Dark Struggle in the Star Dou Great Forest

Within the Star Dou Great Forest

Everything seemed to be changing quietly, yet also seemed to be proceeding exactly as it always had.

Xiao Wu's departure appeared not to have caused much impact on Tang San's original destined path.

After the Shrek group entered the forest, they still encountered Chao Tianxiang and Meng Yiran. They still clashed over the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, and in the end, settled the soul beast's ownership through a contest.

By the next day, although the subsequent events caused by Xiao Wu's presence were gone, the powerful "protagonist's halo" around Tang San still shone brilliantly.

While searching for a suitable soul ring, he still came across that Demon-Faced Spider carrying an External Soul Bone.

As if the plot itself possessed the ability to stitch things back together, they met Meng Yiran again. A second dispute over the ownership of the Demon-Faced Spider unfolded without warning.

In the end, both sides once again agreed to settle the outcome through a contest.

This time, when Oscar proposed the condition that "the winner may receive a kiss from Meng Yiran," Dragon Duke and Snake Granny actually welcomed the idea, and even Meng Yiran herself did not object.

By then, Dragon Duke and Snake Granny already held Tang San, this young man, in high regard and had seen through their granddaughter's feelings. Meng Yiran, too, had long since developed feelings for Tang San.

The result of the contest was naturally no surprise—Tang San won again.

This time, still completely unprepared, he accepted that sudden kiss.

It was "spoils" he had won through his own strength. As he accepted it calmly, though, he could not help thinking to himself: If this kiss had come from Xiao Wu, perhaps I would have been happier.

After that, Tang San successfully absorbed the Demon-Faced Spider's soul ring and smoothly obtained the opportunity that had originally belonged to him—the External Spirit Bone - Eight Spider Lances.

Feeling the power surging within him, Tang San was filled with excitement. This External Soul Bone would undoubtedly greatly increase his strength, bringing him another step closer to his goal of becoming powerful.

Tang San's outstanding performance made Dragon Duke and Snake Granny eager to recruit him into their family. Unexpectedly, Meng Yiran's talent also caught Yu Xiaogang's attention.

With less than two years remaining before the Pan-continental Spirit Master Competition, Yu Xiaogang was urgently trying to assemble a powerful team. Yet exceptional talents were not easy to find at the moment.

Thus, he took the initiative to invite Meng Yiran, hoping she would join Shrek.

Ignoring her elders' objections, Meng Yiran decisively chose to join. Once Yu Xiaogang revealed his identity as the Grandmaster, Dragon Duke and Snake Granny readily agreed as well.

Thus, the Shrek team gained another capable member.

Elsewhere in the forest, Ye Feiyang finished cultivating.

During the day he had spent cultivating in this area, the surroundings had been unusually quiet. Not even a single soul beast came to disturb him.

He stretched and worked his aching muscles.

"Teacher, where are we going next?" Ning Rongrong stepped forward and asked curiously.

Ye Feiyang paused to think before saying, "How about you wait here for a while? Exchange your cultivation insights with each other. I have something to take care of. I'll be back soon."

The Blue Silver Clan Territory was not far from here anyway, and the three girls did not insist on following him. They could not help with this matter in the first place; they had mostly come with the mindset of watching the drama unfold.

Since their teacher had said so, then so be it. No need to watch this drama.

After arranging what needed to be done, Ye Feiyang headed alone toward the Blue Silver Clan Territory.

When he saw Ah Yin again, he could tell at a glance that she was far more spirited than before. Even her vines had become much thicker.

Only one day had passed, yet the changes were already so obvious. This territory truly was well-suited to her recovery.

Ah Yin had not chosen to run away, which did not surprise Ye Feiyang. A plant incapable of moving on its own—where could she run even if she wanted to?

He still teased her in that irritating tone. "Ah Yin, you actually grew taller! We haven't seen each other for a day. Did you miss me? Oh, right, have you thought over what I told you yesterday?"

Ah Yin: Why did this man always say such infuriating things? Were other people's breasts not breasts too?

She remained silent. She was simply too angry to speak.

Although she had absorbed the territory's source power for an entire day and recovered a little spiritual power, enough for simple communication, she would rather pretend to be mute when facing Ye Feiyang.

Ye Feiyang then turned to the Blue Silver King, his tone carrying a hint of displeasure. "Hey, Blue Silver King, why are you so oblivious? Can you really bear to watch your queen continue suffering like this?"

