Setting Out for the Star Dou Great Forest, Qian Renxue Was Jealous

"You bastard, you reached level thirty so quickly. Do you have some secret?"

"If you teach me, you can use that to settle the favor you owe me."

Qian Renxue fixed Gu Linyuan with her beautiful eyes.

Even though she could not devote herself fully to cultivation, her cultivation speed was still far from slow.

At just over twenty years old, she had already reached the late stage of Spirit King, only one step away from becoming a Soul Emperor.

Such a speed was already among the very best.

Besides, she knew her own situation. She had long stopped caring solely about the speed of her cultivation.

Instead, she continuously tempered the quality of her Soul Power and strengthened her foundation.

No one knew their own affairs better than themselves.

She had only one goal: the Angel God Position.

Therefore, she preferred consolidating her foundation over greedily rushing ahead for short-term gains. Otherwise, she would already have become a Soul Emperor.

But after meeting Gu Linyuan, she felt that her current cultivation speed was no longer enough.

"That depends on how you behave."

"If you behave well, I can teach you. That's not impossible."

Gu Linyuan crossed his arms over his chest.

"You!"

"Fine. But with your strength, what kind of Soul Beast are you planning to hunt?"

Qian Renxue leaned close to Gu Linyuan and asked curiously.

The moment Gu Linyuan lowered his head, he could not help seeing the swaying patch of snowy-white skin before him.

This woman had probably pretended to be a man for so long that she had forgotten she was a woman.

From this close, he could even smell a faint, sweet fragrance.

"At least one or two ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts, I suppose."

Gu Linyuan thought for a moment.

"Are you sure? Her Majesty the Goddess of Life isn't with you. Do you really dare take such a risk?"

Qian Renxue froze for a moment.

She knew Gu Linyuan's second Soul Ring was ten thousand years old, and she knew it was probably the Goddess of Life's doing.

"It's fine. I can mess around however I want."

"Even if I really die suddenly, my dad and mom will haul me back."

Gu Linyuan raised his brows, deliberately teasing her.

"That actually does seem to be the case..."

Qian Renxue felt utterly miserable.

Listen to that—was that even something a person should say?

But Gu Linyuan's mother was a deity in charge of life. It was practically impossible for Gu Linyuan to die even if he wanted to.

Who said a person only had one life? Gu Linyuan could practically have countless lives.

How could the gap between people be this enormous?

When she thought of how Gu Linyuan's mother was the Goddess of Life, while her own mother was Bibi Dong...

Not only had Bibi Dong done nothing for her growth, she had even prevented her from returning to Spirit Hall to cultivate.

Still.

If she had a God King for a mother, she would speak even more arrogantly than Gu Linyuan.

"You really know how to make people angry."

"Alright, enough of that. But your identity is unusual. Are you sure you can stay out for this many days?" Gu Linyuan stroked his chin and eyed Qian Renxue suspiciously.

"Hmph. None of your business. I have plenty of time."

Qian Renxue turned her head away.

Of course, she would not say it.

In her heart, Gu Linyuan was far more important than the Heaven Dou Empire.

For no other reason than this, if she built a good relationship with Gu Linyuan, then even if she truly failed to ascend to godhood in the future, she might still have a chance to start her life over.

Leaving aside Gu Linyuan's parents themselves.

With parents like those, even if Gu Linyuan started slacking off from now on, he would still inevitably become no less than a First-Class God in the future.

Two God Kings who controlled the God Realm—if they wanted to pave the way for their own son, no one could stop them.

In truth, the Goddess of Life and the God of Destruction had been rulers of the God Realm since birth. As deities who had existed even before the God Realm itself, their status far exceeded that of other gods.

It was only because the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life had no descendants that they had no interest in the God Realm's power. In the original story, if Tang San's influence had not kept expanding until it crossed the God of Destruction's bottom line, so many things would never have happened.

But now, they had gained such an excellent son.

The two God Kings, both in their prime, naturally went all out to pave the way for Gu Linyuan.

Even Gu Linyuan did not know that the two God Kings had already set their sights on the Golden Dragon King.

Walk Tang San's path and leave Tang San with nowhere to go.

Early the next morning, while the sky was still barely light, Gu Linyuan and Qian Renxue set out.

Morning mist filled the streets of Suotuo City. Two figures, one after the other, swept over the fields beyond the city like ghosts, speeding southeast.

Qian Renxue had changed outfits today. She was no longer wearing last night's moon-white palace dress, but a sleek golden combat outfit. Her fitted top outlined her slender waist and full curves, while her long trousers wrapped around her straight, shapely legs. On her feet were a pair of short golden boots.

Her long golden hair was tied high into a neat ponytail, exposing her fair, slender neck. She looked valiant and heroic, like a sword drawn from its sheath.

Gu Linyuan wore his signature Black Mysterious Robe, its hood concealing most of his face and revealing only his sharply defined chin.

Walking side by side, one in gold and one in black, they formed a stark contrast beneath the morning light.

"You're sure you want to go to the Star Dou Great Forest?"

"You're hunting high-level Soul Beasts. That's extremely dangerous."

"What, are you scared?"

"This young lady would be scared? I'm only reminding you not to drag me down when the time comes. If things get busy, I might not even have time to look after you."

"If something really happens to you, I can't bear that responsibility."

Qian Renxue gave a soft snort.

The corners of Gu Linyuan's lips rose slightly, but he did not respond.

The two quickened their pace and sped toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Star Dou Great Forest.

It was the most dangerous Soul Beast habitat on the continent, without question.

Unlike the Soul Hunting Forest, which was enclosed and controlled by human powers, this was a truly primordial territory belonging to Soul Beasts.

Towering ancient trees blocked out the sky and sun, while countless deadly dangers lurked within the dense undergrowth. The air was filled with the damp scent of rotting leaves, mixed with a faint trace of blood.

Entering from the outskirts, the two continued deeper into the forest.

Ten-year Soul Beasts, hundred-year Soul Beasts, thousand-year Soul Beasts...

They encountered quite a few, but Gu Linyuan did not make a move. Those Soul Beasts were of too low a grade to be worthy of his Scepter of Destruction.

What he sought was a fierce beast with noble bloodline and limitless potential.

His God King mother had also told him that the quality of a Soul Ring mattered more than its age. If he could not find one of the appropriate age, he would rather choose a high-quality one of a lower age than settle for less.

In any case, his Soul Ring's final age could not possibly be below one hundred thousand years.

Qian Renxue understood what he was thinking and said nothing. She merely stayed at his side, vigilantly observing their surroundings.

They continued deeper, gradually entering the Core Area of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The trees here were even taller, each one dozens of meters high. Their canopies blotted out the sky, completely shutting out the sunlight.

"Wait."

Gu Linyuan suddenly stopped and raised a hand to signal Qian Renxue to halt.

His brows furrowed slightly as his gaze settled on an even darker stretch of forest ahead.

Qian Renxue felt it too.

An incomparably terrifying aura came from ahead.

That aura was violent and savage, carrying the ferocious might accumulated over countless years. Like a sleeping volcano, it seemed calm on the surface, yet within it brewed an eruption capable of destroying everything.

"This is..."

"A ten-thousand-year Soul Beast. And not an ordinary ten-thousand-year Soul Beast."

Qian Renxue's pupils narrowed slightly.

Gu Linyuan nodded.

His eyes narrowed as he looked through the gaps in the dense forest ahead.

Deep within that dark woodland, a pair of scarlet eyes was watching them.