"Green mountains and clear waters are truly mountains of gold and silver. The Star Dou Great Forest really lives up to its reputation as the largest Soul Beast forest on the continent. It's so much bigger than ours."
Sixty li outside the Star Dou Great Forest, Xiao Hongchen, in disguise, held a Telescopic Soul Guidance Device and gazed into the distance, unable to suppress a sigh of admiration.
"Indeed. No wonder the Soul Masters from the Douluo Three Kingdoms and Shrek are so powerful. This place has countless Soul Beast resources and abundant Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. It's far superior to our region."
Xuan Ziwen, also disguised, surveyed the surroundings with his eight-ring Soul Douluo cultivation, his expression filled with emotion.
The Sun Moon Continent had countless rare metals, but its Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and Soul Beast resources were far inferior to those of the Douluo Three Kingdoms. Otherwise, it wouldn't have heavily developed Soul Guided Devices.
At this moment, Xiao Hongchen noticed that one voice was missing from the chorus of agreement. His peripheral vision caught Xu Tianxi, and he asked, perplexed, "Old Xu, what are you doing with that Detection Soul Guidance Device? We're about to enter the Star Dou Great Forest."
"If we're going into the Star Dou Great Forest, of course, I need to thoroughly scout the surrounding area."
Xu Tianxi put away his detection device and gave Xiao Hongchen and Xuan Ziwen a "mission accomplished" smile, beckoning them. "Let's go. I'll lead the way now."
"None of us have been here before, so why are you leading the way?" Xiao Hongchen muttered under his breath as he jogged to catch up with Xu Tianxi.
Xu Tianxi glanced at the other's honest footsteps, shook his head, and chuckled lightly. "Being more familiar than you two is enough. I've been preparing for this operation for a long time."
More than a year ago, during his trip to the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, he had that Evil Soul Master leave a subtly hidden Sensing Soul Guidance Device on Huo Yuhao.
With that Sensing Soul Guidance Device, he could sense Huo Yuhao's location and pinpoint him. Just now, he had already found Huo Yuhao's whereabouts.
"That's good. Oh, right, did you see what that great opportunity was? We've come all this way, so we can't let it be for nothing, right?"
Xiao Hongchen felt relieved by Xu Tianxi's answer and then asked his biggest question. He had asked Xu Tianxi many times along the way, but the latter had always been vague.
Xu Tianxi shrugged and lightly shook his head. "I didn't see it too clearly. I only know it might be related to my Martial Soul. I'm just trying my luck this time. It'd be great if I get it, but if not, there's nothing I can do."
In terms of conditions, he was definitely far superior to Huo Yuhao at present, but he wasn't entirely confident he could snatch the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm and Electrolux.
If the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm still chose Huo Yuhao, there was nothing he could do. As for Electrolux, there was even less to say; that was a necromantic disaster that had almost wiped out the continent.
"Alright then. We'll just treat this as a sightseeing trip to relax."
Xiao Hongchen clasped his hands behind his head, a leisurely smile on his face.
"Coincidentally, I'm about to break through to Level 50. If I encounter a suitable Soul Beast, I can ask Teacher Xuan to capture it for me."
Suddenly, he remembered something else and turned his head to tease Xu Tianxi. "Oh, right, you're almost at Level 39, aren't you? You really need to work hard. My advancement to Soul King won't wait for you."
Xu Tianxi's expression remained as calm as ever. He said airily, "You can break through whenever you want. You don't need to wait for me. After all, even if you break through, you might not be my match."
His current Soul Power was at the peak of Level 38. At his age of twelve, he could be called a prodigy, but compared to his previous cultivation speed, it was more than a step slower.
The influence of the Ultimate Martial Soul was truly significant. He hadn't slackened off in the slightest over the past year. He had taken Soul Ascension Pills, and even eaten a few Mystic Water Pills like snacks, yet his Soul Power had increased by less than four levels.
However, everyone believed he had devoted most of his energy to learning about Soul Engineers, so no one suspected there was a problem with his Soul Power cultivation.
He was already a Level 5 Soul Engineer, so why would he need to be a Soul Ancestor? One shouldn't be too greedy.
"Don't look down on me! I'll beat you eventually!" Xiao Hongchen said indignantly.
"My Second Soul Skill and Level 5 Soul Guidance Shell won't allow you to be so confident."
"You, your fighting style is just too underhanded—"
Xu Tianxi smiled calmly. Xiao Hongchen listened, stomping his feet in frustration, yet he was helpless.
As Xu Tianxi said, his Second Soul Skill was too outrageous. Once he activated his invisibility, Xiao Hongchen couldn't find him at all, and no matter how powerful his Soul Skills were, they couldn't hit someone he couldn't see.
As long as Xu Tianxi had enough time to set up the cannon for a Level 5 Soul Guidance Shell, even a Soul Sage might be blasted to death if they couldn't dodge in time. This was the terrifying power of a Level 5 Soul Guidance Shell, far surpassing most Level 7 Soul Guided Devices.
Normally, no Soul Engineer would be so extravagant, nor would they dare to easily use Fixed Soul Cannon Shells, as it was easy for the opponent to target them desperately. But Xu Tianxi was not normal.
Not only could he become invisible, but he could also hand-craft Fixed Soul Cannon Shells and fire them without restraint.
