Sunset Forest, Encountering Dugu Bo

Sunset Forest.

A black panther with patterned fur on its back darted through the undergrowth.

The next moment—

"Sshk—"

The panther remained in its running posture, but its head had flown off. Scarlet blood sprayed out, pattering onto the ground and staining the surrounding shrubs red.

A delicate figure descended from the sky. It was Xu Qianqian, who had come to Sunset Forest to hunt soul beasts.

She silently watched the purple soul ring emerge from the panther's corpse, then glanced at her floating martial soul, the Chronicle of Time.

"A 2,500-year Lightning Panther, with lightning-element attributes..."

"The recorded age limit in the codex has been updated. As expected, it only records the soul beast with the highest age limit."

It seemed that only soul beasts compatible with her current soul ring's elemental type could improve her cultivation.

In just over half a month, Xu Qianqian's second soul ring had leaped from a hundred-year ring to a thousand-year ring. When using the earth element, she no longer felt quite so awkward.

"The closer the soul beast's elemental attributes match the soul ring, and the higher its age limit, the more the martial soul can increase the soul ring's age limit."

In other words, if she could kill a hundred-thousand-year wind- or earth-type soul beast, her soul power and physique would surely soar like an experience bar filling up.

Suddenly, Xu Qianqian frowned.

"A soul beast is approaching. Judging by its aura, it should be over ten thousand years old."

Xu Qianqian's second soul ring slowly lit up. A rocky barrier gradually appeared around her body, protecting her within.

This was a usage of Bedrock that Xu Qianqian had developed after upgrading her second soul ring to a thousand years.

It covered her body with a rocky barrier.

It made her feel more like an ordinary rock that had always existed there to anyone sensing the surroundings.

For now, it had neither offensive nor defensive power.

With Thousand Winds concealing her aura and Bedrock concealing her form—

Perhaps even a Titled Douluo would find it difficult to discover her, as though she had merged with the earth itself.

Unless they saw her with their own eyes, it would be difficult for them to notice her.

With this skill, Xu Qianqian was somewhat confident that she could return safely after her upcoming meeting with Ning Fengzhi.

Her soul ring age limit had already been exposed, so her true identity absolutely could not be.

She had no desire to be studied. Douluo Continent was not a place that cared much for reason.

Don't let Ning Fengzhi's refined appearance fool you. For all she knew, he might be thinking of taking her back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to study her—such as how she had obtained a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

And besides the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Xue Qinghe, whom Qian Renxue was impersonating, was no harmless figure either.

"Roar, roar, roar!"

A bear-type soul beast several meters tall passed beside Xu Qianqian. She was hidden within dense foliage, only four or five meters away from the giant bear.

The bear walked past her without sensing the slightest trace of Xu Qianqian.

"So it really works." Xu Qianqian breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she did not make a sound or get seen directly, it would be difficult to discover her even when passing nearby.

"After hunting for a few more days, it'll be time to leave Sunset Forest." Xu Qianqian gazed at the departing giant bear and murmured, "Ten-thousand-year soul beasts aren't prey I can hunt right now. It wouldn't be worth it if I accidentally got myself killed."

Xu Qianqian took several deep breaths. With a whoosh, she vanished into the night once more.

She continued hunting high-level soul beasts, updating the codex's "Identification" and "Recorded" entries.

Several more days passed like this.

"Whew—"

"My second soul ring has reached 3,000 years. This should be enough!"

Xu Qianqian dropped down from a treetop, dusted herself off, and looked toward the azure sky.

"It's time to go back."

She had spent nearly a month in Sunset Forest. She had hunted soul beasts, run into the ten-thousand-year region to identify soul beasts, and at times narrowly avoided being killed outright in a rather miserable state.

Over the month, her soul power had risen from Rank 23 to Rank 25. Her physique had improved as well, and she had become more proficient with her second soul ring's abilities.

"It really hasn't been easy." Xu Qianqian could not help sighing. "Other transmigrators cultivate so easily, with cheat powers that let them soar. But for me..."

She thought of all the hardships she had endured along the way, of the cramming and sponge-like learning methods she had used to build her soul power from nothing.

"And my soul power is only Rank 25..."

Even someone like Ning Rongrong, a slacker who worked for three days and rested for two, had reached Rank 26 at this age.

"Oh, no, no, no..." If she counted the six years consumed by her martial soul's second awakening, she had only just turned eighteen.

From the age of six, she had planned to find herself a godfather, entered the academy to study martial souls and soul beasts, and read every relevant book she could get her hands on.

"What transmigrator worked as hard as she did? Sigh! The more said, the more tears flowed." Xu Qianqian shook her head, tossing aside her chaotic thoughts.

People had to look ahead; they could not be bound by the past.

"Come to think of it, Sunset Forest seemed to have immortal herbs." The image of the treasure-delivering boy, Dugu Bo, surfaced in Xu Qianqian's mind.

She had slaughtered her way from the south to the north of Sunset Forest, and her senses could encompass the entire forest, yet she had never discovered the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Could it be that the Water Dragon King and Fire Dragon King within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well produced a particular force field that blocked her senses?

"That isn't impossible." Xu Qianqian pinched her chin as she pondered.

Both Dragon Kings had been God King-level beings. Even after death, they might still possess some special power.

"Hm? Someone's coming."

Xu Qianqian retreated several steps and concealed herself within the thick brush.

First Soul Skill: Thousand Winds

Second Soul Skill: Bedrock

Under the effects of Thousand Winds and Bedrock, Xu Qianqian's traces were almost completely erased.

A green-haired old man descended from the sky, only about ten meters away from Xu Qianqian.

At such a close distance, a Titled Douluo's senses would definitely detect anything.

The old man's long green hair draped over his shoulders as he scanned the area repeatedly.

He then passed not far from Xu Qianqian before leaping away at high speed.

"Phew!" Once the green-haired old man left, Xu Qianqian let out a long breath. "It really can conceal me from a Titled Douluo's senses."

"He should be Dugu Bo," Xu Qianqian murmured. The other party had not summoned his martial soul, but his appearance was still recognizable.

At the previous auction, he had been the old man standing beside Xuexing.

With that iconic green hair, and moving through Sunset Forest as if it were his own home, who else could it be but Dugu Bo?

For now, Xu Qianqian had no intention of making contact with Dugu Bo.

She could not say she knew nothing about medicinal principles, but compared to certain people, she was far inferior.

The books she had read were limited to those in Yu Xiaogang's study, Notting Academy's library, the City Lord's Manor, and the Spirit Hall branch in Notting City.

There was not much more advanced material. Trying to fool Dugu Bo with that little foundation would be like having a death wish.

She only had one life, so there was nothing wrong with being cautious.

Of course, if she had been discovered just now, there would have been no helping it. She could only see whether she could use the spirit bone detoxification method to make Dugu Bo owe her a favor.

As for whether she would survive afterward, that would depend on fate.

"Dugu Bo's matter can be considered later."

To avoid being discovered by Dugu Bo, Thousand Winds rose beneath Xu Qianqian's feet as she quietly slipped through Sunset Forest, intending to leave the forest this way and return to Heaven Dou City.

The date of her transaction with Ning Fengzhi was drawing close. Whether it was investigating the truth behind her assassination attempt or sickening Tang Hao, she could not miss this transaction.

That's right, Xu Qianqian planned to hand Ning Fengzhi information about the Hundred-Thousand-Year Rogue Rabbit.

As for what he would do with it, Xu Qianqian did not care.