Life in the Outer District

In the study, made of sandalwood, candlelight flickered.

Ning Yunqing held a fine parchment in her left hand and flipped through a thick book with her right.

He stared in surprise at the cold medicine in the jade bottle beside him, his gaze lingering for a moment before finally falling silent.

"Ningbing Powder," the one Ning Fan showed him that night without thinking, was indeed a prescription for strengthening the body.

This kind of medicine is suitable for ice-attribute soul masters and those who are cold and weak. It is also very inexpensive and even more perfect than the medicine I, a support-type soul master, concoct. It seems to be tailor-made for this child.

At first, Ning Yunqing thought that Ning Fan had stolen this unknown prescription from the sect's classic texts and didn't take it seriously.

After a moment's thought, he discovered even more loopholes, and then he searched through ancient texts day and night, only to find that the results were also perplexing.

Such a prescription is not recorded in the sect's records!

There's no way a kid like Ning Fan could figure out something of this level on his own!

"It couldn't be from the Body Sect, nor was it learned by stealing, and it certainly wasn't from Shrek Academy... Could it be that someone is secretly helping Fan'er?"

Looking up at the waning moon rising high outside the window, the man muttered to himself, utterly perplexed.

……

Inside the dense forest, clear stream water flows along the river into the distance.

The pattering sound of flowing water mingled with the chirping of birds at sunrise, adding a touch of vitality to the entire forest.

At this moment, a boy with long platinum blonde hair was squatting on a rock in the middle of the stream, holding a sharpened branch tightly in his hand.

Under the morning sun, the boy's eyes, like red agate, shone with an eerie light.

In the stream, some rather large trout are swimming happily.

Just as one of the streams flowed downstream and passed right under the boy's feet, a pure black magatama pattern appeared in his eyes.

With a "whoosh," almost instantly, the red-eyed boy exerted force with his arm and pushed with his fingers. The sharp branch in his hand shot into the water like an arrow, piercing the trout's body and drawing out traces of blood.

The next moment, with a flick of his elbow, he pulled a sizable trout ashore.

"The fourth one, let's treat it to a little treat. Phew... catching fish is a skill after all."

The plump trout was still struggling and wriggling when the boy raised a sharp branch and swiftly sliced ​​off its head, then casually tossed the fish head into the bushes nearby for other animals to share.

Five days. This is the fifth day that Ning Fan and his group have been in the Star Dou Great Forest.

The daily forest scenery had worn away his initial curiosity, and he was tired of the dry food he carried in the wild, which led him to the idea of ​​catching fish himself.

However, Ning Fan really needs to practice these skills. Don't be fooled by how skillfully he caught the fish just now; it was his most perfect attempt out of nearly fifty attempts...

While the Sharingan certainly gave him extreme insight, just like when Sasuke challenged Killer Bee, his eyes could keep up, but his body couldn't quite keep up!

"It's been five days. We can't play anymore. We need to get Elder Xuan to find us a soul beast as soon as possible."

Looking up at the rising sun, the young man couldn't help but sigh at how quickly time had passed.

Their campsite was not far from the stream, and two exquisite animal skin tents could be seen from afar.

In the middle of the camp was a fire pit that Ning Fan had dug himself. The fire pit was surrounded by a circle of stones, and there was a lot of firewood next to it.

On a large tree not far from the camp, Elder Xuan was fast asleep, clutching his wine gourd.

Ning Fan slept in one tent in the camp, while Wu Feng and Ning Tian shared the other.

Their lives these past few days have been almost identical to those of a camping trip.

At this moment, while the other three were still in bed, Ning Fan had already started preparing breakfast for them.

Perhaps it was because Ning Yunqing disciplined him too strictly when he was young, but Ning Fan really liked the feeling of doing things independently.

In the stone-built grill, the boy filled it with firewood, found some kindling, and then quickly formed hand seals. He took a deep breath and exhaled, and a small flame shot out of his mouth, quickly igniting the campfire.

Fire Release: Great Fireball... what a load of rubbish! This is clearly a lighter technique!

After lighting the campfire, even Ning Fan himself couldn't help but laugh.

After months of arduous training, the flames he spewed out had only doubled in size. Compared to real ninjutsu, it was nothing more than acrobatics, or even worse!

Looks like I still have a lot to practice...

Thinking of how his little brother Obito next door had practiced the same move for almost a year before he could even get a decent result, Ning Fan had no choice but to calm down and quietly accept the outcome.

He somewhat clumsily gutted the trout, then used a sharp twig to clean out their internal organs, skewered them, and placed them on the fire pit to begin cooking.

High-end ingredients often require only the simplest cooking methods.

