T/N: Sorry for not uploading yesterday, was busy studying and forgot. Next weeks my last week so I have loads of exams and wont be able to translate much so I'll be doing only one or two chapters of each fic for each upload. Sorry.
Early the next morning, at the gates of Blue Tyrant Academy.
Standing before the jade-carved gates of the academy, watching the seven boys and girls arrive one after another, both Flender and Liu Erlong couldn't help but feel a surge of pride in their hearts.
At present, aside from Ma Hongjun, whose spirit power level was slightly lower, the rest had all reached level 40, with two of them even surpassing level 40.
And level 40 was a threshold that more than half the soul masters on the continent could only dream of reaching. Even those considered geniuses typically needed to be in their twenties to achieve it.
Yet these youngsters in front of them—the oldest was no more than sixteen, and the youngest only thirteen.
It was easy to foresee that each of them would become trailblazers of their era.
As both the current and former deans of the academy, Flender and Liu Erlong felt honored to have guided them.
"Huh? Dean Flender, Dean Erlong, where's Teacher Zhao?"
Noticing that only Flender and Liu Erlong were present, and that Zhao Wuji was nowhere to be seen, Oscar asked with some confusion.
He distinctly remembered that after yesterday's combat training, Liu Erlong had said she, Flender, and Zhao Wuji would accompany them to Sunset Forest for their soul hunt. So why was Zhao Wuji absent?
"Your Teacher Zhao isn't feeling well, so he won't be joining us for the hunt."
Flender adjusted his glasses and replied, his face composed but inwardly delighted.
Immediately, Chu Chengzhou, who was standing beside Oscar, raised an eyebrow. Not feeling well?Zhao Wuji was a proper seven-ring Soul Sage—he was fine yesterday and hadn't fought anyone. Where did this "not feeling well" come from?
Still, Chu Chengzhou didn't dwell on it. The goal of this trip to Sunset Forest was simply to obtain their fourth soul rings. With Flender and Liu Erlong leading, it was more than enough—Zhao Wuji's absence wouldn't be a problem.
Once everyone had gathered, Liu Erlong cleared her throat and said, "Let me make something clear.
Although Flender and I will be accompanying you to Sunset Forest, we've decided that the entire hunting process will be your responsibility. Unless absolutely necessary, we won't intervene.
This soul hunting trip will serve as the first phase of your graduation exam. The second phase will be the Advanced Soul Master Tournament in a few months. Understood?"
Her gaze was stern as she looked around at everyone.
When her eyes landed on Chu Chengzhou, she added, "Chu Chengzhou, due to your unique circumstances, you're only allowed to use your Sky Azure Tree summoned beast—no other means."
Chu Chengzhou's strength was a bit over the top. Without limiting him, this hunt would lose its purpose as a trial.
Chu Chengzhou: …So I'm being singled out just because I'm too strong?
No sooner had Liu Erlong finished speaking than Ma Hongjun couldn't help but ask, "Dean Erlong, what counts as passing?"
Liu Erlong nodded with a smile. "Good question. Actually, passing isn't that difficult.
In the first phase, you'll work as a team to hunt soul beasts suited to each of you. As long as you don't encounter a beast vastly beyond your level, and neither Flender nor I have to step in—and Chu doesn't use any method besides his Sky Azure Tree—you'll pass.
As for the second phase, simple: just casually bring back a championship. That'll be barely enough to graduate."
Surprisingly, Ma Hongjun and Oscar, who were normally full of complaints, had none this time.
With proper teamwork, hunting soul beasts for soul rings wasn't too difficult.
After all, each of them had optimal soul ring configurations and powerful martial souls, forming a well-balanced team—support, food-type, agility attack, power attack, healing/defense (Sky Azure Tree), and control (Xiao Wu).
Such a solid setup made hunting soul beasts for upgrades relatively easy.
As for winning the Soul Master Tournament?With Chu Chengzhou's Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear summoned beast "Bear Da" around—even if the rest were mediocre—they'd still dominate. One god carrying six noobs? As long as they showed up, that was enough.
"Alright, let's move out!"
Seeing no objections, Liu Erlong gave the order, and the nine of them set out for Sunset Forest.
