Chapter 22: The Great Starry Forest

Chapter 22: The Starry Forest

In the morning, a beautiful senior sister accompanied him to practice with the spear; in the afternoon, a lovely teacher gave him lessons; and in the evening, sitting on the bed, he constantly exercised his mind—not daydreaming, cough cough, but training his spiritual strength. This fulfilling life made Zhong Yan feel as if he had returned to his final year of high school.

One afternoon, in Bibidong’s study.

Bibidong sat quietly in her chair, unusually free from official duties, quietly watching Zhong Yan reading beside her.

After a long while, she suddenly spoke to him. “Xiaoyan, prepare yourself. In a couple of days, I’ll have Jutouluo take you to the Starry Forest to obtain your soul ring. The time has come. Your spiritual strength has improved greatly, and you can no longer wait to get your third soul ring.”

Zhong Yan lifted his head from the book and replied, “Understood, Teacher.”

Finally, no more studying! He was almost exhausted from reading so much, and now he could finally get his third soul ring. The prestige of a ten-thousand-year third soul ring was simply off the charts—hehe.

Suddenly, Zhong Yan seemed to remember something and said to Bibidong, “Teacher!”

“Yes?”

“When I reached level 29, I completed the second test of the Divine Exam. After receiving the reward, my soul power broke through to level 30. But this soul power has been accumulating, and during this time, I haven’t been idle—I’ve been spending some time each day cultivating my soul power.”

“You’re worried that after obtaining the third soul ring, you might rush straight to level 40, right? Don’t worry. Jutouluo is utterly loyal to the Spirit Hall. Whether it’s the ten-thousand-year soul ring or successive breakthroughs, he will keep it confidential.”

Zhong Yan shifted awkwardly. “Actually, that’s only part of it.”

Bibidong, intrigued by his demeanor, crossed her long, slender, and smooth legs beyond her skirt. Her slender calf gently swayed left and right.

“Oh? What is it? Tell me.”

“My third soul ring skill has already been fixed by divine intervention. I just need to find a soul beast of the appropriate age to kill.”

“Hm… In that case, it’s best to find a soul beast with a gentle disposition to greatly reduce the risk during absorption. But even so…” Bibidong propped her flawless face on her soft, alabaster arm, pondering quietly to herself.

“It’s not that I’m worried Jutouluo will leak the secret. It’s just about things related to the divine; sometimes it’s better not to know. Sending Guitouluo? Not an option… As for other Douluos? Even less so.”

After a moment’s thought, Bibidong uncrossed her legs, stood up, and stretched lazily. Zhong Yan stared fixedly at this beautiful scene. After all, he was just a twelve-year-old child who didn’t understand much—hehe.

Bibidong walked over to the window and gazed at the scenery outside, letting the sunlight bathe her. “Hmm. I haven’t gone out to see the world in a long time. Very well, the teacher will personally accompany you this time. Is that settled, little rascal?”

Since Zhong Yan’s arrival at the Spirit Hall, his lively and bright personality, combined with a sense of propriety and awareness of timing, often led him and Huli Na to play mischievously in front of her, which had cheered her considerably.

In these past days, Bibidong had gradually come to regard him as her own child to nurture.

The Starry Forest lies directly south of the Heavenly Dou Empire, spanning two great empires. Because the forest is teeming with soul beasts, it is the most nebulous border between the two nations.

According to the map, most of the Starry Forest lies within the Xingluo Empire’s territory, though the Heavenly Dou Empire has never acknowledged this.

No one knows how many years the Starry Forest has existed on the Douluo Continent, but the dense canopy that blots out the sky speaks of its ancient presence.

At last, they stood before the Starry Forest. The towering trees rose at least twenty meters high, and this was only the outer edge. The dense woods had no clear paths; shadows overlapped, and the true scenery within was hidden.

All Zhong Yan could see was a vast sea of green; the endless greenery ahead was breathtaking.

Bibidong looked at Zhong Yan with seriousness. “The Starry Forest is not like the places where the two empires keep their captive magical beasts. The beasts here are extremely dangerous. You may face attacks from ten-thousand-year-level beasts at any moment. Moreover, if you attack soul beasts recklessly, you’ll likely provoke a massive counterattack from many beasts. Without someone as powerful as me leading you, it’s best not to come here alone.”

“I’m not saying this so you’ll rely on me and feel safe. To assess your progress during this period, before you find the right soul beast, I will only stay by your side to ensure your safety. All decisions and actions will be yours to make. Understood?”

“Understood.”

Honestly, he wished he could just be a dove—no motivation to write, and he hadn’t yet decided about the fourth soul ring. Sigh.

(The End of the Chapter)