Treasure Hunt in the Sunset Forest

Two days later, fully recovered, Mo An set off with Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Ning Rongrong for the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a Soul Ring.

Last time, Bone Douluo had accompanied Ning Fengzhi to North Sea City while Sword Douluo had remained at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. This time, it was Sword Douluo's turn to go out with Ning Fengzhi, leaving Bone Douluo to hold down the sect.

It was a rule they had established years ago. Bone Douluo grumbled a little when he came to see them off, but he never suggested trading places with Sword Douluo.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's carriage was drawn by tamed horse-type Soul Beasts. It sped along like a car on a highway, yet its ingenious shockproof design meant the passengers felt not the slightest jolt.

Heaven Dou City was not far from the Sunset Forest, so they set out in the morning and reached a town on the forest's edge that evening.

"Xiao An, let's agree on this first. We'll take a look from a distance, and you can use your Martial Soul to sense whether there's any treasure there. Let's avoid fighting Poison Douluo if we can."

After getting off the carriage, Ning Fengzhi reminded Mo An once more, true to an auxiliary-type Soul Master's inclination to keep on good terms with others. Not that Mo An had the authority to decide whether they fought.

Ning Fengzhi had looked into the Aromatic Silk Beauty, but he simply did not believe it was real. How could a mere herb evolve a gem-type Martial Soul? No matter how he thought about it, it seemed impossible.

He had never heard of such a thing and found it hard to believe. He certainly would not make an enemy of Poison Douluo over something that, as far as he was concerned, did not exist.

"I know, Uncle Ning. We'll look from a distance first, then discuss what to do." Having heard the warning several times already, Mo An changed the subject without a care. "That gorge is somewhere near the middle of the Sunset Forest and shrouded in poisonous mist. It should be easy to find."

"All right. I'll send people to look for it."

Ning Fengzhi could clearly tell that Mo An was not taking his warning to heart. He sighed helplessly, then arranged for people to investigate the gorge Mo An had described.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had a base in the town on the Sunset Forest's edge, so Ning Fengzhi had no need to find lodging. They could stay there.

Just as Mo An was getting ready to rest, Ning Rongrong pushed open his door and strode in.

Before Mo An could ask why she had come, she said, "Hey, Xiao An, want to go treasure hunting together?"

"Hm?"

Mo An had never expected that. Puzzled, he waited for Ning Rongrong to explain what she was up to.

"Didn't you say your Mutated Ink Bamboo Martial Soul can find treasure too? My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda can do that as well. We hardly ever get to go out, so let's hunt for treasure in this town and see who's better."

Excitement was written all over Ning Rongrong's face. Though she disliked studying and cultivating, she had made a point of learning how to find treasure with her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda before they left. She had also carefully read the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's illustrated treasure guide.

"Sure."

Mo An had long wanted to see the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's treasure-finding ability for himself, so he agreed.

"Yay! Come on, let's go now."

The moment he agreed, Ning Rongrong grabbed his hand and eagerly dragged him toward the door.

Before she could pull him away, Mo An used the token Ning Fengzhi had given him to requisition two Soul Masters of unknown rank from the base as guards. All sorts of people mingled in Soul Hunting Town; he did not dare wander around without help.

"Forming a team to hunt an agility-type Soul Beast! Urgently seeking a fast two-ring agility-attack Soul Master and a control-type Soul Master with at least three rings! Terms negotiable—"

"The Flying Mouse Soul Hunting Squad can guarantee a kill on any Soul Beast under five thousand years old! Soul Masters in urgent need of a Soul Ring, come find us! Fair prices, honest dealing for young and old alike!"

"Fresh peaches picked from a hundred-year-old peach tree! Brimming with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, delicious, and able to increase your Soul Power! Get them while you can!"

Four Soul Hunting Towns stood outside the Sunset Forest, one in each cardinal direction. They lived off the forest; every business in town dealt in its Soul Beasts, herbs, or local specialties.

The Soul Hunting Town where Mo An and Ning Rongrong had arrived lay east of the forest. As they walked through its busiest district, the Free Trading Market, the cries of vendors on both sides of the street drew their attention.

"Heh, Mo An, I'm not going to lose to you."

As Ning Rongrong surveyed the stalls lining the street, the excitement on her face grew. This was her first visit to a place like the Free Trading Market, and everything she saw seemed new.

A miniature, energy-formed Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda appeared in her right hand, hidden inside her sleeve. As she looked around, the world changed completely before her eyes. Different colors shimmered over the goods.

Some colors were bright and others dim. The brighter the color, the more valuable the treasure; a dimmer color meant it was worth less.

"Don't worry. I'll give it everything I've got too."

An energy-formed Ink Jade Divine Bamboo appeared in Mo An's hand. He could see every shift in the flow of the surrounding spiritual energy. Following its currents, he noticed that most of it flowed out of the Sunset Forest. The forest's spiritual energy was exceptionally dense. Even the parts he could see held about as much as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's headquarters.

No wonder the Sunset Forest is one of the three great Soul Beast habitats on the Douluo Continent, with spiritual energy this dense.

After that thought, Mo An headed in the opposite direction from Ning Rongrong. They had agreed on this rule before setting out: they could not walk together, lest they both set their sights on the same treasure.

Another rule was that each of them could spend no more than five hundred Gold Soul Coins in their little treasure-hunting contest.

Whoever found the more valuable treasure would win.

As Mo An walked through the Free Trading Market, his gaze swept swiftly over the wares on the surrounding stalls. Most held little spiritual energy. A few held a fair amount, but none would help him win the contest.

Before long, Mo An stopped at a stall selling ore. Two treasures there held remarkably dense spiritual energy.

He crouched in front of the stall and quickly picked out his targets.

One was a chunk of ore about the size of a head, pitch-black all over yet giving off the utterly different auras of flame and ice.

The other was a golden crystal filled with countless fine, hairlike golden threads. It was beautiful to look at.

Mo An did not recognize the first. The second was Plate Crystal Hair Gold, a prized ornament on the Douluo Continent and the raw material for the Dragon Whisker Needle, one of the Tang Sect's finest Hidden Weapons.

More importantly, the book Douluo Continent contained detailed instructions for making Dragon Whisker Needles.

All he had to do was shatter the Plate Crystal, extract the golden threads inside, and nurture them with Soul Power before using them as Hidden Weapons. The method sounded simple, but these weapons could pierce Zhao Wuji's defenses. Used properly, they would be deadly against low-level Soul Masters and could perform well even in battles between high-level Soul Masters.