Seeking Soul Beasts

The five-man Soul Hunting Squad assembled in Prosperous Dragon Town, and the whole process went quite smoothly. Carrying the weapons and supplies prepared for soul hunting, the five of them set off together for the Star Dou Great Forest.

According to the map provided by Sun Lao San, after leaving Prosperous Dragon Town, they headed diagonally south. Only after passing through a hilly region could they arrive at the area where the Earth Net Spirit Root might appear.

"This journey will probably be very long, and it'll be full of unknowns. Everyone should be extra careful," Liu Qing said with a grave expression, his words filled with concern and worry.

Zhang Niu nodded forcefully. His deep voice was full of confidence as he said to Liu Qing, "Liu Qing, you can rest a hundred percent assured. My Azure Water Ox Martial Soul is immensely strong. Leave all the heavy supplies to me—don't exhaust yourselves right at the start."

Zhang Ma looked utterly confident as he said with a smile, "Don't worry, everyone. As long as I'm here, there definitely won't be any problems with the team's scouting and defense. Even when we reach the Star Dou Great Forest, I'll make sure to do my job properly."

Sun Lao San followed behind the others. Hearing Zhang Niu and Zhang Ma speak, he said, "Don't forget about me when it comes to scouting. My Gold Devouring Rat Martial Soul is especially good at dealing with Soul Beasts lurking underground."

Liu Feng immediately added, "I'll also do my best not to hold everyone back."

The five-man Soul Hunting Squad continued along their planned route. They passed through deep, silent woods, crossed babbling rivers, and climbed steep cliffs.

They traveled onward, and on the first night, everyone found a suitable place to camp. They gathered firewood, set up tents, and prepared to spend the night.

Watching everyone work together swiftly with tacit understanding, Liu Qing felt very pleased.

The next day, they continued onward. However, the closer they drew to the Star Dou Great Forest, the more trouble they encountered.

Dense forests, difficult roads, and Soul Beasts that emerged from time to time were all dangers they had encountered before.

Fortunately, Liu Qing and the others had all once been experienced mercenaries. Although they had not gone out in Recent Years, experience was still useful. With a few scares but no real danger, they successfully made it through.

At last, without realizing it, they reached the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Looking at the trees in front of him, each a full size larger than before, as well as the denser forest, Zhang Niu cautiously scanned the surroundings.

Then he reminded everyone, "Stay alert. We're about to enter the Star Dou Great Forest. The Soul Beasts here are far more formidable than the ones we encountered before. Keep your guard up—don't let yourselves get overturned in a ditch."

Hearing his eldest brother's reminder, Zhang Ma nodded and said, "Don't worry, Eldest Brother. We'll all remain vigilant. After all, no one would gamble with their own life."

The others also agreed repeatedly, saying that they would stay on guard.

Next, the group entered the Star Dou Great Forest.

The trees within the Star Dou Great Forest were tall and sturdy, with luxuriant branches and leaves. Trees that required several people to wrap their arms around were everywhere.

As they walked along the forest paths, they occasionally encountered a few small Soul Beasts. However, since they were still on the outskirts, they did not encounter anything particularly powerful.

Moreover, Zhang Niu and Zhang Ma casually drove away the smaller ones they came across.

Thus, Liu Feng and the others traveled through the Star Dou Great Forest for seven days.

Finally, on the evening of the seventh day, they arrived before a lake.

The lake before them was breathtakingly beautiful. Its rippling surface shimmered with golden-red light. Sunlight filtered through the leaves along the shore and fell upon the lake surface, where light and reflections complemented one another perfectly.

The lake water was so clear that one could see the bottom. The aquatic plants along the shore were a deep, vivid green, and from time to time, several small fish could be seen weaving through them.

Tall trees surrounded the lake, their dense branches and leaves concealing it completely, with only a few narrow paths leading in.

From time to time, pleasant birdsong also drifted down from the surrounding trees.

