The night passed without incident.
At dawn the next morning, just as the first light began to touch the sky, the three of them rose at nearly the same time.
Setting out for the Star Dou Forest at this hour meant that if they were lucky, they wouldn't have to spend the night in the forest and could obtain a spirit ring the same day.
They left the small town, now quite close to the Star Dou Forest, and began to speed up. Yu Luomian and Ah Zhu rode horses they'd purchased in town, while Yu Tianming spread his wings and flew low above them.
Flying too high risked provoking attacks from high-level flying soul beasts, and Yu Luomian wouldn't have time to intervene in that case.
From high above, Yu Tianming could see a vast ocean of green—the endless treetops of the forest were awe-inspiring.
Finally, they arrived at the edge of the Star Dou Forest. The towering trees here reached at least twenty meters high—and this was only the outer region. The dense forest had no visible paths, layers of shadowy foliage hiding what lay within.
No one knew how many years the Star Dou Forest had existed in the Douluo Continent, but the thick canopy that blocked out the sun spoke to its ancient, enduring presence.
Yu Tianming landed, and Yu Luomian and Ah Zhu dismissed their horses—they had to proceed on foot.
Horses could only be used to ride into the forest. If left tied up at the edge, they'd be preyed upon by savage soul beasts before the group returned.
Here, the air was cooler and more pleasant. The drop in temperature made Yu Tianming think of the heat island effect he'd learned about in his past life at university.
At the forest's edge, Yu Luomian—usually kindly—became stern and said, "In here, you may be attacked at any moment by thousand-year or even ten-thousand-year soul beasts. Stay within ten meters of me at all times. Understood?"
"Understood." ×2
Yu Luomian took the lead, the other two following close behind. Yu Tianming used his second soul skill to scout their surroundings, searching for a suitable soul beast for Ah Zhu.
The terrain in the forest was complex and full of brambles—no roads to rely on.
But with Yu Luomian leading, arcs of deep blue lightning occasionally crackled around him. Though dim, they incinerated the underbrush and thorns instantly, clearing a path for those behind him without slowing them down.
Yu Tianming asked curiously, "Second Grandpa, how come your soul skill doesn't alarm the surrounding soul beasts? Do you have a way to suppress your soul power aura?"
Yu Luomian chuckled and replied, "Not exactly. My sixth soul skill simply releases a silent, shadowy lightning—hard to defend against and perfect for avoiding attention."
He added, "In the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, only the first few soul skills are fixed. The later ones depend on what kind of dragon-type soul beast you can find. That's why most Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Soul Masters only have the same first four skills."
Yu Tianming nodded in understanding. Dragon-type soul beasts were rare, and the clan didn't keep high-level beasts in captivity. At high ranks, one could only take what they could find—there was no standard soul skill setup anymore.
They walked for two hours without encountering a suitable soul beast. Yu Tianming's second soul ring had sensed nothing satisfactory either.
By now, the sun had risen high above, its rays filtering through the canopy. Yu Luomian released arcs of lightning to clear an area a few dozen meters wide and said, "Let's rest for an hour and continue searching in the afternoon."
They sat down, drinking water and eating dry rations. Though still in the outer region of the forest, there were many near-thousand-year soul beasts—just right for the 700-800 year soul ring Ah Zhu needed. As long as they continued searching around the perimeter, they'd likely find something suitable soon.
Just after eating, Yu Tianming activated his second soul skill and sensed a small, horned snake slithering at the southern edge of his detection range.
He quickly said, "Second Grandpa, hurry south! I just detected a soul beast suitable for Ah Zhu—it's about to slip out of range."
Yu Luomian immediately activated his lightning and ran south, the other two jogging behind him for fear of losing the beast.
Soon, they arrived a few dozen meters away from the creature—a small blood-red snake with a tiny horn on its head, about 80 centimeters long. It was a Soul-Corroding Scarlet Scaled Snake.
According to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's records, this type of snake could spew fire that damaged the soul itself—leaving lingering harm to the spirit.
It was born ten centimeters long and grew one centimeter for every ten years of cultivation. This 80-plus-centimeter one clearly had over 700 years of age. The horn on its head also signified its dragon bloodline.
It was practically tailor-made for Ah Zhu.
Yu Luomian extended his right hand and released his clan's ancestral first soul skill—Lightning Dragon Claw. A flash of lightning struck, and the snake, which had raised its head defensively, suddenly went rigid, paralyzed by the Soul Saint's attack.
Yu Tianming nudged Ah Zhu, signaling her to finish it quickly. Ah Zhu didn't hesitate. She drew her dagger and stabbed it through the eye.
A yellow soul ring slowly emerged. Ah Zhu's spirit activated—like Dugu Yan, her legs merged into a snake tail, and she coiled into a circle to begin absorbing the ring.
While she absorbed the soul ring, Yu Luomian walked over and picked up the snake's body.
With a pulse of blue soul power, the flesh of the snake disintegrated like raindrops, leaving behind only a faintly glowing red spine.
He casually tossed it to Yu Tianming and said, "Lucky—it dropped a 700-year incomplete torso bone. You can hold onto it, but don't absorb it. Better soul bones await you in the future."
"I plan to give it to Ah Zhu. The effect of the Soul-Corroding Scarlet Scaled Snake's soul bone works best paired with its soul ring." Yu Tianming wasn't interested in the soul bone himself, but Ah Zhu, with her limited talent, could really use it.
Yu Luomian nodded. "This girl has always been hardworking. With this soul bone, she may one day become a Soul Emperor."
With her innate soul power of only level 4, Ah Zhu could normally only reach Soul King. But now, with this soul bone and diligent cultivation, reaching level 60 in her lifetime was possible.
Two hours later, Ah Zhu opened her eyes. The sun was already dipping westward, casting a warm glow across the sky.
Yu Tianming tossed the soul bone into her arms and said, "This is the soul bone dropped by the Soul-Corroding Scarlet Scaled Snake. Let's get out of the forest before night falls."
The usually cheerful Ah Zhu lowered her head and whispered, "Thank you, Young Master."
Following the straight path they'd cleared earlier, the three exited the forest in less than an hour.
Outside the Star Dou Forest, Yu Tianming said to Yu Luomian, "Second Grandpa, I'll carry Ah Zhu and fly. You can run back with your Soul Saint-level strength. Let's head back early for dinner."
Yu Luomian chuckled, "Just don't drop Ah Zhu along the way."
Without another word, Yu Tianming picked up Ah Zhu and soared toward the town.
Bathed in the sunset glow, Ah Zhu's face was also tinged with a soft blush of light.
(End of Chapter)
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