The Star Dou Great Forest was one of the three most famous soul beast habitats in all of Douluo Continent. Its area alone rivaled the entire territory of the Barak Kingdom, stretching across both the Heavenly Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire. A vast and ancient wilderness, its terrain was treacherous, and its soul beasts powerful. It was said that any soul master could find a suitable soul ring within its borders.
Of course, the forest was also extremely dangerous. Even Titled Douluo could lose their lives if they dared to step into the core region unprepared.
After all, the Star Dou Forest was home not only to legendary beasts like the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape—even Di Tian slumbered somewhere deep within…
And as someone who had reincarnated into this world, Han Feng knew even more: if the Silver Dragon King at the heart of the forest were ever truly provoked, not even a god's descent would guarantee a safe retreat.
In short: Never act recklessly in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Luckily, Han Feng's party wasn't here to seek death. Their goal was a 5,000-year-old soul beast and a 700-year-old one—well within the mixed area of the forest, with no need to approach the dangerous core zone. If they were lucky, they might not even need to leave the forest's outer ring.
The two Soul Kings Han Dang had hired were both quiet and professional. After brief introductions, they barely spoke another word.
The assault-type Soul King was named Chen Sheng, whose martial soul was the Sky Halberd, at level 54. The control-type Soul King was Wu Fan, martial soul Shocking Hammer, level 52.
Their original plan was simple: hunt a hundred-year soul beast for Han Feng near the outer edge, then gradually move deeper into the mixed area to find Zhang Lingling's fourth ring. It was the safest route with the least risk.
But Han Dang disagreed. His priority was to first secure Zhang Lingling's fourth ring in the mixed area—and only then help Han Feng find a suitable second ring, if the opportunity arose.
Though riskier, the upside was clear: beasts that lived in the mixed zone were far stronger than those in the outer ring. Even soul beasts of the same age would have vastly different combat abilities. A higher-quality ring for Han Feng was worth the gamble.
Chen Sheng and Wu Fan initially refused. It was only after Han Dang offered a 20% increase in payment that they reluctantly agreed.
As a one-ring soul master, Han Feng obediently stayed under the protection of his parents. Though he was cautious of Chen Sheng and Wu Fan, he knew it wasn't up to him to judge them—his father, a veteran, was more than capable of spotting danger.
"Feng'er," Han Dang instructed along the way, "when you're out in the wild, always be alert to your surroundings. Even the faintest movement could signal danger. Soul beasts have all sorts of strange abilities—anything can happen at any time."
"Never camp in open spaces. Find cover—tree hollows, caves, anything. It's safer."
"And avoid lighting fires. Most beasts are instinctively afraid of fire, but there are exceptions. Some beasts are drawn to it instead. Light a fire recklessly, and you might end up inviting them to your doorstep."
"Lastly, always keep your soul power at least two-thirds full. If it drops lower than that, stop and recover, no matter how slow it is. You don't want to run into a powerful beast with no energy left to fight."
All the way, Han Dang kept sharing experience after experience, repeating some tips two or three times over. Unlike the relatively tame Soul Hunting Forest near Stan City—where the strongest beasts barely reached a thousand years—the Star Dou Forest was not a place where any soul master could let their guard down.
Han Feng didn't complain at all. On the contrary, he appreciated it. These were hard-earned lessons, passed down by those who had survived. What might seem like cowardice to the naive could easily be the difference between life and death.
"Mr. Han," Wu Fan said calmly on the second morning, "there's a 5,000-year-old Crimson Flame Lord up ahead."
Han Feng and his group had already been in the forest for two days. On the first day, they had encountered a 600-year-old Black Armor Turtle, which was technically a match for Han Feng—but he passed on it. It lacked a fire attribute and wasn't quite strong enough.
Now, this was promising.
Han Dang's eyes lit up at Wu Fan's report. Five thousand years was ideal for Zhang Lingling's fourth ring—not too risky, but still powerful.
Both Han Dang and Zhang Lingling exchanged a glance, smiles creeping into their eyes.
The Crimson Flame Lord had just the right attributes for Zhang Lingling.
