"Director Wang, why are you taking him to the Soul Hunting Forest?"
Yu Xiaogang wore an aloof expression, striking the pose of a man holding forth on affairs of state.
"If I remember correctly, this child is a new student who enrolled just a month ago, isn't he?"
"He's a greenhorn who hasn't even mastered the basic theories of Martial Souls. Isn't it reckless to take him to the Soul Hunting Forest?"
Wang Ping'an was immediately annoyed by Yu Xiaogang's superior, lecturing tone.
He gave a mirthless chuckle and said mildly, "Grandmaster, I'm afraid you're mistaken."
"Although Xiao Xuan only recently enrolled, he has cultivated diligently, and his Soul Power has now broken through to the level-ten bottleneck. Naturally, it's time for him to hunt for his First Soul Ring."
"Level ten?!"
Yu Xiaogang's pupils abruptly contracted, and his gaze grew several degrees more fervent as he looked at Xiao Xuan.
Clearly, Wang Ping'an had no desire to say much more to Yu Xiaogang. He cupped his hands and said:
"All right, Grandmaster, we're in a hurry, so we'll be going."
With that, Wang Ping'an waved his hand and strode straight past Yu Xiaogang, leading Xiao Xuan toward the city gates.
Xiao Xuan remained composed. Without pausing for even a moment, he stepped after Director Wang.
Back where he stood, Yu Xiaogang clutched his aching chest and stared fixedly at Xiao Xuan's retreating figure, a wild light flickering in his narrow eyes:
He reached level ten after only a month at school... This child's Innate Soul Power must be quite high!
If he's a genius with high Innate Soul Power, then he ought to become my disciple! Only my, Yu Xiaogang's, invincible theories are worthy of guiding such an unparalleled uncut jade!
The Soul Hunting Forest outside Nuoding City, in the southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire.
After presenting the Soul Hunting permit, Wang Ping'an led Xiao Xuan past the guards and into the forest without incident.
"Xiao Xuan, have you given any thought to what kind of First Soul Ring you want?"
Wang Ping'an kept a wary eye on their surroundings as he asked in a low voice.
For Mutated Martial Souls, the conventional approach to Soul Ring Configuration often no longer applied.
Xiao Xuan nodded without hesitation. "Teacher Wang, I have."
"Ordinary lone bamboo is slender and frail, so it usually follows the Auxiliary System or Control System path."
"But my mutated lone bamboo is different. Its hardness is already comparable to a Tool Martial Soul, so I intend to follow a pure Power Attack System path!"
"Good lad, you've got guts!"
A look of deep approval flashed in Wang Ping'an's eyes.
Many Soul Masters of common birth spent their whole lives looking over their shoulders and meekly deferring to others.
Xiao Xuan, on the other hand, was not only mature, but also clear and ruthless in how he positioned his own Mutated Martial Soul. His future achievements were certain to be limitless!
Wang Ping'an reached out and patted Xiao Xuan on the shoulder, laughing heartily.
"Since you're following the Power Attack System, we need to find a Soul Beast known for strength, penetration, or breaking through defenses."
"Stay close to me. Although the Soul Hunting Forest is where the empire keeps Soul Beasts in captivity, and their varieties and numbers make it far less dangerous than the Star Dou Great Forest, deadly peril still lurks at every step for a low-level Soul Master fresh out of the gate."
"If something happens and you're too far away, I won't be able to protect you easily."
"I understand." Xiao Xuan nodded solemnly, his attention fully focused.
The two picked their way deeper along a forest trail.
The farther they went, the dimmer the light around them grew. From time to time, they heard low beast roars and birdcalls in the distance.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle..."
Suddenly, a dense, heavy patter of trampling came from the bushes ahead and to the side.
Wang Ping'an grabbed Xiao Xuan and quickly pulled him behind a tree so thick that it would take two people to encircle it. On his guard, he said:
"Sounds like that usually mean the Soul Beasts in the forest are fighting over territory or foraging in a group. Move quietly, and don't startle the sna-wait, too late!"
