A Peerless Douluo flying at full speed crossed mountains and rivers in barely a dozen minutes, carrying the two siblings all the way there.
He came to a steady stop ten thousand meters above a town near Star Dou Forest.
"Great-Grandfather, look down there! That's an ant nest!"
Qian Renxue excitedly pointed at the dense cluster of buildings, which resembled an ant colony.
Qian Wushuang looked in the direction Qian Renxue was pointing, a trace of nostalgia flashing through his eyes.
"Xiao Xue, that's no ant nest. This place is called Soul Hunting Town."
"Soul Hunting Town?" Qian Renxue blinked her azure eyes. "What does it do?"
"This Soul Hunting Town is for Soul Masters who are about to enter Star Dou Forest and hunt Soul Beasts."
"It is an essential supply point and resting place."
"Don't let its size fool you. It looks like a small city, but it is actually just a town."
Qian Wushuang patiently explained the origins of Soul Hunting Town to the two children.
"There's nothing flashy or impractical in this town. It is filled with places that forge weapons, sell potions, and provide food and lodging."
"Everything here serves Soul Masters and mercenaries."
"As the saying goes, those who live by the mountain rely on the mountain, and those who live by the water rely on the water. This Soul Hunting Town was built around Star Dou Forest."
At this point, Qian Wushuang sighed with emotion. "Back when I was your age..."
"This town was only a newly established settlement. It was nowhere near as large as it is now."
"At most, it could only have been called a village."
"There are at least hundreds, if not thousands, of Soul Hunting Towns like this along Star Dou Forest's long border!"
Qian Wushuang spoke vividly, as though he had returned to his childhood, to the time when his father had brought him here.
Qian Renxue blinked her big, sparkling eyes and listened with great interest.
Qian Renheng, on the other hand, was not very interested in this sort of thing. He listlessly stared at the ant nest below.
"Xiao Heng, Xiao Xue, there's still some time before the sun reaches the middle of the sky."
"How about we take a stroll through Soul Hunting Town first?" Qian Wushuang lowered his head and asked.
"Great! Great-Grandfather, let's hurry down and take a look!"
Having grown up in Spirit City and never traveled far from home, Qian Renxue was clearly curious about this Soul Hunting Town, with its lively common atmosphere and rough-hewn style.
"Alright! Let's go down for a walk now and wait for your useless Grandfather while we're at it!"
Without hesitation, Qian Wushuang immediately withdrew the three pairs of dazzling golden wings behind his back.
He took the two of them and turned into an inconspicuous streak of light, diving toward an open space on the outskirts of the town.
Before long, the three of them had blended into the bustling crowds of Soul Hunting Town.
The moment they entered the town gates, the scent of ale mixed with a faint smell of blood rushed toward them.
The streets on both sides were fairly orderly, while all manner of rough shouts rose and fell without end.
"Come take a look! Freshly forged standard steel daggers, the best choice for hunting Soul Beasts!"
"Antidotes! Antidotes!"
"Selling antidotes! A secret family formula that cures a hundred poisons, a commonly used remedy for the poisonous miasma around Star Dou Forest's outskirts!"
"Not nine hundred and ninety-nine Gold Soul Coins, not ninety-nine Gold Soul Coins, only nine silver coins!"
"Dear guests, need a room? Hot water and soft beds, we have it all! All lodging at our inn is twenty percent off today!"
"Leading Soul Beast hunts for hundred-year Soul Beasts! Ten Gold Soul Coins per person! Gold-rank Soul Hunting Team, never failed once!"
"Looking for a team, looking for a team! Need a hundred-year agility-type Soul Beast! Twenty Gold Soul Coins! Please take me along!"
As soon as she entered Soul Hunting Town, Qian Renxue was completely drawn in by the sight before her. This place was like a huge marketplace, with everyone busily going about their business.
"Great-Grandfather, what are those people shouting about forming teams for?" Qian Renxue asked curiously.
"Those people..." Qian Wushuang's gaze calmly swept over the people calling out for teams as he explained, "Hunting Soul Beasts to obtain Soul Rings is not an easy matter."
"Especially for Soul Masters without backing."
"Even Soul Beasts that were naturally powerful but had not cultivated for long were still highly aggressive! Hunting Soul Beasts alone was no different from courting death!"
"So-called team Soul Beast hunting meant several people working together to hunt the Soul Beasts each of them needed and obtain their Soul Rings."
"They supported one another and took what they needed. Of course, there were also dedicated Soul Hunting Teams."
"As long as they were paid enough Gold Soul Coins, they could bring Soul Masters in need of Soul Rings into Star Dou Forest and help them hunt Soul Beasts!"
"However, you need to judge for yourselves. Those Soul Masters who linger in Soul Hunting Town all year long are no saints!"
"They might say they are entering Star Dou Forest to help hunt Soul Beasts and obtain Soul Rings."
"Then turn around and rob and murder you instead."
At this point, Qian Wushuang sounded somewhat helpless. "Whether you form a team to hunt Soul Beasts or hire a Soul Hunting Team..."
"With other people's help, it is safer and more reliable than hunting Soul Beasts alone."
"You only need to land the final blow on the Soul Beast yourself."
"This is the most common and reliable way for low-level Soul Masters without backing to hunt Soul Beasts."
"Great-Grandfather, what if we run into one of those Soul Hunting Teams that kills for money and leaves nothing behind?" Qian Renheng asked thoughtfully.
He had never truly considered the living conditions of these low-level Soul Masters before. Hearing Grandfather explain it, they seemed extremely harsh.
Qian Renxue also turned her gaze toward him.
"What can you do? If you can beat them, fight. If you can't, run. If you can't even run, then accept your fate!"
Qian Wushuang explained blandly, "In Soul Hunting Town, the two great empires and our Spirit Hall still have the ability to keep things in check."
"But once you enter Star Dou Forest... who can control what happens in there? Whether you live or die is up to fate!"
"Of course, if you are lucky enough to survive and even have evidence to bring before Spirit Hall..."
"The fairest knight order in Spirit Hall will still arrest those black sheep!"
Qian Renheng nodded slightly. The two great empires and Spirit Hall were the key to maintaining the continent's balance.
They could still exercise some restraint over Soul Hunting Town, but the danger of entering the forest alone to hunt Soul Beasts was unimaginable.
Not only did one have to guard against the dangers of Soul Beasts, one also had to guard against other people!
There was a saying: in Star Dou Forest, encountering Soul Beasts was not frightening. What was frightening was encountering other Soul Masters!
After all, the human heart was difficult to fathom. No one knew whether the Soul Master standing before them would make a move against them!
"You two, don't overthink it. The world is so vast that no one can manage everything." Qian Wushuang reached out with his broad hands and stroked their heads.
Before you continue