Record of Living Beings

Firelight danced in the night, while a gentle breeze brushed past the grass and rustled the leaves.

The two sat facing each other beside the campfire, the air filled with the aroma of roasted rabbit.

Qian Renxue bit into a rabbit leg, and juice immediately spilled out. The crisp texture mingled with the meat's fragrance, making her instinctively widen her eyes and exclaim in disbelief:

"This is way too delicious! How did you roast this rabbit leg so fragrant and tender...? Brother Tang, your family doesn't happen to run a restaurant, do they?"

"Running a restaurant would be an exaggeration." Tang Chuan was lowering his head and peeling meat from the rabbit. Hearing this, he smiled.

He looked up at Qian Renxue, a trace of distant memories seemingly flashing in his eyes, and said softly:

"When I was little, I often didn't have enough to eat, so I liked sneaking up into the mountains to catch wild rabbits and pheasants to roast. After roasting them so many times, I gradually developed the skill."

"Didn't have enough to eat?" A trace of hesitation and confusion appeared on Qian Renxue's face. She said, "On Douluo Continent nowadays, even commoners have their basic needs guaranteed. It shouldn't be to the point where they can't even get enough food and clothing... Could you be an orphan?"

At these words, Tang Chuan's movements paused slightly before he lowered his head.

After a moment of silence, he finally nodded lightly, his tone strangely calm as he said:

"Perhaps... you could put it that way."

"I have a father, but aside from giving me life, he has done nothing for me. He didn't cook or take care of my clothes. When I was only three or four, I had to start the fire and cook for myself every day, while also making food for him. If he was dissatisfied, he would curse me. When I fell ill, I could only endure it on my own."

At this point, Tang Chuan tugged at the corner of his mouth, his smile mocking and indifferent:

"A father like that—whether I have one or not... what's the difference?"

Qian Renxue was stunned when she heard this. She had only asked casually and never expected that this younger boy before her had endured such a life.

Her hand tightened slightly around the rabbit leg. As Qian Renxue looked at Tang Chuan, a trace of understanding appeared in her eyes, and a strangely familiar feeling welled up in her heart. Hadn't her own mother treated her the same way?

Because of Qian Xunji's actions, Bibi Dong had never truly accepted Qian Renxue. Her resentment had made her extremely cold toward her daughter, which was why, after hearing Tang Chuan's experiences, Qian Renxue felt as though she had encountered a kindred spirit.

In Qian Renxue's eyes, a mother like that was no different from having no mother at all.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ask about that," Qian Renxue consoled him.

Tang Chuan merely waved his hand. "It's nothing. It's all in the past."

After several breaths of silence, Qian Renxue said softly, "Actually... I'm an orphan too. My parents died when I was very young, and my grandfather raised me... He treated me very well."

Hearing this, Tang Chuan nearly spat out the rabbit meat in his mouth. He looked up at Qian Renxue with a blank expression, clearly surprised by what she had just said.

You're an orphan too?

If I hadn't read the original novel, you probably would've fooled me again.

Women really do have mouths that lie through their teeth.

Tang Chuan silently complained inwardly.

Suddenly, Qian Renxue raised her brows slightly, as though she had noticed something. Her tone carried a hint of teasing as she said, "Hey, Brother Tang Chuan, why are you looking at me like that? I'm not a woman."

Tang Chuan froze for a moment before shifting his gaze away. He said indifferently, "It's nothing."

But inwardly, he muttered, You really know how to put on an act!

"Right, Brother Tang Chuan, you came to Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a Soul Beast and obtain a Soul Ring too, didn't you? Strictly speaking, my injuries shouldn't have recovered this quickly. You wouldn't happen to be a Support-Type Spirit Master with healing abilities, would you?" Qian Renxue asked seriously, her expression becoming solemn.

"Shouldn't Spirit Masters of that type cooperate with several others to hunt Soul Beasts?"

As she spoke, curiosity flashed in her eyes. "By the way, what is your Martial Soul?"

Tang Chuan was silent for a moment. He had no intention of hiding anything, so he slowly raised his right hand and opened his palm. In the next second, a slender stalk of Blue Silver Grass emerged from his palm, swaying gently while emitting a faint blue-gold glow.

"That's Blue Silver Grass?"

Qian Renxue was clearly stunned by the sight before her.

Her first reaction was nearly the same as that of most Spirit Masters on the continent: a standard Waste Spirit? But soon, she remembered the transformation ability Tang Chuan had displayed when saving her, as well as his subsequent healing ability. A string of questions immediately surfaced in her mind.

"Could this be a Mutated Spirit?"

Tang Chuan nodded, his tone calm. "More or less."

"Then have you found a suitable Soul Ring?" Qian Renxue continued asking.

After pondering briefly, Tang Chuan said in a low voice, "I originally planned to hunt a Jade Swan as my Second Spirit Ring. Although the Jade Swan isn't a Plant-Type Spirit Beast, it naturally contains an extreme vitality within its body, so it would still suit Blue Silver Grass. But..."

At this point, Tang Chuan shook his head slightly.

"Most of these Soul Beasts live in the Mixed Area or depths of Star Dou Great Forest. They usually live in groups as well, making them extremely difficult to hunt. I've searched several times already, but haven't found any trace of one."

