The sun slowly rose from the east, gradually enlarging the pale white glow, and the sky gradually brightened.
"Squeak!"
"Squeak!"
"Squeak!"
Three doors opened simultaneously. Sometimes it's just that wonderful, and brothers are just that in sync.
Ma Hongjun, Tang San, and Dai Mubai stood at the door, looking at each other.
"Good morning!"
"Good morning!"
"Good morning!"
After the three hooligans greeted each other, they all turned around and walked back to their rooms with their heads down.
Inside the rooms, Xiang Chengxian, Ning Rongrong, and Xiao Wu had already blushed.
...
After breakfast, the group set off, continuing their journey towards the Star Dou Great Forest.
Xiang Chengxian had already purchased all the supplies with Dai Mubai after dinner last night.
Since Xiang Chengxian joined Shrek Academy, she had been in charge of Shrek's logistics.
After leaving the town, the group quickened their pace.
The Star Dou Great Forest is located directly south of the Heaven Dou Empire, straddling the two empires. Due to the abundance of spirit beasts here, it's also the area where the border between the two countries is least clearly defined.
Looking at a map, most of the Star Dou Great Forest lies within the Star Luo Empire, a fact the Heaven Dou Empire has never acknowledged.
As one of the three major habitats of wild spirit beasts, it's naturally a place spirit masters most desire to visit, as each visit signifies an upcoming advancement
. No one knows exactly how many years the Star Dou Great Forest has existed on the Douluo Continent, but its dense, sky-covering density speaks volumes about its antiquity.
From afar, Ma Hongjun vaguely sensed waves of refreshing air blowing towards him, the fragrance of plants invigorating and indescribably comforting. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, every one of his 36,000 pores seemed to open up, a feeling of indescribable comfort.
Ahead lay a green ocean, an endless expanse of vibrant green that was breathtaking and full of life; the comforting fresh air emanated from this expanse.
Finally, they arrived at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest. The trees were at least twenty meters tall, and this was only the outermost layer. The dense forest had no paths; the shadows of the trees obscured the view.
Upon reaching the forest, the air became much more comfortable, as if the temperature had dropped several degrees. The refreshing scent, carrying the aroma of damp earth, constantly stimulated everyone's senses.
"Stop!"
Flander called out from the front. It was noon, the perfect time to enter the forest.
"Everyone, rest here for a moment. Oscar, distribute the sausages. Everyone must be in top condition.
I'll remind you again, the Star Dou Great Forest is not one of those royal-run forests for spirit beasts. Not just you, but all of us, including myself, cannot let our guard down. Even a Title Douluo can perish here."
After resting and eating Oscar's sausages, everyone's condition returned to its peak.
Oscar then made many more small sausages, one for each person.
"This sausage's effect lasts for twelve hours, meaning it can neutralize poison if eaten within twelve hours.
The biggest fear when entering the forest is being bitten by poisonous insects and snakes. Some poisons take effect very quickly, so remember to bring sausages. If you feel poisoned, eat them immediately."
Shao Xin also gave everyone many blue candies, which are for restoring stamina. Stamina is different from soul power. Entering the forest requires constant physical and mental tension, which is particularly taxing on stamina, so bringing some candies is essential.
This is the advantage of food-type soul masters; their uses are everyday necessities, very useful and practical in the details.
With everything ready, they began entering the Star Dou Great Forest.
This time, Flander and the other five teachers did not separate from the eight students but proceeded together.
Zhao Wuji was in front, Flander in the air, Dai Mubai and Xiang Chengxian on the left; Tang San and Xiao Wu on the right; Zhu Zhuqing on the trees; Ning Rongrong, Oscar, Shao Xin, and Lu Qibin in the middle; Ma Hongjun and Li Yusong at the rear.
Maintaining formation, they advanced. The outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest was inhabited by spirit beasts under ten thousand years old, allowing them to move quickly.
Although the Star Dou Great Forest was dense and lacked roads, Flander, Zhao Wuji, and the others had been there many times and could generally orient themselves.
Wild spirit beast habitats, like human territories, were often in groups; you'd find a nest of spirit beasts in one place, so caution was paramount.
Solitary spirit beasts required even more attention; those capable of venturing alone in the Star Dou Great Forest were no ordinary creatures.
Once inside the forest, Xiao Wu seemed much more relaxed, truly at home. Compared to the tension of the others, she appeared quite content.
In truth, Xiao Wu was considered the elder sister of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Having been away for six years, she was also homesick.
Two hours of travel passed, encountering spirit beasts under a thousand years old, which they didn't disturb.
Flander again ordered them to stop and rest. Here, they needed to maintain their condition at all times and avoid excessive travel that could lead to fatigue, which would affect their ability to perform at their best.
The target this time is a soul beast over a thousand years old, so we need to go deep into the forest, and it might not be something that can be done in a day or two, so we can't rush it.
Just as everyone sat down to rest, Vlad suddenly looked sharply into the depths of the forest.
"Get up, something's approaching!"
Everyone quickly stood up and stood in their original formation. Here, even a thousand-year-old soul beast requires caution, and we must always be careful to protect the support-type soul masters.
Even with Shao Xin's Soul Saint cultivation, because he is a food-type, he would be in danger when facing a hundred-year-old soul beast.
Soon, Zhu Zhuqing's clear, cold voice came from the tree:
"It seems to be a flying snake, but it can't fly very high, only about three meters above the ground. It has a fleshy crest on its head, which looks larger than its head, and is as red as blood. Its tail is quite special, fan-shaped."
Vlad had already descended from the air, a smile on his face.
"Good luck, Oscar's third spirit ring has appeared.
It's a Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent, a very rare spirit beast. Its crest has many wondrous uses. It
has already grown pale red wings, and judging by its length, it's about seven meters long, with a cultivation level between 1300 and 1800 years.
Oscar, it's perfect for you.
The Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent is non-venomous, a rare and powerful non-venomous snake. It attacks by coiling its body around its enemy to suffocate them. Its attack method is simple, but its speed is incredibly fast. Moreover, its crest stores various nutrients, which can grant it an instant speed boost in times of crisis.
If you obtain this spirit ring, then your next spirit skill should be related to speed. Whether it's assisting in increasing speed or adding speed to yourself, it's a good choice. Because the Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent's attack power isn't very strong and its attack method is relatively simple, those over a thousand years old are rare. You're lucky this time."
The group became excited upon hearing this. This was a good start; they encountered their first suitable target so soon.
"It's coming this way!"
Zhu Zhuqing shouted from the tree.
Flander smiled calmly and walked behind Ma Hongjun and the others.
"It's up to you guys. A thousand-year-old level monster like this doesn't need us old folks to lift a finger!"
Flander and the other five old men stepped aside, leaving Ma Hongjun and his group of eight standing ready.
Ma Hongjun glanced back at the stance of his seven companions and couldn't help but want to complain.
"Just hunting a small jungle monster, and they're acting like they're going to have a team fight!"
(End of Chapter)