Although Tang San had lived here for half a year before, he had spent that entire time at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, only briefly taking in the sights of Sunset Forest during his departure under Poison Douluo's guidance.
Now, returning to Sunset Forest once again, Tang San still found it entirely unfamiliar.
Compared to Star Dou Forest, Sunset Forest differed not only greatly in size but in many other respects as well. Star Dou Forest lay at the heart of the continent, the largest Soul Beast forest in the central region.
It fell within tropical territory, and the vast majority of its vegetation consisted of tropical plants.
Sunset Forest, on the other hand, was situated in the center of the Tian Dou Empire. Though not quite in the cold zone, its temperatures were considerably lower than those of Star Dou Forest, which meant its flora belonged largely to the temperate plants characteristic of the north.
Tropical plants gave the impression of being denser and more humid. Temperate plants, while more refreshing to the senses, lacked that same density. As a result, moving through Sunset Forest was far easier than navigating Star Dou Forest.
Of course, powerful Soul Beasts generally preferred the tropical rainforest environment of Star Dou Forest. While Sunset Forest still harbored no small number of Soul Beasts, those that had cultivated for ten thousand years or more were rare — most lingered between the thousand-year and ten-thousand-year levels. Compounded by the reckless hunting of Soul Masters, the overall quality of Soul Beasts here had declined noticeably. To hunt a Soul Beast suitable for oneself now required not only strength but also patience.
Half a month remained before the official start of the Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, and that was the deadline the Shrek Seven Devils had been given for their hunt. Whether or not they had caught anything, they would have to return to the academy within the half-month to participate in the preliminary rounds of the Tian Dou Empire's Tiandou City district.
They had already been in Sunset Forest for half a day. The number of Soul Beasts they encountered along the way was comparable to what they would have found in Star Dou Forest, but their quality was noticeably worse. They came across several at the thousand-year level, but most had barely passed the thousand-year mark — clearly not what the group was hoping for. The Soul Beasts, for their part, showed no interest in provoking such a large party.
"Let's rest. We'll continue searching tomorrow." Flandre glanced at the darkening sky and called a halt to the Shrek Seven Devils, who had been scouting the surroundings.
Thanks to the Soul Guides, everyone had come well prepared. In no time, two tents had been erected. To enable faster reactions within this Soul Beast forest, the group had chosen large, sturdy tents — one for the four teachers, another for the Shrek Seven Devils. The night watch would naturally fall to the Seven Devils on a rotating basis.
Having cooperated many times before, the Seven Devils worked together with seamless coordination. Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Dai Mubai took charge of setting up the tent, while the girls prepared food under Liu Erlong's lead. Tang San made a circuit of the perimeter, using special medicinal powders he carried to cordon off their campsite — a measure that served both as a mild deterrent against Soul Beasts and as protection against snakes, insects, rats, and other vermin.
By the time Tang San completed his patrol and returned to camp, the tents were already up. Ma Hongjun was using his purified Phoenix flames to light a campfire, with an iron pot suspended over it. The water — also carried by the group in their Soul Guides — was in the process of being heated.
Tang San looked at the Great Master with some puzzlement. "Teacher? Isn't it a bad idea to light a fire?"
Before the Great Master could respond, Flandre laughed. "Relax. This isn't Star Dou Forest — there won't be anything as terrifying as the Titan Giant Ape. Even if a Soul Master stumbled upon us, they wouldn't pose any real trouble. Don't forget, our Golden Iron Triangle is all here now. Short of a Titled Douluo, no one can harm you. There are only a dozen or so Titled Douluo in the entire continent. Even if we happened to run into one, it's no great matter — people of that stature wouldn't come here to compete with you for Soul Beasts. The north is different from the south — it gets cold at night. A campfire and some hot soup will keep you comfortable, and you'll be in much better spirits tomorrow to continue your hunt."
Tang San understood. So that was how it was. This was experience — it seemed he simply hadn't had enough of it yet. The same situation could play out differently depending on the circumstances. Perhaps that was precisely the kind of trial he needed most.
Dinner was a sumptuous affair. After the meal, Flandre gave the Shrek Seven Devils a few brief instructions and ducked into his tent to rest.
Although their tent housed only four people, it was somewhat smaller than the one occupied by the Seven Devils.
Once the tents were set up, Flandre had arranged the sleeping quarters with particular care: Liu Erlong on the far left, then the Great Master, then himself, and Zhao Wuji on the far right. Even the Great Master could find no objection to this arrangement. After all, though he dared not accept Liu Erlong's love, he certainly was not about to allow the woman he cherished to lie close to another man — especially in the ambiguous intimacy of a shared tent at night.
Flandre and Zhao Wuji had already returned to the tent to rest. Liu Erlong lingered by the campfire, stealing a few more glances at the Great Master before finally ducking inside. But the Great Master hesitated.
He had studied the sleeping arrangements in that tent carefully. Everyone lay nearly touching; even turning over would mean brushing against someone through the bedding. He might have considered himself a man of upright character, but with the woman he had loved for years lying beside him, he could not be certain his heart would not waver. And so the Great Master sat by the campfire, his thoughts growing tangled.
On the Shrek Seven Devils' side, Dai Mubai had taken the first watch of the night — he had volunteered for it himself. As the eldest among the Seven Devils, whether in age or Soul Power, he naturally had to set the example. The second watch would fall to Tang San. As for Oscar and the girls, they could rest undisturbed for the night.