Chapter 34.

E/N : Wassup people. Hope you all been good.

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Your Allfather Author - PrimorDious. Peace Out✌.

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"Is there a rule like that in the Soul Hunting forest?" Wang Feng asked in surprise.

"Not exactly a rule but killing soul beasts without using their soul rings is considered wasteful. Most of us don't kill soul beasts unless we need their soul rings. We prefer to test our fighting abilities but that's it," Ling Ren explained with a smile. 

"However, some soul masters are more savage and bloodthirsty and might kill soul beasts even when they don't need their soul rings. Everyone has their own goals and preferences."

Wang Feng nodded, understanding the rationale behind their approach. It made sense not to kill soul beasts unnecessarily, especially if they weren't going to use their soul rings. It allowed them to gain more combat experience and helps in conservation of soul beasts.

"I'll help you recover your soul power and keep it at maximum," Wang Feng offered.

"Do you have enough soul power for that?" Silk Rong asked, looking puzzled. 

"We don't consume much but you're only at the sixteenth level. You shouldn't have much soul power. Isn't it wasteful to replenish us like this?"

"No, it's not wasteful," Wang Feng assured them. He channeled his soul power to activate the Golden Lotus, replenishing the energy of the three of them. 

"Besides, I believe it's better to keep our soul power as full as possible. If we encounter a large and powerful soul beast, it'll be more dangerous if we don't have enough soul power to deal with it."

Silk Rong considered his words and realized that there might not be time to replenish soul power in the midst of a battle with a formidable soul beast.

While providing Silk Rong and Ling Ren with their initial soul power recovery, they finally understood why Old Black was grimacing in pleasure.

"Old Black, you're right! My whole body feels tingly and numb... This recovery feels pleasurable," Ling Ren commented with a mischievous grin.

Silk Rong also smiled as well.

The four of them continued fighting soul beasts throughout the afternoon. However, most of the time, they incapacitated the soul beasts rather than killing them, allowing the creatures to recover slowly after they had left.

"It's nighttime now and we still haven't come across a suitable 800-year-old soul beast. My luck is really bad," Ling Ren complained, leaning against a tree, visibly exhausted.

Old Black, too, sat on the ground, his bulky frame slouched.

Silk Rong had beads of sweat on her forehead but still managed a smile.

Meanwhile, Wang Feng remained alert, gazing ahead with determination.

Throughout the afternoon, he had expended a substantial amount of soul power. However, as soon as he stopped to meditate, his cultivation rate noticeably increased. It seemed that the more soul power he expended in battle, the faster his cultivation practice became.

Even after a strenuous afternoon of battling, including facing a 700-year-old soul beast, Wang Feng's vigor remained intact.

"It's nightfall. Do you all need more soul power?" Wang Feng asked, still brimming with energy.

The three of them glanced at Wang Feng in disbelief and asked in unison, "Do you still have soul power to spare?"

They had encountered at least ten soul beasts this afternoon. Typically, they could engage in combat with four soul beasts at most before needing replenishment.

Yet, this young soul master named Thanos had single-handedly provided soul power recovery consecutively ten times, even as they reached their limits.

"Are you really only at the fifteenth level, brat?" Old Black scratched his head. 

"I've never seen a recovery type soul master with such endurance, even at over level 20."

"No, it can't be. My greatest advantage is my endurance," Wang Feng admitted with a somewhat embarrassed smile. His soul power, while only at the fifteenth level, was extraordinarily resilient, thanks in part to the automatic recovery effect of Meteoric Tears as well as because of compressing it.

At this point, Wang Feng still had about one-fifth of his soul power remaining. Moreover, he felt that he was on the cusp of reaching level 171. Although he hadn't directly participated in the battles that afternoon, his soul power had been steadily consumed.

Old Black scratched his head. "You, kid."

Wang Feng chuckled. After spending the entire afternoon with them, he had grown slightly fond of them.

"Do you really have soul power left?" Silk Rong asked, her brows furrowing as she expressed her surprise. It was uncommon for a fifteenth-level soul master to consistently restore and replenish the energy of twenty-level and higher soul masters. Having leftover soul power was indeed very unusual.