"Mm..." Qian Renxue nodded, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes. "Your choice is reasonable. But I'm curious: since your Martial Soul is a plant, why not directly look for a Plant Spirit Beast with powerful vitality? Wouldn't the compatibility be even higher?"

"I'd like to." Tang Chuan gave a bitter smile. "But I read through many ancient texts in the Academy's library, and records of Plant Spirit Beasts with extreme vitality were practically nonexistent. The place where I live is a small town with scarce resources and outdated information. Many records were incomplete too. I couldn't find a suitable target, so I had to settle for the next best option."

After hearing this, Qian Renxue was stunned for a moment. Then, a sharp glint flashed through her eyes. Without saying anything else, she slowly took a book with a golden cover from her Soul Tool.

"This is a Soul Beast compendium I carry with me. It's called Record of Living Beings, and it records rare Soul Beasts from all over Douluo Continent, with a particular focus on the Life Attribute. If you need it, I'll give it to you. Take a look inside. You might find the target you're looking for."

Qian Renxue handed the book to Tang Chuan and spoke with great sincerity.

Seeing this, an impossible-to-hide look of delight flashed through Tang Chuan's eyes. Although he maintained a calm and indifferent appearance, he was already secretly rejoicing inside.

It's great having a rich woman's leg to cling to!

Saving her was a huge profit!

"This... this is far too valuable, isn't it?" Tang Chuan accepted the book, but soon put on a hesitant expression and said uncertainly.

Qian Renxue merely smiled lightly. Her tone was frank. "No matter how valuable it is, it can't be more valuable than my life. You saved my life. This little thing is nothing."

As she spoke, she directly pushed the book into Tang Chuan's hands. Her decisive force left him no chance to refuse again.

Looking down at the golden book in his arms, Tang Chuan's fingertips brushed across the exquisite Angel Wing pattern on its cover. An ancient, mellow aura immediately washed over him. It was clearly a private collection belonging to an important figure or powerful force, far beyond anything ordinary sold on the market.

The corner of Tang Chuan's mouth curled upward. He put away the book, looked up at Qian Renxue, and cupped his fists with a smile. "Brother Xue, then I won't stand on ceremony."

"Don't thank me. If anyone should be thanked, it's me thanking you." Qian Renxue lightly waved her hand.

After saying that, she casually asked another question:

"By the way, Brother Tang Chuan, which Academy are you studying at now?"

Tang Chuan did not hide it and answered honestly, "Nuoding City Junior Spirit Master Academy."

"Nuoding City?" Qian Renxue was slightly taken aback, clearly not having much of an impression of the remote town. She lowered her head and pondered for a moment. Then, as though she had made a decision, she took a Golden Token from her robes and handed it over.

"What is this?"

Tang Chuan immediately noticed the character "Xue" in the center of the token.

"Keep this token," Qian Renxue explained. "In a few years, when your cultivation is sufficient and you're preparing to enter a senior Soul Master Academy, if you haven't found a suitable place to go, take this token to Heaven Dou City and go directly to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Someone will naturally arrange your enrollment."

"Consider it my way of thanking you for saving me this time."

This time, Tang Chuan did not hesitate. He decisively accepted the Golden Token and solemnly cupped his fists toward Qian Renxue again. "Thank you, Brother Xue."

"Don't mention it." Qian Renxue waved her hand. Her expression remained calm and composed, but a faint trace of satisfaction appeared in her eyes. "I'm merely returning the favor."

She stretched lazily and said with slight fatigue:

"My injuries haven't fully recovered yet, and I've been through a lot today. I'm going to rest first. You can look through that Record of Living Beings. You might find a Soul Beast suitable for you."

With that, Qian Renxue turned and walked toward a large tree not far away. She removed her outer robe and covered herself with it, then leaned against the tree trunk and slowly closed her eyes to sleep.

After watching Qian Renxue fall asleep, Tang Chuan approached the campfire and sat down cross-legged. He opened the golden-covered Record of Living Beings. The contents of this Soul Beast compendium were extraordinarily extensive.

He quickly became absorbed in it. At times, surprise flashed through his eyes; at others, he sank into deep thought.

"Aurora Moss Vine. Highly parasitic, with extremely vigorous vitality. It usually grows alongside Light Attribute Soul Beasts in the dense forests deep within Star Dou."

"Ten-Thousand Year Soul Cleansing Vine. It can stabilize the soul and purify the spirit. It is one of the few dual-system Plant Spirit Beasts possessing both spiritual and Life Attributes, and often appears in the Sunset Forest region."

"Jade Heart Root. Its plant is tiny, but its life fluctuations are extremely intense. It is extraordinarily difficult to capture and has appeared only three times in the lakes deep within Star Dou Great Forest..."

The farther Tang Chuan read, the more tightly his brows furrowed. He gradually realized a practical problem: nearly all of the Plant-Type Spirit Beasts truly suited to him lived in the depths of Star Dou Great Forest or in other places densely populated by Soul Beasts.

Although the outer regions were somewhat safer, there were very few high-quality Life Attribute Plant Spirit Beasts there, making it impossible to satisfy his requirements for his Second Spirit Ring.

Tang Chuan flipped through the pages with slight disappointment. Just as he was preparing to close the book—

Suddenly, his gaze stopped sharply on a corner of one page.

A look of delighted surprise flashed through his eyes.

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