He had no intention of giving up so easily and continued his verbal assault on the Blue Silver King.

Upon hearing this, the Blue Silver King's branches immediately swayed violently. Its aged voice was full of fury. "Human, thank you for returning our queen to her territory, but the affairs of our clan are not yours to interfere with!"

It had already learned from Ah Yin about everything that had happened after she took human form. Precisely because Ah Yin had complained plenty about Ye Feiyang, its hostility toward this human ran so deep.

Ye Feiyang raised his brow. When had he interfered? And why did it feel as though the Blue Silver King was even more hostile toward him than yesterday?

He immediately retorted, "When did I interfere? You old fool, I was just making a suggestion! A suggestion, do you understand?"

Then he turned back to Ah Yin, sounding somewhat wronged. "What, have you been talking bad about me behind my back? Be fair—I've never harmed you, have I?"

"I even kindly took you to see your son and carried you all the way back to your territory... Tch, you heartless woman. You must have said plenty of bad things about me."

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Star Dou Great Forest, a travel-worn figure was racing through the woods, murderous energy billowing around him.

Any soul beast that dared approach along the way was sent flying with a single hammer strike, not even given time to cry out.

The closer he drew to the Blue Silver Clan Territory, the clearer Ah Yin's scent became in the air.

Tang Hao's pace grew faster and faster, the excitement in his heart nearly impossible to suppress. He absolutely could not accept Ah Yin leaving his side again.

When he reached the edge of the Blue Silver Clan Territory, he suddenly realized: Ah Yin had been brought back here!

"Ah Yin, I've finally found you."

He barely calmed his turbulent emotions, unwilling to reunite with Ah Yin in such a bedraggled state.

For the past two days, he had traveled without sleep or rest, with only one thought in his mind—seeing Ah Yin as soon as possible.

Just as he prepared to enter the territory, he caught sight of three figures in the distance. He recognized one of them—it was Xiao Wu.

At that moment, Xiao Wu was sparring with Zhu Zhuqing, while Ning Rongrong watched from the side and occasionally offered a few comments. The atmosphere was rather relaxed.

The instant Tang Hao saw the three girls, he remembered why Ah Yin was here, and his heart abruptly tightened. Since they were here, Ye Feiyang had to be nearby as well!

At the thought of Ye Feiyang, his temples throbbed violently, and towering rage nearly devoured his reason.

A crazed thought surfaced in his mind. Ye Feiyang, you forced me to do this.

His figure flashed, and he appeared before the three girls like a ghost.

The girls sensed the disturbance and looked up at the newcomer. Their faces instantly went pale. They wanted to flee, but it was already too late.

Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing instinctively shielded Ning Rongrong behind them, secretly circulating their Soul Power as they prepared for battle.

Zhu Zhuqing could clearly feel the terrifying pressure emanating from the man. She said in a low voice, "He means trouble. This man's strength is extremely formidable..."

Ning Rongrong also knew the situation was critical. She immediately shouted at the top of her lungs, "Teacher, save us!!"

No matter what, this was their only option at present.

The moment her words fell, an invisible pressure surged over them like a tide, crushing their breathing and soaking their clothes with cold sweat in an instant.

"Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, are we going to die? Teacher still hasn't accepted my confession..." Ning Rongrong's voice trembled, her eyes full of unwillingness. She had not even gotten to kiss him once. This was such a loss.

Tang Hao's gaze, meanwhile, remained fixed on Xiao Wu, the disgust in his eyes completely undisguised.

In his view, all of this turmoil had begun because of Xiao Wu. If Xiao Wu had not become so close to Tang San, Ye Feiyang would never have noticed the Tang family, and none of what followed would have happened.

"Hmph. Submit obediently, and you'll suffer less." Tang Hao's voice was icy and piercing.

Xiao Wu only felt that gaze was like a blade, stabbing pain through her entire body.

That undisguised killing intent and inexplicable hostility sent chills down her spine.

She immediately understood. The man before them had certainly seen through her soul beast identity, and Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong had been dragged into this because of her!

Enduring the pain brought by the pressure, she said with a trembling voice, "Zhuqing, Rongrong, I'm sorry. I got you involved."

As the pressure continued to intensify, even moving a finger became difficult for the three girls. The gap in their levels was simply too great; they had no room to resist.

At that moment, Ye Feiyang, who was giving Ah Yin "ideological guidance," heard Ning Rongrong's cry for help. His hairs stood on end as a powerful sense of unease engulfed him.

