Departure

"So after all that talking, you were just messing with me?" Tang San clenched his fists and glared at Hu Jiu through gritted teeth, wishing he could punch him.

Damn it, they had gotten as far as changing Douluo Continent, only for him to say everything before that was bullshit because there wasn't enough time?

"Haha, don't be angry. It's not completely useless! For example—"

"For example what?"

"For example, you can multitask. Even if you can't truly multitask, you can turn it into a bodily instinct, which is basically the same thing." Hu Jiu smiled smugly.

"You mean?" Tang San's Eyes Lit Up. Now that sounded more like it.

"That's right. As long as you work hard enough, you can overturn even the heavens. Young man, work hard!" Hu Jiu patted Tang San's shoulder approvingly, his face full of gratification.

"Get lost. Your reasoning doesn't convince me. I still can't let you choose the Sky Swallowing Toad as your Spirit Ring." Brushing away Hu Jiu's hand, Tang San still opposed Hu Jiu gambling with his future.

"Fine, then I'll keep making things up—ptui, I mean, keep explaining." Hu Jiu nearly let it slip.

"Go on, then. I'm listening."

"Well, well, you two were whispering behind my back? Hu Jiu, what are you doing?" Just as Hu Jiu was organizing his thoughts, Xiao Wu suddenly appeared.

Hu Jiu and Tang San had been outside for quite a while, and Xiao Wu had noticed something was off. Weren't they supposed to be inseparable? Why had they vanished now?

"Xiao Wu, you came at the perfect time. Help me talk some sense into Xiao Jiu!" Tang San's face lit up at the sight of Xiao Wu. He immediately rattled off how Hu Jiu wanted to choose the Sky Swallowing Toad as his Spirit Ring.

Naturally, he also mentioned Hu Jiu's claim that Spirit Rings could be improved through cultivation.

"Are you stupid? Since Xiao Jiu has already explained the method, why don't you just try it and see? What a waste of such a big head." Xiao Wu shot Tang San a glance. Was he an idiot?

"Ah, right! I can just try it first." Xiao Wu's words made Tang San suddenly realize. He would give it a try. If Spirit Rings really could be improved through cultivation, then letting Hu Jiu choose the Sky Swallowing Toad might not be impossible.

"Oh, right, Xiao Jiu. Didn't you say you had another reason just now? Let's hear it." Tang San, who had been about to go back and experiment, suddenly remembered that Hu Jiu had mentioned another reason.

"Oh, that? There's not much to say. I just want to use it as a template to create a new Soul Skill after obtaining one." As a member of a great knockoff nation, borrowing and imitation were practically instinctive, all right?

That way, the Soul Skill could level up on AFK.

Of course, he couldn't tell Tang San that.

"Why do I feel like everything you've said today has been a lie?" Tang San looked at Hu Jiu suspiciously.

"Not at all. Impossible!" Hu Jiu denied it repeatedly. Luckily, he had not lost his ability to lie with his eyes open, or he would have been exposed today.

Of course, it wasn't exactly a lie either. If Spirit Ring Skills couldn't level up on AFK, he really would have researched it in that direction.

After that day, Tang San entered a state of frenzied research. Other than eating with Hu Jiu, he was nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, Hu Jiu was making his final preparations to Hunt Soul Ring.

His preparation was to wait on AFK. The Soul Power Meditation Method and Five Senses Strengthening Technique on the AFK Panel were about to reach level five, while Soul Power Control was also about to reach level three. He decided to wait until they had all leveled up before setting out.

The Soul Power Meditation Method was nothing special. The key was the Five Senses Strengthening Technique. Once it improved, it would be an enormous help during his trip to the Soul Hunting Forest.

Through Vision, Smell, and Hearing, it would greatly help whether he was searching for Soul Beasts or avoiding them. Besides, the forest was full of dangers such as poisonous insects.

Hu Jiu valued his own safety greatly. In a dangerous place like the Soul Hunting Forest, how could he possibly be too well prepared?

Five days later.

The Soul Power Meditation Method rose to level five, increasing its cultivation effect by forty percent.

The Five Senses Strengthening Technique rose to level five. No scent within two hundred meters could escape his nose, and his ears could hear sounds within five hundred meters. His vision became even clearer; from a high place, he could clearly make out the faces of people a li away.

Soul Power Control had also been AFK-leveled to level three. At level three, it allowed him to run quickly across tree trunks. Beyond that, his control over his own soul power had improved tremendously. Gathering soul power in his legs increased his running speed, while gathering it in his hands increased both his strength and speed.

In short, the increase in Soul Power Control alone had raised Hu Jiu's overall strength by an entire level.

"Xiao Jiu, I've confirmed the method you mentioned. It really works." On the sixth day, Tang San hurried excitedly over to Hu Jiu, his face brimming with joy.

"It actually worked?" Hu Jiu cried out in disbelief.

"But—"

"But what?" Hu Jiu was still immersed in the shock Tang San had brought him.

"But it requires extremely strong Soul Power Control. And compared to cultivating soul power, the rate at which the Spirit Ring improves is pitifully slow. At my current cultivation speed, increasing a Spirit Ring's age by one year might really take an entire year of cultivation." Tang San spread his hands helplessly, disappointed by the result.

He had thought it was a great discovery capable of changing the world, but it turned out to be a useless ability. If he had not been mentally resilient, Tang San might have lost heart entirely.

"Wasn't that to be expected?" Hu Jiu had already anticipated this outcome. How could Spirit Ring levels be so easy to improve?

"All right, I've decided to go to the Soul Hunting Forest tomorrow to obtain my Spirit Ring. Little San, do you have any problems on your end?"

"No problem. I'll tell Master later. We can leave whenever." Tang San nodded, indicating that there was no issue.

"Then tomorrow it is. Come on, let's find Xiao Wu and ask for leave together." The management of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy was fairly strict. They would need at least two or three days before returning this time, so asking for leave in advance was necessary.

Of course, there was no problem with leave requests backed by legitimate reasons. After all, Hunting Soul Ring was a major life event, and the academy could understand that.

The leave request went smoothly. The academy leaders approved it easily, only telling them to pay attention to their safety and stating that the academy would not be responsible if anything happened. On that point, the academy even had them sign a liability waiver.

That night, amid Xiao Wu's excited chatter, Hu Jiu slowly fell asleep with anticipation in his heart.

Early the next morning, Hu Jiu, Xiao Wu, and Tang San made some simple preparations and set off.

The Soul Hunting Forest was roughly four hundred li from Nuoding City. Since Tang San had been there once before, he was familiar with everything.

They bought drinking water, food, tents for spending the night, and other supplies. Once everything was ready, they hired a carriage and set out for the Soul Hunting Forest.