Liu Erlong and Flender led the way, with Chu Chengzhou and the others following behind.
To avoid attracting too much attention, Chu Chengzhou only summoned Xiaobai and Xiaohong after they left Heaven Dou City—riding beats walking, after all.
Compared to the Star Dou Great Forest, Sunset Forest differed in many ways beyond just its smaller size.
The Star Dou Great Forest lay in the tropical central region of the continent, filled with dense tropical plants.
Sunset Forest, on the other hand, was in the central region of the Heaven Dou Empire—colder and dominated by temperate flora typical of the continent's northern zones.
Tropical forests feel dense and humid, whereas temperate forests are more open and less lush.
So navigating Sunset Forest was much easier—usually, there was no need to clear paths or hack through the underbrush.
Moreover, being close to the Heaven Dou imperial capital and neighboring the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, one of the top three sects, the forest was packed with high-level soul masters.
Thus, while Sunset Forest still had a good number of soul beasts, few of them were over 10,000 years old. Most were below that threshold.
Compared to the Star Dou Forest, hunting a suitable soul beast here required not just strength—but also patience.
They'd been in the forest for most of the day and had seen quite a few soul beasts along the way, but most weren't high in age.
They'd encountered some thousand-year beasts, but they were barely over a thousand years old—not suitable for their needs.
Fortunately, these beasts had the good sense not to provoke Chu Chengzhou's group, so they simply ignored them.
"Let's rest for the night and continue tomorrow," Flender said, glancing at the darkening sky.
Thanks to their storage soul tools, everyone was well prepared. In no time, they'd set up two tents—one large, one small.
As she looked at the tents, Liu Erlong said thoughtfully, "Xiao Wu, I'll bunk with you three girls."
Originally, the plan was for the three teachers to share a tent and the seven students another.
But since Zhao Wuji had bowed out due to his "illness," that left only Flender and Liu Erlong.
Among the students, there were four boys and three girls. Liu Erlong figured she might as well share with the girls.
After all, it didn't feel appropriate for her and Flender—a man and a woman—to share a tent alone if they had another option.
The moment she said that, Flender's expression changed dramatically. He quickly started winking at Xiao Wu and the girls.
He'd finally managed to sideline his old buddy Zhao Wuji the night before—he couldn't let things go sideways now!
"Hmm? Dean Flender, did you get sand in your eye?" Ning Rongrong asked cluelessly, noticing Flender's exaggerated winks.
Flender: …How did I end up with such an oblivious student?!
"Ahem, Erlong, this soul hunt is supposed to be a trial for the kids. If you sleep in the same tent as them, it might lower their vigilance and defeat the purpose of the exercise."
Flender tried to sound solemn.
"Is that so?" Liu Erlong raised an eyebrow.
"Absolutely! Just ask Ma Hongjun."
Flender gestured to Ma Hongjun and, while Liu Erlong's view was blocked, gave him a meaningful look.
Thankfully, Ma Hongjun picked up on it right away. Connecting the dots—Zhao Wuji's sudden "illness," and Flender's eagerness—he realized his teacher probably wanted some alone time with Dean Erlong.
Without missing a beat, Ma Hongjun said, "Dean Erlong, to make this trial more effective, I think it's better if the seven of us students share one tent. Like Teacher Flender said, it'll help us stay alert.
Plus, you and Teacher Flender won't always be there to protect us. We shouldn't become too reliant."
Nice save, Ma Hongjun.
Flender was moved to the point of tears—this disciple wasn't taken in vain!
Sure, he might be a bit unreliable at times, but he knew when to come through.
Liu Erlong thought it over. Ma Hongjun made a fair point, so she dropped the matter.
Night had fallen. They lit a campfire and ate dinner. Afterward, Flender and Liu Erlong entered the smaller tent.
As for keeping watch, that naturally fell to Chu Chengzhou and the others.
Sunset Forest might not be as dangerous as the Star Dou Great Forest, but soul beasts still roamed at night, so night watch duty was necessary.
But this was simple enough—it didn't even need a person.
Summoning his True Spirit Banner martial soul, Chu Chengzhou activated his first soul ring. With a surge of soul power, a massive emerald-green tree materialized beside the tents.
