The next morning, Wang Feng woke up early, filled with enthusiasm. His first day as a student at Aolai College had finally arrived. After putting on his academy uniform—a white robe with the school's emblem engraved on the chest—he quickly headed toward the main building.
The academy corridors were bustling with students making their way to their respective classes. Some were chatting cheerfully with their friends, while others looked nervous, perhaps because it was their first day. Wang Feng himself felt calm, though a hint of curiosity lingered in his heart.
It didn't take long for him to find his classroom: Class 1-1.
With a slight push, Wang Feng opened the classroom door. The room was spacious, with neatly arranged desks and chairs. At the front, there was a large blackboard and an instructor's desk. Most of the students had already arrived and were engaged in conversation.
As Wang Feng entered, some students glanced at him. Some looked friendly, while others didn't seem to care.
"Hey, are you the new kid?" someone asked.
Wang Feng turned to see a burly young man with short hair standing with his arms crossed.
"Yeah, my name is Wang Feng," he replied calmly.
The young man grinned. "I'm Liu Hao. Welcome to Class 1-1. You can sit anywhere that's available."
Wang Feng nodded and chose a seat near the window. From there, he could see part of the academy grounds. While waiting for class to begin, he observed the other students, who already seemed familiar with each other.
Before long, a middle-aged man wearing an academic robe entered the classroom. He had slightly graying hair and sharp eyes that hinted at vast experience.
"Good morning, students," he said in a calm yet authoritative voice. "My name is Instructor Zhao, and I will be your teacher for the Basic Theory of Soul Masters course."
The entire class fell silent, showing their respect for the teacher.
"Since today is the first day, we will start with introductions and a discussion of the fundamentals of Soul Masters," Instructor Zhao continued. "We'll also assess who in this class has the greatest potential."
Wang Feng smirked slightly. He knew that this was where his journey as a Soul Master would truly begin.
Time flew by, and two months had passed. During that time, Wang Feng diligently attended the academy every day to study knowledge about soul beasts. He was determined to find and hunt his first spirit beast alone, without anyone's help. Thanks to his extraordinary intelligence and the enhancement provided by Meteor Tears, Wang Feng absorbed all kinds of knowledge at an astonishing speed.
Despite his busy study schedule, he never skipped training. Now, using weighted training equipment daily, his workouts had become even more effective and efficient. This allowed him to continuously improve his physical strength while deepening his understanding of the best soul beast for his first spirit ring.
Today, Wang Feng finally made a major decision—to go hunt his first spirit beast. Before leaving, he asked for permission from his grandmother, claiming that he would be accompanied by someone from the academy. However, deep down, he knew this was a journey he would undertake alone.
His destination was Demon-Sealing Forest, the closest place to his home where various ferocious soul beasts roamed. The quality of the soul beasts there was considered average. In the core area of the forest, there were two ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts, along with a large number of thousand-year and hundred-year soul beasts. However, for Wang Feng, this was more than enough.
Before departing, he stopped by a shop in town to purchase the necessary supplies for his journey. After ensuring everything was ready, he set off toward the forest.
After running for several hours, Wang Feng finally arrived at the natural entrance of the dense and dark forest.
"So this is Demon-Sealing Forest!" he murmured, feeling excitement boiling in his blood.
As he walked between the towering trees, he noticed paths that seemed to have been trampled by previous adventurers. The forest was eerily quiet, but in the distance, the sounds of soul beasts hunting echoed through the air.
"A millennium soul beast… I'm here!" he whispered, filled with anticipation.
Millennium soul beasts possessed power equivalent to Soul Masters above level forty. For Wang Feng, hunting a creature of this level was like climbing a tall mountain—challenging, but not impossible. Even geniuses from noble families would not dare to hunt a thousand-year-old soul beast while still at Soul Master rank (level 10).
Suddenly, from deep within the forest, a thunderous roar erupted!
BOOM! A loud noise reverberated through the thick trees!
A jade-green Mandala Snake, five meters long, fell to the ground, writhing weakly. Wang Feng stood nearby, leaning on a short sword now covered in blood. During the battle, the snake had been poisoned by its own venom, further weakening it.
