The next morning.
While most of the teachers and students at Notting Academy were still asleep, two tall and two short figures had already left the academy gates.
"Master, this is your new disciple, right?" The headmaster looked at Tang San, who was walking beside Master, and smiled.
"Yes, he is my disciple, Tang San." Master nodded calmly and said, "Although Tang San's Martial Soul is the Blue Silver Grass, which is known as a useless Martial Soul, I believe that there are no useless Martial Souls in this world, only useless Soul Masters. With my Martial Soul theory to guide him, his future achievements will be at least that of a Title Douluo."
"Hahaha, I hope so." A hint of an awkward smile appeared on the headmaster's face.
"By the way, Headmaster, I don't know how to address you." Cheng Xiao looked up at the headmaster and asked.
"My surname is Ma, and my name is Nuo. You can call me Headmaster Ma." Headmaster Ma smiled.
"Alright, Headmaster Ma," Cheng Xiao said.
"I almost forgot, Cheng Xiao, you still don't know where we're going to hunt for soul beasts, do you?" Ma Nuo asked.
"I don't," Cheng Xiao replied, shaking his head in confusion.
"We're going to the Hunting Soul Forest, four hundred miles east of Notting City. It's where the Empire raises soul beasts," Ma Nuo smiled. "But before we hunt soul beasts, we need to help Master prepare some things."
"Prepare things?" Cheng Xiao was slightly taken aback, then seemed to remember something and nodded silently.
As the sun gradually rose from the east, the number of people in Notting City increased. Small vendors selling goods loudly hawked their products, creating a lively atmosphere.
Master's preparations were simple: four leather pouches specifically for water, along with some dry rations for the journey, such as cured meat and fruit.
Of course, Master also bought a whole twenty catties of white radishes, and these white radishes naturally had an important use.
"Teacher, what are you buying these white radishes for?" Tang San asked Master, panting as he struggled to carry a basket of white radishes. If he hadn't cultivated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, he might not have been able to lift it.
Seeing the entire twenty kilograms of white radishes, Ma Nuo sighed helplessly. As Master's friend, he knew very well what these white radishes were for.
Master didn't answer Tang San immediately. As a theoretical master, a rare hint of bitterness appeared at the corner of his mouth. He stroked Tang San's head, "I'll tell you about this later."
After everything was ready, Dean Ma Nuo hired a four-person carriage in the city. With the carriage, everyone set off for their destination.
Along the way, while Master continuously explained Martial Soul theoretical knowledge to Tang San, he also gave Tang San a blue belt.
Looking at the belt in his hand, Tang San named it Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night. Tang San had no reason to refuse the gift from Master, after all, the Tang Sect he came from in his previous life had the principle of 'one must not refuse gifts'.
After giving Tang San the belt, Master's peripheral vision drifted towards Cheng Xiao. He wanted to let Cheng Xiao know that as long as he became his disciple, he could also have the same gifts as Tang San.
But Master was destined to be disappointed. After getting on the carriage, Cheng Xiao leaned to the side and closed his eyes to rest. Even Dean Ma Nuo was puzzled. Could it be that this child hadn't slept well last night because he was going to hunt for a soul ring today?
They didn't know that Xiao Wu had pulled out all the stops last night to prevent Cheng Xiao from going to sleep so early, but Cheng Xiao wasn't interested in such petty tricks and didn't react at all.
Xiao Wu saw that Cheng Xiao was immune to tickling, so she could only pout and go to sleep.
But it was because of sleeping that Cheng Xiao couldn't fall asleep, because after Xiao Wu fell asleep, she actually...
The four-hundred-mile journey wasn't long, nor was it short. After leaving Notting City, the four of them arrived at their destination, the Hunting Soul Forest, by noon the next day.
After catching up on sleep in the carriage, Cheng Xiao followed the headmaster, Ma Nuo, out of the carriage, and various sounds reached his ears.
"We have a warrant! Groups hunting century-old Soul Beasts! Soul Masters who need Soul Rings, come and take a look!"
"Hunting a power-type Soul Beast! Seven people needed! Ten gold Soul coins!"
Similar calls rose and fell. Cheng Xiao also gained a preliminary understanding of the Hunting Soul Forest.
It was more like a game dungeon in an online game, and these Soul Masters shouting were more like the nature of mercenary groups.
The marketplace was incredibly noisy. Cheng Xiao and his group soon left it. When he saw the large forest before him, his heart inexplicably started to stir, and a familiar feeling welled up within him.
"Is the Shadow Force in my body boiling because it's similar to that feeling I got when I entered the dungeon in Solo Leveling?" Cheng Xiao thought to himself.
He was different from Cheng Xiaoyu. The latter had a system created by the designer, which allowed him to adapt to the power of the Shadow Monarch in a game-like manner. The system itself was formed from the Shadow Monarch's power.
As for Cheng Xiao, since the designer who created the system was dead, the Shadow Monarch chose another method. It stored its power within his body. As his level increased and his strength grew, the Shadow Force within him would gradually be released, becoming Cheng Xiao's own power.
Outside the Hunting Soul Forest was a large steel fence, exceeding ten meters in height and appearing very sturdy.
Over a hundred soldiers patrolled outside the fence, guarding the Hunting Soul Forest, where the Empire raised Soul Beasts.
"Let's go," said Headmaster Ma Nuo in front of the Hunting Soul Forest, handing a token to the guarding soldiers. This black token was engraved with strange patterns, formed from three combined figures: a sword in the center, with a hammer and a dragon on either side.
After confirming the token was correct, the soldier in charge quickly ordered the other soldiers to open a passage, allowing Cheng Xiao and the others to enter the Hunting Soul Forest.
After entering the Hunting Soul Forest, Master's originally dispirited eyes suddenly brightened. He formed a hand seal in front of his chest. "Come out! Luo—San—Pao!"
Two yellow soul rings rose from beneath Master's feet. Following that, a ripple of soul power emanated from him, and with a flash of purple light, a creature resembling a pig-dog appeared before the four of them.
Luo San Pao had light purple fur and a pair of drooping large ears. Its deep blue eyes looked toward the depths of the forest. Its plump and bloated body made it look very dull. Its appearance was also different from a normal dog's. If it had to have a name, it would definitely be a combination of pig and dog, a pig-dog.
"Master, your Martial Soul is so special, it can even leave your body." Cheng Xiao squatted down, patted Luo San Pao's head, and then smiled at Master.
"My Martial Soul has undergone a mutation, and it's not a good one." Master shook his head, a bitter taste on his lips. If it weren't for his insufficient innate soul power, how could he have gone further and further down the path of researching Martial Soul theory?
But it was also good. He had received a genius disciple with full innate soul power, and it was even a Twin Martial Souls. As long as he cultivated Tang San into a strong individual, who would dare to look down on him, Yu Xiaogang?
"Cheng Xiao, Master's Martial Soul is indeed special. From a certain perspective, Master is also a rare genius, but it's a pity that things are unpredictable." Dean Ma Nuo sighed, also feeling extremely sorry about his friend's Martial Soul problem.
"Alright, let's not talk about my Martial Soul." Master's expression turned stern, and he said seriously, "Let's hurry up and hunt for souls. It's not easy to hunt a Soul Beast that suits one's own Martial Soul."
After saying that, Master gave Luo San Pao an order.
"San Pao, lead the way."
(End of Chapter)