Chapter 6: Star-Devouring Sheep
Early the next morning, Lin Beiya, who had been too excited to sleep all night, arrived at the Douluo Hall long before dawn, waiting for Qian Daoliu's appearance.
However, it seemed that the old man had no intention of showing up. Instead, a middle-aged man entered the grand temple — the one assigned to escort Lin Beiya on his first soul-hunting journey.
After kneeling piously before the Angel God statue, the man turned his sharp, eagle-like gaze toward Lin Beiya.
"You must be Lin Beiya," he said calmly. "I'm the one the Grand Worship sent to accompany you. You may call me Elder Yu Lin."
"Greetings, Elder Yu," Lin Beiya replied respectfully.
The man wore the white-and-gold uniform of a Platinum Bishop — a rank of high prestige within Spirit Hall — so calling him "Elder" was far from an exaggeration.
Yu Lin didn't deny it. After briefly sizing Lin Beiya up, he smiled faintly and said,
"My time is limited, so let's depart immediately."
"Then I'll trouble Elder Yu," Lin Beiya nodded.
Outside the city gates, a luxurious carriage was already waiting. The coachman flicked the reins as the two boarded, and soon the carriage was rolling swiftly toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
"The Grand Worship told me your martial soul is rather... unique," Yu Lin said as they traveled. "Once we reach the forest, you'll mainly rely on your own instincts to choose a suitable soul beast, yes?"
"That's right, Elder Yu. My martial soul is completely unprecedented in Douluo history. There are no precedents or records for reference."
"I see," Yu Lin nodded with approval. "Then when the time comes, I'll grant you full freedom to follow your intuition."
The Star Dou Great Forest — the largest soul beast habitat on the continent — was also a gathering place for mercenaries and freelance soul masters. The outskirts had long since developed into a bustling hunting town.
At Lin Beiya's age, venturing here alone would've been sheer suicide. Fortunately, with a Platinum Bishop from Spirit Hall by his side, not a soul on the entire continent would dare cause him trouble.
"Prepare food and fresh water," Yu Lin instructed the coachman after their arrival. "We'll set out right away. The sooner we go, the sooner we return."
"Yes, sir."
Lin Beiya offered no objection. The sooner he obtained his first soul ring, the better.
Since he didn't yet own a storage soul tool, all the food and water had to be carried by Yu Lin — a fact that made Lin Beiya silently grumble.
'Come on, Spirit Hall. For someone born with full innate soul power, wouldn't a storage device be the bare minimum? Why is it that I, of all people, get nothing?'
Still complaining inwardly, he followed Yu Lin into the dense wilderness. After half an hour's walk, the towering trees of the Star Dou Great Forest loomed before them.
The primitive beauty of the forest made him instinctively compare it to the modern cities of his past life — and he had to admit, the air here was infinitely purer than the smog and exhaust he once breathed daily.
As they stepped beneath the canopy, the world dimmed. The sunlight was almost entirely blocked by the ancient trees, and the faint luminescence of countless Blue Silver Grass plants added a mystical glow to the shadowed forest floor. The scene was otherworldly — as if he had stepped into a realm of magic.
"From here on," Yu Lin warned, his tone serious, "don't stay more than three steps away from me. Soul beasts could appear at any moment."
"I understand."
Lin Beiya had no intention of arguing. He wasn't suicidal. With his martial soul's true abilities still untested, he was practically defenseless — even a ten-year soul beast could easily send him to an early grave.
Yu Lin gave a small nod of approval. The boy was far more mature than others his age. Most children at this stage would either tremble in fear or let their excitement cloud their judgment.
Qian Daoliu had personally ordered that Lin Beiya's safety be guaranteed above all else during this trip, and seeing the boy's steady composure eased Yu Lin's concerns considerably.
After trekking several kilometers, they encountered a few soul beasts — Nether Wolves, Soft Bone Rabbits, and even a rare flying-type beast. But without exception, every one of them fled the moment they sensed Yu Lin's overwhelming aura.
