Chapter 128: Thunder Prison Forest

Ordinary Soul Masters dare not easily set foot here, so Tie Li, forced with no choice, could only flee into the Thunder Prison Forest.

Upon entering the Thunder Prison Forest, Tie Li, whose balance was off, rolled on the ground several times.

The vines were slowly writhing; it was a Lightning Vine over five thousand years old.

But it did not attack Tie Li immediately, because it sensed a familiar and harmonious aura on him, akin to a kindred.

Tie Li seemed to notice this as well, releasing a distress wave with his own Soul power.

The Lightning Vine did not launch an attack; Tie Li got up and fled deeper into the Thunder Prison Forest.

He headed toward the territory of Thunder Attribute Plant-type Soul Beasts, emitting his own Soul power waves.

Meanwhile, the three pursuing Soul Emperors hesitated for a moment.

"First, combine forces to capture him; as for what follows, we'll discuss after we have him, okay?" the Defense-type Soul Emperor said.

The other two nodded; obtaining a Soul bone required catching Tie Li, and the Thunder Prison Forest is extremely dangerous, so even Soul Emperors must stay vigilant.

……

"Lord Bishop, should we pursue him."

Zhao Tianhe, dragging his wounded body, escaped under the siege.

"He's now a teacher at the Tian Dou Royal Academy; making a big‑staged kill on him would only invite many unnecessary troubles.

Moreover, our primary target is the Fenglei Sect's inheritor disciple; it seems the three have already gotten him, so we'll go after them."

"Understood."

When Bolia learned that Tie Li is the Fenglei Sect's inheritor disciple, he made up his mind;

Even if Tie Li stayed in Thunderclap City, he would summon the Soul Masters of the city's WuHunZhuDian to act.

He would fabricate any charge and first seize him back to the Spirit Hall.

With the Spirit Hall's prestige and the cultivation of a Soul Saint, Bolia dared to conclude that no faction would dare block him.

……

Tie Li emerged from the opposite side of the Thunder Prison Forest; he never went deep, guided by a Thunder Attribute Plant Soul Beast that could pinpoint direction inside the forest.

The terror of the Thunder Prison Forest isn't just the frightening Thunder Attribute Soul Beasts; once inside, it's easy to lose one's way, as the forest's magnetic field is chaotic from start to finish—no wonder even a Six-ring Soul Emperor, let alone an Eight Ring Soul Douluo, would become lost.

Tie Li's aid from the Thunder Attribute Plant Soul Beast stems from the original essence granted by a Plant Soul Beast on Baidi's Outer Perimeter during his Martial Soul Evolution, endowing his martial soul with the aura of a Thunder Attribute Plant Soul Beast.

Within the Thunder Prison Forest, the Plant Soul Beasts treated Tie Li as one of their own, thus offering assistance.

Even Tie Li himself hadn't expected that he escaped thanks to the Plant Soul Beasts' help.

Yet after being attacked by the Soul Emperors, Tie Li was seriously wounded and had to leave the area.

After ten or so days of nonstop fleeing, Tie Li silently exhaled in relief; if they had found his trail, they would have caught up long ago.

Not being pursued for so long shows that he is currently safe.

Yet Tie Li harbored a doubt: can he still return to the Tian Dou Royal Academy now?

Will they also treat me as a Fenglei Sect inheritor disciple?

But if I don't go back to the Tian Dou Royal Academy and lose protection, I'll have to face the Spirit Hall's hunt; can a lone Four-ring Soul Sect be this lucky every time?

Since being targeted by the Spirit Hall, it seems only one path lies before me now.

"Gu Yu Cheng?" Tie Li recognized the city ahead.

Situated on the border of the Tian Dou Empire near the Xingluo Empire, the city is small but economically prosperous, with many caravans passing through.

Precisely because it's on the frontier, the Spirit Hall here is the lowest‑rank sub‑hall.

His wound‑healing medicines were exhausted, so he needed to enter the city to buy spirit herbs; this healing required multiple spirit materials.

Already injured and after prolonged travel, his body might harbor hidden ailments.

In Tie Li's storage ring lay an ancient formula for forging the body with spirit materials, given to him by Ning Ning during training in the deep Tian Dou Plains, along with a brief note on his condition.

During training, Ning Ning kept constant distance and a detached tone, so Tie Li naturally didn't feel embarrassed and treated her as a regular teammate.

The ancient text contains two medicinal bath recipes for healing wounds, focusing on dispelling hidden injuries and restoring organs;

Spirit‑material body forging is relatively volatile, causing energy collisions that may leave hidden injuries; the recorded baths are meant to address that.

Upon entering Gu Yu Cheng, Tie Li didn't immediately go to the guild for spirit materials; instead he first found an inn, waited until night, donned a black robe and mask, and went to the city's Black Market.

Some valuable spirit materials are cheaper at the Black Market, while ordinary ones are bought from the city's guild.

This time, focusing on wound repair, he chose spirit materials with gentle medicinal potency, preferably a hundred years old.

Five‑hundred‑year‑old sky‑blue fruit, three‑hundred‑year‑old blood spirit ginseng…

In the Black Market, sellers or buyers are mostly Soul Masters, who use items to conceal their true appearance.

He spent eight hundred Gold Soul Coins to purchase the needed spirit materials and left the Black Market without looking back.

If bought at regular guild prices, it would have cost at least two thousand Gold Soul Coins.

Before Tie Li left, a group of Soul Masters entered the Black Market together; they made no concealment, their clothing plainly revealed their identities.

They were most likely owners who had lost their supplies and traced their way to the Black Market.

Every place has a Black Market; Soul Masters capable of establishing one must be powerful, yet they can also hit a dead end.

If the Black Market early on discovers that the seller's goods come from a source it cannot offend, it will refuse those goods from appearing in its market.

But this time, they seemed not to notice.

Tie Li had just left the Black Market when a fierce Soul Power Collision erupted behind him.

He hurriedly quickened his pace, not wanting to be dragged into an inexplicable fight.

Only after reaching a corner, confirming no one was around, did he put away the black robe and mask and return to the inn.

The next day, he went normally to a guild to purchase the needed spirit materials; these were relatively ordinary and not overpriced.

Yet it still cost Tie Li five hundred Gold Soul Coins.

The inn's room had a wooden tub; he added a little fresh water, placed all spirit materials except two spirit fruits that needed to be taken orally into the tub.

The right palm emits an electric arc, puts the hand into the water, the spiritual material starts dissolving, a little clear water blends with the spiritual herb's medicinal property, and it instantly begins to boil, the water surface immediately rises.

Tie Li strips off his clothing, steps entirely into a wooden barrel, and the water level instantly reaches his shoulders.

The gentle medicinal property begins to repair the injury, slowly flowing through the outermost skin into the flesh and blood.

(End of chapter)