The Hunt Begins, Hu Liena Refuses to Accept It? Di Yao's Words Hit Where It Hurt!

The day the hunting party set out, quite a crowd gathered outside Spirit City.

They were not there to see them off.

They were there for the spectacle.

A six-year-old child who had only awakened his spirit not long ago, born with twentieth-level Soul Power, personally ordered by the Pope to be cultivated, with Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo protecting him at the same time.

That kind of treatment was unheard of, even for ordinary geniuses.

Even among the Golden Generation, few had ever seen such favor.

Di Yao stood before the carriage, holding a copy of the Soul Beast Catalog.

He paid no attention to the probing, jealous, and doubtful gazes around him.

In his eyes, those people had no value for the time being.

What truly held value were soul beasts.

Soul rings.

Resources that could allow Demon Emperor Di Jun to take its first step.

Yue Guan strolled over slowly, pinching a Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum between his fingers, his smile as bewitching as ever.

"Little one, are you ready?"

Di Yao did not even raise his head.

"The catalog isn't detailed enough."

Yue Guan froze.

"What?"

"The entries on fire-attribute soul beasts are too crude."

Di Yao turned a page, his tone calm.

"They only distinguish the strength of the flames, not the origin of the bloodline."

"Solar, flame birds, golden flames, royal bloodlines—they've all been mixed together."

"Records like these are suitable for ordinary soul masters, but not for me."

Yue Guan's mouth twitched.

"You really are picky."

Gui Mei emerged from the shadows, his voice hoarse.

"He has the right to be."

Yue Guan shot him a look.

"I've noticed you've become awfully biased toward this brat."

Gui Mei replied blandly, "I favor those with brains."

Di Yao closed the catalog.

"I'll keep reading on the way."

"Let's go to the soul beast gathering grounds first."

"I need to confirm their auras myself."

Yue Guan smiled. "Are you treating the two of us Title Douluo as bodyguards?"

Di Yao looked up.

"Aren't you?"

Yue Guan: "..."

Gui Mei let out a low laugh.

Just then, a girl's voice came from nearby.

"You really don't stand on ceremony."

Di Yao turned his head.

The girl wore Spirit Hall's standard combat attire. Her golden hair was soft and smooth, her features delicate, and her eyes carried a natural pride.

Hu Liena.

Bibi Dong's disciple.

One of the core members of the Golden Generation.

She stood some distance away with her arms folded. There was no outright hostility in her gaze toward Di Yao, but it was certainly far from friendly.

She had originally been cultivating at her own pace.

Then overnight, her teacher had suddenly gained a junior disciple she personally favored.

Innate twentieth-level Soul Power.

Demon Emperor Di Jun.

Three breaths without kneeling.

Hu Liena had heard all about it.

But hearing was one thing.

Without actually fighting him, she refused to accept it.

Di Yao merely glanced at her before looking away again.

"You're coming too?"

Hu Liena raised a brow.

"What, I can't?"

"You can."

Di Yao said, "Just don't hold us back."

Hu Liena's expression instantly froze.

Yue Guan nearly burst out laughing.

This kid really knew exactly where to stab when he spoke.

Hu Liena laughed in anger.

"I'll hold you back?"

"You've only just awakened and don't even have a soul ring, yet you're saying I'll hold you back?"

Di Yao said calmly, "Having a soul ring doesn't determine whether someone has value."

"Likewise, having soul rings doesn't mean you'll necessarily be useful."

Hu Liena's gaze turned colder.

"What do you mean by that?"

Di Yao unfolded the catalog again.

"Exactly what it says."

Hu Liena took a deep breath.

She reminded herself that he was someone her teacher valued, so she could not simply make a move against him.

But she still could not help saying, "I hope you can keep talking this tough once we reach the Soul Hunting Forest."

Di Yao did not answer her.

Pointless bickering like this was a waste of time.

Hu Liena grew even angrier.

She would rather Di Yao snap back at her than be ignored like this.

It felt like she had thrown a punch, only for the other person to be too lazy even to look at it.

Before long, the hunting party officially set out.

On the surface, there were only Yue Guan, Gui Mei, Hu Liena, Di Yao, and several guards made up of Soul Sages and Soul Emperors.

In secret, Spirit Hall's Law Enforcement Team had already sealed off the route in advance.

This was no ordinary hunt.

Spirit Hall was paving the way for a future direct disciple.

Along the way, Hu Liena tried several times to speak with Di Yao.

But Di Yao was either reading the catalog or sitting with his eyes closed, sensing his Soul Power.

He was quiet in a way that did not resemble a child.

Even less like someone leaving Spirit City for the first time.

Hu Liena finally could not hold back any longer.

