Sunset Forest

When Qin Chuan and Scarlet King left the imperial palace, the setting sun had already reached the western hills, casting a dim, yellowish halo that lingered as the final remnants of light.

Imperial knights were visible everywhere on the streets, blanketing the entire city. They were in action, pacifying the agitated masses.

To better resolve the issue, they even publicly claimed that the scene in the sky earlier had been entirely orchestrated by Martial Soul Hall to sing the praises of the Angel God.

Qin Chuan scoffed at such a narrative, but the common folk believed it; under the influence of the empire's massive machinery, they had little choice but to believe.

After all, the imperial knights visible on every street corner were not just for show; those who refused to believe had already been taken inside to "enjoy" the consequences.

However, this could be considered a blessing in disguise; at least there were no large-scale riots, and only minor disturbances occurred across the country.

Qin Chuan and Scarlet King did not linger for long. After a brief observation, they returned to the hotel they had stayed at previously.

"How should this Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone be handled?" The room was luxurious and elegant, reflecting the extravagance of the upper class.

Qin Chuan sat cross-legged on the bed, took the soul bone out of his Universe Bag, and examined it carefully. This was the very Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone he had snatched from Tang Hao.

To reclaim this soul bone, Tang Hao had nearly been beaten to death by Scarlet King, leaving his life in a critical state.

Had Liu An not displayed his methods at the final moment to spirit Tang San and his father away, the Clear Sky Douluo, who shook the Douluo Continent, would likely have fallen on the spot.

Shaking his head, Qin Chuan placed the soul bone in front of him, using his spiritual power to contemplate its mysteries, hoping to discern something.

On the Douluo Continent, the correct way to use a soul bone was to integrate it into one's body, but Qin Chuan could not do that.

To gamble his future for the sake of a mere bone was far too risky and simply not worth it.

Threads of blue light appeared within Qin Chuan's perception; they were like candle flames in the wind—very faint, yet quite wondrous.

"This seems inconsistent with the aura of this world. The mysteries within are too profound, as if it were forcibly birthed by someone." Qin Chuan frowned, finding it difficult to fathom.

Soul bones were inevitably produced after the death of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast; beyond that, they would also appear randomly in certain special soul beasts.

Strangely, however, soul bones had absolutely no effect on soul beasts themselves, yet they provided a massive boost to human soul masters.

"This world also harbors secrets. Soul beasts seem to have long lifespans and are far stronger than human soul masters at the same level, yet they are constrained by too many limitations, making survival extremely difficult."

"No wonder that Silver Dragon would make such a deal with me, even going so far as to give up her reverse scale."

Unknowingly, Qin Chuan looked at the Silver Bracelet on his wrist, thinking of the giant dragon deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, beneath the Life Lake.

"Enough of that. I must continue to contemplate it; since I went to such lengths to obtain it, I cannot just give up now."

Casting aside distracting thoughts, Qin Chuan focused his mind, continuing to release his spiritual power to study the bone before him.

The night passed quickly.

The morning glow was bright, and the Red Crow broke through the darkness, rising steadily from the east to herald a new beginning.

After a night of contemplation, Qin Chuan's progress with the soul bone was not ideal, but he had gained a little something.

This soul bone was filled with rich vitality and inscribed with a power of regeneration; by contemplating it, Qin Chuan had managed to grasp some of it.

His physique grew stronger, and the time required for his injuries to heal was greatly shortened—a rather useful skill for someone who was frequently injured.

However, there was nothing more to it than that.

Thinking of this, he tossed the soul bone into the Green Green Grassland, leaving Slow Sheep in charge of researching it.

Perhaps that old sheep, with his infinite whimsical ideas, could discover something useful from this bone.

"It is time to head to the Sunset Forest to find the final poison. I should let Senior Scarlet King know first."

The Sunset Forest was not comparable to the Star Dou Great Forest; the soul beasts living there were generally weaker, and those at the ten-thousand-year level were already considered overlords of their own domains.

Qin Chuan alone was enough to traverse the entire forest.

After giving a few instructions to Scarlet King, the two parted ways, each with their own tasks to complete.

Qin Chuan did not take a carriage or anything of the sort, choosing instead to travel on foot. His speed was immense, and about an hour later, he saw a vast forest.

Without stopping, Qin Chuan walked straight into the forest, heading quickly in the direction Xue Qinghe had provided.

Judging by the scenery along the way, the Sunset Forest was indeed inferior to the Star Dou Great Forest; although it was still lush and green for as far as the eye could see.

It had been almost completely trampled into a path by soul masters coming to obtain soul rings, and all obstacles had been cleared away.

Without much effort, Qin Chuan ventured deep into the forest and arrived at a dense thicket; this was his destination.

"The Red Blood Centipede should be here. How should I lure it out?" Qin Chuan's gaze narrowed as he observed his surroundings.

The Red Blood Centipede was the final target he had locked onto. It was incredibly venomous, with a toxicity even more severe than that of the Man Faced Demon Spider; it was a creature of great ferocity among soul beasts.

However, precisely because its poison was so lethal, the soul beast itself suffered from the toxicity, making reproduction extremely difficult and its numbers scarce.

Hum!

Just as Qin Chuan was thinking of ways to lure the Red Blood Centipede out, a red shadow flashed suddenly.

"I was just wondering how to draw you out, and here you are, coming out on your own." Qin Chuan dodged slightly, and upon seeing the intruder clearly, a smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

Its black-red carapace was oily and bright, shimmering with a metallic luster, and its long, powerful body crawled across a patch of rocky ground.

The two antennae on its head swayed slightly. After pinpointing Qin Chuan's location, it lunged toward him, clearly treating Qin Chuan as its prey.

"Hmph, if you had hidden away and refused to come out, I would have been quite troubled. But now, you've saved me the effort."

Qin Chuan sneered, his face showing no signs of worry, appearing quite relaxed.

Although the Red Blood Centipede was incredibly venomous and ranked near the top among all poisonous creatures, the one before him was, after all, only four thousand years old; its strength was far too weak.

With a surge of explosive vitality, Qin Chuan did not dodge in the slightest. He threw a punch, unleashing tens of thousands of jin of divine power that slammed into the Red Blood Centipede, instantly shattering its hardened scales.

In barely a minute, the Red Blood Centipede was dead. It had been unable to gain any advantage in Qin Chuan's hands and was pummeled to death by his fists.

"Excellent. In just over ten days, I have managed to gather all the Five Poisons materials needed to refine the medicinal pills."

Qin Chuan could not help but exclaim in excitement. The medicinal pills passed down from ancient times were protected by layers of restrictions, so they must be incredibly precious.

Just as Qin Chuan was preparing to leave, a sound came from the woods not far away. It was extremely faint, but given the sharpness of Qin Chuan's hearing, he caught it nonetheless.

"This is already deep within the Sunset Forest, and it is the territory of the Red Blood Centipede. Who would dare to enter this area?"

Driven by curiosity, Qin Chuan headed toward the woods, his movements stealthy and silent.

"Liu An!"

Qin Chuan's gaze sharpened; he had not expected this guy to appear here.