"The limit of a first soul ring's endurance is around four hundred years," Yu Lin explained. "When we encounter one around that range, I'll point it out to you. If you think it's unsuitable, feel free to say so."
"Understood. Thank you, Elder Yu."
Continuing deeper into the forest, the two moved silently, the only sounds around them being the whisper of leaves and distant cries of unseen beasts.
Suddenly, a striped figure stepped out from behind the trees — a tiger-type soul beast with blazing red fur.
"About three hundred and fifty years old," Yu Lin said calmly, his voice low but powerful. "A Redflame Tiger. See if it suits you for your first soul ring."
Lin Beiya didn't immediately answer. Instead, he summoned the Athena Statue, letting his martial soul's divine aura spread outward.
The moment Yu Lin saw it, surprise flickered in his sharp eyes. This was the first time he had seen such a strange and sacred martial soul. Still, he said nothing, quietly waiting for Lin Beiya's reaction.
Then, without warning, Lin Beiya felt a faint pull — a strange resonance from somewhere far away. It wasn't coming from the Redflame Tiger before him but from a distant direction deep within the forest's western side.
"Elder Yu," he said after a moment, shaking his head, "this one isn't suitable. My martial soul… is guiding me that way."
He pointed firmly toward the west.
Yu Lin raised a brow, clearly intrigued.
"Oh? Can your martial soul guide you to a suitable soul beast? Hah… now that's new." He chuckled lightly, not hiding his curiosity.
"Very well, we'll go see what your intuition has found."
With a casual wave of his hand, the terrifying aura of a Soul Douluo flared from his body, and the Redflame Tiger—once baring its fangs—immediately froze, then fled into the depths of the forest.
The pair moved westward, their figures weaving through the towering trees until they reached a serene lake.
The area teemed with life. Herds of herbivorous soul beasts grazed peacefully along the water's edge, while a few carnivorous ones lurked nearby, eyeing their prey with cold patience.
Because of the lake's abundant water and energy, the Blue Silver Grass here grew especially lush, their faint blue luminescence spreading like stars across the forest floor, casting an ethereal glow that almost illuminated the entire region.
Watching the beasts munching away at the glowing grass, Lin Beiya couldn't help but think to himself, These little fools really have no idea they're eating their way into an early grave.
Still, he carefully scanned the area, searching for whatever had been calling to him. The pull from his martial soul was growing stronger by the second — it was definitely coming from this place.
Seeing Lin Beiya pacing and scanning the surroundings, Yu Lin made no move to interrupt. To him, these low-level beasts—none above a hundred years—were no threat whatsoever.
After several minutes, Lin Beiya's gaze locked onto something near the far edge of the lake.
It was a sheep, but unlike any he had seen before. Its entire body glowed with a deep, azure sheen, and from its head curled two massive spiral horns that pointed inward toward its skull. The horns, however, were not blue — they shimmered like the night sky, speckled with countless golden lights, as though filled with starlight itself.
"Elder Yu," Lin Beiya called softly, "do you recognize that soul beast?"
"Hm?" Yu Lin turned in the direction he pointed — and when his eyes landed on the creature, his expression shifted slightly.
He rubbed his chin, thinking for a moment before replying, "If I'm not mistaken, that's a Star-Devouring Sheep. Its horns can absorb and store starlight. It's… a rather rare type of soul beast."
Lin Beiya's eyes lit up instantly. A rare soul beast? My luck's not bad at all!
"Rare, you say?" he asked with anticipation.
Yu Lin snorted lightly.
"Rare doesn't mean powerful. It's rare because it's weak and delicious. Most have long been hunted to near extinction — you tell me, does that not make it rare?"
"…"
Lin Beiya was speechless. So it wasn't rare because it was strong, but because it had been eaten out of existence.
Still… something deep within him whispered that this creature was special — a perfect match for his martial soul.
After confirming his instinct several times, he took a deep breath, his gaze firming with determination.
"This is the one, Elder Yu," he said decisively.
"Please — help me capture it!"
"You…" Yu Lin looked at him, momentarily at a loss for words.
—
End of Chapter