Hunting

As we crossed the invisible boundary where normal forest gave way to perpetual winter, the transformation was dramatic. Frost coated every surface, transforming ordinary trees into crystalline sculptures. The temperature dropped significantly, our breath forming substantial clouds with each exhalation. Sound behaved differently here—dampened by the snow yet occasionally amplified by the ice formations that dotted the landscape.

Without wasting any time, I activated my Herrscher's Eye of Truth, extending my perception outward to scan for potential dangers or opportunities. Additionally, I activated the spiritual sharing aspect of my ability, temporarily granting Baixue enhanced awareness of our surroundings.

Her eyes widened with surprise as her senses suddenly expanded, allowing her to perceive the forest in ways impossible for normal humans. She could now detect the life force of nearby creatures, sense the flow of elemental energies, and even feel the subtle vibrations of distant movements through the frozen ground.

"Don't be surprised," I explained, realising I had never fully disclosed the nature of my abilities. "It's the effect of my martial soul, Herrscher's Eye of Truth. And the sword I previously used is not my real martial soul—it's just a cover for my true abilities. My martial soul is more of a support type than any other classification."

"Whoa," she breathed, turning in a slow circle as she absorbed the wealth of sensory information now available to her. "I didn't expect Master to be this strong with a support-type martial soul."

"Just as I said before, there are no limits—it depends on your determination to explore and develop your capabilities. Even though it's classified as a support-type martial soul, it has versatile applications beyond simply assisting others."

As we ventured deeper into the forest, following a barely visible path that wound between ancient, frost-covered trees, Baixue's curiosity continued.

"Master, one question," she began, her enhanced senses causing her to speak more softly than usual, aware now of how sound travelled in this environment. "Which category does your martial soul belong to? Tool or beast type?"

I ducked under a low-hanging branch heavy with snow before responding. "There are actually more categories than just weapons and beasts. My martial soul is what's called a body martial soul, as it's categorised according to the part of the body it manifests in or affects."

Her interest was clearly piqued, so I continued with the impromptu lesson as we carefully advanced through the silent forest. "Beyond weapons and beasts, there are also pure elemental, plant, and humanoid categories."

"First, pure elemental—just as defined by the name, these are martial souls that manifest as pure elemental energy without a fixed form. An example would be something like 'Fire Shadow', though such martial souls are often miscategorised as beast-type because pure elemental hasn't been officially recognised by many scholars."

We paused as I detected movement ahead—just a 100-year snow duck passed by. After it bounced away, we continued our careful progress.

"Next are plant types. Strangely, despite clearly being plants, they're often categorised under tool-type spirit souls in official classifications." I shook my head at the academic inconsistency. "Then there are humanoid types, such as the Seraphim martial soul of the Martial Soul Hall hierarchy or the Poseidon martial soul possessed by the priestesses of Sea God Island."

Baixue processed this information with evident fascination. "Why isn't this knowledge available to the public? It seems important for understanding martial souls properly."

"Actually", I replied, "most of what I've told you is derived from my own observations and research. Even where such knowledge exists in formal texts, the nobility and powerful organisations purposely restrict access to maintain their advantages." I helped her navigate around a particularly treacherous patch of ice before continuing.

"The only commendable thing about Yu Xiaogang is that he released basic knowledge about soul masters to commoners, even if it was primarily motivated by selfish desires for fame and recognition." My tone hardened slightly. "But by adding his own unverified theories and incomplete guidelines, he has led many down incorrect paths of development."

We paused at a small clearing, the snow pristine and untouched. I knelt down, examining subtle tracks that were nearly invisible to normal sight.

"Meanwhile", I continued, "the Martial Soul Hall only provides proper guidance and comprehensive knowledge to commoners who pledge allegiance to their organisation. Knowledge becomes a tool for control."

Baixue was silent for a moment, processing this information. When she spoke again, her voice was thoughtful. "Does Master think the Martial Soul Hall is wrong in their approach?"

I stood, brushing snow from my knees as I considered how to answer. This was an important philosophical point—one that would shape her understanding of the political landscape she would eventually navigate.

"Speaking candidly, I have no fundamental issue with any of the major powers," I replied carefully. "We ourselves understand that selfishness is inherent in human nature. No one is genuinely selfless enough to guide others to new heights of power without considering the potential threat they might eventually pose."

We resumed walking, our path now taking us deeper into the forest where the trees grew closer together and the snowfall became heavier.

"The Martial Soul Hall might appear sinister to outsiders, but this perception is partly what other factions want to create. Consider this: if no agents of the Martial Soul Hall came to villages to awaken martial souls for free, do you think any commoner would have the opportunity to become a soul master?"

I brushed away snow from a fallen log, indicating we should rest for a moment. "What about the free gold coin the Martial Soul Hall provides to those with awakened martial souls? Even if they've essentially forced the Empire to fund this practice, they've done so for the benefit of commoners."

Baixue sat beside me, listening intently as I continued. "And don't imagine that any noble truly sees commoners as equals. Even the strongest individuals tend to disdain the weak. How do you think they would treat commoners, who already carry the stigma of perceived weakness? At best, they might attempt to win over particularly promising commoners, using greed and ambition to entice them into noble service."

