The Guide of Soul Hunting Forest

The carriage jolted violently along the uneven dirt road for a while before finally coming to a slow stop.

A cacophony of noise drifted from outside, a mixture of pungent sweat and the clashing of iron tools.

Su Yu lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down first, then turned to help Tang Wu and Xiao Wu down.

Before them lay a massive town that had spontaneously formed around the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest.

The streets were densely packed with crude stalls selling detoxification potions, dry rations, and cheap weapons and armor.

More numerous were the low-level soul masters gathered in groups of three or five.

Some were bare-chested, revealing scarred muscles, while others brandished worn-out weapons and shouted loudly by the roadside.

"Our hunting squad is short a support-type soul master! Experienced ones only, we split the loot evenly!"

"Powerful mercenary group taking people to get their first soul ring! Only ten Gold Soul Coin, satisfaction guaranteed!"

Seeing Su Yu and the two children approaching, these low-level mercenaries swarmed them like flies sensing blood.

A burly Baldy with a fleshy face blocked their path, looking down at Su Yu with a greedy grin.

"Little young master, heading into the Soul Hunting Forest? It's dangerous in there; soul beasts will eat you bones and all. Hire our Iron Blood Mercenary Group! Only twenty Gold Soul Coin, and we'll ensure you get your soul ring safely."

Su Yu didn't even spare him a glance, a faint golden light flickering deep within his eyes.

The Eye of Truth swept over the group, revealing that their heads were completely empty—not even the lowest-tier system among them. They were purely a bunch of bottom-tier soul masters scraping by.

Too lazy to waste time on these losers, he brushed the Baldy's arm aside and led the two girls straight toward the forest entrance at the end of the town.

The Baldy's expression darkened as he was pushed aside, and just as he was about to lash out, he saw the rabbit-eared girl behind Su Yu glare back at him.

In that instant, the burly man felt as if he were being watched by some terrifying beast. Cold sweat broke out all over his body, and the curses on his lips were swallowed back down.

The trio passed through the noisy town and arrived at the entrance of the Soul Hunting Forest.

A team of heavily armed Martial Soul Hall guards was stationed there, and thick steel fences completely isolated the forest from the outside world.

Seeing Su Yu and the others approach, two guards immediately raised their long spears, crossing them to block the path.

"Halt! The Soul Hunting Forest is a restricted area; unauthorized personnel are forbidden. Show your permit!" the guard on the left said with a stiff face and a blunt tone.

Su Yu remained calm, fished the permit he had swindled from Martial Soul Hall out of his pocket, and handed it over.

The guard took the permit, his indifferent gaze instantly turning solemn when he saw the three interlocking seals stamped upon it.

This was an official permit issued by Martial Soul Hall, not something an ordinary commoner could ever obtain.

Anyone capable of producing such a permit must have a profound background.

The guard's attitude did a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn.

He returned the permit to Su Yu with both hands in a respectful manner, his stiff expression replaced by a fawning smile as he bowed slightly.

"So it is a distinguished guest with a permit. My apologies for the offense earlier, please enter."

The guard turned around and shouted to his companion behind him: "Open the Space Gate, let them through!"

Accompanied by a dull sound of grinding metal, the heavy steel fence slowly opened to both sides, revealing a path leading into the dark forest.

Su Yu put away the permit and led Tang Wu and Xiao Wu through the gate, stepping into the Soul Hunting Forest.

The moment they crossed that boundary, the surrounding environment underwent a drastic change.

The clamor from the outside was completely cut off.

Towering, thick trees rose from the ground, their dense branches and leaves blocking the sky and shielding out the sunlight entirely.

The light in the forest became dim, and the air was filled with the scent of damp earth and rotting vegetation.

The temperature dropped sharply, and as a chilly breeze blew past, it made one shiver involuntarily.

In the distance, low, muffled beast roars could be heard, carrying a sense of primal wildness and danger.

Tang Wu, after all, was a girl who had grown up in a village with a simple heart; she had never seen such a scene before.

Her small face turned slightly pale, and feeling nervous, she subconsciously leaned toward Su Yu.

She reached out and gripped the hem of Su Yu's long robe tightly, pressing half her body against his arm.

Through the thin fabric, Su Yu could clearly feel her body trembling slightly and the soft sensation of her touch.

"Brother Yu, it's so dark here." Tang Wu lowered her voice, her large eyes scanning the surrounding bushes with vigilance.

Compared to Tang Wu's nervousness, Xiao Wu was in a completely different state.

The moment she entered the forest, she felt as at ease as if she had returned home.

The pair of pink-white rabbit ears atop her head perked up excitedly, twitching slightly in the air to catch the movements around them.

Her eyes were no longer their usual playful and naive self, but had become sharp and agile, revealing the wild instincts of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

Su Yu felt the warmth from Tang Wu on his arm and gently patted the back of her hand to reassure her.

He turned to look at Xiao Wu and naturally made the arrangements.

"Xiao Wu, you are more familiar with this kind of environment. From here on, you lead the way and be our guide."

Xiao Wu patted her flat chest and lifted her chin with full confidence: "Leave it to me! This place is like a backyard garden to me."

With Xiao Wu leading the way, the team's pace quickened significantly.

Relying on the instinctual intuition of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, Xiao Wu possessed an extraordinary perception of danger.

She guided the two of them through the intricate forest trails, weaving left and right.

Along the way, they easily bypassed the territories of several low-level soul beasts on the periphery.

Those ten-year and hundred-year soul beasts, whether sleeping or foraging, never even noticed three humans quietly slipping past the edge of their domains.

The trio continued to venture deeper into the forest.

Su Yu walked in the middle, appearing calm on the surface while secretly keeping the Eye of Truth activated the entire time.

Brilliant golden light swirled deep within his eyes.

His gaze pierced through the obstruction of dense leaves and bushes, not only observing the distribution of surrounding soul beasts but also remaining vigilant for any other system hosts lurking in this forest.

After all, this Douluo Continent had been riddled with systems like a sieve; who knew if some cheater with a Devouring System might suddenly jump out from these woods.

There was only the rustling sound of wind blowing through the leaves.

Suddenly, Xiao Wu, who was walking at the very front, came to an abrupt halt.

A strange rustling sound came from the bushes ahead, dense and rapid, completely different from the movement of wind through leaves.

Xiao Wu immediately lowered her body, her muscles tensing instantly.

She did not turn back, only quickly making a gesture behind her to signal that danger was approaching rapidly.