The journey back through the Sunset Forest was far more relaxed than the trip in.
With Dugu Bo walking at the front, no soul beast dared approach. The forest, so lively only hours ago, had become eerily quiet.
Behind him, Dugu Yan skipped along the trail, unable to hide her excitement.
Snap.
A tiny puff of emerald mist drifted from her fingertips before instantly condensing into a delicate crystal flower.
She caught it with a grin.
"It actually works."
She admired it for a moment before the poisonous crystal slowly dissolved back into harmless green mist.
Snap.
This time it became a butterfly.
Snap.
Then a tiny jade serpent.
"I can make jewelry," she declared proudly.
"Toxic jewelry."
Arthev glanced sideways.
"I strongly advise against opening that business."
She blinked.
"Why?"
"Your first customer would also be your last."
Dugu Yan burst into laughter.
"What if I put a warning label on it?"
"'Warning: May cause paralysis, organ failure, and death,'" Arthev replied without missing a beat.
"...That might hurt sales."
"It certainly would."
Even Dugu Bo let out a quiet chuckle.
After walking for several more minutes, his expression gradually became serious.
"Arthev."
Arthev looked over.
The old man stopped walking.
Without a word, he reached into his robe and carefully removed a token.
Unlike the emerald token he had given before, this one was forged from deep violet gold. An elegant jade serpent was engraved across its surface, its eyes inlaid with two tiny emerald gemstones.
Dugu Bo held it out with both hands.
"This is the Elder Token of the Dugu Clan."
He gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"'Clan' is probably too grand a word. It's just Yan and me."
His gaze became solemn.
"But this token represents everything our family has left. You saved my life."
"You freed my granddaughter from a curse that has haunted our bloodline for generations."
"You gave our family a future."
He placed the token into Arthev's hand.
"From today onward..."
"...you are one of us. If anyone dares raise a hand against you..."
A dangerous smile slowly spread across the Poison Douluo's face.
"I won't merely kill them. I'll erase everyone who thought helping them was a good idea."
Dugu Yan sighed dramatically.
"There he goes again."
"I was trying to make this heartfelt."
"You made it threatening."
"It can be both," Dugu Bo replied.
Arthev looked down at the heavy token resting in his palm.
For a moment, he was silent. Then he gave a small nod.
"...Thank you, Senior."
Dugu Bo immediately frowned.
"'Senior?'"
He folded his arms.
"Call me Grandpa Dugu."
"'Senior makes me sound ancient."
Dugu Yan raised an eyebrow.
"You are ancient."
"I am ninety-two."
"Exactly."
"I don't look ninety-two."
"You don't act ninety-two either," she teased.
Dugu Bo snorted.
"That's because unlike other old men, I still have all my teeth."
Arthev couldn't help smiling.
"Very well..."
"...Grandpa Dugu."
The old man nodded in satisfaction.
"Much better."
The three of them continued toward the waiting carriage.
As the forest gradually gave way to the road leading back to Heaven Dou City, Arthev absentmindedly turned the Elder Token over in his hand.
Its weight wasn't from the violet gold.
It was the trust behind it.
'Not bad,' Shukaku said with a satisfied chuckle.
'A Titled Douluo who'd burn down kingdoms for you, an Emperor Martial Soul whose potential rivals the greatest prodigies, and both owe you their lives.'
'Looks like our little team is growing stronger by the day.'
Arthev slipped the token safely into his storage pouch.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
---------
Next Morning
The edge of the Sunset Forest smelled of pine needles and wet earth. Morning sunlight filtered through the trees, casting broken patches of gold across the dirt road where the carriage waited.
Dugu Yan stood beside the road, aggressively rubbing a tiny speck of mud from her designer leather boots with a silk handkerchief.
Despite the dirt and exhaustion of the journey, she looked entirely different from the girl who had entered the forest two days ago.
Her posture was straighter. The faint, sickly pallor that had always lingered beneath her skin was completely gone, replaced by a flawless porcelain complexion. Even her aura had changed. It carried a quiet pressure now, something sharp and dangerous beneath her elegant appearance.
The Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor was no longer merely her martial soul.
It was beginning to define her presence.
Dugu Yan gave up on the mud and tossed the ruined handkerchief aside.
"I still think you should come back with us."
Arthev adjusted the strap of his travel bag.
"I'll pass."
"Grandpa's carriage is quite luxurious," she continued, ignoring him. "It's comfortable, spacious, and it has snacks."
Arthev paused.
"What kind?"
Dugu Yan's eyes lit up.
"See? I knew that would get your attention."
Dugu Bo, standing a few paces away with his hands clasped behind his back, snorted.
"There's plenty of food in the carriage. Stop trying to bribe him."
"I'm not bribing him. I'm making a reasonable offer."
"You're practically begging him."
"I am not!"
Arthev looked between them.
"I appreciate the offer, but I have another plan."
Dugu Yan raised an eyebrow.
"Which is?"
"The academy granted us three days of leave. We completed our objective in two."
He glanced toward the forest.
"That leaves me with approximately 24 hours of scheduled unstructured time."
Dugu Yan stared at him.
"Scheduled... unstructured time?"
"Yes."
"What are you going to do with it?"
"Absolutely nothing."
Dugu Yan blinked.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
Arthev spoke with complete seriousness.
"My muscles require recovery after prolonged combat. My cortisol levels are elevated, and my body needs time to complete the recovery and adaptation process." Which is obviously a lie.
He looked toward the distant mountains.
"So I'm going to find somewhere quiet, sit down, and refuse to participate in violence."
Dugu Yan stared at him for several seconds before laughing.
"You?"
"Yes."
"Refusing violence?"
"Correct."
"I give you 3 hours before you find a 10,000year soul beast and decide to dissect its fighting style."
"I said I intend to rest."
"That's not the same thing as actually resting."
Dugu Bo nodded.
"She's right."
Arthev looked at him.
"You too?"
"I've known you for long enough."
Dugu Bo shook his head with a faint smile.
"You'll probably find some problem that needs solving before sunset."
Arthev considered that.
"...Possible."
Dugu Yan laughed again.
"See?"
She stepped closer, her expression becoming slightly more serious.
"Still, you should come with us."
Arthev looked at her. For once, she wasn't teasing.
"I'd like you to."
There was a brief silence.
Then Dugu Yan stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a quick, tight hug.
Arthev froze.
His brain immediately began searching for an appropriate response to this unexpected physical contact.
Before he could find one, Dugu Yan pulled away.
"Thank you, Arthev. For everything."
Her voice had lost its usual arrogance.
Arthev looked at her for a moment before giving a small nod.
"You're welcome."
Her usual smirk returned almost immediately.
"Don't get sentimental."
"I wasn't."
"Good."
She turned toward the carriage, then glanced back over her shoulder.
"And don't be late tomorrow."
Arthev frowned.
"Tomorrow?"
"The academy."
She pointed at him.
"The Imperial Exchange Event is only four days away. The Five Elements Academies will be arriving soon, and I refuse to let you wander into the ceremony looking like you just crawled out of the forest."
"I'll be there."
"When?"
"Tomorrow."
Dugu Yan nodded.
"Good."
She climbed into the carriage, then leaned out through the window.
"And Arthev?"
"Yes?"
"Try not to get into a fight during your day off."
He gave her a completely serious look.
"I make no promises."
Dugu Yan groaned.
"I knew it."
The carriage began moving.
Dugu Bo remained behind for another moment, watching Arthev.
The old Poison Douluo's expression was unusually calm.
"You've done a lot for us, Arthev."
Arthev looked at him.
Dugu Bo gave him a small nod.
"Don't forget that you have a family in Heaven Dou now. Take care of yourself, kid."
With that, he turned and climbed into the carriage.
Arthev watched them disappear down the road before looking toward the mountains.
Silence settled over the edge of the forest.
For several seconds, Arthev simply stood there, watching the carriage disappear down the road.
Then Shukaku's grating voice echoed through his mind.
'Finally. The snake and the old lizard are gone.'
There was a brief pause.
