The road leading toward the Ancient Soul Forest stretched across rolling plains bathed in the colors of dusk. Golden sunlight spilled across the grasslands like liquid fire while distant mountains stood against the horizon as dark silhouettes. The wind carried the scent of wildflowers and ancient trees.

Alex walked at the front of the group with his hands behind his back. Kremlin walked beside him. Behind them followed Lucien and the fourteen other Titled Douluo. The scene would have appeared completely ordinary to an outsider. Yet hidden beneath those calm appearances was a force capable of overturning the entire continent. For a while, nobody spoke.

The path gradually narrowed, the cultivated fields giving way to wild grasslands. The trees grew thicker as they walked, their branches intertwining above to form a natural canopy. The last rays of sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating dancing patterns on the ground. By the time they reached the forest’s edge, night had fully fallen. The Ancient Soul Forest rose before them like a wall of darkness, its depths utterly black. No moonlight penetrated those ancient trees. No insect chirped, no bird sang. The silence was absolute.

The forest stood before them like a living wall that stretched beyond the horizon. Towering trees pierced the clouds. Ancient vines as thick as dragons coiled around mountain sized trunks. The air itself felt different here. Every breath carried an immense concentration of natural energy. As Alex stepped across the forest boundary, his expression changed slightly. He stopped. Everyone immediately stopped as well. Lucien noticed the shift first.

"Teacher Alex?"

Alex did not answer immediately. His gaze swept across the seemingly endless forest. Then he felt it. An immense pressure hidden beneath countless layers of concealment. It was ancient.

Without hesitation, Alex released his mental domain. Invisible waves spread outward. His consciousness expanded endlessly. The entire Ancient Soul Forest instantly entered his perception. Every mountain. Every river. Every cave. Every soul beast. Nothing escaped his sight. Several breaths later, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"This forest is stronger than this empire."

Everyone became startled. Then Alex calmly continued.

"Even five empires combined cannot stand equal to this forest."

Silence followed. The clan elders stared at him. Their expressions became strange. Finally one elder could not help speaking.

"Teacher Alex, are you sure? We know many hundred thousand year soul beasts live here. But five empires? That sounds somewhat unbelievable."

The others nodded. Even Lucien looked skeptical. Alex simply smiled.

"There are nine million year soul beasts living here."

Everyone froze.

"And each of them is equivalent to a level one hundred god realm expert."

The forest suddenly felt much colder. Several elders instinctively looked deeper into the woods. Their faces had become pale. Million years soul beasts? God level? Such beings were beyond imagination. They had spent centuries living near this forest without ever realizing what monsters slept beneath its canopy. Alex looked at their expressions and chuckled softly.

"You do not need to worry. They live in the deepest regions. You might stand before them and never recognize them if they choose not to reveal themselves."

The elders released relieved breaths. Alex continued.

"Anyway. All my students are between level twenty and level thirty. Each of them needs at least seven soul rings. Some possess twin martial souls. We need a large quantity."

His hand waved. Dozens of light screens appeared before everyone. Each screen contained information regarding a student’s martial soul, attributes, compatibility, and future development path. The elders immediately became serious. Alex pointed toward the information.

"Hunt beasts over ten thousand years old. There is no need for anything lower. Hunt according to compatibility."

Everyone nodded. Then Alex turned toward Kremlin.

"You."

Kremlin straightened instantly. "Yes, my lord."

"Hunt over fifty hundred thousand year soul beasts. Choose suitable ones."

Kremlin’s eyes lit up. "Understood."

Alex smiled. "And I am going to meet those million year old ones."

Before anyone could react, he vanished. No fluctuation. No warning. No trace. One moment he stood there. The next moment he was gone. The elders exchanged glances. Even after seeing countless miracles, Alex still managed to shock them. Kremlin looked at everyone.

"Do exactly as my lord ordered. Only top level soul beasts."

Then he disappeared as well. A sonic boom erupted somewhere deep inside the forest. Lucien laughed.

"Well then. Let us begin."

The others grinned. Moments later, fifteen Titled Douluo shot into the forest. The hunt began.

Several hundred kilometers away, a giant crimson tiger burst from a canyon. Its body exceeded thirty meters. Six flaming tails whipped through the air behind it. A terrifying seventy thousand year soul beast.

