The night passed without a word. The next morning, Lan Xiaodie instructed the inn's waiter to bring breakfast. Everyone began to eat, and after filling their stomachs, they prepared to depart towards the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Swish, swish…"
At this moment, a powerful spirit power aura came from afar. Ye Liangchen ran to the window and saw a long sword appearing in the sky, carrying three people swiftly flying towards the Star Dou Forest.
Standing at the front of the long sword was a white-haired elder in a light blue robe, very handsome, who should be Sword Douluo. Behind him was a refined middle-aged man holding a doll-like loli, who should be Ning Fengzhi and Ning Rongrong.
Ye Liangchen watched the departing Sword Douluo, thinking that the Imperial Sword Flight was very cool. When he cultivated his Sword Soul in the future, he would definitely develop the Imperial Sword Flight ability as well.
Sword Douluo was also considered a super handsome man in the Douluo World, on the same level as Qian Daoliu in terms of appearance. Not to mention, most Spirit Masters who wield swords are handsome.
"As expected of Sword Douluo! Imperial Sword Flight and he even brought two people with him." Su Lin looked at Sword Douluo's flying skill and praised him endlessly.
"Xiao Chen also has a Sword Soul, so he can also achieve Imperial Sword Flight in the future." The Lan Xiaodie sisters stroked Ye Liangchen's little head, full of anticipation for the Xiao Jiahuo's future achievements.
"Let's eat! We'll be departing soon after." Lan Xiaodie urged everyone to eat quickly.
Hunting Soul Town was still over a hundred li away from the Star Dou Forest, and the final stretch of road was very rugged, making it impossible for carriages to pass.
To reach their destination as quickly as possible, Lan Xiaodie directly held Ye Liangchen in her arms and sprinted towards the Star Dou Forest, with Su Lin and Lan Xiaoling following on either side.
"Swish, swish…"
The speed of high-level Spirit Masters was very fast. An hour later, the group had already reached the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The Star Dou Forest is the largest Spirit Beast forest on the Douluo Continent, one and a half times larger than the entire Balak Kingdom. The entire forest lies in the center of the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Two Great Empires, with 40% of its area within the Heaven Dou Empire and the remaining 60% within the Star Luo Empire.
Spirit Hall is located at the border of the Two Great Empires, only about six hundred kilometers from the Star Dou Forest, relying on the resources of the entire Star Dou Great Forest, which can be described as uniquely blessed.
The Star Dou Great Forest is also the forest with the most types of Spirit Beasts; generally, the Spirit Beasts that Spirit Masters need can be found here. But the Star Dou Great Forest is also the most dangerous Spirit Beast forest on the entire Douluo Continent; it is rumored that there are Ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts in the center of the forest.
This was only what people on the Douluo Continent knew. As a transmigrator, Ye Liangchen knew that the Silver Dragon King and a group of fierce beasts over one hundred fifty thousand years old were hidden deep within the Life Lake of the Star Dou Forest. That was the most dangerous place on the entire Douluo Continent.
Ye Liangchen looked at this magical Star Dou Forest, feeling extremely shocked. Towering trees, exotic flowers, and rare herbs were everywhere. Of course, Blue Silver Grass was still the most common plant.
"Squeak, squeak…"
"Rustle, rustle…"
"Howl…"
At this moment, as soon as they stepped into the outer perimeter of the forest, they saw some flying and walking beasts under a hundred years old moving through the forest, occasionally making various sounds.
"Xiao Chen, the Star Dou Forest is the forest with the most Spirit Beasts on the entire continent…"
Along the way, Lan Xiaodie introduced the Star Dou Great Forest and survival knowledge for entering Spirit Beast forests to Ye Liangchen. She, Su Lin, and Lan Xiaoling formed a triangular formation, surrounding the Xiao Jiahuo in the center, and set off deeper into the Star Dou Forest.
At this moment, Ye Liangchen was observing all directions, listening intently, guarding against Spirit Beast attacks. Although he had three masters protecting him, entering such a forest required learning to protect himself.
