Star Dou Great Forest

After what had just happened, Ming Lunyu and the others had lost all appetite. Ma Hongjun, who had been clamoring for food earlier, had not truly been hungry; she had simply been craving a bite. But now she was seething with anger and had no mind for food.

"Brother, why did we just let them go?" Ma Hongjun asked unhappily. She had not even made that detestable blond man kneel and beg for mercy.

Ming Lunyu soothed her before explaining his reasons.

"On the surface, I let those people go, but Fu'er secretly left a mark on one of them. We can find them whenever we want."

"Xiao Jun, didn't you notice what martial souls that group possessed?"

"Martial souls? Blue Silver Grass, a rabbit, sausages, and... the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, Evil Eye White Tiger, and Hell Spirit Cat!" Only then did Ma Hongjun realize. "Why were people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect mixed up with members of the Star Luo Imperial Family?"

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect openly supported the Heavenly Dou Empire.

"There may be complicated reasons behind that, but they do not matter to us. What truly matters is that Blue Silver Grass soul master and that rabbit." Ming Lunyu shook his head, his expression grave.

"Those two?" After thinking back, she only remembered that Xiao Wu was rather reckless, while Tang San looked calculating and sinister, hardly like a good person. Other than that, neither of them seemed particularly special.

"That's right." Ming Lunyu said, "Let's start with Tang San. He was merely a Soul Grandmaster, yet he gave me a sense of danger. The techniques he used in battle and those unknown weapons of his were things the soul master world had never seen before. He probably carried a great secret. More importantly, when I felt the urge to kill him, my Second Martial Soul seemed to warn me from somewhere beyond perception, as though something bad would happen if I attacked him."

"Then there's that rabbit. I don't mean that her martial soul is a rabbit. I mean she truly is a rabbit."

"?" Ma Hongjun did not understand.

Tang Fu'er explained, "She isn't human. She is a soul beast—a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, a Soft Bone Rabbit."

"Eh! Fu'er, are you saying that Xiao Wu is actually a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that took human form?" Ma Hongjun understood now. She knew something about such matters as well.

"That's right." Tang Fu'er nodded.

Ming Lunyu said, "A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast took human form and infiltrated human society. There is most likely some unspeakable conspiracy behind it. It can't be that some ancient monster who has lived for countless years came here just to experience life, can it?"

"Especially when she has gotten close to disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Star Luo Imperial Family, while also being entangled with a youth carrying a huge secret... The soul beast faction truly has grand designs. Are they trying to turn the upper ranks of humanity against us?"

Ming Lunyu rested his chin on his hand, his eyes dark and unreadable.

After all, high-ranking soul beasts possessed intelligence no less than that of humans. On the Douluo Continent, humans and soul beasts had struggled against one another for countless years. At first, soul beasts had oppressed humanity one-sidedly. Then soul masters emerged and fought back against them, until humanity gradually gained the upper hand as it had today.

Putting himself in their place, Ming Lunyu felt that if he were among the upper ranks of the soul beasts, he certainly would not accept this quietly. He would actively seek a way to reverse the situation. After all, what leader would watch helplessly as their race was hunted again and again without doing anything?

Thus, he reasonably guessed that Xiao Wu was an infiltrator sent into human society by the upper echelons of the soul beasts. Through all sorts of unknown schemes and methods, she would tempt, coerce, and recruit human leaders, then use those people to wreak havoc upon human society and ultimately destroy its order.

Her intentions deserved condemnation!

If that was truly the case, then the situation on the Douluo Continent would likely become even more chaotic in the future...

Ming Lunyu's desire to grow stronger intensified.

"Since Fu'er has already left a mark on that soul beast, should we follow them and find a chance to strike?" Ma Hongjun asked excitedly, making a throat-slitting gesture. That was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast! A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast capable of providing a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring and soul bone!

