The place Shen An was heading to this time wasn't the Soul Hunting Forest that Ning Rongrong had mentioned, but the Star Dou Great Forest.
As one of the most famous soul beast forests on the Douluo Continent, Shen An had heard countless stories about it from the locals in Soto City and the customers at his teahouse.
They spoke of the Star Dou Great Forest's breathtaking scenery, its diverse flora and fauna, and its magnificent landscapes. As someone who loved natural beauty, Shen An had long been yearning to visit.
Having been in the Douluo Continent for so long without ever leaving the vicinity of Soto City felt a bit monotonous. This trip was the perfect opportunity to take Tom out for a good adventure.
The Star Dou Great Forest was located southeast of the Balak Kingdom, with a small portion bordering the kingdom. Soto City itself was situated in the southeastern part of the Balak Kingdom, less than 500 kilometers away.
For Shen An, who could fly on his sword, 500 kilometers was just a day's journey.
However, since Shen An wanted to experience the natural scenery and local specialties of the Douluo Continent, he wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he took his time and traveled leisurely.
Two days later, Shen An arrived at a small town near the Star Dou Great Forest.
Logically, such a remote town should have been sparsely populated, but this town was surprisingly bustling, almost like a small city.
The streets were lined with shops, offering everything one could need.
Many of the people coming and going on the streets had soul power fluctuations. Shen An understood—being one of the most famous spirit beast forests, it naturally attracted many soul masters for hunting.
These soul masters, in turn, boosted the town's economy and development. The wealth of a single soul master far exceeded that of an ordinary person, so even the crumbs they dropped were enough to keep the town thriving.
Shen An strolled around with Tom, buying some local fruits to snack on. The vendor claimed they were greenberry fruits, unique to the Star Dou Great Forest, juicy and fresh.
When arriving at a new place, Shen An's first instinct was to find a place to stay.
Having earned a decent amount from running the teahouse, Shen An wasn't about to rough it. After wandering around, he arrived at a well-decorated hotel.
While Shen An was checking in at the front desk, Tom was surrounded by a group of people.
"Wow, sister, look! Such a cute cat! It can even stand on two legs and is wearing adorable little clothes!"
The speaker was a girl with short, dark green hair. She was talking to another beautiful girl with water-blue hair.
The girl looked over curiously and was also stunned. She had never seen a cat that could stand on two legs, and with its hat and clothes, it was just too adorable.
Tom's ears twitched, and its eyes showed a hint of panic as it watched the two girls approach. It subtly took a few steps back. What do they want from me? Are they trying to take advantage of me?
"Huh? It seems a bit shy. Don't be scared, little kitty. Let your sister give you a little rub," Shui Yue'er said in a slightly seductive tone.
Tom quickly scurried over to Shen An, who was paying at the counter. Who said you could touch me? I'm not that kind of cat!
Seeing Tom hide behind him, Shen An turned around curiously, his eyes lighting up with surprise.
In his line of sight was a pair of charming twins.
These two girls were undeniably beautiful, even by Shen An's standards.
Especially the girl with water-blue hair, who was as stunning as Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong.
She was about 1.63 meters tall, with a well-proportioned figure—neither overly voluptuous nor too slim. To Shen An, she seemed like a perfect blend of Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong's physiques.
Her skin was extremely fair, and her features were delicate. At first glance, she wasn't overwhelmingly stunning, but the more you looked, the more you noticed her beauty—a kind of hazy beauty.
Shen An thought to himself, I remember someone once said that twins are every man's dream. There might be some truth to that.
Huh? Is this guy the cat's owner? He's quite good-looking, especially his eyes—so full of life, Shui Yue'er thought to herself.
Unlike Shui Yue'er's scattered thoughts, Shui Bing'er was much calmer and more composed.
She spoke up, "Sorry, are you this cat's owner? My sister thought it was too cute and couldn't help but want to pet it. Please forgive us."
Since they had already apologized, Shen An naturally didn't say much and simply smiled.
Shui Yue'er snapped out of her thoughts and stared at Shen An with her big eyes.
"Hey, what's your name? Are you single? And can I pet your cat?"
Seeing Shui Yue'er's slightly aggressive gaze, Shen An wondered if this counted as flirting.
But since she asked, Shen An felt obliged to answer.
Shen An replied politely, "My name is Jerry. This cat is my partner, Tom. If you want to pet it, you'll need its consent."
Tom suddenly stared at Shen An in confusion. Wait, isn't that my old friend's name? Since when is that your name?
Shen An subtly gave Tom a look, signaling it not to make a fuss. Why use our real names when we're out and about?
Just as Shui Yue'er was about to respond, a charming voice interrupted.
"Oh? Isn't this Shui Bing'er from the Skywater Academy? Have you reached level 40 too?"
Everyone turned to look. A tall, beautiful girl with wavy dark red hair walked in, followed by a young man of average build.
Shui Yue'er whispered to Shui Bing'er, "What bad luck. These guys are here too."
Everyone present was a soul master, so Shui Yue'er's seemingly soft whisper was heard by all.
"Hmph, is the Star Dou Great Forest your family's property? If you can come, why can't I?"
"Let me tell you, both my brother and I have broken through to level 40. In next year's Advanced Soul Master Tournament, your Skywater Academy Academy is destined to lose to our Blazing Fire Academy," Huo Wu said arrogantly.
Shui Bing'er felt a headache coming on. The five elemental academies had always been competitive, and Huo Wu was the most combative of them all, constantly challenging others.
Shen An noticed that these two groups seemed to know each other, and the atmosphere was growing tense. He decided to take Tom back to their room to rest.
After all, he was here to enjoy the scenery, not get involved in trouble. Shen An didn't even feel like watching the drama unfold.
Just as Shen An was about to leave with Tom, footsteps sounded.
Huo Wu's eyes lit up. "Huh? What a cute cat! It can even stand and walk!"
Most women couldn't resist cats, and Huo Wu was no exception.
Huo Wu put her hands on her hips and demanded, "Hey, is this your cat? Let me play with it. I'll give you gold coins."
Tom hid behind Shen An in fear. This is terrifying. The other girl just wanted to pet me, but this dark-red-haired one wants to play with me!
Shen An was speechless. Is Tom really this popular? Everyone wants to pet it.
"Sorry, no. Tom doesn't like being touched by strangers," Shen An refused firmly, then picked up Tom and prepared to leave.
"I suggest you let her play with your cat, or you'll regret it."
A domineering voice rang out.