"It's alright, probably enough to fully replenish each of you atleast once," Wang Feng replied, choosing not to disclose the exact amount he had remaining.

As they conversed, a rustling sound emerged from the distance and a lavender mist began to shroud their surroundings.

"It's the Purple Thorn Spirit Vine!" Silk Rong exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Also around eight hundred years old, just what I needed!"

Both Ling Ren and Old Black stood up, their expressions filled with anticipation. Their primary objective for this hunting expedition was to find a suitable soul ring for Silk Rong and the Purple Thorn Spirit Vine seemed perfect for her needs.

The Purple Thorn Spirit Vine emitted a purple mist that could affect a soul master's psyche, inducing a potent psychedelic effect. This attribute was highly desirable for control-type soul masters like Silk Rong.

"Thanos, help us restore our soul power to full!" Silk Rong urged Wang Feng eagerly.

Wang Feng nodded in agreement. Facing an eight-hundred-year-old Purple Thorn Spirit Vine, he knew they had to be fully prepared.

After replenishing the soul power of the three of them, Wang Feng checked his own reserves. He still had some left, which was a pleasant surprise.

"Ling Ren, remember to use that trick. Purple Thorn Spirit Vine is highly susceptible to fire!" Silk Rong reminded Ling Ren.

Ling Ren possessed a soul skill called "Flying Flame Strike," which allowed him to imbue his dagger with flame. It was the ideal method for dealing with Purple Thorn Spirit Vines.

"Old Black, prepare the Bitter Root," Silk Rong instructed. She took out a pale white herb about the length of a finger, emitting a pungent odor.

Wang Feng observed their preparations closely. The Bitter Root was a special herb that had no other effects but was incredibly bitter. Once exposed to the purple mist of the Purple Thorn Spirit Vine, its bitterness stimulated the brain and prevented the user from becoming entranced in the purple mist.

It was clear that this team was experienced and well-prepared. Wang Feng realized that such battles were far more substantial than the theoretical knowledge learned in the academy.

He stood behind Old Black, watching as the three of them engaged in combat from a distance. Quickly and efficiently, they incapacitated the eight-hundred-year-old Purple Thorn Spirit Vine in a coordinated battle. Ling Ren's Flying Flame Strike had effectively neutralized the vine's ability to move.

Now, they only needed to deliver the final blow.

The three of them, exhausted but exhilarated, watched as their goal lay before them.

"Fantastic! This hunting trip was a complete success! An eight-hundred-year-old Purple Thorn Spirit Vine!" Ling Ren exclaimed, his excitement evident. 

"Sister Rong, go and deliver the finishing blow to the spirit vine!"

"Agreed!" 

Silk Rong nodded, brandishing a small sword and stepping towards the Purple Thorn Spirit Vine.

However, just as she approached, a figure quickly dashed from the opposite direction and seized Silk Rong, swiftly delivering the decisive strike to the spirit vine.

A dark yellow soul ring slowly lit up.

The sudden turn of events left the three of them stunned and from a distance, they heard a mischievous voice.

"Apologies, I spotted this Purple Thorn Spirit Vine first. It belongs to me! I hope it's not too much trouble for you to gibe this to me!"

The sudden twist of events left all four of them shocked. The intruder had acted with incredible speed, capitalizing on their fatigue and their guard off and swiftly delivered the fatal blow to the Purple Thorn Spirit Vine. As a result, now only he would be able to absorb the soul ring.

Old Black, Silk Rong and Ling Ren were left dumbfounded. Silk Rong had come incredibly close to securing her soul ring but was now left empty-handed.

Silk Rong halted her steps, frozen in shock, as she watched the stranger try to absorb the soul ring.

At the scene, a young man appeared, wearing somewhat expensive clothes, giving the impression of an academy student. He exuded an air of youthful confidence and fearlessness.

"Kid, do you realize that snatching someone else's soul ring is a despicable act?" Ling Ren glared at the young man with disdain.

Silk Rong remained silent, her eyes quickly narrowing in anger.

The timing of this young man's intervention was impeccable. Just as they had defeated the Purple Thorn Spirit Vine and were reveling in their victory and were drained of soul power, making them vulnerable to an ambush.

