Journey to the Star Dou Great Forest

Purple Demon Eye had four realms: Overview, Subtlety, Mustard Seed, and Vastness.

In the world of Douluo Continent, this technique, originally meant only for training the eyes, had become connected to spiritual power.

At the Overview realm, Purple Demon Eye could only greatly improve the user's vision, allowing them to clearly observe minute details.

Upon reaching the second realm, Subtlety, it could make everything before one's eyes seem to slow down, allowing the user to react accordingly.

It could even directly discern the Soul Power of Soul Masters whose cultivation was lower than one's own.

However, after reaching the second realm, Purple Demon Eye became exceedingly slow to cultivate.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew had saved Xia Yuan several years of arduous cultivation.

Not to mention that Xia Yuan had directly crossed over the Subtlety realm and reached the third realm, Mustard Seed.

After reaching the Mustard Seed realm, Xia Yuan could even distinguish the attributes of different energies.

As for the fourth realm, Vastness, it was a spiritual power realm at least equivalent to that of a Title Douluo. It had completely surpassed the scope of mere eyesight.

Now, a year had passed. With the aid of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Xia Yuan had already absorbed a considerable amount of the medicinal power from the ice-and-fire immortal herbs.

"There are quite a few Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in Sunset Forest as well..." Dugu Bo said.

"Senior Dugu, what I need is a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast," Xia Yuan replied.

"Ten thousand years?!" Dugu Bo's voice abruptly rose.

"Do you know what a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring represents?"

"Soul shock, right?" Xia Yuan said calmly. "I've already learned about that in the academy."

After all, not everyone was Yu Xiaogang, unable to reach Soul Elder for his entire life while calling himself a theoretical master despite not even knowing the characteristics of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

"I believe I can endure it."

Dugu Bo scrutinized Xia Yuan. "It seems you brat really have gained quite a few benefits from my estate."

After living together for a year, Dugu Bo naturally understood that Xia Yuan never spoke without reason and rarely made reckless claims.

That only made it more terrifying.

A ten-thousand-year third Soul Ring.

This was unlike Xia Yuan's thousand-year second Soul Ring.

Whether Xia Yuan had possessed exceptional endurance and directly chosen a Thousand-Year Soul Beast, or whether some special opportunity had caused him to unexpectedly fuse with a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, there had still been some logic behind it.

It was merely that others had been unwilling to take such a risk.

But a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring was different.

And the reason was not merely the soul shock Xia Yuan had mentioned.

Why did Soul Masters generally only consider hunting a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring after reaching level fifty?

It was precisely because only at that point did most Soul Masters possess the physical constitution and mental fortitude needed to reach the minimum threshold for bearing one.

That was right, merely the minimum threshold.

It did not mean that a Soul Master at level fifty could definitely withstand a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

Even among Title Douluo, there were still those whose fifth Soul Ring was only a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

A ten-thousand-year third Soul Ring... Since ancient times, what Soul Master had ever accomplished such a feat?

Forget a third Soul Ring—even someone with a ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring had never been seen.

Unless... that person possessed Twin Martial Souls.

"Since it's a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring..." Dugu Bo fell into thought.

"It's not as if there are no Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in Sunset Forest."

"However, judging by your expression, you don't intend to search in Sunset Forest, do you?"

Xia Yuan nodded. "It would be best to search in the Star Dou Great Forest."

"And I need a draconic subdragon or earth-dragon-type Soul Beast."

"Or a Soul Beast with at least two attributes, one of which is life."

Dugu Bo was somewhat surprised. "What do you need a draconic subdragon or earth-dragon-type Soul Beast for?"

"Senior Dugu, you haven't forgotten that my Martial Soul is Mutated Blue Silver Grass, have you?" Xia Yuan said.

"Of course not." Dugu Bo nodded.

Xia Yuan continued, "Although it is Mutated Blue Silver Grass, its roots ultimately still lie in the Blue Silver Grass lineage."

"Precisely because of that, my Martial Soul can develop in any direction and absorb Soul Beasts of any attribute and form."

"Oh—" Dugu Bo suddenly understood.

"I see."

"You want to use draconic subdragon and earth-dragon-type Soul Beasts to strengthen your Martial Soul, don't you?"

Dugu Bo's conclusion was naturally logical.

Although Xia Yuan had actually made this choice because his Martial Soul possessed the origin of the Golden Sacred Dragon, Dugu Bo was not entirely wrong.

"Are you really just a mutated Blue Silver Grass?" Dugu Bo suddenly asked.

"You defeated Yu Tianheng, who possesses the top-tier beast Martial Soul, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Your Martial Soul is probably not as simple as you claim, is it?"

Xia Yuan said nothing, merely revealing a mysterious smile.

"Fine, fine." Dugu Bo waved a hand. "I'll take you to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for a Soul Ring."

Though Dugu Bo might be of little use against a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast like the Titan Giant Ape, dealing with Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts was still easy enough for him.

His individual offensive power was not particularly strong, but his Jade Phosphorus Snake Poison was incomparably terrifying. It was exceptionally effective for crushing weaker opponents and launching area attacks.

The Star Dou Great Forest lay directly south of the Heaven Dou Empire, spanning the border between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire.

As the largest Soul Beast habitat on Douluo Continent, it contained not only countless complex and diverse species of Soul Beasts, but also an enormous population.

Thus, aside from coastal sea Soul Masters and certain Soul Masters with special attributes, Soul Masters from everywhere greatly preferred coming to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Beasts.

Dugu Bo did not take Xia Yuan to stop in the small towns before the Star Dou Great Forest. Instead, he led him straight into the depths of the forest.

The Star Dou Great Forest was divided into four regions. The outermost was called the Outer Area, where only ten-year, Hundred-Year, and Thousand-Year Soul Beasts generally roamed. Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were rarely encountered there.

Farther in was the Mixed Area. Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts began appearing there, while even Hundred-Year Soul Beasts had to rely on the strength of their groups to survive.

Farther inward lay the Core Area. Any Soul Beast able to claim even a small territory there had to possess at least thirty thousand years of cultivation.

As for the final, fourth region, it was known as humanity's Life Forbidden Zone. Almost no one had ever emerged from it alive.

Xia Yuan and Dugu Bo's target was the Soul Beasts of the Mixed Area.

"Brat, Soul Beasts with the life attribute are not easy to find. Especially given your stricter requirements, you should be prepared to remain here for quite some time."

Dugu Bo spoke to Xia Yuan as he cleared a path ahead of them.

"What about draconic subdragon and earth-dragon-type Soul Beasts?" Xia Yuan asked.

"Those are troublesome too," Dugu Bo replied.

"At present, the only reliable way to find such Soul Beasts is possessed by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Even their Soul Skills are more or less the same."

"But for those great powers with inherited bloodlines, pursuing combinations that could be passed down steadily was precisely what they sought."

"Perhaps only a mutation like yours would bring about a change."