"That's the one," Han Dang said without hesitation.
Chen Sheng nodded silently and charged in the indicated direction. Han Dang quickly followed with Zhang Lingling and Han Feng, with Wu Fan bringing up the rear.
Soon, Han Feng laid eyes on the creature.
The Crimson Flame Lord had no true body—just a torso engulfed in roaring crimson fire. The only physical parts were magma armor plates on its shoulders. It had no legs and floated eerily in midair like a ghost.
Beneath it was a scorched patch of land. In the surrounding hundred meters were nearly a thousand Crimson Flame Wraiths—clearly a whole clan.
They lived near a volcanic crater, the seething lava acting as their natural barrier.
Chen Sheng frowned. "This... might be tricky."
Wu Fan's detection skill only sensed the powerful leader—not the countless lesser wraiths.
One Flame Lord? No problem. Two Soul Kings and two Soul Ancestors could handle it easily. But hundreds of small soul beasts plus lava hazards? That would be a pain.
Not impossible—but annoying. Worse, the more beasts they had to fight, the more soul power they would burn. In the Star Dou Forest, wasting soul power is a death sentence.
Han Dang's face darkened, but he didn't give up. "I'm a defense-type soul master. I'll charge in front. Lingling, stay behind me. You two flank me. Let's go straight for the leader—cut off the head of the snake!"
Chen Sheng and Wu Fan exchanged a glance, then nodded. No objections—if things went south, they had the power to retreat safely.
Then Han Dang turned to Han Feng. Summoning his martial soul, his third ring—a purple soul ring—lit up. A pitch-black, ancient-looking shield materialized in his hands.
He handed it to Han Feng. "We'll go hunt the ring for your mom. You stay hidden with Concealing Shield, don't move. This shield can withstand a single strike from a ten-thousand-year beast. We'll be back soon."
Han Feng nodded. He knew full well that he'd only be a burden in the fight. Staying put was the safest choice.
Zhang Lingling gently stroked his head, her voice soft with guilt. "Sorry, Feng'er…"
She clearly felt uneasy leaving her son alone—but understood the danger of bringing him along.
Han Feng smiled. "It's okay! Come on, Mom—you know how clever your son is!"
Zhang Lingling chuckled, reassured. Han Feng had always been a bright boy—she had more reason to worry for herself than for him.
Still, she didn't leave him unprotected.
She activated her martial soul—Crimson Flame Martial Soul—and her third soul ring lit up. A ring of fire formed around Han Feng, a protective Counterfire Aura.
Now with the Black Shield and Counterfire Ring, even if a five- or six-thousand-year soul beast attacked, Han Feng would survive long enough for the others to come back.
Chen Sheng and Wu Fan frowned slightly. To them, it was a bit wasteful to burn two powerful soul skills just for one kid—but since Han Feng was their only son, they said nothing.
"Let's move!"
Han Dang activated his martial soul, his body clad in a suit of black armor. Holding a massive tower shield, he became a human fortress. His first and second soul rings activated in sequence—his defense now reached an astonishing level.
Zhang Lingling stood behind him. Her second ring activated and flames engulfed Han Dang, boosting his power. With a low growl, Han Dang charged forward.
Wu Fan and Chen Sheng's eyes narrowed. The combined strength of this husband-wife duo… might actually rival theirs—or even exceed it.
Still, this wasn't the time to dwell. Wu Fan, as a control-type soul master with low attack power, especially knew better than to lag behind the tank.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, Han Dang led the charge, blazing forward like a war machine.
Within seconds, he was dozens of meters ahead. The Crimson Flame Wraiths barely had time to react before Wu Fan and Chen Sheng unleashed their own attacks.
The Shocking Hammer and Sky Halberd flashed—every swing stunned dozens of wraiths, every thrust tore through scores of them.
The greatest advantage soul masters had over soul beasts? Team coordination.
Three or four Soul Ancestors working together could take down a ten-thousand-year soul beast. That was the power of synergy.
Watching from a distance, Han Feng felt a wave of admiration.
Douluo Continent truly was a magical place.This power… was something worth chasing.