The Star Dou Great Forest Was Nothing Like He Had Imagined

After buying a few sets of clothes at the market, trading in his old ones for new, getting a haircut, and picking up some gifts, Lin Manshan headed straight for the Blacksmith Shop.

As soon as he entered, he saw Tie Shan sweating away at work and waved with a smile. "Uncle Tie Shan!"

"A'man?" Tie Shan stopped what he was doing and looked up, his face full of surprise as he sized him up. The voice was familiar, and so was the face, though its childishness had faded. The child from before had grown into a true youth, and his figure had changed considerably as well.

He had grown taller and sturdier.

The blacksmiths quickly put down their tools and jogged over, clicking their tongues in amazement.

"A'man, it's only been a few months, but you've changed so much."

"Yeah, yeah, you've grown a lot taller."

"Hehe, Spirit Masters really are different. Cultivation makes them grow faster than ordinary people."

"..." The men chimed in one after another. Their faces held both the joy of reunion and the gratification of elders witnessing a junior grow up. When Lin Manshan had first arrived, he had been so small. Now, he was already a dashing young man.

Dressed in black, standing 1.63 meters tall, with his back-length black hair simply tied up, his sharp, chiseled features made it clear that he had trained. His water blue eyes were lively as a pool, carrying both steadiness and youthful vigor. The group nodded repeatedly, praising him as a handsome young man.

Warmth rose in Lin Manshan's heart. He scratched his head and said with a laugh, "Maybe it's because I've been cultivating diligently lately and eating more."

"Haha, being able to eat is a blessing!" Tie Shan laughed and led Lin Manshan into the inner room.

After chatting for a while, Lin Manshan stayed for a simple lunch at noon, then returned to his small courtyard carrying several pieces of pig iron on his back.

His cultivation continued steadily according to plan.

In the blink of an eye, it was June of the following year, and his Soul Power had finally reached level 20.

After all, he was cultivating both paths, and he only cultivated Soul Power in the mornings. Given his Cultivation Talent and Meditation Method, gaining two levels in nine months was already quite good compared to Tang San, who cultivated only at night and gained roughly one level every four months.

That was even with the Hundred Thousand Year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone he had absorbed. Without it, he felt that his cultivation speed would have been even slower, and he would have broken through to level 20 much later.

Over the past nine months, he had returned to Sacred Soul Village only once during the New Year, telling Old Jack's family that he had graduated from the academy. Although everyone found it regrettable, they said nothing else. All they offered was comfort, encouragement, and support.

As for Tang San, Lin Manshan had seen him a few times during the New Year. At first, Tang San had not even recognized him. He had only been briefly surprised by Lin Manshan's changes, then returned to his usual indifference. Whenever they met, Tang San merely glanced at him and passed by.

As for Xiao Wu, every time she saw him, she still looked as though her anger had not faded, her eyes filled with disgust.

Lin Manshan merely smiled it off every time, though the thought of stir-frying a spicy rabbit head someday suddenly arose in his mind.

Damn it, you're not the only one who holds grudges. You keep giving me that attitude every day. I've spoiled you too much. Once I can absorb a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, you'll be the first one I kill. Sitting inside the carriage, Lin Manshan lifted the curtain and looked back at the increasingly distant Nuoding City. Xiao Wu's punchable face surfaced in his mind again, making him furious. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

Now that his Soul Power had broken through level 20, it was naturally time to hunt for a Soul Ring.

With his current Physical Strength and the Soul Power protecting him within, he believed there would be no problem absorbing a Thousand-year Spirit Beast Soul Ring. However, even ordinary Thousand-year Spirit Beasts were rare in the Primary Spirit Hunting Forest, let alone high-quality Power Type Spirit Beasts.

Therefore, after some consideration, Lin Manshan decided to search in the Star Dou Great Forest.

The journey was long, and there was no rush. Naturally, he would travel as comfortably as possible, so he hired a carriage.

