"Hey, where are you guys going? Take me with you," Lu Leng quickly caught up to the trio and asked.
The three turned around, their expressions varied upon seeing Lu Leng.
Hu Liena's face was indifferent, seemingly unsurprised by Lu Leng's appearance, though there was a faint trace of dislike in her eyes.
Xie Yue, who had never seen Lu Leng before, looked at him with curiosity.
As for Yan, he immediately became furious.
"Lu Leng!" Yan gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tightly. But recalling the misery from that night, he instead said hatefully, "Where we go is none of your business!"
Xie Yue's expression brightened as he realized this was Lu Leng.
"Don't get so worked up. I'm just curious. It seems like you're leaving Spirit Hall City, so I thought I could tag along," Lu Leng said with a smile, completely unfazed by Yan's anger. This guy had already forgotten the pain from his injuries, which had only just healed, and was acting so arrogant again.
"Do you really think we'd take you with us?" Yan snorted disdainfully.
"What about you?" Lu Leng ignored Yan, knowing he wasn't the one in charge. The decision lay with Xie Yue and Hu Liena.
"We're heading to the Star Dou Forest. Are you sure you want to come with us?" Xie Yue wasn't particularly opposed to Lu Leng. After all, he was the Pope's disciple, and some respect was due.
"Star Dou Forest? What for?" Lu Leng asked curiously.
"Nana has reached level 30. We're going to help her obtain her third spirit ring," Xie Yue explained.
"Third spirit ring? Why doesn't the teacher take her?" Lu Leng questioned. Hu Liena was also Bibi Dong's disciple, so it didn't make sense that she wouldn't help her get a spirit ring.
"The teacher has been busy these past few days, and we didn't want to trouble her. Besides, it's just the third spirit ring. With our combined strength, it's not impossible to obtain," Hu Liena said, her tone tinged with bitterness.
Thinking about how the teacher had been distant with her these past few months while being close to Lu Leng, she felt increasingly sour. Her gaze toward Lu Leng grew even more disdainful.
"Mainly, we want to train our combat skills and gain some practical experience," Xie Yue added, sensing his sister's emotional shift.
"I see," Lu Leng understood. "Then I'll come with you."
"You? Forget it. You'd just hold us back," Yan blurted out without thinking.
Lu Leng couldn't help but laugh. "Are you sure?"
Yan was about to say yes, but when he saw the cold glint in Lu Leng's eyes, he couldn't help but recall the purple spirit ring and shrank back in fear. Still, he stubbornly turned his face away and snorted.
"Since no one has any objections, let's set off," Lu Leng said with a smile, feeling extremely happy. Finally, he could get out and stretch his legs.
...
The Star Dou Forest was within the jurisdiction of Spirit Hall City, and since they were only going to the outskirts, it would take them just two or three days to reach it.
Even so, Lu Leng was overjoyed. After all, the air of freedom was sweet.
Four days later, the four of them arrived at the Star Dou Forest.
A dense canopy of trees covered the sky, and the damp, musty air carried the unique scent of the forest. The occasional roar of spirit beasts echoed through the area, filling it with a sense of primal danger.
"A two-day journey, and you dragged it out to four days. You still don't believe you're holding us back?" Yan looked at Lu Leng, his face full of annoyance.
Hu Liena and Xie Yue couldn't help but feel exasperated. Lu Leng acted like a child who had never seen the world, wanting to explore everywhere, asking questions about everything, and playing with whatever caught his eye. He had practically wasted two days of their time.
"Hey, do you even know what it means to balance work and rest? All you do is train all day. If you don't learn to relax, you'll just turn into a brute," Lu Leng said, holding a skewer of roasted meat, while lecturing them.
"Nonsense," Hu Liena snorted disdainfully.
"Believe it or not."
After a few more exchanges of banter, the four of them began to venture deeper.
"I'll take the lead. Lu Leng and Nana will stay in the middle, and Yan will bring up the rear. Stay alert and don't lose your composure," Xie Yue instructed.
"Understood."
They had now entered the outer perimeter, which was no longer as safe as the outside. Soul beasts could appear at any moment. So, Xie Yue quickly assigned positions and took the lead, with the four of them forming a single-file formation as they advanced.
Lu Leng, however, didn't seem to care. The outer perimeter was nothing to him. Hunting a soul beast that was just over a thousand years old was as easy as child's play.
"When we encounter a soul beast later, don't make a move," Hu Liena said to Lu Leng as they walked in the middle.
Although she disliked Lu Leng, he was still Bibi Dong's disciple, so she had to ensure his safety.
"Got it."
From the very beginning, Lu Leng had taken a dislike to Hu Liena because she lacked professionalism and had exposed him. Hu Liena, on the other hand, disliked Lu Leng because she felt he had stolen their teacher's affection.
The reason she didn't want Lu Leng to act wasn't just out of concern for his safety, but also because she didn't want to owe him a favor if he helped.
Lu Leng, of course, was well aware of this.
"Even if you asked me to act, I wouldn't want to," Lu Leng thought to himself, taking out some snacks from his ring and munching on them.
Lu Leng liked to smack his lips while eating, as he believed it showed respect for the food.
Hu Liena, walking in front of him, frowned at the noise but said nothing.
Lu Leng walked behind her, bored and looking around aimlessly.
But as he looked, his gaze suddenly froze, landing on Hu Liena's alluring figure.
Hu Liena was not yet thirteen, but in the Douluo Continent, people matured early. At twelve, her body was already well-developed. Her slender waist was as if it could be held in one hand, swaying like a willow branch as she walked. Her long legs were firm and full, with a sensual plumpness. Her petite figure was accentuated by the tight-fitting clothes she wore, leaving nothing to the imagination—her curves were bold and unapologetic.
Coupled with the nature of her martial soul, every movement she made exuded a seductive charm.
"Tsk, I hadn't noticed before, but Hu Liena's figure is quite tempting," Lu Leng thought to himself, quickly averting his gaze.
He wasn't a man of strong willpower, and he feared that if he kept looking, he might get an eye infection.
The group continued forward, and after about ten minutes, Xie Yue suddenly stopped.
"Stay alert. A soul beast has appeared."
Hearing this, everyone immediately perked up. Soon, they spotted a fox in the distance. It was a pink fox with a massive tail, foraging for food.
"It's a Pink Peach Fox."
"What great luck, we found a suitable soul beast right away. From the looks of it, it's definitely at the thousand-year level," Hu Liena said happily.
Due to her spirit, the Enchanting Fox, she naturally possessed a charm attribute. Therefore, Bibi Dong had decided to develop her along an extreme path, only allowing her to absorb soul beasts of the fox type, and specifically those with charm attributes.
This way, her strengths could be maximized indefinitely.