Over a month ago, his Sky Azure Tree summoning had reached the ten-thousand-year mark thanks to his "AFK leveling." Even though Xiao Qing, the Sky Azure Tree, didn't have a brain, it had still developed a decent level of intelligence.
Not human-level intelligence, of course—but good enough to serve as a sentry and ward off weaker soul beasts.
In Flender and Liu Erlong's tent, sleeping arrangements were simple—it was just the two of them.
But in Chu Chengzhou's tent, the setup required more thought.
On the surface, the seven students got along well. But in truth, Dai Mubai was the odd one out, subtly ostracized by the others.
So inside the tent, the sleeping order from left to right was: Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, Chu Chengzhou, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing.
Night had deepened, and the inside of the tent was quiet.
After traveling all day, and with Xiao Qing standing watch outside, everyone had gone to sleep early—at least, on the surface.
At this moment, Chu Chengzhou lay on his side, eyes closed, holding Xiao Wu, who was drifting off to sleep, in his arms.
But his consciousness had already drawn Ning Rongrong, who lay a body's width away from him, into an illusionary realm resembling a luxurious hospital suite.
Scenario simulation: role-play.
"Bad guy, don't tear my socks~"
A disheveled "nurse giving injections" Ning Rongrong pouted as she gave Chu Chengzhou a playful punch.
"Hehe, Rongrong, socks like these are meant to be torn!"
The "young and handsome hospital director" Chu Chengzhou kept at it, tugging at the white thigh-high stockings on the little nurse's legs.
Before long, in the illusion, a girl's voice echoed like a song.
Let's skip the fun between the boy and girl—for now, in the neighboring tent, Flender had begun to stir.
In the dark, Flender quietly wriggled, inching closer to the sleeping Liu Erlong.
The tent was not small; the original distance between the two was a full meter. But with Flender's persistent effort, the gap had narrowed to less than half a foot.
A few minutes later, just as he was about to cuddle up next to his "Sister Erlong," Flender was secretly thrilled.
"Swoosh, swoosh—"
Just as Flender was about to make his move, the sound of something slicing through the air erupted outside the tent.
Startled by the sudden noise, Flender froze, not daring to move.
The noise was loud enough to wake Liu Erlong, who hadn't fallen into a deep sleep.
"Huh? Flender, why are you right next to me?"
Just as she was about to sit up and check outside, Liu Erlong saw Flender almost glued to her side.
"Erlong, the night's chilly. I thought we'd stay warmer snuggled up~"
Caught red-handed, Flender replied awkwardly.
Liu Erlong: "..."
In the neighboring tent, Chu Chengzhou, who had been enjoying his illusion, also sensed the movement outside. He immediately redirected part of his focus outward.
With a monkey-like version of the Fiery Eyes of Truth, Chu Chengzhou saw, through the tent, a red-colored giant python approaching from a distance. The sound slicing the air was Xiao Qing swinging her vine whip to drive the intruder away.
"Get up, everyone! Oscar, your prey's here!"
Seeing the uninvited red python, Chu Chengzhou quickly canceled the illusion and woke up the sleeping Oscar. He then rushed out of the tent, worried the python might flee after realizing it couldn't overpower Xiao Qing.
Don't be fooled by Xiao Qing's healing-type soul spirit—soul beasts don't have strict classifications like soul masters. With a cultivation of ten thousand years, she wasn't quite on par with ten-thousand-year combat beasts, but still easily at a six or seven-thousand-year level.
That red python only had about four thousand years of cultivation—it was no match for Xiao Qing.
As expected, sensing the presence of prey but also the powerful guardian beside them, the red python began to retreat.
After all, there were plenty of prey in the forest. There was no need to risk a deadly fight with this tree.
"Xiao Qing, bind it!"
Seeing signs that the red python was about to flee, Chu Chengzhou ordered swiftly.
Immediately, thick tree roots burst from the ground, along with dense vines, cutting off the red python's escape.
Moments later, everyone else, who had gone to bed in their clothes, emerged from their tents.
"Oscar, that red Fire Python over there with over four thousand years of cultivation—looks like a good match for you."
Pointing to the massive, tank-thick, five-zhang-long python in the distance, Chu Chengzhou addressed Oscar.
