Based on Huo Yu'er's description, the Four-Winged Sky Soaring Dragon was over fifteen kilometers away. Even with Huo Rui pushing herself to her limits, it would take at least ten minutes for her to return.
At this moment, the quality of soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest far surpassed that of later eras. Encountering a hundred-year soul beast was an exceedingly common occurrence.
Although Ye Wen wasn't afraid, caution never hurt.
Huo Yu'er, who had recovered slightly, activated her second soul skill again and scanned the surroundings. Finding no traces of powerful soul beasts nearby, she reassured Ye Wen to relax a little.
Ye Wen gladly accepted but maintained an outward appearance of vigilance.
After all, Ye Wen was well aware that if he didn't take responsibility for his own safety, he couldn't expect others to do so.
However, watching Ye Wen's self-reliant demeanor, Huo Yu'er didn't feel offended by his lack of trust. Instead, she smiled even more sweetly.
Ah, this damn sense of security.
Suddenly, Ye Wen glanced at their clothing.
Though neither of them wore particularly eye-catching colors, in this forest where humans were treated with immense hostility, Ye Wen thought it would be better for them to hide in the shadows of rocks. Otherwise, if some sharp-eyed soul beast spotted them and attacked, it could spell trouble.
Just as Ye Wen was about to voice this thought, his sharp eyes caught sight of a furry white figure lurking not far behind Huo Yu'er.
A soul beast!
That was Ye Wen's first thought.
After years of mutual animosity between humans and soul beasts, Ye Wen didn't believe there were any naïve or overly sweet soul beasts hiding in the shadows just to admire Huo Yu'er's beauty.
"Martial Soul, manifest!
First Soul Skill: Armament!"
In the blink of an eye, Ye Wen summoned the martial soul Nana before him. He then swiftly reached out to grasp it, and within less than a second, his entire body was clad in gleaming silver armor.
The soul beast hiding in the shadows seemed to realize its ambush attempt had been exposed. It abandoned its concealment and revealed its true form.
Recognizing the familiar baboon-like appearance, Ye Wen immediately identified the soul beast due to its unique identity.
But clearly, there was no time for idle chatter. The suddenly appearing Wind Baboon swung its sharp claws, sending waves of wind blades hurtling toward the two!
Without hesitation, Ye Wen pulled Huo Yu'er into his arms and leaped back with great force, dodging the attack range.
Huo Yu'er initially didn't understand why Ye Wen had suddenly summoned his martial soul, even feeling a bit dazed in his embrace. However, when she noticed the wind blades slicing through the air, she quickly snapped out of it.
In an instant, Huo Yu'er also entered the state of martial soul possession.
From the glimpse of the soul beast's figure earlier, Ye Wen knew it was only a Wind Baboon with around 200 years of cultivation. At their current level as Grand Soul Masters, it posed no real threat to either of them.
Seeing Huo Yu'er complete her martial soul possession, Ye Wen felt free to deal with the sneaky attacker decisively.
Just as Ye Wen was about to pull out a secret weapon to deliver a devastating blow, he abruptly froze mid-motion.
Tap… Tap… Tap…
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Ye Wen's temple.
"Damn it! You bastards always come in packs. We're not some protagonists like Huo Yuhao—do you have to go this hard on us?" Ye Wen muttered in exasperation.
However, facing this situation, Ye Wen knew he couldn't panic. As long as they could hold out until Grandma Huo returned, victory would be theirs.
With that in mind, Ye Wen calmly retrieved two long knives from his storage-type soul tool and spoke firmly to Huo Yu'er behind him:
"Yu'er, I'll take the lead in offense, and you support me from the rear. Remember, our goal isn't to kill them all or break through their encirclement—it's to hold on until Grandma comes back.
So, no matter what happens next, don't act impulsively."
Huo Yu'er remained silent but soon took out a longbow from her own storage soul tool.
Her intentions were clear, and Ye Wen couldn't help but manage a bitter smile. Truly, it was hard to bear the kindness of a beautiful girl.
But this affection made him feel warm and stirred up his fighting spirit even more.
Soul beasts, after all, weren't human—they had no sense of honor or shame. When the leader of the group, a Wind Baboon with roughly 200 years of cultivation, saw that its pack's encirclement was nearly complete, it let out a piercing howl, signaling its underlings to charge forward!
Ye Wen took a deep breath. Though he lacked the shared mental detection abilities of Huo Yuhao, every one of these Wind Baboons carried the essence of wind, making them stand out vividly in his elemental perception.
The next second, a ruthless grin spread across Ye Wen's face. With the defensive power of his Armament soul skill, he paid no heed to these low-level Wind Baboons.
After dodging wave after wave of sharp wind blades, Ye Wen wielded his twin blades with incredible precision, striking at the attacking Wind Baboons from every conceivable angle.
Meanwhile, Huo Yu'er transformed into a master archer. With the enhancement of her Hawk Eye soul skill, each arrow she fired struck a Wind Baboon directly in the throat, killing it instantly.
Watching the rapid decimation of their numbers, the leader of the Wind Baboons could no longer stay idle. It let out a thunderous roar and charged straight at Ye Wen.
Ye Wen usually found practicing his blade techniques mundane, but after this brief bout of slaughter, he felt himself growing more accustomed to the rhythm of battle. Far from panicking, he welcomed the charging leader with a fierce grin and met it head-on!
"You damn bastard! I'm aiming to become a god, not letting you show off your existence! What kind of 'God Devourer' are you? A measly Wind Baboon like you doesn't even deserve to live!"
Ye Wen roared inwardly as he fiercely swung his twin blades at the Wind Baboon leader's claws, blocking the impending wind blades.
Thinking about Wind Baboons as soul beasts, Ye Wen couldn't help but vent his frustration. Tigers with wind and dragons with clouds—that made sense. Birds using wind element abilities were acceptable too. But why did a baboon have to jump into the mix?
And to top it off, it only had the most basic wind blade skill. Which soul master couldn't simulate flying slashes with soul power in the later stages?
Seriously, what kind of trash soul beast skills would anyone even choose this?
The Wind Baboon leader was experienced, and its sharp claws were as tough as metal. After several intense clashes with Ye Wen's blades, it managed to suppress him, leaving him unable to move.
But just as the battle reached a deadlock and before the surrounding Wind Baboons could rush in to finish the job, a sinister smile crept onto Ye Wen's lips.
"Don't underestimate my carefully chosen first soul skill!"
As this thought flashed through Ye Wen's mind, the Wind Baboon leader's previously ferocious expression turned hazy.
Almost instantly, the armor on Ye Wen's chest morphed into a sharp spike, which then pierced through the leader's heart.
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