Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo

Upon learning that Liu Xinghan had broken through to Level 20 Spirit Power and was going to obtain a spirit ring, Hu Liena insisted on coming along. She said she had been cooped up in the Papal Palace for too long and wanted to go out and relax.

Unable to withstand her pestering, Liu Xinghan eventually agreed.

Two mornings later.

"Senior Sister, look how you kept dragging your feet. We're going to be late." Liu Xinghan grabbed Hu Liena's hand as the two hurried toward the meeting place.

"We won't be back for at least ten days or half a month, so naturally I need to bring a few extra sets of clothes," Hu Liena said matter-of-factly.

Liu Xinghan was speechless. He had no way of dealing with this Senior Sister. They were going to a Spirit Beast Forest—did she really think they were heading out for a spring picnic?

At the meeting place.

Three figures stood quietly.

One of them was strikingly handsome, his white robes embroidered with blooming chrysanthemums, giving him an effeminate air. Another was shrouded from head to toe in black mist, appearing extremely mysterious.

These two were Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei. As close friends, they possessed the rare Martial Soul Fusion Skill and were extraordinarily powerful. Within Spirit Hall, they were Bibi Dong's staunch supporters.

The other was a stern-looking elder with half-white hair. He had to be Gu Qing.

Gu Qing was the commander of the Heaven Annihilation Legion, one of Spirit Hall's four great soul master legions, and a Soul Douluo expert. The reason he was here was that, like Liu Xinghan, he was also going to obtain a spirit ring—except it was his Ninth Spirit Ring.

Not long ago, his spirit power had broken through to Level 90. As long as he obtained one spirit ring, he would become a Titled Douluo.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo had originally come on this journey to help Gu Qing obtain his spirit ring.

After all, Gu Qing was also one of Bibi Dong's supporters. Having another Titled Douluo under her command would naturally delight Bibi Dong, so she had directly sent her trusted aides, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, to help him obtain a spirit ring.

Liu Xinghan had only joined this team by coincidence after his sudden breakthrough.

"Grandpa Chrysanthemum, Grandpa Ghost, sorry we're late." Hu Liena acted coquettishly toward the two of them. "You won't blame Junior Brother and me, will you?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo looked at her fondly and shook his head with a smile. "Of course not."

Liu Xinghan watched speechlessly.

Compared to him, Hu Liena clearly had a much closer relationship with Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo. They had practically watched her grow up and treated her like a granddaughter.

Liu Xinghan was different. He had not been the Pope's Disciple for very long.

Not to mention that he spent all day in the Soul Tool Hall studying Soul Tools. He had only met Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo a few times and was not particularly familiar with them.

Seeing that they did not blame him, Liu Xinghan breathed a sigh of relief.

The group of five set off for their destination, Jade Forest.

Jade Forest lay south of Spirit Hall, separated from it by several thousand li.

Though this Spirit Beast Forest was smaller in scale than the Star Dou Great Forest, it was no less impressive than Sunset Forest. It was a paradise for plant-type spirit beasts.

It was home to the greatest variety of plant-type spirit beasts on the continent. If the Ancient Demon Tree Liu Xinghan sought had not gone extinct, it would certainly be in Jade Forest.

Jade Forest.

After more than ten days of travel, the group finally arrived.

Liu Xinghan surveyed Jade Forest before him.

Compared with the Soul Hunting Forest he had visited to obtain his First Spirit Ring, Jade Forest was far more vibrant. As far as the eye could see, everything was emerald green, radiating dense life energy.

Chrysanthemum Douluo reminded them, "You two little ones must be careful after entering. Don't stray too far from us. Jade Forest is no simple place. Any flower or blade of grass you see could be a plant-type spirit beast, so don't let your guard down."

Liu Xinghan and Hu Liena nodded repeatedly.

Chrysanthemum Douluo asked, "Xiao Han, we'll help you hunt for your spirit ring first. Yours will be easier to obtain. I heard from Her Holiness the Pope that you want an Ancient Demon Tree for your spirit ring. Is that right?"

Liu Xinghan nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Grandpa Chrysanthemum."

