Oh My God, Qinghe Is Actually a Girl!

"???"

A tiny head filled with huge question marks, her eyes brimming with confusion.

"Zhongli, do you mean we should set off after Qinghe has gone far away?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Paimon found this approach rather hard to understand.

"Xue Qinghe" was going to hunt Soul Beasts, while they were heading to the Star Dou Great Forest. There was no conflict between the two, so why did they have to wait until the other party was far away before following?

Wait, following her?

Sure enough, before long, Paimon's guess was confirmed.

"Zhongli, why are we secretly following Qinghe?"

"Two days ago, I made an agreement with you. On this trip, talk less."

"Darn it!"

Paimon stomped her foot, folded her arms, and let out a cold snort before falling silent.

It was more or less as Zhongli had guessed, except "Xue Qinghe's" arrangements were even more complicated.

She had actually found a double to deceive others, then had several "trusted people" escort that double to Sunset Forest to hunt Soul Beasts.

Meanwhile, the real one blended into the crowd. Not long after entering Sunset Forest, she reverted to her original appearance.

"Oh my God, Qinghe is actually a girl!"

"And she's pretty cute too!"

Zhongli's forehead darkened with black lines. Fortunately, he secretly used his power to form an invisible wall around them.

Only then was Paimon's voice unable to travel outside.

"Young Lady, would you like this subordinate to carry you?"

At that moment, an old man who looked seventy or eighty emerged from the shadows. He had an exceptionally sturdy build, though his face was somewhat ugly.

He nearly scared Paimon out of her wits.

The Star Dou Great Forest was still quite far from Heaven Dou City. Even an ordinary Titled Douluo traveling at full speed would need a fair amount of time.

Not to mention that Qian Renxue was only a quasi Soul Emperor.

Though she possessed the ability to fly, she did not dare openly use her Martial Soul.

After all, Spirit Hall had publicly claimed that the former Pope's child had died young.

"Thank you, Uncle Ci Xue, but there's no need."

"I haven't left Heaven Dou City in a long time. Let me experience the joy of freedom."

Qian Renxue waved her hand and declined Ci Xue's offer.

"Yes, Young Lady!"

After saying that, Ci Xue returned to the shadows. So long as Qian Renxue did not face mortal danger, he would not emerge again.

This was Qian Renxue's training.

"Zhongli, did you already know Qinghe was a girl?"

Paimon glanced sideways, narrowing her eyes and raising the corners of her lips as she spoke disdainfully.

"Yes. I knew her true identity the moment I first saw her."

"Darn it! You know everything, so why didn't you tell Paimon?"

"You didn't ask."

Paimon: "..."

This time, Paimon finally fell silent. Her mouth hung slightly open as if she wanted to speak, but she stopped herself.

Xue Qinghe's double would remain in Sunset Forest for around ten days. If Qian Renxue had not returned by then, they would head to the Star Dou Great Forest.

Sunset Forest had been Zhongli and Paimon's first stop after arriving on the Douluo Continent, so they were fairly familiar with it.

The two quietly followed behind Qian Renxue and Ci Xue. Even though Ci Xue was a Titled Douluo, he failed to notice Zhongli and Paimon.

In the blink of an eye, five days passed.

The group finally arrived at the entrance to the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Star Dou Great Forest was the largest Soul Beast forest on the Douluo Continent. Its vast territory spanned across two great empires.

Naturally, it had countless entrances.

Of course, entrances guarded by military legions were safer.

Yet Qian Renxue had not chosen such an entrance.

After entering the Star Dou Great Forest, Paimon could not help looking around.

Unlike Sunset Forest, the trees in the Star Dou Great Forest were taller and denser.

Qian Renxue did not linger in the outer region. Instead, she took a map from her Storage Soul Tool.

Several circles were marked on the map.

The locations of those circles were where Soul Beasts suitable for her sixth Soul Ring could be found.

Most Soul Beasts possessed territorial instincts and rarely changed their territory.

This was especially true of Soul Beasts over ten thousand years old.

With Spirit Hall's assistance, Qian Renxue naturally did not need to blindly search for a Soul Ring.

When she had been close to breaking through to rank sixty, many people had already helped scout out the locations of Soul Beasts for her.

All that remained was for Qian Renxue to kill them.

Qian Renxue did not waste any time and ran straight toward the nearest marked circle.

This was only the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest, where it was nearly impossible for a Soul Beast capable of threatening her to appear. That was why she dared to run so recklessly.

Once she reached the inner region, her speed would naturally slow considerably.

As for the core region, she would have to be careful and cautious.

The core region was practically filled with Soul Beasts at the ten-thousand-year level. Encountering one over fifty thousand years old was entirely possible.

If a Soul Beast over fifty thousand years old was powerful enough, even a Soul Douluo would have to turn around and flee upon seeing it!

Zhongli and Paimon followed at an unhurried pace behind them, occasionally encountering weak ten-year and hundred-year Soul Beasts.

"Zhongli, how do you tell the ages of these Soul Beasts apart?"

Paimon was currently examining a spotted cat as she asked Zhongli beside her.

Hearing this, Zhongli paused and considered it briefly before saying, "The simplest method is to look at the color of its Soul Power."

"White represents ten years, yellow represents a hundred years, purple represents a thousand years, black represents ten thousand years. As for Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, they are red."

"This also corresponds to Soul Ring Age."

"Of course, this only tells you the approximate age. It is rather difficult to distinguish the exact age."

"For example, two black Soul Rings may both be black, but one might be ten thousand years old while the other is eighty or ninety thousand years old."

"Ordinary people judge by the color. The strong can directly sense the fluctuations of energy..."

Soul Rings of the same color carried different amounts of energy, so the shades they displayed were also slightly different.

The more energy a Soul Ring carried, the deeper and more profound its color would be. Those that reached a critical point could even show traces of the next stage's color.

For example, black with a hint of red meant that the Soul Ring was infinitely close to a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.

Yellow with a hint of purple, meanwhile, meant a Soul Ring over nine hundred years old and close to a thousand.

"The Soul Power of this cat is white, so it's a ten-year Soul Beast?"

"Yes. More precisely, it is about to break through to a hundred years."

"Look, there's a trace of yellow in its Soul Power. That is a sign that it is about to reach a hundred years."

"Aiya, that's so hard to understand."

"Let's go back to following Qinghe. She looks like she's in quite a hurry."

"I never thought stalking someone could be so fun. Next time, let's pick another target..."

Zhongli: "..."

When I told you to read more, you insisted on raising pigs.

Shaking his head, Zhongli knew Paimon's interest in Soul Beasts and Soul Rings was only fleeting. She had no intention of studying it in depth.

Zhongli was not disappointed. If he had been able to live as happily as Paimon did in those days, perhaps the Corrosion on the Teyvat Continent would have arrived many years later.

"Let's go. Keep up with her. She has already reached the inner region."