Lin Yan moved lightly through the dense woods.
Lin Yan's strength had increased considerably. Though he was only a level-fifteen Soul Master, the tempering his Thousand-Year Soul Ring had given his body and the solid foundation provided by the Supreme Purity Breathing Technique put his actual combat strength far above others of his level. With his newly acquired Soul Skill, "Illusory Color Concealment," he should have little trouble safely leaving the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest, as long as he encountered no particularly powerful Soul Beasts or ill-intentioned Soul Masters.
He deliberately avoided areas where powerful Soul Beasts might dwell, choosing relatively safe paths. Along the way, he continued familiarizing himself with and practicing his new Soul Skill, particularly the Blue Silver Grass blades' ability to grow and bind. He discovered that this growth was not unlimited. With his current Soul Power, he could extend the blades to around ten meters at most, and the strength and duration of their binding were directly proportional to the Soul Power he poured into them. This undoubtedly gave him an effective means of control.
Just as Lin Yan estimated that another three days' journey would take him out of the forest's outer reaches, a series of urgent cries for help drifted faintly from ahead and to one side.
"Help! Help!"
It was a young woman's voice, filled with panic and fear.
Lin Yan stopped, his brows knitting slightly. Instinctively suppressing his presence, he used the trees as cover and silently approached the source of the cries. Through gaps in the foliage, he saw a girl in a pale blue dress running desperately through the woods. Her dress was torn in several places, dirt smeared her face, and a trace of blood clung to the corner of her mouth. Clearly, she was badly injured.
Not far behind her, a powerfully built Ironback Wolf with ironlike fur and crimson eyes pursued her relentlessly, growling. It was a Soul Beast with nearly eight hundred years of cultivation, known for its defense and speed, and savage by nature. The girl's cultivation was clearly insufficient to fight it, leaving her no choice but to flee for her life. Yet she was plainly slower than the Ironback Wolf, and the distance between them kept shrinking.
Better one less trouble than one more... Lin Yan murmured inwardly. Danger lurked on every side in the Star Dou Great Forest. Rashly interfering in someone else's troubles could easily bring the flames down on himself. He had only just acquired his First Soul Ring, too. Although an eight-hundred-year Ironback Wolf posed little danger to him given his strength, things could become dangerous if the fighting attracted an even more powerful Soul Beast.
Yet the sight of the girl's pale, despairing face and the sound of her tearful cries for help still tugged at Lin Yan's heartstrings. As a young man of the new era, he simply could not stand by and watch someone die.
"Ah, count yourself lucky." Lin Yan sighed, his gaze turning resolute. A head-on fight would be unwise, but using his new Soul Skill to save her might work.
He gauged the girl's path and calculated his timing. At the hair's-breadth moment when the Ironback Wolf lunged and its sharp claws were about to reach her back, Lin Yan moved!
He shot from his hiding place like lightning. With a sweep of his right hand, his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul appeared instantly. Its strengthened blades shot out like nimble blue tentacles, not to attack the Ironback Wolf, but to wrap precisely around the girl's waist.
"What?!" the girl cried out. She felt a gentle yet irresistible force, and her body was instantly pulled off its original course, flying sideways behind a large tree.
At the same time, Lin Yan made a guiding gesture with his left hand. Beneath his feet, a Soul Ring disguised as yellow flashed, and his Soul Skill-Illusory Color Concealment-activated!
The instant the girl was pulled to his side, a strange fluctuation of power spread outward from Lin Yan, enveloping both of them along with his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. Their figures rapidly blurred, their colors blending perfectly with their surroundings-the rough tree trunk, the dappled light and shadow, the dark green moss-and their presence almost instantly dissipated as well.
The Ironback Wolf's supposedly certain pounce missed, its claws gouging deep furrows into the ground. It abruptly checked its momentum, confusion and savagery filling its crimson eyes. Its prey had been right before it, so how had she suddenly vanished? Its nose twitched as it frantically sniffed the air, but that fresh trace of human Soul Power seemed to have been erased out of thin air, leaving only the faint scents of plants and soil.
