Morning.
Oslo and Yu Feng had already finished absorbing their soul rings. Now, only Gu Ran had yet to successfully hunt a soul beast.
Strength-type soul beasts weren't exactly rare, but in this small Soul Hunting Forest, it was challenging to find one with an age limit that was just right. They had encountered a Giant Strength Demon Ape that was roughly 4,000 years old before, but Gu Ran couldn't absorb it. After all, he wasn't Tian Lin, capable of absorbing soul rings far beyond his limit.
"We need to speed things up. If we spend too much time in this forest, we won't make it in time for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan's Title Ceremony. It doesn't matter for us, but both Tian Lin and Gu Ran absolutely must attend," Qin Ming said anxiously.
Gu Ran scratched his head awkwardly. "If it doesn't work out, I'll come back next time. Attending the ceremony is more important right now!"
He didn't want to delay such an important event because of himself.
Tian Lin sighed. "If there's no other way, then we'll have to do that."
"I have an idea, but it's dangerous," Ye Lingling suddenly said. She was the most knowledgeable among them—her academic prowess even surpassed Qin Ming and Zhou Yan, as they specialized in combat instruction.
"What's your idea?" Everyone turned to her.
"Night Devils are humanoid soul beasts, and some soul beasts… enjoy eating humans," Ye Lingling stated bluntly.
Tian Lin's eyes lit up. "Good idea! Although this might attract powerful soul beasts, this is just the Soul Hunting Forest, not the Star Dou Forest. No soul beast here should be excessively strong. With Teacher Qin, it's worth a try."
"What are these two talking about?" Oslo and the others looked confused. Their intelligence wasn't enough to catch the subtext of Tian Lin and Ye Lingling's conversation.
Not wanting to keep them guessing further, Ye Lingling explained directly, "Let's roast the corpses of those two Night Devils."
"Gulp!" Oslo instinctively swallowed. He finally understood—Ye Lingling wanted to use the smell of roasted meat to attract powerful carnivorous soul beasts. Since Night Devils were humanoid, their meat smelled similar to human flesh.
Such a beautiful girl, coming up with such a ruthless idea! Truly, the most poisonous hearts belong to women. Oslo once thought Dugu Yan was vicious enough, but now he realized Ye Lingling's cunning was on par with hers. He vowed never to cross her in the future.
"Oslo, you'd better pay Lingling back the money you owe her as soon as possible. Otherwise, I'm afraid you might be the next one roasted," Yu Feng said, patting Oslo on the shoulder.
Oslo broke out in a cold sweat. His excitement from finally obtaining his third soul ring was completely gone.
Qin Ming shook his head, too lazy to bother with these two clowns. He directly grabbed the two Night Devils and summoned his Blazing Wolf to roast them.
Although Ye Lingling's plan of using the corpses was a bit ruthless, it was undeniably effective. With Qin Ming's nearly sixty levels of soul power, there wasn't a soul beast in the Soul Hunting Forest that could pose a threat. The risk was minimal.
Under the intense flames of the Blazing Wolf, it didn't take long for the two Night Devils to be roasted, releasing a rich, enticing aroma.
Yu Feng, using his Wind Chime Bird martial soul, conjured a whirlwind to spread the scent in all directions.
Soon, heavy footsteps echoed through the forest. It seemed that more than one soul beast was approaching—there were at least three.
The method proved effective, rivaling the Tang Sect's famous Incense of Soul Beast Attraction.
"Everyone, be on guard!" Qin Ming positioned himself in front of the group. He didn't know the age of the approaching soul beasts and, as their teacher, had to protect his students.
Suddenly, a misty fog emerged from the forest, obscuring their view of the distance.
"The approaching beast must be a powerful dragon-type soul beast," Tian Lin said, activating his Golden Eyes to pierce through the mist.
Beyond the fog, a massive Tyrannosaurus rex-like figure appeared. However, unlike a typical Tyrannosaurus, this one exuded a heavy aura of death.
"The Death Tyrannosaurus! How could such a soul beast exist in a mere Soul Hunting Forest?" Tian Lin exclaimed in shock. This soul beast was anything but simple—its combat power far surpassed most sub-dragon species.
Moreover, judging from the earlier footsteps, there had been three soul beasts approaching. Yet only one appeared, suggesting the other two had already become appetizers for this one.
"What did you say? The Death Tyrannosaurus? A soul beast with the combined attributes of strength, darkness, and death? Other than the legendary Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, very few soul beasts with similar attributes can rival it," Ye Lingling explained.
Boom, boom.
The footsteps grew louder until the Death Tyrannosaurus finally appeared before them. Towering nearly 20 meters tall, it opened its massive jaws and roared at the group.
Seeing the massive creature, Ye Lingling shook her head. "No, this Death Tyrannosaurus is over 2,000 years old. It's completely unsuitable for us. And with its unique attributes, even a ten-thousand-year soul beast might not be its match. Fighting it would be pointless, a waste of time and energy. Prepare to retreat."
"Wait!" Gu Ran suddenly stepped forward. "Teacher Qin, Boss, please help me defeat it! I want to absorb its soul ring."
"Gu Ran, are you joking? Didn't you hear Lingling? This Death Tyrannosaurus is beyond your limit. Its aggressive nature makes absorbing its soul ring extremely dangerous. I can't allow it," Qin Ming immediately refused. As a teacher, he couldn't knowingly let his student risk their life.
"But… a soul beast with strength, darkness, and death attributes is a perfect match for my Skeletal Warhorse martial soul. I don't know if I'll ever find another soul beast so compatible. And in the Emperor Team, I've always been the weakest. The only way to catch up is to push my limits. I can't rely on Boss forever. Please, Teacher Qin!" Gu Ran pleaded sincerely.
Ye Lingling's opinion of Gu Ran improved slightly. Though he lacked confidence, his effort was undeniable.
Tian Lin gripped his demon sword and stepped forward. "Prepare for battle. Gu Ran, you won't participate—save your soul power and stamina for absorbing the soul ring later."
"Xiao Tian, you…" Qin Ming looked at Tian Lin in disbelief. He couldn't understand why Tian Lin would agree to such a reckless decision.
"Teacher, Gu Ran is right. He can't always rely on me. To grow stronger, he must push his limits. Plus, he's taken Iron Armor Peony before—his physique far surpasses that of ordinary soul masters at his level. I believe he can handle it," Tian Lin said, continuing forward without looking back.
"Fine. If that's the case, then I'll go crazy with you. Xiao Yan, protect the others. Blazing Wolf!" Qin Ming, a graduate of Shrek Academy, was once a monster himself. As such, he could understand Gu Ran's desire for reckless growth.
After all, geniuses are meant to be different from ordinary people.