Tang San thought of an important question, "Teacher, how can we distinguish the strength of a soul beast, or rather, its age?"
Master said, "It is not difficult to identify the strength of a soul beast. Look, that lone bamboo ahead. That is also a soul beast, of the plant type. It would be useful to you. The lone bamboo itself is tough and resilient. Although it doesn't have strong offensive capabilities, its defense is quite good. This is a ten-year lone bamboo, because it does not exceed ten meters in height. It would be considered a centennial if it were over ten meters. Generally, the size of the soul beast and the color of the soul power used when they attack are the main means of identification. The color of the soul power corresponds to its strength. In other words, ten-year soul beasts use white soul power, centennial ones use yellow, and so on. Of course, when facing an unknown soul beast, you'd better not look at its soul power. If it's more than you can withstand, then you will face catastrophic danger."
"Teacher, should we hunt this lone bamboo then?"
At a glance, the lone bamboo didn't appear remarkable. It only stood out because it was surrounded by tall trees rather than other bamboo, which made it noticeable. Its body gently swayed, with bamboo leaves fluttering in the wind.
Master said, "Not for now. If there's no better choice, we'll have to settle for it in the end. The selection of a Soul Ring must be cautious; each Soul Ring cannot be replaced. A Soul Scholar becoming a Soul Master can absorb the Soul Ring of a centennial soul beast. More precisely, they can absorb the Soul Rings of soul beasts with cultivation levels below four hundred twenty-three years. I've researched many Soul Masters' growth experiences and their failures. Four hundred twenty-three years should be the limit that the first Soul Ring can withstand. Therefore, I hope your first Soul Ring comes as close to this limit as possible."
The Master's research into Martial Souls was always so precise. Tang San felt that having such a teacher was truly a blessing.
"Even though they're both Centennial Soul Rings, the ones produced from a hundred-year soul beast and a nine-hundred-year soul beast may have the same color, yet the attributes they confer have a vast difference. Pursuing the limit of a Soul Ring while ensuring safety as much as possible is compulsory for every outstanding Soul Master."
As they continued forward, the Master was like giving Tang San a lively practical lesson. Relying on the acute sense of smell of his Martial Soul, Luo San Pao, even the soul beasts hiding in the shadows were discovered one by one. Perhaps because these soul beasts were mostly ten-year level, with weak offensive desires, the Master patiently introduced their names, characteristics, and methods of age identification to Tang San.
Looking up at the sky, the Master said, "It seems we will have to stay overnight in the Soul Hunting Forest tonight. Let's find a place to camp first."
After searching for a while, although they encountered several suitable soul beasts, the Master did not rush to move, continuing the search patiently.
The Master chose a depression for the campsite, which was surrounded by complex terrain and enclosed by towering trees.
The Master took out a large glass bottle from a wristband-shaped soul tool on his wrist and handed it to Tang San, "Spread this around, remember to spread it evenly."
"Okay," Tang San took the bottle, which contained some powder-like medicine with a pungent smell. Tang San moved his nose slightly and recognized that this was similar to cinnabar from his previous life. The Tang Sect was famous for its hidden weapons and poisons. Although he was an outer disciple, his capability to identify poisons was quite adept. During their search for soul beasts, he had found many toxic herbs in the Soul Hunting Forest that he could recognize, which he put into his Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges; while the Master's knowledge in Martial Souls was unquestionable, he couldn't compare with Tang San, who had the experience of two lives, in identifying these non-soul-power herbs. Especially since many of these herbs needed to be matched with others to release their toxicity.
After spreading the powder, Tang San returned the bottle to the Master.
"Do you know why I asked you to spread these on the perimeter?" the Master asked with a serious expression; at this moment, he was the teacher testing his student.
Since he could identify what the powder was, how could Tang San not understand the Master's purpose? Without any hesitation, he said, "It should serve two functions: One is to cover our own scent, and the other is to repel creatures like snakes, insects, rodents, and ants."
The Master nodded in satisfaction, "That's right, exactly. It's called Snake Repelling Powder, essential for adventurers. Remember, in the forest, especially in forests with soul beasts, try not to use fire. Although most wild animals and soul beasts are afraid of firelight, there are also a few particularly powerful soul beasts that are attracted to fire. If you encounter them, you'll undoubtedly die unless your cultivation is powerful enough."
As dusk fell, the forest was far from peaceful; the sounds of insects, bird calls, and even the howling of wild beasts reverberated continuously.
Without creating a fire, everything around was pitch-black. Tang San and the Master had a simple dinner and then rested against a big tree.
The Master was certainly a responsible teacher, or it could be said that he attached great importance to Tang San. Although it was time to rest, the Master still went over the soul beasts they had encountered during the day to reinforce Tang San's memory of them.
Tang San had a fairly good memory, and coupled with the novelty of his first encounter with soul beasts, this helped deepen his recollection, and any mistakes in his responses were corrected by the Master.
"Xiaosan, do you know why I say that Soul Master cultivation is most important when young?" the Master asked in a low, hoarse voice tinged with a hint of melancholic emotion.
Tang San shook his head, waiting for the teacher's explanation.