Star Dou Great Forest—the very heart of the forest, long tranquil, now welcomed a group of uninvited guests.
The Grand Elder led the way, still dressed in simple blue robes. His steps seemed slow, but each stride silently covered dozens of meters, as if the space beneath his feet had shrunk.
Chen Yi followed slightly behind the elder, calm and sharp-eyed.
His purple-gold soul power spread out quietly like the most advanced radar, capturing every subtle fluctuation of life energy and breath around him.
Xie Xiaoqing and Hong Yue, both titled Douluo, brought up the rear.
Xie Xiaoqing's eyes burned with barely concealed anticipation and a hunter's excitement, golden flames swirling around her. Hong Yue was calm as a mountain, alert to any emergencies.
The four advanced openly toward the very core of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Along the way, the ferocious ten-thousand-year soul beasts—be they shadow-hiding Ghost Tigers or Mandala Snakes lurking in the treetops—seemed to sense something terrifying, shrinking away, or quietly retreating.
The deeper they went, the clearer Chen Yi's senses became. Ahead, it was as if a vast source of life loomed, exuding endless, gentle vitality.
"We're almost there," Chen Yi thought silently.
Sure enough, after passing through an unusually dense, primitive jungle where hardly any light penetrated, the scenery suddenly opened up.
A huge lake appeared before them. The water was crystal clear, tinged turquoise, with a faint white mist—evidence of highly concentrated life energy.
Lotus leaves floated in the center, flowers in full bloom, exuding a refreshing fragrance. The lakeshore was covered with green grass, rare flowers, and exotic plants, the air filled with the breath of life.
The core of Star Dou Forest—the Lake of Life.
The scenery here was as beautiful as a fairyland, peaceful and quiet, a stark contrast to the wild brutality outside the soul beast forest.
"ROAR—!"
A thunderous roar echoed from across the lake, sending ripples across the water and shaking the leaves and branches of ancient trees.
They all looked up to see a gigantic figure, like a hill, slowly rising upright on the opposite shore.
It stood over fifteen meters tall, covered in granite-like black fur, bulging with explosive muscle.
Its eyes were like bronze bells, glowing with a dark gold, ferocious light, locking onto the intruders.
A hundred-thousand-year soul beast—the Titan Giant Ape, Er Ming!
Just standing there, it radiated a horrifying pressure, like a mountain collapsing, the absolute oppression of blood and power.
Even Chen Yi, now as strong as an ordinary Soul Douluo, felt breathless before this pure force, his eyes solemn.
But the Grand Elder, walking ahead, didn't even lift his eyelids, his gaze falling on the tranquil turquoise lake behind the roaring giant ape.
He took two steps forward, standing by the lakeside.
"WAAAA—!"
The moment the Grand Elder's foot fell, the lake surface a hundred meters ahead swirled violently, and under an invisible force, massive amounts of water surged up.
A gigantic black shadow emerged from the water.
It was a colossal python, over a hundred meters long, but its head was not that of a snake—it was an ugly, majestic, blue bull's head, two curved horns atop it gleaming with metallic light.
A hundred-thousand-year soul beast—the Azure Bull Python, Da Ming!
Rising half its body from the water, it looked down at the four on the shore, especially at the leader, the elder.
It could clearly sense the terrifying power in this seemingly ordinary human body, and the two women behind him emitted a soul presence as deep as the sea, utterly unlike any ordinary Titled Douluo.
This visit could not be good news.
Seeing this, the Azure Bull Python's heart sank.
Still, as emperor of the Star Dou Forest and king of this land for ten thousand years, its pride would not allow it to retreat or show weakness before outsiders.
"You humans... this is not where you belong."
The Azure Bull Python's voice was low and majestic, like subdued thunder, vibrating the air.
"You must have some nerve to practice here... Leave now!"
At the same time, the Titan Giant Ape bellowed again, pounding its thick chest with massive fists, making a booming sound like war drums.
