Star Dou Great Forest, Planning for Tang Ya

Shen Zhou nodded, "Your body has met the requirements; it is time to go find your first soul ring."

"Boss, this Emperor is going too!"

Er Ha wagged its tail, its golden dog eyes filled with excitement, "It's been a long time since I've been to the Star Dou Great Forest. This Emperor wants to go find those old geezers and catch up!"

"You want to go 'catch up' with them, or do you want to scare them to death?"

Shen Zhou shot it a glance.

Er Ha chuckled, not denying it.

It was now a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, an absolute overlord if placed in the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Even the fierce beasts in the core area had to give it some face.

Ten thousand years ago, it had caused plenty of trouble for them, and it even had its own harem within the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Eighth Brother, I will accompany you."

Qian Daoliu walked out of the academy, followed by Golden Crocodile Douluo.

"No need."

Shen Zhou shook his head, "Big Brother, you and Second Brother stay at the academy to hold the fort. Although the Star Dou Great Forest is dangerous, I am enough on my own."

Qian Daoliu thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Shen Zhou was a Title Douluo, a super powerhouse with two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast rings, and with Er Ha, a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, there was truly nothing in the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest that could threaten him.

"Return as soon as you can."

Qian Daoliu patted Shen Zhou on the shoulder.

"Rest assured."

One man, one dog, and one youth set off on the road toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Star Dou Great Forest, located at the intersection of the Star Luo Empire, the Heaven Dou Empire, and the Sun Moon Empire, was the largest and oldest habitat for soul beasts on the Douluo Continent.

Setting out from White Tiger City, it would take three days by horse.

Shen Zhou did not ride a horse; instead, he brought Huo Yuhao on foot.

It wasn't that they couldn't go faster, but he wanted to use this opportunity to let Huo Yuhao adapt to the wilderness and learn some basic survival skills.

For example, how to determine direction, how to find water sources, how to start a fire to cook, and how to avoid the territories of dangerous soul beasts.

In those three days, Huo Yuhao learned many things that could not be taught in books or at the academy.

He learned to listen to the wind to identify positions and judge whether there were large soul beasts ahead based on the calls of birds.

He learned to observe the density of vegetation to identify the direction of water sources.

In particular, Huo Yuhao's grilled fish skills were simply superb.

"Master, can these things be learned at the academy?"

Huo Yuhao asked while gnawing on golden-brown grilled rabbit meat.

"They can, but it's not as profound as hands-on practice."

Shen Zhou was also gnawing on a rabbit leg, his mouth glistening with grease, "When you go out to venture on your own in the future, no one will prepare everything for you. These survival skills can save your life at critical moments."

Huo Yuhao nodded thoughtfully.

Er Ha was on the side gnawing on raw rabbit meat, its mouth covered in blood, muttering as it chewed, "Little brat, your boss is right. Back when this Emperor was roaming the Star Dou Great Forest, those soul masters who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth all ended up as this Emperor's meal."

"Brother Bai, have you eaten people?"

Huo Yuhao's eyes widened.

"That, I have not."

Er Ha licked its lips, "This Emperor is a vegetarian."

Shen Zhou and Huo Yuhao looked simultaneously at the rabbit bones crunching loudly in its mouth.

"...I occasionally eat meat."

On the evening of the third day, the three of them finally arrived at the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Looking from afar, an endless primeval forest stretched across the horizon, with towering trees reaching the sky, their canopies blocking out the sun.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the treetops, dyeing the entire forest a golden red.

The roars of soul beasts drifted faintly from the forest, low and powerful, making the very air tremble.

"This is the Star Dou Great Forest..."

Huo Yuhao stood on high ground, gazing at this ancient and mysterious forest, a sense of awe rising in his heart.

"Let's go, it's getting dark. We need to find a safe campsite before nightfall."

Shen Zhou took the lead, walking towards the forest.

Upon entering, the light immediately dimmed.

Tall trees blocked most of the sunlight, with only scattered patches of light filtering through the gaps in the canopy.

The air was filled with the scent of decaying leaves, mixed with the fragrance of soil and wild flowers.

Shen Zhou walked at the front, his Heavenly Eye martial soul activated. The golden vertical slit in his right pupil slowly flowed, and everything within a radius of several hundred meters was within his perception.

Even a squirrel hidden in a tree hollow could not escape his detection.

Er Ha walked at the rear, its nose constantly sniffing the air.

As a former overlord of the forest, it possessed an innate intuition for danger.

Huo Yuhao walked in the middle, holding a short dagger in his hand—a defensive weapon given to him by Shen Zhou. While it couldn't compare to a true Soul Tool, it was sufficient for dealing with some low-level soul beasts.

"Master, how deep do we need to go?"

Huo Yuhao asked softly.

"Not too deep,"

Shen Zhou replied. "A hundred-year soul ring is enough for you.

Hundred-year soul beasts generally live in the outer and middle regions of the forest; we don't need to enter the core area."

Of course, Shen Zhou's most important goal was whether he could catch the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

"A hundred-year soul ring..."

Huo Yuhao felt both anticipation and nervousness.

Shen Zhou had told him that his Spirit Eye martial soul was spirit-attribute, so it was best to find spirit-attribute soul beasts.

These types of soul beasts were relatively rare, but not nonexistent.

In the outer regions of the Star Dou Great Forest, there were several common spirit-attribute soul beasts—such as the Illusion Pupil Bird, Soul-Bewitching Butterfly, and Soul-Absorbing Bee, among others.

"Master, can I find a suitable spirit-attribute soul beast?"

"Yes."

Shen Zhou's answer was firm. "If you can't find one, I'll take you deeper.

There are also thousand-year and ten-thousand-year spirit-attribute soul beasts, but with your current body, you can only withstand a hundred-year soul ring at most."

Huo Yuhao nodded and said no more.

Suddenly, Shen Zhou stopped, a golden light flashing in his right eye.

"Someone's here."

Huo Yuhao instinctively tightened his grip on the short dagger, and Er Ha also perked up its ears, looking warily ahead.

From the woods ahead, hurried footsteps could be heard, accompanied by a clear female voice.

"Bei Bei, hurry up!

I definitely saw that Illusion Pupil Bird fly this way just now!"

"Xiao Ya, slow down. Who knows how many soul beasts are in this forest? It's dangerous to run around recklessly."

"Aiya, why are you so timid!

I'm the Sect Master of the Tang Sect, what's there to be afraid of?"

"Yes, yes, yes, Your Excellency the Tang Sect Master, could you please watch where you're going first?"

As soon as the words fell, a figure darted out from the trees.

It was a young girl, about thirteen or fourteen years old, petite and delicate. Her long hair was tied into a neat ponytail, and her round face had large eyes, giving her an air of liveliness and energy.

She wore a neat, fitted outfit, with a short sword hanging from her waist. She walked with a brisk pace.

Following behind her was a young man, a head taller than her, with a handsome face and a gentle demeanor, a helpless smile playing on his lips.

He wore a blue robe and walked with steady steps, clearly a soul master who had been cultivating for many years.

The two rushed out of the woods one after another, nearly colliding with Shen Zhou.

"Aiya!"

The girl stopped abruptly, her eyes widening as she looked at Shen Zhou and his companions.

"Who are you?

What are you doing here?"

Her gaze lingered on Shen Zhou for a moment, then shifted to Huo Yuhao and Er Ha, finally settling on Er Ha, her eyes full of curiosity.

"This dog... is so white!"