"Alright, let's set out. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can return. Even though the Hunting Soul Forest is technically a breeding ground for spirit beasts, it's still dangerous. We must not lower our guard."
As he spoke, the Grandmaster summoned his Martial Spirit—Luo Sanpao.
The moment Luo Sanpao appeared, it was brimming with energy, bouncing excitedly at the Grandmaster's side, rubbing affectionately against his leg while letting out a series of cheerful "luo luo" cries.
Though Tang San and Qian Jue had seen Luo Sanpao before, those lively, intelligent eyes still amazed them. A Martial Spirit with actual wit and awareness—it was rare indeed.
"Teacher," Qian Jue couldn't help but sigh in admiration, "I think you were wrong when you said your Martial Spirit mutated in a bad direction. To me, it feels like it's evolving toward something higher—only it hasn't fully succeeded yet. If one day it completes its transformation, Luo Sanpao might very well become the strongest Martial Spirit in the world."
The Grandmaster chuckled softly. "Hehe… perhaps. But alas, life doesn't always follow our will." He knelt down, stroking Luo Sanpao's head gently. His tone was calm, his emotions well hidden, yet Qian Jue could still sense the faint trace of regret buried deep in his teacher's heart. Still, so many years had passed—he had long since come to terms with it. Now, Luo Sanpao was no longer a failed Martial Spirit in his eyes, but a true companion.
"Enough talk. Let's go deeper." Rising to his feet, the Grandmaster had Luo Sanpao swagger proudly at the front, clearing a path.
"Sanpao's sense of smell is sharp. He can detect the presence and strength of spirit beasts, and he consumes very little soul power. That means I can keep him out for long periods," the Grandmaster explained while leading Tang San and Qian Jue deeper into the forest.
As they walked, Tang San suddenly pointed to a vine-covered tree. His Purple Demon Eyes had spotted something. "Teacher, is that a Violet Leaf Vine?"
"Hm?" The Grandmaster stepped closer with the two boys, examined it carefully, and then shook his head. "It is indeed a Violet Leaf Vine, but only a ten-year one. Too weak. Let's keep looking."
They pressed on, searching until dusk. They found plenty of spirit beasts—but almost all of them were ten-year beasts, not a single hundred-year beast in sight.
With the sun sinking, the Grandmaster was forced to call off the hunt. "It's getting dark. At night, visibility worsens and nocturnal predators emerge—it would be too dangerous. Let's set up camp."
He quickly scouted the terrain, chose a sunken patch of ground, and drew a tent out from his soul tool, pitching it neatly.
"Xiao San, scatter this around the perimeter."
He tossed Tang San a small vial. One sniff was enough for Tang San to recognize the powder's purpose. "Understood." He sprinkled it in a ring around the camp, while Qian Jue helped the Grandmaster build a fire and roast their dry rations.
Once they had eaten their fill, the Grandmaster pulled the boys aside for a review of the day's lessons. With their mature minds, both absorbed knowledge quickly, and the Grandmaster soon found himself with nothing left to teach for the day—a prospect that made him sigh inwardly. 'Would the day come when I truly had nothing left to give them?'
As they studied, Luo Sanpao, who had been lying lazily to one side, suddenly raised its head, eyes sharp, letting out a low warning cry.
The three froze, staring into the darkness. Soon, they saw them—over a dozen eerie green lights flickering in the night, drifting closer.
"Teacher—it's Ghost Wolfs!" Tang San's keen Purple Demon Eyes identified them first.
"Stay here," the Grandmaster ordered. "A pack of ten-year Ghost Wolves. I'll drive them off."
He quickly produced three masks from his soul tool and tossed them over. Just as he was about to step forward, Qian Jue called out:
"Teacher, let me try. They're wolves, after all. Maybe my Wolf Spirit will affect them. And besides, it will save you soul power."
The Grandmaster hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Very well." He retreated a few steps, motioning Luo Sanpao to stay alert, while he himself focused, ready to intervene at any moment.
Qian Jue released his Martial Spirit—but this time he concealed his Sheep Spirit entirely, allowing only the Wolf Spirit to manifest. To the others, it seemed as though a spectral wolf had suddenly materialized from thin air, drifting toward the wolf pack.
The Ghost Wolves had been eyeing them hungrily, preparing to attack. But at the sight of the ghostly Wolf Spirit, they faltered, retreating several steps, growling uncertainly.
When they saw the apparition clearly, most of the wolves' eyes softened, hesitation creeping in. All but one—the alpha. Its eyes burned fiercer than ever. With a snarl, it stepped forward, issuing a challenge.
The Wolf Spirit met its gaze, its ghostfire eyes unblinking. Under the stare of death itself, the alpha grew restless. With a furious roar, it lunged.
But in midair, unable to change direction, it was helpless when the Wolf Spirit sidestepped and sank spectral fangs into its waist.
'Bronze head, iron bones, tofu waist.' —an old saying from Qian Jue's past life. The waist was a wolf's fatal weak point.
