Arrival at the Star Dou Forest and Encountering a Mysterious Person

Xiao Wu smiled upon hearing this. Even if they went to the core area, would it really be that big of a deal?

However, these were just thoughts in her mind; on the surface, she maintained a casual demeanor and asked, "But speaking of which, Lin Yi, are we really just going to walk all the way to the Star Dou Forest?"

"What else would we do?" Lin Yi nodded, making a rough estimation. "At a normal pace, we should arrive in about seven or eight days. But we aren't in a rush, so we can take our time."

"Seven or eight days..." Xiao Wu drew out the sound. "Won't the journey be boring? Should we find some fun?"

"What kind of fun is there to find while traveling?" Lin Yi glanced at her. "Do you think we're out sightseeing?"

[This little rabbit is truly full of energy; she hasn't complained of fatigue after walking for half a day.]

[If it were an ordinary girl, she would have been clamoring for a rest by now, right?]

[But then again, with the constitution of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, this distance really is nothing.]

Hearing Lin Yi's inner voice, Xiao Wu rolled her eyes, looked at a large tree not far away, and said, "Lin Yi, let's have a race!"

"A race? A race for what?"

"A race to see who can reach that tree ahead first!" Xiao Wu pointed to a crooked old tree about two hundred meters away. "The loser... has to give the other person a back massage during our breaks. How about it?"

Lin Yi looked at the tree, then at Xiao Wu's eager expression, and shook his head. "No."

"Why not?" Xiao Wu was puzzled.

[Although I have Twin Martial Souls, my external display is only at level nineteen.]

[Besides, the physical constitution of an auxiliary-type soul master is naturally weak. Competing in speed against a level twenty-nine power-attack soul master?]

[Isn't it obvious that I'm going to lose?]

[This little rabbit definitely wants to trick me into giving her a back massage again.]

Lin Yi calculated in his mind, but out loud, he found a high-sounding excuse: "We are traveling, not playing. Conserving energy is the most important thing."

Xiao Wu pouted. "Boring."

But she clearly didn't intend to give up just yet.

Not long after, she came up with a new trick: "Lin Yi, look, there's a patch of wildflowers over there. Let's go pick some? We could weave a flower crown."

"Wildflowers attract bugs. Not going."

"Then let's play a trivia game? I ask you a question, you ask me one. Whoever can't answer loses."

"Not interested."

"Lin Yi!!!"

Lin Yi: "Don't call me, I can't hear you."

And so, along the way, Xiao Wu kept trying to find ways to have fun, while Lin Yi rejected them one by one.

In this way, the two formed a stark contrast: one overflowing with vitality, the other lazy and perfunctory.

It wasn't until they saw the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest that Xiao Wu finally put away her restless energy.

She habitually looked at Lin Yi and asked, "Lin Yi, what do you think we should do first once we enter the forest?"

"Find a safe place to set up camp," Lin Yi said without hesitation. "Then, get a clear understanding of the surroundings before deciding on our direction of action."

[According to the original setting, the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest are mostly inhabited by ten-year to hundred-year soul beasts, so we should be able to handle them easily.]

[But it's better to be safe than sorry. If we run into something mutated or something that slipped out from the core area, that would be troublesome.]

[The safest method is to find high ground; it allows us to observe the surroundings while making it easy to retreat.]

Listening to Lin Yi's methodical plan, Xiao Wu nodded inwardly.

Although this guy always puts on an attitude of 'I just want to slack off,' when things actually happen, he considers everything more thoroughly than anyone else.

She asked again, "Then how long are we staying?"

"Depends on the situation." Lin Yi glanced at her, looking thoughtful. "Your third soul ring should ideally be over a thousand years old, but thousand-year soul beasts aren't common in the outer areas. We might have to go in a bit deeper."

[The third soul skill of the Soft Bone Rabbit martial soul is Teleportation.]

[However, in the original story, she obtained it after being taken away by Erming and returning. I wonder if the plot has shifted now, will it still happen that way?]

[If that really is the case, I won't have to rack my brains trying to shake her off.]

Hearing this, Xiao Wu's heart stirred.

Teleportation?

That sounded pretty good.

But thinking about being taken away by Erming, her eyes dimmed involuntarily.

So this was the reason Lin Yi insisted on bringing her to the Star Dou Forest?

However, she didn't overthink it. Even if she were taken back, it would just be to obtain her third soul ring, and wouldn't she just come back to find him afterward?

Anyway, knowing Lin Yi's thoughts and being familiar with his aura, finding him would be simple.

Xiao Wu shook her head, stopped dwelling on it, and a smile reappeared on her face. "Alright then, let's do as you say."

The two chatted idly as the road beneath their feet gradually changed from a smooth official path to a dirt road, and finally, into a small forest trail.

The surrounding trees grew taller and taller, the sunlight dimmed, and the air became increasingly humid.

"We've entered the outer perimeter of the forest." Lin Yi stopped in his tracks and scanned his surroundings. "From now on, we need to stay sharp, or we could run into a Spirit Beast at any moment."

Xiao Wu nodded; she knew when it was time to play and when it was time to be serious.

The two moved slowly along the edge of the forest, looking for a suitable place to settle down as they walked.

After about an hour, Lin Yi spotted an open area on higher ground, backed by a large rock formation.

It offered a good line of sight and a natural stone wall to block the wind.

Most importantly, the vegetation there was sparse, with no thickets to provide cover for lurking Spirit Beasts, making it perfect for an overnight stay.

Lin Yi pointed to the clearing and said to Xiao Wu, "Let's go with that spot; it looks like a great place to set up camp."

Xiao Wu nodded, having no objections; after all, throughout their journey, whenever they weren't encountering Spirit Beasts, hadn't she always listened to Lin Yi?

Wait, even when they did encounter Spirit Beasts, she had always found their weaknesses by listening to Lin Yi's inner thoughts.

The two quickly reached the clearing and began to tidy up.

However, just as they finished clearing the campsite and had barely lit the fire, Xiao Wu sensed an aura approaching them.

She immediately grew alert, her spirit power beginning to circulate quietly.

Lin Yi naturally sensed it too.

What's going on? We haven't even finished setting up camp and we're already being ambushed by a Spirit Beast?

What a coincidence. Could this place be its territory?

No, that spirit power fluctuation is too steady; it doesn't feel like the violent aura of a Spirit Beast.

Hearing these inner thoughts, Xiao Wu froze for a moment before lowering her voice: "Lin Yi..."

Lin Yi made a gesture for silence and stood up soundlessly, the Myriad Star Core already gripped in his hand.

Although this was only a support-type spirit, it could provide decent illumination in the evening and serve to confuse opponents at critical moments.

The footsteps drew closer and stopped about ten meters from the campsite.

Lin Yi could sense that the person was hesitating.

Who could it be at this hour?

Could it be Tang San?

No, he and I aren't even traveling the same path, are we?

Then who could it be?

Lin Yi couldn't figure it out no matter how he tried. He exchanged a glance with Xiao Wu and asked in a deep voice, "Who's there?"

On the other side, the black-clad figure heard the voice and was instantly stunned.

They had clearly only heard the question.

What was that string of confusion that had just played out?

Could it be that I've developed auditory hallucinations from traveling too hard?

The person in black shook their head slightly, but decided to walk toward the clearing anyway.

After all, it was already evening, they needed a place to stay, and that spot really did look quite good.