Camping in the Dark of Night (I)

His clothes had long since been soaked through with layers of blood, clinging damply and stickily to his body with a faint metallic reek.

The clothes that had once fit him now felt tight and constricting, binding his newly transformed body firmly at every turn.

After several hours of tempering by the soul ring, his bones had been reshaped and his flesh renewed. His frame had quietly grown taller, his build stronger and more upright.

The slightly immature, slender figure of a boy had vanished entirely. His body's contours had become smoother and firmer, his shoulders and back broader, his waist and abdomen straight and strong, and his limbs long and powerful. He radiated the steady, crisp vigor of youth.

By a rough estimate, his height had quietly surpassed 1.75 meters. His physique was balanced and robust, flesh and bone evenly proportioned. His vitality had been completely renewed, and his foundation was more than several times stronger than before.

He was not the only one. Liuli beside him had also grown a full size larger.

That once petite, delicate frame had quietly grown taller and sturdier. Standing firmly now, Liuli's back reached Lin Chen's waist and abdomen. The fox looked increasingly magnificent, brimming with spiritual vitality, its three swaying tails displaying the extraordinary bearing of an evolved martial soul.

Lin Chen clenched his fists, clearly sensing the abundant soul power surging within him. His meridians had widened, his foundation had solidified, and his physique had strengthened. His third soul ring had been perfectly absorbed and taken shape, while his martial soul had successfully evolved into a three-tailed spirit fox. His overall strength had undergone a qualitative leap.

He turned toward Mo Yuan, who stood quietly beside him and had guarded him throughout the process. With a solemn expression, he bowed slightly, his voice filled with sincere gratitude. "Thank you for protecting me throughout, Teacher. Only because of you was I able to break through smoothly and absorb the soul ring safely."

Without Mo Yuan drawing out and suppressing the soul beast beforehand, maintaining constant vigilance, and keeping all disturbances at bay, he could never have completed such a difficult absorption beyond his level so smoothly. The slightest mistake would have plunged him into terrible danger.

Mo Yuan gave a slight nod, his gaze settling on Lin Chen's and Liuli's transformed figures, a hint of approval in his eyes. "A solid foundation, a tenacious will, and a smooth breakthrough. This training journey was not in vain. Take some time to recover. There is no need for such formalities."

Lin Chen nodded slightly, then asked, "Teacher, I'm covered in blood, and my clothes are filthy. I'd like to find some clean water nearby to wash and change into fresh clothes. Please wait a moment for me."

"Go ahead," Mo Yuan agreed calmly. "Be quick. I'll wait here."

"Yes."

Without another word, Lin Chen turned and hurried away from the clearing with the docile, well-behaved Liuli.

Relying on his memories from their earlier entry into the forest, he followed the familiar route toward a secluded hot spring not far away.

It was a natural hot spring hidden deep in the dense woods, rarely visited by anyone. Its water was clear and pleasantly warm, mist curled above it, and the temperature was just right. It was an ideal place to wash and rest.

Before long, Lin Chen reached the hot spring. Wisps of mist curled upward, and the clear water revealed the bottom. Gentle warmth greeted him, dispelling the lingering heat and exhaustion in his body.

He stripped off his filthy, bloodstained clothes and stepped into the warm spring, carefully washing his skin until every trace of dried blood, sweat, and dirt was gone.

The warm water soaked his skin, soothing the lingering soreness and fatigue in his meridians and bones. Under its gentle nourishment, his tempered body felt increasingly free and relaxed. All his exhaustion and torment faded away, leaving only the freshness and fullness of his breakthrough and transformation.

Once he had finished washing, Lin Chen changed into a clean set of spare clothes. His figure was tall and handsome, his bearing even steadier and more distinguished.

Beside him, Liuli also gave its fur a simple grooming at the edge of the hot spring. Its fluffy coat was spotless, its crimson sheen brighter than ever. Its three tails swayed gently, brimming with lively spirit.

Freshly washed and renewed, Lin Chen hurried back with Liuli, soon returning to the forest clearing where he had agreed to meet Mo Yuan.

The youth stood tall and straight. His height and build had been transformed by the soul ring's tempering, and the aura of soul power around him was substantial yet restrained. His former immaturity and slenderness had fallen away.

