The Martial Soul advancement was complete. Lin Qingfeng, Qian Shu, and Qian Ying were all thrilled. Lin Qingfeng most of all—once the flaw in his Martial Soul had been repaired, his Soul Power shot straight to Level 80!
As a result, one more person joined the party heading for the Star Dou Forest.
Lin Fan didn't mind. On the contrary, he was delighted. When it came to capturing powerful Spirit Beasts, the more hands on deck, the better.
And since they were all his elders, Lin Fan could slack off with a clear conscience and send the muscle in to do the work. He'd just wait until the Spirit Beasts were injured, then toss a few Poké Balls.
Why would Lin Fan turn down a chance to reap the rewards without lifting a finger?
If only this world had newspapers and coffee. Then he could bring a deck chair and lounge in comfort right there in the Star Dou Forest!
Leaving the three elders to enjoy their excitement, Lin Fan slipped quietly back to his room.
He had just sat down to meditate when he suddenly got back up and firmly shut the door.
That should keep Dugu Yan from getting in, right?
Satisfied, he returned to bed, summoned his Poké Ball Martial Soul, and began making Poké Balls. On this trip to the Star Dou Forest, his goal wasn't just to catch Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. He also wanted to advance the Poké Balls again.
He had a lot of Spirit Beasts to catch.
If possible, they'd explore the inner core region, too. With Dugu Bo along, there was no way anything could go too wrong.
After all, Lin Fan had earned over a million Gold Soul Coins just by selling some Martial Souls and Soul Rings made from Spirit Beasts caught in the outer region yesterday. Wouldn't a trip through the core region earn him even more?
Besides, Lin Fan knew the story. At present, the Star Dou Forest's core region was home only to the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape. The Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, including Di Tian, were all asleep, drawing energy from the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.
As long as they stayed away from the Lake of Life, they wouldn't run into much trouble.
As he pondered, Lin Fan made over a thousand Poké Balls in one go. His Soul Power was completely drained, and his mind exhausted. He fell asleep on the spot.
The night passed without incident.
The next day.
When Lin Fan woke, before he even opened his eyes, a faint, sweet scent drifted into his nose.
He moved his hand. Soft, and quite springy.
He opened his eyes, and Dugu Yan's sweet face came into view. She was lying on her side, fast asleep, a smile still lingering on her face.
He looked down at his pants. Still fastened!
Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief. Good. That old woman hadn't gotten her way!
After being ambushed two nights in a row, Lin Fan was fed up. What was wrong with this woman? Why did she keep climbing into his bed?
"Mm, you're awake?"
Apparently roused by Lin Fan's movements, Dugu Yan rubbed her eyes and pouted. "Little pervert, why didn't you practice that technique last night? I was worried something might happen to you, so I came over to help!"
"???"
Lin Fan said gloomily, "So which of us is the pervert? Me, or the girl who barged into someone else's room while he was sleeping?"
"I clearly locked the door. How did you get in?"
"The door was locked, but the window wasn't!"
Dugu Yan giggled. "Well? Isn't this young lady clever?"
"Besides, aren't you supposed to become my second grandpa? There's nothing wrong with a granddaughter taking care of her grandpa, right?"
Dugu Yan's eyes flicked toward Lin Fan's waistband as she chuckled. "Or are you embarrassed?"
"..."
Lin Fan glanced at Dugu Yan and decided to ignore her.
His body simply hadn't finished developing yet. Give him another two or three years, and if this girl dared to keep acting so boldly, she'd be a lamb walking straight into a tiger's den!
Did she really think Lin Fan was some innocent little virgin?
What a joke. In his previous life, Lin Fan had visited clubs more often than he'd eaten meals in this one!
Or... were there any heavenly treasures that could speed up his physical growth?
Lin Fan wasn't one to let things slide. After Dugu Yan had taken advantage of him twice, he'd started to have ideas of his own.
What's more, if Dugu Yan dared to come again, Lin Fan would teach her a lesson, even in this body. He'd make her understand what it meant to play with fire and get burned!
After dressing and washing up, Lin Fan left without so much as a glance at Dugu Yan.
Seeing this, Dugu Yan pouted. She couldn't help wondering if her charm was really that poor.
Dugu Yan followed Lin Fan into the dining hall. Lin Qingfeng and Qian Shu exchanged a glance and gave a slight nod. Then the two of them became noticeably warmer toward Dugu Yan, leaving her both flattered and bewildered.
As for Dugu Bo?
His Soul Power was high, so he didn't need to eat often. Besides, he was a loner by nature. He was only civil to people he took a liking to; he wouldn't bother with the rest.
Once everything was ready, Lin Fan and the others set off for the Star Dou Forest in a lively procession.
Lin Fan and Gu Chen rode in the same carriage, but before long, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling joined them.
With so many elders around, Dugu Yan was too embarrassed to seek out Lin Fan alone, so she simply brought Ye Lingling along.
The three girls chatted while Lin Fan summoned his Martial Soul and made Poké Balls at a furious pace.
All the while, his Soul Power was steadily consumed and replenished, growing little by little.
Normally, a person's Soul Power Level couldn't increase before they broke through to the next stage. But Lin Fan had several Martial Souls, and each could absorb some of that Soul Power, making him stronger overall.
And once he absorbed his Second Soul Ring, his Soul Power Level would soar.
They traveled on. Though Dugu Bo followed in secret and never showed himself, with a Soul Douluo and a Soul Saint leading the way, Lin Fan and the others met no resistance. Before long, they had reached the Star Dou Forest.
They parked the carriage, then headed straight into the forest. Once they'd gone deep enough to reach the territory of thousand-year Spirit Beasts, Lin Fan began his performance.
He summoned the Five Spirit Divine Tiger and several other Spirit Beasts. Under Lin Fan's control, they launched a frenzied assault on the Spirit Beasts they encountered along the way.
As soon as those Spirit Beasts were injured, the Poké Balls came flying.
Dugu Yan and the others were stunned.
They only saw the Poké Balls fly out and back again, and the Spirit Beasts had already vanished.
"Th-this thousand-year Spirit Beast was subdued that easily?"
"Am I dreaming?"
"Aren't Spirit Beasts supposed to be killed for their Soul Rings? How can they be captured? And even made to fight?"
This was Ye Lingling's first time seeing Lin Fan in battle, and she was all the more shocked.
Lin Fan couldn't care less what anyone else was thinking. Right now, he was focused entirely on advancing his Poké Balls.
As long as they met the required age, he didn't care what kind they were or what Spirit Beast they were. He'd catch them all with a single toss!
For a time, wherever Lin Fan went, Spirit Beasts fled in terror, heading deeper into the Star Dou Forest.
With Dugu Bo following them, Lin Fan and the others didn't give it a second thought and kept pursuing them.
They continued until a tremendously stout Spirit Beast came into view. Its body was covered in black scales, like a thicket of thorns, while silver light glimmered in its eyes. Only then did Lin Fan and the others stop.
Their eyes brimmed with excitement!
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