Chapter 23: Tang Hao — No! My Ah Yin! The Journey to the Star Dou Great Forest!
The back mountain of Holy Soul Village was shrouded in mist from the waterfall.
A staggering figure, cloaked in black, rushed unsteadily toward the waterfall. Beneath the black robe, his face was weathered and worn by hardship. It was Tang Hao, who had just barely escaped from Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo's pursuit. His chest rose and fell violently with each labored breath. Fresh blood still stained the corner of his mouth. Old injuries flared up again during his fierce battle with Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo. Every step he took sent searing pain through his internal organs.
"Ah Yin…"
Tang Hao muttered hoarsely. The remnants of soul power within his body circulated madly, forcibly suppressing his injuries. With a sudden leap, he charged toward the stone chamber hidden behind the waterfall. The torrent of water slammed into his body, yet it failed to slow him down in the slightest.
He burst into the stone chamber, and his pupils shrank violently. In that instant, all the blood in his body seemed to freeze solid.
"Ah Yin?"
At the center of the stone chamber, the Blue Silver Grass had already completely withered. Its dark yellow branches and leaves were curled inward, utterly devoid of life. Even the faintest trace of soul power fluctuation had vanished. Meanwhile, the black box embedded in the stone wall—where the soul bone had been stored—was now empty. The hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone had vanished without a trace!
"Ah Yin… dead?"
Tang Hao's voice was hoarse, like a shattered bell. The obsession in his eyes was instantly replaced by boundless grief, fury, and madness. He staggered forward, rushing to the withered Blue Silver Grass. His trembling hand reached out, wanting to touch it—yet he dared not, afraid it would crumble at the slightest contact.
"Who… who did this?!"
A thunderous roar erupted from the stone chamber. Violent soul power swept through the entire cave in an instant. The stone walls shook violently, and fragments of rock rained down. Tang Hao stared at the empty box, murderous cold light bursting from his eyes.
"Spirit Hall! It must be you!"
His mind immediately linked this to the earlier pursuit by Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo. They had deliberately lured him away! While he was gone, they had infiltrated the stone chamber, killed Ah Yin, and stolen the soul bone!
"I will make you pay in blood!"
Tang Hao's reason completely collapsed. Soul power surged wildly around him. A black phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer appeared behind him, radiating an aura capable of destroying heaven and earth. He slammed his fist into the stone wall.
BOOM—!
A deafening explosion rang out. The entire mountain trembled violently. Even the waterfall's torrent was shaken so hard that it surged upward against gravity. After venting the rage in his heart, Tang Hao dragged his wounded body and strode out of Holy Soul Village with ferocious eyes. His destination— a branch hall of Spirit Hall. He would make Spirit Hall pay a grievous price for Ah Yin's death!
...
The outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest.
A blue-silver figure was excitedly looking around in all directions. It was Lin Qingmo, who had come here with Bibi Dong. Looking around, towering ancient trees blotted out the sky. The branches and leaves were so lush that the heavens themselves were barely visible. The air was filled with an extraordinarily dense vitality. Mixed with the crisp calls of birds and the roars of unknown soul beasts echoing nearby, it formed an atmosphere that was primitive, mysterious, and awe-inspiring.
"So this is the Star Dou Great Forest? This is way too magnificent!"
"It's far more imposing than the Soul Hunting Forest—this is practically a paradise for soul beasts!"
Excited, he opened the chat group, snapped several photos of the scenery around him, and sent them into the group.
[Dad Douluo]: Family, hurry and take a look! This is the scenery of the Star Dou Great Forest—absolutely breathtaking, right?!
[Dad Douluo]: It's my first time seeing such a huge forest. This really opens my eyes.
[A Rogue Rabbit]: So-so. It's just an ordinary forest.
So-so?
Lin Qingmo was speechless. How could such a magnificent forest be just "ordinary"? But then again, the Star Dou Great Forest was Xiao Wu's home. She had grown up here since childhood and had long grown tired of these sights. In her eyes, this place was no different from any other forest.
