As mentioned before, the academy teachers would not intervene unless a student's life was in danger.
To put it another way, when a teach-
-er intervened, it meant that the team had lost its eligibility to continue participating in the event.
That was why Tian Chen had not rashly led Li Kai and Zhang Ping all over the Soul Hunting Forest.
With their strength, if they faced a Soul Beast with over five hundred years of cultivation, they might win by relying on Tian Chen's Soul Bone skill, but they would also pay a price.
So Tian Chen only led Li Kai and Zhang Ping around the boundary between the inner and outer regions of the Soul Hunting Forest.
Most of the Soul Beasts here had around a hundred years of cultivation. Li Kai and Zhang Ping might not be able to handle them on their own.
But with Tian Chen added to the mix, the three of them working together would have no trouble.
Over the next three days, Tian Chen's group worked together to successfully kill seven Hundred-Year Soul Beasts.
Of course, these were all low-level Soul Beasts with ordinary bloodlines. Otherwise, even a single hundred-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear could have wiped them out.
These Hundred-Year Soul Beasts were creatures like Netherworld Wolves and Lava Hounds.
The only one that gave them trouble was a Wind Baboon with nearly two hundred years of cultivation. Its attacks were not powerful, but it was extremely fast.
In the end, they relied on their coordination and expended quite a bit of effort before successfully killing it.
"Boar Charge!"
Inside the Soul Hunting Forest, a dark figure covered in black hair flashed past. Accompanied by a wretched howl, a pitch-black leopard-type Soul Beast was disemboweled by the huge horn on his forehead.
Only when a faint white ring slowly emerged above the corpse did he withdraw his Martial Soul and give an honest, simple smile toward those behind him.
This was none other than Li Kai, who had already acquired his Soul Ring. What he had just used was his first Soul Skill-Boar Charge.
It allowed him to swiftly ram his target with the black horn on his forehead, inflicting astonishing damage.
Any Soul Beast with less than a hundred years of cultivation that took his Soul Skill head-on would either die or be injured.
This roughly eighty-year-old Voidbright Demon Leopard he had disemboweled was an excellent example.
"All right, let's keep looking for targets."
Dressed in silver robes, Tian Chen walked over with Zhang Ping to the smug-looking Li Kai and spoke with a smile.
The effort he had spent helping Li Kai kill that Black-Horned Mountain Boar had certainly not been wasted.
With Li Kai's help, there was no need for him to take on one of Xie Yue's trio alone. It would be enough if he and Zhang Ping could hold Yan back.
Then Tian Chen would deal with Xie Yue and Hu Liena himself.
The rules the academy had given earlier were rather cryptic, but Tian Chen had still understood their meaning.
Perform the best?
Wouldn't eliminating every other student in the Soul Hunting Forest do the trick?
Besides, with academy teachers secretly following them, they could keep things under control and prevent casualties.
As for why he was confident he could deal with Xie Yue and Hu Liena alone, despite their Martial Soul Fusion Skill-
It was because he could rely on the other skill of his Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.
He would definitely give them a surprise when the time came.
Tian Chen waved Li Kai and Zhang Ping over.
"Today's already the fifth day. Most teams that aren't strong enough should have been eliminated and taken out of the Soul Hunting Forest by the teachers. And after hunting Soul Beasts these past few days, we've all gained quite a bit of experience."
Tian Chen looked at the two of them, paused, then changed tack.
"For the next two days, we won't hunt Soul Beasts. We'll defeat the other teams instead."
Hearing Tian Chen's words, Li Kai and Zhang Ping both looked at him in surprise.
They clearly had not expected Tian Chen to have such a plan.
"Young Master Tian, wouldn't that be against the rules?"
The usually brainless Li Kai could not help voicing his doubts.
Zhang Ping, however, quickly caught on and sensibly said nothing more.
As far as she was concerned, this was merely making reasonable use of the rules.
"There's nothing against the rules about it. The teachers never said we couldn't cause trouble for the other teams."
"Enough. I don't want what you think. I want what I think. If I say we're doing it, we're doing it. Any questions?"
Seeing that Li Kai still could not wrap his head around it and wanted to keep yapping, Tian Chen impatiently cut him off.
Li Kai was good in every way except for having something wrong with his head.
To put it nicely, he was simple and honest. To put it bluntly, he was a complete moron.
"From now on, we'll avoid direct contact with Soul Beasts as much as possible to conserve our Soul Power and stamina."
Of course, Tian Chen also had considerable selfish reasons.
Li Kai had already told him in secret that the reward for first place in this event was a Soul Bone provided by the academy.
Although this Soul Bone had only come from a Soul Beast around five thousand years old, its value was still astonishing.
Moreover, the principal of Spirit Hall Academy had gritted his teeth and paid a high price for this Soul Bone at an auction specifically to curry favor with Xie Yue's trio and Tian Chen.
The principal of Spirit Hall Academy was a powerful, high-ranking cardinal of Spirit Hall, as well as a Soul Douluo-level expert.
Yet his standing was not as high as that of the Titled Douluo elders, while he held such a lucrative post at Spirit Hall Academy.
It was inevitable that others would covet it.
He had truly racked his brains over this event.
Whether Xie Yue's trio or Tian Chen's team took first place this time, once they accepted the Soul Bone, he would not lose out, and he could leave a good impression as well.
Whichever side he latched onto, he could consolidate his position.
Tian Chen could not be bothered with the Spirit Hall Academy principal's little schemes. He just had to win it.
Tian Chen might not think much of this Soul Bone himself, but keeping it in his collection or giving it to Li Kai would both be good choices.
After all, this Soul Bone was worth several hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins.