A Forest Encounter

Tuoba Yan frowned and reprimanded, "I said, are you just letting what I say go in one ear and out the other? You're treating everything I say as the wind. Children should be listened to carefully, and you should take what I say to heart."

"I've said it N times already."

"I have no interest in Hu Li Na."

"I won't take Bibi Dong as my teacher."

"I have no romantic feelings for my cousin, Ren Sha, whom I've never met."

"It's all you imagining things!"

"If you continue to be so stubborn, I might as well strike out on my own."

Tuoba Xi chuckled, "You're going to strike out on your own?"

A child who hadn't even reached seven years old was threatening to strike out on his own—Tuoba Xi simply dismissed it as childish talk.

But Tuoba Yan spoke seriously, "I've awakened the Saint Martial Spirit, and establishing a new branch of the clan isn't excessive, is it?"

The smile gradually faded from Tuoba Xi's face.

What Tuoba Yan said was earnest and didn't sound like a joke.

If the Saint Martial Spirit were cultivated to the level of a Title Douluo, he would indeed have the qualifications to strike out on his own.

"Sigh…" Tuoba Xi quickly waved his hands, completely conceding, "Alright, alright. From now on, you walk your own path as a Soul Master, and you can choose whoever you want as your teacher. I, your grandfather, won't interfere anymore!"

The Star Dou Forest, as the largest habitat of Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent, bordered the Xingluo Empire to the south and the Heaven Dou Empire to the north. It spanned tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates, and also housed high mountains perpetually covered in snow, nurturing Ice-attribute Soul Beasts.

Many Soul Masters liked to come to the Star Dou Forest. Because each time they came, it meant they were about to advance to the next Soul Master level.

This time, Tuoba Yan needed to obtain a 6,000-year Soul Ring, which ordinary Soul Hunting Forests couldn't satisfy.

"That's odd. I clearly remember this mountain being full of Chicken Soul Beasts, yet now there's not a trace of them. Yan'er, follow me closely. The surrounding aura is off."

Tihun Mountain, a mountain range in the Star Dou Forest where Chicken Soul Beasts gathered.

Chickens were a nourishing delicacy.

Soul Masters who frequently entered and exited the forest would occasionally catch a chicken or two when passing by Tihun Mountain to eat.

A species of intelligent Chicken Soul Beasts had evolved within the mountain range. Under their leadership, the mountain was hollowed out, and the interior was a labyrinth of twisting passages.

Generally, if strong enemies appeared, these Chicken Soul Beasts would quickly flee into the caves to hide.

They only came out to forage for food occasionally.

Sometimes, Soul Masters who came to Tihun Mountain to catch chickens would return empty-handed.

Tuoba Xi and his grandson wandered through the mountain range for a long time, yet they didn't encounter a single chicken.

It was far too unusual!

Tuoba Yan suddenly stopped, his nostrils twitching, "There's a scent!"

The two exchanged glances and used their Soul Power to leap through the forest, quickly arriving at a clearing.

They saw two figures, one large and one small, sitting beside a campfire, roasting a golden Soul Chicken, its aroma filling the air.

The woman beside the fire wore simple, flowing robes, her long hair pulled back, her features gentle, and an air of virtuousness radiated from her brow as she gently turned the roasting rack, her movements graceful and composed.

A little girl of about six or seven years old stood nearby, with long, waterfall-like blue hair and a fair, delicate face. At first glance, she wasn't strikingly beautiful, but upon closer inspection, she possessed a subtle, ethereal charm.

At that moment, a handsome man with a jade-like face walked over, carrying a Chicken Soul Beast that was severely injured.

The chicken was the size of an adult dog, with five golden feathers atop its head, resembling a phoenix crown, refracting brilliant light in the sunlight.

The little girl eagerly ran forward, "Dad, you're back!"

"Hmm, I got lucky and caught a chicken in the flock that fled into the cave, just to give you and brother some nourishment. Bing'er, what are you looking at?"

The little girl looked towards the trees behind the man.

"Dad, I feel like there's something there."

"You mean a Soul Beast?"

The man immediately became wary.

The woman roasting the chicken quickly came to her daughter's side, her eyes cautiously fixed on the dense shade of the trees.

Just then, two figures leaped out from the forest.

Tuoba Xi examined the chicken king in the man's hand.

"A Golden Armor Tihun Chicken is still alive, with a 5,000-year age. Yan'er, are you satisfied?"

Tuoba Yan nodded in acknowledgment.

In the perilous Star Dou Forest, besides the Soul Beasts that appeared at any time, one had to be wary of greedy people lurking in the shadows.

Suddenly appearing, Tuoba Xi and his grandson made the three people present subconsciously raise their guard.

Tuoba Xi announced loudly, "I am Tuoba Xi, a Platinum Bishop of the Martial Soul Hall. My grandson urgently needs the Soul Ring of this Golden Armor Tihun Chicken. I observe that you three don't seem to need this Soul Ring. Might I request that you part with it? I will surely reward you handsomely!"

As he spoke, eight Soul Rings descended from Tuoba Xi's head, two yellow, two purple, and four black.

The Tuoba Clan had the distinctive White Armored Earth Dragon Martial Soul, combined with eight Soul Rings—there was no doubt about Tuoba Xi's identity.

An adult man and woman looked at each other, their faces showing hesitation.

"Five thousand Gold Soul Coins, how does that sound?" Tuoba Yan asked.

Five thousand?

Tuoba Yan was taken aback.

A Soul Beast with a thousand-year lifespan, if consumed, wouldn't cost more than ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. Even the phoenix among chickens, the Golden Armor Tihun Chicken. As long as you offered a price, it was worth at most twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins.

Tuoba Yan had doubled the price by a significant margin. He was truly willing to spend so much for Tuoba Yan.

"Let me state this clearly, we only want the Soul Rings. The Soul Beast's corpse remains with you two."

The adult man was stunned.

Just asking them to hunt Soul Beasts, and they could get five thousand Gold Soul Coins for free?

Such a good deal was rare.

But he also sensed the hidden pressure in Tuoba Yan's words.

Tuoba Yan had promised such a generous reward—did he think he was a fool?

He was simply applying pressure to the adult man. If the other party didn't agree to this, he wouldn't hesitate to get his hands dirty and forcefully take it!

The adult man sighed, "Forget it, take the chicken. You don't need to give me the money. People should help each other when they're traveling!"

Having said that, Bing'er's father tossed the Chicken King at Tuoba Yan's feet.

Tuoba Yan took out five Black Crystal Cards from his Storage Soul Guide Device. "Here you go. A fair exchange. I, Tuoba Yan, don't take advantage of others."

The adult man caught the cards, momentarily stunned.

As an adult, he naturally understood that Tuoba Yan wasn't trying to take advantage, but was returning a favor.

"It's just a matter of exchanging pleasantries," Tuoba Yan continued, "I, Tuoba Yan, am not one to exploit people's kindness."