Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent

After the commotion, while there was still time, Lu Shi decided to head out.

Not everyone entered the forest to obtain Soul Rings. Quite a few came to hunt.

They supplied the major powers.

This place was near the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest. There were many Soul Beasts, so naturally there was plenty of Soul Beast meat.

It also saved on transportation and storage costs, making the prices cheaper.

No one was profiting from the price difference.

After walking only a few streets, he had bought enough meat to fill his Storage Soul Tool.

It was enough to feed three Soul Beasts for a long time.

But constantly buying meat was not a solution. Lu Shi pondered, since raw meat could be placed in the Small World, could living Soul Beasts be placed inside as well?

Early the next morning, everyone gathered outside the inn.

Zhao Wuji loudly announced, "Set off!"

The town was very close to the Star Dou Forest. Once they left town, everyone sped up. Oscar was the most excited; he desperately wanted to know what his third soul skill would be.

The Star Dou Forest lay directly south of the Heaven Dou Empire, spanning the territories of the Heaven Dou Empire, Spirit Hall, and the Star Luo Empire.

Its terrain was complex, encompassing forests, wetlands, swamps, and rivers. Its area was equal to that of the Balak Kingdom.

It was the oldest and largest gathering place for Soul Beasts on the entire continent. No one could trace back when it had first come into being. At its core lay a Lake of Life, beneath which dwelled the Silver Dragon King, ruler of all Soul Beasts.

Unfortunately, even the ruler of the Soul Beasts was lovestruck and ran off after a human. How could the Soul Beast race possibly avoid decline?

While they were still far from the Star Dou Forest, waves of cool air washed over them.

Every breath carried the fresh fragrance of plants and earth.

It gave them an indescribable sense of comfort.

Lu Shi had been here more than once and was unsurprised. Xiao Wu was the most relaxed, strolling along as if she were taking a walk, because this was her home.

Among the rest, only Tang San and Ning Rongrong had never been here at all.

Their eyes could barely take everything in, their faces filled with novelty and amazement.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was closer to the Sunset Forest. To low-level two-ring Soul Masters, there was not much difference between the Sunset Forest and the Star Dou Forest, so there was no need to come here specifically.

As for Tang San, all his Soul Rings had been obtained in the Soul Hunting Forest. To Grandmaster, this place was far too dangerous.

Even at the edges, they might encounter fierce Soul Beasts nearly a thousand years old.

So he had never brought Tang San here.

Zhao Wuji looked at everyone with an extremely solemn expression. "From now on, no one is allowed to move more than twenty meters away from me. Oscar and Ning Rongrong especially—you must stay close to me!"

It was not only Soul Masters who hunted Soul Beasts. Soul Beasts hunted humans too.

The Star Dou Forest's terrain was complex, and there were no paths inside. Even if many people passed through, they could not trample out a road.

Before the ground could even be packed down, plants would surge back over it.

Naturally, the task of clearing a path fell to Lu Shi.

He cut through the thorns and trunks blocking the way ahead. Dai Mubai and Tang San followed behind him, and he and Dai Mubai switched every half hour.

Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu were in the middle. Zhao Wuji covered the rear, with Oscar and Ning Rongrong beside him.

The Star Dou Forest was simply too dense. The phrase "blocking out the sky and sun" was no exaggeration. Even though the sun was already high overhead, sunlight could only spill through scattered gaps in the leaves.

They could barely see any sunlight.

Along the way, they encountered only ten-year and Hundred-Year Soul Beasts.

After traveling for about an hour, Zhao Wuji decided to rest first. The deeper they went into the Star Dou Forest, the more dangerous it became. They had to adjust themselves to their best condition, or things would become very dangerous.

Everyone closed their eyes to rest, trying to recover as quickly as possible.

Even while resting in place, they did not dare let down their guard. No one knew when danger might arrive.

Of course, Lu Shi was an exception.

Leaning against a tree trunk, he leisurely drank water.

As someone who could enter the outer region alone while only having two Soul Rings, Lu Shi considered the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest only slightly more dangerous than the Soul Hunting Forest.

Suddenly, Lu Shi noticed a disturbance in the distance.

Zhao Wuji immediately became alert and shouted, "Everyone, get up! Something is approaching!"

At once, everyone summoned their Martial Souls.

The rustling grew louder and louder. They could feel that thing drawing closer.

"Rustle." "Rustle."

The sound scraped at everyone's ears. The unknown was always the most frightening, especially for those hunting for the first time.

It was not as if they had never encountered Soul Beasts before, but they had been protected then, and the pressure had been far lower.

Zhao Wuji muttered softly, "Zhu Zhuqing, see what it is."

Zhu Zhuqing did not answer. Her Soul Rings lit up as she silently leaped into the air. Her claws sprang out, and she swiftly climbed a towering tree.

Soon, her cool voice came from above. "It seems to be a flying snake, but it cannot fly very high—only around three meters above the ground. There is a fleshy crest on its head, bright red like blood and seemingly larger than its head. Its tail is unusual, shaped like a fan."

Zhao Wuji's eyes immediately lit up. "Oscar, you're in luck. It's a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, a rather rare Soul Beast. Unfortunately, we don't know its age. Zhu Zhuqing, keep an eye on its direction of travel. Report to me immediately if anything changes."

Lu Shi suddenly asked, "About how long is the crested serpent? What color are its wings?"

He would ask before Tang San did anyway. He could not let Tang San take the credit.

"The wings are light red, and it is roughly six to eight meters long."

Lu Shi nodded. "That makes it a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent about fifteen hundred years old. Oscar, it's perfect for you."

Oscar said excitedly, "Lu Shi, you're practically a walking Soul Beast encyclopedia!"

He did not even know how to thank Lu Shi. Lu Shi had helped him understand that he could not provoke others recklessly, and had helped him find a suitable Soul Beast.

Now, in Oscar's heart, Lu Shi held a higher position than anyone else.

As for Ning Rongrong's concern for Lu Shi, Oscar could only smile bitterly to himself. What else could he do?

Lu Shi was far more outstanding than he was.

Perhaps when he heard that Lu Shi and Ning Rongrong had gotten together, he would congratulate them too...

Tang San, standing nearby, was very depressed. He could clearly make the same judgment, yet Lu Shi had beaten him to it.

No, Lu Shi is stealing all the spotlight. How else will Xiao Wu see my heroic bearing?

Without giving anyone a chance to speak, he hurriedly said, "Phoenix-tail Crested Serpents are not venomous. They are a rare type of powerful nonvenomous snake. Their attacks are simple, but they are incredibly fast. It should be able to grant you a soul skill related to speed."

Feeling Oscar's gaze upon him, Tang San felt quite pleased with himself.

Just as he was about to direct everyone in battle and show off again—

Lu Shi directly lit up three Purple Soul Rings and leaped into the air.

Did they really need a group battle to deal with a fifteen-hundred-year Soul Beast?

Lightly stepping off the treetop with the tip of his foot, his body shot forward with a whoosh, charging straight at the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.

Lightning and flames formed in his palm. With a teleport forward, he flashed directly before it.

As a speed-type Soul Beast, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent reacted quickly. Startled, it immediately dodged aside.

But Lu Shi was even faster!

His fist smashed into its lower jaw. The massive sideways force shattered its enormous jawbone, and the instantaneous impact knocked the crested serpent unconscious.

Bang!

When its seven-meter-long body crashed solidly onto the ground, a trace of bewilderment flashed through everyone's eyes.