I placed a hand on her shoulder, ensuring she understood the importance of my next words. "So, ultimately, it doesn't matter which faction you eventually align yourself with—or if you choose to remain independent. I only want you to remember one principle: 'Repay any debt according to what a person deserves."'

My voice hardened slightly. "If someone wrongs you, don't hesitate to retaliate appropriately. But if they help you, acknowledge that assistance with appropriate gratitude. And always be conscious of a person's true intentions before settling any debt. Sometimes, owing someone is equivalent to being bound by them, so it's often wisest to settle accounts immediately."

Her expression was solemn as she nodded. "I understand, Master. I'll always keep that in mind." After a moment's reflection, she added, "One thing I've learnt from your teachings is that there's no absolute right or wrong—it depends entirely on a person's perspective and circumstances."

I smiled, genuinely pleased with her insight. "I'm proud that you've grasped my intention so quickly. I don't want you to rely on me forever—that's why I encourage you to think independently about your future and decide which path you might eventually choose to follow."

Standing up, I gestured toward the depths of the forest where our true purpose awaited. "Now, let's find you a worthy first spirit ring. Remember your training and trust your instincts—they're already sharper than you realise."

As we ventured deeper into the Icebound Forest, the snow began falling more heavily, creating a peaceful curtain of white that belied the dangers lurking among the frost-covered trees. The temperature dropped further, though Baixue seemed invigorated rather than hindered by the cold—her martial soul resonating with the elemental energy surrounding us.

I maintained the spiritual sharing connection, allowing her to benefit from my enhanced perception as we searched for an appropriate spirit beast. Several times we detected suitable candidates—a pack of Frost Jackals, a pair of Ice Weasels, even a young Snow Leopard with nascent spirit energy—but I urged patience, sensing that something more appropriate for her specific martial soul awaited us deeper in the forest.

As we approached what must be the central region the hunters had referred to as the "Frozen Heart", the quality of ice and snow changed subtly. The snowflakes became larger and more perfectly formed, and the ice took on a bluish hue that suggested higher concentrations of spiritual energy.

"Baixue, a 400-year-old blue-spotted panther, is approaching. I just expect to survive against it and kill it. As you have no experience in fighting, it will be easier to hone your skill, and with my spiritual sharing, you could learn their attack pattern faster." As I said, I created a small dagger which will completely fit Baixue's hand and handed it over to her.

She held the dagger; there was a fear in her eyes, and even her leg was trembling. This is not only her first battle but also a psychological battle with her mind for progress. If she gives up, there's no problem, as psychological issues can be fixed, but still, it can only be fixed by oneself, and the faster one fixes oneself, the faster they will grow.

Baixue approached the panther, and as I was hiding my presence with mental power, the soul beast couldn't detect me. As the panther made the first move and jumped over her, Baixue ducked and rolled over to dodge it. The panther again moved toward her as she activated her martial soul and possessed it to get two hairy white fox ears and a furry tail. She then used her leg strength to kick the ground to dodge sideways again, dodging the panther.

But this time there was something different in her eye, a kind of spark which I first saw in her burning all her hesitation, her fear, her weakness and her previous self. I can understand her eye; those are the eyes which yearn for strength and power. She recklessly approached the panther, and as the panther swung its paws, she used her agility to dodge to the side and positioned her dagger to tear the panther's skin, but it was a shallow cut. But she understood, with her daily exercise till now focused on endurance and stamina, which was her key to victory.

Does it matter whether her attacks are weak for now?? Nah, she just needs to attack enough to leave a deep mark. With my assistance she understood the panther's attack pattern, for which she kept repeatedly dodging and attacking the same spot till the panther bled to death. And at the last instance, Panther acted aggressively to end the fight faster. But he made a mistake, as Baixue already understood that it was its desperate attack, so now the soul beast let his guard down. Taking advantage of the situation, Baixue also swings her dagger and stabs its eye to completely kill the blue-spotted panther.

I walked out and checked out her situation; she got a little too many scratches and was only a little tired, and it will not affect her absorbing the soul ring.

"Master, I did it." She spoke in a proud tone.

"Yeah, you did it. Better than I expected." I replied honestly; even I can't do this much better if I was just an ordinary child like her without any experiences.

Suddenly, I caught sight of many soul beasts running toward our direction, which consisted of weak soul beasts ranging from 300 to 900 years old. And as this is just the edge of the forest, it's not that dangerous. So most likely there's a 1000+ year-old soul beast in that direction.

"Baixue follow me quickly." I commanded her.

"But Master, don't I have to absorb the soul ring?" She asked with some doubt.

"Actually this a good soul ring for your first soul ring, but with the medicine I provided you daily expanded your physical limit due to which you were able to fight the panther face to face. And soul ring doesn't depend over the number given on the book, as it is more likely described the most average limit of absorption. And as your body is strong it is possible to absorb higher level soul ring." I explained her, while exploring what happening in that direction which led to fleeing of soul beast.

Then only I discovered, that a 8000 year ice-scaled python and a 10,000 year old Silver-eyed Leopard, fighting against each other. And I can sense that Silver-eyed Leopard is at disadvantage, most likely reason might be it gave birth to her cubs, or even have fought more stronger opponents.