Inside the makeshift grill, flames rose as the firewood burned, the intense heat continuously smoking the trout. Soon, the slightly yellow fish meat was coated with a pale golden layer of fish oil, which dripped down with a sizzling sound.

At the same time, a faint fragrance drifted through the forest on the breeze.

On a large tree not far away, someone's nose twitched slightly, and then their eyes snapped open.

He instinctively rolled over and fell face-first into the dirt from the tree with a thud.

Ning Fan sat by the grill and naturally noticed the commotion, but his gaze remained fixed on the fish he was grilling. When the time was right, he took out various spices and sprinkled them on top.

"Wow...it smells so good! Xiao Fanzi, I feel like you're getting better and better at cooking!"

Xuanzi, who had just fallen from the tree, casually dusted himself off. His messy hair was still covered with leaves. He didn't care about tidying up his appearance and trotted over to Ning Fan, who was focused on cooking.

Staring at the plump trout sizzling and glistening with oil on the flames, Elder Xuan swallowed hard.

Unable to resist any longer, he quietly reached for the stove with his greasy hand, only to be gently tapped by Ning Fan with a twig.

"Let's eat together when Ning Tian and Wu Feng wake up."

"All they've done these past few days is play. Seriously, they're still sleeping. When are they going to find a suitable soul beast?"

The boy's stern demeanor left Xuanzi feeling somewhat helpless, but also anxious.

At the same time, Elder Xuan could also tell that Ning Fan was making a veiled attack.

"Mmm, it smells so good! Wow, Cousin Ning Fan, you even made breakfast for us! It feels like it's been ages since I've seen anything like this!"

A short while later, the two little girls woke up one after the other.

Hearing the commotion outside, Ning Tian was the first to get dressed and walk out of the tent. When she saw the fragrant grilled fish sizzling with oil on the grill, she was overjoyed.

They had a lot of fun these past few days, but anyone would get tired of eating dry food all the time. Unexpectedly, their cousin surprised them with something.

"Hmm, five days already? If you've had enough fun, it's time to get ready. If we don't hunt for spirit rings soon, the main force will probably be here..."

Ning Fan sighed helplessly and casually handed a grilled fish to his cousin.

Seeing this, Elder Xuan, who had been craving fish for a long time, finally couldn't resist grabbing a large piece of fish and stuffing it into his mouth.

Trout meat naturally has a slightly sweet taste, a smooth texture, and melts in your mouth. When paired with sauce, it gives you a unique flavor.

The fragrant oil filled his mouth as Elder Xuan tore into the fish meat, giving Ning Fan a thumbs up at the same time.

In just a few bites, Elder Xuan had devoured a plump trout, leaving not even bones behind.

The lingering fragrance lingered in his mind. Old Master Xuan licked his fingers and fixed his gaze on the last grilled fish.

"Stop looking, this is for Wu Feng. That little lazybones, isn't she up yet?"

While munching on the grilled fish he had made, Ning Fan ruthlessly turned away Elder Xuan.

Elder Xuan was puzzled by this, wondering how Ning Yunqing had taught the child. How could this child act like a little adult?

Ning Fan felt that the dish was just average. The meat was grilled to perfection, but the sauce was a bit lacking and needed some improvement.

"Hey, Ning Fan, don't think I can't hear you! I'd rather starve to death than eat anything you make!"

From inside the tent came Wu Feng's lazy yet angry voice.

Fifteen minutes later.

"Wow, it smells so good! It's just a little cold, I should have gotten up earlier! Ning Fan, could you make another one?"

Wu Feng's pretty face was covered in oil stains. After eating dry rations for several days in the wild, the moment she tasted the succulent grilled fish, she felt as if she had returned to civilized society.

The satisfaction and happiness brought by the delicious food made her forget what she had just said.

Elder Xuan also came over expectantly, hoping that Ning Fan could make some more food.

But the boy had no intention of doing so; he had already packed up his tent and casually extinguished the campfire.

"Let's talk about this after we catch the soul beast..."

Ning Fan's resolute demeanor left Elder Xuan and Wu Feng feeling frustrated, so the group had no choice but to pack their things and set off.

After exploring for the past few days, the children's curiosity had lessened considerably, but as they ventured deeper into the Starry Sky Forest, a chilling aura began to creep into their hearts.

"Hey, little guys, perk up! We've probably entered the area where century-old soul beasts roam."

Old Xuan gnawed on a cold, raw chicken leg, looking somewhat annoyed, but he didn't forget to remind everyone.

With him around, the hundred-year-old soul beast certainly couldn't harm the children. He was just trying to keep everyone alert and broaden their horizons.

Sure enough, after traveling about a mile, the sunlight was blocked by thick leaves, the surroundings were covered with spider webs, and the ground was covered with animal tracks, so there must be quite a few soul beasts around.

rustle……

Accompanied by an eerie wind, a spider about half the size of a human suddenly appeared on the ground not far away.