It glared at the group, especially at the human women, who seemed inexplicably familiar and provoked extreme disgust. Its eyes brimmed with murderous intent.
Humans again!
The Titan Giant Ape raged within. It was humans who killed Sister Xiao Wu's mother back then, and now more humans dared set foot here.
Chen Yi listened to the Azure Bull Python's warning and attempts at intimidation, curling his lips in his heart.
It was a bit heavy-handed to say that to the old ones truly sleeping beneath the lake.
You're just a young snake who might not survive the next hundred-thousand-year calamity, and yet you dare put on airs before the Grand Elder?
The Grand Elder finally looked directly at the Azure Bull Python for the first time. His eyes were calm and unwavering, emotionless.
"Azure Bull Python," the Grand Elder's voice was not loud, but it pierced space, reaching the ears of both the python and the Titan Giant Ape.
"I came today to talk."
The Azure Bull Python's blue eyes narrowed. Its voice was low,
"About what?"
The Grand Elder raised his face, staring steadily into the python's eyes, his tone flat.
"I want to borrow your spirit ring and spirit bone."
"BOOM—!"
The instant those words fell, the solemnity in the Azure Bull Python's eyes was instantly replaced by boundless rage and murderous intent.
A magnificent soul power erupted from its body like a volcano, churning the entire Lake of Life.
"Humans... you seek death!"
The Azure Bull Python was furious.
It had defeated countless enemies in its tens of thousands of years to become the "Emperor" of the Star Dou Forest.
This human not only invaded its territory, but brazenly demanded its soul ring and bone—its life's cultivation. This was the ultimate insult.
"Hmph!"
But before it could move, a cold snort rang out, and Xie Xiaoqing stepped forward to stand beside the elder.
Her soul power flared, and nine soul rings rose from her feet, enveloping her.
The last two, bright and dripping with the aura of a hundred thousand years, hung like bloody moons, exuding terrifying energy fluctuations.
"Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"
Her display was more than just deterrence.
The Titan Giant Ape suddenly let out a thunderous gasp, its dark gold pupils glued to Xie Xiaoqing's ninth ring.
The aura drifting above it... so familiar, an unforgettable ripple of life it had cherished for years...
"Sister... Xiao Wu..."
The Titan Giant Ape's voice trembled, disbelief on its face.
The Azure Bull Python's pupils shrank instantly, sensing the aura of the Soft Bone Rabbit from the soul ring.
"This... is Xiao Wu's aura."
The Azure Bull Python's voice quivered, quickly turning to monstrous anger and grief.
"Humans... what have you done to her?!"
Xie Xiaoqing was stunned by the soul beasts' reactions and unconsciously tilted her head, recalling, "Xiao Wu? That Soft Bone Rabbit? Oh, she died a few years ago. Her ring and soul bone were quite good."
Her tone was disturbingly flat, as if she were talking about a tasty dish from yesterday.
To her, a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit was just a valuable "material"—no need to remember the name of the ingredient.
"Dead... she's dead."
The Titan Giant Ape shook as if struck by lightning, the image of the pink-haired rabbit girl sitting on his shoulder, smiling and playing, flooding back—those warm memories now the sharpest blade, cutting his heart.
"Sister Xiao Wu... she's dead... killed by these humans!"
In an instant, near-mad rage consumed the Titan Giant Ape's reason.
"Humans, damn you!!"
The Titan Giant Ape charged without hesitation, its massive body moving with terrifying speed, enveloped in explosive force as it thundered toward the four on the lakeshore, intent on crushing them.
He would avenge Sister Xiao Wu!
"Humans!!"
The Azure Bull Python was also overwhelmed by endless grief and rage.
Back then, he couldn't protect Xiao Wu's Mother, who died tragically at the hands of a human woman with a strange spider martial soul.
That pain and guilt had haunted him forever.
Now, the transformed Xiao Wu, whom he vowed to protect, was also slain by another human woman.
A blood debt... must be paid in blood!