Changes in the Star Dou Great Forest

The next day.

Yu Mingxiao set off for the Star Dou Great Forest by carriage with Na'er and Dugu Bo.

In truth, he felt it made little difference whether Dugu Bo came along or not. He alone could hunt Soul Beasts.

With Dugu Bo's strength as a sixty-first-level Soul Emperor, he was absolutely no match for him, a fiftieth-level Quasi-Soul King.

Bringing him along merely meant having someone to watch his back and keep him company on the road.

Several days later, the three of them appeared in the Outer Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.

They did not linger in the Outer Zone and headed straight into the Mixed Zone.

With Yu Mingxiao's strength, moving freely through the Mixed Zone posed little pressure. After all, the Core Zone was unlike the Mixed Zone, where powerful Soul Beasts tens of thousands of years old were commonplace. Even Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts and ferocious beasts hundreds of thousands of years old were far from rare.

"A thirty-thousand-year Light Bamboo. I didn't expect a bamboo Soul Beast with such a high cultivation. Its attributes are suitable, but it's a plant-type Soul Beast, so it wouldn't make a suitable Soul Ring for me."

Yu Mingxiao looked at the lone, glowing Light Bamboo, gently shook his head, and continued searching for Soul Beasts with the other two.

After some time, the three of them spotted a figure by a pool, lowering its head to drink.

"A twelve-thousand-year Heavenly Dragon Horse. This Soul Beast has already grown wings. Its Soul Ring would suit my Radiant Sacred Dragon quite well. Sadly, its cultivation is a little too low. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind absorbing another Soul Ring like this."

Yu Mingxiao looked at the Soul Beast as it turned around and regarded him warily, unable to hide his disappointment.

He looked up at the dense canopy, through which only sparse rays of light filtered. Night was gradually falling.

It seemed they could not continue hunting Soul Rings today. They could only find a relatively safe place to rest for the night.

Yu Mingxiao knew how to pitch tents, and before long, he had set up two of them.

As for Dugu Bo's tent, naturally, he left that for Dugu Bo to handle himself.

After starting a simple campfire, Yu Mingxiao and Dugu Bo roasted the small Soul Beasts they had caught over the flames.

Before long, the enticing aroma spread through the air. Na'er stuffed the roasted Soul Beast into her mouth, eating until her lips glistened with grease.

Perhaps because an outsider was present, Na'er knew to mind her image and did not eat much. After finishing a small rabbit, she said in a clear voice, "I'm full."

Yu Mingxiao said, "If you're full, go rest."

Na'er nodded and immediately burrowed into the tent.

After he entered the tent, Dugu Bo finally voiced the question he had been holding back. "Young Sect Master, why did you bring this little girl into the Star Dou Great Forest? If we run into danger, I'm afraid we won't be able to look after her."

Yu Mingxiao's mouth twitched slightly as he thought, Good grief, worrying about the Silver Dragon King in the Star Dou Great Forest? You probably don't know that you're the weakest one in this group...

Seeing that he had stopped speaking, Dugu Bo thought he had been left speechless. He sighed and asked no more, deciding only that he would devote more attention to protecting Na'er.

Yu Mingxiao did not notice Dugu Bo's thoughts. He lightly patted his shoulder and said calmly, "It's fine. She won't be in danger, and she won't hold us back."

"Let's hope so," Dugu Bo replied in a deep voice. "Young Sect Master, I'll keep watch tonight. You should get some rest first."

"Much appreciated." Yu Mingxiao did not refuse. He had brought Dugu Bo to the Star Dou Great Forest precisely so Dugu Bo could look after him.

He yawned, went straight into the tent, lifted the bedding, and lay down.

As the night deepened, a small figure quietly slipped into Yu Mingxiao's tent under Dugu Bo's astonished gaze.

Hearing a faint sound, Yu Mingxiao jolted upright, his eyes meeting the little figure climbing inside.

"Na'er, why did you come in here?"

Na'er said, "Big brother, there are wolves howling outside. I'm a little scared and can't sleep... I want to sleep with you."

You were scared and wanted to sleep with me?!

Yu Mingxiao was utterly speechless as he grumbled inwardly, If I didn't already know your true identity, you might actually have fooled me.

You're the sovereign of all Soul Beasts, yet you say you're afraid of wolves howling? Not even a ghost would believe that, would it?

"It's fine. Dugu Bo is keeping watch outside. He'll keep us safe. Go back to your own tent and sleep."

Yu Mingxiao got up and gently pushed her, trying to usher her out of the tent.

But Na'er stubbornly refused to leave. The moment he carried her outside, she slipped right back in.

Yu Mingxiao was at a loss for a moment and could only let her stay in the tent.

"Fine. You can sleep here for one night. Just don't toss around in your sleep."

Na'er nodded repeatedly, patting the bed to signal for him to lie down.

Yu Mingxiao wore a helpless expression as he lay down directly.

Meanwhile, at the Lake of Life.

Ever since Na'er entered the Star Dou Great Forest, Gu Yuena, the main body, had sensed it. She was now silently observing Na'er's situation with her spiritual power, and when she saw Na'er sleeping while hugging Yu Mingxiao's arm, she immediately gritted her teeth in fury.

As her avatar, Na'er was actually hugging a human while sleeping. It was utterly shameless. How could her avatar embarrass her so badly!

Damn it. She had wondered why this avatar thought so highly of that human. It seemed Na'er had already fallen for him!

Gu Yuena clenched her silver teeth and issued an order. "Di Tian, immediately bring my avatar and that human here. I want to see them."

Di Tian's heart trembled, and he hurriedly bowed. "As you command, my lord."

As he spoke, he looked toward King of Ten Thousand Demons nearby. "My lord's avatar and that human have come to the Star Dou Great Forest. Sense their location. I'm going to invite them over."

"Yes, Beast God." King of Ten Thousand Demons closed his eyes and sensed the forest, every plant within it appearing in his mind.

His true body was a Demon Eye Demon Tree, and he controlled every plant in the forest.

Every blade of grass and every tree could be considered his eyes. So long as it was within his domain, no disturbance or movement of any living being could escape his perception.

"I found them, Beast God. I'll transmit their location to you." King of Ten Thousand Demons touched Di Tian's arm with a branch.

The next instant, a clear image appeared in Di Tian's mind. Three tents stood there, the very tents Yu Mingxiao and the others had set up.

Di Tian's gaze sharpened. He tore open space and instantly left the Lake of Life.

Before long, a spatial rift suddenly appeared in Yu Mingxiao's area. A dragon claw covered in black scales extended from it, unleashing a tremendous suction force that pulled Yu Mingxiao and Na'er out of the tent.

"What's going on? A black dragon claw... Could it be Di Tian?!" Yu Mingxiao turned pale in shock, feeling utterly incapable of resisting.

The next moment, Di Tian's dragon claw clenched tightly around him, and he vanished into the spatial rift along with Na'er.

"This... Young Sect Master!!" Witnessing this, Dugu Bo immediately panicked. "This is bad, the Young Sect Master has been taken!"

Yu Mingxiao had been taken away by a huge black dragon claw, and his fate was unknown. If Dugu Bo returned like this, Yu Yuanzhen would probably tear him apart alive.