Chapter 105: Star Dou Forest
Dugu Yan was taken aback, looking at Zhu Zhuqing with some envy. She bit her lip, and after a long pause, forced a bitter smile.
"You two stay together," she said, "I'll go find another inn on my own."
Just as the atmosphere grew awkward, the middle-aged innkeeper called out:
"Ah, I didn't expect that you two aren't in that kind of relationship. Actually, we have several rooms available, you can stay as you wish."
Dai Yao let out a sigh of relief and quickly booked four rooms, assigning one to Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan each, and giving the fourth room to Principal Jackson.
Jackson looked at Dai Yao, who was caught between Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan, and stroked his beard with a smile.
"This little fellow has my old style!"
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The next day.
The forest still carried a misty haze as Dai Yao and the two girls had already woken up and checked out of the inn.
Principal Jackson followed them from a short distance.
At the entrance of the Star Dou Forest, towering ancient trees stretched into the sky, and ahead was an endless forest that seemed to stretch forever.
A breeze blew, the sound of pine trees swaying filled the air.
Looking into the deeper parts of the forest gave a faint sense of trepidation.
"It's beautiful," Dugu Yan murmured as she gazed at the boundless forest, somewhat dazed.
The grandeur of the scenery was so awe-inspiring that even Zhu Zhuqing was moved.
Dai Yao took a deep breath, feeling his mind clear. Indeed, the air in the Star Dou Forest was thick with natural energy, making it feel rejuvenating.
After a moment, Dai Yao stepped forward and said, "Let's go!"
The two girls exchanged a glance and followed behind.
After spending the night together, Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan's relationship was no longer as tense. Now, entering the Star Dou Forest, where danger lurked everywhere, the only way to survive was to trust each other and rely on one another.
At the beginning of the Star Dou Forest, there were places where low-level soul beasts lived, along with some small paths left by previous explorers.
Dai Yao looked up, took out the map of the Star Dou Forest that he had bought, and determined the direction before heading deeper into the forest.
The map only showed areas that had been explored in the Star Dou Forest.
The more complete the information on the map, the safer it was; the less information there was, or the more it was obscured, the more dangerous the area became.
The habitats of high-level soul beasts were marked with fog on the map.
Clearly, the map's creators didn't have the strength to fully explore the entire Star Dou Forest.
As they moved deeper into the forest, the trail beneath their feet became increasingly unclear, with more and more weeds growing, indicating that fewer people had passed this way and that the danger was increasing.
Eventually, the path simply ended.
At the end of the trail, thorny bushes blocked the way, and the ground was covered with dry leaves.
The occasional sound of wolves howling echoed, making the quiet forest seem even more terrifying.
"Dai Yao, what should we do now?" Dugu Yan asked with concern.
Zhu Zhuqing also cast a worried glance toward him.
Dai Yao pulled out the map and roughly identified their location. This area was a mix of century-old and millennium-old soul beasts.
He looked at the sky. It was already noon, and they had been walking non-stop for six hours.
Of course, this distance was nothing for a soul master.
"We'll rest here for a while and then continue," Dai Yao decided.
The sun was slightly tilted.
The three of them took turns standing watch while they ate some dried meat to stave off hunger and drank some water. After preparing, they set off again in search of soul beasts.
With soul power surging, Dai Yao summoned his martial soul, extending his claws as he said:
"We'll continue to explore deeper. The farther we go in, the stronger the soul beasts will be, and the more dangerous our situation becomes."
"So, I'll take the lead. If we encounter soul beasts, I'll block their attacks."
"Dugu Yan, you are a control-type soul master, and you are the most sensitive to environmental changes. You need to keep a constant watch for any abnormal signs and report them to me immediately."
"Zhu Zhuqing, you are a sensitive attack-type soul master, and you'll help with scouting. You'll also assist Dugu Yan in fully utilizing her control abilities."
"Do you both have any questions?" Dai Yao asked.
He was a bit concerned that the two women might not cooperate well, given the underlying competition between them. After all, this was the Star Dou Forest, where danger lurked at every turn, and one careless mistake could cost them their lives.
The two women exchanged a look and both saw the competitive glint in each other's eyes. They nodded firmly and spoke in unison: "No problem."
Dai Yao breathed a sigh of relief and gave one last piece of advice:
"Although we have Principal Jackson's protection, we must still take this hunt seriously."
"Only by leaving the safety of our parents can we truly grow. The same applies to us—facing danger on our own and leaving behind the comfort of our environment is the only way to become truly independent!"
Hearing Dai Yao's words, Dugu Yan was momentarily stunned, her heartbeat quickening. She felt that Dai Yao was not like a child of just over ten years old, but more like a mature adult.
A faint smile tugged at her lips as she brushed a lock of her green hair behind her ear and nodded.
Dai Yao led the way, using his claws to cut through the thorns and clear a path.
Dugu Yan stayed in the middle, using her soul power to stay alert to the surroundings, while Zhu Zhuqing took up the rear, vigilant for any disturbances behind them.
Time passed slowly, and they encountered several waves of soul beast attacks along the way.
However, through their sincere teamwork, they passed each challenge without incident.
After fending off a pack of thousand-year-old Howling Moon Wolves, Dugu Yan and Zhu Zhuqing were both exhausted and sat down to recover their soul power.
Dai Yao, as a powerful attack-type soul master, had taken the brunt of the soul beasts' attacks and was the most tired. But he still stood atop a tree, keeping watch.
After some time, Dugu Yan finished recovering and looked at Dai Yao, still alert as ever. She felt a pang of sympathy.
"Dai Yao, you should rest for a while. I'll take over the watch."
"Alright."
Dai Yao nodded without hesitation and sat down cross-legged to recover some of the soul power he had expended.
Dugu Yan stood on a tree, looking down at Dai Yao as she asked:
"Dai Yao, how many years of soul beasts are you planning to hunt this time?"
Dai Yao opened his eyes, thinking for a moment, then replied:
"Probably between six thousand and nine thousand years."
Dugu Yan froze, almost falling off the tree in shock. She cried out, "What? Six thousand years!"
Thinking about how Dai Yao's second soul ring was a thousand-year soul ring, a six-thousand-year third soul ring didn't seem all that exaggerated. She couldn't help but marvel at him:
"This guy really is a monster."
For regular soul masters, the upper limit for a third soul ring was about seventeen hundred years, which was far below what Dai Yao could handle.
Dai Yao had estimated that, with his current physical condition, he could absorb a four-thousand-year soul ring without pain, far exceeding the limit of ordinary soul masters.
After consuming the Eight-Petal Mystic Ice Herb and the Fierce Fire Apricot, his physical condition had improved further, and the upper limit for the soul rings he could absorb reached six thousand years.
With the addition of the Chaotic Azure Lotus's blue light, he could even push the upper limit to nine thousand years.
Although the blue light could heal injuries, it wasn't invincible. If the soul ring's energy was too powerful, and the destruction speed exceeded the healing rate, the absorption would fail, causing his body to explode.
The difference between a ten-thousand-year and a thousand-year soul ring was immense, so Dai Yao would never recklessly try to absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring.
(End of Chapter)
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