Chapter 10: Heading to the Spirit Hunting Forest
By the time Zu Zong and Franklin finished purchasing supplies, it was already ten in the morning.
The Liehun Forest was a full four hundred li away from Nuoding City.
Given the distance, Franklin paid out of his own pocket to hire a large carriage for the two of them.
The roads within Nuoding City were still fairly flat, but once outside the city, the path became rough and uneven. After a day of jostling, Zu Zong—who was used to smooth rides in compact cars in his previous life—was left with a sore bottom.
The long ride grew increasingly dull. On the second day, Zu Zong decided to make conversation.
"Director, can you tell me about your martial soul?"
Franklin chuckled knowingly, as if he had seen through Zu Zong's intentions.
"Heh, you rascal. I thought you'd hold it in a bit longer! Fine, let me introduce my martial soul."
"Martial Soul Possession—Green Bull! Moo—!"
A layer of intense green-purple light suddenly burst from his body. Franklin stretched his arms wide, thrust out his chest, and his bones cracked loudly as his muscles swelled, stretching his clothes tight.
Every muscle under his garments became distinctly visible, and even the surrounding air seemed to grow turbulent.
The carriage shook several times. Had Franklin not deliberately restrained himself, the entire vehicle might have been overturned on the spot.
His head of black hair turned a mix of green and gray in an instant, with green dominating and strands of gray conspicuously visible. Two faint circles of patterns appeared on his forehead, and from there, a pair of bull horns emerged.
Franklin's upper body leaned forward slowly. His brown pupils dilated and deepened into a profound blue, giving him the presence of a train engine about to charge forward.
Three brilliant soul rings rose beneath his feet—one white and two yellow—floating up silently. As they circulated, an overwhelming pressure surged outward in waves, making the curtains on the carriage windows stand straight from the blast.
Zu Zong remained unfazed. Already familiar with the original work, he had affixed his soul power to his feet early on and stayed perfectly stable.
But the carriage driver wasn't so lucky. He was nearly blown out of his seat by Franklin's soul power shockwave. Even the horses almost panicked.
The driver gave a bitter smile.
"Honored Soul Master, could you please tone it down a bit? Otherwise, I won't be able to safely guide the carriage."
Franklin, who had been hoping to impress Zu Zong, flushed with embarrassment. Seeing that Zu Zong remained calm while the driver was affected, he quickly withdrew his martial soul, and the carriage returned to normal.
"Ahem, let me reintroduce myself. Franklin, 32nd-rank Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder. Martial Soul: Green Bull."
"First Soul Skill—Extreme Charge. Allows me to explode with double speed for a collision."
"Second Soul Skill—Iron Hoof. Enhances all four limbs to be harder than wrought iron, offering both offense and defense."
"Third Soul Skill—Mega Horn Cannon. I was lucky enough to get help from the principal to hunt a rare soul beast—a Thunder Bird just about to reach the thousand-year threshold. This skill fires a thunderball from the horns after Martial Soul Possession. It's extremely powerful—if it hits, even a Soul Ancestor would be injured. But the soul power cost is high. I can only use it three times with my current reserves."
After finishing, Franklin cast a proud glance at Zu Zong, then closed his eyes slightly—
'So? You must be awestruck by my power now.
Come, hurry up and ask to become my disciple! I, Franklin, will take you in.'
Time passed. Hearing no sound of a disciple's bow, Franklin opened his eyes—only to see Zu Zong's head sticking out the carriage window, looking outside.
"Hey! Zu Zong, what are you looking at?"
Zu Zong retracted his gaze and replied,
"Director, I think we're almost there. There are a lot of stalls outside."
In Zu Zong's mind, a forest should feel natural and serene—lush, quiet, clean, and scarcely populated.
But what lay before him looked like a second-hand goods market, full of mercenary flair.
Outside the forest stood rows of buildings—more accurately, shops. Shouts and calls rang out non-stop, and simple artificial paths crisscrossed the area.
"Have a permit! Looking for three more to hunt a control-type soul beast!"
"Seeking permit for agility-type beast hunt. Seven members. Ten gold soul coins!"
Voices like these echoed in all directions. The shops mostly sold weapons, armor, and all kinds of food supplies.
The prices posted made Zu Zong frown deeply. If he hadn't browsed the market yesterday, he might not have noticed. But now, comparing the two—
Damn, it's even more expensive than the labor supply stalls in his past life. A bottle of water that used to sell for five coins now costs ten here.
Zu Zong couldn't help but sigh.
"Soul Masters sure are easy to make money off of."
Hearing Zu Zong's comment, Franklin burst into loud laughter, shedding his usual refined image and becoming exuberant.
"Haha, of course! Soul Masters are the most noble profession on the Douluo Continent. Wherever they go, powerful Soul Masters are always welcomed."
"Ahem, like me—as a Soul Elder—I'm not only employed by Nuoding Academy as Director with a generous salary, but I also get a monthly stipend of one hundred gold soul coins from Spirit Hall."
'Well? Isn't that impressive? Now hurry up and ask to become my disciple!'
Zu Zong rolled his eyes at Franklin. Ever since they left the academy, Franklin seemed to have let loose entirely, completely shedding his former scholarly image.
All along the road, Franklin kept boasting about his strength, even subtly suggesting that Zu Zong should become his disciple.
'Bah! And here I thought you were respectable. Turns out you're just another guy eyeing my looks!'
They came to a stop. Zu Zong raised his right hand and pointed ahead.
"Director, we're almost there!"
Seeing the entrance to the Spirit Hunting Forest ahead, Franklin's face grew solemn. His eyes turned serious, regaining their usual gravity.
He held Zu Zong's hand firmly and said,
"Zu Zong, today I'll teach you your first lesson as a Soul Master.
From this point on, I am no longer your academy instructor—I am your teammate, entrusted with your life. You can trust me, but always remain cautious.
In the forest, the most dangerous thing isn't the soul beasts—it's human greed.
Should we come across some treasure, the one who stabs you in the back might be your most trusted ally."
"I understand, teacher."
Zu Zong nodded in agreement.
The two arrived at the forest's edge. Before them stood an enormous iron fence, over ten meters tall, studded with spikes facing the forest. It looked extremely solid.
That wasn't all. Outside the fence, a hundred soldiers were patrolling. All of them wore full-body steel armor, carried long spears, and stood in perfect formation. The scene exuded a chilling aura.
Franklin took a permit from his coat. Zu Zong glanced at it. It had only a single symbol, indicating it was a one-time-use permit.
The lead soldier examined the permit, handed it back to Franklin, and gave Zu Zong a quick look. He understood what was going on and said nothing. In his usual cold and stern tone, he declared,
"First-class permit. Pass."
Click. The massive iron gate opened.
One adult and one youth—Franklin and Zu Zong—stepped inside.
They were immediately greeted by fresh natural air and the stronger-than-usual soul power floating in the atmosphere.
Zu Zong clenched his fist to his chest and shouted inwardly,
'The path to strength—starts right here!'
(End of Chapter)