Chapter 8: Soul Hunting Forest
After completing his practice for the day, Lin Yang's gaze subconsciously fell upon his left hand.
His second Martial Soul, Demon Blood, resided there.
Before this, he had always regarded the Demon Blood Martial Soul as a trump card possessing powerful regenerative abilities.
It was precisely because of this trump card that he could temper his physique without restraint, never worrying about internal injuries accumulating or training overload.
However, as his Soul Power level continuously increased, his craving for flesh and blood intensified slightly every time he used the Demon Blood Martial Soul.
Previously, he could rely on willpower and Sun Breathing to forcibly suppress the craving for flesh and blood, maintaining his sanity.
But after reaching Level Ten, even without using the Demon Blood Martial Soul,
he could clearly feel the purest, most extreme craving emanating from the Martial Soul deep within his soul.
This was a thirst for fresh flesh and blood.
If he were to use the Demon Blood Martial Soul now, his sanity would likely be instantly overwhelmed by this desire.
At that point, he would no longer be Lin Yang, but a monster in human skin, knowing only how to devour human flesh and blood.
The scorching Soul Power circulated within his body, yet it could not dispel the chill and hunger coming from the depths of his soul.
Lin Yang slowly clenched his left hand, his fingertips turning slightly white from the force.
It seemed that after obtaining his first spirit ring, he needed to quickly set about resolving the flaws of the Demon Blood Martial Soul.
To resolve the flaw, he needed to find the Blue Spider Lily.
But this was the Douluo Continent, and it was uncertain if something like the Blue Spider Lily even existed here.
In any case, Lin Yang had not found any similar plants in the school library.
However, it was not as if there were no solutions.
This World was a Fantasy World, and although it was known as the "Fantasy Floor Tile," various Rare Treasures certainly existed.
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, various Immortal Herbs... even the blue silver emperor spirit bone hidden by Tang Hao might help him compensate for the flaws of the Demon Blood Martial Soul.
But these things wouldn't be easy to obtain!
Looking at his left hand, Lin Yang fell into momentary contemplation... Three days later,
Lin Yang requested leave from the academy, carried his package, and hitched a ride on a vegetable transport cart heading to the Soul Hunting Forest outside Nuoding City.
Upon arriving, Lin Yang handed ten bronze coins to the driver and thanked him.
After exiting the city gate and walking a short distance, Lin Yang was attracted by the sight before him.
In front of the Soul Hunting Forest, houses and shops stood on both sides of the road. Various shouts and cries of vendors rose and fell, and people came and went, resembling a bustling market.
"Forming a Soul Hunting Group! Auxiliary Spirit Masters needed..."
"Hunting fire-type Spirit Beasts! Three people without a token—fifty gold coins for the right to use a token."
"Sirs, please be kind, spare a coin..."
"Get lost!"
Ignoring the myriad aspects of life here, Lin Yang tightened the package on his back and proceeded along the main road, heading deeper.
The further he walked inside, the fewer shops there were, and the atmosphere became quieter and more solemn, until he arrived before a large iron gate.
Extending outwards from both sides of the large iron gate, tall iron railings seemed to enclose the entire forest.
Many soldiers wearing standard armor patrolled the vicinity, holding long spears, their expressions vigilant.
Glancing around, Lin Yang quickly spotted Zhao Bufan.
Zhao Bufan seemed somewhat uneasy, constantly looking around, until he saw Lin Yang, when a trace of joy finally appeared on his face.
"Boss," Zhao Bufan greeted him from afar, then quickly stepped forward,
"You're finally here."
Lin Yang nodded slightly, apologizing,
"Sorry, I was delayed a bit on the way."
Just as Zhao Bufan was about to say something else, an impatient voice directly cut in,
"Bufan, is this your classmate? He's certainly slow. Now that he's here, hurry up and let's go, I have things to do."
Zhao Bufan's face paled upon hearing this, and he immediately gave Lin Yang a wry smile,
"He is my Uncle, Zhao Zhuo."
Lin Yang looked at Zhao Bufan's Uncle. He was tall and burly, and a scar running diagonally from the corner of his eye to his nose bridge added a layer of ferocity to his demeanor.
Zhao Zhuo was also glancing at Lin Yang.
Finding him to be just a six or seven-year-old child, he completely disregarded him, and couldn't help but sneer internally,
"Big Brother's offspring is certainly regressing. Taking a little brat as his 'Boss,' what a waste."
Lin Yang clearly saw the contempt in Zhao Zhuo's eyes, but he didn't care.
He wasn't really six years old. Gaining a temporary advantage with words now wouldn't yield any benefits, and he might even lose a cannon fodder.
"Let's go!"
The three then arrived at the entrance of the Soul Hunting Forest.
Clang!
Two sharp long spears crossed in front of the three of them.
One of them shouted sternly, "Stop! Entry is forbidden without a soul hunting token."
"We have it, we have it!"
A flattering smile appeared on Zhao Zhuo's rugged face. He then turned and impatiently urged Zhao Bufan,
"Why are you dawdling? Hurry up and take it out."
Zhao Bufan was already prepared. He carefully took out a black metal token from his embrace.
The token was carved with a sword, a hammer, and a dragon, reflecting slightly in the sunlight.
Upon seeing this token, a flash of greed appeared in Zhao Zhuo's eyes.
There were many Soul Hunting Groups within Nuoding City, but those possessing a soul hunting token were few and far between.
It could be said that just by having this token, they could earn money simply through rental fees without taking any risks.
The guard carefully inspected the soul hunting token. After confirming it was correct, he returned the token to Zhao Bufan,
"You may pass!"
Zhao Bufan carefully put the token back into his embrace. Only then did the three pass through the checkpoint, officially entering the confines of the Soul Hunting Forest.
As soon as they stepped into the forest, a rush of fresh, moist air greeted them, instantly invigorating their Martial Souls.
Not far away, towering trees blocked out the sky and sun, their leaves interwoven. Sunlight filtered through the gaps, leaving dappled patches on the ground.
Walking into the forest, the surroundings were filled with the cries of various Spirit Beasts, appearing vibrant yet carrying a hint of unknown danger.
Lin Yang curiously surveyed everything in the forest, while Zhao Zhuo appeared somewhat wary, his entire body tensing involuntarily.
"You two follow me. Don't touch things carelessly or move around randomly. If you seek death, I won't care," Zhao Zhuo hissed in a low voice.
Zhao Bufan nodded silently.
With a thought, "Scarlet Edge" appeared in Lin Yang's hand.
Zhao Zhuo naturally noticed Lin Yang's action, but after glancing at his Martial Soul, he scoffed lightly and ignored him.
Clearly, he didn't think a child holding a knife could be of any use in this crisis-ridden forest.
Anyway, he only guaranteed that his nephew would get a hundred-year spirit ring; as for the rest... he couldn't care less.
Zhao Zhuo had clearly been to the Soul Hunting Forest before. As they walked, he led the two of them past unnecessary troubles, reaching the middle section of the Soul Hunting Forest without hindrance.
The trees here were taller, the environment deeper, and a subtle sense of oppression began to permeate the air.
This was the boundary between Ten-Year Spirit Beasts and Hundred-Year Spirit Beasts, and many people chose this area for Martial Soul hunting.
Going further inside, they might encounter Spirit Beasts of seven or eight hundred years, or even Thousand-Year Spirit Beasts.
At that point, they wouldn't be hunting Martial Souls, but delivering food to the Spirit Beasts.