In the core area of the Starry Sky Forest, the Lake of Life is like a green emerald embedded deep in the dense forest. The lake surface is sparkling, and the life energy is swirling like a thin mist, nourishing all things in the entire forest.
Deep within the lake, the Imperial Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, listlessly flicked its golden tail. Its round, golden eyes glanced at the several ferocious beasts absorbing the energy of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm not far away. Its little head swayed left and right, full of impatience.
"I'm so bored..."
The little golden beast muttered to itself, tiptoeing backward. Its small body nimbly avoided the senses of the ferocious beasts, and in a flash, it ran out of the bottom space of the lake and leaped onto the surface of the Lake of Life.
This is the habitat of the Titan Ape Erming and the Azure Bull Python Daming, a place lush with vegetation and richer in spiritual energy than other places.
The three-eyed golden lion spotted the girl leaning against the giant tree not far away at a glance. It immediately ran over on its short legs, affectionately nuzzled the girl's skirt, and called out in a clear voice, "Little Wu, Little Wu, I've come to play with you!"
The girl was Xiao Wu, dressed in a pink dress with her long hair hanging down. Hearing the familiar voice, she looked down at the golden beast at her feet, shook her head helplessly, and gently rubbed its head: "Auspicious beast, why did you sneak out again? If Di Tian and the others find out, they'll catch you and put you back in confinement."
The Imperial Beast shook its head, its third tightly closed vertical eye twitched slightly, and said nonchalantly, "What's there to be afraid of? I'm just hungry. I came out to find something to eat and I'll be back soon."
It tilted its little head up, its golden eyes sparkling as it looked at Xiao Wu: "Xiao Wu, will you come with me to the forest to find fruit to eat? Just for a little while!"
Xiao Wu gently shook her head, her tone filled with worry: "I'm not going. Brother Lin Chen hasn't come back yet, and I have to wait for him here. Besides, it's too dangerous for you to sneak out. There are many human soul masters outside who will hurt you."
"Don't worry!" The Imperial Beast rubbed against Xiao Wu's palm, patting its chest to assure her, "If Di Tian and the others find out, I'll just say I insisted on coming out, and I definitely won't implicate you! Just come with me for a little while, okay, Xiao Wu~"
Seeing the auspicious beast's adorable behavior, Xiao Wu finally softened and sighed helplessly, "Alright then, let's go for a walk around the neighborhood. Just don't go too far, or you'll really get scolded by the adults."
"Yay! Xiao Wu is the best!"
With a cheer, the imperial beast took the lead and hopped and skipped towards the edge of the forest. Its golden figure flashed through the woods, agile and adorable.
Xiao Wu shook her head helplessly and quickly followed, a vague unease creeping into her heart. She had a feeling that this escape of the auspicious beast was going to cause quite a bit of trouble.
On the surface of the Lake of Life, Titan Giant Ape Erming slowly moved his mountain-like body, scratched the back of his head with his thick arm, looked at the Azure Bull Python Daming beside him, and said in a gruff voice: "Big brother, that little golden retriever has run away again. Shouldn't we stop it? If it causes trouble, it will be hard to explain to Di Tian."
Da Ming shook his massive body covered in blue scales, his huge head swaying gently. His deep voice carried a hint of helplessness: "Forget it, don't stop it. That's an imperial auspicious beast, even Di Tian has to give it some leeway. If we really anger it, neither of us will be in good shape. Besides... do you think the officials below haven't noticed?"
As soon as the words were spoken, a surge of crimson demonic energy suddenly erupted from the depths of the lake, and a burly figure burst through the surface, landing on the shore. It was a giant mastiff with three heads, its crimson mane burning like flames, its body massive and robust, its fangs bared, and its body shrouded in a chilling demonic aura—it was none other than the Three-Headed Crimson Demon Mastiff, Crimson King, ranked tenth among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts.
The Crimson King's three heads turned simultaneously, its golden vertical eyes sweeping across the lake before it looked urgently at the Ming Dynasty: "Daming! Which direction did that Imperial Beast run off to?"
