Three Years

Time passes like a fleeting horse, and the years flow by like a shuttle.

Spring departs and autumn arrives, flowers bloom and wither; three years have passed in the blink of an eye, gone as quickly as a white colt flashing past a crevice.

"Fifty miles ahead, you will enter the territory of the Star Dou Great Forest. Soul beasts roam here; proceed with caution."

A line of clear text was carved into a wooden sign by the roadside. Bai Cai looked up; the sky was growing dark, and it was time to set up camp.

The perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest is very indistinct, as some soul beasts do not have fixed ranges of activity. Nether Wolves, Variegated Cats, Rodent Weasels, and Wind Baboons usually inhabit the outer reaches, yet traces of their movements can be found even at the very edge of the forest.

The cultivation years of these soul beasts are relatively low, most being only ten or twenty years old. Unless their purses are truly empty, no soul master is willing to hunt such beasts to obtain a soul ring.

Soul master sects from the three great empires often clear out the edges of the Star Dou Great Forest, hunting these weak soul beasts to craft secret-method soul bones.

Of course, at times, certain stronger century-old soul beasts will also appear on the fringes of the Star Dou Great Forest to prey upon these weaker creatures, such as snake-type, spider-type, or scorpion-type soul beasts.

All things in nature exist in mutual restraint; Nether Wolves, Variegated Cats, Rodent Weasels, and Wind Baboons will also prey upon the young of other soul beasts.

After nightfall, the Star Dou Great Forest becomes dark, silent, and extremely dangerous. Nocturnal soul beasts are often powerful predators. When low-level soul masters enter the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for soul rings, they should avoid lighting fires when staying overnight.

Firelight can drive away weak soul beasts, as well as snakes, insects, rats, and ants, but it also attracts stronger predators.

Bai Cai's soul power is only at level twenty, and Ralts lacks powerful offensive soul skills, so he must hide his tracks and choose a position as safe as possible to spend the night.

The canopy? A place where Wind Baboons, Violent Apes, and Datura Snakes reside and hunt.

The ground? An environment where Nether Wolves, Variegated Cats, Rodent Weasels, Sharp-tailed Vipers, and Triangular Vipers roam and lurk.

Bai Cai had earnestly consulted several soul master squads that entered the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt, and the solution for most was to take turns keeping watch.

Entering the Star Dou Great Forest alone—how does one ensure one's own safety?

In a bustling town near the Star Dou Great Forest, Bai Cai had frequented a tavern and happened to meet a Soul Elder.

This Soul Elder often ventured into the Star Dou Great Forest alone, selling information on the territories of soul beast factions and the locations of rare soul beasts.

At the cost of a cup of fruit wine worth four Gold Soul Coins, Bai Cai humbly sought advice from this Soul Elder, thereby mastering a wealth of survival experience in the wild.

Hunting a suitable soul beast is not a task that can be accomplished in a single day; sometimes, one might search for ten days or half a month without finding the desired target.

If the target is a pack-dwelling soul beast or a juvenile, one must observe continuously and wait for the right moment.

Of course, for noble soul masters accompanied by elders or academy-trained soul masters protected by teachers, lighting a fire to spend the night becomes a means to lure powerful soul beasts.

Bai Cai must hide the secret of his innate soul ring, so he cannot team up with any other soul masters to hunt.

When venturing into the Star Dou Great Forest alone, the primary task is to build a shelter. Earth burrows, mountain caves, tree hollows, and rock caverns are excellent locations for such a sanctuary.

Unfortunately, most locations suitable for building shelters on the outskirts and edges of the Star Dou Great Forest are already occupied by various soul master groups.

For an ordinary soul master to carve out a shelter on the fringes of the Star Dou Great Forest, the workload is immense and the location easily exposed. It is often better to spend money or use one's strength to join a temporary soul master group to hunt for soul rings.

Following the experience taught by the information-selling Soul Elder, Bai Cai walked and stopped, recording ancient trees with trunks wider than three people could embrace.

Next, Bai Cai selected a suitable tree with no fresh claw marks, no signs of battle, and no nearby excrement or strange odors. On the ground about a zhang away from the trunk, Ralts used precise control of telekinesis to move soil, forming a tunnel connecting the ground to the tree roots.

Then, Ralts manipulated telekinesis to control a short sword, carving upward along the roots to hollow out the heart of the tree, creating a shelter hidden within the trunk.

Trees rely on their bark to transport nutrients, so losing the heart does not affect their normal growth. In fact, many natural tree hollows originate from ancient trees whose hearts have rotted or been hollowed out by soul beasts.

The waste produced during construction and the soil excavated from the tunnel were all buried beneath the thick layer of fallen leaves in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Using branches and vines, he wove a screen to block the tunnel entrance and covered it with fallen leaves. A perfect shelter.

As the sun gradually set, Bai Cai followed the survival experience taught by the information-selling Soul Elder, searching for fresh fruits and plant roots.

Moving the fallen leaves and lifting the screen, Bai Cai returned to the shelter. Ralts used telekinesis to mask their tracks, and an invisible force controlled the screen to cover the tunnel entrance; the leaves shifted, restoring the camouflage.

In the Star Dou Great Forest, not far from Bai Cai's hiding place, two soul masters walked side by side, chatting and laughing. Walking in front was a young girl, about fifteen or sixteen years old. Her long, supple black hair was tied into a ponytail hanging behind her, and her budding, delicate figure was outlined by a light blue combat outfit, full of youthful vitality.

Her phoenix eyes were bright and spirited, natural and lively, with a high, delicate nose and a perfect oval face. The girl's cheeks were flushed, revealing a hint of shyness.

A boy of similar age strolled along behind her. The boy was tall and straight; the setting sun slanted across his short, deep blue hair, which shone like magnificent gemstones.

The boy walked leisurely, his posture relaxed, his hands clasped behind his head. He was handsome, with a gentle and refined temperament.

"Bei Bei, tell me, about little brother Huo Yuhao." The girl, having nothing better to do, recalled Huo Yuhao's actions and demeanor, and said thoughtfully, "Do you think he might be carrying some deep, bitter hatred?"

"Xiao Ya, why do you say that?" Bei Bei looked up at the deep night sky, where the stars were twinkling. In the past, he and Xiao Ya would have started a fire to roast meat and prepare for the night by now.

"I always feel that little brother Huo Yuhao is on guard against us." Tang Ya patted her stomach, revealing a satisfied smile. "Although his attitude is very friendly, his eyes seem to hide a lion."

"Indeed, little brother Huo's mindset far exceeds that of his peers, even venturing into the Star Dou Great Forest alone when his soul power was low." Bei Bei was thoughtful, sighing, "People fear hardship, unless they have no choice but to endure it, or have grown accustomed to it."

"Little brother Huo's family background shouldn't be very good. Otherwise, he wouldn't have entered the Star Dou Great Forest alone." Bei Bei hesitated, then added, "He must have been at his wit's end."

"So, not only did you not object, but you also took the opportunity to lecture me." Tang Ya turned around, indignant. "Bei Bei, you are truly cunning."

"Teacher Xiao Ya, my dear Teacher Xiao Ya." Bei Bei raised his hands, helpless. "I'm doing this for your Tang Sect, aren't I? A commander of a one-man army shouldn't be so picky."

"Pah, who is your Teacher Xiao Ya?" Tang Ya made a look of disdain, pretending not to know Bei Bei. "Besides, you are also a member of the Tang Sect!"