Soul Hunting

At the academy's Soul Fighting Arena, Li Chen looked over the members of the inaugural Cloudtop team.

"All right, let's head out."

Thanks to the Bottles o' Enchanting, every one of them was now at least level 40. Since they only needed Thousand-Year Soul Rings for their fourth rings, the Sword Mountain Range beside Sword City would suffice. It was only a half-hour walk outside the city.

Just before they entered the Sword Mountain Range, Li Chen stopped. "Once we enter the mountains, I won't intervene unless you encounter something beyond your abilities or find yourselves in danger."

Dugu Yan was now the team captain, so naturally, she took charge. "Once we're in the mountains, follow my orders. If anyone ignores me and runs off on their own, don't blame me for leaving you to deal with the consequences."

The team members exchanged glances, but no one objected. Although Dugu Yan was younger than them, she was the strongest.

Once they entered the mountains, the going became rough. The forest canopy blotted out the sky and sun, and the dirt path beneath their feet grew narrower and narrower. Before long, all that remained was an animal trail.

"Zheng Fei, fly up and scout farther ahead." Without another word, Zheng Fei activated Martial Soul Possession. Grayish-white wings unfolded from his back, and he leaped above the canopy. Hovering in midair, he scanned the terrain ahead and signaled that it was safe.

"Zhao Yan, take the lead and clear a path." Dugu Yan tipped her chin toward the stocky figure behind her. Zhao Yan said little either, striding to the front of the group and pushing aside the low vines and trees blocking their way, his steps firm and steady.

The two Power Attack System students automatically took positions on either flank, while the Support System student moved into the middle of the group, joining Ye Lingling beside Dugu Yan.

"Captain, there's a stream ahead, with a big fellow beside it. An Iron-Armored Rhino. Judging by its size, it should be around three thousand years old."

Dugu Yan called to Zhao Yan up ahead, "A three-thousand-year-old Iron-Armored Rhino. Do you want this one, or should we keep looking?"

Zhao Yan scratched his head. "Let's take this one. It's a good fit, and it'll save everyone from scouring the mountains."

"Fine." Dugu Yan waved her hand. "Attack."

As soon as she spoke, Zhao Yan, Zheng Fei, and the other two Power Attack System Soul Masters charged forward together.

Four people, four directions, each running their own way.

Zhao Yan charged the hardest, but Zheng Fei nearly collided with him while swooping over his head. Both dodged sideways at the same time, throwing their rhythm into disarray on the spot.

The Iron-Armored Rhino wasn't about to wait for them. Seizing the opening, it lowered its head and rammed its horn straight into Zhao Yan's chest, sending him stumbling several steps backward before he regained his footing.

Zheng Fei followed up from the side. His wind blade struck the rhino's shoulder, but failed to halt its charge.

The other two Power Attack System Soul Masters flanked it from the left and right, but one was half a beat too slow and landed a palm strike on its rump. The other had barely closed in before a swing of its head forced him back.

Once Zhao Yan steadied himself, he cursed under his breath and rubbed his aching chest, growing anxious.

Without waiting for the others to coordinate, he charged straight in and slammed a bear paw viciously into the rhino's neck.

The rhino growled in pain and swung its head, forcing him back.

Watching their coordination, which left her at a loss for words, Dugu Yan had no choice but to join in. "Huang Rui, support buffs. Lingling, handle healing."

With that, she swiftly activated Martial Soul Possession.

"First Soul Skill, Netherworld Red Poison!"

Red poisonous mist condensed into two serpent fangs and shot toward one of the Power Attack System Soul Masters ahead. This was the change her Soul Skill had undergone after Martial Soul Evolution.

Simply put, the original area-wide buff had become a single-target effect, but its attack boost had risen from just 20% to 100%.

"Second Soul Ring, Netherworld Blue Poison!"

This time, the condensed blue venomous fangs struck Zhao Yan, increasing his defense by 150%.

The Support System Soul Master named Huang Rui didn't stand idle either. Her Martial Soul was called Golden Pistil Fusang, and her Soul Skills consisted only of detoxification, healing, and shields.

As she unleashed her Third Soul Skill, a layer of golden shielding appeared around the four men ahead.

Ye Lingling also kept a constant watch on the four of them, immediately healing anyone who was injured.

"Third Soul Skill, Netherworld Purple Poison!"

Two purple venomous fangs pierced the Iron-Armored Rhino's defenses. It let out a shrill roar, its steps visibly faltering.

No longer willing to keep trading blows with Zhao Yan, it abruptly turned and rammed Zheng Fei out of its way, sending him flying as it fled. It charged wildly toward an escape route and was about to plunge into the dense woods downstream.

Just then, Li Chen suddenly appeared in front of it and knocked it unconscious with a casual blow.

He then looked at the four men without speaking. If their efforts could be called coordination, it amounted to flanking from either side and circling behind to cut off its retreat, yet the actual results were far from ideal.

When Zheng Fei was sent flying, Zhao Yan had been only three or four steps away, yet he hadn't had time to react at all. Of the other two, one had struck the rhino's rump, while the other had been driven back by a swing of its head. Their fighting had no structure whatsoever.

Although he advocated strength above all else, teamwork was supposed to bring their strength together. It seemed he would have to add more practical training later.

He wasn't going to rely on their coordination to win the championship this time, either. At the very least, he would have to feed one of them up to Soul Emperor and crush the opposition through sheer strength.

He watched them for a few seconds before saying, "All right. Zhao Yan, absorb the Soul Ring. Everyone else, rest here."

Li Chen didn't stay to watch the rest of their Soul Hunting. After summoning the symbiote Delusion, he left ahead of them to wander elsewhere in the deeper reaches of the mountains.

In Suotuo City, at the Emerald Merchant Guild headquarters.

"The Venerable Lord wants to find Shi Nian?" Shang Lu considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Fei Wuqiu, Wei Wuqiu, you two go along with him."

Two level-72 Soul Saints were being casually ordered around by a level-64 Soul Emperor, and ultimately had to obey a level-0 Soul Scholar. Elsewhere, that might have seemed strange.

But to these "Villagers," it was perfectly normal. In theory, although Li Chen had never formally assigned ranks to the Villagers, their names had already established an invisible hierarchy.

Those with distinctive names stood one rank above those whose names were numbers, even when those names were as perfunctory as Brown Robe and Green Robe.

Using Shang Lu's intelligence and the Teleportation Stele, A Da arrived at Canghui Academy and stated his purpose straightaway. "We're looking for your academy's vice dean, Shi Nian."

The gatekeeper looked him up and down. Seeing his plain clothes but sensing the extraordinary presence of the two men behind him, he hesitated briefly before turning to report their arrival.

Before long, an old man dressed in pale moon-white robes embroidered with gold emerged with his hands clasped behind his back.

He was tall and thin, with a slightly sallow complexion and half-lidded eyes. Whenever he looked at someone, he seemed to be appraising an object to decide whether it was worth anything.

"You're looking for me?" Shi Nian looked at A Da and his two companions. He had no recollection of any of them.

With two Soul Saints protecting him, A Da was brimming with confidence. "That's right. We'd like to invite you to join our Cloudtop Academy."

Shi Nian froze for a moment at those words, then couldn't help laughing aloud. An academy he had never even heard of had come to poach him, a vice dean.

"Cloudtop Academy? An academy I've never even heard of." With his hands behind his back, he smiled mockingly. "Then tell me, what can your Cloudtop Academy offer me? Don't tell me your terms are better than Canghui Academy's?"

"Dean Shi Nian, the Venerable Lord values your talent and believes it shouldn't be buried like this. That is why he specifically sent me to invite you in person."