Da Ming pointed with his head towards the depths of the dense forest and said slowly, "It went that way to find Xiao Wu. It's one of our own little brothers, so don't make things difficult for it. Protect it."
Upon hearing this, the Crimson King immediately nodded, turned into a crimson blur, and chased after the auspicious beast in the direction it had gone, growling, "Don't worry! With me here, no one will be able to touch a single hair on its head!"
In the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest, the trees were sparser than in the core area, but it was still teeming with high-level soul beasts. The four figures moved about in a staggered pattern, two men and two women, three of whom appeared to be young men and one woman. Behind them was a graceful figure hidden in the shadows, her aura restrained.
Of the three, the most eye-catching was the man with fiery red short hair and a resolute face; he was Yan. A fiery red mark was etched on his forehead, and his body was faintly surrounded by scorching soul power fluctuations. He wore a crimson outfit and walked with a steady gait, clearly a power-attack type soul master.
He turned to look at the black-haired, red-eyed girl beside him and asked in a gentle tone, "Nana, how many years of the fourth spirit ring do you want this time? Xie Yue and I will help you choose, and we'll make sure you get the most suitable one."
The girl was Hu Liena. Her long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, making her skin look as white as snow. Her eyes, like pools of autumn water, held a touch of cool charm. She wore an exquisite white dress with gold trim, and her outstanding temperament made her a core member of the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation.
She nodded slightly, her bright eyes scanning the traces of the surrounding soul beasts, and said softly, "It's best if they are over 4,500 years old, so that they can stabilize the level 40 realm and also bring a good boost to the martial soul."
Standing beside Hu Liena, Xie Yue, with his long, unrestrained silver-purple hair and handsome yet somewhat wicked face, wore a silver-purple Soul Master's robe. He lightly toyed with a Soul Guidance Device with his fingertips, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Don't worry, leave it to me and Yan. We came to Star Dou this time to help Nana collect the perfect Soul Rings."
Hidden in the shadows behind the four was none other than Ling Yuan Douluo, the Ninth Elder of the Spirit Hall. She was a stunningly beautiful woman, her long black hair tied in a high ponytail, revealing a smooth forehead. Her exquisite features were perfectly sculpted, and her iris-like eyes were cool and languid. She wore a light purple dress, the hem embroidered with delicate iris feather patterns. Her spirit power was restrained, yet it subtly exuded the pressure of a Title Douluo. She quietly followed behind the four, secretly protecting them, fearing that these three future pillars of the Spirit Hall might encounter danger in the Star Dou Great Forest.
On the outer perimeter of the core of the Star Dou Great Forest, towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, and traces of a fierce battle remained on the ground. A deep black soul ring floated in mid-air, radiating a terrifying pressure of over 80,000 years, which was the transformation of a high-level soul beast that had just been hunted.
Two figures stood beside the soul ring, their auras completely different, yet both carrying the unique, heavy hammer intent of the Clear Sky Sect.
The elder leading the group was the Second Elder of the Clear Sky Sect. His hair and beard were completely white, yet each strand was as strong as steel. His face was resolute and sharply defined, with a faint golden Clear Sky Hammer mark visible on his forehead. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, like ancient wells. Though aged, he remained as upright as a pine tree. He wore a black robe embroidered with dark patterns, and his soul power was restrained. Only the occasional overflow of his aura caused the surrounding vegetation to bend, displaying the majesty of a Title Douluo.
The middle-aged man beside him was the Seventh Elder of the Clear Sky Sect, more than ten years younger than the Second Elder. He had a rugged face, a thick beard, and his muscular arms were covered with scars from battles. His eyes were sharp as an eagle's. His tight-fitting clothes were slightly bulging due to his soul power, and eight soul rings circled his body. The last black soul ring shone brightly, and his aura had already reached the threshold of level 90. He was only one step away from stepping into the ranks of Title Douluo.
