"Let's go. Sunset Forest is just ahead." Yue Guan and Lin Yu had arrived at the forest's edge. They only needed to step inside to enter this rich forest.
"Yeah, let's go. We'll make this quick." Lin Yu nodded, gazing curiously at the forest ahead.
In his previous life, Lin Yu had always lived in the city, surrounded by a forest of steel and concrete. He had never seen a primeval forest like this.
"Right. You only need your Second Soul Ring, so we don't have to go too deep." Gui Mei agreed, then turned into a shadow and slipped into Sunset Forest to scout ahead.
The two didn't linger at the forest's edge. They followed him inside.
Though the trees in Sunset Forest were exceptionally tall, the forest itself wasn't dark. If anything, it was brighter than most forests.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei had expected to find a Soul Beast for Lin Yu's Soul Ring quickly. But after they came across several, Lin Yu said none of them were suitable, so the group had no choice but to venture deeper into Sunset Forest.
Sunset Forest was rich in powerful Soul Beasts and could be especially dangerous for others. But with two Titled Douluo protecting Lin Yu, it wasn't much of a threat.
As they continued deeper, they encountered more and more powerful Soul Beasts.
"Xiao Yu, we can't go any farther. The Soul Beasts in there are all more than two thousand years old, and there are plenty of Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, too. No matter how powerful they are, they won't be of any use to you." After they had walked for a long time, Yue Guan finally stopped Lin Yu.
He was also looking at Lin Yu strangely now.
After all, Lin Yu didn't seem to be searching for a suitable Soul Beast. It looked more as if he were trying to find something else.
Hearing Yue Guan, Lin Yu could only sigh helplessly.
He really had stopped looking for a suitable Soul Beast. Instead, he was searching for signs of Poisonous Miasma. But he couldn't say that outright, and he didn't know exactly where the miasma was, so he still hadn't found any trace of it.
"Looks like I'll have to come back another time." Lin Yu sighed. They had already spent quite a while in Sunset Forest, and they couldn't waste any more time. They still needed to find a suitable Soul Beast.
Just as Lin Yu was about to speak, the sound of fighting suddenly came from somewhere ahead in Sunset Forest.
"Old Chrysanthemum, bring Lin Yu over. There's a Soul Beast here that's suitable for him." Gui Mei's voice reached Yue Guan.
Yue Guan's eyes lit up. He grabbed Lin Yu and raced toward Gui Mei.
"So, Old Ghost, where's this suitable Soul Beast you mentioned?" Yue Guan asked when he reached Gui Mei, who was hiding nearby.
They had been in Sunset Forest for several days, and Yue Guan was starting to lose patience. On top of that, someone he didn't want to run into was here, which only made him more irritable.
Following Gui Mei's pointing finger, Yue Guan and Lin Yu looked over.
Two people stood there beside a Soul Beast that had been knocked to the ground.
The Soul Beast was strange. It was a spider, much like a Man Faced Demon Spider.
But it looked even stranger. Its body was black, and crimson markings on its back outlined a Vertical Eye. Beneath its abdomen was a face like a vicious ghost's.
"An Evil Eye Ghost Spider?!" Yue Guan stared at the Soul Beast in shock.
"Weren't these things extinct? I can't believe we found one in Sunset Forest. And isn't that Old Poison standing beside it?" Yue Guan narrowed his eyes, his expression turning hostile.
"Old Ghost, a Soul Beast like this is a rare find. Its age is just right for Xiao Yu to absorb." After speaking, Yue Guan released the aura of a Titled Douluo, directing it at the girl who was about to kill the Evil Eye Ghost Spider.
"Who's there?!" Feeling that aura, Dugu Bo flew into a rage. He hadn't expected anyone to dare attack his granddaughter in Sunset Forest.
With a furious shout from Dugu Bo, his Martial Soul appeared behind him.
"Haha, Old Poison, you can't waste this Soul Beast today." Yue Guan laughed as he stepped in front of Dugu Bo.
"Damn Chrysanthemum! What are you doing here?" Dugu Bo still sounded angry when he saw Yue Guan, but he was no longer as confrontational as before.
Though Dugu Bo was a Titled Douluo, his strength lay in poison and wide-area attacks. He wasn't particularly strong in a direct fight—at least, he was no match for Yue Guan.
What was more, Dugu Yan was right beside him, so he was even more reluctant to act rashly.
"Damn Chrysanthemum, you're already a Titled Douluo. Why would you be interested in this Soul Beast?" Dugu Bo didn't attack. Instead, he shielded Dugu Yan behind him.
Before Yue Guan could reply, Gui Mei brought Lin Yu over to his side.
"You brought backup?" Dugu Bo's expression darkened further.
"Old Poison, I may not need this Soul Beast, but someone else does." Yue Guan paid no mind to Dugu Bo's dark expression. Instead, he looked past him.
"Old Poison, this must be your granddaughter, right? Does she need to get her Second Soul Ring, too?" Yue Guan sounded remarkably certain, despite phrasing it as a question.
"What are you planning?" Yue Guan had turned his gaze toward his granddaughter, and Dugu Bo's voice grew cold.
As he spoke, Dugu Bo covertly glanced at Gui Mei.
One Yue Guan was already more than he could handle. The aura of the man beside him was just as powerful. With two Titled Douluo there, Dugu Bo was no longer wondering whether he could beat Yue Guan—he was wondering whether he could get away safely.
"Old Poison, you should be glad I stopped you. Your granddaughter can't absorb this Soul Beast's Soul Ring." Seeing Dugu Bo's dark expression made Yue Guan feel pleased.
"Don't be upset. This Soul Beast is nine hundred years old. Do you really think your granddaughter can absorb it?" Yue Guan ignored Dugu Bo's grim expression and continued on his own.
"Heh, damn Chrysanthemum, you can tell that to someone else, but don't try to fool me. You just want this Soul Beast, don't you? Fine, you can have it. Do you think I don't know how to judge a Soul Beast's age?" Dugu Bo scoffed at Yue Guan's words.
"Old Poison, do you know what kind of Soul Beast this is?" Yue Guan didn't care about Dugu Bo's mockery. He just kept smiling at him.
"Isn't it a Ghost Face Demon Spider?" Dugu Bo said, sounding unsure.
"This isn't a Ghost Face Demon Spider. It's an Evil Eye Ghost Spider, a Soul Beast that's been extinct for ages. It's no surprise you don't know.
Its age can't be judged the same way as that of other spider Soul Beasts. This one is nearly nine hundred and eighty years old. If you don't want your granddaughter to get blown apart, you can let her try absorbing it." Yue Guan raised an eyebrow and stepped aside.
Seeing Yue Guan move, Dugu Bo began to doubt himself.
"You make it sound so convincing. If I can't absorb it, what makes you think he can?" Just as Dugu Bo was at a loss for words, Dugu Yan spoke up. Her eyes were fixed on Lin Yu.
"I can absorb it." Lin Yu raised an eyebrow at Dugu Yan.
"I don't believe you!" Dugu Yan snorted.
Lin Yu's sudden claim made Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchange a glance. Neither spoke. They simply watched him in silence.
"Then how about a bet? If I can absorb it, your grandfather has to do me a favor. How does that sound?" Lin Yu looked at Dugu Yan with a smile.
"And what if you lose?" Dugu Yan asked.
"If I lose? What else can I say? Uncle Yue can do you a favor, too." Lin Yu waved a hand.
"Deal!" Dugu Yan immediately agreed.
If her grandfather was so wary of him, he was probably a Titled Douluo, too.
Dugu Yan had agreed so quickly that Dugu Bo hadn't had time to stop her.
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