"Aren't you curious at all?"

Di Yao opened his eyes.

"Curious about what?"

"The Soul Hunting Forest."

Hu Liena pointed out the carriage window.

"The first time ordinary soul masters go hunting, most of them get nervous."

"But you're acting like you're visiting the Library Pavilion."

Di Yao said, "Nervousness doesn't solve problems."

"Screening soul beasts in advance, planning the absorption route, and estimating the risks—that's what matters."

Hu Liena snorted.

"That sounds nice."

"You don't even have a soul ring. If you really encounter a soul beast, won't you still have to rely on Elder Chrysanthemum and Elder Ghost?"

Di Yao looked at her.

"What is the Golden Generation's goal?"

Hu Liena was taken aback.

"Of course, to be invincible among our peers and become Spirit Hall's strongest generation of the future."

Di Yao nodded.

"So you focus on people your own age."

"I'm different."

Hu Liena frowned.

"How are you different?"

Di Yao's tone was calm.

"Your goal is to defeat your peers."

"My goal is to leave my peers so far behind they can't even see me."

The carriage fell silent.

Hu Liena's expression changed.

Those words were far too grating.

But what grated even more was that she could not find a rebuttal right away.

Yue Guan smiled as he looked out the window, pretending not to have heard.

Gui Mei sat like a shadow, without even moving his eyelids.

But both of them knew.

That was not a child boasting.

Di Yao truly thought that way.

After entering the depths of the Soul Hunting Forest, the air noticeably changed.

The trees were towering.

Vines coiled and tangled.

From time to time, the low roars of soul beasts echoed from all around.

The guards immediately spread out and began sealing off the perimeter.

Hu Liena released her Demon Fox Spirit, her spiritual power spreading outward.

Though she refused to accept Di Yao, once the mission began, she immediately put away her emotions.

That made Di Yao look at her once more.

She had a temper.

But she was not foolish.

At the very least, she knew when to be serious.

Yue Guan walked ahead and casually said, "Little one, there are plenty of fire-attribute soul beasts nearby."

"Red Fire Foxes, Blazing Wolves, Fire Feather Chickens, Flame Tail Leopards."

"Choosing one of them for your First Soul Ring would be much safer."

Di Yao shook his head.

"No."

Yue Guan asked, "Why not?"

"They're too mixed."

"The flames are only superficial. Their bloodlines have no potential."

Di Yao raised his head and looked deeper into the forest.

"What I want is a soul beast that Demon Emperor Di Jun can devour—and that can in turn replenish the Sun Origin."

Hu Liena could not help saying, "Do you think soul beasts like that are weeds by the roadside?"

Di Yao ignored her.

He closed his eyes.

A faint flash of dark golden light flickered behind him.

The Demon Emperor Di Jun Martial Soul was not fully released, but a wisp of solar aura spread outward.

A few breaths later.

Di Yao suddenly opened his eyes.

"Southeast."

Yue Guan's gaze shifted.

"You sensed it?"

Di Yao said, "There's an extremely proud flame aura."

"It's no ordinary soul beast."

"Like a bird."

Gui Mei's figure flashed, vanishing into the shadows.

A moment later, his voice came from the forest.

"A Mutated Sun Crow."

"Nearly a thousand years old."

"About nine hundred and ninety-nine years."

The smile on Yue Guan's face faded.

Nine hundred and ninety-nine years.

It was only one step away from a thousand years.

For ordinary soul masters, even using a soul beast of this age as a Second Soul Ring required caution.

Yet Di Yao wanted to make it his First Soul Ring.

Hu Liena's expression changed as well.

"A nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine-year First Soul Ring?"

"Are you insane?"

Di Yao walked forward.

"Not insane."

"Just right."

Hu Liena hurried after him.

"Just right for what?"

Di Yao looked toward the withered wood forest ahead.

"Just qualified."

The group passed through a patch of charred trees.

Soon, a withered tree split open by lightning and fire appeared ahead.

Atop the withered tree, a giant crow with a pitch-black body and golden-red flames burning along the edges of its wings stared coldly down at them.

Its eyes were not the usual crimson.

Instead, they carried a faint ring of golden light.

The flames around its body were not particularly fierce, but they were exceptionally condensed.

Like a Sun Fire seed compressed to the absolute limit.

Mutated Sun Crow King.

Nine hundred and ninety-nine years.

Di Yao closed the illustrated record.

Dark Gold Flame slowly ignited in his eyes.

"That's the one."

Hu Liena looked at the Sun Crow King, then at Di Yao.

For the first time, she felt that this junior disciple was not merely reckless.

From the very beginning, he had truly never intended to walk the path of ordinary people.