Xue Qinghe? Qian Renxue?

The surrounding forest was dense, overgrown with grass and plants, with towering trees everywhere.

Now and then, rustling came from the grass.

Now and then, faint disturbances stirred within the woods.

This place felt completely different from the Soul Beast Forest to Yuan Luo.

It was so quiet. If there were no danger, this would definitely be an exquisite place for a vacation.

Yuan Luo cautiously watched his surroundings as he slowly moved deeper into the forest.

Ten-year mountain bamboo and vines filled every corner.

Before long, a pack of ten-year wolves appeared before Yuan Luo, as though they had already marked him as prey.

Yuan Luo raised his right hand, and pale golden air burst forth from his palm.

This was the result of his past two years. Flexible use of Soul Power allowed him to control his martial soul more effectively.

His five fingers curled, and the air condensed into slender Golden Needles that radiated a terrifying golden glow.

With a wave of his hand, countless Golden Needles shot through the air and pierced the charging wolves.

In an instant, every wolf was covered in Golden Needles. Blood flowed without stopping, spreading across the entire area.

He stored the wolf pelts in his Soul Tool. He could not waste these—they were all gold coins.

Continuing onward, Yuan Luo encountered many Soul Beasts he had seen in the Soul Beast Compendium.

Such as Slender Beauty Deer and Phantom Cats, relatively gentle Soul Beasts.

Suddenly, a massive tiger appeared before him. It was the same Soul Beast as Yuan Luo's First Soul Ring—the Saber-Toothed Golden Tiger.

Seemingly sensing Yuan Luo's scent, the tiger stared at him with savage eyes.

"Awooo!"

This tiger was only a little over two meters tall. Its cultivation definitely did not exceed a Thousand-Year, and before Yuan Luo, it was like a little kitten.

"What, you want to spar with me?"

Yuan Luo curled his lips into a grin. He had been looking for a training opponent anyway.

What?

You mean Tang San?

That guy had never beaten him. Even joining forces with Xiao Wu would not be enough!

Golden Light flashed in his right hand, and a lone yellow Soul Ring appeared around him. Suddenly, the yellow Soul Ring shone brilliantly.

"First Soul Skill, Sharp Gold Soul Blade!"

Golden Light gathered in his hand, forming a one-meter-long Golden Blade.

Clearly, this Golden Blade had already tasted blood. It was a true weapon of murder.

"Roar!"

The tiger seemed to have been provoked and launched an attack first.

With a single pounce, it whipped up a fierce gale. Dust swept across the ground as leaves danced through the air.

Yuan Luo moved swiftly beneath his feet and slashed with the Golden Blade. A streak of golden blade energy flew from the weapon and shot toward the tiger.

The tiger struck the blade energy with both claws, yet they were as fragile as tofu. Its front paws were severed instantly. Then the golden blade energy sliced through its body, splitting the tiger in two as its eyes closed unwillingly.

"Why bother? In the end, you still became a corpse. What a pity. If my storage space weren't so small, I would have turned you into glittering Soul Coins."

Looking at the tiger before him, Yuan Luo could not help shaking his head. If he had known, he would have gone another way. Now even the tiger pelt was worthless.

Still, he was also shocked by his Soul Skill. It was actually this sharp.

Moreover, it did not consume much Soul Power. At most, it had used one-tenth of his Soul Power. It was cheap and effective—quite a bargain.

Before leaving, Yuan Luo even searched the corpse. Maybe if he was lucky, there would be a soul bone.

But he had been thinking too much!

As he traveled, he found a River and followed it deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.

Although the edge of a River was dangerous, there were many Soul Beasts there. He might encounter a Soul Beast suitable for him.

Night fell. Yuan Luo sat on the ground before a burning campfire, roasting a rabbit.

An entire afternoon had passed, yet he had not even seen a hundred-year plant-type Soul Beast. The oldest ones were merely ninety-year willow trees.

He had not expected plant-type Soul Beasts to be so difficult to find.

The one he wanted most was the Thousand Machine Vine, renowned for its powerful vitality.

It was said that its underground roots extended dozens of meters. As long as even a small fragment remained, it could regenerate. However, its cultivation would be exhausted, and it could only begin again from zero.

He hoped to find this Soul Beast. Then his Second Soul Skill would likely be a recovery skill, perhaps even one capable of restoring life.

Just then, Yuan Luo heard what sounded like footsteps. Judging by the sound, there seemed to be seven or eight people.

People arriving in the middle of the night were probably dangerous.

He quickly looked to the right. Ahead stood a richly dressed young man, around twenty years old.

He wore a white-and-gold robe. One look was enough to tell he was a wealthy noble.

Behind him stood two elderly men in their fifties or sixties, while the others were five young people.

Yuan Luo rose to his feet and watched them cautiously. He could not sense any aura from the three people at the front. Their strength was definitely above his own.

The young man parted his lips and spoke elegantly. "Little brother, why are you here alone?"

Before Yuan Luo could reply, one of the elderly men behind him spoke. "Your Highness..."

The young man waved a hand, signaling them not to speak.

"Big brother, I came to hunt for a Soul Ring."

Yuan Luo blinked his adorable large eyes and spoke with an innocent expression.

He was certain the people before him could not see through his Soul Power.

When he had fought Tang San and Xiao Wu before, he had unlocked an achievement for defeating the San-Wu Combination. The system had rewarded him with a Soul Power concealment skill. As long as someone was not more than fifty levels above his Soul Power, they would be unable to see through Yuan Luo.

In other words, once Yuan Luo reached the Soul King level, no one in the entire Douluo Continent would be able to see through his Soul Power.

He did not believe the two people before him could be Soul Saints. What would Soul Saints be doing on the outskirts, looking for fun?

The young man's face remained calm as he asked, "Little brother, you do not seem very old. Are you here to hunt for your First Soul Ring?"

Yuan Luo nodded, though inwardly he sneered, You're the little one. I'm still young, I can still grow. I curse you so you won't have one!

A trace of surprise seemed to appear on the young man's face. He had not expected the child before him to be so bold.

"Then you have no elders accompanying you?"

Yuan Luo shook his head and said innocently, "I have no elders. I am all alone."

Grandpa Jack, don't blame me. In my heart, you are my elder. Please do not activate your ten golden Soul Rings to teach me a lesson.

"Little brother, this place is very dangerous!"

Little brother! Your whole family is little!

"Big brother, please call me brother. Do not add 'little'!"

Yuan Luo rolled his eyes, then continued, "Danger and opportunity coexist. I believe my life is tough!"

The young man froze, carefully considering Yuan Luo's words. They seemed to make a lot of sense.

"Brother, do you mind if we rest here?"

"Huh?" Yuan Luo's mouth twitched. He is not after my rabbit, is he?

"I do not mind, I do not mind!"

Thus, Yuan Luo and the young man sat on the ground, while the others sat around them, protecting the young man's safety.

"My surname is Xue. If you do not mind, you may call me Brother Xue!"

The young man smiled slightly. His handsome face could melt the hearts of countless young women.

"Brother Xue, just call me Yuan Luo!"

Yuan Luo was suspicious inwardly. Could he be Xue Qinghe? Only Xue Qinghe could be this refined.

"Brother Xue, you are not from the imperial family, are you?"

Yuan Luo asked slowly. If this truly was Xue Qinghe, then at this point in time, he should be Qian Renxue in disguise.

"Oh? Luo-di has heard of me?"

"Huh? You really are the current Crown Prince?"

Yuan Luo's hand roasting the rabbit trembled slightly. The world is so big—why is my circle so small?!