Before he had finished speaking, the low bushes ahead were violently smashed apart!
"Huff! Huff!"
Amid rough, violent panting, three ferocious Soul Beasts, each as stout as a calf and covered in gray-black bristles like steel needles, lined up abreast and barred their path!
Two yellowed tusks, each about a foot long, jutted from the corners of each beast's mouth, and their scarlet eyes brimmed with savagery and hunger.
"Bristle Pigs!"
Wang Ping'an's expression changed slightly.
Judging by their size and the length of their tusks, all three Bristle Pigs were over three hundred years old.
"Xiao Xuan, get behind me!"
At that critical moment, Wang Ping'an bellowed.
Three Soul Rings rose abruptly beneath his feet, his muscles knotting and swelling as the illusory figure of a furious Giant Strength Brown Bear materialized behind him!
Third Soul Skill, Violent Bear's Strength!
Wang Ping'an took a great stride forward, his bear-paw-like hand, as large as a palm-leaf fan, carrying a violent gust with the force to topple mountains and overturn seas as he struck viciously at the face of the Bristle Pig directly ahead!
The three Bristle Pigs were extremely cunning. Under the pressure of that terrifying palm wind, they abruptly slid sideways to evade it.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Almost at the same instant, several piercing shrieks suddenly tore through the air from the previously quiet woods on their flank!
Several long, black bristles, like fine-steel darts, shot wildly out from a blind spot, heading straight for Wang Ping'an's unguarded back!
A feint in the east and a strike in the west! There was an ambush on the flank too!
"Teacher Wang, watch out!"
Xiao Xuan's pupils contracted sharply, his sense of danger instantly reaching its peak!
In the rush, there was no room for even a moment's hesitation. Xiao Xuan beckoned with his right hand, and the lone bamboo instantly landed in it!
Xiao Xuan planted his feet firmly in a horse stance, brute force erupting from both arms as he gripped the spear in one hand and swept it fiercely through the air!
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!!"
A series of ear-splitting metallic crashes rang through the woods!
The sharp bristles, capable of piercing thick tree trunks, struck Xiao Xuan's lone bamboo as though they had hit ten-thousand-year-old dark iron. They failed to leave so much as a white mark, snapping and falling to the ground one after another!
But before Xiao Xuan could breathe a sigh of relief, the bushes behind him exploded apart!
A fourth Bristle Pig, its tusks gleaming with a chilling light, charged out and completely cut off Xiao Xuan and Wang Ping'an's retreat!
Four hundred-year-old Bristle Pigs in all had caught them from front and back, instantly forming an inescapable encirclement!
A layer of cold sweat immediately beaded on Wang Ping'an's forehead.
If he had been here alone, he could have relied on his formidable Soul Power and defenses as a Soul Elder above level thirty to slaughter the entire pack of beasts, even if he had to take a couple of hits.
But Xiao Xuan was standing right in the middle of the encirclement!
No matter how much of a genius Xiao Xuan was, he was still only a level-ten Soul Scholar who had yet to absorb a Soul Ring!
Once a melee broke out, Wang Ping'an's two fists would be no match for four hands. If any one of the Bristle Pigs so much as grazed Xiao Xuan with its tusks, he would lose a layer of skin if not his life!
"Teacher Wang, don't worry about me!"
Xiao Xuan held his spear across his chest and said coldly, "Go all out and kill the three in front quickly! Leave the one alone behind us to me; I'll hold it off!"
Wang Ping'an gritted his teeth.
Now that things had come to this, dragging their feet would only get them both killed!
"All right! I'll finish them as quickly as I can. Hold on, and whatever you do, don't fight it head-on. Focus on dodging!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the light of the Soul Rings around him blazed. A furious bear's roar shattered the leaves as he lunged at the three Soul Beasts in front, wrapped in a savage rush of force with the might of ten thousand bolts of lightning!
On the other side, Xiao Xuan stood alone, coldly facing the Bristle Pig behind them.