Chapter 36: Star Dou Great Forest!

Qian Renxue suddenly discovered that the life fire of the infant who had just died had reignited; it turned out this was the real Tang San.

What Tang Hao just killed with his own shock was not the Tang God King, but his own true son!

Qian Renxue thought it over and decided not to take him in; Tang Hao is such a formidable person, better stay away from him, don't take him in or he'll cause trouble for her later.

A hint of joy appeared on Tang Hao's face; just now his path had almost been destroyed, he is no longer depressed, his soul power circulates, forming a faint airflow around his body, he stomps his foot hard on the ground, his burly body shoots up swiftly.

Qian Renxue tapped her wrist, turned to Qian Daoliu and said: "Grandfather, this operation failed; Tang Hao broke through to the Title Douluo level, matching three Super Douluo alone, his soul power became unbalanced, he fled in disgrace; let's just spread it like that, the few grandfathers of the Offering Hall should return to the Offering Hall secretly; having grandfather and second grandfather is enough."

After all, she is still only at the first ring; previously her brilliance was too conspicuous, so let Tang Hao, the youngest Title Douluo in the world, help her deflect this attention; anyway Tang Hao is going into seclusion.

Originally bringing so many attendants was just a precaution; now it seems maybe not that many are needed, but for safety she still kept the Golden Crocodile Douluo.

Qian Daoliu nodded, saying: "You don't need to worry about this; I'll take care of it. You have news about your second soul ring; the soul beast in the core region has also been tracked down by my men."

Qian Renxue pondered for a moment; Bibi Dong should have also broken through to Title Douluo by now, and she will likely go hunt for soul rings as well. After consuming so many immortal herbs and this 100,000-year soul ring, her soul power level is now unknown even to herself. She needs to hunt several soul rings, so she will probably have to stay in the Star Dou Great Forest for a long time.

Perhaps they will meet Bibi Dong in the Star Dou Great Forest later. Bibi Dong's ninth soul ring comes from a 100,000-year Death Spider Emperor, a powerful soul skill that grants undying power.

"Forget it, let's head straight to the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest."

"Also, send a message to Bibi Dong: if she is in the Spirit Hall, say I am hunting soul rings in the Star Dou Great Forest and am currently seriously injured; if she is not there, just forget it."

One week later, the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Star Dou Great Forest lies due south of the the Heaven Dou Empire, the forest spans the two empires; because of the abundant soul beasts here, this is also the most ambiguous part of the border between the two nations. Looking at the map, most of the Star Dou Great Forest's area lies within the Star Luo Empire, of course, the the Heaven Dou Empire has never acknowledged this.

As one of the three major gathering places for wild soul beasts, this is naturally where soul masters most wish to come, because each time they come here it means they are about to advance.

No one can say how many years the Star Dou Great Forest has existed on the Douluo Continent, but once you enter the forest, its dense, sky‑covering growth is enough to tell people how ancient it is.

Tall, sturdy ancient trees shoot straight into the clouds, their dense branches and leaves intertwine to form a green canopy that blots out the sky.

Sunlight struggles to filter through the layers of leaves, falling in dappled light and shadow on the ground. The forest air is filled with dampness, mixed with the fragrance of grass and the scent of earth.

Vines coil around the trunks like green pythons, the hanging tendrils sway in the wind. From time to time a rustling sound comes from the thickets; clear streams babble over rocks, sending out crisp sounds.

The fresh air and scenery made Qian Renxue's eyes light up; she couldn't help but stretch. From time to time, one or two cries of unknown soul beasts echo from the distance, reverberating deep in the forest, giving a sense of primal, mysterious power.

Before leaving, Qian Renxue gave Qian Xunji a boost of vitality, then she followed Qian Daoliu and the Golden Crocodile Douluo nonstop to the Star Dou Great Forest.

There were only the three of them; there was no need to bring other low‑level combat strength—too many people would slow the march, and upon reaching the core region they would be useless anyway.

Located in the most famous soul‑beast forest on the Douluo Continent, Qian Renxue was eager to try; she directly manifested her martial soul, eight pure white holy wings unfurling sharply, but the blood‑red 100,000‑year soul ring did not show—this was the hidden soul‑ring technique Qian Daoliu taught her on the way, so she need not fear prematurely revealing her soul ring when fighting others.

The vegetation of the Star Dou Great Forest is extraordinarily lush, the ecosystem extremely primitive, with no paths for people to walk; therefore Qian Renxue used her eight wings as blades to cut through the vines and shrubs ahead, clearing a route for the trio's advance. Having come to the Star Dou Great Forest, how could she not want to test her current strength?

Wild soul beasts are highly aggressive, perfect for testing one's own strength.

The Golden Crocodile Douluo gave a preventive shot beforehand, telling Qian Renxue to be careful on her first entry into the Star Dou Great Forest: "Xue'er, this is only the outskirts; the soul beasts we encounter here I and Elder Brother will not intervene—everything relies on you; we will act only if you face a soul beast you cannot resist."

"Don't worry, Second Grandfather," Qian Renxue said, having long looked forward to clashing with soul beasts; in usual training she only fought Qian Daoliu and a few attendants, getting beaten without any chance to retaliate, which was utterly boring.

Qian Daoliu also added, "From now on you must stay close to us, never stray more than thirty meters, lest we be unable to rescue you in time."

As the eight wings waved, they sliced through the thorns ahead without affecting the forward speed at all.

Qian Renxue suppressed her excitement, raising her perception and hearing to the utmost, observing her surroundings carefully.

Qian Renxue proceeded cautiously when suddenly she felt an inexplicable sensation of being watched.

A black shadow darted out like a phantom from the nearby grass—a three‑thousand‑year Shadow Magic Leopard nearly two meters long! Its whole body was covered in ink‑black fur, smooth and lustrous, as if it could absorb all surrounding light. Though the Shadow Magic Leopard is not large in size, it harbors power and speed beyond what ordinary soul masters can imagine.

Its head is relatively small, yet it possesses a pair of eyes sharpened to the extreme, a deep‑green hue that flashes with a chilling light; its mouth opens slightly, revealing sharp, pointed fangs; its limbs are not especially thick, but the muscle definition is clear, each step exuding latent explosive power, its claws sharp and curved, as if they could easily tear through steel.

The Shadow Magic Leopard can be said to be the favorite of agility‑attack soul masters; not only is it extremely fast, it also has the innate ability to hide itself in shadows, and in the Star Luo Empire the Yin‑Ming Zhu family's soul‑ring slots are basically taken by everyone who hunts one of these.

Its jet‑black fur is hardly distinguishable in the shadows; all that is heard is a low growl, then the Shadow Magic Leopard lunges at Qian Renxue with astonishing speed, its sharp claws flashing with cold light, aiming to rip open her throat.

(End of chapter)