The Future of Soul Beasts (I Owe You a Chapter, Four Updates Tomorrow)

The Future of Soul Beasts (I Owe You a Chapter, Four Updates Tomorrow...)

Time flew by, and two years passed.

Cheng Xiao's Soul Power had also broken through to level twenty. Although he did not need to hunt Soul Beasts for Soul Rings like other Soul Masters, he still decided to take a stroll through a Soul Beast forest for the sake of safety, giving himself an extra measure of protection.

Over the past two years, Cheng Xiao returned to Cheng Family Village every holiday, and Xiao Wu went back with him as well. Because the butterfly had flapped its wings, Tang San and Xiao Wu's relationship was not as close as it had been in the original timeline, but it could not be called bad either. They were simply ordinary classmates.

Although Tang San had intended to get close to Xiao Wu, it had merely been Master's instruction. Asking a Hidden Weapon master who had never even seen a woman in his previous life to win over a little girl was truly making things difficult for him.

Tang San and Cheng Xiao's relationship had some distance between them, but it had not reached the point of a complete break. They still greeted each other normally whenever they met. As for what had happened in the Soul Hunting Forest, neither of them mentioned it again, understanding that bringing it up could very well cause them to fall out completely.

This time, Cheng Xiao did not ask any academy teachers to accompany him on his Soul Beast hunt. He merely used the Gold Soul Coins he had saved over the past two years to rent a carriage, then left Nuoding City with Xiao Wu.

Cheng Xiao did not mind Xiao Wu following him to hunt Soul Beasts. In any case, he did not need to kill Soul Beasts to obtain Soul Rings. If Xiao Wu saw it, then she saw it. Given her way of thinking, she would probably regard him as one of her own, a Soul Beast that had taken human form.

"Cheng Xiao, what kind of Soul Beast are you planning to hunt this time?" Sitting in the carriage headed for the Star Dou Great Forest, Xiao Wu looked curiously at Cheng Xiao across from her.

Cheng Xiao shifted his gaze from the scenery outside the window and looked at Xiao Wu. "We'll talk when we get there. I'm not sure yet."

Hearing Cheng Xiao's answer, Xiao Wu nodded lightly and said nothing further. Supporting her cheek with one hand, she lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside.

Cheng Xiao's answer had clearly surprised Xiao Wu. She could not understand how Cheng Xiao, who had raised his Soul Power by seven levels in two years, still had not chosen the Soul Beast he needed. Normally, before hunting for a Soul Ring, Soul Masters would decide in advance what type and attribute of Soul Beast they needed so they could find a Soul Ring suited to themselves and locate their target as quickly as possible.

Cheng Xiao seems different from other Soul Masters. Maybe I can use this chance to tell him who I really am. Xiao Wu thought, but she quickly dismissed the idea.

Nuoding City was far too far from the Star Dou Great Forest. Even with a rented carriage, it would take a long time to get there.

Thus, Cheng Xiao chose to spend the journey cultivating. He could increase his level without obtaining Soul Rings anyway. It was only because he had yet to condense his second Soul Ring that his Soul Power level had remained unable to break through.

A week later, a carriage from Nuoding City stopped at a small town outside the Star Dou Great Forest.

Night fell, and since they clearly could not reach their destination today, Cheng Xiao instructed the driver to rest. They would enter the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow.

After entering the town, Cheng Xiao discovered that it was much livelier than Nuoding City. It was three times the size of Nuoding Academy. Aside from lacking city walls and guards, it was practically identical to an ordinary small city.

Shops lined the streets, offering every imaginable kind of goods.

Cheng Xiao looked around casually and found that these shops mainly sold items related to Soul Masters and hunting Soul Beasts. There were shops selling armor, antidotes and recovery potions, and even Soul Master clothing. It truly seemed that if one could think of it, they could provide it.

At that moment, Xiao Wu tugged on Cheng Xiao's arm and pointed at an inn ahead. "Cheng Xiao, let's stay here tonight. I'm so tired after riding in a carriage for a whole week."

