"It seems our Yu'er is truly blessed with great fortune and luck," Aunt Bi smiled gently, her gaze soft as she looked at Su Yu.
"Hehe!"
Su Yu scratched his head, laughing sheepishly, before continuing to focus on his food.
"Eat slowly, don't choke," Aunt Bi said softly, using her chopsticks to serve him more food.
The meal ended quickly.
After dinner, Aunt Bi brewed a cup of tea for each of them. Su Yu held his teacup, sipped the fragrant tea, and felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
"Yu'er, go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you somewhere to train," Uncle Tian said.
"Where are we going, Uncle Tian?"
Su Yu asked.
"The Star Dou Forest," Uncle Tian replied casually.
Hearing this, Su Yu's expression remained calm, but his heart was shaken. Finally, they were going to the Star Dou Forest. A myriad of emotions surged within him—curiosity, mixed with a faint trace of anticipation. Though his heart was stirred, Su Yu obediently nodded.
"Understood, Uncle Tian."
Heading to the Star Dou Forest would likely mark the beginning of a new chapter in his life.
...
The next morning, at dawn:
After washing up, Su Yu ate two fruits for breakfast as usual. Then, he went into his room and started fiddling with something.
"Where's Yu'er?"
Uncle Tian asked Aunt Bi.
Aunt Bi nodded toward Su Yu's room. Just as Uncle Tian turned his gaze, Su Yu came out of his room, holding a piece of paper.
"I left a letter for Sister Xuan so that when she comes back during her break, she won't worry if she can't find me," Su Yu said, leaning against the door and waving the letter in his hand. Who knew how long they'd stay in the Star Dou Forest? Leaving a note was necessary.
Hearing this, Uncle Tian nodded in understanding.
Su Yu smiled and ran to the dining room, placing the letter on the table. He then used a soul tool lamp to hold it down so it wouldn't get blown away by the wind.
After doing all this, Su Yu finally walked out of the house and closed the door behind him.
"Is everything packed?"
Aunt Bi asked.
"All inside," Su Yu said, lifting his left hand with a smile.
On his left thumb was a ring, a gift from Uncle Tian. The ring was pitch-black, with a faint engraving of a black dragon on it. This was a storage soul tool, and its storage space was vast. This tiny ring could store items up to a hundred cubic meters in volume. It was incredibly valuable. Uncle Tian had mentioned that its name was the [Black Dragon Ring]. Su Yu liked it a lot. With this ring, carrying things around had become much more convenient.
"In that case, let's set off," Uncle Tian said immediately.
Aunt Bi nodded, and the three of them left the courtyard, locking the door behind them. Together, Uncle Tian and Aunt Bi took Su Yu toward the Star Dou Forest.
The Star Dou Forest was the largest soul beast forest on the Douluo Continent, home to the most terrifying soul beasts. Of the continent's ten most fearsome soul beasts, seven came from the Star Dou Forest. Although the Star Dou Forest wasn't as vast as the Extreme North, in terms of the quality and quantity of soul beasts, it far surpassed the Extreme North.
Around 9 a.m., when the sun was shining brightly, the three of them arrived at the edge of the Star Dou Forest.
"Fifty li (about 25 kilometers) ahead is the Star Dou Forest. Soul beasts are present, so please be cautious."
A warning sign stood by the roadside, marking the proximity to the forest.
"The Star Dou Forest!"
Su Yu touched the ring on his thumb and took a deep breath.
"Don't be afraid," Aunt Bi said, sensing Su Yu's nervousness and gently comforting him.
"Aunt Bi, I'm not afraid, just excited." Curiosity—he was really curious. Apart from the Snow Empress and Ice Empress, he hadn't seen any other soul beasts yet.
"..."
Aunt Bi fell silent for a moment. She had thought the child might be scared because of the infamous reputation of the Star Dou Forest. But it turned out he was excited.
"This child was born with a strong heart," Uncle Tian said. Su Yu was quite different from ordinary human children. Not only was he more mature, but his courage also rivaled that of adults. Then again, judging by Su Yu's behavior, he wasn't an ordinary child. What kind of child could run around carrying a giant cauldron weighing thousands of pounds? He was practically like a young soul beast.
"That's true," Aunt Bi smiled, and the three of them continued forward.
