The vast Star Dou Great Forest stretched endlessly like a sea of green, boundless and deep.
Its territory was nearly equal in size to the entire Balak Kingdom, spanning both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire.
Within it lay diverse landscapes—forests, mountains, grasslands, volcanoes, and marshes.
This forest was home to the greatest number and variety of soul beasts on the Douluo Continent.
And the soul beasts here boasted, on average, the highest cultivation levels compared to any other soul beast habitat.
After departing from Heaven Dou Imperial City, the group arrived at the forest's outskirts.
Led by Ye Zilan and Ling Zhantian, Ye Yu and Dugu Bo ventured deep into the forest—
Heading straight for a certain area in the inner region of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Their target: a divine-grade plant-type soul beast with a cultivation age of approximately 50,000 years—the Undying Laurel Tree, recorded and passed down by the previous clan head of the Nine Heart Begonia Clan.
The laurel tree, even in Ye Yu's previous world, was legendary—most famously associated with the tale of Wu Gang chopping the laurel.
According to myth, Wu Gang served as a guardian of the Southern Heavenly Gate.
However, he often neglected his duties in favor of spending time with Chang'e, the moon goddess.
When the Jade Emperor discovered this, he punished Wu Gang by ordering him to chop down the laurel tree on the moon.
But the mythical laurel had near-immortal regenerative powers.
No matter how Wu Gang swung his axe, the tree would heal immediately—an eternal punishment.
The Undying Laurel Tree in the Douluo Continent shared this very trait.
It possessed near-immortal regenerative abilities, along with potent offensive capabilities.
It was truly a god-tier plant-type soul beast.
The fact that the Nine Heart Begonia Clan knew the location of such a creature excited Ye Yu deeply.
Not only was it a life-attribute plant-type soul beast—
But its life essence as a divine plant would be an exceptional match for his Blue Silver Spirit Jade Vine Martial Soul.
If he could successfully slay it and absorb its spirit ring—
Ye Yu believed it might even trigger another evolution for his Martial Soul!
After three full days of travel through the Star Dou Great Forest—
Guided by the map—
They finally arrived at the area where the Undying Laurel Tree resided.
It stood atop a lush, forest-covered mountain.
It was nighttime.
Even from the foot of the mountain, Ye Yu could see it clearly—
A towering tree, far taller than any surrounding vegetation, with a massive trunk and a lush, expansive canopy.
In the moonlight, it appeared to be absorbing lunar energy, radiating a gentle silver glow.
The entire tree was covered in delicate white blossoms.
"There it is—the Undying Laurel Tree!"
"It's still here!"
At last, they had found their quarry. Ye Zilan's deep-blue eyes sparkled, and her elegant, regal face was full of joy and excitement.
She pointed toward the mountain peak.
"Great! Then Brother Dugu and I will head up now and help Ye Yu hunt this Undying Laurel!"
Ling Zhantian laughed heartily, summoning his Martial Soul—the Bloodthirsty Berserker Blade—with a wave of his hand.
The Nine Heart Begonia Clan, like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, was a support-type spirit master family.
Within the clan, whether they were Nine Heart Begonia users or other support-type soul masters, it was tradition to choose battle-type soul masters as partners.
Because of the Nine Heart Begonia's powerful healing abilities—
It was common to pair with soul masters who had Martial Souls that granted Berserk or Bloodthirst abilities, enhancing combat strength at the cost of temporary weakness.
Together, such pairings created a synergy where 1 + 1 > 2.
Ling Zhantian's Bloodthirsty Berserker Blade possessed just such a bloodthirst ability.
It could sacrifice his own blood to boost combat power.
Under normal circumstances, this came with dangerous drawbacks—
But with Ye Zilan's Nine Heart Begonia providing sustained healing, the "double-edged sword" effect was neutralized—
Turning it into a purely beneficial boost to his combat prowess.
Seeing her husband about to rush into battle with Dugu Bo, Ye Zilan quickly stopped them.
"Wait!"
"Any heavenly treasure is always guarded by a powerful beast."
"This Undying Laurel Tree is no exception."
"According to notes my mother left behind, this one is guarded by a 70,000-year-old Blade-Mantis."
"You'll have to deal with that first before you can hunt the Undying Laurel."
"Blade-Mantis?"
Dugu Bo and Ling Zhantian both paused—they weren't familiar with this type of soul beast.
Fortunately, Ye Yu—who was exceptionally well-read and knowledgeable in soul beasts and cultivation lore—stepped forward to explain:
"The Blade-Mantis is a top-tier insect-type soul beast. A 70,000-year-old one typically stands around 2.4 meters tall, moves at incredible speed, and can fly at low altitudes. It has two bladed forearms that are razor sharp, capable of slicing through even metal—hence the name."
"But Grandpa Dugu, Uncle Ling—you don't need to worry. I'll fight alongside you both. I'll handle the control aspects, and together we should be able to take it down without much trouble."
Ye Yu spoke confidently, a smile on his face.
However, because night had fallen, they decided not to act immediately.
The Blade-Mantis, being a high-speed, high-offense assassin-type soul beast with dark carapace armor, was adept at ambushing prey under cover of darkness.
Its black shell gave it excellent camouflage in the night forest.
A 70,000-year-old Blade-Mantis could pose a serious threat if it managed to ambush them.
So after discussing it, they decided:
They would rest for the night.
At dawn, they would ascend the mountain and attempt to hunt both the Blade-Mantis and the Undying Laurel Tree.
Morning came swiftly.
After a quick breakfast—
The group set out toward the mountain peak where the Undying Laurel stood.
Along the way, Ye Yu quietly activated his Blue Silver Domain, expanding it to its fullest range to scan for any threats.
He was especially alert in case the Blade-Mantis had come down to hunt and was hiding somewhere in the surrounding forest.
But the journey passed uneventfully.
Soon, they arrived at the summit.
Before them stood a colossal tree, its trunk over three meters in diameter, its height surpassing 300 meters.
It radiated a soft silver glow, its lush branches and leaves covered in white blossoms and teeming with powerful life energy.
It was unmistakably—the Undying Laurel Tree.
And beside it—
A monstrous Blade-Mantis, standing 2.5 meters tall, covered in pitch-black armor, with two bladed forearms and four legs, was violently slashing at the Undying Laurel's trunk.
As its bladed arms cut into the bark, silver-white sap splashed out, coating its blades.
The dark exoskeleton shimmered with a faint, ominous gleam.
Then, as the sap oozed from the cuts, the Blade-Mantis lowered its head and drank from the wound.
But the moment Ye Yu and the others appeared—
The Blade-Mantis noticed the intruders.
Its grotesque head turned toward them, crimson compound eyes locking onto their position.
Its wings twitched.
In the next instant—
The Blade-Mantis let out a shrill screech, flaring its bladed arms wide.
Its wings beat furiously as it burst into motion, becoming a dark blur that shot toward Ye Yu and the others at terrifying speed.