Into the Star Dou Great Forest, the Golden Hawksbill Turtle!

"What about mine? What about mine?"

"Prince, you can't play favorites and only think of my sister."

While Shui Bing'er was still stunned by the pill's effects, Shui Yue'er had already begun wheedling Lin Hao.

"You get one too!"

Lin Hao wasn't stingy. It was only a Purple Gold Pill each, and Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma wasn't considered a precious immortal herb at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. He still had a decent supply.

"Thank you, Prince!"

After Lin Hao explained how to take them, the two swallowed their pills one after the other.

Half a day later, they had fully absorbed the medicinal effects. Shui Bing'er broke through to rank forty, and Shui Yue'er reached rank thirty-seven.

"We've reached the Star Dou Great Forest!"

Looking up at the towering trees and breathing in the earthy scent that washed over him, Lin Hao felt a jolt of awe.

This was his first visit to the Star Dou Great Forest. It truly deserved its reputation as the greatest gathering place for Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent.

He had been to the Sunset Forest and had seen the Star Luo Mountains within the Star Luo Empire, but compared with the Star Dou Great Forest, those two Soul Beast forests were little witches before a great witch.

The Star Dou Great Forest was far more dangerous, steeped in a primal atmosphere.

The danger level shot straight up!

"Your Highness!"

Sea Dragon and Sea Spear Douluo appeared, one on either side.

How could the Sea God Empire send Lin Hao out without sufficient bodyguards? At his request, the empire's second- and third-strongest fighters had come along.

Over the past two years, under Lin Hao's guidance, the Sea God Empire's Titled Douluo had all formed Soul Cores. Sea Dragon and Sea Spear Douluo had fully absorbed the Little Universe Pills' medicinal effects, and their Soul Power had smoothly risen to rank ninety-seven.

To strengthen them further, he had taught several of them a few Self-Created Soul Skills. After two years, the results were remarkable.

Together, Sea Dragon and Sea Spear could even hold their own for a while against a Level 98 Titled Douluo.

"Let's go. Try not to cause too much of a stir. If we come across a suitable ice-attribute Soul Beast, catch it for Bing'er."

After Lin Hao gave a few more instructions, the five of them entered the Star Dou Great Forest under the protection of the two Titled Douluo.

Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er, following behind Lin Hao, still felt as though none of this was real.

Titled Douluo as bodyguards—they had never had such a lavish setup in their lives.

So this was what came with belonging to a top-tier power?

They were sold!

Once inside the Star Dou Great Forest, Lin Hao began sweeping his Titled Douluo-level spiritual power across their surroundings.

He focused his search on places where the air was humid.

Three days later, the five arrived at a damp pool.

The air around it was heavy with moisture, and the temperature was several degrees lower than the Star Dou Great Forest's average.

The water was clear to the bottom, like a vast sapphire. Mountains embraced it, and layer upon layer of lush greenery made the scene breathtaking.

"It's the Hawksbill Turtle Clan! There are so many of them."

Shui Bing'er stared in surprise at the turtles lounging by the pool, basking in the warm sunlight.

Hawksbill turtles were seen as symbols of good fortune, associated with long life, protection from evil, and blessings. Aside from the Emperor Auspicious Beast, they could be called the little auspicious beasts among Soul Beasts.

They generally existed only in books and rarely appeared before Soul Masters on the continent.

Cool water vapor drifted toward them, and the moist air felt wonderfully refreshing.

The Hawksbill Turtle Clan was Lin Hao's target on this trip.

More precisely, his target was the Gold of Life inside the clan's leader, the Golden Hawksbill Turtle.

"Golden Hawksbill Turtle, someone from your old home has come calling. Won't you come out and say hello?"

Lin Hao looked around at the turtles and chuckled. He poured Soul Power into his voice, sending it rolling out in waves.

Hawksbill turtles were Sea Soul Beasts. No one knew when this particular clan had migrated from the ocean to the Star Dou Great Forest.

So Lin Hao wasn't wrong to put it that way.

The turtles sunbathing nearby jumped at Lin Hao's thunderous shout and scrambled back into the pool.

"What a powerful aura!"

Sea Dragon and Sea Spear Douluo seemed to sense something. Startled, they immediately focused and went on guard.

Ripples surged across the center of the still, deep pool. A striking golden shape threw up a curtain of water and appeared before them.

It was a turtle over two meters across. Every line on its shell was dark gold, arranged with remarkable symmetry.

A head emerged from the shell. The turtle seemed listless, its eyes dull as it looked at them. "Humans, I don't believe I've had any dealings with you, nor do I want any. Leave at once."

"Otherwise, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!!!"

The Golden Hawksbill Turtle's speech startled Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er.

Apart from the Demon Soul Great White Shark they had seen on Sea God Island, this was only the second Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast they had encountered.

"You want a fight?"

Lin Hao raised an eyebrow and smiled meaningfully.

Sea Dragon and Sea Spear Douluo stepped forward. The pressure of two rank ninety-seven Super Douluo instantly enveloped the Golden Hawksbill Turtle. Its eyes promptly cleared, no longer dull at all.

Rank ninety-seven Super Douluo.

And there were two of them.

Its shell might be hard enough to take a beating, but its clan members' shells weren't.

Sea Dragon and Sea Spear Douluo could wipe the Hawksbill Turtle Clan from the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Hahaha! So you're from Sea God Island."

"After all, the Hawksbill Turtle Clan's ancestors came from the ocean too. We've heard of the Sea God's great name. You could say we're one family!"

"What brings you to me? If it's within the Hawksbill Turtle Clan's power, I'll do everything I can."

The Golden Hawksbill Turtle laughed and regarded them with the easy familiarity of an old friend.

Watching the Golden Hawksbill Turtle change its tune in the blink of an eye, the others felt they had seen something new.

"There is something I need your help with, Golden Hawksbill Turtle."

Lin Hao looked the Golden Hawksbill Turtle up and down with an unreadable smile. The naked appraisal made the turtle shudder. It raised both flippers and gestured frantically.

"No, no! This old turtle is delicate and frail, and I'm no good at fighting. Absorb my Soul Ring and you'll get a few trash Soul Skills at best. It isn't worth wasting a Soul Ring slot."

"Who said I wanted your Soul Ring? I want the piece of metal inside you." Lin Hao decided to stop frightening the Golden Hawksbill Turtle and spoke plainly.

"What... what metal?"

"Hawksbill turtles are herbivores. How could there be a stone inside me?"

The Golden Hawksbill Turtle jolted in fright. Water streamed from all over its body, giving a vivid demonstration of what it meant to sweat buckets. It gritted its teeth and forced an awkward smile.

"In that case, I'll wake Di Tian and have a chat with him about how you chewed up the Lake of Life's treasure."

"Don't, don't! We can talk this through. Di Tian wakes up in a foul mood. Waking him would be a huge headache for you too."

The Golden Hawksbill Turtle was scared half to death. It knew Lin Hao was trying to frighten it, but it didn't dare gamble.

Shui Bing'er and the other three had their eyes opened today too. Was this really a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast? How could it be so timid?

And who was Di Tian?

How had he frightened the turtle this badly?

"Having your life energy drained doesn't feel good, does it?"

"If it keeps draining you like this, will you even survive another ten thousand years?"

Lin Hao stepped forward and patted the Golden Hawksbill Turtle's shell.