"Xiao Chen! Auntie has a sword here; take it for self-defense."
Lan Xiaodie took out a delicate three-foot-long sword from her spirit tool and handed it to Ye Liangchen for self-defense.
"Okay! Aunt Lan."
Taking the long sword handed over by Lan Xiaodie, Ye Liangchen suddenly felt inspired and wanted to practice his swordplay, so he swung the sword around.
"Aunt Lan! This sword is very beautiful, can you give it to me?" Ye Liangchen asked with a grin.
"Silly boy! Auntie took out this sword specifically to give it to you."
Lan Xiaodie smiled sweetly. This sword was given to her by Liu Ruyan back then. At that time, she and her sister had not yet married Yun Hanxing, and they, along with Ye Feng, traveled the continent, living a very carefree life. Now, recalling it, it was full of memories.
"Thank you, Aunt Lan!"
The exquisite sword moves of the Ten Thousand Plum Blossoms Welcoming the Wind Swordplay were already deeply imprinted in Ye Liangchen's mind. Following the sword moves in his mind, Ye Liangchen began to dance.
"Swish, swish, swish…"
Thrust, chop, parry, whirlwind thrust, diagonal thrust…
The long sword in Ye Liangchen's hand was as flexible as a swimming dragon. Clusters of sword flowers emanated a sharp aura, incredibly dazzling.
spirit power was attached to the blade, making its lethality immense. Several trees the size of small bowls, three meters away, were all cut down by the blade, giving Ye Liangchen a feeling of having the World in his hand with a single sword.
As expected of Sword God Ximen Chuixue's peerless swordplay! For Spirit Masters of the Douluo World, it was simply a divine skill.
Ye Liangchen remembered that Sword Saint Ye Gucheng's Celestial Flight was even more powerful than Ximen Chuixue's swordplay. If he could learn Celestial Flight in the future, it would surely be incredibly impressive.
"The Xiao Jiahuo is truly a sword genius; this swordplay feels even more powerful and exquisite than his father's."
The three women watched Ye Liangchen perform his swordplay with such flair and retreated to the side, quietly watching him practice, feeling very relieved.
"Aunt Lan! I think you can also learn Ten Thousand Plum Blossoms Welcoming the Wind Swordplay. If you master these sword techniques, they're just like self-created Spirit Abilities."
After practicing over a hundred sword moves, Ye Liangchen felt very comfortable. To improve the strength of those around him, Ye Liangchen also introduced the mysteries of the Ten Thousand Plum Blossoms Welcoming the Wind Swordplay to Lan Xiaodie and the others, encouraging them to learn swordplay in the future.
These people were all his relatives, and Ye Liangchen hoped they could all become stronger. He would not be like Tang San next door, who possessed the Tang Sect's unique skills but was unwilling to even pass them on to his wife, Xiao Wu.
"Hmm! It's time for us to change our thinking. This set of peerless swordplay, when wielded by Xiao Chen, is just like a self-created Spirit Ability."
"However, such a precious swordplay must not be casually passed on, otherwise the consequences would be severe."
The three women looked at each other after Ye Liangchen said this, and in their hearts, they unanimously decided to make changes. The extreme-flow teaching model of Tianshui Academy also needed to be changed.
"We'll arrange this after we return to the academy. For now, let's focus on finding Spirit Beasts. Su Lin, have you decided on your seventh spirit ring?"
"Ice Toad, Blue Scaled Dragon, Blue Flag Swordfish, these Spirit Beasts are all suitable."
"Then let's first find Heaven Azure Vine for Xiao Chen, and then we'll head deeper into the forest."
The Lan Xiaodie sisters and Su Lin were discussing the seventh spirit ring. Ye Liangchen listened quietly from the side, feeling that the Spirit Beasts Su Lin wanted to find all had water attributes, which was a bit extreme. This must be the extreme-flow teaching model of Tianshui Academy.
