Hunted

Hundreds of masked figures in night-black clothing gathered outside Nuoding City, then split up and headed toward the Soul Hunting Forest. They had one mission: capture or kill Zhu Zhuqing and her sister.

These were the orders of Nuoding City's lord. Capturing them alive took priority; if that proved impossible, they were to be killed.

Yet Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhulin knew nothing of this. A long-planned assassination targeting the two sisters had begun.

At around four that afternoon, two figures appeared at the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest.

Both wore loose black robes, eerie black masks, and black conical hats.

Outside the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest stood all sorts of shops.

Some sold fruit, some handmade flatbread, and others clothing. There were also shops selling all kinds of weapons and protective equipment.

More absurdly still, someone was even selling toilet paper.

As the two continued forward, hawkers' cries rose one after another. The crowd around them gradually thickened, and ahead, simple man-made paths crisscrossed the throng. The central road was the broadest-the main route leading straight to the Soul Hunting Forest.

Along the surrounding paths, quite a few people were shouting at the top of their lungs.

"Expert Soul Elders, come quick! We have a high-grade permit! Forming a group to hunt defensive soul beasts! Pay is 100 Gold Soul Coins a day!"

"Support Soul Master seeking help hunting any thousand-year soul beast! Anyone willing to carry me? My martial soul is the Seven Treasure Lily!"

"Hunting a strength-type thousand-year soul beast! Need a powerful agility-type Soul Elder! If a Soul Bone drops, we split it evenly! Hurry, seven waiting on one!"

As they left the marketplace, the noise gradually faded. A dense forest came into view before the Zhu sisters.

The trees in this forest were fairly tall, but they fell far short of the enormous trees in the Star Dou Great Forest, so neither woman found them particularly awe-inspiring.

A ring of enormous steel fencing surrounded the forest, all angled toward its interior. The fences reached almost halfway up the trees.

Judging by the material, the fencing had been made from relatively rare refined iron ore. Countless vicious barbs covered it, with numerous animal carcasses hanging from them. Drops of blood dripped from the spikes.

This gruesome sight was undoubtedly a warning to everyone who came here: stray where you should not, and this would be your fate.

Zhu Zhuqing slowly walked forward with her Third Sister.

Outside the steel fence, a hundred-man squad of soldiers happened to be patrolling. They wore silver armor from head to toe and carried steel spears that gleamed coldly.

Judging by their bearing, they were far more disciplined than Nuoding City's guards. These men exuded a grim, murderous air, while the city guards gave the impression of nouveau riche upstarts.

The two were stopped at the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest.

The soldier captain responsible for checking permits said coldly, "Please show your permit. Otherwise, leave. This is the Soul Hunting Forest. Unauthorized entry is forbidden. Violators will be killed without mercy!"

Zhu Zhuqing took out an exquisitely crafted token and raised it for the soldier captain to see.

The captain merely glanced at it before shouting in a deep voice, "They have a permit! Let them through!"

The soldier captain had seen this token more times than he could count. Spirit Hall issued it specifically to Soul Masters obtaining Soul Rings for advancement, so he did not hesitate at all.

Hearing their commanding officer order them to let the visitors through, the soldiers surrounding the entrance swiftly cleared a passage.

As the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest opened, several Soul Rings appeared around Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhulin. Both bent their knees slightly, then stamped hard against the ground.

**Whoosh-**the two figures shot inside.

"Two yellow and one purple-the optimal soul ring configuration. The other has two yellow Soul Rings. Looks like the one behind is here to obtain her third."

The soldier captain muttered to himself. In truth, he rather envied these Soul Masters. It was only because his aptitude was poor that he had been left with no choice but to enlist as a soldier.

As the two swiftly entered the depths of the Soul Hunting Forest, everything outside seemed to disappear. Both felt as though they had returned to the Star Dou Great Forest.

There was the dampness of the forest, the fresh fragrance of blue silver grass, and the endless gloom beneath the towering trees that blocked out the sunlight.

Zhu Zhuqing's second Soul Ring lit up, followed by a flash from her right arm beneath her black robe.

Soul skill: summon Spirit-Summoned Azure Sky Tiger!

"Roar!"

With a low tiger's roar, a large, striped tiger over three meters long appeared before the two women. The moment he appeared, he wagged his tail furiously and happily rubbed his enormous head against his master.

Smack-

A hard slap landed squarely on his head, leaving him stunned. He had never imagined his master would smack his head again. Overwhelmed with grievance, he lowered his head and crouched on the ground without a sound, like a good little child who had done something wrong.

Seeing the Spirit-Summoned Azure Sky Tiger's foolish behavior left Zhu Zhuqing speechless. This silly tiger barely seemed like a tiger anymore. He did not possess even a shred of a tiger's majesty.

Zhu Zhuqing pointed ahead and called, "Silly tiger, go clear the way! Do well today, and I'll let you advance!"

"Roar!" The Spirit-Summoned Azure Sky Tiger instantly brimmed with enthusiasm. He leaped from the ground and charged happily ahead, wagging his tail.

"Heeheehee!" Clear laughter escaped Zhu Zhulin's lips. She found her younger sister and that silly tiger utterly entertaining, as funny as a circus trainer and her beast.

"Silly sister, let's go!"

Two razor-sharp daggers slid down Zhu Zhuqing's arms and landed securely in her hands. She held one in a forward grip and the other in a reverse grip, and an intensely dangerous aura immediately emanated from her.

Zhu Zhuqing became a black shadow and dashed to the left.

"Heeheehee, you're the silly sister!"

Zhu Zhulin likewise drew two razor-sharp daggers, then followed along the right.

And so, two black shadows and a Spirit-Summoned Azure Sky Tiger roamed swiftly through the Soul Hunting Forest. Every soul beast under a thousand years old fled in fright, none daring to test an attack from those three dangerous presences.

"Roar!"

The Spirit-Summoned Azure Sky Tiger suddenly roared up ahead. He seemed to have discovered a soul beast over a thousand years old. His roar was meant to notify his master-and bolster his own courage in passing.

Zhu Zhuqing knew he must have found a soul beast over a thousand years old. She had already communicated with the Spirit-Summoned Azure Sky Tiger in secret, instructing him to notify her whenever he found one.

Using Spirit Cat Footwork, she swiftly crept closer through the trees on the left.

Up ahead, beneath two large trees, the Spirit-Summoned Azure Sky Tiger was facing off against a giant blue snake. However, he was keeping a very, very wide distance and already looked ready to retreat at any moment.

The giant snake was about eight meters long, its body as thick as a bucket and its head crowned with horns. It lay coiled beneath a tree, its enormous head fixed intently on the Spirit-Summoned Azure Sky Tiger.

"Blue-Eyed Cang Python: blue all over. At five meters long, it is a hundred-year soul beast; at seven meters, a thousand-year soul beast. Immensely strong, it can constrict enemies more powerful than itself to death. Its advantage is its deadly venom; its weakness is its slow movement."

This was not the soul beast Zhu Zhuqing wanted. She needed a tiger-type soul beast, preferably one around seventeen hundred years old.