Since Hu Liena called Chrysanthemum Douluo Grandpa Chrysanthemum, he shamelessly followed suit as her Junior Brother.

Chrysanthemum Douluo said, "I know Jade Forest. Ancient Demon Trees do exist here, but their numbers are small, so finding one will take some time. By the way, how old an Ancient Demon Tree do you want for your spirit ring?"

Liu Xinghan thought for a moment and said, "If it's an Ancient Demon Tree, then three thousand years!"

His First Spirit Ring had already exceeded a thousand years and had come from a Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear. Combined with the daily medicinal baths tempering his body and his External Soul Bone, even though his spirit power was only Level 20, his physical strength had already become astonishing.

If it were an ordinary spirit ring, he even felt that he could withstand a five-thousand-year spirit ring.

However, the Ancient Demon Tree was a Super Spirit Beast no weaker than the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear. Its spirit ring energy was exceptionally powerful, far surpassing that of an ordinary five-thousand-year spirit ring. Therefore, Liu Xinghan decided to be more conservative and set his target at three thousand years.

"Three thousand years?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo frowned. A spirit ring of that level normally required at least a Soul Ancestor to absorb safely. Could Liu Xinghan really manage it?

After all, the other party was the Pope's beloved disciple. If anything happened under his watch, Chrysanthemum Douluo might as well buy himself a coffin and wait to die.

With that thought, Chrysanthemum Douluo personally took action to be safe. After some effort, he gauged the approximate strength of Liu Xinghan's body.

"Not bad!"

Chrysanthemum Douluo praised him. He had never expected the physical constitution of a Two-Ring Great Spirit Master who had yet to obtain a spirit ring to reach such a level.

"Grandpa Chrysanthemum, I can absorb a three-thousand-year spirit ring without any problem, right?" Liu Xinghan asked.

Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded. "No problem. Let's go. Our target is a three-thousand-year Ancient Demon Tree!"

The group entered Jade Forest.

No sooner had they entered the outer region than the group was attacked by a plant-type soul beast.

It was merely a Devil Vine with a few decades of cultivation. It possessed no intelligence and attacked nearby passing creatures solely on instinct.

There was no need for Chrysanthemum Douluo or Ghost Douluo to act. Gu Qing made quick work of it, yanking the Devil Vine straight out of the ground with his bare hands before casually tossing it away somewhere out of sight.

Before long, the group had suffered no fewer than five waves of attacks. Though none posed any real threat, they were endlessly irritating.

"Chrysanthemum, use your martial soul," Ghost Douluo said.

Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded and immediately released a trace of his martial soul's aura.

His martial soul was the Miraculous Silk Reaching Heaven Chrysanthemum, a king among plants. Sensing the aura of a king, those low-cultivation plant-type soul beasts naturally did not dare offend him.

Sure enough, the road ahead became much more peaceful, and the group was no longer ambushed.

As one of the finest among plant-type soul beasts, the Ancient Demon Tree was as rare as the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, and reproducing was even more difficult for it than for the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear.

Legend had it that an Ancient Demon Tree could spread only one seed in its lifetime. In other words, each Ancient Demon Tree could have only one descendant. This was the main reason for their scarcity.

In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.

At night, inside the tent.

"Senior Sister, you're too close to me," Liu Xinghan reminded her, his face red.

The previous night, they had been ambushed by a ten-thousand-year Tiger-patterned Leopard Cat, which had destroyed one of their tents. With no other choice, Hu Liena had squeezed into Liu Xinghan's tent.

"What? You dislike your Senior Sister?" Hu Liena asked, glaring at him with her beautiful eyes.

Liu Xinghan was speechless. "No. It's just improper for men and women to touch."

Hu Liena laughed. "You're just a child, yet you're talking about propriety between men and women? Tonight, your Senior Sister is definitely sleeping while holding you!"

With that, she wrapped her arms around Liu Xinghan's neck and pounced on him, treating him like a human-shaped body pillow...

Hu Liena slept soundly that night, but Liu Xinghan did not dare move at all, inwardly groaning without end...