"No rush." Ming Lunyu shook his head. "With Fu'er's mark on it, it cannot escape. Besides, as a soul beast spy, it will certainly keep its mouth shut and refuse to yield even in death. Torture will most likely get us no intelligence. I need to wait until it acts, then follow the trail and obtain information about more Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. Of course, there is another reason. Neither of us needs a Soul Ring right now. Even if we want to deal with it, we should wait until we reach level fifty. For now, we are essentially raising it free-range outside."

Ma Hongjun scratched her head and grinned foolishly. "Brother really has thought of everything."

As the group chatted and laughed, their feet never stopped moving. In the blink of an eye, they had reached the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Next, they would cut diagonally across the forest and enter the Star Luo Empire.

The Star Dou Great Forest lay between the Star Luo and Heavenly Dou Empires, and neither nation stationed border troops in this area. Generally speaking, there was no need. The Star Dou Great Forest itself was the best border guard; unless one was a powerful soul master, it was impossible to cross this ancient, mysterious, vast forest.

And if a powerful soul master insisted on crossing the border through the Star Dou Great Forest, no number of defensive troops could stop them.

Upon entering the Star Dou Great Forest, even the light dimmed. Giant trees dozens or even hundreds of meters tall stood everywhere, blocking out the sky and lending the entire forest a deep, mysterious atmosphere.

"These giant trees are truly enormous. A single tree is practically a small ecosystem!" Ming Lunyu looked up at an ancient tree sixty meters tall.

"And the wood is incredibly hard too." Ma Hongjun sent out two streaks of fire that struck the trunk, yet they only left black marks on its bark.

"The Star Dou Great Forest is blessed by nature and rich in spiritual energy. Not only do soul beast populations flourish here, but even plants growing within it may be baptized by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and advance into soul beasts. There is a soul beast called Ghost Face Wood that evolved from an ordinary plant." As Dugu Bo explained, she shattered an ordinary-looking giant tree with a single palm strike.

A white Soul Ring rose from it. This was actually a ten-year soul beast!

Ming Lunyu and Ma Hongjun found it fascinating.

As they ventured deeper, the group encountered all manner of soul beasts.

Whenever that happened, Tang Fu'er and Dugu Bo would compete to explain the soul beasts' traits to Ming Lunyu, hoping to earn his praise through their knowledge.

Yet they were so focused on explaining that they completely failed to notice Ma Hongjun had long since wrapped herself around Ming Lunyu's arm, a sly smile on her face.

Night fell, and the group set up camp and lit a bonfire.

Ordinarily, one could not light a campfire at night in a soul beast forest, as it might draw attacks from powerful soul beasts attracted to fire. Furthermore, insect- and snake-repelling medicine, along with the droppings of high-level soul beasts, had to be scattered around the camp to ensure safety.

But none of that was necessary for Ming Lunyu's group. If any blind soul beast dared appear, it would either become food or become experience for Ming Lunyu and Ma Hongjun before becoming food anyway.

While setting up camp, the three women secretly burned the other tents where Ming Lunyu could not see them, then told him they had not prepared properly and had only brought one tent.

Ming Lunyu gave a wicked smile and said, "Women, I know exactly what you're thinking."

Then he decisively accepted, and all four squeezed into a single tent.

Naturally, they did everything except that final step, and all three of them got their turn.

Due to some force beyond perception, Cai Xukun could not be used, but Tathagata Buddha did not mind making use of Five Finger Mountain...

The next day, Dugu Bo's Magnetic Chopper progress had clearly advanced by a great deal. Not only had the slit of her cheongsam risen higher, but she especially liked walking beside Ming Lunyu, her slender waist swaying her hips from side to side like a gorgeous, seductive snake woman. Every glance she cast was brimming with allure. Any reserve belonging to a man had basically been cast aside entirely.

This change naturally provoked hostility from Ma Hongjun and Tang Fu'er, both of whom cursed that slut inwardly.

But Tang Fu'er had the will without the means. No matter how she tried, her flat figure could not create that effect.

Ma Hongjun was somewhat more voluptuous, but as a little phoenix, she could not pull off the seductive, enchanting manner of a snake.

The two resolved to find their own advantages elsewhere. When the time came, they would sweep Dugu Bo, that trashy bitch, straight into the garbage heap!