Ye Liangchen remembered that the Spirit Beasts killed by the Strength Clan were all strength-type. The Spirit of that clan seemed to be called Great Strength Gorilla, which also led to the people of that clan all looking like King Kong, and all their Spirit Abilities were strength-attributed, truly the extreme of extremes.
The group set off deeper into the Star Dou Forest, and the Spirit Beasts they encountered became increasingly powerful. Snakes as thick as buckets, twenty meters long, crawled forward, flicking their tongues.
"Hiss, hiss…"
The giant snake made hissing sounds, which were very eerie. Ye Liangchen felt that the giant snake could swallow a strong man weighing two or three hundred jin whole.
"Crack…"
A centipede over ten meters long, its countless legs as thick as small bowls, and two pincers at its head like giant scythes, instantly killed a goat and swallowed it whole.
Such a scene made Ye Liangchen think of the Centipede Demon in A Chinese Ghost Story.
"Howl…"
"Chirp, chirp…"
Gray wolves as large as calves rapidly hunted other weaker Spirit Beasts. There were also many plant Spirit Beasts that, when startled, surrounded themselves with branches, and even some trees dozens of meters tall that could run quickly. In the sky, raptors over ten meters in size screamed as they flew over the group's heads.
Ye Liangchen looked at these powerful Spirit Beasts and felt his scalp tingle. He felt like he had entered a monster World. It was his first time seeing these ferocious beasts, and he was still a bit unaccustomed to them.
"Xiao Chen! Don't be afraid, we're here." Lan Xiaodie saw Ye Liangchen's nervous expression and gently patted him on the back.
"It's normal to be scared the first time you see a Spirit Beast; we were the same when we were little." Lan Xiaoling and Su Lin smiled from the side.
"I'm not scared, I'm judging the age of these Spirit Beasts." Ye Liangchen would rather die than admit he was scared.
Carefully observing the markings on these Spirit Beasts, they were all roughly around 300 years old. The Spirit Beast Encyclopedia recorded many markings for Spirit Beasts at different age stages, making them easy to identify.
Regarding the Spirit Beast Encyclopedia, Ye Liangchen had only scratched the surface. It seemed he needed to master this knowledge as soon as possible in the future, as these were the experiences summarized by countless Spirit Masters and ancestors on the Douluo Continent!
Everyone continued deeper into the forest when suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept through, followed by a howl.
"Owooo..."
"When clouds follow dragons, wind follows tigers. This is a tiger-type Spirit Beast, and a very powerful one. Be careful and on guard." Lan Xiaodie stopped everyone, preparing for battle.
"Whoosh whoosh..."
After a gust of wind, a giant Ghost Tiger pounced on everyone. Its age was probably around 8,000 years.
"Hiss hiss..."
"Rustle rustle..."
Immediately after, a three-meter-long large scorpion and a twenty-meter-long spotted giant python also attacked from both sides, both around 5,000 years old.
In the distance, a Man Faced Demon Spider of about 5,000 years was sprawled on a large tree, quietly observing everything.
"Hmph! These ferocious Spirit Beasts, less than Ten-Thousand Year old, still dare to treat us as food! Xiao Ling, let's go, a quick battle for a quick resolution."
"Su Lin! Protect Xiao Chen!"
Lan Xiaodie released her Spirit, called her younger sister, and prepared for battle.
"Chirp chirp..."
"Buzz buzz..."
A phoenix cry rang out, and an Ice Phoenix appeared behind Lan Xiaodie. Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black—eight spirit rings slowly rose from her.
Lan Xiaoling also released her Luminous Jade Dolphin, with two yellow, two purple, and three black spirit rings appearing.
"Sister! Should we kill them all?"
"No need to kill them all, just repel them. If we kill these Spirit Beasts, the bloody scent will attract even more powerful Spirit Beasts. Besides, these Spirit Beasts are all excellent resources; it would be a waste to kill them. We might need them later."
"Swish swish..."
"First Spirit Ability: Ice Seal."