The young man chuckled, seemingly unfazed by their accusations. "Did you know we discovered this Purple Thorn Spirit Vine first? We just couldn't act on it in time. You preempted us, so don't blame us for taking what we rightfully found first."

"If you spotted it first, why didn't you take it down?" Old Black asked seriously. 

"You waited for us to act, didn't you?"

Wang Feng, observing from the background, couldn't help but shake his head. Old Black was a straightforward person, easily taken in by the young man's flimsy excuses.

The young man continued to grin. 

"What can I say? I wanted to wait until you weakened it a bit more before swooping in. I didn't expect you to act so quickly and decisively. Can't blame me for that."

With that, he stood beside the Purple Thorn Spirit Vine.

"He's most likely a student from the Advanced Soul Master Academy," Silk Rong analyzed, her gaze locked onto the young man. 

"He appears to be around level 30, probably hunting soul beasts to meet the requirements for graduation. Given his demeanor and situation, it's highly likely."

Wang Feng nodded in agreement, impressed by Silk Rong's astute assessment.

"What should we do, Sister Silk Rong?" Ling Ren's expression was tense. 

"Do we just let him steal your soul ring? Finding a suitable one is incredibly rare! If we give up now, who knows how long it will take to find another one?"

Their entire afternoon of effort had been for this one soul beast. It was frustrating to lose it just after obtaining it.

"I also don't have much soul power left," Old Black added.

Silk Rong sighed. 

"What choice do we have? He killed it first and now I can't absorb the soul ring no matter what. Moreover, it's not advisable to engage in a fight with him right now. We have no fighting power at the moment and this individual has been watching us for who knows how long. We shouldn't underestimate his strength. It's not safe to engage in combat."

She looked at Wang Feng. "Although we have Thanos here, he's a recovery-type soul master and his combat capabilities are nearly nonexistent. Besides, he's still very young and unguarded. If he gets injured in a fight, who will bear the responsibility?"

Wang Feng stepped forward and asked, "Are you really just going to let him get away with this? This guy is taking advantage of you all. Can you just accept it? Atleast he should give proper compensation in gold coins and if he refuses, we will get back at him during soul ring absorption. Anyway the soul ring will dissipate after an hour if he didn't hurry."

The three of them exchanged wry smiles. It was indeed frustrating to let such a cheap act go unpunished. However, they couldn't risk a fight under these circumstances. Moreover, Wang Feng, a recovery-type soul master, had limited combat capabilities and was too young to be involved in such a situation. It's simply wouldn't be fair or safe for him.

The intruder, it seemed, was taking advantage of their powerlessness in the current situation.

"You talk too much kid, let me teach you a lesson."

The young man said in a frigid tone and suddenly closed in like a diving hawk toward Wang Feng, who remained unflinching seeing the bastard act. He watched the young man's swift approach, his eyes locked onto the impending attack.

"Be careful!"

The three teammates were not able to react to this attack as they never thought that the young man would suddenly attack Thanos. As the young man lunged toward him, his claws poised to strike, Wang Feng made a move that caught everyone by surprise. With incredible speed, he reached out and firmly gripped the young man's wrist just before the attack landed. It was a lightning-quick reaction that seemed almost unnatural.

Then, with astonishing agility, Wang Feng executed a side kick that struck the young man squarely in the stomach. The force of the blow sent the young man hurtling through the air, crashing into a nearby tree with a thunderous impact. The tree shuddered violently from the collision and a humanoid imprint was left on its trunk.

Silk Rong, Old Black and Ling Ren were left utterly astounded by the display of power they had just witnessed from Thanos. They could hardly believe their eyes.

Gasping for breath, the young man struggled to speak from his position imprinted on the tree. 

"You... are you really an auxiliary system soul master? How... how can you possess such incredible strength? I... I feel like I'm going to... vomit..."

Wang Feng approached the tree calmly, his gaze fixed on the young man. 

"So what were you saying bout teaching me a lesson, you lesser than a trash bastard?" 

The three experienced soul masters couldn't help but look at the the young auxiliary-type soul master before them in shock and amazement. His unexpected display of strength had left them in awe.

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