Star Dou Great Forest

Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Tianyuan had not been idle during that time. By day, he and Bei Bei learned about soul beasts from Zhang Lexuan; by night, he cultivated his soul power.

Soul masters could not raise their soul power level without obtaining a soul ring, but the soul power they cultivated in the meantime did not dissipate. Instead, it accumulated within their bodies and was released all at once when they absorbed a soul ring. Of course, there was a limit to how much soul power their bodies could store; it could not accumulate indefinitely.

Nourished by a wealth of heavenly treasures, Chen Tianyuan's once-frail body had been utterly transformed, and he had even grown considerably taller. According to Yan Shaozhe's assessment, his physical strength already rivaled that of some Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters.

The most direct benefit of this increased physical strength was that it raised the age of the soul rings he could withstand. Two months ago, Chen Tianyuan could have absorbed a two-hundred-year soul ring at most, but now he could definitely absorb one over seven hundred years old.

Zhang Lexuan hauled Chen Tianyuan out of bed early that morning. After he dressed, washed up, and ate breakfast, she took him to the gates of Shrek Academy.

Two people had already been waiting at the gates for quite some time.

They were none other than Yan Shaozhe, dean of the Martial Soul Department, and Cai Mei'er, its vice dean.

Yan Shaozhe looked like a middle-aged man with a full head of white hair, and he was watching Chen Tianyuan with a warm smile.

Cai Mei'er had maintained her looks very well. Judging by her appearance alone, she was unquestionably a beautiful mature woman, and she too was smiling at Chen Tianyuan.

Both were Titled Douluos, one at level 95 and the other at level 94, which showed just how much importance the academy attached to Chen Tianyuan.

With the level-98 Xuan Zi following in secret as well, Chen Tianyuan had three Titled Douluos accompanying him. As long as they did not enter the true Core Area of the Star Dou Great Forest, such a lineup could handle any danger.

Being stared at so intently by the two of them made Chen Tianyuan feel uncomfortable all over.

Zhang Lexuan pushed him forward and said, "Dean Yan, Dean Cai, I'll leave little Yuan in your care. I still need to go back and look after Bei Bei."

Cai Mei'er nodded and drew Chen Tianyuan closer. For some inexplicable reason, she felt an affinity with him.

Her martial soul was the Evil-Breaking Dragon Soul Spear, within which dwelled the Break Evil Dragon Soul. It was the bane of evil and also belonged to the dragon type, while Chen Tianyuan's Purple Lightning Tyrant Dragon likewise belonged to the true dragon type. Furthermore, lightning itself was the embodiment of heaven and earth's righteous energy, let alone ultimate lightning.

With their martial souls so similar in nature, it was only natural for Cai Mei'er to feel that way.

Shrek City was not far from the Star Dou Great Forest. With two Titled Douluos carrying Chen Tianyuan there in a straight-line flight, the three reached the forest's outskirts in just half an hour.

After entering the forest, they chose to proceed on foot. As they walked, Cai Mei'er continued teaching Chen Tianyuan about the Star Dou Great Forest.

"The Star Dou Great Forest is divided into the Outer Area, the Mixed Area, and the Core Area."

"The Outer Area is home to ten-year and hundred-year soul beasts, with thousand-year soul beasts rarely seen. It is the main place where low-ranking soul masters obtain their soul rings. As long as they're careful enough, even ordinary people can pass through safely."

"Farther in lies the Mixed Area, which has the greatest variety of soul beasts. Most are thousand-year and ten-thousand-year soul beasts, and some people have even spotted hundred-thousand-year soul beasts there. The Mixed Area is countless times more dangerous than the Outer Area. Anyone coming here needs to travel in a group or have the protection of a high-ranking soul master."

"And deepest within is the Core Area. The soul beasts there are generally over fifty thousand years old, and seven of the ten great ferocious beasts live there. You could call it a forbidden zone for humans..."

Hearing this, Chen Tianyuan looked deeper into the forest. At this point in time, Di Tian and the others were still draining the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

As for Chen Tianyuan's choice of soul ring, Mu En had already issued an absolute order: he could only absorb rings from dragon-type soul beasts or soul beasts with powerful lightning attributes. Only then could he draw out his martial soul's full potential.

It was much the same for Bei Bei. His martial soul was a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon carrying the bloodline of the Radiant Sacred Dragon. He needed to absorb light-attribute soul beasts to stabilize that bloodline before he could fully complete its evolution and transformation.

But dragon-type and lightning-attribute soul beasts were rare to begin with. Even after wandering around the Outer Area for half a day, the three failed to find a soul beast that met the requirements.

Left with no other choice, Yan Shaozhe could only turn his attention to the Mixed Area.

The Mixed Area contained a vast variety of soul beasts. As long as they spent a little more time searching, they were bound to find a suitable one.

With that thought, Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei'er immediately carried Chen Tianyuan into the Mixed Area by air.

The Outer Area was very quiet, with only the chirping of insects and birds to be heard. The Mixed Area was different: the cries of all kinds of soul beasts rose and fell in an endless chorus.

They also spotted thousand-year soul beasts from time to time. Of course, those beasts only dared to watch the three from a distance and did not dare approach. In their eyes, Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei'er were even more terrifying than soul beasts of great age.

Although Chen Tianyuan had prepared himself mentally, he still could not help feeling disappointed when an entire day passed without them finding a single suitable soul beast.

The three found a clearing and stopped to rest. Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei'er were not tired, but Chen Tianyuan was utterly exhausted. The forest terrain was extremely difficult to traverse. Even though they followed trails worn by soul beasts, they still had to wind this way and that, and occasionally stumbled over rocks or branches...

Normally, lighting a fire in the Mixed Area was out of the question. Unlike ordinary wild animals, older soul beasts did not fear fire; instead, they would be attracted by its light.

But who were Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei'er? Two Titled Douluos powerful enough to swagger through the Mixed Area unchallenged.

Besides, temperatures in the Star Dou Great Forest varied greatly between day and night. Worried that Chen Tianyuan might catch a cold, Cai Mei'er insisted on lighting a fire.

The three sat around the fire. Cai Mei'er had caught a whole nest of Soft Bone Rabbits from somewhere, and now, skinned and gutted, they were roasting over the flames.

Meanwhile, Yan Shaozhe and Chen Tianyuan sat off to the side, staring blankly at each other.

After dark, the Star Dou Great Forest was countless times more dangerous than it was during the day. All kinds of nocturnal snake, insect, rodent, and ant soul beasts emerged from their burrows to forage. They carried varying amounts of poison, and anyone bitten could be in mortal danger if the wound was not treated promptly.

Unfortunately, Cai Mei'er's cooking skills left something to be desired. Despite her wide assortment of seasonings, the roasted Soft Bone Rabbits she produced could only be called average.

But the heavens refused to cooperate. A sudden gale swept through the forest, setting the branches and leaves rustling. In the blink of an eye, the clear night sky filled with dark clouds. Savage flashes of lightning churned within them, as though they would strike down at any moment.

Seeing this, Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei'er hurriedly took Chen Tianyuan to find shelter from the rain.

How fast were Titled Douluos? In less than a minute, the three had reached the foot of a cliff a kilometer away. The Star Dou Great Forest was not merely flat woodland; it contained all kinds of complex terrain, which was precisely why it had become the largest soul beast habitat.

Lightning writhed within the thick, dark clouds. With a rumbling crash, rain came pouring down, battering the branches and pattering against the ground.