The Seventh Elder gazed at the deep black spirit ring, his eyes filled with excitement. He clasped his hands in thanks to the Second Elder and said, "Second Brother, thank you for your help! If it weren't for your support, I would never have been able to defeat this 85,000-year-old Titan Giant Ape subspecies spirit beast, let alone attempt to break through to the ninth spirit ring!"
The Second Elder waved his hand, his tone calm and authoritative, carrying the decisiveness unique to the Clear Sky Sect: "We're brothers, no need for further words. Seventh Brother, immediately sit cross-legged and absorb the spirit ring with all your might. This spirit ring, over 80,000 years old, possesses domineering spirit power. I will protect you, and you must break through to the Title Douluo level in one fell swoop! At that time, our Clear Sky Sect will have six Title Douluos guarding it, enough to establish a firm foothold on the continent!"
The Seventh Elder nodded emphatically, no longer hesitating. He immediately sat cross-legged, reached out and activated the black soul ring. The soul ring slowly descended and enveloped his body.
The Second Elder stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. The Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul quietly appeared in his palm, its dark golden body radiating world-destroying power, constantly guarding against the ferocious beasts lurking in the Star Dou Great Forest and the Soul Masters of other forces.
On the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, ancient trees reach for the sky, and vines twist like dragons. The air is filled with the rich fragrance of grass and trees, as well as the unique spiritual energy of soul beasts. Lin Chen used the Lingbo Weibu (Lightning Step) technique to swiftly enter the dense forest from the outside. His purple-gold lightning soul power flowed subtly around him, and wherever he passed, branches and leaves were brushed aside by the faint lightning.
As soon as I stepped into the edge of the forest, the ground beneath my feet suddenly trembled violently!
"Thump—thump—thump—!"
A series of muffled rumbles followed, as if a colossal creature was hurtling in from the core area. Fallen leaves and pebbles on the ground were shaken and scattered, and even towering trees swayed gently.
The next second, a colossal figure that blotted out the sky suddenly burst out from the depths of the dense forest.
That was a Titan Ape!
It was several dozen feet tall, its entire body covered in thick, dark golden fur, as if it were wearing a layer of hard armor; its arms were as thick as pillars supporting the sky, with bulging muscles, every inch containing world-destroying power; its head was huge, with sharp, lightning-like golden vertical pupils, which were staring intently at Lin Chen, their eyes full of urgency and respect.
It was none other than Titan Ape Erming!
Erming took heavy steps and rushed to Lin Chen in a few strides. His large body bent down slightly, carefully avoiding touching Lin Chen, and he spoke in a deep, booming voice that made the air in the forest tremble: "You're Lin Chen? You're finally back! You've come to pick up Sister Xiaowu, haven't you?"
Lin Chen raised his eyes, his gaze meeting Er Ming's golden vertical pupils. He nodded slightly and said with certainty, "That's right, I'm here to pick up Xiao Wu. When I came back, I specially brought a treasure that could conceal her aura. Otherwise, given her personality, she would probably have run away back to the human world more than once."
Upon hearing this, Erming's golden vertical eyes flashed with a hint of guilt. He scratched the back of his fluffy head and sighed, "You're right! Sister Xiaowu has been clamoring to go to the human world to find you every day. She's run away at least ten times, and each time my brother and I have stopped her. But you've been gone for so long... If this drags on any longer, my brother and I really don't know how much longer we can stop her."
Lin Chen's gaze darkened slightly, his fingertips gently caressing the white amulet pouch at his waist, where a wondrous object concealing his aura lay quietly. He leaped, his figure transforming into a streak of pale purple lightning, nimbly landing on Er Ming's broad shoulders, settling firmly upon them. His tone was unwavering and resolute: "Let's go. Take me to see Xiao Wu. Whether she can go to the human world ultimately depends on her own fate."
Upon hearing this, Erming immediately straightened up, his massive body steadily supporting Lin Chen without the slightest hesitation. Dark golden soul power erupted beneath his feet, and he strode forward like a moving mountain, speeding towards the Lake of Life in the core area.
The spirit beasts along the way sensed Erming's aura and gave way, even the fiercest beasts dared not raise their heads.
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