[Tyrant Dragon Mom]: Tsk, kid, you're still too young. The Star Dou Great Forest isn't some tourist attraction. The most alluring places are also the most dangerous. This is one of the most perilous regions on the Douluo Continent. Countless powerful soul beasts are hidden within—one careless step, and you could lose your life.
Liu Erlong's message carried a heavy warning. She truly didn't want to see Lin Qingmo die because of recklessness. What she forgot, however, was that Lin Qingmo had a Titled Douluo right by his side.
[Dad Douluo]: Don't worry, Sister Long. I'm not here to sightsee—I'm here to find a soul beast.
[Dad Douluo]: And I've got my Master, Sister Dong Huang, protecting me. She's a Titled Douluo.
Lin Qingmo replied confidently. He turned his head to look at Bibi Dong beside him. His face was filled with pride, as if to say, "See how amazing my master is."
Beneath the black robe, Bibi Dong saw his expression, and a faint, barely perceptible smile curved her lips. On the surface, however, she still spoke in her usual cold tone:
"You're too weak. From now on, I'll subject you to strict training to improve your combat ability."
"Training?"
Lin Qingmo's eyes lit up. "Master, please train me as harshly as you want!"
But very soon, he regretted agreeing so readily. He had originally thought training would be a refreshing process of rapid improvement. With guidance from a Titled Douluo master, progress should come twice as fast with half the effort. But he never imagined that Bibi Dong's training would be so brutally strict—borderline inhuman.
Every day before dawn, Lin Qingmo would be dragged out of bed by Bibi Dong to begin physical training. Running through the forest with heavy weights; climbing sheer cliffs with bare hands; forcing his way through thorn-filled thickets; enduring repeated impact-resistance training… and even real combat training—fighting soul beasts to the death.
After absorbing the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, he was able to manipulate the Blue Silver Grass martial soul. Bibi Dong would throw him directly into areas dense with soul beasts. He was forced to face them alone, using only his Blue Silver Grass martial soul. She herself would watch coldly from the sidelines. Only when his life was truly in danger would she step in to help.
At the beginning, Lin Qingmo suffered miserably. Weighted running nearly broke his legs. While climbing cliffs, he often fell and ended up bruised and battered. When facing a hundred-year soul beasts, he had virtually no power to resist. Several times, he narrowly avoided serious injury. He relied entirely on his control over Blue Silver Grass and his flying soul bone skill to barely escape.
By the end of each day's training, Lin Qingmo was so exhausted he resembled a dead dog. Collapsed on the ground, he didn't even want to move. He didn't have the strength to lift a finger. Yet Bibi Dong would always prepare a barrel of warm medicinal bath for him, allowing him to soak and recover his body.
At first, when bathing, Lin Qingmo felt shy about having to undress in front of Bibi Dong. Every time, he would dawdle, his little face turning bright red. But as time went on, he gradually got used to it. After all, he was only a six-year-old kid right now. There was nothing to be embarrassed about in front of his master. Besides, Bibi Dong would always turn her back to him. Only after he had finished soaking would she turn around. That put his mind at ease.
… And so, day after day of grueling training passed. In the blink of an eye, a full month went by.
…
This day, as usual, Lin Qingmo finished his training. Dragging his exhausted body, he returned to the wooden hut of their temporary camp. The hut was simple but extremely tidy.
"Take off your clothes and get in."
Bibi Dong's voice was still cold and calm, already very practiced. Her slender finger pointed toward the wooden tub in the center of the hut. Inside, a warm medicinal bath had already been prepared.
"Alright, Master."
The two of them had grown familiar enough to use such intimate forms of address. Lin Qingmo skillfully stripped off his clothes and jumped into the wooden tub.
"Mm…"
A wave of comfort made him let out a long breath. The warm medicinal liquid enveloped his body. The exhaustion instantly faded significantly. He closed his eyes, enjoying the nourishment of the medicinal bath. He thought that once he finished soaking, he could finally get a good night's sleep.
End of Chapter.