Beside him, Liuli's three tails hung loosely, their crimson fur still bright and lively in the dim light. Nourished by the thousand-year soul ring, the fox was faintly wreathed in a subtle aura of fire, full of spiritual vitality.

Mo Yuan lifted his eyes to the sky, which had gone completely dark. A measure of gravity entered his deep gaze as he addressed the returning Lin Chen in a low, steady, solemn voice:

"It's completely dark now. The dangers of the Star Dou Great Forest at night are nothing like those during the day. After nightfall, countless soul beasts pour out of their dens, their temperaments growing even more savage. Many nocturnal soul beasts take advantage of the darkness to forage."

He paused, looking into the pitch-black depths of the forest, then continued:

"Most importantly, boundaries mean nothing at night. Ten-thousand-year soul beasts that normally keep to the inner region often roam into the outskirts after dark. In our current condition, encountering even one of them would be extremely troublesome. That is why we must never travel at night. Advancing rashly makes it all too easy to encounter high-level soul beasts, and the dangers are impossible to predict."

Lin Chen understood and nodded slightly in acknowledgment:

"I understand, Teacher. Darkness limits our vision, and hidden soul beasts are difficult to guard against. Traveling would be too risky. Camping here is the safest choice."

"Mm." Mo Yuan nodded slightly, his expression easing. "Wilderness Training, first and foremost, is about staying alive. Knowing how to judge the situation matters more than blindly trying to prove your strength. I'll choose a site and set up camp. You gather dry firewood and start a fire."

Mo Yuan had spent years traveling through the great soul beast forests and had extensive experience camping in the wilderness.

His gaze swept swiftly over their surroundings, precisely picking out an excellent campsite.

The ground there was flat and open, without steep slopes or gullies, and ancient trees surrounded it, providing shelter from the night wind.

At the same time, the sightlines were clear, with no dense bushes obstructing their view. This would effectively reduce the risk of lurking soul beasts launching surprise attacks, making it the safest kind of campsite in the forest wilderness.

Once he had chosen the spot, Mo Yuan moved with crisp efficiency. He raised his hand and took out a jet-black Storage Soul Tool. With a slight stir of soul power at his fingertips, a lightweight, sturdy camping tent instantly appeared and landed on the ground.

The tent was made from a special material, tough and windproof, with basic soundproofing and concealment effects. It was designed specifically for soul masters doing Wilderness Training.

In just a few breaths, he deftly finished pitching the tent. It stood firmly in the center of the level clearing, providing the basic shelter they needed to rest through the night.

Meanwhile, Lin Chen also got to work of his own accord.

He searched the nearby woods with Liuli. Thanks to his keen perception, he soon gathered a large pile of dry, substantial dead branches and decaying wood in assorted sizes and thicknesses, ideal for building a fire to keep warm and drive away wild beasts.

After returning to the campsite, he deftly arranged the firewood and condensed a faint wisp of soul power at his fingertips to ignite it.

Crackle!

The dry wood caught fire at once, and bright orange-red flames instantly leaped upward. The dancing firelight drove away the surrounding darkness and chill, while warmth slowly spread, keeping the cold of the night forest at bay.

The campfire was bright without being dazzling, its flames burning and dancing steadily. It brought a comforting sense of life to the silent forest camp and instinctively deterred some low-level soul beasts that feared firelight.

With the camp's initial setup complete, Mo Yuan did not rush to rest. Years of Wilderness Training had made him exceedingly cautious, and he never overlooked a single detail of safety.

He activated the Storage Soul Tool again and took out two packets of specially prepared medicinal powder, a useful beast repellent he had carried with him for years.

It was blended from finely ground dung of ten-thousand-year soul beasts and several high-grade beast-repelling medicinal herbs. Its distinctive scent had an extremely powerful intimidating and repelling effect on the vast majority of low- and mid-level soul beasts.

He raised his hand and scattered the mixed powder evenly, laying down a neat circular barrier on the ground more than five meters out from the tent at its center.

The fine powder settled soundlessly, and an invisible beast-repelling scent quietly spread, firmly enveloping the entire campsite. It formed an unseen protective barrier that kept most soul beasts from approaching to investigate.