The Star Dou Forest was nothing like the forests surrounding Yuelan City.
Here, even the air carried weight.
Spiritual pressure lingered in every breath, and the towering ancient trees formed a canopy so dense that moonlight barely pierced through. The deeper they walked, the more Lin Huang felt as if the forest itself was watching them.
This was not a place where humans were welcome.
"Stay within sight," Lin Zhenyuan said calmly as he walked ahead, his spear resting loosely against his shoulder. "The outer zones are relatively safe, but wandering soul beasts can appear at any time."
Lin Yueqin walked beside Lin Huang, occasionally brushing his shoulder with her fingers as if to reassure herself that he was still there.
Lin Tianhe followed behind them, his gaze constantly sweeping the surroundings.
"This place hasn't changed much in decades," the old man muttered. "Still unfriendly to humans… but alive."
They set up a temporary camp near a shallow stream, surrounded by thick roots and natural stone formations that provided some cover.
That night, as the guards took turns standing watch, Lin Huang sat beside the fire with his parents and grandfather.
"Father," he said after a moment of hesitation, "if compatibility matters more than raw strength… is it wrong to wait for the right soul beast instead of forcing the first one we find?"
Lin Zhenyuan looked at him carefully. "You're worried about resonance."
Lin Huang nodded.
Lin Tianhe chuckled softly. "Our clan has always believed that martial spirits are not just tools. They are reflections of one's nature. Forcing a soul ring that clashes with your instinct will only cause future instability."
Lin Yueqin added gently, "Your great-grandfather once recorded that soul beasts are not merely prey… but living beings with wills of their own."
Lin Huang lowered his voice.
"The clan always believed that a mutually beneficial relationship between soul beasts and soul masters is possible… but never truly completed."
The fire crackled.
None of them noticed the faint ripple in the shadows beyond the campfire's reach.
—
Not far away, hidden behind the roots of an ancient tree, a pair of silver eyes silently observed them.
So… that clan still remembers that belief.
Qiu'er's fingers tightened slightly.
Humans who spoke of "mutual benefit" were rare.
Most only spoke of efficiency, age limits, and how to extract the greatest power from a dying soul beast.
She had watched countless soul masters enter the forest with greed in their eyes.
This boy… was different.
And so was his clan.
—
The following day, Lin Huang's senses grew increasingly restless.
It was not fear.
It was a strange pull.
Every time he activated the Imperial Fox's perception, he felt as though something was brushing against the edge of his awareness—never close enough to see, but close enough to notice.
"Father," he said quietly as they moved through a winding forest path, "do you feel that?"
Lin Zhenyuan slowed. "Feel what?"
"Like… something is observing us. But not hostile."
Lin Tianhe narrowed his eyes. "Soul beasts often observe prey before acting. But this doesn't feel like hunting intent."
Lin Huang hesitated.
The sensation felt… curious.
That night, while the others rested, Lin Huang slipped slightly away from the camp to calm his restless spirit. He did not go far—only to the edge of the clearing, where moonlight faintly illuminated the roots of a massive tree.
That was when he felt it again.
A ripple in the air.
Not behind him.
To his left.
He turned sharply, his hand instinctively reaching for the soul power within him.
The forest was empty.
But the Imperial Fox stirred.
Something had just moved.
Not a soul beast charging.
Not a predator stalking.
More like… someone retreating.
Lin Huang's eyes narrowed.
He did not pursue recklessly.
Instead, he quietly followed the direction where the ripple had vanished, moving carefully, keeping his aura restrained.
After several minutes, he stopped.
The forest ahead felt… different.
The trees thinned slightly, and the spiritual pressure shifted.
That was when a voice spoke from behind him.
"You're perceptive," the voice said calmly. "But you're listening to the forest too loudly."
Lin Huang turned.
A silver-haired girl stood there, her presence strangely in harmony with the surroundings. The forest did not react to her as it did to humans. The leaves above her barely rustled.
"You were observing us," Lin Huang said calmly.
She tilted her head slightly. "And you noticed."
"Why?"
"Because you spoke of coexistence," she replied. "Very few humans still remember that idea."
Lin Huang's heart tightened.
"So you heard our conversation."
She nodded. "I did not expect a clan to still pass down such a belief."
He did not relax.
"But you guided me here."
She smiled faintly. "You followed the wrong presence first. I corrected you."
Lin Huang exhaled slowly.
"What do you want?"
She looked past him, toward the deeper forest.
"The soul beast that resonates with your spirit does not walk the paths humans carve."
She turned away.
"Follow me if you truly wish to find it."
After a brief hesitation, Lin Huang followed.
—
Far from the Star Dou Forest, within the Lin Clan's territory—
Lin Haochen stood alone in the training yard, his spirit martial forcibly possessed.
His breathing was erratic.
His veins bulged unnaturally.
"If he can do it…" he muttered, laughter trembling on his lips. "Then so can I."
His pupils constricted into thin slits.
The beast within him had begun to whisper.
And this time, he listened.