Erina didn't say anything further. Since Han Yu had given her this Storage Ring, it meant she would definitely need it. If she was polite now, she might not even find one when she needed it later.
Han Yu glanced at his watch; it was exactly ten o'clock. "Let's find a place to set up camp and rest, recover our stamina. Then, we'll go find your first Soul Ring."
Erina nodded in agreement. The group rested where they were. With Xiao Yan, a Dou Di, present, the invisible aura of his Dou Qi kept the surrounding Soul Beasts at bay.
"Wow, that's amazing! Just his aura scared those magical beasts away. In our world, this ability is called Haoshoku Haki."
Ace marveled at Xiao Yan's aura. Although the latter hadn't directed it at him, he could still vaguely feel it.
"Haoshoku Haki, that sounds good. Do you know it?"
Xiao Yan smiled. For him, this little trick was nothing. If he got serious, these magical beasts wouldn't even be able to withstand his aura's pressure and would explode.
Ace shook his head helplessly. "I know it, but its range and power aren't great. It only works on enemies that aren't very strong, and against strong ones, my Haki is like air."
"How does one improve this ability?" Xiao Yan asked.
"It can only be enhanced by oneself. No external force can make Haoshoku Haki stronger. It only grows as the user becomes stronger. I just want to visit more different worlds, maybe different worlds will let me improve faster. I must be able to protect others, at least... I want to see Luffy become the Pirate King!"
Ace's eyes were very firm. He wasn't discouraged at all about his "early-stage" Haoshoku Haki. He believed he would definitely get stronger and would cultivate his Haoshoku Haki to the highest level.
Looking at his eyes, Xiao Yan thought of his former self. He stared at Ace, stroking his chin, not knowing what he was thinking.
"What's wrong?" Ace couldn't help but ask, feeling uneasy under the gaze.
"I admire young people like you. You also seem to be playing with fire, right? If you have a chance, I'll take you to my Endless Flame Domain to train with those little brats. Maybe you can try cultivating Dou Qi, and you can follow me from now on."
After some thought, Xiao Yan smiled.
Whoosh!
Hearing this, Han Yu was a little surprised. The Endless Flame Domain was a force Xiao Yan created in their Greater Thousand Worlds. In just a few decades, it had become one of the four major superpowers in the Greater Thousand Worlds.
That Greater Thousand Worlds was far more vast than the Earth in the Marvel world, at least twenty to thirty times larger. To be one of the only four major powers within such a vast expanse, one could only imagine the kind of existence they were.
Moreover, these words came from Xiao Yan, the creator of the Endless Flame Domain himself. Judging from his tone, it seemed like he wanted to take the other person as a disciple. The olive branch he threw out… even Han Yu felt a little envious.
"Really? We can try it when we go back!"
Ace was very excited. This was a great opportunity for him to become stronger, which he definitely couldn't miss.
After chatting and laughing for a while, they rested for half an hour before the four set off again.
As soon as they entered the Star Dou Great Forest, Han Yu, to prevent Erina from falling behind, released Green Lantern Energy as a guiding rope and wrapped it around her waist, pulling her along as they ran.
After all, this was the Star Dou Great Forest. Without any combat experience, it would be difficult for Erina to handle things if she was alone.
"How much longer do we have to run? Aren't those Soul Beasts formidable?"
On their hurried journey, Erina saw many seemingly powerful Soul Beasts. Some of them had claws larger than her entire body, but Han Yu only glanced at them dismissively and kept moving.
As they ran, Han Yu said, "Those Soul Beasts aren't bad, some even reach four hundred years. That's enough for ordinary Soul Masters, but your Martial Soul is the Six-Winged Angel, so your first Soul Ring absolutely cannot be subpar."
Remembering Han Yu explaining Martial Souls to her, Erina was puzzled and asked, "You told me before that the theoretical limit for the first Soul Ring a Soul Master can absorb is four hundred and twenty-three years. Wouldn't those four-hundred-year Soul Beasts be enough?"
Han Yu pursed his lips and said, "That's for most Soul Masters. They're absorbing a Soul Ring for the first time, their Soul Power is fragile, and no one can guide the Soul Power's entry. So, theoretically, a four-hundred-and-twenty-three-year-old Soul Beast's Soul Ring is the highest grade."
"But with me here, I can guide you and prevent the Soul Ring itself from affecting you. Therefore, this level can be raised appropriately. It shouldn't be weaker than a thousand-year Soul Ring at the very least."
Erina firmly kept Han Yu's words in mind, deeply grateful that he was so earnestly considering her situation. The moment she awakened the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, Han Yu's Shokugeki agreement had been fulfilled.
He could have left the remaining matters to Erina, allowing her to figure things out on her own. But Han Yu didn't do that. Instead, he personally brought her to find a Soul Ring, answering her questions about Soul Ring combinations step by step. His every word and action touched her deepest emotions.
"Thank you," Erina said, her voice barely audible.
"What?" Han Yu seemed to see Erina's mouth move, thinking she was talking to him.
"It's nothing, let's speed up a bit!"
Erina's face showed an unprecedented gentle smile. Seeing her like that, it was impossible for Han Yu not to be moved.
Under Han Yu's lead, the group continued flying deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.
Han Yu's flying speed wasn't slow. If he hadn't wanted Erina to observe the surrounding Soul Beasts, he would have torn open space and walked through the void for a faster journey.
After half an hour, the group entered the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest. Here, most of the Soul Beasts were over five hundred years old, with some being thousand-year Soul Beasts, and even the occasional appearance of ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts.
Flying along, the group came to a huge lake. The size of the lake made Erina click her tongue in amazement, saying she had never seen such a large lake. At a glance, it was nothing but endless water.
"Found it, it's here."
"There, there aren't any animals here?"
Erina looked towards the lake. The view was completely unobstructed, and not even a water bird was in sight. The water was still; there was no sign of any Soul Beasts.
Han Yu smiled and said, "Sometimes, just because you don't see them doesn't mean they're not there."
He gestured towards the lake with his chin. Erina frowned slightly. After a moment, she said in surprise, "You mean... in the lake?"
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(End of Chapter)