Return to the Star Dou Great Forest
On the day she was to leave, Ning Buhui went to the martial arts training ground first.
Yan and Xie Yue were both there. He briefly explained his selection and then his plans for the future. He had come to say goodbye. Yan patted his shoulder and grumbled, "You're going out without yourself!" Xie Yue simply nodded and said, "Be careful." Hu Liena leaned against the wall and handed him a small cloth bag containing several Soul Power -restoring potions she had recently obtained from the pharmacy.
"You left without a word last time, at least say goodbye this time," she said.
"Thank you, Senior Sister." Ning Buhui carefully put the cloth bag away.
He then went to the side hall to see Bibi Dong. Bibi Dong didn't say much, only glanced at him and said, "Don't forget the selection in six months." Ning Buhui, turned around and left.
After leaving Spirit City, he put on the Thousand-Transformation Illusory Mask, changing his appearance to that of an ordinary man in his thirties. Instead of heading directly to the Star Dou Great Forest, he decided to first visit the Heaven Dou Empire.
He hadn't forgotten that he still had something to take care of. He hadn't had time before because of the intense training, but now that things weren't so urgent, he planned to take care of the favor he owed Dugu Bo first.
The primary school of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was located on the outskirts of Heaven Dou City, requiring a detour from Spirit City. He hired a carriage and traveled for two days, arriving at the outskirts of the academy on the evening of the third day. He didn't go in, but instead sat for a while at a tea stall opposite the academy gate, watching the young students come and go.
Before he came, he had the mercenaries check that Dugu Yan was studying here, and they had also found out her specific class.
He waited for a lone young student to come out of the side door, then approached him, slipped him two Gold Soul Coin, and asked him to deliver a letter to Dugu Yan. The student hesitated for a moment, then took the money and the letter, nodded, and went inside.
He had written the letter on the way. It was unsigned, only stating that he was a carefree Soul Master who knew her grandfather owned a medicinal garden filled with many valuable herbs. He detailed the effects of several Immortal Herb from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, explaining each one clearly. At the end of the letter, he wrote only one sentence, "Believe it or not, it's up to you. If you believe, you'll owe me a favor. If someone comes to you with the other half of the token someday, helping them will repay that favor."
The envelope contained half of a yin-yang jade. He had bought it from an antique shop in Star Luo City because it looked nice. It wasn't worth much, but its advantage was that it was a natural yin-yang fish shape. He kept the other half for himself.
After sending the letter, Ning Buhui stopped worrying about it. He left the academy gate and turned onto the road leading to the Star Dou Great Forest. He had done this casually, without showing his face or leaving his name, so whether it succeeded or not wouldn't make much difference. However, if it succeeded, given Dugu Bo's loyalty in the original story, a favor from a Titled Douluo would be well worth it no matter how you looked at it.
After traveling for another five days, they arrived at the town closest to the Star Dou Great Forest. Ning Buhui bought some daily necessities and then walked into the forest.
This time, instead of going to the middle layer of rocky mountains, he headed directly southeast, passing through a large area of coniferous forest and swamp. After nearly three days, he arrived at a valley he had marked on the map. The valley was located in the central-eastern part of the Star Dou Great Forest, surrounded by mountains on all sides, with only a narrow entrance on the south side. The valley floor was flat, covered with waist-high wild grass and scattered low trees, and several waterfalls hung on the surrounding mountain walls, with water vapor lingering year-round.
He had looked up this valley in the Spirit Hall's records. In recent decades, only three Soul Hunting Teams had entered it. Two of them reported that the density of Soul Beast in the valley was unusually high, while the other did not come out. The Soul Beast were generally between 20,000 and 30,000 years old, with occasional fluctuations of energy close to 40,000 years old. He stood at the valley entrance for a while, took off the Thousand-Transformation Illusory Mask, and then stepped into the valley.
The valley was quiet, save for the occasional call of an unknown bird from afar. Dew clung to the grass, soaking halfway down his trousers as he stepped on it. He hadn't gone far when he sensed a surge of Soul Power emanating from the shadows. It was strong and heavy. He took a deep breath and released the Nine Hell Soul-Suppressing Pagoda, four Soul Ring rising from beneath his feet. They were a deep purple-black. In this place, he didn't need to conceal his strength; he needed to fight with all his might, then quickly comprehend and break through his limitations during the battle.
When a 20,000-year-old Stone Armor Rhinoceros burst forth from a crevice in the valley wall, Ning Buhui did not retreat. He donned the Butterfly Dance Flowing Radiance and Vine Armor Spring Life, holding the tower in front of him to withstand the first impact. The vine armor shattered upon impact, and he added another layer. At the same time, his Second Soul Ring lit up, and the Vine Locks the Nine Nether Regions appeared, with nine chains binding the rhinoceros's four legs and waist. The Third Soul Ring lit up again, and the Thunder Prison Imprisons Wind spread out, drastically reducing the Stone Armor Rhinoceros's speed. The Fourth Soul Ring lit up last, and the Bear Spirit Curse landed on it. Then, he slashed with his right arm, and the Void Rending Slash cut into the gaps in the rhinoceros's armor plates on its neck.
He fought four battles in one day. He used all his skills in each one, and after each battle, he would go into the tower to recover, and then come out to find the next one. In the evening, he sat in the bamboo house eating roasted meat, his whole body aching. Today he fought four Soul Beast that were over 20,000 years old. The most dangerous battle was when he was wrapped up by a Rock Python that was 25,000 years old, and his ribs were almost crushed. But he did not retreat. He relied on the Bear Spirit Curse to stack up to ten layers to wear down the Rock Python's Soul Power, and then used a Void Rending Slash close the distance and unleash his ultimate attack.
These battles were truly exhilarating; there was no need to hide one's strength, only to focus on how to win. He sat in the bamboo hut, eating roasted meat while pondering the details of these battles.
He took a bite of meat, silently calculating in his mind. The density and age of the Soul Beast in this valley were just right. Those between 20,000 and 25,000 years old were perfect for him to practice on, and those between 30,000 years old could barely be handled. Any higher and he would have to run away. Fortunately, his tower had a personal space that could shrink to the size of a speck of dust, which gave him the confidence to survive here.
Outside the tower, the night wind howled through the valley, and in the distance, wild beasts came out to hunt for food at night, occasionally letting out a few roars. Inside the tower, Ning Buhui closed his eyes and leaned back in a bamboo chair, reflecting on the gains from today's battle.