At night, the campfire crackled softly, throwing dancing shadows across the clearing. Sasuke and his companions sat around it, tearing into roasted rabbit and talking between bites—questions, stories, and the occasional argument breaking the calm.
"Well, Teacher Sasuke," Ye Ling'er began, curiosity gleaming in her eyes, "you're so young, yet so strong. Why would someone like you end up in a small place like ours?"
She wasn't wrong—Sasuke's strength was leagues above her uncle Ye Zhiqiu's, and yet he was only seventeen.Ye Zhiqiu was a Soul King. If Sasuke was stronger than him… did that make him a Soul Sage? A seventeen-year-old Soul Sage? That was unheard of.
Sasuke froze for a moment, her question stirring an unwanted memory: the final battle with Naruto.He didn't hate Naruto. In truth—though he'd never say it aloud—after Itachi's passing, Naruto had become the most important person in his life. But their paths… their ideals… were irreconcilable.
Naruto believed in love, bonds, and a naive vision of peace. To Sasuke, that was just a child's fantasy.Sasuke had long accepted a colder truth: to end chaos, one needed absolute power—unshakable authority that could unite the world through fear, control, and the willingness to bear all its hatred.
"Teacher?" Ling Xue's voice broke through his thoughts. She was watching him closely, sensing his sudden silence.
Sasuke's eyes refocused, his voice calm as still water. "I offended the Spirit Hall. Now, I wander."
"So that's it," Ling Yun muttered, chewing on a rabbit head. "Makes sense… If we offended the Spirit Hall, we'd be sleeping in ditches."
A sharp smack echoed through the night as Ye Ling'er slapped him. "Idiot! The journey of the strong is epic, okay?" she said, striking a heroic pose.
"Brother Sasuke only offended the Spirit Hall because of me," Mu Qing said quietly.
Her words shifted the mood. Bai Cha, frowning, added, "The Spirit Hall's been growing so quickly, but the quality of its people… has dropped."
"It's the branch halls," Ling Yun said bitterly. "No one holds them accountable. In my hometown, they act like petty tyrants."
"Funny," Ye Ling'er said, "in big cities they're more disciplined—almost like they're competing with the royal family."
Ling Xue turned to Sasuke. "If you've made an enemy of the Spirit Hall, you could seek protection from the Tiandou Royal Family. Even Spirit Hall wouldn't dare—"
"In a fight for survival, you can use allies," Sasuke cut in, "but never depend on them. Strength built with your own hands is the only thing you can trust. Enough talk. Go train."
The next morning, an earsplitting yell rang through the forest. "EHHH?!"
Ling Yun, Ling Xue, Bai Cha, and Mu Qing came running, only to find Ye Ling'er standing there, grinning smugly.
"Heh. Guess who just hit level 30? That's right—me! A whole round ahead of you, Yun-boy!" she declared, hands on her hips.
Ling Yun flushed. "Level 22! You're only eight levels ahead! That's not a 'whole round'!"
"Oh? Level eight rounds up to level ten! That's two rounds! Hahaha!" she laughed, milking every ounce of mockery.
Ling Yun could only glare and kick at a tree in frustration. They were both fifteen, but her soul power far outstripped his, despite his relentless training.
"Well," Ye Ling'er said, her tone softening, "I have to thank Teacher Sasuke. I'd been stuck at level 29 for ages. But since learning to condense chakra, that bottleneck… just disappeared." She bowed deeply toward Sasuke.
Sasuke gave a small nod. "Half a day off. Then we hunt soul beasts."
Her experience confirmed his theory: condensing chakra wasn't just about power—it sharpened control over energy itself. And mastery of energy, whether internal or external, benefited the whole body.
"Brother Sasuke, I want a spirit ring too," Mu Qing said.
"I know," Sasuke replied. She had only begun serious training at thirteen—still without a single ring.
That afternoon, the group ventured into the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest. Sasuke had already begun forming plans for the hunt.
Ye Ling'er—fifteen years old, level 30 agility-attack type soul master. Martial soul: the double-tailed lightning marten.Conventional wisdom said her third ring should be from a thousand-year-old beast. But Sasuke had no interest in the "ordinary path."
A sudden flicker in the air caught his attention. "Something's coming." Through the Sharingan, he read the beast's age and strength instantly. A thousand-year soul beast—but not what they needed.
"It's a Phoenix-tailed Cockscomb Snake!" Ye Ling'er shouted. "Teacher, I want it!"
"Too weak," Sasuke said, moving deeper into the forest.
She pouted but followed.
"Ye Ling'er," Sasuke asked as they walked, "your marten gains an extra skill from each ring, correct?"
"Yes! As far as I know, I'm the only one on the continent!" she said proudly.
Ling Yun, never missing a chance to jab, added, "Yeah, but each skill's power is cut in half. Totally useless."
Sasuke's gaze sharpened. "That's exactly the problem. At your level, an extra skill might seem like an advantage—but as you grow, weak attacks become worthless. You can't settle for the same beasts other soul masters do."
Ye Ling'er's confidence faltered. "Then… what should I do?"
Sasuke didn't answer. Instead, he approached a massive tree, four or five meters thick.
"Chidori Sharp Spear!"
Lightning erupted from his hand, slicing the trunk clean through. As the giant tree crashed to the ground, the forest trembled—and from the shadows emerged a colossal tiger, its saber-like fangs gleaming.
Its presence was suffocating. The pressure alone made their heartbeats race. This was no thousand-year beast.
Ling Yun swallowed hard. "T-that's… a ten… thousand-year soul beast?"
The saber-toothed thunder tiger had arrived.