"Five meters long… This should be a Mandala Snake around five hundred years old. Its scales are incredibly tough, but its weakness is too obvious..." Wang Feng muttered, observing his fallen opponent.
Moments later, the snake's body stopped moving, and a yellow spirit ring slowly appeared. However, Wang Feng didn't even glance at it. He wasn't interested.
"This was just a small test for me," he said casually.
This Mandala Snake was the third soul beast he had fought today—and so far, the strongest. However, despite its high defense and lethal venom, it wasn't challenging enough for Wang Feng. Without hesitation, he left the area and continued deeper into the forest.
After walking for an hour, the sun began to set, leaving a reddish glow in the sky. The air grew colder, and the sounds of soul beasts became clearer in the distance.
Suddenly!
ROAR!
A powerful beastly roar echoed from not too far away!
The sound was so strong that it shook the entire area. The weaker soul beasts immediately cowered in fear, pressing themselves to the ground. Wang Feng felt the vibrations in his chest, as if the roar had physically struck him.
His heart pounded.
"This sound..." Wang Feng murmured, his pupils slightly contracting.
It was the cry of a thousand-year-old soul beast!
And not just any thousand-year-old soul beast. From the sheer power of that roar, it was clear that this was an extraordinary existence!
Just as Wang Feng was about to move toward the source of the sound, suddenly—
AWOOO!
A long howl echoed through the night sky.
This sound was even more earth-shattering than the previous roar!
Wang Feng's heart pounded faster.
"Two thousand years... Two thousand-year-old soul beasts?!"
His eyes gleamed with excitement. His desire to fight surged even stronger.
Although he had no intention of absorbing two soul rings back-to-back, this was a rare opportunity.
"I can choose one of them!" Wang Feng grinned, then rushed toward the source of the sound, preparing himself for an even greater and more dangerous battle!
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Wang Feng moved forward lightly. As time passed, the roars became louder, accompanied by a faint pressure emanating from the distance.
Cautiously, he climbed a large tree, parted the thick leaves, and observed the source of the sounds.
In the distance, he saw a snow-white soul beast that resembled a fox, standing gracefully. It was about three to four meters tall, with a star-shaped mark on its forehead. A faint purple glow radiated from its body, while its sharp eyes were locked onto another soul beast—one far larger than itself.
"This… Xingyue Fox!"
Wang Feng's eyes sparkled.
According to the information he had studied in the academy's library, the Xingyue Fox was a thousand-year-old soul beast. Its body was pure white, with a purple star mark on its forehead, and it was known for its extraordinary healing abilities. However, information regarding its other abilities remained unclear due to a lack of recorded data.
"If my Lotus of Harmony—which already possesses incredible healing power—is combined with the soul ring of this Xingyue Fox..."
Wang Feng pondered.
In truth, he had realized that his Lotus of Harmony already had phenomenal healing capabilities. After awakening it, he had once tested its power by healing a dying bird. Using less than a fifth of his soul power, the bird had instantly recovered completely.
And that was just on an ordinary animal, not a soul beast. This meant that the stronger his soul power became, the more potent his healing effects would be.
Because of this, Wang Feng thought that he didn't necessarily need additional healing abilities from a soul ring. It would be better to obtain a soul ring that enhanced his strength, speed, or durability—helping the Lotus of Harmony become a true all-around support ability.
"I should check out its opponent first..."
Wang Feng shifted his gaze toward the soul beast facing the Xingyue Fox.
When he saw it, he was stunned.
A Golden Light Leopard stood proudly, its body glowing even in the darkness of night! From its body emanated a deep purple aura of immense power!
"Golden Light Leopard!"
Wang Feng felt his scalp tingle.
This soul beast was also over a thousand years old. However, what made it even more terrifying was its extraordinary speed, like a lightning bolt striking through the sky! This leopard was known for its extreme aggression, and even more dangerously, it could unleash thunder attacks that could instantly paralyze its opponents!
Judging from the color of its soul energy, Wang Feng estimated that this Golden Light Leopard was at least five thousand years old!
He clenched his teeth.
"Can I defeat it? If I manage to absorb the soul ring of this Golden Thunder Leopard, then my Lotus of Harmony will gain an incredibly powerful buff ability! That would be the best choice for me!"
But the real question was—could he conquer such a ferocious beast?