Lu Xuan kindly helped the other students hunt Soul Beasts, but Tang San ended up in a miserable state

A long time passed...

The noisy Soul Hunting Forest finally fell quiet again.

The fierce sounds of combat, the wolves' wretched howls, and the boy's furious cries had all been buried beneath several white Soul Rings.

Tang San leaned against a tree trunk, his shoulder streaming blood and the flesh of his calf torn open. He panted like a worn-out engine.

"Just as I thought!"

"White Soul Rings represent ten years. These little wolves were still nowhere near my limit."

"The opponents Teacher deliberately left for me really were the best whetstones on my path to growth."

Though he was badly wounded, the fighting spirit in his eyes had not diminished.

On the contrary, he felt a sense of accomplishment, as though his talents had finally found a place to shine.

"Aren't these Ten-Year Soul Beasts I killed the best proof of my strength?"

Tang San smiled.

Blood and grime smeared across his young face made him look somewhat vicious.

Yet before he could enjoy his triumph for long, fierce winds suddenly swept through the surroundings.

"Hm? Something's wrong!"

Tang San abruptly grew alert.

"Clouds follow the dragon; winds follow the tiger."

"This aura... could it be a tiger-type Soul Beast?"

He began scanning his surroundings, but there was only a foul-smelling wind, with no sign of a Soul Beast.

Only when he felt a faint scraping against the tree trunk behind him did Tang San suddenly look up.

"A snake?"

Boom!!!

The instant Tang San caught sight of the Soul Beast, its purplish-red head hurtled toward the ground like an arrow loosed from a bow.

A great cloud of dust erupted beneath the tree.

When the dust cleared, Tang San stood opposite the enormous snake, having barely dragged his injured leg out of the way using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.

"It looks far stronger than the wolf pack. Is this another test Teacher left for me?"

He looked at the giant snake before him. No matter how fiercely his fighting spirit burned, he could not help feeling afraid.

There was no other reason-it was simply too big!

According to the theoretical knowledge he had just learned, this enormous snake had at least a hundred years of cultivation.

Hiss, hiss~

Its tongue flickered with a hiss, carried on a foul wind laced with poisonous mist, stretching Tang San's nerves to their breaking point.

"There's no time to think too much. Since Teacher said he would back me up, I must have some chance of winning this fight."

"Take my Mysterious Jade Hand!"

Boom!!!

"Hiss! That hurts!"

"I can't clash with it head-on. Teacher must know I have a movement technique like Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. He wants to train my ability to dodge and maneuver against powerful enemies."

"Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!"

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering dappled patches across the ground.

The forest had been quiet for less than a minute before the boy's furious cries rang out again.

Elsewhere.

Lu Xuan led Mo Hen and the other students deep into the Soul Hunting Forest. Pointing at a stalk of emerald-green bamboo nearby, he turned to a girl of about fourteen or fifteen.

"Your name is Xu Rou, and your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, correct?"

"This is a three-hundred-year-old lone bamboo. It's the best match for a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul."

"My First Soul Ring came from this kind of Soul Beast. Not only did it increase my cultivation speed, it also improved the toughness of my Blue Silver Grass and made its life essence purer."

"Come absorb it."

Lu Xuan explained with a smile, making the girl's eyes sparkle.

Back when he reached level ten, he had searched through reference materials for a long time before deciding to absorb a lone bamboo Soul Ring.

The reason was simple. Though lone bamboo and Blue Silver Grass were both weak, the former possessed unparalleled growth speed, while the latter had a heaven-defying ability to reproduce. They also shared one trait: abundant vitality.

Lu Xuan had not been shooting without a target. Only after studying extensive reference materials had he dared conclude that lone bamboo was the most suitable Soul Beast for Blue Silver Grass's First Soul Ring.

Reality had borne out his expectations. The Blue Silver Emperor's current first Soul Skill, Soul Power Tide, had not only validated his theory, but also allowed him to reach level forty-four at twenty despite having only level-four Innate Soul Power.

Even without the system's appearance, Lu Xuan was confident that, after obtaining an Immortal Herb, he could achieve greater heights before Tang San did.

"Thank you, Teacher Lu!"

The girl named Xu Rou, whose Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass, bowed to Lu Xuan, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"I'm so lucky to have the same Soul Ring Configuration as a Titled Douluo like you!"

At her words, Lu Xuan smiled and handed her a machete, indicating that she could cut down the bamboo.

