"Good, since neither of you have objections, we'll begin the special training today."
As Xiao Yi finished speaking, he turned and led the way out of the Papal Hall.
Su Yu and Hu Liena exchanged a glance before following him.
Just beyond the heavy doors of the Papal Hall, a modestly decorated black carriage waited in the square.
"Get in."
Xiao Yi spoke briefly, lifting the carriage curtain and nimbly boarding.
Su Yu looked at Hu Liena, indicating she should enter first.
Hu Liena glanced up at him, gave a slight nod, gathered her skirt, and bent to enter the carriage with Su Yu close behind.
Inside, a faint sandalwood scent greeted them, and the interior proved more spacious than it appeared.
Once all three were seated, the driver called out softly, and the carriage began moving toward the city outskirts.
After about half an hour, the carriage came to a stop.
"Lord Xiao Yi, we've arrived!"
"Hmm!"
The three disembarked to find themselves at the Soul Beast Forest!
"This is where we'll conduct our special training."
Xiao Yi's voice carried clearly through the woods as he pointed toward the dense forest depths. "The Soul Beast Forest."
"Soul Beast Forest?"
Hu Liena frowned slightly, a flicker of surprise in her eyes, clearly not expecting the training to be held in such a place.
"Yes." Xiao Yi nodded, his tone steady.
"The first assessment focuses on training your teamwork and ability to respond to sudden dangers."He scanned their surroundings before continuing, 'The soul beasts in this area aren't particularly diverse, and their cultivation years aren't the highest, making it suitable as a starting point for training.'""The Soul Beast Forest has limited soul beast varieties here, with relatively low age levels, making it appropriate for our special training!""
"Now that you're both Soul Masters, hunting one or two hundred-year soul beasts holds no training value."
"By conventional standards, soul beasts over five hundred years should be your targets."
His tone shifted as his gaze settled on Su Yu.
"Your Highness Su Yu, I've heard about the unique nature of your Martial Soul, so naturally you require special training methods."
Xiao Yi paused, emphasizing his words: "I expect that during these five days of training, the two of you will work together to kill a soul beast no less than eight hundred years old."
At Xiao Yi's words, Hu Liena's expression changed. Killing an eight hundred-year soul beast seemed nearly impossible for Soul Masters who had just broken through.
In contrast to Hu Liena, Su Yu remained calm, though his eyes sharpened slightly.
"During these five days, you'll need to survive in the Soul Beast Forest. Remember—unless your lives are in danger, I won't intervene!"
With that, he vanished, leaving them alone in the unknown depths of the forest.
After Xiao Yi's figure disappeared at the forest's edge, Hu Liena immediately stepped forward, her small hand tightly clutching Su Yu's sleeve, a barely noticeable tension in her eyes:
"Brother Su Yu, what should we do now?"
Su Yu gently patted her hand in reassurance while closing his eyes, his brow slightly furrowed as he quietly activated Kagura Mind's Eye.
The breathing of surrounding plants, the footsteps of distant soul beasts, even the crawling of insects beneath the soil—
all flowed clearly into his perception like an invisible net meticulously outlining their environment.
"Don't worry, this is the outer area of the Soul Beast Forest. There are no signs of century-old Soul Beasts here."
"Let's head southeast first. There's a recess in the cliff wall there, suitable for a temporary shelter. We can settle in before making further plans."
Hearing this, Hu Liena's tension eased considerably. She nodded firmly:
"Alright, I'll follow your lead."
She tightened her grip on the short blade at her waist, stepping lightly to keep up with Su Yu while casting vigilant glances around them.
After walking for about half an hour, the two arrived at the spot Su Yu had mentioned.
A clear river meandered through the woods, its babbling flow reflecting the swaying shadows of trees along the bank.
Adjacent to it, a natural recess in the cliff wall was large enough to accommodate two or three people—dry and sheltered from the wind, making it an ideal temporary base.
"Right here." Su Yu pointed to the recess before turning his gaze toward the river.
"With a water source here, Soul Beasts are bound to come to drink. We'll observe from the shadows first and see if there are any targets that match our required age."
"Mm!"
Hu Liena nodded in agreement, already scanning the surroundings and considering how to conceal themselves for observation.
Just as the two had cleared a small space in the recess, a heavy snorting sound suddenly came from behind the bushes, accompanied by the crisp snap of hooves breaking dry branches.
Su Yu reacted instantly, grabbing Hu Liena's wrist and lightly tapping the ground with his toes, pulling her up onto the branch of an ancient tree nearby.
Almost as soon as they hid, a rustling friction noise followed, and a rhinoceros covered in bluish-gray thick hide emerged from behind the bushes.
It was massive, with pillar-like sturdy limbs and a curved black horn on its head.
White mist puffed from its nostrils with each breath, and every step caused the ground to tremble slightly, clearly indicating its immense strength.
"It's an Ironclad Rhinoceros!" Hu Liena whispered close to Su Yu's ear.
"Judging by its size and hide thickness, it must be at least three hundred years old!"
He signaled for Hu Liena to stay calm, and the two watched quietly through the gaps in the leaves as the Ironclad Rhinoceros approached the river.
The massive body of the Ironclad Rhinoceros nearly occupied half of the open space by the riverbank.
It lowered its head, its broad lips dipping into the water, emitting gurgling swallowing sounds.
The bluish-gray hide gleamed with a cold, hard sheen under the sunlight.
Hu Liena's voice was barely audible, tinged with eagerness, as she pressed close to Su Yu's ear and asked:
"Brother Su Yu, should we make a move?"
Her fingertips were already resting on the short blade at her waist, Soul Power circulating quietly within her, ready to strike at any moment.
Su Yu shook his head gently, his gaze fixed on the Ironclad Rhinoceros's movements, responding in a breathy voice:
"No."
He paused briefly, then explained, "Soul Beasts have a natural understanding of drinking areas and rarely fight here."
"If we attack here, it's likely to draw the attention of other Soul Beasts—too risky."
He pointed to the Ironclad Rhinoceros's vigilant scanning of its surroundings even while drinking:
"See how it hasn't let its guard down while drinking? Let's wait for it to finish and leave. When it reaches more open woodland, we'll have a better chance of success if we strike then."
Hearing this, Hu Liena suppressed her impulse and nodded, turning her attention back to the Ironclad Rhinoceros.
The two remained quietly hidden on the branch, like patient leopards, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Five minutes later, the Ironclad Rhinoceros abruptly lifted its head and let out a deep, muffled roar from its throat.
It shook the water droplets from its head and turned to walk deeper into the dense forest, its heavy hooves crunching on the fallen leaves with a "crack" sound.
Su Yu and Hu Liena exchanged a glance, then immediately leaped down from the tree and followed it, using the bushes as cover.