Master said, "Soul beasts are not so easy to hunt. Some innately powerful soul beasts, even if they haven't cultivated for a long time, still possess very strong offensive capabilities. This so-called team hunting of soul beasts involves multiple people cooperating with each other, hunting the soul beasts they each need for their Soul Rings. With the help of others, one only needs to make the final strike on the soul beast. It is the most common and the safest method of hunting soul beasts on the continent. But is forming a team really that easy?"
At this point, Master looked at the Soul Masters who were shouting with a trace of contempt in his eyes.
"A truly excellent soul hunting team should consist of at least five parts: a food-class Soul Master responsible for supplies, a recovery Tool Soul Master responsible for condition and Soul Power restoration. An agility Battle Soul Master responsible for scouting, a strength Battle Soul Master responsible for defense, and an attack Battle Soul Master responsible for annihilating the enemies. Only a group with these five roles is considered a complete team. Moreover, the coordination between them isn't something that can be formed in a day or two. Just the process of imperceptibly getting in sync takes at least a few years of working together. More importantly, the members of the same group must trust each other, absolute trust. Otherwise, when danger strikes, they can easily collapse in an instant."
Tang San asked in surprise, "Why would they collapse? Is it because of insufficient strength?"
Master shook his head and said indifferently, "In the future, you may also have the opportunity to join such a group. When choosing a group, you can even overlook the strength of the other members, but there is one thing you must always keep in mind—that in the group you join, you can present your back to any other member."
Tang San still didn't quite understand Master's meaning, but Master didn't go into further explanation. He led him towards the depths of the market.
Although the market was noisy and chaotic, when they walked out of the market and saw the vast forest in front of them, Tang San couldn't help but be somewhat shocked.
The height of the trees indicated their age, and around the edge of the forest, there was a ring of huge steel fences pointing towards one side of the forest, showing a large number of spikes. The fence was more than ten meters high and looked extremely solid.
And that wasn't all; outside the fence, a team of a hundred soldiers patrolled the area. These soldiers were all dressed in refined iron full body armor and carried long spears. They were well-organized, and the hundred iron-clad warriors standing together gave off an intimidating presence.
Master spoke softly, "Not just anyone can enter the enclosed soul hunting forest. Only Soul Masters who have obtained an entry Token issued by the Martial Soul Hall are allowed to enter and hunt soul beasts. Although there are those who sneak in, such people rarely have good endings. These soldiers are just the outer defense. Inside the soul hunting forest, the Martial Soul Hall has a dedicated enforcement team that checks for Tokens at any time. Those people are not to be reasoned with."
Tang San asked, "Teacher, then does this soul hunting forest belong to the Martial Soul Hall or to the state?"
Master's expression changed slightly, and he gestured to Tang San to be silent, "Don't ask such questions anymore when we're outside. I'll tell you about the relationship between the Martial Soul Hall and the state later. Obtaining a Token is not that difficult; first, you need the recognition of the Martial Soul Hall, confirming that you have indeed reached a peak level and need a Soul Ring to advance. Secondly, you need the guarantee of at least three nobles."
While speaking, Master had already produced a Token in his hand, a dark Token made of unknown material, with a pattern formed by three different shapes, an upright sword in the center with the tip pointing downwards, flanked by a hammer and a monster Tang San had never seen before on either side.
Master saw the curiosity in Tang San's eyes, and handed the Token to him, "Remember this symbol, this is a unique mark of the Martial Soul Hall. In Martial Soul Hall, there are six kinds of marks. Each Token is distinguished by the symbols on it. The lowest level Token only has a sword on it, symbolizing the Martial Soul of a former Seraphic Grand Presiding Officer of the Martial Soul Hall; a higher level Token has a hammer added next to the sword, symbolizing a very powerful elder of the Martial Soul Hall."
Tang San's ability to deduce from one example was not bad, "Teacher, these two people must have held very important positions within the Martial Soul Hall. But, I heard before that Beast Souls are stronger than Tool Souls, so these two Soul Masters should be Tool Souls, right?"
Master patted Tang San's head and smiled, "Those who say that a Tool Soul is weaker than a Beast Soul clearly don't understand Martial Souls well enough. The strength of any Martial Soul depends on two key factors: one is the amount of Soul Power attached at the time of awakening, and the other is the method and process of subsequent cultivation. Perhaps, before level 30, because a Beast Soul can be attached to oneself, it might be somewhat stronger than a Tool Soul Master. But after reaching higher levels, there's no difference between the two. Strength depends only on personal cultivation."
"This Token I have is the third-level Token of the Martial Soul Hall. With it, I can basically enter most of the soul hunting forests in the Tiandou Empire. The standard of measurement is that these soul hunting forests have not had ten-thousand-year soul beasts appear. And unlike the first two types of Tokens that must be returned to Martial Soul Hall after completing a soul beast hunt, this one can be kept for life. The additional symbol on this Token is a Blue Electric Overlord Dragon, which counts as a top existence among Beast Souls. Although its master isn't part of the Martial Soul Hall people, the family it represents is highly respected by the Martial Soul Hall."
For some reason, when Master talked about the Blue Electric Overlord Dragon, a hint of indescribable melancholy appeared in his eyes.
Tang San asked, "Then the higher three levels of Token have one more Martial Soul symbol on them?"
Master nodded and replied, "Exactly. These six Martial Soul symbols represent six powerful Soul Masters, and also represent six powerful families. Three of them are in our Tiandou Empire, and the other three are in the Xingluo Empire."