In the end, Su Linfeng and Dugu Yan left the underground market after a short stroll.
Aside from the whale resin, there wasn't much else worth buying. Still, discovering a ten-thousand-year-old piece had already been an unexpected blessing.
Afterward, they stopped in town to stock up on supplies for survival before finding an inn to rest for the night.
The Next Morning
As dawn broke, Su Linfeng led Dugu Yan away from Star Dou Town, entering the Star Dou Great Forest from the northern side.
No one knew how long the Star Dou Great Forest had existed—perhaps as long as Douluo Continent itself. But the moment one stepped beneath its vast canopy, it was easy to sense its ancient, primal presence.
The trees towered over twenty meters high, their emerald crowns blotting out the sunlight.
In the quiet forest, Su Linfeng and Dugu Yan walked side by side.
Dugu Yan's eyes flickered warily through the shadows, ever on guard for ambushes, while Su Linfeng strolled as if out for a pleasant walk, breathing in the forest's crisp air.
Fifteen years—almost sixteen.
Finally, he felt like he had come home.
The peace and freshness of the forest slowed his steps.
Seeing this, Dugu Yan's brows furrowed with concern. "Linfeng, we're already in the spirit beast habitat. Stay alert."
"I know."
Su Linfeng smiled slightly at her worried tone. To reassure her, he gently pulled her closer so that they walked shoulder to shoulder—close enough that he could protect her at a moment's notice.
He really was something.
Even that small gesture made Dugu Yan's heart tremble.
Though she was a year older than him, beside Su Linfeng, she felt like a little sister—protected, safe, and… strangely warm.
At not even sixteen, he already had the calm presence of a mature man—strong, dependable, and impossible to resist.
Her cheeks flushed red.
She liked this feeling more than she wanted to admit.
Suddenly, Su Linfeng's half-smile faded. "Sometimes," he said softly, eyes narrowing, "human soul masters are far more dangerous than spirit beasts."
Dugu Yan blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Don't you think something's off?"
His sharp gaze swept the dark corners of the forest before resting back on her puzzled expression. He smiled but didn't explain.
A faint chill ran down Dugu Yan's spine.
Could it be…
Her instincts screamed that danger was near.
Without thinking, she stepped slightly in front of Su Linfeng, trying to shield him—though she knew how pointless that was.
And then—
A cold shout cut through the forest.
"Do it!"
A sharp whistle followed, slicing through the air.
From the shadows, several figures sprang out at once.
A cloud of green powder, thick with venom, burst toward them like a wave, swallowing both Su Linfeng and Dugu Yan.
"Not good!"
Dugu Yan gasped, "Linfeng—careful!"
Her spirit power flared violently, but the sudden ambush left her completely off-balance.
Before she could react, the toxin invaded her body. Her soul power faltered—collapsing in mere breaths.
Seeing their prey enveloped by poison, the ambushers emerged from hiding, surrounding them in a five-point formation.
Each of them radiated tremendous power—
All five were six-ring Soul Emperors!
Leading them was none other than the middle-aged vendor from the underground market.
The oppressive aura of their spirit power made Dugu Yan's face pale.
"Who are you people? Why attack us?" she demanded.
The vendor's lips twisted into a cruel grin. "You really want to know? Then I'm afraid you won't live long enough to tell anyone."
"You—!"
Dugu Yan glared, realization dawning. "You're the kind of ruthless criminals the Spirit Hall has been hunting down!"
She didn't know the term evil soul master, but she had heard of these violent fugitives—soul masters who lived by robbery and slaughter.
Though most of them had been captured or forced into the City of Slaughter, some still roamed free. To find such scum hiding in a small town like this was shocking.
The vendor chuckled darkly. "Smart girl. Shame you're too clever for your own good."
Dugu Yan clenched her fists. "If anything happens to us, Spirit Hall will never let you go!"
"Spirit Hall?" the vendor barked out a laugh. "They're nothing! If they could've caught us, would we still be here?"
"Evil soul masters, huh?"
A calm voice came from behind Dugu Yan.
"Not bad. Looks like I've found a little bonus prize."
Everyone turned toward the sound.
From within the green mist, a familiar silhouette slowly emerged—completely unscathed.
"Linfeng?!"
Dugu Yan, half-kneeling from the poison's effects, stared in disbelief.
Of course—his martial soul was of the fire attribute, naturally restraining all toxins. Even her grandfather's Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison couldn't harm him.
How could a bit of cheap powder possibly affect Su Linfeng?
The vendor froze for a moment, startled. Then, seeing that Su Linfeng was only a Soul King (five rings), he relaxed again.
"Hmph. Just a Soul King."
Another cold voice echoed from the woods.
"Even if you're not poisoned, what difference does it make?"
A new figure stepped out from the shadows.
He looked about fifty years old—ordinary-featured, short but powerfully built. His broad shoulders resembled fortress walls, and his bulging muscles stretched the seams of his coat. The sheer presence he radiated made the air itself feel heavy.
Su Linfeng's brows furrowed. "Zhao Wuji?"
Indeed—it was Zhao Wuji, the man who would one day become a teacher at Shrek Academy.
But right now, he was not that man.
He was the notorious bandit of Douluo, the Unmovable King Zhao Wuji, long before Shrek "cleaned him up."
Back then, Zhao Wuji had been one of the most feared rogue soul masters on the continent—hunted by both the Strength Clan and the Spirit Hall.
He had even survived a siege by sixteen of Spirit Hall's bishops—escaping alive. A true monster among bandits.
So he had been hiding here, within the Barak Kingdom all along… still robbing travelers.
Zhao Wuji raised an eyebrow when he heard his name.
"Oh? You recognize me."His lips curled into a smirk. In that case… You definitely can't be allowed to leave alive. Kill them both!