The sunset's lingering glow spilled over the woodland. Situated in the north, the Sunset Forest was relatively cool, its temperate trees spaced out and airy. Visibility was clear, making travel especially smooth—a stark contrast to the humid, densely wooded Star Dou Great Forest.
Everyone put away their usual ease and abandon, their bearing abruptly turning solemn. Each of them tensed, quietly circulating the soul power within their bodies as they watched for every movement in the forest.
Even with a powerful expert assigned by the academy escorting them, none of them let their guard down. The dangers of the Soul Hunting Forest never showed themselves openly. Truly fatal threats always lurked in quiet shadows, and the slightest carelessness could leave them dead here.
At the head of the group, a tall, straight-backed middle-aged man advanced steadily. His steps were firm, his aura restrained. He looked unremarkable, no different from an ordinary man, yet the invisible presence surrounding him quietly subdued every stir of unrest in the forest.
He was the expert leading and protecting them on this trip: Zhao Tian, a level eighty-two Power Attack System Soul Douluo.
Carefully selected by the academy as their escort, Zhao Tian possessed formidable strength and seasoned experience. Having led teams into major soul hunting grounds for years, he knew the Sunset Forest's terrain, soul beast distribution, and tiers of strength like the back of his hand.
At that moment, he had withdrawn all the pressure of his soul power. Though he seemed to be walking casually, he had already drawn every movement within several thousand meters into his perception, silently protecting the young students behind him.
Among the group, Mo Yuan kept his gaze steady, constantly scanning the deep woods around them.
To be safe, Mo Yuan stepped half a pace forward and