It was just that Fixed Soul Cannon Shells were not allowed in the arena. Otherwise, no student at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy could withstand Xu Tianxi's fighting style. Even so, his invisibility made all students who fought him complain endlessly.
Unless one's Spiritual Power was significantly stronger than Xu Tianxi's, they would almost certainly be passively beaten. Xiao Hongchen's Spiritual Power was still quite lacking.
"Hehe, alright, you young ones, talk less. We're almost fifty li away from the Star Dou Great Forest—huh? What's that delicious smell? It smells like barbecue."
Xuan Ziwen was long accustomed to Xu Tianxi and Xiao Hongchen's bickering. Just as he was about to give Xiao Hongchen an out, an enticing aroma wafted into his nostrils. He couldn't help but scan the surroundings.
Upon hearing this, Xu Tianxi's gaze sharpened. His Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes swept in all directions, quickly locking onto the source.
A smile played on the corner of his lips. Xu Tianxi gestured to Xuan Ziwen, who had also spotted the target, and Xiao Hongchen, who was looking around, and said as he walked, "Looks like someone's grilling fish. Let's go see if they're willing to sell us a couple to try."
The two had no objections and quickly followed.
Pushing aside some tree branches and circling a stream, they saw a thin boy in gray cloth robes. In front of him, a grill made of thick branches held two small green fish slowly roasting. A dark green short dagger was tucked into the back of his waistband.
"Hmm?"
Xuan Ziwen's eyes moved; he recognized the dagger as a Level 5 Melee Soul Guided Device.
"Friend, we're just passing through and followed the tempting aroma of your roasted fish. Would you be interested in selling us a few? We can discuss the price."
Seeing it was Huo Yuhao, Xu Tianxi stepped forward first, a friendly smile appearing on his handsome face, and spoke in a gentle voice.
Huo Yuhao clearly hadn't expected to meet these three. His small face flushed as he said, "Once the fish are ready, I'll treat you."
"Oh, you're too kind. Heh heh, I won't be so polite later then."
Xiao Hongchen made himself at home, sitting down and staring intently at Huo Yuhao's roasted fish, rubbing his hands and drooling.
He had seen many delicacies, but few had an aroma as enticing as this. He wondered how this roasted fish was made.
Seeing this, Xu Tianxi thought to himself, "Huo family's roasted fish truly lives up to its reputation," and sat down with Xuan Ziwen.
Before long, the two small green fish turned golden brown, looking crispy, glistening with oil, and incredibly tempting.
Meanwhile, a pair of teenagers, who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen, walked along the stream. The girl wore a light blue tight-fitting outfit with her long hair tied in a ponytail, while the boy had a refined demeanor, with bright eyes that occasionally flickered with lightning.
Knowing the original plot, Xu Tianxi realized these newcomers were none other than the Tang Sect's teacher-student couple, Bei Bei and Tang Ya.
"Oh? Did you roast these fish? They smell amazing!"
Tang Ya sniffed, and a hint of surprise flashed in her phoenix eyes.
Huo Yuhao shyly raised his hand. "I roasted them. These three big brothers just passed by too."
Xiao Hongchen waved his hand dismissively. "That's right, that's right. We've already reserved ours. If you want some, it's first come, first served."
"Oh?"
Bei Bei became interested and observed Xu Tianxi and the other two. Soon, a faint light flickered in his eyes.
He couldn't discern the cultivation of these three. Either they carried treasures that concealed their cultivation, or their cultivation was above his own.
"I am Bei Bei, and this is my companion, Xiao Ya. May I ask, friends, why have you come here?"
After a moment's thought, Bei Bei cupped his fist slightly towards the three, a hint of wariness in his smile.
By this time, the fish were ready. Xuan Ziwen and Xiao Hongchen each took one, eating with their mouths full of flavor, leaving only Xu Tianxi free to respond to Bei Bei.
Xu Tianxi rose and returned the bow, calmly retorting, "What else is there to do here besides hunting Soul Beasts?"
Staring at Bei Bei, a flicker of surprise crossed Xu Tianxi's eyes. This guy's cultivation seemed different from what it was in the original story.
"That's true." Bei Bei chuckled in agreement. Just as he was about to invite Tang Ya to sit down, he noticed she had, at some point, run over to the boy roasting fish, asking him questions.
"Hehe, little brother, who taught you to roast fish? I've never smelled anything this fragrant before."
"I learned it all from my mom," Huo Yuhao replied, lowering his head.
"Oh, then why are you here alone? Where are your family?" Tang Ya's cultivation was far inferior to Bei Bei's, but she could still vaguely perceive Huo Yuhao's faint Soul Power fluctuations, which happened to be at Level 10.
"I don't have any family left. It's just me now." Huo Yuhao's gaze paused for a moment, then he shook his head resolutely.
Tang Ya was overjoyed and blurted out, "That's wonderful!"
"Hm?!"
"Ah?!"
"What?"
Xu Tianxi and the other two's expressions changed dramatically. Xuan Ziwen and Xiao Hongchen put down their roasted fish and immediately shielded Huo Yuhao behind them, staring warily at Tang Ya and Bei Bei.
"You celebrate someone having no family? Are you two perhaps Evil Soul Masters?!"