Lan Xiaodie released her Spirit Ability. In an instant, countless ice blocks emerged from the ground, immediately freezing the several thousand-year Spirit Beasts that were rushing over.
"Fifth Spirit Ability: Water Cannon Attack."
Lan Xiaoling also released her fifth Spirit Ability, Water Cannon Attack.
"Bang bang bang..."
Several water cannons flew out quickly from her hands, accurately hitting the frozen Spirit Beasts, instantly knocking them flying. Even the Man Faced Demon Spider on the distant tree was accurately hit.
"Owooo..."
"Hiss hiss..."
The thousand-year Spirit Beasts, having gained a sliver of intelligence, knew they had encountered a tough opponent after being knocked back, and immediately fled.
Ye Liangchen witnessed Lan Xiaoling's Water Cannon Attack; it was like a cannonball. Even at a distance of twenty meters, it still had such great destructive power, truly extraordinary.
"Xiao Chen! How do you feel?"
Su Lin smiled, looking at the astonished gaze of the Xiao Jiahuo in her arms.
"Aunt Lan's Spirit Abilities are very powerful," Ye Liangchen said excitedly, waving his hand.
"Let's go!" Lan Xiaodie called everyone to continue forward.
The group searched in the forest for a day but still hadn't encountered the Spirit Beast they wanted. Along the way, they encountered two waves of attacks from ferocious Spirit Beasts. Ye Liangchen even killed a hundred-year Netherworld Wolf, finding it very exciting.
At this moment, there was a cave ahead, about twenty square meters in size, very dry inside. Two hundred meters outside the cave entrance, there was also a small river, making it an ideal place for camping. Lan Xiaodie suggested resting there for the night.
"We'll spend the night here and continue searching tomorrow."
The group entered the cave and found no animals inside, and the ground was very clean. Su Lin and Lan Xiaoling skillfully set up tents, and Ye Liangchen also helped. In his previous life, he had watched Bear Grylls' "Man vs. Wild" show, and he found this kind of wilderness survival experience very exciting.
Lan Xiaodie went into the forest to gather some dry firewood, then went to the river to fetch over ten buckets of water. Afterward, she lit a fire outside the cave entrance and boiled a pot of hot water, preparing to make dinner.
As early as when they passed through Soto City, Lan Xiaodie had purchased a large amount of rice, flour, oil, cooking utensils, and various dried vegetables and meats, all stored in a spirit tool, enough to feed four people for one or two months.
The reason Lan Xiaodie brought so many food ingredients was also because Ye Liangchen was still young and in a period of rapid growth, so his meals had to keep up. She couldn't let him eat dry rations every day.
Lighting a fire in the forest, although it might attract some Spirit Beasts unafraid of fire, as a Spirit Douluo expert, Lan Xiaodie was not afraid of them. Moreover, this area was still on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest, so there wouldn't be any Spirit Beasts over Ten-Thousand Year old.
"Sister! What are we eating tonight?" Lan Xiaoling asked with a smile.
"Braised cured beef with dried winter bamboo shoots, stir-fried Blue Silver Grass, braised dried carp, and an egg drop soup. Conditions are limited, so I can only make these."
"Wow! It's been a long time since I've had dishes made by the Dean!"
"Su Lin! Haven't you eaten enough of my cooking before? Hurry up and come help. You're also my mother's student, so you should call me Senior Sister when we're outside."
"Understood! Beautiful Senior Sister."
After Su Lin and Lan Xiaoling set up the tents, they also helped out. The three women chatted and laughed, creating a very warm scene.
Ye Liangchen sat in the distance, watching the scene, feeling it was just like the "Beauty's Private Kitchen" show he used to watch on TV in his previous life—very pleasing to the eye.
An hour later, a sumptuous dinner was ready. The enticing aroma wafted over, making everyone's mouths water.
"Xiao Chen! Go wash your hands quickly, it's time to eat." Lan Xiaodie called out to Ye Liangchen, who was meditating and cultivating.
"Okay! Aunt Lan." With delicious food, Ye Liangchen was in a very good mood.
After a satisfying meal, Lan Xiaodie took out a large pot and a large wooden tub and began to boil hot water, while Su Lin and Lan Xiaoling went to the distant river to bathe.
"Xiao Chen! Hurry and take a bath. Auntie will guard you outside." Lan Xiaodie poured the hot water into the wooden tub and instructed Ye Liangchen to bathe.
Good heavens! Is this even a Spirit Beast hunt? This is a vacation! Seeing this scene, Ye Liangchen found it too interesting.
"Thank you, Aunt Lan!"
Ye Liangchen soaked in the wooden tub, feeling completely relaxed. This kind of life was too comfortable.
After a while, after Su Lin returned, Lan Xiaodie also ran to the river to take a bath. Women are all very clean, let alone beautiful women like them.
After all the fuss, the sky was already pitch black, and he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Fortunately, the bonfire was still burning, illuminating the entire cave.
"Xiao Chen! Go to sleep now." Seeing that it was late, Lan Xiaodie interrupted Ye Liangchen, who was cultivating, and told him to go to sleep.
"Okay. Aunt Lan!"
Ye Liangchen crawled into the tent and began to sleep, falling into a deep slumber shortly after.
"Su Lin, Xiao Ling, you two go to sleep! I'll take the night watch."
"Sister! We'll sleep for the first half of the night, and then Su Lin and I will take the second half, and you can sleep then."
"Alright! It's settled then."
After cultivating for an hour, the three women began to allocate their cultivation time. Spending the night in the Spirit Beast Forest required constant vigilance against Spirit Beast attacks.
After Su Lin entered the tent, she lay down beside Ye Liangchen and hugged the Xiao Jiahuo in her arms like a pillow.
"Xiao Ling sister! I feel like you're doing this on purpose. Do you really have to hug the Xiao Jiahuo to fall asleep?" Lan Xiaoling looked at this woman's actions, feeling quite speechless.
"Sister Xiao Ling! As Xiao Chen's teacher, and being in the Star Dou Forest, I must be responsible for his safety. This is called close-quarters protection." Su Lin ignored Lan Xiaoling's teasing and continued to hold Ye Liangchen in her arms, giving him the warmest care.
"I know you were a little unwilling when you lost to Liu Ruyan back then. You're not thinking of making a move on her son, are you? Please don't mess around!" Lan Xiaoling felt that this woman was very strange.
"Sister Xiao Ling, you're overthinking it."
Su Lin gave Lan Xiaoling a charming smile, thinking: Even if this old woman had such an idea, it wouldn't be possible to achieve it! By the time the Xiao Jiahuo grows up, she'd already be old.
Ye Liangchen was sleeping soundly at this moment, but he felt as if he was surrounded by something again, and it carried a pleasant fragrance, making him very comfortable.
In his daze, he felt unable to turn over, so he stretched out his hand, wanting to move a bit. The next moment, he touched something soft and yielding, which immediately woke Ye Liangchen up, and he found himself once again in the embrace of his beautiful teacher, Su Lin.
Oh my goodness! Why again? How am I supposed to sleep now? This is truly a sin!
Previously, in Hunting Soul Town, this woman had promised the Lan Xiaodie sisters that she would protect him closely, and she had truly become addicted to it, which was too exasperating.
His Grandma Dean used to tell him that Su Lin had pursued his father back then, but his mother, Liu Ruyan, stood in the way, and this woman didn't succeed.
Is this woman trying to make a move on him now? Although such a thing would be very exciting.
Thinking of this, Ye Liangchen began to silently recite the Ice Heart Technique.
If the heart is clear as ice, the heavens will not be shaken.
Amidst myriad changes, remain still, with a tranquil mind and Spirit...
To help himself fall asleep, Ye Liangchen silently recited the Ice Heart Technique five times in his mind, which allowed his mood to calm down, and he eventually slowly fell into a deep slumber.