Asking Er Ming for Help
Shui Bing'er took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and nodded. "Then good luck. If you need help, you can contact us. Our team leader is Six-Ring Soul Emperor, he should be able to help."
"Okay, thank you for your kindness, and I wish you good luck," Tang San said.
The two exchanged a glance and nodded slightly, as if to say goodbye.
Tang San turned around, took Xiao Wu's hand, and walked towards the stairs.
Xiao Wu followed behind him for a few steps, then turned back to look at Shui Bing'er was also looking at them.
Xiao Wu turned her head and whispered, "That Shui Bing'er is quite pretty."
Tang San paused for a moment, then said casually, "Hmm, not bad."
Tang San regretted his words as soon as he finished speaking. A sharp pain shot through his waist Xiao Wu's two fingers pinched the soft flesh there with precision and twisted it hard. Tang San's lips twitched, but he didn't cry out; he simply quickened his pace.
The two went upstairs and disappeared around the corner.
Shui Yue'er waved her hand in front of Shui Bing'er and teased, "Sister, the person is already gone, why are you still looking?"
Shui Bing'er realized what was happening, a faint blush rising to her face. She quickly looked away and glared at Shui Yue'er: "Sister, what nonsense are you talking about!"
Shui Yue'er pouted. "I can tell the way you look at him is off; you're definitely interested in him. I've never seen you look at any other boy like that before."
Shui Bing'er rolled her eyes at her, a hint of helplessness in her voice. "How could that be? He already has a girlfriend."
Shui Yue'er shrugged, unconcerned. "So what if you have a girlfriend? Dad had two wives, otherwise you and me wouldn't exist. Men, the good ones will naturally be sought after. If you like her, go for it. If you miss this chance, you'll never have another."
Shui Bing'er was momentarily speechless at Shui Yue'er's bold retort. She wanted to argue back, but didn't know what to say, so she could only shake her head and turn to walk towards the stairs.
"Let's go back to our rooms and rest. We'll be going into the forest again tomorrow."
Watching her sister's retreating figure, Shui Yue'er muttered under her breath, "Tch, just a repressed pervert."
Then she skipped and hopped after them, and the other five girls followed suit.
More than a month later, in the Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tree canopy, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Tang San and Xiao Wu walked through the dense forest, their steps much heavier than a month ago.
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was fully activated, and no movement within a radius of hundreds of meters could escape his perception.
However, after a month, the oldest Plant-type Soul Beast he sensed was only a little over ten thousand years old, far from his goal of twenty thousand years.
High-age Plant-type Soul Beasts are already rare, and since they mostly grow in extremely hidden places or are guarded by powerful animal-type Soul Beasts, finding a suitable one is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.
Xiao Wu walked along the path ahead, her rabbit ears drooping, and she looked somewhat tired.
She turned to look at Tang San, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Third Brother, this isn't a sustainable way to search. The Star Dou Great Forest is too vast. If the two of us just wander around like headless flies, we might not even find it after another year."
Tang San stopped and leaned against a large tree, wiping the sweat from his brow. He knew Xiao Wu was telling the truth.
"Xiao Wu, what are your thoughts?" Tang San asked.
Xiao Wu bit her lip, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes, but she finally spoke up, "Third Brother, I want to ask Er Ming for help."
Tang San was taken aback. "Er Ming?"
"It's... the Titan Giant Ape." Xiao Wu rarely showed a hint of seriousness. "He's a friend of mine from the Star Dou Great Forest. We grew up together. There's nothing in the Star Dou Great Forest that he doesn't know. If we ask him to help us find it, it will definitely be much faster than us searching blindly on our own."
Tang San frowned slightly. In the original novel, the Titan Giant Ape had special feelings for Xiao Wu and harbored strong hostility towards any human who approached Xiao Wu. If Xiao Wu took him to the Titan Giant Ape, would that giant slap him without saying a word upon seeing him?
Xiao Wu seemed to sense Tang San's concerns. She quickly walked up to him, took his hand, and said earnestly, "Third Brother, don't worry, with me here, Er Ming won't hurt you. I promise."
Tang San was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Xiao Wu jumped up happily, grabbed Tang San's hand, and walked forward. "Come on, I'll take you to the Lake of Life. Er Ming and Da Ming are there; they'll be so happy to see me back."
The Lake of Life is located deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, the core area of the entire forest. Xiao Wu led the way, and the two wandered around for more than ten days.
Finally, on the sixteenth day, the surrounding trees gradually thinned out, and the light grew brighter. There was a moist scent in the air, carrying the aroma of aquatic plants. Tang San could sense that the aura of the surrounding Soul Beasts was becoming increasingly powerful.
After passing through the last grove of trees, the view suddenly opened up.
A vast, azure lake came into view, its crystal-clear water shimmering like jewels in the sunlight. The lake's surface was as still as a mirror, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, and the surrounding green mountains and trees. Unidentified wildflowers grew along the lakeshore, their vibrant colors vying for attention, filling the air with a delicate fragrance.
On the left side of the lake, a giant beast was dozing on the shore.
It was a huge gorilla, its entire body covered in black fur, each hair as thick and hard as a steel needle. Its body was like a small mountain, and even when it was lying down, it was over ten meters tall.
Titan Giant Ape, Er Ming.
Xiao Wu took Tang San's hand and walked quickly towards the lake. Her face was filled with the joy of returning home, her eyes were bright, and the corners of her mouth were curved.
"Er Ming!" Xiao Wu called out, her clear and loud voice echoing across the lake.
The giant beast's ears perked up suddenly, and its body trembled violently. It opened its eyes—huge, golden eyes filled with confusion and disbelief. It saw Xiao Wu, paused for two seconds, and then abruptly stood up.
The earth shook violently. Tang San could feel the ground beneath his feet trembling, and ripples spread across the lake's surface.
Er Ming opened its mouth wide and let out a deafening roar. The sound was full of surprise and excitement, like someone who had been waiting for a long time had finally met the person they were waiting for. It took big strides and ran towards Xiao Wu, each step making a thud on the ground.
Tang San's muscles tensed. He could feel the oppressive aura emanating from Er Ming, the pressure of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
Er Ming stopped in front of Xiao Wu, lowered his huge head, and his golden eyes were full of joy.
"Sister Xiao Wu, you're finally back!" Er Ming's voice was deep and resonant, like thunder. "You've been gone for so many years, Da Ming and I were so worried! Were you bullied out there?"
Xiao Wu patted Er Ming's fingers with a smile, "Er Ming, I'm fine. Look, I'm perfectly alright. Come on, let me introduce you to someone."
Xiao Wu turned around, took Tang San's hand, and led him to Er Ming. Tang San looked up at those golden eyes, which were bigger than his own head, and a strange feeling welled up in his heart.
"Er Ming, this is Tang San, my boyfriend," Xiao Wu said, her voice filled with pride and happiness. "Third Brother, this is Er Ming, my best friend who I grew up with."