Early the following morning, the shelter was illuminated by the sun's gentle rays seeping through the branches and leaves, casting specks of light upon Uran's face and rousing him from slumber.

To his astonishment, he had anticipated a night fraught with tension and anxiety. After all, this lay on the outskirts of the treacherous Star Dou Forest. However, contrary to his expectations, he had slept soundly, devoid of unease or fear, almost as if this place were as secure as home, indistinguishable from it.

A quarter-hour later, Uran packed his belongings, cinched his belt, and readied himself for the ongoing journey. Although this locale was appealing and had a clean water source in close proximity, with such a substantial forest lake, a considerable groundwater reservoir likely congregated in this region, making it improbable to locate another extensive water source within a certain range.

Yet, this expanse was too exposed, its openness vast. While it would be fitting for constructing a domicile, his capabilities weren't adequate for habitation here. The water source served as a gathering point for soul beasts, and he couldn't be certain of contending with numerous such creatures. Traps were feasible, but the soul beasts didn't approach as a group. Ultimately, his abilities fell short.

Uran propped himself against a broken tree, surveying the surroundings. He sought a densely wooded terrain, ideally a shelter like a cave, accompanied by a water source nearby, preferably housing some docile herbivorous soul beasts. A haven from the elements, equipped for daily life.

Should he fail to locate one, he'd have no choice but to backtrack and construct a shelter near the water source. With his mind set on this, he envisioned gathering robust timber and fashioning a structure suspended amid the trees.

As Uran contemplated the shelter's prospective arrangement, he withdrew his hand from the tree he had leaned against. Suddenly, his palm detected an odd sensation.

Withered and akin to desiccated bark, it clung to his hand.

"Hmm? What's this?"

Uran promptly clapped his hands, dislodging the withered bark, then turned his gaze toward the somewhat anomalous tree, his demeanor gradually growing grave. Now he discerned more peculiarities—the crown's leaves had all altered in hue. Although some branches and leaves lacked luster the previous day, they still possessed a verdant shade. Yet now, they appeared entirely gray.

He pinched a leaf, and before he could exert much pressure, it crumbled.

The same befell this tree. Its vitality from yesterday was absent. It lingered like an elder on the brink of demise. The contrast between the prior day and today was stark, time seeming to have rushed by.

Uran stood bewildered. He remained clueless about the turn of events—how had the tree transformed in this manner, abruptly succumbing?

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After a prolonged pause, he sighed.

"...I get it. I finally understand. No wonder I haven't encountered any soul beasts. They possess a keen sensitivity to emotions. They fled when they detected the scent of nuclear radiation emanating from me."

"All the soul beasts capable of fleeing have departed, but plants can't escape. The nuclear radiation on my body proves dangerous to animals and flora. Damn it, I believed that by fleeing to the Star Dou Great Forest, I could live out my days peacefully. Unanticipatedly, I remain a destroyer of nature, sowing death wherever I go."

"Damn!"

Gently lowering his bag, Uran relieved himself of the burden, retrieved the machete still smudged with mud and sap, and commenced a search for sturdier trees in his vicinity.

He had figured it out. He'd build his abode here, foregoing any further movement.

The radiation enveloping his form could indeed deter soul beasts, substantially ensuring his safety. It was nearly absolute that only those with deficient perception wouldn't discern the unceasing radioactive presence on his person. The beasts wouldn't even require sight of him—once they entered a specific range, they'd turn away.

And he also recollected the memory of nuclear radiation, discovering that it could pollute not only animals and plants but also water sources. In other words, he hadn't touched the water source earlier, but after the entire night of the previous day, this forest lake had already taken on his Uran-like form.

Even if he were to depart, the radiation would persist. If other spirit beasts were to directly come into contact with the water from this lake, they would perish more swiftly with each sip. And for those soul beasts that consumed the water here, the radiation would continue to spread, potentially leading to mutations within their bodies or triggering a countdown towards their demise.

This realization was terrifying—Uran was essentially a walking destroyer of nature. Consequently, he chose not to leave; he would stay here. After all, no soul beast would venture to disturb him. He would gradually construct his own shelter, delve into the knowledge within books, and practice in solitude.

Once he reached the twentieth level of spirit power, he could contemplate strategies for combating spirit beasts. In his current state, he would merely seek out a spirit beast without vying for dominance or striving to be the strongest across the continent.

At that moment, Uran was struck by an amusing notion. What if he became a king and one day convened a meeting attended by all his ministers, only for them to succumb to radiation infection midway through? That scenario would be utterly ludicrous.

Chuckling at the thought, Uran sighed. The most significant threat posed by soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest was no longer a concern for him. He could take things at his own pace. He'd heard that practicing to become a Titled Douluo extended one's lifespan significantly—possibly up to three or five hundred years.

Lost in contemplation, Uran found this prospect rather appealing. Although he was only six years old, the idea of experiencing an extended life in this environment was oddly agreeable.

An hour later, Uran discarded the slightly warped machete. A mere three trees had fallen under his efforts. He couldn't help but feel foolish for not bringing an axe along. He had intended to venture into the forest, so why hadn't he equipped himself with one?

Feeling helpless, he was left with only his small machete. Could he possibly succeed in chopping down trees with just his diminutive dagger?

After mulling it over, Uran decided to outsmart the situation. Given his spirit ability, could he disassemble the three felled trees by capitalizing on the explosion effect his spirit ability could induce? As for the method, the logical approach was to set up a trap next to the tree, then topple the tree onto the trap, thus triggering the explosion.

With his idea in place, he sprang into action. Crafting a spirit ability trap wasn't too challenging. It resembled a game mechanism—after mentally configuring it, the article manifested in his hand, and finally, he found a suitable location for it.

Thanks to his soul power, he could construct three to four traps per day without overtaxing his energy reserves. Fortunately, this trap wielded considerable power; a single thrust was enough to succeed in exploding the tree. Although the surface bore several marks, the aftermath of scattered debris, his objective of separating the tree's crown from its trunk had been achieved.

The trunk could serve as a foundation for his house, but what could he use the crown for?

Thankfully, this realm operated on spirit power. If he were merely a six-year-old child in the modern world, not only would he struggle to maneuver a tree trunk to a designated spot, he'd likely lack the ability to fell trees in the first place. However, fate had granted him the dual blessings of Sharingan

and spirit rings. Even at his tender age, he would be invincible.