Immersed in cultivation, time passed quickly. On the morning of the eighth day, the carriage finally arrived at an inn ten li from the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Star Dou Great Forest was unlike the Soul Hunting Forest. No one dared to open a shop too close to it.

There were not many people in the inn, but most were Spirit Masters. Unfortunately, there were no pleasing little beauties from the various academies.

After a brief rest, Lin Manshan set off on foot.

Not long after Lin Manshan left, two large carriages slowly came to a stop in front of the inn.

Then, seven young girls dressed in matching blue short skirts jumped down one after another.

The moment they entered the inn, everyone around them turned to look, then revealed expressions of amazement. "People from Skywater Academy."

"As expected of Skywater Academy. Just like the rumors say, every student is an absolute beauty."

"Yeah, they're really gorgeous."

"..."

Just as everyone was whispering among themselves, a round of applause suddenly sounded behind the girls. "All right. Quickly find somewhere to sit, eat something, and rest up. Once we've recovered, we'll set off."

"Yes!" the girls answered in unison and headed toward some empty seats to one side.

The outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"As expected of the largest Spirit Beast gathering place on the continent." Looking at the ancient forest ahead, dark and profound, with towering trees reaching into the sky, Lin Manshan could not help but sigh. Compared to the forest before him, the Primary Spirit Hunting Forest suddenly felt like the little grove behind his own courtyard.

Even the thickness of these trees was on an entirely different level.

"Tsk, if these were in my previous life, every single one would be a viral tourist attraction, worthy of having incense planted before it and people kneeling in worship."

Muttering in admiration, Lin Manshan stepped forward. "Same old rule: find a water source first."

The easiest places to find Power Type Spirit Beasts were still areas near flowing water.

Giant bears, water buffalo, elephants, gorillas... all of them were species that liked water, and all were known for their strength.

"This is still the outskirts. I need to hurry." As he thought, his pace quickened. His Soul Power had greatly increased, and his sensing range for souls now exceeded six hundred meters. He no longer needed to worry much about Spirit Beast ambushes and could run without concern.

After weaving through the forest for quite a while, he finally arrived beside a rushing river.

Looking out, he immediately spotted several Hundred-year grizzly bears crouching in the water, catching and eating fish. Not far away were several scattered long-legged white storks, while all kinds of Spirit Beasts of varying sizes could be glimpsed on both riverbanks, drinking and playing.

"As expected of the Star Dou Great Forest. Neither its numbers nor its variety can compare to the Primary Spirit Hunting Forest, and this is only the outskirts." Lin Manshan sighed. He did not step out of the bushes and disturb them, instead continuing upstream.

Night soon arrived, and he had found nothing.

"Why does the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest feel bigger than the entire Primary Spirit Hunting Forest? I've walked for most of the day without encountering any impressive Thousand-year Power Type Spirit Beasts. There are plenty of Hundred-year Spirit Beasts, though." Lin Manshan could not help complaining.

After half a day of exploration, he had to admit that the vastness and complex terrain of the Star Dou Great Forest far exceeded his imagination. High Mountain Valleys, Cliffs and Precipices, Hills and Mountains—any terrain he could imagine could be encountered in the Star Dou Great Forest or glimpsed from high ground. If he had not followed the river, he doubted he would even be able to find his way back later.

This was not a forest at all. It was practically a miniature continent.

"No choice but to keep following the river. At least Thousand-year Spirit Beasts can be found nearby."

With a sigh, Lin Manshan began arranging his little camp, then closed his eyes and went to sleep.

The next day, Lin Manshan got up early, washed his face by the river, and continued onward.

He encountered quite a few Thousand-year Spirit Beasts along the way, including many Power Type ones, but none belonged to the top tier. Since he was alone anyway and had already come this far, he wanted to find one he was satisfied with. Thus, the day ended with nothing to show for it.

On the third day, he found nothing.

On the fourth day, he caught an ant, used Beast Taming Technique on it, and stuffed it into the grass by the riverbank. With True Eye serving as a marker, he began exploring one side of the river.

PS: Writer's block. Transitional chapter. Watered it down, watered it down.