The Sunset Forest was very close to Tiandou City, only about a hundred miles away.
Thus, even though the road wasn't in the best condition, the group still managed to arrive at the small town near the entrance of the Sunset Forest before sunset, as planned.
Brook Town—a rather ordinary name.
At this moment, Zhu Fan was driving the carriage toward the inn while speaking to Dai Chengfeng inside. "Chengfeng, I see that the journey has been smooth so far. There's nothing that seems dangerous, like you said?"
"I was just speculating."
As he spoke, Dai Chengfeng stepped out of the carriage.
He sat beside Zhu Fan and looked at the bustling Brook Town.
Unlike Tiandou City, the buildings along the streets of Brook Town were ancient and weathered, with mud walls and thatched roofs arranged in a scattered but orderly fashion.
Street vendors shouted their wares, selling various local snacks, simple weapons, and small items used to deal with soul beasts. It had its own unique charm.
However, Dai Chengfeng wasn't in the mood to admire it. Instead, he was still lost in thought. 'Could Qian Renxue really have given up?'
'But this morning, I clearly sensed someone watching the Ye Family Medical Clinic. And Uncle didn't disguise himself this morning—Qian Renxue must know I'm Dai Chengfeng.'
'Yet there hasn't been any trouble on the road…'
'It's probably not that simple.'
Dai Chengfeng shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it further. He would handle whatever came his way.
Moreover, they would soon meet Poison Douluo Dugu Bo. With a Title Douluo acting as their bodyguard, their safety for the time being was assured.
The carriage continued for another few minutes.
"Whoa!"
The carriage driven by Ye Renxin ahead came to a stop first.
By the roadside stood the only inn in the town that looked somewhat decent—the Qilin Inn.
The inn's sign was slightly worn, swaying gently in the breeze. Its two heavy wooden doors stood wide open.
"Chengfeng, we'll rest here tonight."
Dai Chengfeng nodded.
Soon, everyone disembarked. Zhu Fan handed the carriages over to the waiting attendants and followed Dai Chengfeng and the others into the inn.
Inside, wooden tables and chairs were neatly arranged, and the air was filled with the faint aroma of wine and food.
It was much cleaner and more elegant than the outside.
The innkeeper, a slightly plump middle-aged man, greeted them with a broad smile. "Honored guests, are you here to stay or eat?"
Ye Renxin calmly replied, "We need five rooms and some food prepared."
The innkeeper quickly agreed, arranging for the staff to prepare the rooms while guiding the group to a table to sit.
After dinner, everyone gathered in Ye Renxin's room.
At this moment, Ye Renxin turned to Dugu Yan. "Little Yan'er, where exactly is your grandfather's medicinal garden located in the Sunset Forest?"
Dugu Yan frowned slightly, thinking for a moment before answering slowly. "Grandfather's medicinal garden is in the central part of the Sunset Forest, near the Tianling Mountain Range. It's quite hidden, and ordinary people would find it difficult to locate."
"The general direction is toward the center of the forest, slightly southeast."
Upon hearing this, Ye Renxin looked down at the map spread across the table.
Seeing the marked red dot on the map and comparing it with the location of Dugu Bo's medicinal garden that Dugu Yan had mentioned, he smiled faintly. "Unexpectedly, it's quite convenient."
"Passing through the territory of the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear won't require much detour."
"In this way, it should only take a few days to reach Poison Douluo's medicinal garden after dealing with the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear."
Dai Chengfeng looked at the relatively close proximity of the two points on the map and nodded slightly. "This is the best scenario—it saves us a lot of travel time."
Soon, after discussing further, everyone returned to their rooms to rest and prepare for the perilous journey into the Sunset Forest the next day.
---
The next day, early morning
As the sky began to lighten, Dai Chengfeng and his group packed their belongings and left the inn, heading toward the Sunset Forest.
Though the Sunset Forest was nowhere near as vast as the Great Star Forest, it still covered a significant area.
At a glance, it was an endless sea of trees stretching as far as the eye could see.
At this moment, the group of five stood at the entrance of the Sunset Forest.
"Lingling, Little Yan'er, remember to stay close to me."
"Although most of the soul beasts here are several thousand to tens of thousands of years old, they're still not something you can handle."
Ye Renxin carefully reminded Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan.
"Yes, Grandpa." Ye Lingling obediently replied.
Dugu Yan also nodded but soon looked at Dai Chengfeng, who had already entered the forest with Zhu Fan. "Grandpa Ye, you're reminding Lingling and me, but shouldn't you say something to Dai Chengfeng too?"
"Chengfeng?"
Ye Renxin looked at Dai Chengfeng's back, recalling their trip to the Great Star Forest when he had barely survived thanks to him. He let out a wry smile.
"If Chengfeng doesn't remind me to be careful, I'd thank the heavens. How could I remind him?"
With that, he shook his head. "Let's go too."
"Is he really that extraordinary?"
Dugu Yan still looked curiously at Dai Chengfeng's back, thinking about what Ye Lingling had told her about him earlier.
Though Ye Lingling had omitted the existence of ten-thousand-year soul beasts per Dai Chengfeng's instructions, the stories still felt surreal to Dugu Yan.
"You'll understand later."
Ye Lingling smiled, pulling Dugu Yan along as they followed.
Entering the Sunset Forest, a damp atmosphere greeted them.
The towering trees blocked out the sky, and the ground beneath their feet was soft. Occasionally, they could spot hidden swamps covered with a layer of rotting leaves, emitting a pungent smell. One misstep could lead to sinking.
Strange plants were everywhere in the forest.
Some plants had large flowers at their tops, and the pollen they released carried a sweet fragrance but could instantly cause dizziness.
Other vines lay hidden like hunters in the shadows, swiftly lashing out to tightly bind any living creature that approached.
In the distance, the low roars and growls of soul beasts occasionally echoed.
However, thanks to their previous experience in the Great Star Forest, Dai Chengfeng and Ye Lingling's group felt no discomfort.
On the other hand, Dugu Yan was slightly unaccustomed.
Though she had visited Dugu Bo's medicinal garden in the Sunset Forest a few times, according to Dugu Bo, it wasn't suitable for weak soul masters like her to live there long-term.
Fortunately, despite her rebellious nature, Dugu Yan wasn't a spoiled young lady, and with Ye Lingling's care, she adapted after just one day of travel.
Thus, the journey proceeded smoothly.
After roughly four days of travel, Ye Renxin finally stopped, comparing the map in his hand with their surroundings.
He looked at the massive cave on the cliff ahead and nodded in satisfaction.
Turning to Dai Chengfeng, he chuckled. "Chengfeng, it's your turn now!"
"Alright!"
Dai Chengfeng nodded and extended his right hand.
Instantly, a ripple of dark golden energy spread from his shoulder, slowly extending to his palm.
Soon, a dark golden metal armguard engraved with strange patterns appeared on Dai Chengfeng's right arm.
Dai Chengfeng clenched his fist slightly, and five dark golden claws extended from the joints of his fingers. Sharp as blades, they gleamed with a cold light, each about half a foot long, seemingly capable of slicing through any defense.
"What's this for?"
Dugu Yan watched in confusion. "Aren't we hunting the thousand-year Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear? Does Lingling really not need to help?"
Ye Lingling shook her head with a smile, holding onto Dugu Yan's arm as she gazed adoringly at Dai Chengfeng's back.
"Yan'er, watch closely—it'll only take a moment…"
At this moment, deep within the nearby cave—
Roar—!
It seemed to sense the presence of a similar soul bone. A bear's roar echoed from the depths of the cave.