Chapter 20: Employing a Soul Ancestor Team

The Whale Hunting Competition had come to an end, and the final batches of whale oil were transported out of Whale Hunting City. Unfortunately, the last two batches didn't yield any whale jelly, which disappointed Cheng Xiao.

However, he quickly adjusted his mindset. With three pieces of whale jelly, his soul ring upper limit had been increased by fifteen hundred years, which was more than enough. Being greedy for more would be unnecessary.

After showcasing his talent, there were still some opposing voices within the family, concerned that Cheng Xiao might end up being devoured by soul beasts before growing up. If that happened, wouldn't all the investments go down the drain?

Fortunately, with Cheng Yu mediating, he persuaded the others in the family, and they were willing to stake everything on Cheng Xiao.

The Cheng family quietly mortgaged their assets through various means, borrowing a large sum of golden soul coins. With the majority of their liquid funds added, they finally hired a team of Soul Ancestor members.

This team reached a maximum level of forty-seven, with the lowest being forty-two. It covered Control, Strength Attack, Agility Attack, and Support—all four aspects. In terms of configuration, it was considered a decent team.

"I'm Dai Chong, the captain of this team, a level forty-seven Attack Soul Ancestor member." A burly man stepped forward and introduced himself.

"I am..."

Everyone introduced themselves in turn. After Cheng Xiao got to know everyone, he introduced himself, "Everyone, I'm Cheng Xiao. This mission is to help me complete a school research expedition. You need to hunt various types of soul beasts, a total of seven."

Cheng Xiao disguised this mission as a theoretical research exploration for the academy. To secure admission to the Advanced Soul Master Academy, Cheng Xiao needed an impressive resume, so he hired this Soul Ancestor team.

This reason was reasonable; not all students at the Advanced Soul Master Academy were combat-oriented soul masters. There were also students focused on theoretical studies, but they were often discriminated against and looked down upon.

For instance, at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, aside from the talented students competing in first and second team, most students didn't have remarkable strength. Some relied on noble status for admission, while others were recruited by the academy due to outstanding theoretical achievements.

If the academy only needed combat-oriented soul masters, what would be the point of its existence? It would be more appropriate to call it a sect.

Dai Chong and the others didn't doubt Cheng Xiao's intentions. They only saw a student with not-so-impressive cultivation talents aiming for a theoretical research direction, hoping to be specially recruited by the Advanced Soul Master Academy.

"As per the mission requirements, you don't need to worry about leaving the last breath for the soul beasts. Just kill them as quickly as possible. However, after killing them, you must step back and be on alert. I will handle the blood collection and other procedures. None of you are allowed to watch."

Cheng Xiao's goal was not to absorb soul rings but to obtain the shadow of the soul beasts. Therefore, he didn't care about the ownership of the soul rings. Once he gathered enough shadows, he could attempt to hunt soul beasts on his own without relying on others.

"No problem. It's just that according to the requirements on this task sheet, we need to hunt at least seven soul beasts of two to three thousand years old and specific types. The payment is quite substantial. Are you prepared for this?" Dai Chong flicked the mission sheet in his hand, glancing towards Cheng Yu behind Cheng Xiao.

Cheng Yu took out a purple card and placed it on the table in front of everyone. "Fifty percent of the mission reward will be given in advance, and the remaining fifty percent will be distributed through the Soul Hall's commission office after the mission is completed."

At the sight of the purple card, Dai Chong and the others' eyes lit up. They collected the card without hesitation, showing no hesitation, "When do we depart?"

"Today!" Cheng Xiao didn't want to delay any further and wanted to set out immediately.

Dai Chong and the others exchanged glances, nodding in agreement. "We're fine with that."

Soon, the seven-member Soul Ancestor team, along with Cheng Xiao, prepared for departure.

"Be careful." As they were about to leave, Cheng Yu's face was solemn, showing no signs of ease. He knew the dangers of being a soul master; one might leave upright and return horizontal.

"Got it."

Eight people set off, watching as their figures gradually disappeared from view. Cheng Yu's gaze gradually lost focus, lips mumbling. After a while, a faint voice was heard.

"Hope everything goes smoothly..."

 —— 

The night sky was adorned with stars, and outside the quiet Star Dou Forest, the eight of them gathered around a campfire, discussing tomorrow's arrangements.

"The first soul beast... Diamondback Tiger?" After hearing Cheng Xiao's target, Dai Chong couldn't help but take a sharp breath, grimacing as he said, "Kid, this bounty is not easy to earn."

The Diamondback Tiger could be considered a dominant force among soul beasts, renowned for its strength, attack power, and defense. Moreover, Cheng Xiao specifically requested a two-thousand-year-old Diamondback Tiger. Even for their team, careless mistakes could lead to casualties.

"Heh, otherwise, how could I bleed you dry with this commission?" Cheng Xiao chuckled.

Dai Chong scratched his itchy scalp, saying, "Tough situation..."

"What's wrong? Are you planning to give up on this mission?" Cheng Xiao raised an eyebrow.

"Not at all, but the Diamondback Tiger likes to live alone, making its whereabouts hard to determine. It's not easy to find it," explained Vice-Captain Yang Lie. "We mercenaries do have some approximate activity area maps for certain soul beasts. If you want to hunt a Diamondback Tiger, you'll need a lot of preparation. The danger will increase significantly."

Most soul masters usually targeted suitable soul beasts they encountered, rarely specifying a particular soul beast. Doing so would consume a considerable amount of time.

Staying in the Star Dou Forest for an extended period would significantly increase the danger.

Major sects weren't concerned about these issues. With seniors of Soul Douluo rank or above leading the way, even spending one or two months in the Star Dou Forest wouldn't be a significant concern unless they encountered a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.

But how many hundred-thousand-year soul beasts were there in the Star Dou Forest? It wasn't that easy to encounter them. Even if they did, it would just be bad luck.

However, they were just a Soul Ancestor team, clearly lacking the confidence to wander around the Star Dou Forest for an extended period.

"I see..." Cheng Xiao pondered for a while, realizing this approach wouldn't work. He changed his train of thought.

"My targets include these types. You can consider how to make it faster and more convenient."

Cheng Xiao then shared his selection criteria with them.

"The first one needs to have sufficiently high attack power, at least with a notable ranking. The second one needs exceptionally high defense. The third one requires both high speed and decent damage output. The fourth one needs to be well-balanced in all aspects..."

Cheng Xiao's selection covered various aspects like attack, defense, speed, endurance, and control.

With such a composition, even if the posthumous strength was somewhat weakened, the Shadow Soul Beast team, under perfect coordination, could defeat stronger enemies or soul beasts. If they were unable to defeat the enemy, Cheng Xiao could rely on his soul power supply for unlimited revivals to wear down the opponent.

In the darkness of the night, Cheng Xiao's clear eyes sparkled with an indescribable brilliance. His Shadow Team was finally taking shape!