The guard clearly had no idea how to deal with children. Faced with a crying Ning Rongrong, he hurriedly crouched down and clumsily tried to comfort the two of them.
"All right, all right, don't cry. You can go in... But you'd better just find some Soul Beasts nearby to absorb. If you run into danger, remember to run back to the gate. I'll wait right here, so I can go in and protect you at any time."
Hearing that, Wang Xiaoming immediately pulled Ning Rongrong into the Soul Hunting Forest behind him, afraid he might change his mind.
"Then thanks, Uncle~"
The guard waved at them. A while later, it suddenly dawned on him, and he shouted into the forest, "I'm only twenty-five! What the hell do you mean, Uncle!?"
At that moment, a few people passing by him exchanged glances.
"Hello, Uncle What the Hell. Goodbye, Uncle What the Hell."
After plunging headlong into the Soul Hunting Forest, the two of them began a leisurely hunting stroll.
"It's so gloomy here... Why isn't there a single Soul Beast?"
Wang Xiaoming walked in front, while Ning Rongrong followed behind him, warily watching the layers of foliage overhead.
"This is the outer edge of the Soul Hunting Forest. Too many people pass through here, so the Soul Beasts won't come near it.
"Besides, many people who aren't after Soul Rings at the limit of what they can absorb generally look for relatively weak Soul Beasts in the outer area, which drives the Soul Beasts there farther inward.
"If you divided a forest into regions by level, only the strong-that is, the dangerous Soul Beasts-would be capable of occupying the relatively safe central area, where resources are richer and the terrain is better.
"So they're distributed in a radial pattern.
"If we keep going, there'll also be fewer empty trees like the ones out here on the edge.
"The trees here were deliberately transplanted by humans as a natural barrier to keep the Soul Beasts out.
"We'll have to go farther in to find a suitable Soul Beast."
As Ning Rongrong listened to Wang Xiaoming's lengthy explanation, the tension in her heart gradually gave way to surprise.
"When did you learn so much about Soul Beasts? Usually, you fall asleep over a book even faster than I do."
Had he been secretly working hard while she slept?
Wang Xiaoming gently tapped her forehead.
"What nonsense. I've always been passionate about studying. It's just that knowledge is too slippery-it circles around in my head once, then slips right back out."
That was what he said, but normally he only read books about Soul Beasts or legends.
As for some of the humanities books at home...
He just couldn't get into them.
All those books bragging about nobles didn't even have a single salacious story in them. He had no desire to read them at all.
Ning Rongrong made a face at Wang Xiaoming.
If Wang Xiaoming liked studying, then her, Ning Rongrong's, Martial Soul was a Six-Winged Angel!
After they went a little farther, a few strong shafts of sunlight finally shone into the dim forest.
At the sight, Ning Rongrong felt as though she had finally seen hope.
At last, she didn't have to keep stepping through dead leaves and mud!
Her shoes were already dirty.
"Xiaoming, there's light up ahead! Come on, hurry!"
There was still forest ahead, but compared to the outer area, the vegetation was more sparsely distributed.
The tall tree-type Soul Beasts were powerful competitors for nutrients, leaving only some stunted vegetation nearby.
"Wow, it's so beautiful here."
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up as she looked at the cozy, colorful scene.
It was completely different from the artificially cultivated gardens and mountain landscapes in their sect.
It had a natural beauty to it.
"Xiaoming, look, there's a rabbit over there!"
When Ning Rongrong saw the rabbit, she wanted to chase after it.
But when the Soft Bone Rabbit saw Ning Rongrong charging toward it, it immediately kicked off with its hind legs and dove into the bushes, disappearing from sight.
Wang Xiaoming immediately grabbed the excited Ning Rongrong.
"Rongrong, you can't let your guard down in here either. Look closely above the bush that rabbit went into.
"There's a Ghost Vine lurking up there. It has a poison that can paralyze people. Once you touch it, you won't be able to get out."
Ning Rongrong stopped and looked closely.
Sure enough, just as Wang Xiaoming had said, a thick green vine was hidden among the green leaves. It was covered in thorns, and without a closer look, one might have mistaken it for a flower stem.
"Hmph, what a despicable Soul Beast, trying to hurt me."
Ning Rongrong folded her arms and puffed out her cheeks angrily.
Were rabbits all this cunning?
From today onward, she and rabbit Soul Beasts could not live under the same sky!
Ning Rongrong looked like a child throwing a tantrum because she couldn't have a toy.
"Despicable? That's just survival instinct.
"The weak depend on the strong, borrowing their strength to survive better.
"It's just that we're stronger right now."
Wang Xiaoming took the Ride Booker off his waist and spoke to comfort her.
In his hand, the Ride Booker instantly transformed into a Ride Booker Gun.
[Shoot!]
Wang Xiaoming held it in his hand, and countless energy bullets instantly poured out, bombarding the bushes in front of him.
When the Ghost Vine tried to fight back, whipping its branches toward him, the Ride Booker Gun in Wang Xiaoming's hand instantly switched to sword form. He focused and slashed at the incoming Ghost Vine!
In an instant of intersecting light and shadow, the sword cut the Ghost Vine in half.
Wang Xiaoming gave the Ghost Vine's corpse on the ground a calm glance and gently wiped the blade.
After the Ghost Vine was severed, a faint Yellow Soul Ring floated quietly in the air.
"Judging by its size, this Ghost Vine was only a little over a hundred years old. The older it is, the longer the thorns on its vines... Rongrong, what are you doing?"
Just as Wang Xiaoming was talking about the Ghost Vine, he saw Ning Rongrong squatting beside him, curiously poking at the Ride Booker Sword in his hand.
"Xiaoming, what was that attack just now? Where did you pull this sword out from? Wasn't your Martial Soul a belt? Is this the new power you got?"
She looked at Wang Xiaoming with sparkling eyes, her questions coming without pause.
The sword was a little ugly, and nowhere near as imposing and magnificent as her Grandpa Sword's, but it was so interesting!
Why did Wang Xiaoming's belt Martial Soul have so many tricks?
It could snatch away the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and summon "her," and now he'd pulled out a sword that could unleash strange attacks!
In particular, the way he had attacked the Ghost Vine made her feel well protected.
Being treated like that by someone her own age... It felt strange.
"You asked so many questions at once that I don't even know which one to answer first."
As Wang Xiaoming spoke, he changed the Ride Booker Sword in his hand back to its original form and held it out.
Seeing that, Ning Rongrong reached out and took it, holding it up before her eyes to examine it closely.
"So this is that sword from just now. How does it transform?"