Leading the way, Qian Yuelong not only conducted mental energy probing but also kept the scanning range within 300 meters to ensure the safety of the team's route.

Although Sun Chuantao is a support Soul Master, his first Soul Skill, "Radiant Light," is a defensive skill that reduces the damage he receives. His second Soul Skill, "Auxiliary Light," increases the range of his teammates' Soul Skills, but he hasn't yet unlocked any speed-related buffs.

On the way to Sunset Forest, everyone could only rely on their excellent physical fitness and the use of their soul power to keep their feet firmly on the ground.

When someone in the group started to run out of energy, Qian Yuelong would deliberately slow down the pace of travel by activating her mental energy detection, allowing them to rest for a while while jogging, before speeding up again. Every four or five hours, Qian Yuelong would have everyone stop and rest for half an hour before continuing their journey.

In three days, they entered the territory of the Heaven Dou Empire and headed towards the imperial capital, Heaven Dou City.

Because Sunset Forest is located a hundred miles east of Tiandou City, very close to the main city.

They can find a hotel in Tiandou City to get a good night's rest.

They set off full of high spirits, but when they arrived in Tiandou City, they were all covered in dust and grime.

Faced with the exorbitant hotel expenses, Qian Yuelong considered each person's financial situation and ultimately booked two suites.

One is a three-person room, and the other is a four-person room.

There were exactly three girls in one room and four boys in one room.

In unfamiliar places, avoid going alone; you should look out for each other.

After checking into the hotel, the first thing the group did after three days of feeling disheveled and exhausted was head straight to their suite to take a shower.

Hao Xuan, who was acting as a background figure alongside the seven-person team, couldn't help but laugh when he thought about how serious they all looked at the room prices at the front desk, as if they had encountered some thorny problem.

"Old Wei, why don't you bring these little guys to our hotel?" Hao Xuan asked leisurely, bending his arm and putting it on Wei Ming's shoulder.

Wei Ming glanced at him sideways. "The four younger ones are naturally fine, but whether the other three are trustworthy remains to be seen." What if the other three accept recruitment from some sect or force within the Heaven Dou Empire after graduating from the academy, thus exposing their stronghold?

"Furthermore, hotel rooms in Tiandou City are already in short supply; even booking half a month in advance is not enough. Our hotels are still fully booked."

So it wasn't that he deliberately tricked Qian Yuelong and the others into choosing this expensive hotel that wasn't fully booked but ranked among the top three in terms of price; it was simply that the facilities didn't allow it.

Hao Xuan rolled her eyes, lifted the arm that was pressing on Wei Ming's shoulder, and instead stretched out her hand to Wei Ming: "Fine, you're right. It's 16 gold soul coins for three people, we'll split it among the three of us, and you'll take the lion's share."

Qu Yuanyi, who was not free to use Soul Coins, remained silent, but his eyes revealed anticipation.

Wei Ming: "."

The next morning, everyone enjoyed the luxurious breakfast provided by the hotel, and one by one, they left the expensive hotel looking pale and sickly.

After walking a distance, Yan looked back at the hotel's silhouette, which was still vivid in his memory, and said with a sigh, "Back in the academy, I thought the food on the second floor of the academy cafeteria was a bit expensive, but compared to here, it's incredibly cheap."

Xu Yu, whose family was of modest means, worriedly calculated his meager savings in his mind, feeling sad in advance: "Yes. No wonder everyone says that the capital is the richest and most prosperous place in the country. It feels like every soul master who comes from out of town is going to be the next victim."

Those prices are beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Hu Liena and the others wholeheartedly agreed.

"Otherwise, how can we drive economic prosperity?"

Qian Yuelong smiled, and the crown made of pink and white flowers and silk gauze worn in her silver-white hair seemed to shimmer with a hazy halo in the sunlight.

A rich, subtle fragrance, the scent of which I can't quite identify, wafts into my nose and smells wonderful.

Standing next to Qian Yuelong, Zhang Ping couldn't help but glance at the hair ornament that Qian Yuelong seemed to have taken out of her soul tool before leaving the room.

I was a little curious, but considering Qian Yuelong's age, it seemed quite normal.

It's just an ordinary accessory.

Wei Ming and the other two, who were following the seven people, were speechless.

Next time, let's just camp out in the wild.

Wei Ming thought to himself silently.

As the group continued eastward, nearing the edge of Sunset Forest, Qian Yuelong slowed down and withdrew her projected spiritual energy.

Sunset Forest's landscape closely resembles a tropical rainforest, with an endless sea of ​​trees, some ten or even twenty or thirty meters tall, blocking out the sun and concealing countless dangers.

Qian Yuelong stopped and stood outside the dense shade of the tree canopy, as if at a dividing line. She glanced at Wei Ming and the other two, who were still observing from the sidelines. She roughly understood that before encountering powerful soul beasts, Wei Ming's teaching method for them was semi-free-range.

She thought for a moment and said to her teammates who were looking at her with confusion:

"We're about to enter the Sunset Forest. The dangers of the Sunset Forest need no further explanation. Given the relatively weak overall strength of our team, we'll make a slight adjustment to our formation. Xie Yue and Yan will switch positions and guard the flanks. Xu Yu and Zhang Ping will remain in their positions, while Yan and Nana will cover the rear. We shouldn't move too fast from here on out, and we need to be wary of spirit beasts that might suddenly appear from other directions to launch a sneak attack."

"Yes, Captain."

Sun Chuantao and the others naturally addressed him as their captain.

Qian Yuelong nodded and took the lead.

However, Qian Yuelong also noticed that although they were told to let them do as they pleased, the positions where Wei Ming and the other two were standing were actually forming a stable triangle, with the left and right sides plus the rear wing, maintaining a distance of one or two meters, protecting them in the middle.

If there is any danger, the three people on the outer circle can react in time.

Overall, I feel quite safe.

The tangled branches and leaves blocked most of the sunlight, and dappled light pierced through tiny gaps, like brightly colored ladybugs crawling across the moss and pale red withered ferns, leaving colorful traces.

The intertwined vines formed a dark green net that enveloped them. As they ventured deeper into the forest, even at midday under the blazing sun, not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate.

The birdsong became sparse, and the forest was shrouded in deep silence.

Qian Yuelong hesitated for a moment, and in order to avoid disturbing any soul beasts or others that were stronger than herself, she decided not to use her mental power to probe the vicinity.

They walked for almost three hours in the lush forest without encountering a single spirit beast of the hundred-year level or higher. They did see a few weak white-ring level spirit beasts, though.

Below the five thousand-year level, most soul beasts are not very intelligent and are still driven by their survival instincts as beasts. They cannot communicate, but they will avoid Qian Yuelong and her group based on their instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm. This is why they have been walking for a long time without encountering many soul beasts.

—A side note—

Oh no, my dad bought real coffee.

I drank it yesterday at noon and couldn't sleep at night, so I just got up and wrote all night long.