Intelligence on the Star Dou Great Forest

After dealing with the two corpses, Su Tianyu hurried back toward Heaven Lake City.

He followed the official road for less than a hundred li before a small town came faintly into view in the distance. Exhausted from Soul Hunting, he decided to rest there for the night before setting out again.

He continued along the dirt road and soon reached the town gate. Su Tianyu took a careful look at the town and saw that it was perfectly ordinary in size.

The town walls were built entirely from blocks of earth. They were clearly no more than decoration when it came to defending against Soul Beast attacks. Only a handful of soldiers patrolled the gate. Every one of them had a sallow face and a terribly thin frame, looking thoroughly malnourished.

Seeing how frail the Heaven Dou soldiers looked, Su Tianyu wondered whether the Heaven Dou Empire's soldiers had to go hungry between meals.

They could not even get enough of the simplest food, while the imperial family and nobles squandered their wealth in Heaven Dou City, spending Gold Soul Coins amid pools of wine and forests of meat. Even if they scraped a little from their own hands, it would be enough to feed the empire's soldiers and give them the strength to fight their enemies.

The Heaven Dou Empire looks like a kingdom destined to fall. Soul Masters are only a small minority in the end, and ordinary soldiers are often an indispensable part of every war. There are only around two hundred thousand Soul Masters on the entire Douluo Continent, and those above Soul King are few and far between. Titled Douluo are even rarer. Every Titled Douluo is revered as an honored elder, and they rarely travel the continent.

"Halt! Please show your entry permit."

Of the two guards at the gate, one soldier stepped forward and stopped Su Tianyu as he was about to enter the town.

"An entry permit?"

The guard's question caught Su Tianyu off guard. For a moment, he could not remember that a letter of proof was required to enter the town. It was his own fault for not showing his Soul Rings sooner.

After using Martial Soul Possession, two hundred-year Yellow Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet. Su Tianyu said calmly to the guard, "Does this mean I don't need an entry permit?"

"So you're a Lord Soul Master. I was in the wrong just now, so please forgive me. This is a task assigned by the empire. We have to check the entry documents and paperwork of travelers at every checkpoint."

The guard bowed to him with the utmost respect, then cautiously raised his head and looked at him anxiously, hoping he would not blame him.

"It's all right. That's your duty. I'll head into town now."

Under the respectful gazes of the two guards, Su Tianyu strode into town.

"Phew, phew, that was close! Luckily, the Lord Soul Master didn't blame me. Otherwise, my scrawny little body couldn't have withstood an attack from a Soul Master's Soul Skill."

Wang Er watched the figure recede into the distance, lingering fear on his face.

"Haha! Wang Er, you blockhead, let's see if you learn to read people better from now on. You could see the man was dressed in fine clothes, yet you still dared to step forward and stop him. Now you know why I didn't go up and stop him, right?"

Zhang San smiled at the embarrassed Wang Er, his voice full of mockery.

"Yes, yes, yes, you've got a good eye. I'll be counting on your guidance from now on," Wang Er teased Zhang San.

Su Tianyu walked slowly through the town. There were few pedestrians on the road, and hardly any of the shops lining the street were open for business.

Before long, he reached the end of the street. Not far away stood a restaurant built of redwood, its decor understated and simple without losing its luxurious style.

He hurried to the restaurant entrance and saw the words "Ning Family Restaurant" written in four large characters directly above the gate. Su Tianyu could not help admiring the Ning Family of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. They did business so widely that wherever people lived, they had a shop open. On the Douluo Continent, only Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could do that.

He entered the restaurant hall and found a seat by the window. He had just sat down when the female receptionist hurried over and welcomed him in a soft voice.

"Welcome to the Ning Family Restaurant, honored guest. Our signature dishes include braised Violent Bear paw, steamed Emerald Swan meat, Amethyst Crab, Flying Sword Fish Dragon, and..."

Su Tianyu raised a hand to interrupt the waitress before she could continue listing the menu. He looked at her in puzzlement and asked, "Steamed Emerald Swan? The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect can even capture that kind of Soul Beast?"

"Yes, honored guest. However, Emerald Swans live in the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest, so it's impossible for our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to capture them in large numbers. Every time the beast-catching team goes after Emerald Swans, they're besieged by large numbers of other Soul Beasts. As a result, they usually catch only one or two at a time, making them rather expensive. I wouldn't recommend ordering it," the waitress explained with a smile.

Listening to her explanation, Su Tianyu could not help wondering, Aren't Emerald Swans the same species as Bi Ji, the fourth-ranked of the ten great Ferocious Beasts? How could they let Soul Masters enter the mixed zone to hunt and capture them? Could it be that the Silver Dragon King's injuries have flared up again, and she needs Bi Ji to treat her around the clock? But surely a native Soul Beast couldn't heal the injuries of a divine beast?

Does that mean the Silver Dragon King's injuries were extremely serious during Douluo I? Is that why Ferocious Beasts among her subordinates, such as Di Tian, Xiong Jun, and the Myriad Demon King, chose to stay close and protect her, keeping the gods of the Divine Realm from discovering the special space beneath the Lake of Life?

At that thought, Su Tianyu's eyes lit up. That's wonderful. Once my Soul Power Level is higher, I can go to the Star Dou Great Forest and take my pick of Soul Beasts with rare bloodlines to hunt for Soul Rings. I won't have to worry about the ten great Ferocious Beasts appearing in the outside world and threatening my safety, either.

"Xiao Wu, your two simp Soul Beasts can live a few more years. I've had my eye on their Soul Bones for a long time!"

"Cackle... cackle... cackle!"

Su Tianyu let out a strange cackling laugh, frightening the waitress standing beside him out of her wits. She trembled all over and stared straight at him with an anxious gaze, as though she would call for someone the moment he made a move.

"Cough... cough... cough!"

Seeing how terrified the waitress looked, Su Tianyu stopped laughing and coughed to cover his embarrassment. Smiling, he said:

"Bring me a serving of Violent Bear paw and a bottle of fruit wine."

Before long, two waitresses came over carrying a serving platter and set it on the table.

"Please enjoy your meal, honored guest. The fruit wine will be here shortly."

Su Tianyu raised a hand and lifted the cover from the platter. A cloud of hot steam rose, and the golden sheen of the bear paw on the platter made his mouth water. He quickly picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of bear paw meat, and put it in his mouth.

The bear paw meat melted in his mouth and slid down his throat into his stomach like jelly, considerably lifting his spirits after his tiring journey.

The fruit wine was served shortly afterward. Su Tianyu drank the wine and ate the bear paw meat, and before he knew it, evening had arrived.

After paying twenty Gold Soul Coins, Su Tianyu left the restaurant with his fill of food and drink. He went to the town's only inn, paid for a room, and lay down happily on the bed and fell asleep.