Looking at everything before him, Liu Feng felt a wave of freshness rush towards him.

Liu Feng took a deep breath. The air around him was fresh and pleasant, warm and moist, giving him an exceptionally comfortable feeling.

Upon seeing the lake, Sun Lao San broke into a happy smile and immediately took out the map to compare it.

Sun Lao San said, "This is the place. Look—the lake in front of us is exactly the same as the one marked on the map."

The group stood by the lake and looked around. After careful confirmation, they unanimously determined that this was the location marked on the map.

"The environment here is quite good. The lake water can be used for drinking and washing, while the surrounding forest can provide enough wood and food. It's very suitable for us to rest here." A relieved smile appeared on Liu Qing's face.

Zhang Niu nodded in agreement. "That's right. Not only is the environment good, but the resources are abundant too. We can replenish some supplies here."

Liu Qing nodded. "All right, we'll rest here for the night. Tomorrow morning, we'll search along the lake for the Earth Net Spirit Root Soul Beast."

Zhang Ma quickly gathered wood from the surroundings and lit a warm campfire.

Everyone sat around the campfire and began preparing dinner.

Sun Lao San dug up some wild vegetables and fruits nearby, adding some variety to their food.

Just as everyone was preparing to set up camp by the lake, Sun Lao San seemed to think of something.

He suddenly stood up, looked around, and warned, "Don't be in such a hurry to camp by the lake. At night, Soul Beasts may come here to drink, and the Soul Beasts in the lake may also come out to hunt for food."

"Let's fetch some water from the lakeside first, then come back and make a fire to cook. As for resting, it'll be safer to camp farther away from the lake," Zhang Niu quickly agreed.

Liu Qing strongly concurred. "Brother Sun is right. It really is safer to camp farther from the lake."

Zhang Niu and Zhang Ma both nodded as well.

The squad immediately retreated to a patch of high ground not far from the lake, and everyone began setting up camp again.

The Zhang brothers were responsible for pitching the tents, while Liu Feng and his father gathered firewood.

Using his Gold Devouring Rat Martial Soul, Sun Lao San dug a simple trap underground to guard against a nighttime ambush by Soul Beasts.

Night quietly fell, and the campfire burning at the center of the camp drove away the waves of chill from the forest.

Everyone sat around the fire, eating dry rations while animatedly discussing the next day's plan of action.

Sun Lao San took the map from his clothes and placed it before the others.

Sun Lao San pointed at the map and said, "Earth Net Spirit Roots prefer living in warm, damp places, so tomorrow, we'd better search along both shores of the lake."

Liu Qing thought the plan sounded fine and nodded in agreement with Sun Lao San's proposal.

Then he said to Liu Feng, "Xiao Feng, don't act rashly tomorrow, understand?"

Liu Feng said solemnly, "Dad, don't worry. I'll behave."

Sun Lao San said confidently, "Liu Qing, just relax. I caught the Drill Mouse around here before. If there are any Earth Net Spirit Roots nearby, we'll definitely find them."

Zhang Ma also volunteered, "Tomorrow, I'll scout the surrounding area first and keep an eye out for danger."

Late at night, the forest was filled with insects chirping one after another, while the roars of Soul Beasts occasionally echoed from the distance.

Liu Feng lay in the tent, listening to the sounds outside. He was both excited and somewhat nervous, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

In the end, he simply sat up, gently pulled open the tent flap, and looked toward the campfire outside.

The firelight shone on Zhang Niu and Zhang Ma's faces as the two spoke in low voices.

Liu Feng could not make out what they were saying, but he could clearly feel the deep tacit understanding and trust between them.

Second Day Early Morning, before the sky had fully brightened, everyone was already awake.

They quickly packed up their satchels and prepared to follow the edge of the lake, beginning their careful search for traces of the Earth Net Spirit Root Soul Beast.

After a while.

Sun Lao San suddenly shouted, "I found something here!"

(Liu Feng)