The moment Lin Yan entered Star Dou Town, a wave of heat mingled with sweat, tobacco, roasted meat, leather, and the faint rank musk of Soul Beasts hit him in the face, instantly enveloping him.
The town was far noisier than he had imagined. Rather than a town, it was more like a sprawling, chaotic combination of an open-air market and a military camp.
All manner of stalls and tents crowded both sides of the streets. There were smithies and general stalls selling weapons and armor, with coldly gleaming swords and sabers, heavy shields, and tough leather armor displayed haphazardly while their owners hammered anvils or shouted, "Refined steel longswords! Sharp enough to sever a hair blown against the blade! Last chance for a bargain!" There were apothecary stalls specializing in potions, antidotes, and restorative powders, their bottles and jars covering the ground amid a thick medicinal smell. Most abundant of all were mountains of supplies-cured jerky, rock-hard bread, fresh water in leather waterskins, and all sorts of peculiar foods supposedly capable of rapidly restoring stamina.
People thronged the streets, shoulders rubbing against shoulders. Most were Soul Masters in various styles of fitted clothing or leather armor, weapons at their sides, their expressions wary, excited, or marked by a steadiness tempered by wind and frost.
They gathered in groups of three or five, loudly discussing their Soul Hunting gains and experiences in the forest, or complaining about the weather and prices. The clink of gold coins, arguments over prices, and shouts recruiting teammates filled the air like a rough-hewn symphony.
"Four looking for one! We need a Defense System Soul Elder! Generous terms, safety guaranteed!" "Healing System Soul Master! Urgently seeking a Healing System Soul Master! Gains divided according to contribution!" "The War Tiger Soul Hunting Group is recruiting! Soul Grandmasters and above, preference given to those experienced in hunting Thousand-Year Soul Beasts! Cowards need not apply!" "The Ghost Wolf team is seeking a Control System partner! Strong Martial Soul control and Soul Power above rank twenty-five required!"
Calls recruiting for Soul Hunting teams rose one after another, with Auxiliary System and Control System Soul Masters in the most urgent demand. There were also plenty of openings for the Power Attack System, but in the competition, they were clearly less sought-after than Auxiliary System and Control System Soul Masters.
Besides these, numerous inns and taverns lined the streets, their advertising cries shaking the heavens. "Forest Home Inn! Hot water all day, absolute safety!" "Adventurer's Tavern! Share the latest forest intelligence, with ale aplenty!" The staff stood in the doorways, doing their utmost to attract passing Soul Masters, practically dragging people inside.
Lin Yan moved through the clamor, his calm gaze sweeping his surroundings as he took in all the information. After half a month of continuous travel, his body could still hold out, but his mind needed to relax. Once he entered the Star Dou Great Forest, he would have to keep his nerves taut at every moment, so only by bringing himself into peak condition before entering could he stay in the forest longer.
He ignored the inns whose staff solicited customers far too enthusiastically and instead chose a relatively quiet, clean-looking two-story building called the Ancient Tree Inn. He took a single room. The price was steep, but the room was clean and reasonably soundproof.
After paying for the room, Lin Yan went upstairs and set down his pack. First, he carefully inspected every part of the room. Only after confirming that nothing was amiss did he fetch hot water and thoroughly wash away the dust of his journey. Changing into clean clothes, he sat cross-legged on the bed and circulated the Supreme Purity Breathing Technique, gradually settling the slightly restless Soul Power within him. Without the tension he had felt on the road, his mental fatigue slowly dissipated as well.
By the time night fell and the lights came on, the clamor outside had not subsided. Instead, it grew livelier as more teams returned from their outings. Louder shouts and singing drifted from the taverns.
Lin Yan went downstairs and ate a simple meal of hot food at the inn's small eatery to replenish his strength, then returned to his room and went to sleep fully clothed.
Lin Yan particularly treasured that night's sleep. After entering the Star Dou Great Forest, he might find it difficult to get a peaceful night's rest.
Early the next morning, just as dawn began to break, Lin Yan was already awake, refreshed and full of vigor. All the fatigue accumulated during his days of travel had been swept away.
Lin Yan settled his bill, shouldered his pack, and joined the stream of people already surging through the town in the early morning.
His goal that day was clear-find a suitable team to join and enter the Star Dou Great Forest.
