"Xiao Ling."
Just as Yu Tianling stepped out of Spirit Hall Academy's gates, he heard his grandfather calling.
"Grandpa! Why are you waiting for me here?"
Seeing the little old man he had not seen in so long, Yu Tianling hurried over to him and asked in puzzlement.
His master had clearly told them to gather at the Pope's Palace. Ghost Douluo, Hu Liena, and the others were all closer to that place.
"Hehe, isn't it because I missed you? I knew you were busy studying lately, and I was teaching classes too, so I didn't come to see you."
Lin Qingze smiled at his grandson, who had grown a little taller and a little plumper.
He had actually sneaked over near the dean's office to watch Yu Tianling more than once, but Yu Tianling had been so absorbed in his studies that he had never noticed.
"I want to improve my strength as quickly as possible."
Yu Tianling nodded and spoke firmly.
"Come on, let's talk on the way, or His Excellency Ghost Douluo might get tired of waiting."
Lin Qingze beckoned him along and headed toward the Pope's Palace.
"All right."
The two chatted as they walked.
After arriving at the Pope's Palace and meeting up with the others, the group set off immediately, without even seeing Bibi Dong.
This time, they were not going to the Soul Hunting Forest, but to Star Dou Great Forest.
Star Dou Great Forest was one of the three most famous Soul Beast habitats on the Douluo Continent.
Its vast area nearly equaled the entire territory of the Balak Kingdom, straddling the border between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire. Situated directly south of the Heaven Dou Empire, the forest spanned both empires.
With so many Soul Beasts here, this was also where the border between the two countries was least clearly defined. Two-fifths of its area lay within the Heaven Dou Empire, while the other three-fifths lay within the Star Luo Empire. It was an immense primeval forest with complex terrain, including wetlands, swamps, and more. The Soul Beasts there were also exceptionally fearsome, growing stronger the closer one ventured to the forest's center. There were even hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts within. Any Soul Master, provided they had enough strength and good luck, could find the Soul Ring best suited to them there.
Spirit City was a thousand kilometers from Star Dou Great Forest. Traveling by carriage without using their Soul Power, the group took two full days to arrive.
Star Dou Great Forest truly deserved its reputation as one of the largest Soul Beast habitats. The area outside was incredibly lively, and the people who came to hunt for Soul Rings had even formed a small town here.
The town had all sorts of teams hunting Soul Beasts together, as well as numerous stalls selling Soul Beast materials. Hawkers' cries and calls to form teams rang out incessantly, making it exceptionally bustling.
"Those by the mountains live off the mountains, and those by the water live off the water, indeed. Who would have thought that a town would exist by relying on the most dangerous Star Dou Great Forest?"
Walking through the town's streets, Yu Tianling could not help sighing with emotion.
"Of course. And there are quite a few towns like this. Even these towns still don't dare get too close to Star Dou Great Forest, though, because these wild Soul Beasts are completely different from those raised in captivity. They're very ferocious, and some Soul Beasts on the outskirts even frequently wander beyond the forest. If the towns were too close, I'm afraid no one would dare stay."
Xie Yue looked at the forest faintly visible in the distance and nodded as he explained.
"It's getting late. Let's rest outside for the night and set off tomorrow morning."
Lin Qingze glanced at the darkening sky and decided that the group would spend the night resting at a hotel outside the forest first.
Naturally, no one objected. Yu Tianling and the others were indeed uncomfortable after riding in the carriage for so long.
On this trip, Lin Qingze was responsible for directing their basic movements. Ghost Douluo would only act when danger arose, and most of the time, they could not even see him.
Forest Hotel
They arrived in front of the hotel, and its name came into view.
Could this be where Tang San and the others stayed when they came to Star Dou Great Forest later? This seems to be the only hotel around.
Looking at the familiar layout and glancing around, Yu Tianling could not help thinking this.
It was a small two-story building. The ground-floor lobby was a simple restaurant, while the second floor provided lodging.
After entering the hotel, Lin Qingze first booked five single rooms and had Yu Tianling and the others order food.
Everyone present knew quite a bit about food.
After calling over a waiter, each of them ordered two or three rare dishes.
When the dishes arrived, they tasted them, and their eyes could not help lighting up.
Small as this place was, it not only offered a rich variety of dishes, but the food tasted excellent too. They enjoyed a hearty feast, then went upstairs to their respective rooms to rest.
The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, at Lin Qingze's urging, they hastily finished breakfast and picked up their pace toward Star Dou Great Forest.
Meanwhile, those about to obtain their Soul Rings could not help growing eager.
Star Dou Great Forest had existed on the Douluo Continent for a very long time. Its trees were all tall and so dense that they blotted out the sky and sun.
Before they even entered the forest, everyone faintly felt waves of fresh air wafting toward them. One breath relaxed their entire bodies; it felt wonderful.
"Once you go inside, you must all stay close to me. The Soul Beasts here are very dangerous. A thousand-year or even ten-thousand-year Soul Beast could attack us at any moment."
"Understood!"
Yu Tianling and the others hurriedly nodded.
Then they entered Star Dou Great Forest.
Once they entered the great forest, there was no path ahead at all. Perhaps intending to take the opportunity to give them some training, Lin Qingze showed no intention of acting, so they had to do it themselves.
As the oldest of the three, and with a Tool Martial Soul as well, Xie Yue naturally took on the task of clearing a path without hesitation.
Xie Yue decisively summoned his Martial Soul, the Moon Blades.
The Moon Blades were a top-tier offensive Tool Martial Soul: a pair of blood-red curved blades shaped like crescent moons.
To Yu Tianling, these two blades looked extremely sharp and were simply perfect for cutting through the brambles blocking their way.
They had not gone very far inside before encountering their first Soul Beast.
It was a Chain Viper, a poisonous ten-year Soul Beast. After sensing the pressure emanating from Xie Yue, it did not dare approach them at all and fled in panic.
To Yu Tianling, the Chain Viper looked remarkably like the five-step viper from his previous life. Not only did they look alike, but even the symptoms of their venom were much the same.
Once the Soul Beast left, they paid it no further attention. Their thinking was that if others did not attack them, they would not attack others. Of course, a suitable Soul Beast would be an exception.
Lin Qingze followed behind them at an unhurried pace. Looking at the three children before him, he could not help remarking, "Outstanding people really are outstanding in many ways."
Over the decades of his life, he had seen far too much senseless slaughter. Some people would choose to exterminate even weak Soul Beasts merely upon seeing them, watching their miserable struggles to survive.
Star Dou Great Forest was simply too dense. Its canopy blotted out the sky and sun, making it difficult even to tell directions, and suitable Soul Beasts were difficult to find as well.
The group traveled for two or three hours without finding a single suitable Soul Beast.
Before this trip to Star Dou Great Forest, Bibi Dong and Chrysanthemum Douluo had already determined which Soul Beasts would suit Yu Tianling and the others.
The age limit for a second Soul Ring was seven hundred and sixty-four years, while the age limit for a third Soul Ring was one thousand seven hundred and sixty years.
However, Yu Tianling had already undergone testing. For his second Soul Ring, he could withstand a Soul Beast under two thousand years old.
Thus, Yu Tianling naturally sought a Soul Beast as close to the two-thousand-year age limit as possible. Hu Liena and Xie Yue could only look on with envy; all they could hope for was to find Soul Beasts close to the age limit for their third Soul Rings.