Chapter 25: Entering the Sunset Forest

After about two hours of travel, Yang Wudi and Yang Podi finally arrived at the outskirts of Sunset Forest. The outer edge of the forest was home to a small hunting town. Though the town was not large, it was bustling with people. Most of the businesses there were inns, restaurants, and shops that sold survival supplies for the forest.

Seeing Yang Podi's curiosity, Yang Wudi didn't rush into the forest. Instead, he took his grandson around the town for a bit.

The most common shops in the town sold supplies for the forest, offering items like weapons (swords, bows, and arrows), ropes, tents, and even food items such as dried meat, which was essential for quick meals in the forest. Normally, people couldn't start a fire in the soul beast forest, as the light could attract dangerous beasts, especially at night when many soul beasts, like venomous spiders and ants, would emerge.

There were also some peculiar items for sale, like the droppings of rare soul beasts. These seemingly insignificant items were essential for survival in the forest. For example, the scent of Titan Ape or venomous spider droppings could ward off many soul beasts at night, helping to prevent attacks.

Other shops sold valuable soul beast parts, such as rhino horns or bear claws, which could be used for various purposes, including medicinal remedies or as high-value resources. Rare herbs and poisonous plants from the forest were also available, since parts of the forest were still unexplored, leaving plenty of untapped resources.

Another significant presence in the town was mercenaries. Their job was to help others hunt soul beasts and obtain spirit rings. The price for their services depended on the type of soul beast and its age. For example, a simple hundred-year-old soul beast could cost thousands of gold coins, while a thousand-year-old one could go for tens of thousands. Rarer or more aggressive beasts would increase the price even further. Very few mercenaries would hunt ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts, as it would require powerful individuals, often Soul Emperor level or higher, and deeper ventures into the forest, which were extremely dangerous.

When hiring mercenaries to hunt for soul rings, there was often another part of the deal to consider: the soul beast's body and all its parts usually belonged to the mercenary team. This could lead to dangerous situations, especially if a soul bone appeared, which could cause internal conflict or even murder. After all, soul bones were incredibly valuable, as seen in a recent auction where a thousand-year-old soul bone sold for tens of thousands of gold coins.

After wandering around the town, Yang Wudi and Yang Podi headed straight into Sunset Forest. This forest was not maintained by the empire, so they didn't need any special permits to enter. Though no ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts had been confirmed here, there were still plenty of high-level soul beasts, which made it one of the largest soul beast forests in the empire.

Some mercenaries tried to approach Yang Wudi and Yang Podi, but upon seeing the fierce expression on Yang Wudi's face, they quickly backed off. Others whispered among themselves, seeing an old man leading a young boy into the forest, and there were even shadowy figures moving around.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, their pace slowed down. The forest was filled with towering trees and thick undergrowth, primarily blue silver grass, along with countless unknown plants and vines. Even the path they walked on was barely visible, formed by the repeated passage of people.

The forest was alive with strange noises—hissing, chirping, and even occasional roars of animals. Birds flew overhead, their calls echoing through the trees.

Yang Wudi didn't rush to find a soul beast. Instead, he spent time explaining the various beasts and plants to Yang Podi. For example, they passed a patch of bamboo that was actually inhabited by a soul beast species known as solitary bamboo. While not particularly aggressive, it could still be dangerous if one got too close. They also encountered vines that were, in fact, soul beasts that would entangle anything nearby. Additionally, they saw spiders and ants, though most were just ten-year soul beasts and thus not particularly valuable.

They spent the entire day wandering through the forest but did not encounter a suitable soul beast. Although they saw a couple of strength-type beasts, their ages were too low to be of any use.

As night fell, Yang Wudi found a clearing and set up a tent. He scattered some unidentified soul beast droppings around the area to ward off potential threats.

Then, the two sat down and began to chat.

"How do you feel about spending a day in the Sunset Forest, Podi?" Yang Wudi asked.

"Grandfather, the forest is full of dangers. Even small soul beasts can be extremely dangerous, and there are constant threats from every direction," Yang Podi replied.

"You're right, Podi. In a soul beast forest, you must always stay vigilant. A single mistake can result in attacks from various creatures, some of which are incredibly unpredictable," Yang Wudi explained. "We're only in the outskirts of the Sunset Forest. If we venture into the core, we would encounter soul beasts that are tens of thousands of years old. The strongest one I've seen in this forest was over 80,000 years old. At that level, they can rival human Titled Douluos."

"Grandfather, shouldn't ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts be easy for you to handle?" Yang Podi asked.

"You're not wrong. For me, beasts in the ten-thousand-year range are manageable. I could even defeat those between 50,000 and 70,000 years. But remember this: never get injured in the soul beast forest. Once you're hurt, the scent of your blood will attract countless soul beasts, and their attacks will never stop," Yang Wudi warned.

"Also, in a soul beast forest, people are often hunting for Soul rings. If you get injured, it'll affect your ability to absorb a Soul ring and defend yourself. So, always protect yourself, and avoid unnecessary battles with soul beasts."

"And Podi, the most important thing to remember: the greatest danger in the forest isn't the soul beasts—it's other people. Like right now."

Clearly, Yang Wudi had sensed something.

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