He could not spare another moment to argue with Ah Yin. His body shot forward like an arrow, flying toward the three girls.

From afar, he saw Tang Hao restraining them, and fury instantly surged within him. He shouted harshly, "You old bastard, have you no shame? You're actually attacking juniors!"

Tang Hao's expression was calm, but his eyes were filled with madness. "Hand Ah Yin over!"

Ye Feiyang had already summoned his martial soul. A verdant longsword was in his hand, killing intent overflowing from his body. "Release them. Don't disgrace the name of the Clear Sky Douluo!"

His voice shook the surrounding wilderness, and even Ah Yin in the distance could vaguely hear it.

"I said, return Ah Yin to me! Otherwise, I can't guarantee whether they'll survive!" Tang Hao had now completely thrown caution aside, nearly crazed.

He knew this behavior was disgraceful, but when he saw the aura Ye Feiyang had revealed, he understood clearly that he had no confidence in defeating Ye Feiyang.

Since that was the case, he naturally could not easily release the hostages.

Ye Feiyang frowned. Afraid that Tang Hao might lash out in desperation and harm the three girls, he did not dare act rashly. "The person you're looking for is in the Blue Silver Clan Territory. You can go find her yourself."

"Release them, and I guarantee I won't attack you. I'll let you leave here safely."

He deliberately kept his distance from Tang Hao, his heart full of vigilance. Once this old bastard was driven into a corner, there was nothing he would not do.

Within the Blue Silver Clan Territory, a pale blue phantom slowly rose from a clump of Blue Silver Grass. It was Ah Yin's soul form.

After recuperating in the territory for a night and absorbing a great deal of source power, she could now briefly leave her body.

Upon hearing Ning Rongrong's cry for help, her expression turned anxious, and she immediately floated toward Ye Feiyang and the others.

Tang Hao was now caught between a rock and a hard place. The Clear Sky Hammer, crackling with arcs of lightning, rested beside the three girls as he stared fixedly at Ye Feiyang, guarding against a sudden attack.

Before seeing Ah Yin, he would never release them so easily, much less believe Ye Feiyang's promise.

"Hand Ah Yin over to me, then leave this place. I will naturally let them go."

The once overwhelmingly domineering Clear Sky Douluo had actually lost his former confidence before Ye Feiyang.

Before the two had fought, he would never have lowered his stance like this.

Ye Feiyang's voice was incomparably cold. "Taking juniors hostage—you really have no shame at all?"

"You want me to leave first, then you'll release them? Who would believe that crap? If you can do something like this, why should I trust you?"

Tang Hao's expression did not change, but inwardly he had already cursed Ye Feiyang's ancestors eighteen generations over. As if stealing another man's wife was something honorable!

He had never considered that if he had not repeatedly gone looking for trouble with Ye Feiyang, he would never have ended up in his current situation.

In the minds of the powerful, others were always at fault. They themselves were never wrong.

So what if he took juniors hostage? As long as it achieved his goal, he was capable of even more despicable methods.

"I do not wish to repeat myself a second time." Tang Hao's tone carried the weight of an ultimatum.

At that very moment, a pale blue figure silently floated between the two men. It was Ah Yin's soul form.

Ye Feiyang gave Ah Yin a thoughtful glance, the anger in his heart burning even hotter. This old bastard actually dared threaten him in front of Ah Yin!

Before he could speak, Ah Yin spoke first. "Hao-ge, what are you doing? Release them quickly!"

She had understood the situation as soon as she arrived. She had a favorable impression of these three youthful, lively girls and did not want them implicated because of her.

Seeing the figure he had longed for day and night, Tang Hao's frenzied heart calmed somewhat. Yet he still shot Ye Feiyang a wary glance. "Ah Yin, I've come to save you! This Ye Feiyang is no good person. I have a grudge against him. He stole you away, so he must have evil intentions! I had no choice but to use this method!"

Ah Yin continued to persuade him. "Hao-ge, listen to me. Release them quickly. Don't do anything foolish."

During her time with Ye Feiyang, she had already learned how terrifying his strength was. Furthermore, they were currently in the Star Dou Great Forest. If he was truly enraged, he might even alert the two beings at the Lake of Life. Tang Hao would have no chance of victory then.

"Ah Yin, trust me! As long as that Ye leaves this place, I absolutely won't harm the three of them." Tang Hao hurriedly promised.

