"I don't need the academy to send anyone with me. I can go in on my own," Han Qiu said calmly.
"On your own?!" Director Su almost thought he had misheard. "Nonsense! Soul Beasts are vicious. Soul Masters are injured in the forest every year. A six-year-old child going alone? You're gambling with your life!"
"I know my limits. Nothing will happen." Han Qiu smiled faintly. "I'm only here to notify the academy and obtain travel papers proving I'm a Nuoding Academy student, so the patrolling Soul Masters don't mistake me for someone else on the outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest. I can pay the processing fees myself."
As he spoke, Han Qiu took the other Gold Soul Coin he had gotten from the gatekeeper out of his robes and placed it gently on the table. It gleamed so brightly that Director Su's eyelid twitched.
Director Su stared at the Gold Soul Coin on the table, then studied the composed, confident boy before him, torn in a hundred directions.
He had seen Han Qiu's strength. A boy who could beat Xiao Chenyu into submission was no ordinary child. But the Soul Hunting Forest was still a place infested with Soul Beasts, and the danger was plain to see.
After a moment's silence, Director Su sighed. "I can issue the papers. But I'll make this clear upfront: the academy is only responsible for providing proof of your identity. It won't be responsible for your safety. Once you enter the forest, you'll bear all the risks yourself. If you run into danger, ask the Soul Hunting Forest patrol for help immediately. Don't try to tough it out."
"Understood." Han Qiu nodded.
Director Su picked up a pen and paper, quickly wrote out the document, stamped it with Nuoding Academy's seal, and handed it to Han Qiu.
"These are your travel papers. They'll get you into the outer area of the Soul Hunting Forest. Remember, stay on the outskirts. Don't venture deep into the forest. There are Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in there, and they're not something you can stand against," Director Su warned him repeatedly.
Normally, Soul Masters needed a Spirit Hall token to enter the Soul Hunting Forest, but certain official travel documents could also serve as temporary tokens. Director Su had issued him just such a document.
Han Qiu took the document, put it away, and inclined his head slightly. "Thank you for the warning, Director."
After leaving the academic affairs office, Han Qiu did not return to Dorm Six, but went straight back to his dormitory and packed a few things. He brought only dry rations, water, and a short blade bought from the academy's general store.
When Liu Long, Zhang Jian, and the others saw Han Qiu packing, they hurried over.
"Boss, where are you going?"
"To the Soul Hunting Forest, to hunt for my First Soul Ring," Han Qiu answered casually.
The group erupted in surprise. Xiao Chenyu's expression changed. "Boss! The Soul Hunting Forest is dangerous. Why don't we come with you? We can look out for one another with more people."
Han Qiu shook his head. "No need. You stay at the academy and look after the dormitory. I'll be back soon."
Xiao Chenyu wanted to argue further, but one look at Han Qiu's eyes made him give up.
"Boss, then you must be careful!"
"Don't worry."
Han Qiu shouldered his simple pack, said goodbye to everyone, and walked out through Nuoding Academy's gates, setting off alone toward the Soul Hunting Forest northeast of Nuoding City.
Seven or eight hours passed in a flash, and Han Qiu arrived at the market on the outskirts of the Soul Forest.
"It's lively here."
Han Qiu looked around at the endless stream of vendors and adventurers. He could not help recalling Dungeon & Fighter, which he had played in his previous life. The entrances to dungeons had always been crowded with all kinds of merchants and players forming parties, and the scene before him felt strangely familiar.
Noisy shouts rose and fell, constantly reaching his ears.
"We have a token! Party of five needs one more! Looking for a Defense System Soul Master above level twenty!"
"Strength-type Soul Master, Ape Martial Soul, thick skin and tough flesh! Looking for a party to enter the forest!"
"Auxiliary System Soul Master here! Pretty, heals plenty, and can warm your bed."
The corner of Han Qiu's mouth twitched, leaving him speechless for a moment.
He looked around. The bustling market gave him a fleeting, almost disoriented feeling that he had crossed back into his previous life.
Only the prices here were frighteningly high. Everything was outrageously expensive.
Little San should already have entered the forest with Grandmaster to look for Soul Beasts.
