Return to the Star Dou Great Forest

Time passed in a blur, and in the blink of an eye, three years had gone by.

Qin Chuan had turned eighteen (he had finally been released from the [Shackles of Love]!).

Three years ago, he was level 56; now, he was level 71.

A leap of fifteen levels was an inconceivable speed for any soul master.

Seven white soul rings had been collected, and he only needed two more to unlock the [Time Stasis Domain]!

Hu Liena had broken through from level 52 to level 60. Her Soul Power was full, but she was stuck at the level 60 bottleneck, requiring a sixth soul ring to complete her promotion.

Xie Yue was level 62.

Yan was level 59.

Over the past three years, the Golden Generation of Spirit Hall had grown steadily.

Yue Guan had taken them everywhere to gain experience—hunting souls, battling, and cultivating—repeating the same routine countless times. As the most unique existence in this team, Qin Chuan had long since completely integrated into their ranks.

On this morning, the five of them stood at the entrance of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The morning mist had yet to dissipate, and milky-white vapor clung to the ground, damply brushing against their faces.

The trees at the edge of the forest were already over thirty meters tall, their thick trunks covered in moss and vines.

The layer of fallen leaves on the ground was thick; stepping on it felt soft and spongy, the damp texture seeping through the soles of their shoes.

The air was heavy with the scent of pine resin, rotting leaves, soil, and an indescribable, pungent musk of wild beasts, all swirling together and drilling into their nostrils.

Qin Chuan took a deep breath—a familiar feeling.

The last time he came to the Star Dou Great Forest was three years ago, when he hunted for the Illusion Bell soul ring alone. That time, he had ventured deep into the heart of the forest and used the Zhu Xian Sword to slay a twenty-five-thousand-year-old Golden-Patterned Sword-Toothed Tiger.

This time was different; with Yue Guan presiding, the safety factor was significantly higher.

Yue Guan stood at the very front of the team. Today, he wore a dark grey fitted outfit, his hair tied back with a silver hairpin, making him look a bit more spirited than usual.

"Are you all ready?" Yue Guan looked back and scanned the group.

"Ready, ready, let's go, let's go." Yan rubbed his hands, his face full of excitement. "I've been cooped up in the city for over half a month; my hands are itching."

Xie Yue glanced at Yan but said nothing, merely checking the Moon Blade at his waist to ensure it was securely fastened.

Hu Liena stood beside Qin Chuan. She had tied her hair into a high ponytail today, her long, purplish-red hair gathered behind her, revealing her smooth forehead and slender neck.

Three years had made her mature; her features were more defined, and her figure had become more voluptuous.

"Let's move." Yue Guan stepped into the forest.

The five of them followed in turn and were soon swallowed by the dense canopy.

As soon as they entered the outer perimeter of the forest, movement began in the surrounding bushes.

Rustling sounds came from all directions, and occasionally, a pair of glowing eyes could be seen flashing in the depths of the grass before retreating.

A Grey-Backed Poison Snake about half a meter long coiled on a tree root ahead, its triangular head slightly raised, its tongue flickering incessantly.

Yan lifted his foot to stomp on it, but was pulled back by Xie Yue.

"Why step on it? Just go around."

"I don't like the look of it, I just want to step on it."

"Childish!"

Yue Guan walked at the front. The Soul Power pressure he inadvertently released was enough to make all low-level soul beasts within a hundred-meter radius cower.

Those century-level soul beasts, sensing this aura, huddled in their burrows and bushes, not daring to even breathe loudly.

After traveling at high speed for over half an hour, the group entered the middle zone of the forest.

The trees here were even taller; some ancient trees had diameters exceeding five meters, their canopies interlocking to completely block out the sky above. The light dimmed, and shadows were everywhere.

Qin Chuan walked while using his Six Paths Reincarnation Eye to passively perceive the surroundings. The distribution of soul beasts within a ten-kilometer radius was completely under his control.