Afraid that Tang Hao would lose his mind and hurt the girls, Ye Feiyang decisively turned around. "Tang Hao, I hope you keep your word! Otherwise, you, your son Tang San, and this entire Blue Silver Clan Territory will be left without a blade of grass!"

After coldly leaving behind those words, he turned and walked away. Before leaving, he did not forget to give the three girls a reassuring look.

Seeing Ye Feiyang leave, Tang Hao relaxed slightly. The way Ye Feiyang had looked at him just now, as cold as if he were looking at a corpse, had made his heart inexplicably shudder.

But he never imagined that Ye Feiyang had no intention of truly going far.

"Damn it, how did this old scheming bastard track me here? I was careless..."

"No wonder everyone calls him an old scheming bastard. He really lives up to the name... Damn!"

Hiding in the shadows, Ye Feiyang was full of annoyance. He had never expected Tang Hao to find this place, completely disrupting his plans.

Still, he believed that with Ah Yin present, Tang Hao's emotions could be stabilized for the moment. Only then had he dared pretend to leave.

He silently circled behind Tang Hao, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes. Since you like playing dirty, wouldn't it be a disservice to you if I didn't play dirty too?

At that moment, Tang Hao was in a stalemate with Ah Yin. "Hao-ge, let them leave first."

Tang Hao suddenly shot Xiao Wu a vicious glare. "Ah Yin, you don't know! This Xiao Wu ruined our son! If it weren't for her, how could Little San have..."

Xiao Wu felt as though she had been struck by lightning. What did that mean?

Her mind raced, and she instantly understood the crucial point. Staring fixedly at Tang Hao, she said, "You're Tang San's father, Tang Hao!"

"Hao-ge, this isn't the time to talk about that. Are you going to break your promise? You weren't this kind of person before." Ah Yin urged him again, disappointment in her tone.

"Ah Yin, where is your true body? Take me to it." Ignoring Xiao Wu, Tang Hao locked his gaze tightly on Ah Yin, his eyes burning with fervor.

Facing Tang Hao's obsession, Ah Yin gently shook her head. At that moment, the words Ye Feiyang had said to her earlier quietly began taking root in her heart.

She had seen Tang San and seen Tang Hao. Now that she had finally returned to her territory, she only wanted to cultivate in peace and recover her strength.

"I'm not leaving. I'll remain in the territory."

Tang Hao looked utterly stunned, clearly not expecting Ah Yin to refuse. "Ah Yin, why won't you come with me? I was careless this time. From now on, I will never leave your side, and I will never let you face danger again!"

Ah Yin sighed helplessly. She had not encountered any danger at all. Ye Feiyang only occasionally angered her enough to make her chest feel tight and leave her short of breath.

"Hao-ge, it isn't because of that..."

"I'm tired, do you understand? I want to remain in the territory and cultivate. Actually, Ye Feiyang once gave me to Little San, but Little San personally pushed me away."

Tang Hao was completely stunned upon hearing that. "When did that happen? How could... Little San couldn't possibly..."

"Ah Yin, there must be a misunderstanding! Little San didn't know your identity. Otherwise, he never would have..."

Ye Feiyang's words echoed repeatedly in Ah Yin's heart: "You owe nothing to the Tang father and son." "You should think about yourself." "You have already died once. You should live for yourself this time"...

Every sentence left her unable to refute it.

Although Ye Feiyang often angered her, he truly had never harmed her. He had even returned her to the territory most suited to her recovery.

"No, there was no misunderstanding," Ah Yin said softly.

"Ah Yin, you must come with me!" Tang Hao's tone became obsessive. "If you won't tell me, I'll find it myself!"

A wave of disappointment rose in Ah Yin's heart. The man before her seemed to be drifting farther and farther from the person in her memories.

He clearly knew the territory was more suitable for her recovery, yet he still insisted on taking her away?

She sighed softly. "Hao-ge, release these three girls first, and I'll go with you."

Tang Hao was overjoyed upon hearing this and hurriedly replied, "Alright! Alright! I'll release them right now. Quickly take me to find your true body..."

At the instant his mind relaxed, an invisible sword light silently entered his body, so fast that he had no time to react.

Tang Hao vaguely sensed something unusual, but his mind was full of taking Ah Yin away, and he paid it no attention.

Then, in the next moment, a cold voice sounded from behind him:

"Eighth Soul Skill: Heart Reflects the Universe—Plant Sword."

"Heart Lock."