Chapter 64: Arriving at the Star Dou Forest
The Star Dou Forest was one of the three most famous soul beast habitats on the Douluo Continent.
Its area was so vast that it was almost comparable to the territory of an entire kingdom.
It spanned across both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire. Of its total area, two-fifths lay within Heaven Dou, while the remaining three-fifths belonged to Star Luo.
It was a massive primeval forest, filled with complex terrain—wetlands, swamps, and more.
It was known as the cradle of soul beasts, a paradise for them.
Countless species lived within, in enormous numbers, making it the preferred destination for soul masters hunting soul beasts.
Outside the Star Dou Forest stood a small town.
Its size was about three times that of a small village.
Despite lacking city walls, it resembled a small city, with streets lined with all kinds of shops.
Nearly every business here catered to soul masters—
Weapon shops, armor stores, antidotes and recovery potions…
Even clothing shops sold specialized garments with dozens of pockets, designed for carrying supplies during adventures.
"Living off the mountain by relying on the mountain"—that saying fit perfectly here.
This town clearly depended on the Star Dou Forest for its survival.
And towns like this were certainly not uncommon around the forest.
Three figures entered the town—
An elderly couple and a young man.
The old couple had white hair and appeared quite advanced in age.
But the most eye-catching was the young man walking ahead of them.
Not for any other reason, but because of his rare dark green hair, which drew the attention of passersby.
These three were Dugu Bo, along with the Dragon Duke and Serpent Lady, who had traveled from the Sunset Forest.
By midday, they had finally arrived at the town outside the Star Dou Forest.
Once they passed through the town and traveled a bit further, they would reach the forest's entrance.
As they walked through the streets, Chao Tianxiang's face looked somewhat pale.
Meng Shu couldn't help but say,
"Your Majesty, should we rest here for a while?"
Hearing this, Dugu Bo stopped and glanced at Chao Tianxiang before nodding.
"Let's rest here. We'll eat before continuing."
Because he had been thinking about obtaining a soul ring for his second martial soul, he had unconsciously quickened his pace along the way.
Both he and Meng Shu were far stronger than Chao Tianxiang, and he had been leading the entire time.
Even though he had tried to slow down, it was still difficult for her, a Soul Emperor, to keep up.
She had expended a lot of energy along the way. Without Meng Shu's support, she might have fallen behind.
Besides, they had been eating dry rations the entire journey—he was getting tired of it as well.
The three casually entered a restaurant.
The first floor resembled a noisy academy cafeteria, with tables scattered haphazardly.
The moment they stepped inside, a wave of chatter filled their ears.
Dugu Bo frowned slightly.
At that moment, a waiter with a polite smile quickly approached them.
"No seats downstairs. Please head upstairs, honored guests."
Dugu Bo glanced at him and walked up the stairs.
The second floor was much quieter.
It consisted of private rooms.
The waiter led them into one and handed the menu to Dugu Bo.
"Please take a look and order."
From their earlier behavior, it was obvious that Dugu Bo was the leader—walking in front with his hands behind his back, while Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang followed slightly behind.
Though just a waiter, he had enough insight to notice such details.
After all, this town received powerful soul masters every day—without sharp judgment, he wouldn't have survived long.
Dugu Bo glanced at him, slightly surprised by the young man's perceptiveness.
He casually ordered a few dishes and returned the menu.
"Hurry up. We have things to do."
"Yes, sir. It'll be ready shortly."
There was no cliché conflict or trouble.
Soon, dishes were served one after another—
Beautifully presented, fragrant, and appetizing.
Dugu Bo picked up a piece of braised meat and tasted it.
It was actually made from soul beast meat—tender, springy, and rich in flavor.
No wonder the restaurant was so full.
The food was genuinely excellent.
He couldn't help but praise it inwardly.
Seeing that Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang hadn't started eating, Dugu Bo rolled his eyes.
"What are you waiting for? Eat."
Only then did they pick up their chopsticks and begin.
After a simple meal and a short rest, the three left the restaurant and continued through the town toward the Star Dou Forest.
Now fully refreshed, they moved at full speed.
Although the town was built outside the forest, there was still some distance to the actual entrance.
Unlike towns near Hunting Forests, which were built very close to their borders.
The reason was simple—
The soul beasts in Hunting Forests were raised in captivity, far less aggressive and much weaker.
But the Star Dou Forest was different.
Its soul beasts were wild, far more ferocious, and those near the outskirts would sometimes wander beyond the forest.
If a town were built too close, it would risk being attacked.
No one knew how many years the Star Dou Forest had existed.
But the moment one approached it, the dense canopy that blocked out the sky spoke of its ancient age.
From afar, Dugu Bo and the others could feel waves of fresh air blowing toward them.
It carried the fragrance of plants—refreshing and soothing.
Taking a deep breath made it feel as if every pore in the body opened, an indescribable sense of comfort.
Looking ahead, the forest resembled a vast green ocean—truly awe-inspiring.
The trees at the outermost edge alone were over twenty meters tall.
And deeper within, the dense forest had no visible paths, layers of overlapping shadows hiding its true depths.
As they reached the forest's edge, the air grew even more pleasant, the temperature seemingly dropping slightly.
The cool, damp scent of earth filled their senses.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering across the ground like fragments of gold.
Dugu Bo stepped into the forest first, not even turning back.
"Follow me."
Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang exchanged a glance, took a deep breath to suppress their excitement, and quickly followed behind him.