Gearing Up (Please Keep Reading During the Trial Run!)

"Zhuqing, Rongrong, I'm going on a long trip tomorrow. We can talk about the competition later."

As night fell, Gu Zhi had already made his plans. Suotuo City was not too far from the Star Dou Great Forest, so he decided to head there first, clear some new ground, and mark a teleportation point to make grinding exploration progress easier in the future.

Thinking of his agreement with Zhu Zhuqing and the other girl, Gu Zhi was glad he had left them communication rings. Otherwise, making two beauties come all that way for nothing would definitely cost him influence points.

"Gu Zhi is going to the Star Dou Great Forest!"

At almost the same moment, every beauty in Douluo who could see the bullet comments learned of Gu Zhi's decision. However, many of them were no longer in a hurry. After all, many maps had opened right where they were. Rather than all rushing to the same place to compete, it was better to wait for Gu Zhi to come to them!

Of course, not everyone could stay put and wait for Gu Zhi. Many beauties were not located within unexplored maps, while others preferred taking the initiative, and they were all preparing to follow Gu Zhi across the map.

"Zhuqing, did you get the message? What do we do now? Should we invite him to go to the Star Dou Great Forest with us?"

Ning Rongrong hurried into Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu's dorm room. She could not help being anxious. They had agreed to win the match and mooch off the system rewards, but now there was no telling how long that would be delayed. If someone else got there first, she would not even have a place to cry!

"Rongrong, have you considered why he didn't bring us along? Even though he's powerful, he can only protect himself in the Star Dou Great Forest. In his eyes, we'd just hold him back!"

Zhu Zhuqing saw the issue quite clearly. Of course, the bullet-comment analysts deserved some credit for that as well...

"Then what do we do? Are we supposed to hand such a great opportunity over to someone else?"

Ning Rongrong was so anxious that she almost asked the bullet comments for advice. Fortunately, she still had a shred of reason left and knew that not only could they not let Gu Zhi find out about the bullet comments, they also could not let the bullet comments know that they could see them.

"Isn't that simple? Just because he didn't invite us doesn't mean we can't go."

Xiao Wu's words woke them from their stupor. Gu Zhi had certainly not invited them, but that did not mean he could stop them from going on their own.

"Right! Zhuqing is level thirty! She can go to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a Soul Ring!"

"But with just us, I'm afraid even protecting ourselves will be a problem, right? And Gu Zhi definitely won't take us with him..."

Even Gu Zhi could only protect himself, yet Ning Rongrong wanted the few of them to sneak over there?

"Isn't Oscar level thirty too? Maybe in the next few days, the dean and the others will bring up going to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Rings!"

Xiao Wu truly deserved her title as Shrek's idea queen. She had even accurately mentioned some plot developments from the original story.

"That works. Gu Zhi probably won't be back so soon after heading there. We still have a chance!"

Ning Rongrong finally relaxed. This was an opportunity to soar to the heavens in one leap. Neither she nor the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could let it slip away for nothing!

"The Star Dou Great Forest... good. I was just worrying about not having a chance to meet him..."

Ning Rongrong and the other two were not the only ones eyeing Gu Zhi's journey. Liu Erlong, currently serving as the headmistress of Blue Tyrant Academy, was also preparing to have a chance encounter with Gu Zhi in the Star Dou Great Forest.

"The Star Dou Great Forest! Looks like heaven itself is helping bring us together! Gu Zhi, I'll see you in the Star Dou Great Forest!"

Meanwhile, Meng Yiran, who was preparing to head to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a Soul Ring, could not hide her smug smile. She was not as bashful as Zhu Zhuqing. Since fate wanted her and Gu Zhi to meet in the Star Dou Great Forest, this time, she would take him down directly!

"I didn't expect us to meet so soon... All Ferocious Beasts, come to a meeting..."

Deep within the core of the Star Dou Great Forest, a clear female voice carried far across a stretch of crystal-clear lake water.

In the next instant, nearly every Ferocious Beast with a name hurriedly put aside what they were doing. Before long, they had all gathered at the Lake of Life.

"My lord! Is there some urgent matter behind this summons?"

Di Tian respectfully asked the figure within the lake for the reason. The Silver Dragon King seemed especially active today. Normally, they rarely had the chance to communicate with the sovereign of soul beasts, yet today alone rivaled the number of exchanges they had had in the past century.

"Pass down the order: if you encounter a particular human, you must not harm him! Di Tian, you will personally supervise this matter. Anyone who defies the order will be executed!"

With that, the Silver Dragon King drew a portrait of Gu Zhi based directly on the bullet comments' descriptions and handed it to Di Tian. Though puzzled, he faithfully carried out the Silver Dragon King's order.

"My lord, should I capture him and bring him here?"

It could only be said that underlings all thought alike. Chrysanthemum Douluo had asked Bibi Dong the same question before, and the Silver Dragon King gave the same answer here.

"Do not offend this man! Nor is there any need to interfere too much with his actions! However, if he enters this place himself, you need not stop him."

As she spoke, the Silver Dragon King recalled the side quest. Perhaps a chest was buried in her Lake of Life as well. If that was truly the case, then whether she mooched off the system rewards or personally met Gu Zhi, it should not cause any other effects, right?

The meeting began quickly and ended just as quickly. Only Bi Ji and a certain auspicious little beast nearby could understand the intentions of the sovereign of soul beasts.

"Since it seems you can see the bullet comments too, do whatever you wish."

Before returning to her quietness, the Silver Dragon King spared an extra glance at Bi Ji and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, but she did not interfere with whatever decisions they wished to make.

"Yes, my lord..."

Bi Ji was actually quite conflicted. She was curious about the human world, yet she did not know how she should face Gu Zhi. As for mooching off rewards, she did not care much about that. After all, she was quite a laid-back Ferocious Beast.

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion, however, revealed intense interest in her eyes—interest in human society and in Gu Zhi. She thought that when Gu Zhi appeared, she would definitely cling to him and make him take her around human society!

The next day.

Gu Zhi received replies from Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong. They were both things like telling him to stay safe and be careful on the road, with none of yesterday's clinginess.

"What a great opportunity! Gu Zhi, you should bring the two beauties along for some sightseeing and build up your relationship!"

"Hey, above! Do you think he's going on a spring outing? Gu Zhi is only level forty. Honestly, even protecting himself will be tough, okay? Bringing two burdens along is just asking to die faster!"

"That's what happens when the little head controls the big head! Put the commenter above in his place, and if he survives two episodes, I lose!"

"Hurry up and leave! I can't wait to see what good stuff the chests can give!"

"By the way, what's the drop rate for a Gold Chest? Could it give a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring or a soul bone?"

"Soul Rings and soul bones aren't even that exciting anymore! A Gold Chest has to drop a divine artifact, right?"

"Even if it's a divine artifact, Gu Zhi can't unleash its full power yet, can he? It'd be better to get some heavenly treasures to raise his strength!"

The moment Gu Zhi set out, the bullet comments were already imagining what treasures the chests might contain. At Gu Zhi's current strength, unless it was something with special mechanics or overwhelming stats, there really was not much to get excited about...