Seeking Soul Beasts

The next day.

Before dawn, Zhao Wuji roused everyone with his gravelly voice.

"Get up, get up, stop sleeping like pigs."

Except for Tang San, who was always an early riser, everyone else looked utterly dejected, especially the ones who loved to sleep in, like Zhao Xuan, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar...

Still groggy from sleep, they were yanked out of bed by Zhao Wuji. The morning air was frighteningly cold, making them shiver uncontrollably.

"Brat, you're not taking this seriously when obtaining your Soul Ring."

Zhao Wuji, like an overbearing mother, lectured Oscar incessantly.

"Ah, I don't want a Soul Ring, I want to sleep!" Oscar clung to his blanket, mumbling.

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Hearing this, Zhao Wuji's palm, as large as a fan, slapped down on Oscar's head. That instantly woke him up completely.

"Ouch, Teacher Zhao." Oscar clutched his head, tears welling up, and glared resentfully at Zhao Wuji.

"Cut the crap! And Ma Hongjun, Zhao Xuan, get up!"

After the commotion, everyone finally set foot on the path towards the Star Dou Great Forest. The sun hadn't risen yet, and the sky was a deep, murky gray. On the distant eastern horizon, a sliver of dawn was slowly appearing.

They had to set out so early that they didn't even have a place to eat. The group filled their stomachs with Oscar's large sausages and then hurried on their way.

The distance from the town to the Star Dou Great Forest wasn't short, still about a hundred kilometers. Merchants dared not venture too close for fear of Soul Beasts rampaging out of the forest.

After all, these weren't tamed Soul Beasts from the empires; any Soul Beast within the forest was filled with aggression.

By the time they reached the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, the sun had been up for a while. The moisture rich in the forest evaporated into a thin mist that permeated the woods, creating a vast, hazy expanse, making the distant scenery appear and disappear.

Gazing at the boundless sea of trees before him, Zhao Xuan couldn't help but take a deep breath. The fresh scent of vegetation filled his nostrils, refreshing his mind and spirit.

Looking at the vast, endless primeval forest, Zhao Xuan felt a sense of awe. Individuals truly felt insignificant in the face of such magnificent creation.

The Star Dou Great Forest was filled with ancient trees that towered into the sky. Even on the outskirts, each giant tree had a diameter of several meters and stood twenty to thirty meters tall. Their massive canopies blocked the sunlight, casting the area beneath them into gloom.

The dense forest was filled with overlapping shadows, and there was no concept of a path within. The forest was simply too vast and too dangerous for anyone to carve out a trail.

Zhao Wuji stopped to arrange matters. Ning Rongrong and Oscar, being pure support Soul Masters, had to stay by his side. Everyone else was forbidden from moving more than twenty meters away from him.

After all, it was too dangerous here, and he couldn't afford to be careless. A Soul Sage might be able to show off their might in the outside world, but once inside the Star Dou Great Forest, they had to behave.

Everyone proceeded cautiously. Even Zhao Xuan didn't dare to be negligent. This was the most dangerous place on the Douluo Continent, a place where even Soul Douluo and Title Douluo wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

"La~ la la la~"

Xiao Wu hummed a little tune as she skipped along, seemingly unfazed by the danger. She appeared even happier than usual.

Tang San helplessly tried to catch Xiao Wu several times, but each time she'd agree, only to start her antics again moments later.

"You seem quite happy too."

Zhao Xuan suddenly asked Hermione, who stood beside him with an excited expression. He didn't think much of Xiao Wu; after all, in his eyes, Xiao Wu had always been innocent and carefree, or perhaps even thoughtless.

"Of course, I'm happy! This is the Star Dou Great Forest, after all! My grandfather only came here once when he was obtaining his fourth Soul Ring." Hermione said excitedly, clearly having longed to visit the Star Dou Great Forest.

"You brats, this isn't some tourist spot. Can't you have a little sense of crisis?"

Zhao Wuji, leading the group, pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched the leisurely youngsters. He felt immense pressure. It was easier when there were fewer people; now he had to protect the safety of nine, no, eight little rascals. Although Zhao Xuan, who was quite capable, could help a bit, even he clearly didn't grasp the true terror of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Along the way, they saw quite a few Soul Beasts. These Soul Beasts were all ferocious. Even a ten-year Striped Cat dared to roar at them, exuding wildness.

Ancient trees towered and blotted out the sun, their dense canopies completely obscuring the sky. Only thin rays of light penetrated, making the entire forest appear gloomy. Strange vines climbed between the ancient trees, and beneath them, dark green moss covered the stones and tree trunks.

"Hermione, use your first Soul Skill on everyone. The miasma here is quite bad."

Zhao Wuji suddenly said to Hermione. The Star Dou Great Forest contained countless fallen plants and the corpses of Soul Beasts. When these rotted, they formed miasma, which was no good. Many types of miasma were even poisonous.

"Spring Water Gushes Forth!"

Hermione nodded, then summoned her wand. She tapped the small wand ten times, and streams of clear light fell upon everyone, instantly giving them a refreshed feeling.

"It seems the miasma was affecting us without us even realizing it," Tang San frowned slightly.

"Are you alright?" Zhao Xuan supported Hermione, whose face had turned a little pale.

"I'm fine, it's just that using so much Soul Power at once is a bit much for me." Hermione said helplessly, rubbing her forehead.

"It seems you all still have a lot to learn," Zhao Wuji shook his head.

"Mubai!" Zhao Wuji called out to Dai Mubai, who was leading the way.

"What?"

Dai Mubai was sweating profusely. As soon as they entered the forest, Zhao Wuji had made him a laborer. After activating his Martial Soul Avatar, he used his claws to deal with the troublesome thorns in the forest, and he looked quite disheveled.

"Find a place to set up camp and rest for a bit," Zhao Wuji instructed. They had been walking for some time, and everyone's energy was greatly depleted. Maintaining sufficient energy at all times was the way to survive in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Dai Mubai nodded, then continued to clear the path ahead with his claws. He found a relatively flat spot not far ahead and cleared the surrounding thorns and bushes, revealing a flat area.

The group took a short break in the clearing and began to replenish their energy with their rations.

"Sigh. Why haven't we encountered any interesting Soul Beasts?" Zhao Xuan sighed, sitting on the ground. All they had encountered so far were ten-year and hundred-year Soul Beasts; not even a thousand-year one.

Zhao Wuji chuckled and cursed, "If a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast actually showed up, you'd probably be running for your life."

Zhao Xuan scoffed, "If one really showed up, I'd make sure it wouldn't have time to run."

"Rustle, rustle."

Suddenly, a rapid sound began to emanate, like something brushing against leaves. Its movement speed was very fast.

Everyone's gaze suddenly turned to Zhao Xuan. Was his mouth that powerful?