After half a day's journey,
The group wandered around the core area for another half a day, yet still made no progress.
As night approached, Neuvillette led the two young girls to a flat clearing, stopping there to rest and make camp.
While the two girls skillfully set up the tents, Neuvillette stood to one side, gazing at the flowing stream, lost in thought.
They had roamed this area for a whole day but had gained little value.
Although his strength was overwhelming—unless someone like Di Tian or the Bear King appeared, there was no real threat—this was still soul beast territory. Staying here too long was never wise.
If that was the case…
At most, they would remain for three more days. Once the three days were up, they would immediately return. Even if it meant settling for something slightly less ideal, he could not afford to take unnecessary risks.
As for Wang Dong'er's martial soul, it would not be too difficult to find. The Radiant Butterfly Goddess's martial soul required light-attribute soul beasts. Though rare, they were not impossible to encounter.
Her third soul ring was already five thousand years old. Thanks to the medicinal baths and treasures of the Clear Sky Sect in her childhood, her body was extraordinarily resilient, so bearing it had cost her little effort.
Splash!
Just as Neuvillette pondered, the sound of water stirred his senses.
He retracted his thoughts and looked toward the source of the noise.
There, the two girls had already finished setting up the tents. They were now laughing and playing, catching fish in the stream.
Huo Yutong released her Paralysis Beam, a ray of light flashing down, instantly knocking a green fish belly-up.
Before long, four or five fish had been strung together, roasting over a proper grill.
Watching the two carefree girls, Neuvillette's mood lightened as well, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
But the very next instant,
Neuvillette suddenly turned, his calm eyes fixing on the opposite side.
Golden light flickered in Huo Yutong's eyes as the two soul rings of her Spiritual Eyes martial soul rose beneath her feet.
Under deliberate focus, her spiritual probe swept toward a single direction. When narrowed to one path, her detection could reach six hundred meters with remarkable precision.
The campfire burned between the two tents (by Neuvillette's strict instruction, the girls shared one while he stayed alone), driving back the night's chill. Its glow flickered across the girls' faces in faint red light.
Huo Yutong softly reported her findings:
"Seven in total. Five men, two women. Among the men, one I cannot gauge—likely with the power of seven rings. Of the remaining four, there's one Soul Emperor and three Soul Kings. The two women are about our level, both around three rings. They're heading straight toward us."
Wang Dong'er, relaxed, looked to Neuvillette and asked:
"Shall we avoid them?"
With Neuvillette here, she couldn't imagine these people posing any threat.
Neuvillette shook his head lightly, narrowing his eyes.
These auras were far too weak to warrant his hand. The strongest among them was merely a Soul Sage.
But for a team of this level to come this deep in the forest… they must have no fear of death.
Even as they spoke, voices approached.
"Hm? There's firelight over here."
Before the words faded, a figure appeared in their line of sight.
It was a tall, lanky man—thin as a bamboo pole—but astonishingly fast. The moment he emerged, his gaze fixed on the two girls sitting by the campfire, then on the distant, composed Neuvillette.
Clearly, he was an agility-attack battle soul master, serving as their scout.
What stood out most was his tattered clothing, stained with blood, as though he had just survived a battle.
When he saw that the two by the fire were nothing more than twelve- or thirteen-year-old girls, and that the oldest, Neuvillette, appeared only seventeen or eighteen, he immediately let down his guard.
Lifting a hand, a yellow glow lit in his palm, shooting five meters upward before bursting into a circle of light that spread outward.
The two girls by the fire continued roasting their fish, unmoved.
"Who are you?" Huo Yutong was the first to speak, though she did not rise.
The lanky man smiled faintly.
"We're just passing through. Saw firelight here, so came to check."
"And you? Who are you?"
Though his face wore a smile, there was a trace of arrogance beneath it.
Still tending the grill, Huo Yutong answered calmly:
"We're here in the Star Dou Forest to hunt soul beasts for our rings."
"Oh? You came to hunt soul beasts on your own?" The lanky man glanced at the two young girls, then at Neuvillette, whose calm expression revealed nothing.
"What? Is that not allowed?" Wang Dong'er raised a brow.
The man chuckled and shook his head, a flicker of disdain in his eyes.
At that moment, more figures appeared at his side, just as Huo Yutong had detected earlier. Counting him, there were five men and two women.
A middle-aged man of about forty spoke in a deep voice:
"Beitang, what's the situation?"
The lanky man immediately bowed his head respectfully.
"Big brother, it's two kids, with an older student leading them. They say they came to the Star Dou Forest for soul rings. No teacher with them. I checked the surroundings—only the three of them here."
"Oh?" The middle-aged man's gaze instantly settled on Neuvillette's group.
His eyes merely swept past the two girls, then lingered on Neuvillette, a faint gleam flashing within them.
To be able to survive in this deep forest, especially so soon after the recent beast tide, and yet show not a trace of hardship or injury…
While they themselves bore wounds.
Clearly…
Not simple.
Neuvillette returned his gaze calmly.
Among the eight, the middle-aged man was clearly their leader and the strongest of their group.
The rest, however, were ordinary.
Of course, "ordinary" only in Neuvillette's eyes. With such cultivation, they would be enough to support a mid-tier sect in the outside world.
After a glance over the men, he lost interest and instead turned his attention to the two young women being closely protected in the rear.
Both wore fitted battle attire. One had long black hair cascading down her back, her features strikingly beautiful—nearly comparable to Jiang Nannan's level. Yet she appeared soft and delicate, her large eyes shimmering like water. Even at a distance, her faint aura of gentleness could be felt. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, when a girl's youth was at its peak. Her goose-yellow battle outfit stood out vividly even in the dark of night. Though somewhat loose, it did little to hide her graceful figure, yet still left much to the imagination.
Beside her stood another girl of similar age, but with a colder beauty. She was slightly taller, her long black hair neatly tied into a ponytail. Her white battle outfit was more form-fitting, especially accentuating her long, slender legs. Her height nearly matched Huo Yutong, who already stood over 1.7 meters. While her looks were not as stunning as the girl in yellow, her aura and bearing surpassed her.
Together, the two young women standing side by side made for a dazzling sight.
(End of Chapter)