At last, the whole world was quiet.
Without looking back, Li Hao hurried through the dense forest, leaving those two wailing voices far behind.
Only when every trace of human commotion had faded did he find a big tree and lean against its rough trunk, letting out a long breath.
He was saved.
The social-anxiety sufferer's nightmare was finally over.
"Why do people always like grabbing and pawing at each other?"
"Isn't keeping a safe distance the most basic courtesy between people?"
Leaning against the tree, Li Hao felt as if his spirit had ascended.
All around him, leaves rustled in the wind, and somewhere in the distance, an unknown Soul Beast growled.
Now this was the kind of environment he knew and felt comfortable in.
After a brief rest, Li Hao stood up and got down to business.
He needed to obtain his third Soul Ring.
His target was clear.
A plant-type Soul Beast with at least five thousand years of cultivation, or a Soul Beast with a special ability.
The former was reliable; the latter might bring a surprise.
As he moved stealthily through the forest, he suppressed his Soul Power as much as possible and kept a wary eye on his surroundings.
Though Soul Hunting Forest was nowhere near as terrifying as Star Dou Forest, it was still a place where danger lurked at every step for a twenty-ninth-level Soul Grandmaster.
As he walked, a faint warmth suddenly stirred against his wrist, where a soft strip of pink rested.
It was the bracelet Xiao Wu had woven from rabbit fur.
The warmth seemed almost alive, nestling against his skin with a comforting presence.
Li Hao stopped.
He tried walking a few steps to the left, and the warmth seemed to fade a little.
Then he turned to the right.
The warmth suddenly grew stronger.
"Can this bracelet actually navigate?"
Was Xiao Wu's Soul Beast instinct guiding him away from danger and pointing the way through the rabbit fur, which was connected to her very essence?
A guess surfaced in his mind.
Li Hao didn't hesitate. He carefully followed the direction where the warmth was strongest.
The rest of the journey went unusually smoothly.
Several times, he clearly heard the roars of powerful Soul Beasts nearby, or felt the violent tremors of battle.
But the warmth from the bracelet always guided him around those dangerous areas a step ahead of time.
It was like carrying a top-tier scout around with him.
No, it was even better than a scout.
It was a daughter's love.
After he crossed another patch of thorns, the view opened up before him.
He found himself at the entrance to a hidden valley.
Mist curled through the valley, heavy with the rich fragrance of grass and trees.
Mixed in with it was a faint... burnt smell?
The bracelet's warmth peaked, growing almost hot to the touch.
Li Hao's heart began to race uncontrollably.
A big one!
He lowered his body and slipped into the valley as soundlessly as a wildcat.
When he parted the last veil of mist, the sight inside left him completely stunned.
At the center of the valley stood an enormous ancient tree, clinging to life.
Its trunk was black as charcoal, countless branches had snapped, and its scorched leaves littered the ground.
A trace of heart-stopping thunderous energy still lingered in the air.
It had failed its tribulation.
This Soul Beast had evidently failed to withstand the heavenly tribulation while attempting to break through an important bottleneck. Now it was like a candle guttering in the wind.
Judging by its size and the energy it gave off, it had to be a powerful being with at least several thousand years of cultivation.
Li Hao was about to approach and take a closer look.
Suddenly, the scene before him changed without warning.
The charred ancient tree vanished, along with the lifeless valley.
In their place appeared a paradise filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, where hot springs bubbled and immortal mist drifted.
Several stunning women in sheer robes, their figures graceful and alluring, were playing by the spring.
When they saw Li Hao, they blushed with delight and beckoned to him.
"Young master, come join us..."
"We've been waiting for you for so long..."
Their bewitching calls could have made any man lose himself.
But Li Hao's reaction was nothing like a normal man's.
He instinctively took a step back.
"Again?"
"Again with this?"
"Why does every Soul Beast like pulling this trick?"
He already had a little girl at home, a queenly bodyguard, an icy catgirl, a housekeeper Immortal Herb, a money-grubbing tower spirit, and a blue-haired fiancée...