"Na, have you decided what kind of soul beast you're looking for this time?" Qin Chuan tilted his head to look at Hu Liena.

Hu Liena, walking on his right, turned her head at the question. "Something no less than thirty thousand years old, a control-type soul beast. It would be best if it has an affinity with my Demon Fox martial soul so that the rejection reaction will be minimal during absorption."

Qin Chuan nodded. "A thirty-thousand-year control-type—that narrows the range quite a bit."

Yue Guan chimed in, "Indeed, while there are many types of control-type soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest, the number of those over thirty thousand years is limited. We'll need to go deeper into the forest to have a chance of encountering one."

The group continued to venture deeper.

The soul beasts on the road became more numerous and higher in level.

A Black Giant Scorpion crawled out from behind a rock on the left, its tail stinger raised high, emitting a purple poisonous mist. Qin Chuan glanced at it; it had about three thousand years of cultivation.

Yue Guan didn't even look at it; he simply pressed his Soul Power in that direction, and the giant scorpion's body suddenly slumped, its eight legs going soft as it lay motionless on the ground.

"Impressive," Yan muttered softly from behind.

After walking for another half hour, a shallow stream appeared ahead. The water was clear, revealing the pebbles and a few small, finger-length fish at the bottom. On the muddy bank, there were several large footprints—three-toed and over two inches deep.

Yue Guan squatted down to examine the prints. "A Tiger-Lion Beast, and not a low-age one at that."

No sooner had he spoken than a low roar erupted from the bushes on the other side of the stream.

A massive beast nearly four meters in length crawled out from behind the shrubbery. Its head resembled a tiger, its body a lion, and its limbs were thick and powerful. Its fur was a deep gold with black stripes, making it exceptionally striking in the dim forest.

Qin Chuan's Samsara Eye swept over it: twelve thousand years, mutated species.

This Tiger-Lion Beast was nearly twice the size of its ordinary kin, and its coat color was wrong as well; common Tiger-Lion Beasts were greyish-white, while this one was gold and black. A mutated constitution meant its combat power was significantly higher than that of an ordinary Tiger-Lion Beast of the same age.

"A twelve-thousand-year mutated Tiger-Lion Beast," Qin Chuan remarked.

Yue Guan stood up and turned to glance at Qin Chuan. "You certainly have a sharp eye."

The Tiger-Lion Beast crouched on the opposite side of the stream, its golden slit pupils fixed on the group as a continuous low growl rumbled in its throat. It did not attack immediately, choosing instead to weigh its options.

Yue Guan took a step toward it.

The Tiger-Lion Beast's body tensed abruptly, the muscles in its limbs bulging as it assumed a pre-attack stance.

Yue Guan did not release his martial soul; he merely focused and unleashed a burst of his Soul Power pressure.

That pressure instantly enveloped the Tiger-Lion Beast's entire body.

The golden slit pupils shrank to mere lines, the Tiger-Lion Beast's low growl turned into a whimper, and its four legs began to tremble. It let out one more unwilling roar, but its body had already begun to retreat.

After backing away a few steps, the Tiger-Lion Beast spun around abruptly, dove into the shrubbery, and fled.

"A twelve-thousand-year mutated species; it would have been good for practice if we'd run into it in a different environment," Xie Yue said with a hint of regret.

"There's no need to invite unnecessary trouble," Yue Guan replied, continuing to lead the way.

The group pressed on. The light in the forest grew increasingly dim, the ground beneath their feet became slicker, and the humidity in the air was thick enough to wring out.

A quarter of an hour later, a second large creature appeared within the range of Qin Chuan's perception.

About two hundred meters directly ahead, a massive snake was coiled atop the canopy of a giant ancient tree.

The snake's body was as thick as an adult's waist, its scales were a deep purple, and silver-white electric arcs flickered intermittently in the gaps between them.

An eighteen-thousand-year Thunder-Patterned Python.