"Fire Python? Does it have any notable abilities?"
Oscar looked over, puzzled.
"Typical!"
Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes and explained, "The Fire Python is a type of snake soul beast. Aside from breathing fire, it has a unique support-type innate ability—emitting a red mist.
Whether it's inhaled or touched, the red mist stimulates potential and temporarily boosts strength.
However, there's a side effect—it causes intense heat, like... well, taking an aphrodisiac. Except for the Fire Python itself, neither soul beasts nor soul masters can resist it.
And if exposed for too long, or inhaled too much..."
Being a girl, Ning Rongrong didn't finish the sentence.
"Mm, Rongrong's right. With that kind of innate ability, if you take its spirit ring, Oscar, you might develop a sausage with a strength-boosting effect."
Chu Chengzhou nodded in agreement.
"I'll take it!"
Before the words finished, Oscar shouted.
A spirit power food that could enhance strength? That was an essential skill for a high-level food-type soul master!
The next moment, tiger roars, phoenix cries, and cat calls rang out—Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Zhu Zhuqing had activated their martial souls.
"Nine Treasures, turn out the Glazed Tile Pagoda—First: Strength, Second: Speed, Third: Soul!"
Radiant light blossomed from Ning Rongrong's hands as her nine-tiered pagoda manifested. Three soul rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—shone brightly as beams of colored light flew into her teammates.
Xiao Wu didn't act. If she had, just her second soul skill—Charm—could've locked down the Fire Python completely.
With a light tap of her foot, Zhu Zhuqing's Hell Civet martial soul turned her into a stealthy assassin, disappearing into the night.
"Third soul skill, Phoenix Ascension! Second soul skill, Lava Phoenix!"
Ma Hongjun shouted, activating his second and third rings. Flaming black wings sprouted from his back as he took to the air.
"Third soul skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
Dai Mubai's muscles bulged, tiger claws gleaming, as he charged the Fire Python, whose retreat was blocked by Xiao Qing's roots and vines.
"First soul skill, Lava Beam!"
In the sky, Ma Hongjun puffed up his cheeks and fired a beam of molten energy down, lighting up the night.
Sensing danger from above, the Fire Python tried to dodge—but Xiao Qing wasn't some dumb soul pet. Several thick roots lashed out, forcing the serpent back into position.
A moment later, the lava beam slammed onto the Fire Python's head like a glob of molten clay.
Even though it was a fire-type soul beast with high resistance, the magma still corroded its scales, which weren't especially durable.
And unlike regular fire attacks, Ma Hongjun's lava had physical substance—like comparing a basic firebomb to napalm.
The heat scorched flesh and melted through the snake's scales, searing the flesh beneath black.
"Fevered mind"—that described the Fire Python perfectly now.
"HISSSSS—"
It rolled and hissed in agony.
"Second soul skill, White Tiger Light Wave!"
A glowing white orb shot toward the same head wound.
BOOM—
A flash of white, followed by a loud explosion. Charred scales and bloody flesh flew, exposing pale bone beneath.
The searing pain sent the python into a frenzied thrash.
Seizing the chance, Dai Mubai dashed in, his claws slashing furiously, leaving deep wounds.
But whether due to inexperience or lack of power, Dai Mubai couldn't concentrate his attacks to a fatal point. Though he left many gashes, none were critical.
"HSSSS—"
The Fire Python, regaining its senses, opened its jaws wide. A red glow surged over its body as it spewed red mist onto itself.
Cornered, it was forced to use its trump card—temporarily boosting its power.
Instantly, everyone could sense the spike in its strength.
As the red mist spread rapidly, Dai Mubai's pupils shrank. He quickly retreated—but still inhaled a little due to his exposed skin.
The next second, he felt slightly stronger—but also experienced the side effect Ning Rongrong had warned about: a sudden wave of heat and restlessness.
Still, the fight wasn't over. Once the mist dissipated, he returned to battle, coordinating with Xiao Qing's vines and Ma Hongjun's lava blasts.
Despite the power-up, the Fire Python couldn't withstand the teamwork.
After a few more exchanges, it was struck by Xiao Qing's roots and flung against a nearby tree.
T/N: For up to 20 chapters ahead on all my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle