The Star Dou Forest was one of the three great spirit beast habitats of the Douluo Continent. Its vast size was nearly equal to the entire territory of the Barak Kingdom, and it stretched across both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire. This primeval forest was filled with treacherous terrain and fearsome spirit beasts. It was said that every spirit master could find a suitable spirit ring within its depths.
Of course, it was also extremely dangerous. Even a Titled Douluo, if they dared venture into the core zone, would be risking their life.
After all, the Star Dou Forest didn't just house powerful beasts like the Sky Blue Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape—beings like Di Tian were still slumbering deeper within...
As a reincarnator, Han Feng knew better than anyone: if you truly provoked the Silver Dragon King at the forest's heart, not even a god's descent would guarantee your survival.
In short—don't go looking for death in the Star Dou Forest.
Fortunately, Han Feng's group had modest goals: to hunt a 5,000-year-old spirit beast and a 700-year-old one. There was no need to approach the core zone at all—the mixed area would suffice. With luck, they might even find suitable beasts in the forest's outer region.
The two Soul Kings Han Dang had hired were men of few words. After a brief self-introduction, they stayed mostly silent.
The assault-type Soul King was named Chen Sheng, martial spirit: Sky Halberd, spirit power: Rank 54.
The control-type Soul King was Wu Fan, martial spirit: Thunder Hammer, spirit power: Rank 52.
Their suggestion was simple: first, hunt a suitable century-old spirit beast in the outer forest for Han Feng's second ring, and then slowly proceed into the mixed zone to find Zhang Lingling's fourth ring. It was the safest plan with the lowest risk.
But Han Dang had a different idea—go straight to the mixed zone, hunt the 4th spirit ring for Zhang Lingling first, and pick up Han Feng's 2nd ring along the way.
The danger would be greater, but so would the rewards. After all, a century-old beast that survived in the mixed zone would be far stronger than one from the outskirts—perfect for giving Han Feng a more powerful ring.
Chen Sheng and Wu Fan initially objected, but after Han Dang offered a 20% bonus, they reluctantly agreed.
As for Han Feng, being a single-ring Spirit Grandmaster, he obediently stayed under the protection of his parents. While he was a little wary of Chen Sheng and Wu Fan, he didn't need to be the one watching them—his father, a veteran of the spirit master world, was far more adept at reading people.
"Feng'er," Han Dang instructed along the way, "in the wild, always stay alert to your surroundings. Even the faintest sound might mean danger. Spirit beasts have all kinds of abilities—no one knows what might happen next."
"And remember: never camp in open areas. Always look for a tree hollow or cave to spend the night."
"Avoid making a fire if possible. While most spirit beasts fear flame, some don't. A fire might attract exactly what you don't want."
"Keep your spirit power above two-thirds of full. If it drops lower, stop and meditate—no matter how slow it makes you. Running into a strong beast without spirit power is asking to die."
On the way, Han Dang poured endless wilderness survival knowledge into Han Feng's ears—often repeating certain points two or three times. Unlike the Soul Hunting Forest outside Stan City—where the strongest beasts barely reached a thousand years—this was the Star Dou Forest. Here, caution was survival.
And Han Feng didn't mind at all. These were hard-earned insights, passed down by generations of spirit masters. What might seem like cowardice could genuinely save your life one day.
On their second day, Wu Fan quietly reported,
"Mr. Han, there's a 5,000-year-old Flame Lord ahead."
Han Feng perked up. On their first day, they had spotted a 600-year-old Blackarmored Turtle that was suitable for him, but he had passed on it due to its lack of fire attribute and short cultivation age.
Han Dang's eyes lit up.
A 5,000-year beast was ideal for Zhang Lingling's fourth ring. Though not near the upper limit, neither she nor Han Dang had any desire to pursue the extreme—it was powerful enough without unnecessary risk.
They exchanged glances and saw excitement in each other's eyes.
"Its fire attribute is a perfect match," Zhang Lingling said softly.
"It's the one," Han Dang said decisively.
Chen Sheng nodded and immediately dashed in the direction Wu Fan pointed. Han Dang followed with Zhang Lingling and Han Feng close behind, while Wu Fan guarded the rear.
Soon, Han Feng saw it with his own eyes—the Flame Lord.
Its body was entirely composed of red-hot fire, radiating waves of heat. It had no legs and floated like a ghost, protected by a layer of molten armor on its shoulders.
Beneath it was a scorched clearing, and within a hundred meters lived thousands of Flame Wraiths—clearly a whole colony.
The Flame Lord's lair was built atop a volcanic crater, where the still-bubbling lava formed a natural barrier.
Chen Sheng frowned.
"This complicates things..."
Wu Fan's abilities could sense thousand-year beasts and up, but not the swarm of minor Flame Wraiths.
If it were just the Flame Lord, the four of them—two Soul Kings and two Spirit Ancestors—could easily take it down. But with hundreds of smaller beasts and molten terrain, it was a different matter.
They weren't afraid of the fight—but wasting spirit power was dangerous in Star Dou. Excessive consumption in the wild could mean death later.
Han Dang's face also darkened, but he didn't back down.
"I'll go first. I'm in the tank. Lingling, stay behind me. You two flank me—if we take down the leader, the rest will scatter."
Wu Fan and Chen Sheng exchanged glances and nodded. With their strength, even if things went wrong, they could retreat without issue.
Han Dang turned to Han Feng and summoned his martial spirit. His third purple ring lit up, and a massive black ancient shield appeared.
He handed it to Han Feng.
"We're going to help your mom hunt her spirit ring. You stay hidden here. Use your Concealment Shield to mask your presence. This shield can block one full attack from a ten-thousand-year-old beast. We'll be back soon."
Han Feng agreed immediately. He'd only be a burden in the battle anyway—staying hidden was safer by far.
Zhang Lingling gently stroked his head.
"I'm sorry, Feng'er..."
She felt bad about leaving him behind—it might make him anxious. But she understood it was the safest option.
Han Feng just smiled.
"It's okay, Mom. You know your son's clever—I'll be fine! "
Her guilt eased a little. Han Feng had always been bright. Honestly, the real danger lay with them, not him.
Still, Zhang Lingling didn't let her guard down. She activated her martial spirit and third spirit ring—a ring of flame wrapped protectively around Han Feng.
With the Black Shield and the Flame Ring of Retaliation, even if a 5,000- or 6,000-year-old spirit beast attacked, Han Feng could hold out long enough for rescue.
Chen Sheng and Wu Fan looked a bit annoyed—it meant two spirit skills were essentially wasted. But seeing as it was their only son, they said nothing.
"Let's go."
Han Dang now entered spirit-attached form, clad in dark armor, wielding a massive shield. With his first and second spirit skills activated, his defense reached an astonishing level.
Zhang Lingling followed behind, her second ring glowing. A pillar of flame enveloped Han Dang, boosting his strength.
With a low shout, Han Dang charged forward.
Wu Fan and Chen Sheng exchanged shocked glances—the combat power of this husband-wife duo was nothing to scoff at. In fact, it might even surpass their own!
But with no conflict of interest, they didn't hesitate. Wu Fan, being a control type with weak offense, stayed close behind for safety.
BOOM!
In a flash, Han Dang—fully armored and wreathed in flame—rushed forward dozens of meters. Before the Flame Wraiths could even react, Wu Fan and Chen Sheng unleashed their attacks.
A massive warhammer smashed down, stunning entire clusters of wraiths. The Sky Halberd swept through the air, slicing down dozens at a time.
The difference between spirit beasts and spirit masters?
Spirit masters fight as a team.
Three or four Spirit Ancestors working together could even bring down a powerful ten-thousand-year beast.
Watching the overwhelming charge from afar, Han Feng felt awe rise in his chest.
"Douluo Continent... what a wondrous place."
"This kind of power... is truly something to aspire to."
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/Shinazuki