Traveling to the Hunting Soul Forest was definitely not something they could do on foot, as Notting City was a full four hundred li away from the forest.
Notting Academy had graduates every year who needed to go to the Hunting Soul Forest to hunt soul beasts, so preparations were naturally made well in advance.
Four luxurious carriages bearing the Notting Academy emblem left the academy and headed out of the city.
Among the four carriages, one carried the dean and the director, one carried six teachers, and the other two carriages carried thirteen students, including Wang Li.
On the bustling streets, the sight of these emblem-bearing carriages immediately drew awe from passersby, who quickly made way.
Even at the city gates, the soldiers stationed there were courteous enough to let them pass first.
On the carriages, these soul practitioners with level ten soul power discussed their expectations with excitement,what kind of soul beast they would hunt, what soul ring they might gain, and what kind of soul master they would become.
Wang Li did not participate in the discussion. He wasn't familiar with the upperclassmen, and the only person he knew was his dormmate, Wang Sheng. Closing his eyes, he thought to himself:
"What kind of soul beast should I hunt? I'll just observe Tang San's path and not copy him. The teachers at the academy surely won't help me capture a four-hundred-year-old Mandala Snake."
"Blue Silver Grass as a martial soul has neither strong attack nor defense, so at this stage, a control-based approach is suitable."
"If I want Blue Silver Grass to significantly improve its extension and resilience, I should hunt a vine-type soul beast. Being plant-based makes absorption easier, and the older the beast, the better,but that still depends on luck."
Thinking this, Wang Li silently hoped for some good fortune,he wanted to encounter a vine-type soul beast suitable for him to hunt.
The Hunting Soul Forest was artificially enclosed, so the variety of soul beasts was naturally not as rich as in the wild. However, under military supervision and law enforcement patrols, extremely ferocious beasts or soul beasts over ten thousand years old rarely appeared.
For the next period, the students would spend their time in the Hunting Soul Forest until everyone had obtained their soul rings.
To ensure every student could hunt a soul beast suited to them, the academy had reserved a full two months for this purpose.
Moreover, both the dean and the director personally participated, showing how seriously the academy took these sixth-grade graduates. They were fulfilling their duty thoroughly.
After all, these were soul practitioners without even a single soul ring, unable to resist a powerful soul beast.
After a day and night of travel, they officially arrived at the Hunting Soul Forest by noon the next day.
Outside the forest was a lively marketplace, bustling with shops and constant calls from vendors. Even soul masters, rare to see normally, were shouting for partners to hunt soul beasts.
As frequent visitors, the appearance of Notting Academy's carriages immediately drew attention.
With Zhang Wei, a Soul Sect expert, present, Notting Academy was naturally a prestigious presence, though the academy would not allow outsiders to join their group.
They settled at a hotel, leaving the coachmen and carriages behind, ate lunch, and rested briefly.
Zhang Wei and Su Mo then led all the teachers and students to the entrance of the Hunting Soul Forest. The forest was an enclosed area for soul beasts, surrounded by a ten-meter-high iron fence. The entrance had a large gate and at least a hundred fully armed soldiers, making it impossible to enter without permission.
The students' strength was secondary. Their backing,the Tian Dou Empire and the Spirit Hall,ensured that any third-party attempt to seize the forest would face immediate suppression.
Zhang Wei, as a Soul Sect master, commanded genuine respect from the soldiers. After checking his credentials, they were allowed entry.
Not even a hundred meters into the forest, Zhang Wei turned to the group, his expression solemn and authoritative:
"Listen carefully. You have now truly entered the Hunting Soul Forest. Danger is everywhere, and powerful soul beasts may appear at any time. What you need to do is follow the arrangements."
"See something? Hear something? Do not panic, do not run off, and report everything. Leaving the team without permission will be at your own risk!"
Seeing the dean so serious, the students all became nervous and shouted:
"Yes!"
Zhang Wei nodded and then addressed the teachers:
"Take your usual positions and prepare."
The teachers responded:
"Yes!"
One by one, the teachers activated their martial souls. Su Mo's body expanded, antlers grew from his head, and his hair rapidly lengthened. Three soul rings,yellow, yellow, and purple,appeared. He took position at the rear of the group.
A female teacher named Fiona manifested a staff with two yellow soul rings. As a support soul master, she stood among the students.
A teacher named Gou An transformed into a wolf-like form with sharp teeth and long nails. His martial soul was a dog, with one white and one yellow soul ring. Sniffing carefully, he dashed ahead.
The other four teachers had martial souls of a greatsword, dagger, black panther, and ape, each with one white and one yellow soul ring, forming a perimeter around the students.
Zhang Wei did not summon his martial soul but stood at the front confidently.
With a wave of his hand, Zhang Wei shouted:
"Move out!"
Under Zhang Wei's leadership, the Notting Academy group began exploring the forest.
However, they stayed around the perimeter, not venturing deep inside. Soul practitioners without a soul ring were too vulnerable, so the teachers needed to stay alert with their martial souls.
Venturing deep could mean encountering hundred-year or even thousand-year soul beasts. While Zhang Wei and the others could handle these, students were at high risk. Annual graduates might suffer casualties, but large-scale losses were unacceptable.
For the academy's reputation, there was an unwritten rule: unless necessary, students were kept at the forest's perimeter, selecting soul beasts from the ten-year variety.
Although occasional hundred-year beasts appeared near the perimeter, their quantity and quality could not compare with those deeper inside.
If a student did encounter such a beast, they would enjoy a rare treat. Obtaining a hundred-year soul ring was a privilege even the city lord's son, Xiao Chenyu, had not experienced.