Xian Liner's gaze first swept over the slightly embarrassed Xuan Zi, then her eyes fell upon Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
"This time, I will accompany you to the Star Dou Great Forest, to prevent any accidents, Elder Xuan will also come along."
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao felt a sigh of relief in his heart. If it were only Xuan Zi, he would not have agreed no matter what. Even though he already possessed combat power comparable to a Titled Douluo, he was still far from being called invincible.
The Star Dou Great Forest was the territory of Spirit Beasts; no matter how strong he was, he didn't dare claim he could walk through it unopposed.
As for Xuan Zi, it was as if he carried some kind of "curse." Whenever he led a team, various crises that wouldn't occur under normal circumstances always seemed to arise.
Last time it was the corpse explosion of an Evil Soul Master; what about this time?
Who knew what kind of trouble would crop up again?
Thus, Huo Yuhao didn't dare to gamble, and he couldn't afford to.
Now that Xian Liner was here, as long as they didn't enter the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, nothing should go wrong.
Because of Huo Yuhao's talent and ability with Spirit Tools, he had frequently visited the Soul Tool Department while at the academy. Therefore, he was quite familiar with Xian Liner, the Dean of the Soul Tool Department.
Xian Liner was rigorous and meticulous in her actions, a stark contrast to Xuan Zi's casual and spontaneous nature.
With her around, Huo Yuhao felt much more at ease.
Huo Yuhao glanced at Xian Liner and Xuan Zi, bowed slightly, and said, "I will have to trouble the Dean and Elder Xuan this time."
Xuan Zi remained silent, his slightly aged face showing no expression.
Xian Liner smiled and said, "Alright then, let's set off."
Although Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong couldn't fly yet, with flying spirit tools, they didn't need to rely on their legs to travel.
Four figures streaked across the sky at an astonishing speed, soon arriving at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Every soul-hunting activity was actually a form of training for a Spirit Master.
The reason the academy didn't simply send experts to hunt spirit rings for the Students, but instead had them enter the forest personally, was to let them hone themselves in actual combat. To learn to observe, to judge, and to survive in a crisis.
Thus, the four stopped at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, no longer flying deeper.
Upon entering the forest, the light dimmed noticeably. Towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, their dense canopies layered upon one another, cutting the sunlight into countless tiny spots that scattered across the ground. The fresh scent of vegetation and the decaying smell of fallen leaves underfoot mixed together, creating a unique odor.
Huo Yuhao's Mental Detection Sharing activated, and that invisible mental force surged out like a tide, spreading in all directions. Everything within a radius of several thousand meters was precisely projected into the minds of the four.
Despite knowing the effects of Huo Yuhao's Spirit Ability, every firsthand experience was still breathtaking. That feeling of "everything being under control" was truly addictive. With Huo Yuhao's Mental Detection, they could clearly know where any Spirit Beast was and easily avoid herds.
Consequently, the four advanced very quickly, soon breaking through the outer perimeter and entering the mixed zone.
The mixed zone was dominated by thousand-year and Ten Thousand Years Spirit Beasts, with both the density and strength of Spirit Beasts significantly increased. These powerful Spirit Beasts had a strong sense of territory and were merciless toward intruders.
The speed of the four slowed down noticeably; every step was taken with caution, not daring to be the least bit careless.
Wang Dong's requirement for a fourth spirit ring was a light-attribute Spirit Beast, and there should be a suitable one for her in this mixed zone.
Thus, Huo Yuhao began a "circular" search within the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"A Sun-Drenched Flame Sparrow, dual light and fire attributes; it should be suitable for Wang Dong." Xian Liner's voice rang in the ears of the four; she had detected a Spirit Beast several hundred meters away.
As her voice sounded, everyone's attention focused on one spot.
A thick ancient tree had rough bark covered in moss. On an extended branch, a small bird no larger than a palm stood quietly. Its feathers were like molten gold, shimmering with a dazzling light amidst the dappled shadows.
Occasionally, it let out a cry—a crisp and pleasant sound like wind chimes clashing—while its entire body burst with golden light, dyeing the surrounding leaves a brilliant gold.
Despite its small size, its attack power was by no means weak. The Sun-Drenched Flame Sparrow was a dual light and fire attribute Spirit Beast; it was fast as lightning and possessed astonishing attack power. If it could be hunted for a spirit ring, the power of the resulting Spirit Ability would surely be incredible.
A hint of thought flashed through Xuan Zi's earthy-yellow eyes, and he then said, "Judging by the color of its feathers, its age should be between eight thousand and nine thousand years."
He was highly experienced and had a sharp eye, able to roughly judge the age of a Spirit Beast from its physical characteristics.
As he spoke, Xuan Zi looked at Wang Dong; after all, it was Wang Dong who needed the spirit ring, so the final decision rested with him.
Hearing this, Wang Dong shook his head, his large pinkish-blue eyes showing no hesitation. "My fourth spirit ring must be at least Ten Thousand Years old; I won't consider anything less."
Wang Dong's second spirit ring was already a thousand-year ring that exceeded the typical age limit, so choosing a Ten Thousand Years ring for the fourth was only natural.
Huo Yuhao said nothing more, simply nodding and continuing forward. His mental force, like an invisible net, spread in all directions as he continued to search for other light-attribute Spirit Beasts.
Although the Sun-Drenched Flame Sparrow was good, its age was insufficient, so they had to move on. Finding a suitable Spirit Beast sometimes required a bit of luck. The distribution of Spirit Beasts followed no pattern, and matching the right attribute with the right age was something that could only be hoped for, not forced.
Next, Huo Yuhao did a large sweep around the edge of the mixed zone, but the results were disappointing.
Either the attributes were suitable but the age was insufficient, or the age was right but the attributes didn't match. Occasionally, they encountered a couple that were close, but Wang Dong felt the Spirit Beasts were too weak.
After more than half a day, they ended up with nothing.
Hunting for souls in the Star Dou Great Forest was an exhausting task. Maintaining vigilance, traveling continuously, and being ready to respond to emergencies at any moment required a great deal of mental force and physical strength.
The four found a clearing and sat down, resting while taking out the food they had prepared in advance.
Xuan Zi's Spirit had a flaw that required him to eat at irregular intervals. But he had been holding back from eating until now, and he began to wolf down his food without any regard for his image.
Within the range of the Mental Detection Sharing, no accidents occurred; everything was calm and peaceful. However, Huo Yuhao's movements suddenly froze. His hand holding the water bottle hung in mid-air, and his gaze narrowed slightly.
If he fully released his mental force, it naturally wouldn't be limited to a radius of just several thousand meters.
Therefore, the distance he actually detected was broader than what the other three perceived.
Just now, he sensed a Spirit Beast rushing toward their location. Its speed was astonishing, crashing through the forest.
And this Spirit Beast happened to be of the light attribute!
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A/N: A powerful light attribute beast approaches during a Soul Ring Hunt...what do guys think it is?
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