There was no helping it. Though it looked somewhat comical, this was the simplest way to kill a hundred-year-old lone bamboo...

Before long, the girl successfully absorbed the Soul Ring and emerged from her cross-legged meditation.

"I did it!"

"My first Soul Skill is Savage Growth!"

"It lets me cultivate twice as fast as an ordinary person."

The girl bounced around excitedly, hugging one person after another. Finally, she even tried to kiss Lu Xuan, but he raised a hand and stopped her.

Mo Hen stepped forward, his face bright with joy, as though he shared in her honor.

"What an incredible skill! Doesn't that mean one day of cultivation for you will equal two days for someone else?"

"If that continues, there's no limit to what you could achieve!"

Mo Hen's understanding of the cultivation system was limited. He did not know that a person's future achievements could not be determined by cultivation speed alone.

Martial Soul quality and the Soul Master's age also played a part.

Yu Xiaogang was the most typical example.

The quality of his Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao, made his cultivation extremely slow, while Yu Xiaogang's age locked in the ceiling of his eventual achievements.

Otherwise, if Yu Xiaogang had been able to maintain a steady cultivation speed, he would have advanced beyond Soul Grandmaster long before turning fifty.

Back in the forest.

Lu Xuan watched the girl gesticulating wildly with excitement and nodded gently.

"Yes, it's slightly different from my Soul Skill."

"But that's not unexpected. The Soul Skill that emerges is never fixed. At least its general direction is right."

"Though your Innate Soul Power level isn't high, this skill will still give you hope of breaking through to a higher realm before you turn thirty."

Receiving a Titled Douluo's approval made the girl even more excited.

"Teacher Lu, thank you so much."

"When I become stronger someday, I'll find a way to repay your kindness today."

She kept bowing to Lu Xuan until the vigorous motion left her unsteady on her feet, forcing him to support her with his Soul Power.

"It was only a small effort. Don't fixate on repaying me, or it will only become a burden for you."

Everyone witnessed Lu Xuan's gentleness. The girl, in particular, looked at him with increasingly tender affection.

Teacher Lu is so gentle. If I could marry a good man like him, I could die without regrets.

"All right, let's keep looking for Soul Beasts for the other students."

Late that night.

Outside an unremarkable little tavern, the streetlights stretched their shadows long. A cool breeze swept past, dispersing the smell of alcohol around them.

Mo Hen held on to Lu Xuan's shoulder and murmured drunkenly.

"Old Lu, without you, these children would have had a hard time getting a hundred-year First Soul Ring."

"People always say, 'Give a man a fish, and you're better off teaching him to fish!'"

"But without Teacher Lu, absorbing a ten-year First Soul Ring would have locked in the limits of their futures. On behalf of the children, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"Old Lu, as a fellow teacher, please accept a bow from Mo Hen."

With that, Mo Hen let go of Lu Xuan and tried to bow. But he was too drunk to stand steadily and nearly toppled to the ground.

Lu Xuan steadied Mo Hen, handed him over to the other students, and instructed them.

"I've listened to you thanking me the whole way. My ears are growing calluses."

"Work hard at your cultivation, and don't let the hundred-year First Soul Rings I chose for you go to waste."

"If you get the chance, pass this kindness on. That's how the Soul Master World can become a better place."

He waved. "That's all. Take your teacher back. I need to find my disciple too."

"Goodbye, Teacher Lu!"

Supporting Mo Hen, they watched as Lu Xuan turned into a streak of blue-gold light and disappeared into the sky.

Before long.

Above the Soul Hunting Forest.

Lu Xuan spread out the spiritual power unique to a level-ninety-nine Peerless Douluo. Combined with his Blue Silver Domain, it quickly located the barely breathing Tang San.

Upon landing, Lu Xuan's first sensory impression was: a foul stench!

The stench of poison mingled with blood was deeply unpleasant.

His next impression was: horrific!

Tang San was not merely on the verge of death. His entire right arm had been smashed into pulp, and the jagged ends of stark white bones pierced through his flesh in a hideous sight.

Part of his lower leg had disappeared at some point. There was no empty trouser leg dangling there, because the fabric had long since vanished as well.

One could say that the only reason Tang San remained alive was the child of destiny buff keeping him hanging on.

"T-Teacher..."

"You're finally here. Your disciple hasn't let you down!"

P.S.:

Testing the waters with a new book. Please send update requests, recommendation votes, and monthly votes.