Cheng Xiao nodded and followed Xiao Wu into the inn.

After entering, Cheng Xiao planned to book a room with two beds, but Xiao Wu stopped him. In her words, they did not have much money right now, so they should save wherever they could.

Cheng Xiao did not mind. After all, they had slept in the same bed for two years without anything happening. One room was fine.

"Cheng Xiao, let's get something to eat." After taking the room key from the front desk, Xiao Wu hugged Cheng Xiao's arm again and spoke coquettishly.

The past week of carriage travel had truly stifled her. Not only had resting been uncomfortable, but all they had eaten was dried provisions. Now that she finally had a chance to rest properly, she naturally wanted to treat herself.

Cheng Xiao was somewhat helpless, but he still found a secluded table and sat down with Xiao Wu. He ordered some dishes as well.

A short while later, after finishing their meal, the two went upstairs. Once they found their room, Cheng Xiao pushed open the door and entered.

"Whew, I can finally sleep in a bed." Xiao Wu flopped directly onto the bed. After sitting in a carriage for days, being able to lie down and sleep now felt unbelievably comfortable.

Cheng Xiao glanced at Xiao Wu lying on the bed. "If you're tired, go to sleep early. I'll take a bath later. Tomorrow, we'll go into the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Beasts."

At the mention of hunting Soul Beasts, Xiao Wu could not help frowning. She spoke as though casually, "Cheng Xiao, do you think there's a way for Soul Masters to obtain Soul Rings and raise their Soul Power levels without killing Soul Beasts?"

Cheng Xiao thought for a moment. "There should be a way, right? If Soul Rings could be obtained without killing Soul Beasts, then the relationship between Soul Beasts and Soul Masters would probably ease considerably."

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "Then does that mean there's a way to solve this problem? If it could be solved, Soul Beasts and Soul Masters would no longer have a relationship of killing and being killed. Maybe Soul Beasts and Soul Masters could even become good friends."

Knowing what Xiao Wu was thinking, Cheng Xiao shook his head slightly. "I don't know whether they could become good friends, but have you considered this? Even if the issue of Soul Rings were solved, what about Soul Bones? Soul Bones from Soul Beasts are valuable things. Without Soul Rings, Soul Masters would set their sights on Soul Beasts' Soul Bones. By then, it would be far worse than merely hunting Soul Beasts for Soul Rings."

"Spirit Hall explicitly prohibits the large-scale slaughter of Soul Beasts. Although they also hunt Soul Beasts for Soul Rings, one has to admit that with Spirit Hall around, those Soul Masters who want to obtain Soul Bones from Soul Beasts will at least restrain themselves somewhat."

"If Spirit Hall did not prohibit indiscriminate slaughter of Soul Beasts, then within ten thousand years, Soul Beasts would likely be hunted to extinction by Soul Masters. Once the issue of Soul Rings was resolved, they would go after Soul Bones. Without Soul Bones, Soul Masters would find other things to obtain from Soul Beasts. This is the cultivation law of this world, not something you and I can easily change."

Hearing this, Xiao Wu fell silent. She clenched her small fists, her voice trembling slightly. "Then, Cheng Xiao... do you think Soul Beasts deserve to be hunted by Soul Masters?"

"What I think is not important. As long as this world's cultivation system remains unchanged, the relationship between Soul Beasts and Soul Masters will never change. Soul Masters need Soul Beasts' Soul Rings to increase their strength and become stronger. Soul Beasts kill Soul Masters because if they do not, they themselves will be killed."

"Still, comparing the cultivation speed of Soul Beasts to that of Soul Masters, there may not be any Soul Beasts left in the Star Dou Great Forest ten thousand years from now. Their cultivation speeds simply are not proportional. A talented Soul Master might only need a few decades to reach the rank of Titled Douluo, but for Soul Beasts to contend with humans, they need to be ten-thousand-year or even hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts. By that calculation, Soul Beasts will probably become a species on the brink of extinction in the future."