurts!" Jiang Hao abruptly raised his hand, interrupting the twenty-odd people as they searched the area.

Zhang Lexuan glanced at the little ball of a boy sheltered in the very center of the group. Hearing him address her so familiarly out of the blue stirred something in her. She knew Jiang Hao better than anyone else did; after all, she had been through the same thing he had. That damned Xuan Zi had insisted that protecting a six-year-old counted as part of their assessment, then dumped the child on them to look after. Their objective was already to hunt a powerful Soul Beast over fifty thousand years old, one that specialized in attack, in the core region. Now they had to protect a six-year-old too. He wasn't taking the child's life seriously at all. She would petition to have him removed when they returned.

"Liu Zixuan, Ma Ben, your stomachs hurt too. Go with him. Three of you together will be safer."

"No need, seniors! I can go by myself." Jiang Hao gave an awkward smile as the two tall senior students approached him.

The two male students exchanged a nod. "Didn't you hear? Our stomachaches are a chronic problem. They've been going on for years. Eat a little something, and our stomachs start acting up." They hooked Jiang Hao under the arms and darted into the brush in one direction.

"Come on, then."

"Right here. Get it done on the spot!"

"Make it quick. The longer we wait, the more can go wrong."

The two male students stood on either side of Jiang Hao, watching him as they began loosening their belts. Each added a line, leaving Jiang Hao at a loss. Were these two Yan Liang and Wen Chou or what?

"Come on, guys. If you watch me like that, I really can't go."

"Didn't you say your stomach hurt?"

"If you need to take a dump, why are you holding it in? What are you waiting for?"

"Forget it, brother. It's normal for a kid to be shy."

"Kid, be quick. This brother and I will keep watch within ten meters." As he spoke, the burly-looking student pushed through the brush to one side. The other, a frail-looking young man, offered a couple more reminders before leaving too. Jiang Hao could still hear branches snapping around him, as though they were making sure he knew they were nearby so he wouldn't be afraid. These two really are good guys.

"All right, come out, Cannon Bro!" At Jiang Hao's thought, a figure identical to him appeared on the spot.

"Hold on, you old bastard. How did I become the sacrificial pawn? Didn't you promise to train me first?"

"Exactly. I'm training your ability to deal with danger on your own. Doesn't that count? Some people couldn't get an opportunity like this even if they wanted one. A chance to face a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast—cherish it."

Jiang Hao eyed a patch of particularly deep grass nearby and slowly slipped inside, careful not to make a sound. The Blue Silver Grass Soul Master within him worked hard to guide the surrounding Blue Silver Grass toward the patch where Jiang Hao hid, concealing his figure as much as possible.

Once enough time had passed and Main Body was well hidden, Cannon Bro stood and pulled up his half-lowered pants. He swaggered out of the brush and couldn't help remarking, "The air in the Star Dou Great Forest is so fresh! I wonder how comfortable it would be to live here forever."

The two senior students from the Shrek Inner Court glanced at him as he emerged and felt vaguely sick. He'd finished his business, taken a sniff, and then called the air fresh. They had never met anyone quite like him.

"Let's go, guys. Take me back." Cannon Bro spread his arms and let the two older students carry him toward the others, leaping and weaving between the branches.

Only when Cannon Bro's communications network sent word that they were far away did Jiang Hao crawl out of the Blue Silver Grass. A wreath woven from Blue Silver Grass sat on his head, and a blade of it hung from his mouth. Damn it, I'm free now. Hang in there, Cannon Bro.

Brothers, time to work! Jiang Hao snapped his fingers, and a crowd of people identical to him appeared all around. There was no room left on the ground. Several figures even materialized on the branches, and one who lost his footing dropped straight into the sea of people below.

"This won't work, you old bastard. It's too crowded. Why don't you take us back in and let us out when we run into a Soul Beast?" Jiang Hao couldn't even lower his arms. With a thought, he recalled most of the Clones into his body, leaving only twenty or so. A few had Martial Souls he particularly valued; the rest were sacrificial pawns needed to keep watch around him.

But if we all go out wearing the same face, what happens if Xuan Zi or someone else sees us? That was a good question. Jiang Hao had never considered it before, but it seemed he had to now. With the scene as it stood, one more person showing up could drop dead on the spot if his heart wasn't strong enough.

"Here, you old bastard Main Body, try this. I wove a mask out of Blue Silver Grass!" A Clone behind Jiang Hao tapped his shoulder and handed him a mask. It was entirely blue, made only of Blue Silver Grass stems and leaves. It could sit securely against his face, and two Blue Silver Grass ties would even wrap snugly around his head.

"This works. How are you so clever? I'll reward you with a Hundred-Year Soul Ring later."

"Really? Could I have one from Blue Silver Grass? I want to go all in on life abilities."

"If we come across a hundred-year-old Blue Silver Grass, it's yours. If not, you'll obediently absorb a ten-year one."

"Forget it, then, you old bastard Main Body. I want a hundred-year ring, not Blue Silver Grass. Anything will do as long as it's a hundred years old."

Ever since Jiang Hao's Clones had awakened their Martial Souls, he had known this day would come sooner or later: the Soul Beasts on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest were about to suffer.