Heaven and Man as One

North of the White Tiger Duke Mansion.

A wooden sign indicated a distance of fifty kilometers to the Star Dou Forest.

A short walk back led to a small stream; the water was shallow and teemed with fish.

The information was so rudimentary that Ning Huan had prepared for a long, arduous struggle before he even ordered the search to begin two years ago.

Yet, according to the Hidden Guard's fifteen-day carpet search.

Such common terrain distribution only existed in two or three relatively suitable locations along the southern border of the Star Dou Forest.

It simply did not align with common sense!

When he first received the initial report, he had once suspected that his subordinates were deliberately slacking off.

He feared the intelligence in his hands was merely a few random spots they had picked from the edge of the Star Dou Forest to appease him.

However, upon careful reflection, such a situation seemed unlikely.

After all, Ning Hao had issued orders beforehand, and the punishments for those who feigned compliance were incredibly harsh.

Leniency meant confinement and whipping, while severity meant the stripping of one's cultivation.

The severity of these measures was something even he, a recluse, had heard of.

Yet, the intelligence was riddled with oddities that made it difficult to believe.

Ultimately, out of consideration for the future, he had no choice but to scratch his scalp and request the help of Wind Douluo.

However, the old man had been out for three days, only to return with the same answer as the Hidden Guard.

This left Ning Huan feeling utterly absurd.

Consequently, for a long time thereafter, he had kept a third of his manpower stationed in the Star Dou Forest.

It was only recently, feeling restless, that he had finally withdrawn the majority.

Sigh, it's fine. At least it saves me from having to test every location one by one.

Muttering to comfort himself, Ning Huan composed his expression and wiped away his look of bewilderment.

He then controlled his flying Soul Tool to descend slowly into the dense ancient forest below.

There was no other way.

Flying through the air was indeed convenient, but it was also sufficiently conspicuous and unsafe.

As someone who could only fly by relying on external objects, he did not yet have the ability to handle aerial combat with absolute certainty.

Moreover, with a Spirit Body in his possession, he had no need to worry about vigilance or searching himself.

Yet, thoughts were one thing, but reality often dealt a heavy blow.

Just like now, as Ning Huan landed steadily and prepared to summon the Emerald Spirit Bird, he suddenly froze in place.

It seemed...

It appeared...

That wouldn't work...

Although the Emerald Spirit Bird had only been around a thousand years old before transforming into a Spirit Body.

Its lineage as a top-tier predator was undeniable.

Even the Wind Baboons, known as "God Slayers," would likely have to avoid its edge.

If he accidentally scared them away, where would he go to confirm the location of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm?

Helpless, he had to retract all of his leaking soul power.

Only after disguising himself as an ordinary person as much as possible did he follow the map's indications, inching forward toward the predicted direction.

His movements were cautious, clearly showing his concern about startling the weak soul beasts.

Fortunately, Ning Huan was no greenhorn.

Having experienced an information explosion, he could be considered quite adept at utilizing the resources at his disposal.

Therefore, even though he could not confirm the exact location of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, the distance between them was not very far.

Even on foot, it likely wouldn't take long to arrive.

He walked for over an hour like this.

It was not until the setting sun had completely dipped below the horizon and the sky had grown dim that Ning Huan finally reached his intended destination.

A clearing of twenty or thirty square meters...

Towering ancient trees that blotted out the sky...

And dozens of Wind Baboons within his perception!

If there were no surprises, one of the targets of this trip, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm!

Was currently dormant in the very earth beneath his feet!

"We've arrived... Perhaps there are similar environments further in, but with Huo Yuhao's current abilities, he definitely wouldn't be able to make it that far."

Ning Huan whispered to himself, scanning his surroundings and taking in the scenery that remained as monotonous as he remembered.

His expression remained as calm and unruffled as ever.

Yet, the frantic pounding of his heart was constant proof that he was far from as composed as he appeared.

Hoo... Relax... This is the final step...

Forcing down the irrepressible excitement in his chest, Ning Huan did not take action immediately.

Instead, he acted just like any ordinary Soul Master who had come to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for a soul ring.

He remained vigilant against the slightest disturbance while taking various field supplies from his Soul Tool and setting up traps.

His every word and action was designed to look relaxed and natural.

Anyone who saw him would assume he was just an ordinary Soul King out for some practical training.

If he still managed to scare the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm into hiding, then he would truly be out of options.

A short while later, having set his traps, Ning Huan found a random clearing.

He lit a campfire, replenished his energy, and immediately sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to focus.

As he circulated the soul power within his body, his spiritual power, comparable to that of a high-level Soul Emperor, spread out in all directions.

It caused birds to scatter and beasts to cower, instantly plunging the surrounding kilometer into absolute silence.

A two-way choice was the only method he could conceive of.

No matter how much the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was criticized, it was still the only Million-Year Soul Beast on the continent.

Even if its combat power couldn't compare to an ordinary Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, it was still more than enough to deal with a Soul King.

Therefore, he dared not risk his life by calling out the name of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm directly.

Leaving the choice in the other party's hands and "forcing" it to "have no choice" but to choose him was the most prudent approach.

Of course, since Ning Huan dared to make such a resolution, his confidence went without saying.

In terms of talent and strength, he was stronger than Huo Yuhao at this stage.

In terms of spiritual power, although the Spirit Bestowal Platform was not a pure spiritual-type Martial Soul, the constant feedback from numerous Spirit Bodies meant his spiritual power was no worse than that of Soul Masters with pure spiritual-type Martial Souls.

As for the destiny he definitely couldn't compete with...

He didn't recall the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm having any means to observe destiny.

Time slipped away, and the moon shone bright amidst sparse stars.

Having forgotten all things, Ning Huan could no longer remember how long he had been sitting there.

From his initial steady waiting to the anxiety of having no results, and finally to accepting the outcome and no longer deliberately pursuing it, the successive changes in his state of mind had gradually allowed him to blend into nature.

The once vague sensation began to clarify at this moment.

It was the rhythm of life, the echo of nature, and the beginning of communication with all things in the world.

If one were to use professional terminology, it was...

Unity of Heaven and Man!

Immersed in this realization, Ning Huan had never thought he would one day be able to touch such a realm.

Because he knew very well that his heart was not still.

He lacked the obsession of someone like Huo Yuhao, and he lacked Long Aotian's ultimate pursuit of power.

Unity of Heaven and Man had seemed out of reach from the moment he began his cultivation.

Who would have thought that a failure would unexpectedly lead him to the threshold?

Truly, the ways of the world are unpredictable.

The past cannot be chased, the future cannot be awaited; all that has passed is but smoke and clouds, destined to scatter with the wind.

Letting go of the past and living in the present is the only true path.

With that thought, Ning Huan felt his heart become crystal clear, and the shackles on his body vanished.

His spiritual power erupted with a roar, only to be retracted as quickly and gently as a breeze.

Then, he slowly opened his eyes; his clear pupils seemed to reach straight to the bottom of his heart, devoid of any distracting thoughts.

"This trip has been immensely rewarding!"

"Wuwuwu! Finally, Brother has encountered a human who specializes in spiritual power. It's a pity Brother cannot shed tears, otherwise, I would surely be weeping."

Ning Huan: "..."

What kind of situation was this?

A double blessing?