After killing the hundred-year Scarlet Fire Monkey leading the pack, Tian Chen did not pursue the others as they fled.
It was not that he felt pity for Soul Beasts. He merely wanted to leave some resources for the commoner Soul Masters who came to hunt Soul Beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest.
These ten-year Scarlet Fire Monkeys were not strong, but their innate skills were quite good, making them a decent option for those people.
Sensing the Soul Power remaining inside him, Tian Chen did not continue searching for Soul Beasts. Instead, he had Meng Tao stand guard while he began recovering his Soul Power.
For a while afterward, Tian Chen took Meng Tao searching without restraint through the Soul Hunting Forest for Soul Beasts over a hundred years old. Each time, he fought until not a thread of Soul Power remained before stopping to recover.
The results proved Tian Chen's idea correct. By squeezing himself so ruthlessly, he could clearly feel his bottleneck loosening.
Barring any surprises, he would be able to break through soon.
The falling snow gradually stopped, and the lingering glow of the setting sun spilled over the Soul Hunting Forest, lending a touch of tranquility to this bustling forest.
Threads of brilliant golden light fell across Tian Chen's finely sculpted face.
His short golden hair shone even more brightly in the sunlight, and his clear blue eyes seemed particularly deep.
After fourteen to sixteen hours of intense combat, Tian Chen had reached his bottleneck. He no longer had any interest in troubling Soul Beasts. If his senses were right, he should be able to break through to rank twenty tonight.
With the enhancement of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, along with all the medicinal baths and nourishing meals he had enjoyed since childhood, his physique was already no weaker than that of an ordinary Soul Elder.
And that meant a Power Attack System Beast Martial Soul Soul Elder.
When the time came, attempting to absorb a Soul Ring just over a thousand years old should be no problem.
At that thought, the nerves Tian Chen had kept taut lately finally relaxed.
He stretched his arms casually, found the most comfortable spot on Meng Tao's back, and lay down at ease.
After Meng Tao used Martial Soul Possession, there was more than enough room on his back, so Tian Chen naturally had no need to keep his limbs tucked in.
Pillowing his head on his hands, Tian Chen opened his eyes to gaze at the azure sky and lazily instructed Meng Tao.
"Head straight back to Spirit City."
"Yes, Young Master Tian!"
Meng Tao answered respectfully. The thought that he had latched onto a thigh like Tian Chen left him in exceptionally high spirits.
Had Tian Chen not still been on his back, he might well have let out a long howl of excitement.
As Meng Tao flew toward the outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest, however, they encountered another team hunting Soul Beasts.
Such things should have been commonplace in the Soul Hunting Forest, but this team was not doing very well. Moreover, one of its Soul Masters wore the Spirit Hall Academy uniform.
Whether out of sentiment or reason, Meng Tao could not leave them to die.
Tian Chen, who had been resting with his eyes closed on Meng Tao's back, was clearly also disturbed by the commotion below. He followed Meng Tao's gaze and looked down.
"A Mandala Snake? A hundred-year one at that?"
Looking at the emerald-green, two-meter-long serpentine Soul Beast, Tian Chen also showed surprise.
He had not expected the Soul Hunting Forest to contain a Mandala Snake in addition to a high-grade Soul Beast like the Ice and Fire Demon Tiger.
As his gaze shifted, Tian Chen also noticed the Soul Master in a Spirit Hall Academy uniform hovering in midair, her golden wings spread after using Martial Soul Possession.
It was none other than Zhang Ping, who had teamed up with Tian Chen six months earlier.
Since she was a flying Soul Master, however, the Mandala Snake had not injured her. Her face was merely pale from excessive Soul Power consumption.
The other three were not faring so well. Without Zhang Ping providing occasional support from the air, they would probably have ended up in the snake's belly long ago.
After all, all three only had one Soul Ring, and two of them even had white Ten-Year Soul Rings as their first Soul Rings.
Tian Chen would not leave them to die. Whatever else, Zhang Ping was his schoolmate. Of course, the most important thing was that her talent was fairly decent, and winning her over could be of some use.
Without further hesitation, Tian Chen calmly instructed Meng Tao.
"Make your move."
With Meng Tao's cultivation as a rank sixty-seven Soul Emperor, dealing with a Soul Beast around two hundred years old naturally posed no problem, especially since his Martial Soul also exerted considerable suppression over serpentine Soul Beasts.
Receiving Tian Chen's permission, Meng Tao felt a little pleased. Being unable to demonstrate his strength before Tian Chen earlier had left him frustrated for quite some time.
He also wanted to show what he could do in front of Tian Chen. After all, that was how Tian Chen would recognize his value.
Six Soul Rings-two yellow, two purple, and two black-instantly appeared around him. Suddenly, his purple third Soul Ring lit up, a layer of purple light enveloped his entire body, and his speed surged.
Carrying Tian Chen, he flashed past like a purple shadow. Before the Mandala Snake could react, he had already slit open its belly and spilled its guts.
Sickly sweet venom mingled with bright red blood, gushing incessantly from the Mandala Snake's mouth and wound.
Its tail struggled weakly a few times before finally falling limp, and a bright yellow ring of light slowly condensed above its corpse.
"Young Master Tian!"
Zhang Ping, who had been hovering in midair with a stunned expression, also noticed the smiling Tian Chen and Meng Tao and called out in delight.
She had never expected to escape death today, much less to be saved by Tian Chen, who happened to be passing by.
Still shaken, she patted her flat-as-a-plain chest. Looking at Tian Chen, she parted her rosy lips slightly, wanting to say something more.
But when she saw Meng Tao beside Tian Chen, with his optimal Soul Ring configuration and his deeply respectful expression toward Tian Chen, she timidly lowered her head.
Ultimately, she was only an ordinary Soul Master of commoner birth. Had Spirit Hall not helped awaken her Martial Soul, she would merely have belonged to the lowest stratum of the Douluo Continent.
To pay for her mother's treatment, she had already spent almost all the savings she had accumulated from part-time work at Spirit Hall Academy.
She had no choice but to risk helping others hunt Soul Beasts to earn money and supplement her household income.
Now she truly felt the gulf between herself and Tian Chen. Still immature, she could not help feeling inferior.
Seeing Zhang Ping hesitate to speak, Tian Chen understood quite well.
Having lived two lives, and taking into account what he already knew about Zhang Ping's family, he had little difficulty guessing her troubles and thoughts.
Walking over to Zhang Ping, Tian Chen smiled gently. To spare her pride, he phrased his offer tactfully.
"My household still needs someone specifically to tidy my room. If you don't mind, you could come work at my house. How about ten Gold Soul Coins a month?"
"Young Master Tian... I..."
Seeing Zhang Ping's hesitation, Tian Chen did not say much more.
"You don't have to answer me now. Come find me once you've thought it over."
Tian Chen did not force her. It was not as though he lusted after her body; he was merely giving her an opportunity. He could not bring himself to force a deal on someone.
When it came to looks, Hu Liena was a little better than her anyway. Wasn't training the little fox more appealing?
Nodding to the three Soul Masters beside them, who were thanking him incessantly, Tian Chen jumped back onto Meng Tao's back after he used Martial Soul Possession again. With a beat of Meng Tao's wings, they flew swiftly toward Spirit City.