The Crimson Inferno Tiger. The beast roared. A wave of fire exploded outward. Mountains trembled. Trees instantly ignited. Yet Lucien calmly stepped forward. Nine soul rings appeared beneath him. The surrounding space distorted.

The tiger’s instincts immediately screamed danger. Too late. Lucien extended his hand, and golden chains shot forth from his palm. The chains wrapped around the tiger’s legs, torso, and jaws in an instant. The beast struggled, flames erupting from its body, but the chains glowed brighter with every movement. Within seconds, the Crimson Inferno Tiger shrank into a small golden sphere that floated gently into Lucien’s storage ring. He nodded.

"Suitable for a fire attribute disciple. Captured alive."

Then he continued deeper into the forest.

Elsewhere, three enormous serpents surrounded Elder Magnus. The beasts were all over fifty thousand years old. Their poisonous breath corrupted everything it touched. The forest floor melted. Ancient trees collapsed. Yet Magnus merely yawned.

"I have not stretched my muscles in decades."

The serpents attacked simultaneously. Lightning fast. Deadly. Magnus moved like a shadow. His hands shot out, each palm slamming against a serpent’s head with precision force. Not enough to kill, but enough to stun. The three serpents went limp. Magnus then pulled out three jade bottles and spoke a single word. "Seal." Green light enveloped each serpent, drawing them into the bottles. Magnus corked them and stored them away with a loud laugh.

"Good. Three at once. This saves time."

Farther away, Elder Serena stood before an enormous silver eagle. The creature ruled the skies of this region. Its wings spanned nearly a hundred meters. Every flap generated storms. The eagle screamed and unleashed countless wind blades. Mountains were sliced apart. Serena calmly raised her hand. An ocean appeared behind her. A real ocean. Millions of tons of water manifested from pure soul power. But instead of crushing the eagle, the water formed a massive sphere that surrounded the beast completely. The eagle struggled, its wind blades useless against the endless liquid prison. Serena closed her fist, and the water sphere shrank rapidly, compressing the eagle into a small blue pearl. She caught it midair.

"Another one. Alive."

Then she flew away.

Meanwhile, Kremlin had already reached the deeper regions. The atmosphere here was entirely different. Even Titled Douluo would not survive long. Ancient monsters ruled these territories. A colossal black ape emerged from a mountain cave. One hundred and thirty thousand years old. Its roar split the clouds. Kremlin did not even slow down. He casually pointed a finger. A golden chain shot forward. The ape was instantly bound. No resistance. No struggle. Its immense body shrank rapidly. Moments later it had become a tiny black crystal sphere floating beside him. Kremlin stored it away.

"One."

Then he disappeared again.

Several minutes later, a giant sea dragon sleeping beneath an underground lake opened its eyes. Before it could react, Kremlin’s hand descended. Space froze. Time seemed to stop. The dragon found itself sealed inside another crystal sphere.

"Two."

Then came a mountain tortoise. Then a shadow phoenix. Then a thunder wolf. One after another. Ancient soul beasts that once terrorized entire regions fell effortlessly before a true god realm expert. Within an hour, twenty three hundred thousand year soul beasts had already been captured. Kremlin looked pleased.

"My lord asked for fifty. That should not take long."

Then he vanished again.

At the same time, far beyond all hunting grounds, far beyond the territories known even to the strongest soul beasts, at the absolute center of the Ancient Soul Forest, a figure appeared silently. The surrounding environment was eerily peaceful. No beasts. No sounds. No wind. The silence felt unnatural. Almost sacred. Massive trees surrounded him. Each one towered like a mountain. Ancient energy saturated every inch of the region. Alex walked forward leisurely. His footsteps echoed softly. Then he stopped. A smile slowly appeared on his face.

Before him stood a tree. An ancient tree. Its trunk was larger than entire cities. Its roots stretched across countless kilometers. Its branches supported miniature ecosystems upon their surfaces. Countless ages seemed engraved into its bark. The tree appeared old enough to have witnessed the birth of civilizations. Old enough to have watched continents rise and fall. Old enough to remember things long forgotten by history. Alex looked up at the gigantic tree. The tree looked down at him. For several moments, neither moved. Then Alex smiled.