Lin Yan moved between recruitment spots, listening carefully to each team's needs and conditions while discreetly observing the recruiters' expressions, equipment, and the atmosphere among their members. He was not looking for the strongest team, but one that seemed the most reliable, had a clear objective and some coordination among its members, and would not harbor too much ill will toward a temporary recruit like him.
However, after making the rounds, he found the situation far from ideal. Either the team members varied widely in strength and only sought Hundred-Year Soul Rings, which did not suit his needs, or their eyes shifted evasively, each seemingly harboring their own thoughts and lacking trust in one another. Others were full of doubts about this overly young-looking "Power Attack System" Soul Master and questioned him endlessly. Some even mocked him outright, assuming he was some young master who had run away from his family to see the world, knowing neither the height of heaven nor the depth of earth.
Time passed, and the sun climbed higher, but Lin Yan still had not found a suitable team. He did not grow impatient. Instead, he remained calm and continued walking around and observing. He had already made his plans anyway: if there truly were no suitable teams, he would consider entering the forest alone.
Just as he passed a relatively deserted street corner and was about to turn toward another recruitment area, a voice called out to him from the side.
"Hey! Young brother, please wait!"
Lin Yan stopped and looked toward the voice. The person who had called him was a young man who looked twenty-seven or twenty-eight, dressed in a neat gray outfit with a short saber at his waist. His face bore some traces of wind and frost, but his smile was hearty and his eyes bright as he strode toward Lin Yan.
The young man approached and looked Lin Yan over, his gaze lingering briefly on the longsword at Lin Yan's waist. He asked with a smile, "Young brother, are you alone? Judging by your gear, are you a Power Attack System Soul Master?"
Lin Yan remained calm and considered briefly. His fighting style did indeed lean toward power attacks, though it placed more emphasis on technique and control. Still, there was nothing wrong with presenting it that way to others, so he nodded and replied, "You could say that."
"Haha, I knew I wasn't mistaken!" The young man's smile broadened at his reply, and he clapped his hands. "The way you carry your sword is steady and composed. You're definitely a trained fighter! We're the Boulder team, and we're short of a Power Attack System Soul Master. Would you consider teaming up with us to enter the forest?"
Generally speaking, Soul Masters entering the forest to hunt Soul Beasts were almost all Soul Masters with at least two rings. There were exceptions, but not many, so Lei Nuo did not directly ask about Lin Yan's strength.
He paused before adding, "Our team already has four members. I'm a Defense System Soul Elder. We also have an Agility Attack System member, a Healing System member, and a Control System member. This time, we're going in to obtain a third Soul Ring for our Auxiliary System girl. You may be young, but you carry yourself exceptionally well, and your strength should be decent. You'd fill the last gap in our team perfectly. What do you think? Interested in talking it over?"
Lin Yan's gaze shifted slightly as he thought quickly. Defense, agility attack, control, support, and then a power attacker-this lineup was indeed quite sound and balanced. In particular, having a Healing System Soul Master would greatly improve their ability to survive. Their target was a Thousand-Year Soul Beast, which also matched his expectations. The young man before him seemed frank and straightforward, not like a crafty sort.
He did not agree immediately, but asked cautiously, "May I ask your name? How would we coordinate after entering the forest? And how would the gains be divided?"
Seeing that Lin Yan's questions were all to the point, the young man knew he was no greenhorn and was all the more pleased. His expression grew serious. "My name is Lei En, and my Martial Soul is the Boulder Shield. We can head over and discuss the details at length. The other teammates are resting in the tent up ahead. Don't worry. Our Boulder team has something of a reputation here in Star Dou Town. We've always been fair and impartial, and we would never shortchange a temporary teammate. We divide the gains according to contribution, as is customary in the Soul Master World, and we can draw up a simple contract before setting out."
Lin Yan looked into Lei En's sincere eyes and weighed the team's lineup and objective again. He felt that this did indeed seem like quite a good choice at present. Searching for Soul Beasts alone was inefficient and risky. Having an established team lead the way could spare him a great deal of trouble.
After a moment's thought, he nodded. "All right. I'll go with you and take a look."
"Great! Follow me!" A delighted smile spread across Lei En's face as he warmly led Lin Yan toward the temporary camp his team had set up at the other end of the street.
"Young brother, what are you entering the forest for?"
"Training!"