As they got closer to the Star Dou Forest, even the air seemed to grow cooler. And with that coolness came a sense of foreboding. The Star Dou Forest was like a soul beast opening its abyssal jaws, waiting to devour the young lives that entered. No one knew whether what awaited inside was opportunity or death.
The three of them weren't ordinary people, so their pace was fast. An hour later, they had already entered the Star Dou Forest. The Star Dou Forest was divided into three areas, mainly according to the strength of the soul beasts.
The outermost 20-kilometer radius was called the Outer Region. Generally, only ten-year, hundred-year, and thousand-year soul beasts roamed there. It was rare to see any ten-thousand-year soul beasts in the Outer Region.
Further inward, the next 40-kilometer radius was known as the Mixed Region. The Mixed Region was the area with the most diversity in soul beasts within the Star Dou Forest. In the Mixed Region, thousand-year and ten-thousand-year soul beasts were common, and hundred-year soul beasts needed the protection of their groups to survive.
The innermost 40-kilometer radius—the area with an 80-kilometer diameter—was called the Core Region. Although the Core Region was quite large, the number of soul beasts there was far fewer than in the Mixed Region. This was because, in the Core Region, hundred-year soul beasts were practically extinct, and even thousand-year soul beasts were rare, with ten-thousand-year soul beasts dominating the area. Occasionally, one could even catch a glimpse of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. At the very center of the Core Region was the true domain of the rulers of the Star Dou Forest. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the Core of the Core.
After entering the Star Dou Forest, the three of them moved swiftly toward the forest's depths without stopping. There were many soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest, and it was usually necessary to proceed cautiously and at a slow pace. But the three of them only quickened their speed, and along the way, they didn't even encounter a single soul beast.
Before noon, they had already entered the Mixed Region and were approaching the Core Region.
"Uncle Tian, where exactly is our destination?"
Su Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead. Since approaching the Star Dou Forest, he had been walking on his own. They had covered over a hundred li (50 kilometers) without stopping. It was impressive that he hadn't collapsed yet—an ordinary soul master would have been exhausted by now.
"Keep going forward. We're almost there," Uncle Tian replied nonchalantly, without breaking his stride.
As they moved deeper, the trees grew taller, and the forest became denser.
Each tree was incredibly thick—so wide that even several people together would struggle to encircle one. Moreover, each tree towered into the sky, with heights of at least several hundred meters.
The tall canopies blocked out the sun, and even though it was midday, the forest below remained dark and damp. The ground was covered with layers of fallen leaves, decaying into the soil, occasionally mixed with the bones of unknown soul beasts, emitting an indescribably nauseating odor.
Su Yu was particularly careful as he walked; one misstep could land him in the muddy ground, leaving him filthy. The three of them pressed forward. Su Yu occasionally reached up to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Traveling long distances in such harsh conditions was extremely draining on his stamina. He had no choice but to endure the foul smells as he took out some fruit to eat.
After eating two pieces, Su Yu's strength returned significantly. Seizing the moment, by noon, the three of them finally emerged from the dense forest.
What lay before them was a stretch of flat land. Though tall trees still surrounded them, the ground here was much drier. The unpleasant odors were gone, and Su Yu immediately felt much more at ease. What Su Yu didn't know was that they had already entered the true core area of the Star Dou Forest.
After walking for another half hour, Su Yu suddenly felt a refreshing moisture in the air. The moisture was clean and carried a breath of life, making one feel revitalized. Sure enough, after walking less than 500 meters, a large lake appeared before them.
The lake was vast, and its water was crystal clear, like a pristine mirror. A faint mist hovered over the water, refracting into a spectrum of colors under the blazing sun. A breeze blew past, carrying the mist with it, refreshing Su Yu and washing away much of the weariness from their journey.
"So beautiful!"
Su Yu couldn't help but murmur in awe. The sight of the endless clear lake made him feel as if his heart had opened up.
"This is the Lake of Life, the source of life in the Star Dou Forest," Uncle Tian said as he walked up and patted Su Yu on the shoulder.
"From now on, this will be the place where you will train."
Uncle Tian continued, "You and Aunt Bi stay here for a while. I have some matters to take care of."
"Okay, Uncle Tian!"
Su Yu replied, stepping forward and dipping his hand into the lake's clear water. The water was cold and refreshing, incredibly soothing.