'Now what?'
Arthev started walking toward the safer boundary zone.
'We rest.'
'Rest?' Shukaku sounded genuinely offended.
'I saw a 20,000 year-old bear in there that looked at me funny. We should go back and bury it.'
'We are resting, Shukaku.'
'Boring.'
Matatabi's smooth voice followed, calm and amused.
'You have spent the last two days fighting, Shukaku. Perhaps you could survive one day without attempting to murder something.'
'I wasn't going to murder it.'
'You said you wanted to bury it.'
'Exactly. I was being considerate.'
Arthev sighed internally.
'No fighting. No hunting. No testing new abilities. No provoking soul beasts.'
Shukaku grumbled.
'You're taking all the fun out of having a body.'
'I don't recall giving you one.'
'Details.'
Matatabi let out what sounded suspiciously like a quiet laugh.
Arthev continued along the road.
For nearly an hour, he followed the main route leading away from the deeper regions of the Sunset Forest. The thick forest gradually opened up, eventually giving way to a well-maintained road lined with wooden markers and patrol posts.
Ahead stood the Boundary Glade.
The outpost was one of the safest stopping points between the Sunset Forest and the main provincial highway. Imperial soldiers patrolled the perimeter, while merchants, spirit masters, and academy groups regularly passed through its gates.
A large inn stood near the center of the settlement, already crowded despite the relatively early hour. Carriages filled the surrounding courtyard, and the voices of travelers carried across the road.
Arthev took one look at it.
"No."
He had promised himself a quiet day.
There was no reason to voluntarily walk into a building filled with hundreds of people.
Instead, he followed the sound of rushing water coming from beyond the outpost.
About half a mile away, the road narrowed into a small trail. Arthev followed it through a stretch of woodland until the noise of civilization finally disappeared behind him.
Then he found it.
A clear stream flowed between smooth stones before widening into a small, tranquil lake. Weeping willows surrounded the water, their long branches hanging almost to the surface and swaying gently with the breeze.
Sunlight slipped through the leaves and danced across the lake.
No students. No merchants. No bandits. No Titled Douluos.
Just perfect.
Thud.
Arthev dropped his bag beside a flat stone warmed by the afternoon sun and sat down.
He leaned back, closed his eyes, and listened.
Water flowed. Leaves rustled.
A distant bird called from somewhere beyond the trees.
That was it.
No calculations. No battle formations. No threat trajectories. No soul beasts.
No problems requiring immediate solutions.
Arthev didn't try to analyze anything. He simply sat there.
And existed.
Several peaceful minutes passed.
Then the temperature dropped.
Arthev's eyes opened.
The change was too sudden to be natural.
The warmth vanished from the air as an invisible wave swept across the lake.
Moisture immediately began crystallizing, turning into a fine, glittering frost that drifted through the air like snow.
Shukaku's lazy voice disappeared.
'Threat?'
Arthev remained still. He observed.
The edge of the lake, roughly fifty meters to his left, had already begun freezing over. Thin sheets of ice spread across the surface, while the surrounding grass turned white and brittle beneath a layer of frost.
'No killing intent,' Arthev replied internally.
He narrowed his eyes.
'But the energy is unstable.'
The temperature dropped another few degrees.
'It's leaking.'
Matatabi became quiet.
Arthev watched the frost spreading across the ground.
'Someone is losing control of their core temperature.'
Shukaku grunted.
'So much for resting.'
Arthev ignored him. His curiosity had already taken over.
He opened his bag and pulled out a small kettle.
'I'm only going to observe.'
'That's what you said before you dissected that soul beast style'
'That was different.'
'How?'
'It was interesting.'
Shukaku groaned.
Arthev gathered several dry twigs from beneath the willow trees and started a small fire near the shoreline. Once the kettle was prepared, he picked it up and quietly followed the spreading frost.
The further he walked, the colder it became.
Frost covered the willow branches. The grass cracked beneath his boots.
Even the surface of the stream began forming a thin layer of ice.
Arthev pushed through a cluster of frozen willow branches.
And saw someone.
To be continued.....