Douluo Continent: Rebirth of Ma Hongjun, Phoenix of Ultimate Light

Chapter 17 Entering the Star Dou Great Forest! Target confirmed!

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the group got up.

Ma Hongjun was woken up by Oscar. The kid was so excited last night that he couldn't sleep and couldn't sit still before dawn, eager to rush into the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Hongjun, get up quickly, it's dawn!"

Ma Hongjun opened his eyes and saw Oscar's face flushed with excitement, and sighed helplessly.

"Xiao Ao, did you sleep last night or not?"

"I've been sleeping for two hours!" Oscar chuckled, looking so energetic that you'd never guess he'd only slept for four hours.

Ma Hongjun sat up, quickly washed up, got dressed, and went out.

Downstairs in the lobby, Flander, Zhao Wuji, and Shao Xin were already seated, with breakfast laid out on the table.

Plain congee, steamed buns, pickled vegetables, eggs, and a few side dishes.

"Eat up, so you can get on your journey," Flanders said while drinking his porridge.

Ma Hongjun and Oscar sat down and began to eat heartily.

I'm going to spend the whole day in the Starry Sky Forest today. I don't know when I'll be able to eat a meal and fill my stomach.

After eating and drinking their fill, the group left the inn and headed towards the Star Dou Great Forest.

...

There are no obvious signs at the entrance to the Starry Sky Forest.

One second it was an ordinary mountain forest, and the scenery suddenly changed after crossing a ridge.

Towering trees rise from the ground, their canopies layered upon layer, completely obscuring the sky.

Sunlight could only filter through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

The air was filled with the scent of damp earth, mixed with the fragrance of grass and trees and a certain indescribable fishy smell.

The low growls of unknown soul beasts echoed from afar, rising and falling, instinctively making one uneasy.

Ma Hongjun took a deep breath and scanned his surroundings.

This is the Star Dou Great Forest.

One of the most dangerous gathering places for soul beasts on the Douluo Continent.

"Line up." Flander's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

He walked at the front, his Four-Eyed Cat-Owl Martial Soul ready to be released at any moment, his sharp eyes scanning the front and both sides.

Zhao Wuji walked at the very back, his burly body like a moving wall, his Mighty Vajra Bear Martial Soul poised to unleash its power.

Li Yusong and Lu Qibin walked on the left and right sides respectively, holding the Dragon Pattern Staff and the Chessboard Martial Soul in their hands, each guarding their own direction.

Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Shao Xin walked in the middle, tightly protected by the four teachers at the core.

This is a standard jungle marching formation.

The strong are on the outside, the weak are on the inside; be vigilant on all sides, leaving no blind spots.

Ma Hongjun walked along, observing his surroundings.

The light in the forest was very dim, with visibility of only a few dozen meters.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which felt soft and spongy underfoot. I wondered what was hidden beneath them.

The thick tree roots arched out of the soil, like giant pythons coiled on the ground.

A squirrel-like spirit beast darted across the treetops, glanced at them, and then disappeared into the foliage.

"Most of the soul beasts in the outer areas are around ten or a hundred years old and will not actively attack targets stronger than themselves."

As Flander walked, he said, "But don't let your guard down. The Star Dou Great Forest has everything. Some soul beasts are good at disguising themselves, and by the time you discover them, it will be too late."

Ma Hongjun and Oscar nodded in unison.

After walking for about half an hour and confirming that there was no immediate danger, Flander slowed down and turned to look at Oscar.

"Little Ao, now that you've decided to pursue the all-around path, what do you want to choose for your second spirit ring?"

Oscar paused, then scratched his head.

To be honest, he only knew that he wanted to be an all-around warrior, but he was still completely clueless about which soul beast to choose, what attribute to select, and what direction to take.

He subconsciously looked at Ma Hongjun.

Ma Hongjun understood and said, "Teacher, I suggest that Xiao Ao's second spirit ring should focus on attack."

"Reason?" Flanders asked.

"Xiao Ao's first spirit ring was a recovery type, and the sausages he made could satisfy hunger and restore stamina, which was already support-oriented. If his second spirit ring continues to be support-oriented, then he will be completely set up, and it will be more difficult for him to switch to attack later."

Ma Hongjun paused for a moment, then continued, "But if the second spirit ring is geared towards attack, and preferably one with strong explosive power and great strength, he can establish the belief that 'I can fight' from the very beginning. That's more important than anything else."

Flanders nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

"Ideally, it should be a soul beast with strong explosive power and great strength. If it can also maintain a little bit of defense and speed while ensuring attack power, that would be even better."

Zhao Wuji caught up from behind and interjected, "My Mighty Vajra Bear is pretty good."

Everyone looked at him.

"Mighty Vajra Bear, a strength-type soul beast, has strong attack and defense capabilities, and also has enough explosive power."

As Zhao Wuji spoke, he patted his muscular chest, "The only drawback is that it's a bit slow, but that's relative to other agility-type Soul Masters of the same level. As the foundation for your second Soul Ring, it's perfectly adequate."

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up.

Mighty Bear is indeed a good choice.

This kind of soul beast is strong, has high defense, and is explosive. Although it is not fast, that is a common problem for strength-type soul beasts.

The speed issue can be addressed in the third or fourth spirit ring.

Moreover, Zhao Wuji himself possesses the Mighty Vajra Bear Martial Soul, making him most knowledgeable about this type of Soul Beast and thus more convenient to find.

"Teacher Zhao is right, the Mighty King Kong Bear is indeed a good choice."

Ma Hongjun nodded: "As for speed, we can improve that separately when we get the third spirit ring, it shouldn't be a big problem."

Flanders hesitated for a moment, then looked at Oscar.

"Xiao Ao, what do you think?"

Oscar scratched his head and gave a sheepish smile.

"If Hongjun says it's okay, then it's okay. I trust him."

Flander's lips twitched slightly; he didn't know whether to say the child was carefree or overly trusting.

However, Mighty Bear is indeed a good choice.

"Then it's settled." Flander made the final decision: "Find a Mighty Vajra Bear that's around six or seven hundred years old as Little Ao's second spirit ring. The age can't exceed seven hundred and sixty years; that's the limit for a second spirit ring."

Once the target is identified, the search area is greatly narrowed.

Instead of wandering around aimlessly, the group headed towards the area where the Mighty King Kong Bear frequently appeared.

.....

The Mighty Bear prefers to live in open areas of the forest, preferably near a water source and with enough food.

Relying on his keen intuition about similar martial souls, Zhao Wuji led the group through the forest for about an hour before finally finding a suitable area.

This is a relatively open woodland, with trees that aren't too dense, allowing sunlight to directly reach the ground. A small stream flows nearby, its water crystal clear and gently babbling.

"This is it." Zhao Wuji lowered his voice. "The Mighty King Kong Bear likes this kind of place. There's water, sunshine, and not many trees around, making it easy for it to move around."

Flander looked around at his surroundings and nodded.

"Waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump."

......