Fifty li outside the Star Dou Great Forest, the Shrek party made camp beside a small stream.
Water was the source of life. Spending the night beside the stream would save them a great deal of effort: they would not have to search for another water source, and food would not be scarce beside the stream either.
As soon as they landed, the eight Inner Court disciples split into two groups with practiced coordination. Four pitched tents beside the stream, while the other four paired off, two going hunting and two gathering firewood.
Once they entered the Star Dou Great Forest, they could no longer light fires. Ordinary beasts feared firelight, but many Soul Beasts not only had no fear of fire, they would even be drawn to it.
Thus, after entering the Star Dou Great Forest, they could only gnaw on dry rations. This last meal before entering the forest would be their final hot meal; for nearly half a month afterward, they would have nothing but dry rations whose taste defied description.
For this meal, any party that knew even a little about enjoying life would naturally eat as well as possible, rewarding their stomachs for the suffering they would endure in the days ahead.
Ye Qing's legs, however, were feeling a little cramped-not because he had been moving too fast, but because their traveling speed had been far too slow.
Normally, who knew how many round trips he could make between Shrek and the Star Dou Great Forest in a single day? Having to travel at a crawl for an entire day this time had truly been rather painful.
Everyone was busy, so Ye Qing naturally felt too embarrassed to stand around by himself. The others had tents, and so did he. Since he often went out