If a few more showed up, would he ever get to live?
This wasn't a gentle haven. It was a battlefield of romantic entanglements!
Thanks to his greatly increased spiritual power and the special nature of the Karma Rod, this level of illusion was like a badly rendered texture to him. He could see the falsehood behind it at a glance.
"Give it a rest. Working overtime is bad for your health."
Li Hao delivered his deadpan quip.
The moment the words left his mouth, the paradise before him cracked apart like a shattered mirror and vanished with a thunderous crash.
The world returned to its original, scorched and lifeless state.
An old, pained face appeared on the trunk of the enormous ancient tree.
It shook violently.
Clearly, forcing out the illusion had used up the last of its strength.
A feeble thought, brimming with unwillingness, rang directly in Li Hao's mind.
"Why... aren't you... affected...?"
"Because I've seen better."
Li Hao answered casually.
The ancient tree fell silent.
It could sense that although the human before it didn't have much Soul Power, his spiritual world was as vast as the sea—far beyond its ability to shake.
More importantly, it couldn't sense even the slightest greed or killing intent from him.
He simply stood there, like a bystander with no stake in the matter.
"Human... strong one..."
The ancient tree's thoughts grew fainter, but a hint of pleading entered them.
"I... don't have much time... The lightning tribulation... destroyed my roots..."
"I'm willing... to offer up everything... my Soul Ring... my Soul Bone..."
"I only ask that you... take my seed... away from here... Find a place... full of life... and let it... live..."
As it spoke, a charred root pushed its way up from underground. With great effort, it split open, revealing a seed protected by layer upon layer of bark and glowing with a soft green light.
Li Hao looked at the seed.
He thought of his Soul Beast Paradise.
Perhaps that was the best home for it.
He didn't take advantage of its weakness. Instead, he gave the matter some serious thought.
"All right."
He gave it a firm answer.
"I have a backyard. It's safe and full of life energy."
"I'll plant it there and take good care of it."
At his promise, the pained face on the ancient tree relaxed, showing a trace of peace and release.
"Thank you... merciful... human..."
With one final word of thanks, the enormous ancient tree broke apart with a crash, scattering into a skyful of points of light.
A deep purple Soul Ring appeared, seeming to hold the stars and dreams within it.
Beneath the Soul Ring lay a translucent right-arm bone, shining with a soft light.
An eight-thousand-year-old Illusion Dream Tree Demon!
Li Hao didn't hesitate. He sat cross-legged and drew the Soul Ring down toward himself.
The instant it entered his body, a sense of harmony unlike anything he had ever felt spread through him.
There was not the slightest conflict or resistance.
The Soul Ring's power was both gentle and formidable, as if it had been waiting for him all along, eagerly flowing into every part of his body.
The Mysterious Heaven Skill circulated on its own, and his Soul Power bottleneck shattered!
Level thirty!
Level thirty-one!
Level thirty-two!
His Soul Power surged forward until it reached a whole new height, then gradually came to a halt.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully absorbed an 8,000-year Illusory Dream Tree Demon Spirit Ring. Your soul power level has increased to level 35!]
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained your third Spirit Skill: Dreamscape!]
[Dreamscape: By consuming soul power, you can forcibly draw a target into a dreamscape under your control. Within it, you are the arbiter of all rules. The dreamscape's strength and duration depend on the difference in mental strength between you and your target, as well as the amount of soul power you expend.]
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained an external Spirit Bone: Illusory Dream Arm (Right Arm Bone)!]
Li Hao slowly opened his eyes, feeling the surging power within him and the curious ability contained in his right arm.
Perfect!
His gains from this trip to Soul Hunting Forest far exceeded his expectations!
He stood up, brushed the dust from his clothes, and carefully put away the Illusion Dream Tree Demon's seed.
Time to go home.
Just then, an enraged, ferocious roar burst from outside the valley, making the whole place rumble.
"Who dares steal the Soul Beast I had my eye on?!"
Before you continue