Return to the Star Dou Great Forest

Zhu Zhuqing's small mouth fell open slightly when she heard Shi An's words, her expression somewhat dazed.

She had never considered such a thing before. After all, her ancestors had absorbed Soul Rings this way for generations.

Now that she considered the connection behind it, she could not help but feel a chill run down her spine.

"This..."

"Is this true?"

"It's only my guess, but the very idea of prescribing Soul Rings is unreasonable."

"There are clearly Soul Beasts better suited for it, with stronger assassination and concealment abilities. Why insist on those mediocre ones?"

Shi An spoke up. This truly was only his guess, but he estimated he was eighty or ninety percent correct.

How could the Star Luo Imperial Family possibly allow members of the Zhu Clan to control the initiative in a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?

If the Zhu Clan controlled it, then whose throne would the imperial throne belong to?

And who would truly have the final say in the Star Luo Empire?

The Star Luo Empire had certainly considered such a possibility. That was why it had established these rules, fixing the first four Soul Rings of the White Tiger Martial Soul and the Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Soul.

It appeared to be determining the most suitable soul skills, but in truth, it was secretly controlling the initiative in the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, ensuring that it always remained in the hands of the White Tiger Martial Soul.

Zhu Zhuqing sank into thought. She was not foolish; she had simply never considered such matters before.

Now that she thought about it carefully, her back turned cold, and even her hands stopped massaging Shi An.

"Don't be nervous. Now that you're my disciple, I naturally won't let you absorb such worthless Soul Rings."

"As for the Star Luo Empire..."

Shi An smiled and spoke in a relaxed tone. "On Douluo Continent, they're not that formidable. They can't cover the sky with one hand."

"Just follow me without worry from now on."

Was he afraid of retaliation from the Star Luo Empire?

A little, but only a little.

If he could not defeat them, he could still escape. His control over the earth had already reached an introductory level. If he wanted to flee, almost no one could stop him.

Besides, in a few years, he might not even fear a Title Douluo anymore.

What the hell was the Star Luo Empire?

Zhu Zhuqing did not feel comforted by Shi An's words.

She had been born into the Zhu Clan of the Star Luo Empire and had countless ties to the imperial family.

Although she did not know how many powerful figures lurked in the shadows, even those out in the open were enough to make her feel suffocated.

Shi An naturally knew that Zhu Zhuqing was not in a good mood. He waved his hand and said, "Enough. Go get some rest. We'll leave early tomorrow morning and head to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a Soul Ring for you."

Early the next morning.

A carriage left the small town and headed toward the Star Dou Great Forest. Zhu Zhuqing had dark circles beneath her eyes; one look was enough to tell that she had not slept well the previous night.

Shi An did not care. After learning about all the things surrounding her, merely failing to sleep was already a mild reaction.

Someone with a weaker mind would probably be in complete turmoil by now.

The carriage sped onward and arrived at the town outside the Star Dou Great Forest by evening.

The two rested for the night and entered the Star Dou Great Forest the following day.

This time, Shi An did not need to enter the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest. He only needed to find a suitable Soul Beast for Zhu Zhuqing in the outer region.

Shi An already had several options in mind: the Death Demon Tiger, Netherworld Hou, Underworld Tiger Lion, and so on.

These were all powerful dark-type Soul Beasts and were highly suitable for Zhu Zhuqing.

Shi An discussed it with her, and Zhu Zhuqing readily agreed.

After all, he was hunting a better Soul Ring for her. Naturally, she had no objections.

As for the standardized Soul Rings required by her clan, she had long since cast them aside.

If she could become stronger and perhaps even control her own fate in the future, why should she continue listening to them?

Should she listen to them, continue absorbing those standardized Soul Rings, and become someone's accessory in the future?

That was not what Zhu Zhuqing wanted.

She was highly competitive and wanted to control her own destiny.

Even if the entire Star Luo Empire targeted and hunted her in the future.

She accepted that. Even death would be better than having to pretend affection for that disgusting Dai Mubai.

Zhu Zhuqing still harbored resentment toward Dai Mubai. She hated that heartless man so much that she wished she could tear him into eight pieces.

Naturally, her thoughts had become somewhat extreme.

Of course, that was exactly what Shi An wanted to see.

After all, he had no desire for Zhu Zhuqing to possibly betray him in the future.

Only once she declared her position and completely stood against the Star Luo Empire would Shi An truly be at ease.

When the opportunity arose in the future, he would have her completely break with Dai Mubai as well.

The Star Dou Great Forest remained extremely dim. Shi An and Zhu Zhuqing stood atop the Puppet Snake's head as they hurried toward the places where their chosen Soul Beasts might dwell.

The surrounding aura grew increasingly cold and gloomy, while the light became ever dimmer. The atmosphere around them was strange and sinister, as though they had entered the netherworld.

This place lay in a remote corner of the Star Dou Great Forest. Because its blood energy was cold and sunlight could not reach it year-round, it had gradually become a habitat for dark-attribute Soul Beasts.

Whoosh!!!

An incredibly faint sound of something slicing through the air rang out. Shi An flicked a finger of his right hand, and an earthen spear shot explosively from the ground, piercing straight through the black shadow lunging at them.

The spear nailed it to the trunk of a large tree, and the dark figure continued struggling in terror.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an entirely black venomous snake. Even its pair of fangs were black, making it look particularly vicious and terrifying.

Shi An merely glanced at it before withdrawing his gaze.

It was not the Soul Beast they were seeking. Its attempt to attack them could only be considered bad luck.

Before long, other Soul Beasts would likely follow the scent of blood and come kill it.

Shi An paid it no further attention and controlled the Puppet Snake to continue slithering forward.

As time passed second by second, night soon blanketed the land.

Within the Star Dou Great Forest, it was almost impossible to see one's hand before one's face. The rustling of leaves sounded from time to time, accompanied by the occasional roar of Soul Beasts, making the atmosphere increasingly eerie.

Shi An controlled the Puppet Snake to burrow underground, then stirred his thoughts.

A coffin-like stone house rose from the ground, enclosing the two of them within.

"It's getting late. Let's rest here tonight and continue searching tomorrow," Shi An said.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded. Her nerves had been stretched taut all day, and she truly felt hungry and exhausted now.

She had no objections to Shi An's arrangements.

A bonfire slowly rose, illuminating the dark coffin house.

The flickering firelight cast shifting shadows across their faces.

An iron pot sat over the bonfire, containing a silver-white fish.

The soup was milky white, and the ingredients rose and fell with the boiling broth. Its fresh fragrance drifted into her nose, and Zhu Zhuqing's stomach let out a rumbling growl, exceptionally clear within the silent coffin house.

Zhu Zhuqing's face turned bright red. She lowered her head, not daring to look at Shi An.

She had been taught aristocratic etiquette since childhood. Having her stomach growl from hunger in front of others was an extremely embarrassing thing.