Departure

"Given the current situation, aside from you quickly increasing your cultivation, all we can do is see whether my Martial Soul gains new abilities once I reach a certain level." Gu Hengzhi frowned deeply, helplessness visible in his eyes. "But if Headmaster Tie can cultivate according to the requirements of that Sun-Moon Prohibition, we can at least ensure there won't be any major problems for the next five years."

After resolving the matter at the Peace Hotel, Headmaster Kong Ling promised that in a day or two, she would lead them to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Beasts. At the thought of Soul Beast hunting, complicated emotions rose in Gu Hengzhi's heart. He could not help thinking of Tang San, that youth brimming with talent and potential. He secretly wondered whether Tang San would still cross paths with Meng Yiran. Would he still obtain that precious Eight Spider Lances external Soul Bone? Yet when he thought of the unseen hand of the Divine Realm, he knew that even if Tang San failed to obtain the Eight Spider Lances external Soul Bone, his gains from this trip to hunt Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest would certainly not be poor.

As for the seven from Shrek, they returned to Shrek Academy the following afternoon. Flender had happily assumed that this Soul Beast hunting operation had gone smoothly, but when he came out to look, he saw Zhao Wuji lying on a stretcher inside a carriage. His expression instantly darkened, black as pig liver. Before he could even ask what had happened, he brought Zhao Wuji to Heaven Dou City. To treat Zhao Wuji, Flender spared no expense. The Soul Master he invited, who possessed the Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul, was none other than the grandfather of Ye Cencen, a main team member of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's battle team.

A day later, led by Headmaster Kong Ling, the eight members of Righteous Heaven Academy boarded a carriage that Gu Hengzhi had carefully modified and set off toward the Star Dou Great Forest. The sun slowly rose in the east like a shy young maiden, gradually lifting her mysterious veil. A sliver of pale dawn steadily spread, like the first light before daybreak, bringing hope and anticipation.

"Ah, Tang San must be cultivating his Purple Demon Eyes again. Forget him for now. I should think about the targets for this Soul Beast hunt." Gu Hengzhi propped himself against the carriage window, his gaze fixed on the scenery outside. Determination gleamed in his eyes, as though he had silently made a vow. The carriage sped along the flat road with faint creaks, but the sound did nothing to disturb his thoughts.

He pondered quietly as images of various Soul Beasts flickered through his mind like a movie, as though they were leaping and dancing before his eyes. My Soul Power level on the God-Sealing Record's system panel has already reached Level 36. That is the result of my relentless day-and-night cultivation; I simply have not obtained a Soul Ring yet. My physical strength has reached Level 42, and my spiritual strength is at Level 39. Absorbing a Soul Ring over four thousand years old will not be a problem at all. In Douluo Four, there is a Yin-Yang Chaos Bird among the Soul Beasts. Its yin-yang attributes resonate with sun-moon attributes, but I do not know whether it has been born yet. It is the Soul Beast most compatible with the Day-and-Night Patrol Gods! And Zhu Zhuqing's third Soul Ring cannot be chosen carelessly like in the original work. She will be a great help to me later on, so I must secure a higher-level divine inheritance for her. Hmm—Queen Mother of the West, Chang'e, and the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady are all excellent choices.

The Star Dou Great Forest—the largest and most powerful gathering place of Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent—was like a mysterious, ancient forest of colossal beasts, stretching across both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire. The so-called three great Soul Beast habitats that people spoke of today were utterly mistaken. Setting aside the number of ferocious beasts over a hundred thousand years old, there was even a Divine Beast—the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena. Her powerful aura alone was enough to make the entire forest tremble. Moreover, with humanity's current capabilities, no one had ever set foot in the true core region of the Star Dou Great Forest. It was clear that people had greatly underestimated this forest's mystery and danger.

After two hours of arduous travel, the group finally arrived at the Soul Beast forest. The trees at the forest's outermost edge towered into the clouds, their trunks over twenty meters tall standing like giants, as though recounting the forest's long history. The dense trees formed an impenetrable wall, leaving no path to follow. Layer upon layer of shadows interwove, stretching endlessly as far as the eye could see. Once they entered the forest, a cool breath washed over them, as though the forest welcomed their arrival while silently warning them of its dangers.

"All right, stop and rest for a while." Headmaster Kong Ling spoke, a trace of fatigue in her voice. Although all eight had traveled by carriage, the repetitive and dull scenery had long since exhausted the academy's seven students, as though their souls had been drained away. They looked listless, their eyes filled with longing for rest. Stopping to recuperate was undoubtedly the best choice for restoring their condition.

With focused eyes, Gu Hengzhi seemingly conjured several recovery-type and spiritual-type delicacies from the Gourmet Space, each giving off an enticing fragrance. He carefully handed them to the team members. The others accepted the food, anticipation shining in their eyes, and eagerly put it into their mouths.

Headmaster Kong Ling stood before the group. Her beautiful face seemed covered in frost, and her grave expression sent chills through them. Her gaze swept across every face like sharp arrows, as though it could pierce straight into their hearts.

"Listen to me first. This concerns your lives!" Headmaster Kong Ling's voice rang through the air like a great bell. "The Star Dou Great Forest is nowhere near comparable to the Spirit Hunting Forests raised by the Empire. Most of the Soul Beasts inside are at least a hundred years old, and even the outer regions occasionally see thousand-year Soul Beasts. From now on, I will be the core of the formation. Those of you at Level 20, stay by my side. Gu Hengzhi will clear the path ahead, Zhu Zhuqing will take the left flank, Xuan Yue will guard the rear, and you..."

Gu Hengzhi once again took several jars of candy beans from the Gourmet Space. His movements were gentle and practiced, as though the candy beans were his most precious treasures. He handed them out one by one, concern in his eyes. "These are candy beans I made using my Soul Skill. They last for a week. The red ones enhance strength, the blue ones enhance defense, and the green ones enhance speed. Of course, you do not need to distinguish them so carefully in actual combat. Just grab a handful and stuff them into your mouth."

Everyone nodded, their eyes full of trust and gratitude. They carefully accepted the candy beans as if holding rare treasures, then put them away with care. When Gu Hengzhi handed some to Zhu Zhuqing, he deliberately gave her several extra pastries that she liked. A shy smile immediately bloomed on Zhu Zhuqing's face like a flower in full blossom. Headmaster Kong Ling naturally noticed the scene. A barely perceptible smile flashed through her eyes, but she soon returned to her serious expression.

There were no roads in the Star Dou Great Forest, only tangled terrain and dense shrubs and thorns. Gu Hengzhi drew a deep breath, his heart filled with confidence and courage. With a light wave of his hands, he summoned his Stone Statue Martial Soul—the Earth Deity Statue. As a dazzling light flashed, Xiao Qing, the Earth Deity's mount, took solid form. Its massive, imposing body was like a moving mountain.

Gu Hengzhi nimbly leaped onto Xiao Qing's back, his movements agile and graceful like a light bird. Feeling her master's summons, Xiao Qing let out a low roar. Her four hooves lifted from the ground, and like a burning meteor, she charged forward. Nurtured by Gu Hengzhi and the Earth Deity, Xiao Qing had already gained strength close to that of a thousand-year Soul Beast. Wherever she passed, thorns and shrubs were smashed apart, opening a wide path for the group.