Before him stood the Star Dou Great Forest, its towering trees reaching at least twenty meters high, and these were only on the outermost fringe. There were no paths through the dense forest, and overlapping shadows concealed what lay within.
As he approached the forest, the air grew more comfortable, as though even the temperature had dropped a few degrees.
A refreshing sensation, carrying the fragrance of damp soil, kept stimulating Yu Tianlong's sense of smell.
"What a wonderful place!"
"Little Cho, can you sense anywhere with weaker Soul Beasts?"
Cho'Gath nodded, waving his two pairs of forelimbs toward somewhere nearby.
"Master, there's a suitable target just ahead. I can sense how delicious it is!"
Although Yu Tianlong didn't know what Cho'Gath meant by delicious, he cautiously took out the defensive equipment and sword he had bought in town, then followed carefully behind Cho'Gath.
"All right, let's go take a look!"
After Yu Tianlong had walked about a hundred meters, a roar rang out nearby, startling all the surrounding birds into flight.
The entire forest seemed to fall silent in an instant, without another sound emerging.
"Little Cho, are you sure... this is the suitable target you picked?"
"Yes, Master. I think it can give me a fight!"
At those words, the corner of Yu Tianlong's mouth twitched. So that's what you meant by suitable!!?
Just as Yu Tianlong was about to take Cho'Gath away from there.
Suddenly, a chilling murderous presence appeared beside Yu Tianlong.
Under the influence of that presence, Yu Tianlong immediately felt a trace of fear rise from the bottom of his heart. It was fear of the unknown.
At that moment, Yu Tianlong felt as though every sweat gland on his body had opened, cold sweat beginning to pour out uncontrollably.
The bone-piercing chill instinctively put Yu Tianlong on guard, while a voice inside him seemed to tell him to leave at once.
After all, this was the Star Dou Great Forest. Its Soul Beasts came in all shapes and forms, each with their own abilities. Who knew what strange abilities the Soul Beast he was about to face might possess!
With that thought, Yu Tianlong lowered himself as much as possible, then pulled Cho'Gath backward with him, trying to keep both himself and Cho'Gath from making the slightest sound.
Cho'Gath didn't understand why his master was acting this way, but sensing the fear within him, he obediently began backing away despite his reluctance.
But just as the man and beast were about to leave, a yellow-and-black figure appeared at Yu Tianlong's side in an instant.
Already wound tight with tension, Yu Tianlong jumped in fright!
By the sunlight filtering through gaps in the canopy, Yu Tianlong got a clear look at the newcomer.
Its fiery red fur was covered in spots, its scarlet eyes gleamed with a man-eating light, its fangs were extraordinarily slender and long, and its sharp claws were embedded in the soil.
A Fang Flame Hound!
This was a Fang Flame Hound!
In that instant, Yu Tianlong remembered the information in the Soul Beast books he had read before.
Judging by the length of its fangs, Yu Tianlong immediately determined that this was a Soul Beast around two hundred years old!
Even among Hundred-Year Soul Beasts, it was an extremely troublesome creature. After all, a casual swipe of its claws could leave you bleeding uncontrollably, with fire poison thrown in.
Without a healing-type Soul Master nearby, you could only watch yourself bleed to death, unable even to stop the bleeding.
Moreover, Fang Flame Hounds enjoyed toying with their prey. Although they weren't very intelligent, their hunting instincts still made them extremely difficult to deal with.
Even one only two hundred years old required several level-twenty Soul Grandmasters working together to hunt it.
He was only a level-three Soul Scholar right now. Faced with this thing, Yu Tianlong even began to wonder whether Cho'Gath had brought him here to seek death.
Never mind dying midway through an enterprise not even half accomplished.
He was about to die right now!
"Roooar-"
Seeing the Fang Flame Hound lower its body, bare its fangs, and let out an exceptionally long, low growl, Yu Tianlong understood that it was taking an attacking stance!
That growl made Yu Tianlong uncomfortable all over.
"Fuck you, *****!"
"Why does every rotten thing have to happen to me? I *****..."
Yu Tianlong's curses were extremely filthy. After all, who wouldn't lose it in a situation like this? The worst part was that his own Martial Soul had caused it.
Once he finished cursing, Yu Tianlong had no interest in watching the Fang Blaze Hound strike poses and show off. He scooped up Cho'Gath and began fleeing into the dense forest.
He pinned his hopes on the terrain saving his life.
The Fang Blaze Hound was dumbfounded. It was the boss of this little patch of territory, after all. It had finally found an opponent that looked evenly matched with it, only for that human child to pick him up and run away?
Didn't that send all the atmosphere it had built up crashing to the ground?
Who were they looking down on, daring to interrupt their sacred duel!
For a moment, the fanged hound was furious. If a mere human child could escape its claws, it might as well find a blade of Blue Silver Grass and hang itself!
Flame patterns instantly appeared beneath its feet, and a pit formed directly in the soil as though an enormous force had struck it.
In that instant, the Fang Blaze Hound's speed surged dramatically as it raced after Yu Tianlong.
Sensing the movement behind him, Yu Tianlong's adrenaline began to surge. He didn't even dare look back.
He frantically ran toward a thick patch of shrubs.
"Little Cho, you've really gotten me killed! I told you we needed to lie low and grow stronger. Why did you pick a monster like this right off the bat?!"
Cho'Gath now understood how Yu Tianlong felt. Before, he hadn't had time to explain anything before Yu Tianlong took him and ran.
Now, feeling wronged and finally having an opportunity, he immediately spoke:
"Master, I can fight it. Trust me!"
Yu Tianlong was just about to say something when he felt a scorching sensation flash past his ear.
He turned to look and nearly had his soul frightened out of him.
Three curved, sharp claws swept past his ear, scorching part of his hair.
The searing heat and fright made Yu Tianlong lose his balance in that instant. He fell straight to the ground and rolled several times.
Looking at the Fang Flame Hound within arm's reach, Yu Tianlong's eyes dimmed.
How was he supposed to play this?
This was completely unplayable! What kind of insane matchmaking was this?!
Was he going to become the first transmigrator in history to be led to his death by his own Martial Soul?
That would be far too humiliating!
But despite those thoughts, Yu Tianlong still didn't give up. He drew his longsword, gripped it tightly in both hands, and faced off against the Fang Flame Hound before him.
Seeing his master like this, Cho'Gath stepped directly in front of Yu Tianlong.
He, too, let out a low growl.
"Master, stand back. Just leave this to me!"
With that, without bothering about what Yu Tianlong thought, Cho'Gath swung his forelimbs and lunged straight at the Fang Flame Hound.
The Fang Flame Hound had originally intended to bite this irritating human to death before dueling the bug in front of it.
But seeing its opponent's soaring fighting spirit, the Fang Flame Hound abandoned the idea of hunting down Yu Tianlong and likewise accelerated, pouncing toward Cho'Gath.