Its eight scythe-like spider legs were originally fleeing in the direction of everyone, but upon seeing Elder Xuan, it immediately braked and fled into the bushes to the side.

A streak of emerald green flashed past the spot where the giant spider had just appeared.

Although it was only for a moment, Ning Tian was still frightened by the huge, grayish-yellow creature.

The spider, about half the size of a human, was almost bigger than her, a six-year-old child.

Having grown up under the protection of her sect, Ning Tian was afraid of insects and the like. When such a large spider suddenly appeared, she screamed in fright.

"Heh, a cave spider being chased by a mandrake? There's not much meat to catch. I guess the cave spider accidentally invaded its territory?"

Elder Xuan wasn't very interested in such small things, and simply spoke softly to the children.

"That's why I'm urging you to stay alert. Once you delve deeper into the world of soul beasts, you'll discover that there exists a chaotic jungle law here."

"Every soul beast has a sense of territory. Hunting like this is very common in the outer areas. Soul beasts often kill each other for territory and survival resources."

"Soul beasts with a cultivation level of over a hundred years are already quite aggressive. Little guys, you can curb your desire to play around a bit. The quality of the soul beasts here is incomparable to those from a few days ago. Perhaps we can find suitable soul rings for you soon."

Elder Xuan walked forward nonchalantly, and after only a quarter of an hour, the group witnessed a large number of soul beasts.

There are flying creatures, crawling creatures, and even the sixth brother sneaking around in the trees trying to launch a sneak attack.

As the three children were moving forward, a century-old wind baboon keenly sensed that the children behind the disheveled old man were weak and vulnerable, and launched an attack. Ning Fan noticed this very quickly.

However, he didn't need to make a move. Elder Xuan only slightly released his soul power, and the wind baboon foamed at the mouth, and soon a yellow ring appeared on its body.

The hundred-year-old spirit ring was scared to death...

After this battle, Ning Tian and Wu Feng's originally relaxed mindset quickly became tense.

However, looking at the spirit rings that appeared on the wind baboon, a hint of excitement rose in their hearts.

As long as they find a soul beast that suits their attributes, with the help of a powerful figure like Elder Xuan, they can also obtain their own hundred-year soul ring and become a true soul master.

Meanwhile, similar scenes to the previous one of the Mandragora Snake chasing the Cave Spider are constantly unfolding.

An hour passed, and the group continued on their way. In the forest, wolves chased their prey, tigers roared, and the carcasses of roe deer became more and more frequent.

Before long, they entered another river valley.

After some calculation, Elder Xuan concluded that the quality of the soul beasts here was already quite good, so he ordered the children to set up camp on the spot.

In nature, places with water often represent habitats for living things.

Ning Fan had just found a rock to sit on. He had been walking through the dense forest for more than an hour, which had already exhausted a lot of his strength.

Just as he was about to relax a little, a surge of soul power that didn't belong to their team flashed across his eyes.

In the tranquil valley, a chilling killing intent suddenly surfaced.

The boy's pupils contracted, and he immediately stood up, waving his arm to take a huge silver-white fan off his back.

The next instant, a ripple suddenly appeared on the tranquil river surface, and a dark figure broke through the water and rushed straight towards Ning Fan.

Faced with this sudden turn of events, Ning Fan activated his Sharingan almost immediately, allowing him to see the newcomer's face clearly.

This is a dark-colored crocodile over three meters long, with a mouth full of fangs, which seems to be the armored crocodile I've seen in textbooks.

The armored crocodile opened its blood-red maw at the tiny creature closest to it, as if it could bite off Ning Fan's head in an instant.

Fortunately, the Sharingan gave the boy some premonition, and Ning Fan had already planted his fan in the ground in front of him in advance to deal with this aggressive soul beast.

With a loud "thud," the armored crocodile's sharp teeth seemed to have struck a rock.

The wooden fan looked incredibly sturdy, but when the armored crocodile took a bite, it didn't budge the fan at all.

Despite the domineering power of this century-old soul beast that had kicked up the surrounding rocks and soil, Ning Fan, who was hiding behind the fan, remained unharmed.

Having failed in his first strike, the hand that crashed headfirst into the armored crocodile with its fan-shaped handle began to consider retreating.

However, the boy had no intention of letting him go so easily.

Ning Fan's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. It was the first time in his life that he had been attacked by a soul beast alone. Although he was not scared psychologically, his body was still somewhat panicked.

The boy instinctively wanted to activate his personal flying device to escape, but a strange fighting spirit surged into his heart.

