Chapter 71: The Star Dou Great Forest
After settling Mo Ya and Bai Feng, Qin Xuan also helped Nong Yu acquire her first and second spirit rings.
Because her cultivation was not high and she hadn't absorbed any Spirit Bones, her physique hadn't reached that of a Spirit Grandmaster. Therefore, Nong Yu couldn't start with a 700-year first spirit ring and a 1,500-year second spirit ring, unlike Mo Ya and Bai Feng.
However, she held a remarkable surprise. When she awakened her Spirit, she had unexpectedly developed a natural Domain, one similar in nature to Tang Yuehua's Noble Circle.
Her Spirit was a "Phoenix Lute," and when she played it, her Domain manifested as ethereal, illusory waves of sound. These sound waves could ripple outwards, carrying a profound tranquilizing effect.
The slight difference was that Tang Yuehua's Noble Circle leaned towards calming people's minds, allowing them to achieve a state of undisturbed tranquility, a mental purification.
Nong Yu's Domain, on the other hand, built upon that tranquility by adding an extremely strong hallucinatory effect. It was capable of subtly and unknowingly trapping people in illusions, lulling their defenses with peace before ensnaring their senses.
Unless one's cultivation or Mental Force was overwhelmingly strong, even those with Mental Force at Nong Yu's level, or slightly higher, would almost inevitably be affected by the illusion.
This unexpected power made Qin Xuan, who had originally only intended for her to be a simple maid, reconsider. She had the potential to be cultivated into a powerful, specialized support Spirit Master.
According to her physique, he specially selected two suitable hundred-year spirit rings for her in Sunset Forest.
He hunted a Hundred-Year Phantom Sound Bird and a Hundred-Year Siren Butterfly. Both were Spirit Beasts renowned for their sonic and psychic abilities.
Both rings were of the sound and sonic wave type, providing her with two powerful Spirit Abilities while greatly enhancing the hallucinatory effect of her Domain.
Although Nong Yu's cultivation was not high, and her physique before acquiring spirit rings was not as good as a Spirit Grandmaster with an optimal spirit ring configuration, she was still a martial artist from the Nine Songs of the Moving Heavens world. Her foundation was solid.
Therefore, the quality of the spirit rings she acquired was still higher than those of ordinary talented Spirit Masters.
Her first spirit ring reached 500 years. Her second spirit ring exceeded 900 years; if one looked closely, they could see a hint of purple within the yellow, already very close to a thousand years.
After resolving Nong Yu's spirit ring issue, Qin Xuan and Jingni finally left Sunset Forest. They had spent nearly half a month there, but their objectives were complete.
They traveled south, moving quickly, and finally arrived at the rendezvous point to meet Ling Yuan Douluo.
The small town was adjacent to the Star Dou Great Forest.
It was a bustling, chaotic settlement, filled with the raw energy of Spirit Masters. Armored mercenaries, robed academics, and hopeful young talents crowded the dusty streets, all drawn by the allure of the great forest.
It was very close from the small town to the Star Dou Great Forest.
As the largest Spirit Beast gathering place on the Douluo Continent, the Star Dou Great Forest could be said to be a sacred place for Spirit Masters from both the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires to hunt Spirit Beasts.
But it was also a graveyard. The air at the forest's edge was thick with the smell of damp earth, ancient decay, and the faint, metallic tang of blood. The sheer density of the foliage formed a high, dark canopy that sunlight struggled to pierce.
Of course, not many people knew about the core area, the Lake of Life.
Although Qin Xuan had come here to hunt spirit rings with a Spirit Hall Cardinal before regaining his memories, his recollection was hazy. In such a dangerous place, he hadn't had much time to experience the dark charm of the Star Dou Great Forest; he came and went in a hurry, focused only on survival.
Returning to the Star Dou Great Forest again, Qin Xuan felt completely unfamiliar.
Only a vague sketch of the Star Dou Great Forest, described by a book friend from his past life, remained in his mind. A place of immense danger and legendary opportunity.
"Further ahead should be the activity area of 10,000-year Spirit Beasts." Ling Yuan Douluo looked up at the darkening sky, the sun already dipping below the canopy, casting long, eerie shadows.
She called out to Qin Xuan and Jingni, who were releasing their Mental Force to scan the surroundings, "Let's rest for a bit and search again tomorrow. You two set up the tents first, and I'll go out for a patrol."
As for Nong Yu, she had successfully entered the role of a maid. She had already been taken into the Qiankun Bag to look after A Yan.
Qin Xuan's purpose for this trip was simple: to try his luck and collect 10,000-year Spirit Beasts, specifically those other than the forest's overlords: the Titan Giant Ape, the Sky Azure Bull Python, and the old rabbit mother and daughter.
This included the Three Brothers of the Qianjun Ant Emperor, whose spirit rings could mutate into a powerful set, and the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger, a creature of profound evil that could drop a bead containing a precious external Spirit Bone.
[Inorin's Note: The Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger is a unique and extremely powerful Spirit Beast, not native to the Star Dou Great Forest in the original story, suggesting its inclusion here is specific to this fanfiction's plot.]
Additionally, he aimed to find an opportunity to 'take down' Ling Yuan Douluo. Successfully winning her over would grant him a million emotion points from the system and a powerful Titled Douluo-level helper.
If he completed any of the above, his trip would not be in vain.
As for why he didn't target the Titan Giant Ape, the Sky Azure Bull Python, and the old rabbit mother and daughter:
Firstly, the old rabbit mother and daughter's spirit rings were too weak for his ambitions. They weren't worth the effort.
The Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python, however, were thick-skinned, immensely powerful, and notoriously difficult to kill, especially with their current lineup. They were the true kings of the forest.
Even if they managed to lure the Titan Giant Ape away alone, anything less than a one-hit kill would mean the Sky Azure Bull Python would quickly arrive.
Ultimately, it would still be a terrifying, tough battle. There was no need to put in effort for no reward, or worse, risk their lives unnecessarily.
If Ling Yuan Douluo were to die here in the forest at the hands of these two simpletons, as happened to a different Titled Douluo in the original work, it would be a huge, irreplaceable loss for Qin Xuan.
Secondly, the old rabbit... well, she was to be left for Xiao Bie San. She was his destined opportunity, the key to making him the ultimate 'big sucker'.
[Inorin's Note: "Xiao Bie San" (小瘪三) is a derogatory Shanghainese slang, roughly meaning 'little punk' or 'brat'. The protagonist uses this as a disdainful nickname for Tang San, the protagonist of the original 'Soul Land'.]
Otherwise, would a Xiao Bie San who had never lost the old rabbit still be the complete Xiao Bie San?
As for the old rabbit's mother, Qin Xuan had other, more subtle uses for her.
At this time, Ling Yuan's favorability, which had been at 90 last time, had risen to 95 after the half-forced, ambiguous kiss he had stolen before they parted ways.
She was a Titled Douluo, proud and powerful, but also seemed to possess a hidden, fiery passion. That single kiss had breached her defenses, leaving her flustered and intrigued. Qin Xuan knew he just needed one more decisive push.
To ensure he successfully 'took her down' on this trip, Qin Xuan was well-prepared.
The camp tent was large and sturdy, enough for their purpose.
And the night watch duty, to prevent Ling Yuan from refusing, was naturally alternated between Qin Xuan and Jingni. Qin Xuan specifically chose the first half of the night, leaving the second half for Jingni.
Jingni was already well aware of this.
She understood her husband's ambitions, both for power and for the women he targeted. She offered no objection, only quiet support.
Qin Xuan also had no intention of hiding it from her; only Nong Yu was still foolishly in the dark.
As for A Yan, she was just a child, so it was fine not to tell her.
Qin Xuan and Jingni had camped together many times before, each with their assigned tasks.
Qin Xuan was responsible for setting up the camp tent, and Jingni looked after A Yan.
However, with Nong Yu's presence, the task of looking after A Yan naturally fell to her, and Jingni joined the tent-building efforts.
When Ling Yuan returned from her patrol, the atmosphere in the small clearing had transformed. The tents were already set up, sturdy and secure against the encroaching night.
A circle of special medicinal powder, which had a deterrent effect on Spirit Beasts and could prevent the intrusion of snakes, insects, rats, and ants, had been sprinkled around the perimeter, its pungent scent cutting through the damp air.
In front of the tent, an aluminum pot purchased from the system mall was set up over a crackling campfire. The enticing, savory aroma of instant noodles cooking inside filled the clearing.
"What are you cooking? It smells so good," Ling Yuan, who had never tasted instant noodles in her life, was immediately enticed.
She approached the fire, her eyes curious as she peered into the pot. Her patrol had been uneventful, but the forest's oppressive aura was draining. This warm, fragrant steam was a welcome comfort.
At this time, they were still at the boundary between the activity areas of 1,000-year Spirit Beasts and 10,000-year Spirit Beasts, so there were no particularly powerful creatures active here.
Qin Xuan also periodically released his Suzaku Domain, which had a strong deterrent effect on lesser Spirit Beasts, its faint, fiery pressure keeping the darkness at bay.
The group was not worried about Spirit Beasts attacking.
Even if they did, even if it was the Titan Giant Ape itself, they were confident they could all retreat safely.
As for whether there would be any rude Spirit Masters attempting a sneak attack, Qin Xuan was still worried about lacking storage spirit tools to hold their loot.
Before Qin Xuan could speak, Jingni had already thoughtfully served Ling Yuan a bowl of the steaming noodles and smiled, "Elder Ling Yuan, according to my husband, these are 'instant noodles' he made in his spare time."
"You just need to add seasoning and soak them in boiling water, and they are ready to eat."
"If you cook them in a pot like this, they taste even better."
"I really wouldn't have guessed, little brother Qin Xuan, that you also have a talent for cooking." Ling Yuan smiled, accepting the bowl and chopsticks.
"No wonder you were able to capture such beautiful girls as these two sisters. A boy who knows how to be considerate to girls is always handsome!"
Ling Yuan ate elegantly, though her appetite was clearly stimulated. At the same time, her gaze subtly swept over Jingni and Nong Yu; even she couldn't help but marvel that both were rare beauties in the world.
As for Nong Yu's background, Qin Xuan had already told her that she had been separated from her parents since childhood and was 'trained to be sold as a slave'.
Our Lord Qin Xuan, seeing her pitiful situation and about to fall into the hands of a cannibalistic noble in the Heaven Dou Empire, bravely intervened.
The reason given was clumsy, couldn't withstand scrutiny, and was full of loopholes, but Ling Yuan didn't delve into it. Everyone had their secrets.
"If you like it, I'll make it for you every day from now on," Qin Xuan uttered a cheesy pick-up line that, in the 21st century Blue Star of his past life, would be cringe-worthy enough to make one dig out a three-bedroom apartment.
But in this World, which belongs to love-struck individuals, it was nothing short of a bombshell.
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