Growling, it paced several agitated circles on the spot, then pawed at the surrounding bushes a few times, all to no avail. Finally, the Soul Beast raised its head and let out a long, unwilling howl before turning away in frustration and disappearing into the depths of the dense forest.
Only after confirming that the Ironback Wolf had gone far away did Lin Yan slowly release his Soul Skill. Their figures came clearly into view again.
Still shaken, the girl sat slumped on the ground, her chest heaving as she stared in disbelief at the boy who had suddenly appeared and saved her. He looked young, with a slender build, delicate features, and clear, steady eyes. He wore ordinary coarse-cloth clothing, but his composure in the face of danger put one at ease.
"Th... thank you for saving me!" Once her breathing had steadied a little, the girl hurriedly rose and gave Lin Yan a solemn bow, her voice still trembling slightly. "My name is Han Shuirou. I'm a student at Plant Academy. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would already have..."
"It was no trouble. There's no need to thank me." Lin Yan waved a hand, his tone calm. "You said you're a student at Plant Academy? How did you end up in danger all alone deep in the Star Dou Great Forest?"
At the mention of this, a trace of lingering fear and grievance appeared on Han Shuirou's face. "I came with my teacher and several classmates to hunt for Soul Rings. Everything was going smoothly, but while tracking a suitable Soul Beast, we accidentally wandered into the territory of a pack of Gale Demon Wolves. I got separated from everyone in the chaos. After finally escaping the pack, I was unlucky enough to run into this Ironback Wolf... Luckily, I met you."
Plant Academy? Something stirred in Lin Yan's mind. He remembered it as an advanced Soul Master Academy on the Douluo Continent that specialized in teaching students with plant-type Martial Souls. Though it was not as famous as Heaven Dou Royal Academy or Shrek Academy, it had considerable accomplishments in the field of plant-type Martial Souls. He had not expected to meet one of its students here.
"I see." Lin Yan nodded. "How are your injuries?"
Han Shuirou checked her condition and said with a wry smile, "I've used up a lot of Soul Power, and my internal organs took something of a jolt. I need to regulate my breathing for a while. Fortunately, there's no damage to my foundations."
"Then rest for a while. It should be safe here for now." Lin Yan took some clean water and wound medicine from the bundle he carried and handed them to Han Shuirou. He had prepared thoroughly beforehand and had supplies of both.
Han Shuirou accepted them gratefully, treated her external wounds, and drank some water. Her complexion improved considerably. Looking at Lin Yan, she asked curiously, "Did you come to hunt for a Soul Ring too? That Soul Skill just now was incredible. It could actually conceal your figure and presence completely!"
Lin Yan smiled slightly and explained, "I was lucky enough to obtain a rather unusual Soul Skill, that's all. I've also just acquired my First Soul Ring and was about to leave the forest."
"Your First Soul Ring?" Han Shuirou noticed the bright Yellow Soul Ring beneath Lin Yan's feet, and a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. Judging by the speed of his earlier movements, his grasp of timing, and that wondrous Soul Skill, she had assumed he was at least a Soul Grandmaster. She had not expected him to be merely a One-Ring Soul Master. And his First Soul Ring was already a hundred-year one? That talent was quite impressive among ordinary Soul Masters.
The two rested for a short while, and Han Shuirou recovered some Soul Power. Lin Yan suggested, "Miss Han, since we're both leaving the forest, why don't we travel together? We can look out for each other."
Han Shuirou had been worrying about how to leave safely on her own, and she was delighted to hear this. "That would be wonderful! Sorry for the trouble!" She could tell that although Lin Yan's Soul Power Level was not high, his strength was far from as simple as it appeared. Traveling with him would make things much safer.
Thus, after resting and tending to themselves a little, the two set off together. Lin Yan scouted ahead while Han Shuirou followed behind. Watching him skillfully find his bearings and avoid danger, she secretly admired him. This boy was far steadier than someone his age ought to be.