"Awooo!"
The alpha hit the ground, howling in agony, scrambling back in fear as if the Wolf Spirit were death incarnate. Finally, it turned tail and fled.
With their leader gone, the rest of the pack wavered, then slowly retreated into the shadows. The eerie green eyes vanished one by one.
"Well done." The Grandmaster gave a rare nod of approval.
"Hehe…" Qian Jue scratched his head sheepishly.
The Grandmaster studied him thoughtfully. "Your Hidden Thousand Illusions (invisibility) ability cloaks your Martial Spirit well. Even I couldn't tell when you released it. I only wonder… will it still be this effective after you gain a spirit ring?"
Qian Jue shrugged. "We'll see when the time comes. No point worrying over what hasn't happened yet."
"True enough," the Grandmaster agreed.
"Rest early. Luo Sanpao will keep watch."
"Mm—huh?" Tang San suddenly froze. His nose twitched. There was a faintly sweet, tea-like fragrance in the air. His eyes widened. "Be careful—poison!"
Almost simultaneously, Luo Sanpao's alarmed "luo luo" cries rang out again, sharper than before.
The three gathered together, summoning their Martial Spirits. From the bushes came a rustling sound—then a massive serpent slid into view, over three meters long. Its triangular head gleamed a dark green, ruby eyes glimmering, its slender body oozing menace.
The Grandmaster's face paled. "Datura Snake—and nearly four hundred years old! Xiao San, Xiao Jue, run!"
"Fart like thunder, earth-shaking Luo Sanpao!" Without hesitation, he ordered Luo Sanpao to attack.
The yellow spirit ring lit up. Luo Sanpao leapt, inhaling sharply, then with a booming roar released a blast of smoke and force, slamming into the Datura Snake and sending it flying like a rag doll.
But even as it tumbled through the air, its crimson eyes glared with undying malice. Clearly, that attack had barely fazed it.
"You two, run!" The Grandmaster shouted, preparing to unleash Luo Sanpao's second spirit skill.
But before he could, the Datura Snake suddenly opened its maw in a screech of agony. Blood seeped from its seven-inch mark—its vital spot.
Tang San's eyes gleamed. 'Chance!'
His right hand flicked. From his sleeve, a cold gleam shot forth.
The Grandmaster had taught him—the Datura Snake's only weak points were its eyes and mouth. And right now, its mouth was wide open.
A faint, sharp sound of metal biting flesh rang out—the airborne Datura Snake stiffened at that instant.
At the same moment, Qian Jue seized the chance. He commanded his Wolf Spirit to strike—open its jaws and bite—sending its fangs tearing into the Datura Snake's flank. The Wolf Spirit struck true, then drifted back a short distance.
As the serpent hit the ground, it erupted into even more violent convulsions than before. Dust and stones were thrown into the air; the earth trembled beneath its final struggles.
Only then did the Grandmaster react fully. He hastily pulled Qian Jue and Tang San back to a safe distance and watched the Datura Snake make its last writhing motions.
When the yellow spirit ring slowly rose from the carcass and floated aloft, the Grandmaster looked at them for a long moment, then said with a rare tone of admiration,
"I underestimated you. Qian Jue—your Wolf Spirit's fangs actually pierced the scales of a four-hundred-year Datura Snake, and you haven't even got your first spirit ring yet. Tang San—your timing is extraordinary. By my tests, your sleeve dart should only have pierced a two-hundred-year snake's defenses, yet you drove it into the snake's mouth. Such precision and chance-seizing ability… Tang San, you are truly a born Control-type Spirit Master. Qian Jue, you will become a mighty Battle Spirit Master."
The two boys exchanged glances, satisfaction mirrored in their eyes.
"Excellent," the Grandmaster muttered, excitement flickering across his face as he watched a yellow spirit ring rise slowly from the snake's corpse.
(In the world of Douluo, when a human kills a spirit beast, part of its soul and soul power condenses into a spirit ring. But when beasts kill each other, no ring is formed—the energy remains in the corpse, which other beasts can consume to gain cultivation. Thus, not all ten-thousand-year beasts have literally lived that long.)
"Xiao San—this spirit ring is perfect for you. You landed the killing blow. Quickly—absorb it!"
He patted Tang San's shoulder. Tang San nodded, sat beside the serpent's corpse, took a deep breath, and summoned his Blue Silver Grass. Releasing his soul power, he touched the floating ring.
Instantly, the century-old Datura Snake's ring quivered, then drifted toward him.
"Sit cross-legged! Focus your mind on your Martial Spirit," the Grandmaster barked.
Tang San quickly complied. As the ring descended onto his Blue Silver Grass, an overwhelming, searing energy surged into his body. Heat flooded his veins, his whole frame trembling.
"Remember—stay clear-headed! Feel every wave of the spirit ring's power!" the Grandmaster's voice cut through the storm.
The next moment, Tang San's consciousness was submerged into a blazing ocean.
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