The Three-Month Wait Is Over: Star Dou Great Forest

Over the next few days, Jiang Yu did little besides eat like a man possessed under Lu Yaoyao's guidance, take pills for Marrow-Cleansing and Foundation-Stabilizing, and learn the basics of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and spirit master cultivation with Ning Tian and her companion.

Jiang Yu had read the first three Douluo novels in his previous life, but he'd read Douluo I back in primary and middle school. By the time he crossed over, he remembered only the broad strokes of the plot.

As for The Legend of the Dragon King, he'd mostly read the comic.

And The Ultimate Douluo, the story he now found himself in... Jiang Yu had paid close attention at first. But as the plot grew increasingly absurd, skimming pages and skipping chapters became his norm. In the end, he'd dropped it altogether.

Jiang Yu regretted that bitterly.

If he'd known he would be unlucky enough to cross over into The Ultimate Douluo, he would have read every last word of the original, even if it was a pile of shit!

Fortunately, he was a quick learner. In just a few days, he grasped the basic cultivation methods that had seemed simple in the novels but proved unfamiliar and surprisingly profound in practice.

During that time, he experienced many firsts.

The most fascinating was using the Meditation Method for the first time to absorb energy from the surrounding space for cultivation.

Perhaps being a transmigrator gave him naturally powerful spiritual strength, or perhaps his martial soul's affinity with space let him absorb energy faster than others. Whatever the reason, his Soul Power Level could not rise without a Spirit Ring, but after trying the method, the Soul Power within him had grown more abundant.

Feeling himself grow stronger little by little was addictive. For the next stretch of time, Jiang Yu spent almost every moment he could spare from his treatments and studies immersed in meditation and cultivation.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

After three months of intensive care and study, Jiang Yu looked nothing like the skin-and-bones child who had first arrived at the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

His once gaunt, almost skeletal body had filled out. His shoulders had broadened, and he had grown a little taller. Thanks to good living conditions and ample nutrition, his formerly pallid skin had regained a healthy look, its fair surface carrying a translucent sheen.

His little face, in particular, had finally taken on its true appearance now that he had some flesh on his cheeks and color in his complexion.

With delicate features, rosy lips, and white teeth, he was the very image of an adorable little boy.

Once the three months were up, Jiang Yu could finally do what he had been looking forward to most.

He could obtain his first Spirit Ring.

Two days earlier, he had consumed a piece of high-quality, thousand-year-old Whale Rubber that resembled golden crystal. Lu Yaoyao concluded that his body was now strong enough to withstand an eight-hundred-year first ring. Ning Yunxiu was delighted to hear it and promptly assigned Red Dragon Douluo Wu Lie to take Jiang Yu to obtain one.

Sunset Forest was the largest gathering place for spirit beasts near Heaven Dou City. But ten thousand years of hunting by spirit masters had devastated its ecosystem. Powerful and high-quality spirit beasts had all but vanished, making it a poor place to hunt for a ring.

So Red Dragon Douluo decided to take Jiang Yu straight to Star Dou Great Forest and search for a suitable, high-quality light-attribute spirit beast for his Light Dragon Dagger martial soul.

Since it was just the two of them, Wu Lie decided to let Jiang Yu experience what flying at a Titled Douluo's speed was like.

Above the clouds, once the initial fright and dizziness had faded, Jiang Yu gazed through gaps in the cloud cover at the magnificent landscape below. A fierce longing surged within him.

He wanted to soar through the clouds freely by his own power.

That feeling of looking down upon all creation, of standing above the world as its sovereign, captivated him completely.

For the sake of that ambition, Jiang Yu made up his mind.

Cultivate! I have to cultivate like crazy!

Once I get my first Spirit Ring and return to the sect, I'll show the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples what Blue Star's competitive grind looks like!

As he thought, Red Dragon Douluo began carrying him gradually downward.

They dropped below the clouds, and the view opened before them.

Far away, a vast expanse of lush green came into sight.

The green was vivid and bright. From a distance, it looked like a wall stretching endlessly in both directions. Dense life energy rose above the forest through banks of pale mist, making it look like a realm of immortals.

Jiang Yu's heart stirred.

Star Dou Great Forest. We're here!

After landing, Jiang Yu took a deep breath of fresh, plant-scented air. He felt instantly refreshed, and the lingering fatigue from being carried through the air for over a thousand kilometers vanished.

The forest was far from quiet. Insects chirped all around them. Wu Lie motioned for Jiang Yu to stay close, then said:

"Boy, let this old man teach you something. Whenever you enter a forest or a place where spirit beasts gather, never let the scenery fool you. Remember this: once you're inside, none of the plants or animals will welcome you. They'll only want to turn you into nourishment. I won't take you through the next stretch too quickly. Calm yourself and get a good feel for how terrifying Star Dou Great Forest can be. It'll teach you a little more respect for nature."

"I'll remember that, Grandpa Wu."

Jiang Yu's heart tightened, and he answered respectfully.

Wu Lie waved a hand. As he used Soul Power to clear the thorns blocking their path, he continued:

"I've told you before, boy. You don't need to stand on ceremony with me. I don't care for all that fuss."

Jiang Yu merely smiled.

His experiences in his previous life had taught him one thing: elders might say they did not care about certain courtesies, but that did not mean the younger generation could truly disregard them.

Especially in Douluo Continent, where strength ruled above all else.

After they ventured farther in, the vegetation around them grew denser and more primeval.

Then, in the next instant, two wolf-type spirit beasts burst from the bushes ahead. Their bodies were a dusky green, each over a meter long, and they bared gleaming fangs at the pair.

"Hundred-year Gale Demon Wolves?"

Wu Lie frowned in surprise. "The quality of spirit beasts in Star Dou Great Forest's outer region really has risen since the Beast Tide. To think we'd encounter hundred-year beasts even here."

As he spoke, Wu Lie released a trace of draconic pressure. The two Gale Demon Wolves immediately tucked their tails between their legs and fled deeper into the forest.

Wu Lie was unusually patient with the talented boy he had brought back.

After driving off the two Gale Demon Wolves, he explained what Jiang Yu should know about the species. Then, noticing Jiang Yu's interest in the Beast Tide, he considered it briefly before telling him what he knew of the event as a story.

They maintained their pace as they went, but their encounters with spirit beasts grew steadily more frequent.

By dusk, they had reached the depths of the outer region.

Just then, a commotion in the distance made Wu Lie's brow twitch. After sensing what lay ahead, he chuckled.

"Boy, I told you you were a lucky star. We haven't been here long, and a spirit beast perfect for you has already appeared."