My Judgment Has Never Been Wrong

After receiving Master's command, Luo San Pao waddled toward the forest ahead, swaying its head from side to side. Though its body was rather fat and bloated, its four short legs moved quite nimbly as it sniffed about while walking.

Pointing at Luo San Pao, who was leading the way ahead, Master looked at Tang San and said, "Xiao San, haven't you always wanted to know what my Martial Soul is?"

Tang San nodded at his words.

"This is my Martial Soul. Its name is Luo San Pao. It has an exceptionally keen sense of smell and can detect the traces of low-level Soul Beasts, which will be a great help in finding the Soul Beasts we need to hunt."

After speaking, Master took a short sword from his robes and handed it to Tang San. Due to the nature of Soul Beast soul rings, only a Soul Master who personally killed a Soul Beast could absorb its soul ring.

Therefore, to be safe, Master gave Tang San this entirely azure-blue short sword so that, once they found a suitable Soul Beast, Tang San could kill it himself.

At the same time, he was also telling Cheng Xiao that Tang San had made an exceedingly correct choice in taking him as his master.

However, Cheng Xiao's attention was not on Master at all. After arriving at the Soul Hunting Forest, Cheng Xiao discovered that his Martial Soul, the Shadow Monarch, seemed somewhat different. The Shadow Power within his body felt as though it was about to break through a bottleneck—but he had not even obtained his first soul ring yet.

Cheng Xiao could only temporarily suppress the strange sensation coming from his body. It seemed he needed to hunt a Soul Beast suitable for himself as soon as possible.

Seemingly noticing something unusual about Cheng Xiao, Headmaster Mano asked, "Cheng Xiao, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Headmaster." Cheng Xiao shook his head and did not mention the abnormality in his body. It was not that he did not trust Mano, but he was not originally from Douluo Continent, and his Martial Soul had not been inherited from his parents. Even if he said it aloud, it would only bring him unnecessary trouble.

"All right, but tell me immediately if anything is wrong." Mano frowned and said, "When Soul Masters absorb soul rings, they must adjust themselves to their best condition. Otherwise, if something goes wrong during the absorption, your whole life could be ruined!"

"Thank you for the reminder, Headmaster. I understand." Cheng Xiao smiled and nodded, indicating that he understood.

Seeing this, Mano did not ask further. He had already said what needed to be said; how Cheng Xiao chose to act was up to him.

After walking for a while, Luo San Pao, who was scouting ahead, suddenly stopped. Its large eyes stared fixedly in one direction as it made a tut-tut sound.

"Teacher, what's wrong with San Pao?" Seeing Luo San Pao stop, Tang San looked at Master in confusion.

"No need to be nervous." Master smiled calmly, as if everything were under his control. Pointing at the pitch-black plant ahead, whose appearance could not be made out, he explained, "Our luck is fairly good. We encountered a hundred-year-old Soul Beast, a Shadow Vine, the moment we entered."

"Shadow Vine?" Tang San shifted his gaze to Cheng Xiao. "Then wouldn't this plant-type Soul Beast suit Cheng Xiao's Martial Soul? You said that although Shadow Vines are plant-type Soul Beasts, they possess a trait many plant-type Soul Beasts lack: sharpness."

"That's right. Shadow Vines are rather special among plant-type Soul Beasts. Cheng Xiao, if I remember correctly, your Martial Soul is the top-tier beast Martial Soul, Shadow Soldier, right?" Master looked at Cheng Xiao and said blandly, "Why not use this Shadow Vine as your first soul ring? In my judgment, after absorbing it, there is an eighty to ninety percent chance that you will gain a sharpness skill."

"Master, it's better not to jump to conclusions so early." Mano patted Master on the shoulder and said, "Cheng Xiao's Martial Soul is a top-tier beast Martial Soul we have never seen before. Although it contains the word 'Shadow,' it also has the word 'Soldier.' I think we should keep looking, preferably for another type of Soul Beast. What do you think?"

"No. Although Cheng Xiao's Martial Soul is a top-tier beast Martial Soul, this Shadow Vine can grant him a sharp Soul Skill. No matter how unusual his Martial Soul is, it will not fall outside the category of beast Martial Soul Possession. With the Shadow Vine's sharpness, his attack power will increase greatly." Master spoke stubbornly.

As a Martial Soul Theory Master of his generation, his judgment could not possibly be wrong. Though he had never seen Cheng Xiao's Martial Soul before, so long as it was a beast Martial Soul, obtaining a sharp Soul Skill from the first soul ring could not be wrong.

"Let's ask Cheng Xiao what he thinks. After all, he's the one hunting the soul ring." Having been contradicted by Master in front of everyone, Mano found it hard to save face, but he still gave Cheng Xiao the opportunity to choose.

"My judgment has never been wrong," Master said calmly.

"Master, I still think the Headmaster makes sense. Let's keep looking." After considering it, Cheng Xiao still rejected Master's suggestion.

What Master said sounded reasonable, but it might not necessarily apply to him.

"You..." Master had not expected Cheng Xiao to refuse. His expression immediately changed as he said coldly, "Then handle it yourself."

After saying that, Master no longer looked at Cheng Xiao. A child of six or seven had actually rejected his guidance on Martial Soul theory, and he had even gone out of his way to explain it to him. Though he had initially intended to take Cheng Xiao as his disciple, the boy had refused him repeatedly. Even a clay statue had some temper, let alone a Martial Soul Theory Master of his generation.

Seeing this, Tang San sighed inwardly. Cheng Xiao really is foolish. Teacher has studied Martial Soul theory for decades. How could he possibly make a mistake when choosing a soul ring?

Naturally, Cheng Xiao did not know what Master and Tang San were thinking. He did not have mind-reading abilities. Besides, he truly did not want to absorb that Shadow Vine. Even if it matched his Martial Soul's attributes, surely it could not be because they merely shared the word "Shadow," right?

Just then, Luo San Pao cried out again. Because of the Martial Soul's characteristics, Master immediately became alert and looked toward another direction in the forest.

"There seems to be movement over there. Everyone, be careful," Master warned coldly.

"What is it?" Mano walked to Master's side and asked in confusion.

"It seems a group of Soul Beasts is approaching us. Their cultivation is not low!" Though Master felt somewhat panicked, he still feigned composure.

Hearing this, Headmaster Mano immediately released his Martial Soul, Rock Shield. Four soul rings—white, yellow, yellow, and purple—rose beneath his feet, fully revealing the aura of a Soul Ancestor over level forty.

Mano's Martial Soul was the earth-element weapon Martial Soul, Rock Shield. Just as its name suggested, it was a Defense Type weapon Martial Soul. Unfortunately, his Innate Full Soul Power had not been high, and in his youth, he had not joined any particularly good faction, leaving him without resources for cultivation.

After half a lifetime, he had only barely reached the Soul Ancestor realm. Even so, in a small place like Nuoding City, he was still a rare talent.

At this moment, both Cheng Xiao and Tang San understood what was about to happen. More than ten Nether Wolves were approaching them from ahead.

And among those dozen or so Nether Wolves, a massive figure shrouded in black mist slowly followed behind the pack.

At the sight of that massive figure wrapped in black mist, all four people present held their breath.