Ning Fan tried his best to overcome his physical discomfort, gripped the fan with one hand, and murmured to himself.

"Uchiha Rebound!"

Faced with the boy's rising fighting spirit, the armored crocodile felt a sense of foreboding. However, before it could escape, a dazzling white light rose from the fan, completely obscuring its already somewhat weak vision.

With a loud "boom," a powerful energy fluctuation appeared on the giant fan.

The three-meter-long armored crocodile was sent flying backward, its teeth shattered, and its body crashed heavily into the valley wall, becoming completely embedded.

It wasn't until this moment that Elder Xuan, who was directing the setting up of the camp, finally realized what was happening.

Wu Feng and Ning Tian, ​​who were setting up their tents, only turned around after hearing a huge noise and discovered the armored crocodile completely embedded in the stone.

Everything that just happened happened in just a few breaths!

"Wow, I was so careless! I didn't expect there to be soul beasts in the river! These beasts are too cunning."

Elder Xuan appeared beside Ning Fan in a flash, looked the boy up and down to make sure he was safe and sound, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

But soon he realized something was wrong.

Not far away, a hundred-year-old soul ring slowly emerged from the armored crocodile embedded in the stone wall.

"Hiss... A five-hundred-year-old armored crocodile? You subdued it in one move? No... Little Fanzi, how do you have this trick up your sleeve?"

Staring at Ning Fan in disbelief, Elder Xuan rubbed his eyes, unable to believe that the 500-year-old armored crocodile with its decent attack and defense had been mercilessly killed by this young man.

A 500-year-old soul beast with water attribute and good offense and defense is already good enough to be used as a soul ring for Ning Tian who came out on this trip!

"Your carelessness almost cost me my life... Elder Xuan, please be more careful next time..."

Ning Fan's hands were red, and his voice trembled slightly.

The speed of the exchange had only just triggered a surge of adrenaline in him, but the battle was already over.

The armored crocodile had fallen off the wall, belly up, lying in the river, blood gushing out, its yellow century-old soul ring standing out conspicuously.

Upon hearing Elder Xuan's explanation, the young man realized what kind of being he had just faced.

A soul beast with both offensive and defensive capabilities for five hundred years!

The aquatic overlord who ambushed in the river!

He was able to kill this terrifying creature in one blow thanks to his fan and Sharingan.

Ning Fan has done an excellent job of anticipating the impending risk and using his fan skills to launch a counterattack.

Uchiha Rebound. This ability absorbs and transforms the opponent's power, creating a powerful storm for a counterattack. The stronger the opponent's attack, the greater the damage received; it's an ability that grows stronger against stronger opponents.

Of course, this skill will also consume Ning Fan's soul power, and the maximum attack limit that he can withstand and counterattack is also related to the boy's strength.

Fortunately, the armored crocodile that attacked him was of average strength, with a cultivation level of just over 500 years. If you send a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast over, Ning Fan, who only has a soul power of level fifteen or sixteen, definitely won't be able to counter it.

However, after using the rebound skill just once, Ning Fan's soul power reserves decreased by one-fifth, indicating that this skill does consume some energy.

"A five-hundred-year-old soul beast, what a pity, you killed it. Xiao Fanzi, how exactly did you kill it?"

Elder Xuan has brought over the Ironclad Crocodile's corpse. It has a spirit ring that is over 500 years old, and it is good at both offense and defense. Although the attributes match, the age is too low for Ning Fan.

Since it was Ning Fan who killed him, this spirit ring cannot be absorbed by Ning Tian, ​​who is of a higher cultivation level, which is a real pity.

Facing Elder Xuan, the young man's forehead creased with annoyance.

Only an old man with such an audacious mind would say something like that. He almost lost his life, and you're still feeling sorry for him?

"Hey, Ning Fan, are you alright?"

Wu Feng and Ning Tian had already gathered around. Compared to Elder Xuan's unreliability, the two childhood friends were clearly more concerned about him.

Just staring at the carcass of the armored crocodile made Ning Tian tremble. Wu Feng was more mentally strong, but it was impossible for her to face this thing alone now! She wouldn't even have a chance to escape!

"Hmph... that almost led to trouble. This old sixth spirit beast likes to ambush. Watch me skin it and make you two genuine leather bags!"

Recalling the thrilling battle just now, the young man was still a little shaken, but his anger was clearly even stronger.

Ning Fan detested this kind of underhanded and malicious behavior.

Of course, his small arms weren't strong enough to skin this hundred-year-old soul beast, so Elder Xuan had to take matters into his own hands and deal with it.

After leaving the tough crocodile skin as the boy had requested, the greedy old man didn't forget to take a few pieces of edible, less tough red meat.

It's almost noon. We've set up camp, so let's use these as our food.