Old Blue Star Person, Terrified of Poverty

By then, the sun had already set, and Chen Ping did not dare wander around outside at night.

After following the Official Road for a while, he found a slope sheltered from the wind. Chen Ping first gathered some firewood and lit a small bonfire.

Afterward, Chen Ping took a handful of powder from a paper packet in his basket. He tossed a small pinch into the bonfire and lit it, then mixed the rest with water and sprinkled it around the area where he would rest.

This was Dried Feces Powder from a Thousand-Year Soul Beast that Chen Ping had spent a considerable sum to buy. He had only reached the Alert Zone of the Star Dou Forest at most and had yet to enter the Outer Region.

Using the feces of a Thousand Year Level Soul Beast was already enough to scare away any Low-Year Soul Beasts that might accidentally wander near him.

Just as animals could use urine to mark their territory, the fecal powder of high-year Soul Beasts had the same effect.

Whether burned or mixed with water, it would cause the faint odor that had been sealed in by drying to spread again.

That was also why Chen Ping dared to light a fire.

Although Yu Xiaogang's Ten Martial Soul Competition Theory was basically wrong from beginning to end, fortunately, some common knowledge outside the framework of that theory was still explained fairly well.

For example, fires could not be lit inside the Star Dou Great Forest.

Although most Soul Beasts feared flames, a small number of them loved fire dearly, and most of those Soul Beasts were deadly creatures.

Of course, if someone insisted on lighting a fire like Chen Ping, they should first buy a piece of dried Soul Beast feces of at least the Thousand Year Level, toss part of it into the fire, and mix the rest with water to sprinkle on the ground.

That way, as long as they did not casually enter the Mixed Region, they generally would not encounter any danger even if they lit fires freely in the Outer Region.

Even if they encountered a dangerous Fire Attribute Soul Beast, the moment it smelled the feces of a Thousand-Year Soul Beast, it would tuck its tail between its legs and hide far away.

Taking a Torn Hemp Blanket from his basket, Chen Ping contentedly wrapped it around himself. Leaning against the wind-sheltered slope and basking in the fire's warmth, he comfortably narrowed his eyes.

The main reason Chen Ping had to light a fire was that he was not used to the nights of the Douluo Continent.

Once the sun set, the entire world seemed to lose all its sources of light in an instant. On a clear day, it would still be bearable; at least the bright moon and countless stars would hang overhead.

But today was particularly unlucky. It was overcast.

It was the kind of darkness where he could not see his fingers even when he stretched out his hand. There were no warm Incandescent Lamps from home, no Streetlights wandering along the city streets, and no dazzling Neon Lights in the downtown area.

There was only darkness, cold, and silence.

For Chen Ping, this environment was practically a curse. It was also one of the bits of "fussiness" he had retained even after arriving on the Douluo Continent.

At night, he at least needed some light nearby. Even a tiny bit would do. This pitch-black darkness, where he could not see his fingers after stretching out his hand, was simply absurd.

There were many things that people truly realized were indispensable only after losing them.

He heated several Baked Cakes that had originally been frozen hard and cold. Their rich aroma immediately rose again and wafted straight into Chen Ping's nose.

Accompanied by the lightly salted water he had used earlier to replenish his strength, he finished the Baked Cakes, each of which weighed a pound on its own, and slept soundly until dawn.

The Jade Rabbit Sets West, and the Golden Crow Rises East.

When the first ray of sunlight fell on Chen Ping, he quickly woke up.

This was one of the few nights when he had abandoned meditation and chosen to sleep. Even if he had merely curled up and dozed through the night, it still counted as having slept.

He was about to enter the Star Dou Great Forest, and meditation was an extremely private matter. Unless absolutely necessary, Chen Ping would not dare meditate in the wilderness.

After all, he had already touched the threshold of Movement Meditation and could seize time during the day to cultivate as well.

Under such circumstances, the gains and risks of meditating outdoors for one night were completely out of balance.

Thus, thanks to Soul Hunting, Chen Ping had enjoyed a long-awaited sleep and immediately felt refreshed.

"This brand of Soul Beast feces is pretty effective. It's so much cheaper than other brands of Thousand-Year Soul Beast feces, yet its effectiveness hasn't been reduced at all."

Having gone an entire night without being disturbed by Wild Beasts or Soul Beasts, Chen Ping nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that cheap goods were not necessarily bad.

Chen Ping was not someone who chased bargains blindly. Thousand-Year Soul Beast fecal powder on the market generally cost ten Gold Soul Coins per pound.

The feces of predators such as bears, tigers, and lions cost several times more. There were even varieties that sold for thirty or fifty Gold Soul Coins per pound.

But the Soul Beast fecal powder he had bought cost only three Gold Soul Coins per pound!

If he had not spent Scholar Points to inspect it and confirm that it really was the feces of a Thousand-Year Soul Beast, he truly would not have dared buy it at such a cheap price.

Although he did not know whether the Stall Owner was selling the Soul Beast fecal powder so cheaply because he had been kicked in the head by a donkey, Chen Ping still happily bought three pounds.

Used sparingly, one pound of Soul Beast fecal powder would be enough for Chen Ping to roam around the Star Dou Forest for more than a month. He had bought the remaining two pounds because the stuff was simply too cheap and he planned to resell it.

With powder this cheap, he could make a considerable profit just by changing hands.

With Chen Ping's personality, which had money-making carved deep into his genes, he naturally would not let such an opportunity pass.

As an Old Blue Star Person, he had been frightened by poverty and dared not fail to earn even a single penny.

After walking forward for a short while, a wooden sign by the roadside caught Chen Ping's attention.

"Fifty li ahead, you will enter the territory of the Star Dou Great Forest. Soul Beasts are active there. Take care."

Soon after he continued on, a nimble black shadow flashed across the treetop ahead of Chen Ping and vanished into the end of the canopy.

At the sight of it, Chen Ping's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and his mind began spinning rapidly.

As everyone knew, when Huo Yuhao entered the Star Dou Forest, he had also encountered such a notice board fifty li from the Star Dou Forest.

Then Huo Yuhao continued forward and encountered that God Slayer Wind Baboon.

Combining that fact with the black shadow on the treetop just now, Chen Ping turned around and left without a second word.

This road was impassable.

Although he had arrived here more than two months—nearly three months—ahead of Huo Yuhao,

who knew whether the Butterfly Effect caused by his arrival in the Douluo Continent had led Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Electrolux to arrive here earlier as well?

Chen Ping admitted that the value of those two was so great that even selling him ten million times would not be enough to exchange for either one. But he valued his own life even more and had no intention of gambling it away.

He had a clear plan for his growth, and he had prepared more than one backup plan. There was no need to rush into the spider web Tang God King had woven.

Watching Chen Ping turn and leave, the black shadow moving through the trees froze as well. It quickly descended from the canopy onto a branch and watched Chen Ping walk away in confusion.

The black shadow was none other than a particularly strong Wind Baboon. Although it had only ten years of cultivation, its muscles were extremely well developed, and its strength was probably no weaker than that of an ordinary adult.

Its brain capacity could not comprehend why Chen Ping had turned around and gone back after walking halfway, but soon, the Wind Baboon tossed the matter out of its mind.

If there was no meat to gnaw on, it would eat some fruit first.

When another lone human who looked very young appeared, it would not be too late for it to enjoy meat again.