Uncle Tian exchanged a glance with Aunt Bi before turning and walking away. Aunt Bi nodded slightly and stayed by Su Yu's side to look after him.
..
Core Area, A Dark Place
A figure knelt on one knee, bowing respectfully toward an unseen presence deeper in the darkness. In the depths of the darkness, a silver glow flickered faintly.
"Di Tian greets the Master," the tall figure knelt on the ground, his face stern and imposing, his eyes glowing gold. That familiar face—who else could it be but Uncle Tian?
"Di Tian, do you have something important to report?"
A crisp, cool female voice came from the darkness, carrying an air of authority.
"Reporting to the Master, as per your command, I have been looking after Su Yu for the past six years. Yesterday, Su Yu successfully awakened his martial soul, and it is indeed the power of the Dragon God."
Di Tian lowered his proud head, his expression respectful.
"I already sensed it. Yesterday, I felt the Dragon God's power stirring," the voice from the darkness responded calmly.
"Master, could you confirm whether Su Yu's identity is real?"
Di Tian asked.
"The power of the Dragon God would not appear in an ordinary human. And the fact that he was born in the Dragon Valley and resonates with the Dragon God's core confirms that his identity is genuine," the voice responded.
"Master, does that mean Su Yu really is...?"
Di Tian's voice trembled slightly with excitement.
"Yes, it is now almost certain. He is indeed the reincarnation of the Dragon God's remnant soul," the female voice replied, her tone carrying a trace of complex emotion.
"Is there anything else to report?" the voice asked again.
"There is one more thing. Recently, Su Yu felt a calling, so I took him to the Extreme North to awaken his second martial soul..."
Di Tian recounted the events in detail, withholding nothing.
"The blessing of heaven and earth, the choice of the world's will?"
The voice murmured as if lost in thought.
After a brief pause, the voice spoke again, "Di Tian, from now on, Su Yu is to be considered the young master of our soul beast clan. Ensure you protect him at all costs."
"Yes!"
Di Tian was momentarily stunned, but then he nodded heavily.
"I will do everything in my power to protect the young master. Please rest assured, Master."
"Good, you may go."
"Understood, I take my leave!"
Di Tian bowed respectfully before retreating.
"The power of the Dragon God... the child of destiny... Su Yu, perhaps this child will be the hope of our soul beast clan."
A soft murmur echoed in the darkness.
...
By the Lake of Life, Su Yu sat by the lakeside, his feet soaking in the water. The cold water seeped into his pores, bringing a sense of indescribable comfort and relaxation.
"System, check in!"
Su Yu called out in his mind.
[Ding! Check-in successful. Congratulations to the host for receiving 100 gold soul coins. You have now checked in for two consecutive days. Keep up the good work!]
The system's voice echoed in his head.
"100 gold soul coins. As expected, the rewards aren't anything special after the first day."
Su Yu wasn't surprised. Checking in was always like this—the daily rewards were usually ordinary. To get something truly valuable, he'd likely have to rely on the monthly or yearly check-ins. As for the weekly rewards, he didn't have high hopes. He had already prepared himself mentally for that.
"Ah, so relaxing!"
Su Yu splashed the water with his feet while munching on another piece of fruit, feeling utterly content.
Uncle Tian had just returned and, seeing Su Yu's actions, couldn't help but twitch his mouth slightly. Soaking his feet in the Lake of Life? This kid was probably the first to ever do such a thing. But what could he do? This was a little ancestor he had to take care of, so he could only pretend not to see it.
"Ahem!"
Still, he cleared his throat to announce his presence.
"Oh, Uncle Tian, you're back! Want to join me for a foot soak? It's comfortable."
Su Yu showed no reservations, inviting him with a grin.
Uncle Tian's eyebrow twitched, but he held it in, forcing a smile. "Yu'er, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a long time," Uncle Tian said, his expression turning serious, his tone more solemn than ever before.
Su Yu paused, taking his feet out of the lake and putting his shoes back on.
"Uncle Tian, if there's something you need to say, just go ahead."
Sensing something was up, Su Yu's expression also grew serious, his face tightening. Aunt Bi, who had been standing nearby, stepped forward at this moment as well, her emerald-green eyes fixed on Su Yu.