After leaving the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
"Han Yu, why has that Crown Prince been staring at you? How strange."
Ning Rongrong tilted her head, touching a finger to her lips as she gazed curiously at Han Yu beside her.
Han Yu's lips curled up. "Can't be helped. I have an exceptional air about me."
"You're so full of yourself." Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes. "Could that Crown Prince be coveting your beauty..."
Her voice faltered. Remembering the stories she'd read about members of the royal family, she felt a little worried.
Han Yu raised a hand and flicked her forehead.
"Stop reading those things that aren't suitable for children."
Ning Rongrong clutched her head with both hands, eyes brimming with tears.
Just then, Ning Fengzhi's voice came from outside the carriage.
"Han Yu, we're done talking. Do you need to rest, or should we go straight to Sunset Forest to hunt for a Soul Ring?"
"Sect Master, let's go straight there," Han Yu replied.
Ning Fengzhi seemed even more eager than Han Yu, as if he were the one about to obtain a Soul Ring.
That worked out perfectly, though. Han Yu had been planning to take this opportunity to see the legendary Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Inside the carriage, Han Yu listened as Gu Rong analyzed several suitable Soul Beasts, quietly weighing his options.
He didn't know the exact location of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
He could only use the toxic miasma Dugu Bo had set up as a lead and hope he got lucky.
If that didn't work, he could stay a few more days and make inquiries through Dugu Bo's granddaughter. There was bound to be some information about her in Heaven Dou City.
Half an hour later.
At the gathering place outside Sunset Forest.
Ning Rongrong climbed out of the carriage after Han Yu.
"Han Yu, this is your first time hunting on your own. Be very careful. Old Bone will stay close and protect you, and Fengzhi and I will follow you as well," Chen Xin said seriously.
"Rongrong, don't leave Han Yu's side, not even for a moment. Stay safe." Ning Fengzhi pressed his lips together, his eyes full of worry.
Han Yu nodded. "Sect Master, Teacher, I'll keep Rongrong safe."
At his words, Ning Rongrong's gaze shifted slightly. She bit her lower lip and moved a few steps closer to Han Yu.
Soon, they walked side by side into the gathering place for Soul Masters.
Gu Rong's figure quietly vanished, turning into a streak of black light that followed behind them. Chen Xin took Ning Fengzhi and disappeared from sight.
"Han Yu, aren't we going straight into Sunset Forest?" Ning Rongrong followed closely behind him, her tone bright.
"Of course we are. But first, we'll join a hunting team and ask around for information." Han Yu shook his head.
Ning Rongrong nodded as if she understood. As far as she knew, Han Yu liked to have everything prepared in advance, so she figured that was what he was doing this time too.
But Han Yu hadn't given it that much thought. He really just wanted to see if anyone knew about the toxic miasma or poisonous gas, then bring his teachers and the others over.
The two headed toward the recruitment area.
As they walked, Han Yu carefully observed the Soul Masters around them.
He spotted a team with a recruitment sign out front. One of its members had a purplish face, clearly showing signs of poisoning.
"Hello, are you still looking for people? We're both auxiliary-type Soul Grandmasters, and I need to obtain my third Soul Ring." Han Yu pulled out a heavy pouch of Gold Soul Coins and asked with an ingratiating smile.
"You? A third Soul Ring?" The team captain frowned and sized them up. They looked young, but he couldn't tell exactly how old they were, and suspicion stirred in his heart. "Of course we'll take you. You'll need to tell us roughly what you can do."
"I can grant shields and slow enemies. She can boost strength and speed." Han Yu nodded and explained with a smile.
The team captain's eyes lit up. The two Soul Skills complemented each other well and could greatly improve the team's fighting strength, making their planned trip to the area they'd discovered last time much safer.
"Welcome aboard."
Han Yu and Ning Rongrong joined the team, which had five members in total. Apart from the captain, a Soul Elder at level thirty-five, two others were Soul Grandmasters at level thirty. They were also there to obtain Soul Rings.
As soon as the team entered Sunset Forest, they kept doubling back, winding this way and that through the trees.
The captain cheerfully explained that he knew of an area with many low-rank thousand-year Soul Beasts, but didn't say much more. He simply kept urging the four of them to go along.
The other two didn't object.
Ning Rongrong quietly edged closer to Han Yu. She sensed something off about the atmosphere in the team.
Half an hour later.
The five stopped before a stretch of green miasma.
A dead Soul Beast lay in the clearing. It looked to be just over a thousand years old, and its whole body was purple.
"Haha, we're in luck! Xiao Wu, this Soul Beast is perfect for you." The captain sounded delighted. He waved to someone behind him, then explained to Han Yu and Ning Rongrong, "There's a patch of toxic miasma here. Soul Beasts often wander into it, get poisoned, and collapse, so we can just wait here for them to fall into our laps."
The thousand-year-old Soul Beast's carcass was worth a fortune to them. To keep this place secret, they'd had no choice but to lead Han Yu and Ning Rongrong around in circles for ages.
Han Yu was about to ask a question when his gaze suddenly sharpened. Golden light flashed in his eyes as he looked to one side.
A peculiar fluctuation of Soul Power came from the Soul Beast's corpse.
"A Soul Bone! Haha, it's a Soul Bone!"
The Soul Grandmaster named Xiao Wu dropped excitedly to his knees and clutched the right leg bone tightly to his chest, paying no attention to the Soul Ring in front of him.
The sight made the team captain look stunned. His eyes narrowed slightly as he began edging toward Han Yu and Ning Rongrong.
"Uh, brother, why?"
The other Soul Grandmaster kicked the corpse at his feet away like trash, his face full of disdain. His eyes were fixed on the Soul Bone, and his breathing grew ragged.
The two were brothers who had slept side by side since childhood and fought countless battles for their lives. Yet now, over a mere thousand-year Soul Bone, one had turned so ruthless.
Ning Rongrong cried out and hid behind Han Yu, not daring to look at the man's grisly fate.
Han Yu turned and gently patted her head. Without looking back, he said coldly, "Take one more step and you die."
The team captain, a short distance away, froze at the sound of Han Yu's voice. When he recovered, his face flushed with anger. He couldn't believe he'd been intimidated by a young kid.
Even if Han Yu's auxiliary-type Martial Soul was a lie, the most he could be was a Soul Master with two rings.
"Help me kill that man, and I'll let you go. How about it?" the team captain said quietly.
"How about no? I'll say it again: take one more step and you die." Han Yu sounded utterly confident as his gaze swept over the patch of toxic miasma.
"Brother, he's a Soul Elder. Why don't we team up, then sell the Soul Bone and split the money once we're out?"
"Hmph, I'll kill you first!" The team captain watched Han Yu and Ning Rongrong, his expression shifting as he wavered. Hearing the other man's suggestion sent him into a rage.
Han Yu shook his head and led Ning Rongrong to one side.
He had no interest in this Soul Bone. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was right before him, and those legendary Immortal Herbs were within reach. His heart was full of anticipation.