Entering the Soul Hunting Forest! The First Night in the Forest!

"Teacher, which one do you think suits me best?" Ma Hongjun tossed the question back to him.

Flender did not answer immediately.

He was considering the question as well.

For Ma Hongjun's first soul ring, they had to consider not only the practicality of its soul skill, but also how effectively it could suppress the Evil Fire.

From that perspective, the Holy Light Sparrow, with both Light and fire attributes, was undoubtedly the best fit.

But Holy Light Sparrows were extremely rare, and century-old ones were even harder to find.

Although the Soul Hunting Forest was a designated soul beast reserve with many types of soul beasts, Light Element soul beasts were scarce to begin with. Whether they could find a Holy Light Sparrow depended entirely on luck.

"The Holy Light Sparrow is our first choice," Flender finally said. "If we can't find one, a Light Butterfly will do. The Radiance Deer and Sun-Day Fox are fallback options among fallback options."

Ma Hongjun nodded, agreeing with Flender's judgment.

The two continued on their way.

The sun gradually climbed higher, and the noon sunlight made them feel a little dizzy.

Although Ma Hongjun had decent stamina, he was still only six years old. After walking for more than two hours, fine beads of sweat had already formed on his forehead.

Flender slowed down, quietly adjusting his pace.

"Kid, take a break." He pointed at a bluish stone by the roadside. "Eat something before we go on."

Ma Hongjun did not force himself. He obediently sat down and took out the food his mother had prepared from his bundle—two coarse-grain flatbreads and a chunk of pickled vegetables.

He broke off half a flatbread and handed it to Flender.

"Teacher, have some too."

Flender looked at the half piece of coarse flatbread, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

He was a Soul Saint. He would not starve to death even if he went without food for ten days or half a month.

But seeing the child share his only food with him still brought a trace of warmth to his heart.

"You eat it yourself. I'm not hungry." Flender waved a hand and pulled out a flask from his robes, unscrewing the cap and taking a sip.

Ma Hongjun did not stand on ceremony. He finished the flatbread in a few bites and washed it down with cold water from his waterskin.

After eating, he leaned against the bluish stone and gazed toward the northern horizon.

The Soul Hunting Forest lay in that direction.

In his previous life, he had looked at maps of Douluo Continent online countless times. Suotuo City, the Soul Hunting Forest, Sunset Forest, Star Dou Great Forest... he knew those place names by heart.

But this was his first time truly being there.

"Teacher, are there any especially dangerous soul beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest?" Ma Hongjun asked.

"There are." Flender's reply was concise. "The outer area is a designated safe zone, but deeper inside are soul beasts that are a thousand years old, even ten thousand years old. I won't take you in there. We'll only search around the outskirts."

Ma Hongjun was relieved.

Flender was a Soul Saint. Hunting century-old soul beasts in the outer area would be like using a butcher's knife to kill a chicken.

"By the way, Teacher," Ma Hongjun suddenly thought of something, "if I absorb a Light Element soul ring, will my martial soul change?"

Flender set down his flask and gave him a serious look.

"It will."

"What kind of change?"

"Hard to say." Flender shook his head. "Martial Soul Evolution has no fixed pattern. It varies from person to person. But one thing is certain—your Evil Fire Phoenix will lean toward the Light Element. The color, temperature, and attributes of its flames may all change."

He paused, then added, "That may not be a bad thing. If your martial soul can truly evolve from an Evil Fire Phoenix into a Light Phoenix, then the problem of the Evil Fire will naturally be resolved."

Light Phoenix.

Those two words made Ma Hongjun's heart beat faster.

That was his ultimate goal.

"Teacher, have you ever seen a Light Phoenix?" he asked.

Flender laughed in disbelief.

"If I had seen a Light Phoenix, would I still be sitting here eating flatbread with you? A martial soul of that level is something you could hardly find more than a few of on the entire continent."

He sighed. "But ancient records mention that there were Light Phoenix divine beasts in the ancient era. They were said to have some connection with the Angel God and the Light God."

Ma Hongjun silently committed that information to memory.

The Angel God, the Light God... those were domains of deities, still far too distant from him.

But since such legends existed, that meant the evolutionary path toward a Light Phoenix was possible.

After resting for a quarter of an hour, master and disciple continued onward.

The afternoon sun was even more scorching, but Ma Hongjun gritted his teeth and persisted without falling a step behind.

Flender watched him, and his appraisal of this disciple rose another notch.

He had talent, brains, and the ability to endure hardship.

A child like that was worth teaching with everything he had.

"We're here."

As evening approached, Flender suddenly stopped and pointed ahead.

Ma Hongjun followed the direction of his finger and saw a lush, verdant forest.

A tall fence stood at the forest's edge, with a conspicuous warning sign hanging from it—"Soul Hunting Forest. Non-soul masters prohibited from entering."

Several wooden huts stood outside the fence, occupied by guards responsible for watching the forest entrance. A few soul masters in leather armor were checking identification at the gate.

"Stay close." Flender strode over.

When the guards saw the identification Flender produced, they immediately stepped aside respectfully.

A Soul Saint was an untouchable figure in this region.

Master and disciple crossed the fence and entered the Soul Hunting Forest.

The forest was dimly lit. Towering trees blotted out the sky and sun, allowing only scattered patches of light to filter through the leaves.

The air was damp, filled with the scent of earth and decaying leaves.

The distant growls of unknown soul beasts echoed through the woods.

Ma Hongjun took a deep breath and swept his gaze over the surroundings.

A Light Element soul beast—a Holy Light Sparrow or a Light Butterfly—he had to find one.

"We'll camp in the outer area tonight," Flender said. "Tomorrow morning, we'll begin searching. Remember—no matter what soul beast we encounter, you are not to make a move without my order."

"Yes, Teacher."

Ma Hongjun clenched his fists.

Tomorrow would be the first step toward changing his fate.

Night fell over the outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest.

Beneath a massive banyan tree, Flender cleared an open space. He took out a tent and sleeping bags from his storage Soul Tool and swiftly set up camp.

Ma Hongjun crouched nearby, gathering dry branches into a pile.

Flender glanced at the pile of firewood and casually flicked out a wisp of Soul Power. The branches ignited with a boom, flames dancing in the night and driving away the darkness and dampness around them.

"Get a good rest tonight. We enter the forest first thing tomorrow morning." Flender leaned against the tree trunk and closed his eyes to rest.

Ma Hongjun acknowledged him, but did not lie down right away.

He sat beside the campfire, staring into the impenetrable darkness deep within the forest as he repeatedly played out tomorrow's events in his mind.

A Light Element soul beast. A Holy Light Sparrow.

According to Flender, this soul beast possessed both Light and fire attributes, making it the most compatible with his Evil Fire Phoenix.

If his first soul ring came from a Holy Light Sparrow, then he would have taken the most crucial first step on his path of Martial Soul Evolution.

But what if they couldn't find one?

Although the Soul Hunting Forest kept many soul beasts, Light Element soul beasts were ultimately rare.

What if they searched the entire outer area and still could not find a Holy Light Sparrow? If he could only settle for a Light Butterfly or another Light Element soul beast, would the effect be diminished?

Ma Hongjun shook his head, casting the distracting thoughts from his mind.

There was no use thinking too much. Tomorrow, he would simply give it his all and search.