With that thought, Han Qiu headed straight for the entrance to the Soul Forest, which resembled an enormous city wall. Guards patrolled back and forth on either side of it.
Han Qiu walked up to the entrance, took out his travel papers, and handed them to a guard.
"Kid, are you here alone?" The guard frowned deeply, his gaze resting on the young Han Qiu, concern in his voice. "You're so young. Are you sure you want to go in alone? Without an elder accompanying you, there's danger at every turn in the forest. If anything happens, no one can take responsibility for it."
Han Qiu nodded gently. "Just me. Please let me through."
The guard returned the document to Han Qiu. Seeing how determined he was, the guard offered no further advice and raised a hand, signaling for the gate to be opened.
Rumble!
The heavy, ten-meter-tall steel gate slowly slid open to either side. The earthy scent of vegetation unique to a primeval forest rushed over him. Towering ancient trees and exotic flowers and plants of every color came into view, a scene of untouched wilderness.
Han Qiu put away his papers, took a deep breath, and stepped into the forest.
"So this is the Soul Hunting Forest."
Excitement surged in his heart, and even his blood began to boil. The branches and foliage were thick, and several paths trodden by those who had come before stretched across the forest floor. The soil beneath his feet was soft, and Han Qiu could hardly contain his excitement.
"Soul Ring, here I come," he murmured to himself.
His target was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
Only a Thousand-Year Soul Beast could produce a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, and a Soul Beast of that kind was at least as strong as a level thirty or forty Soul Master.
For an ordinary Soul Master, hunting down such a creature was harder than ascending to heaven, an almost impossible task.
Even geniuses carefully nurtured by the great clans would never rashly challenge a Thousand-Year Soul Beast at level ten, before obtaining their First Soul Ring.
At the very moment Han Qiu stepped into the Soul Forest, Grandmaster was leading Tang San through the dense woods at the other end of the forest.
"Little San, according to my theory, the limit a level-ten Soul Master can withstand when absorbing a First Soul Ring is a little over four hundred years," Grandmaster said gravely as he walked at a measured pace. "So this time, we'll do our best to find a Soul Beast close to that age. You have Innate Full Soul Power. We mustn't let that talent go to waste."
Tang San nodded gently and reached out to touch the jade belt at his waist, feeling quietly moved. Grandmaster treated him with genuine sincerity and had even given him this precious Soul Tool. He had already given the jade belt a name: Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.
"This Thorn Vine is fifty years old. It's exceptionally tough, and its properties suit your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, but its age falls far too short." Grandmaster reached out and patted a stalk of verdant Lone Bamboo beside him. All along the way, he had continuously explained all kinds of knowledge about Soul Beasts, Soul Rings, and their ages to Tang San.
"Let's keep searching. I'm afraid we'll have to spend the night in the forest."
"All right," Tang San replied. Then he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Grandmaster, Han Qiu plans to hunt a Soul Beast alone. How old do you think the Soul Ring he can obtain will be, at most?"
Grandmaster paused in surprise at the question. After giving it some thought, he slowly shook his head. "It's hard to say. If he can hunt a Hundred-Year Soul Beast on his own, that would already be quite impressive. Beyond that, a Soul Beast of two hundred, three hundred, or even four hundred years would pose considerable risks even to a level-thirty Power Attack System Battle Soul Master."
"You've told me he's quite strong, but I haven't seen it with my own eyes. In my judgment, around a hundred years is most likely his limit. And that also depends on the kind of Soul Beast. If it's a naturally ferocious beast-type Soul Beast, it'll only be harder."
A faint smile rarely seen appeared on Grandmaster's stern face as he reassured him, "There's no need to worry about others. Your teacher will help you find the most suitable Soul Ring. Otherwise, how would I demonstrate my worth as your teacher?"
Tang San felt that Grandmaster's analysis was reasonable, but deep down, he had a faint feeling that Han Qiu might not stop there.
He guessed that Han Qiu might still have a chance against a Soul Beast two or three hundred years old. Any older, and it would be nine deaths to one chance of survival.
"Fortune really is found amid danger," Tang San murmured. Obtaining a more powerful Soul Ring meant facing dangers that multiplied severalfold.