Titan Giant Ape, Yun Ming Appears

"What's going on?!" Zhao Wuji shouted. He activated his Vajra Bear Martial Soul Possession, and his height instantly shot up from just over 1.6 meters to 2.5 meters. Muscles bulged all over his body like blocks of granite.

"How would I know? This place doesn't even count as the middle region of the Star Dou Great Forest. We haven't reached the territory where thousand-year soul beasts dwell, so how could such a massive creature be here?!"

Flender let out a low shout and activated his Four-Eyed Cat Owl Martial Soul Possession. Its piercing cry left Yu Xiaogang dazed.

"Flender's Martial Soul!" Yu Xiaogang stared at Flender in shock. Where was that slovenly, sleazy middle-aged man now? His entire body was bathed in rain and lightning. The gray feathers of his Cat Owl Martial Soul had turned blue-violet, arcs of electricity flickering across them. He now resembled a Lightning Thunder Eagle with razor-sharp eyes!

The eagle opened its beak, unleashing a violent gale that uprooted the surrounding trees and swept clear a vast open space.

Flender rose into the air, then suddenly froze. His eyes went blank, as though he had seen something utterly terrifying.

"The king of the forest—the Titan Giant Ape!" Flender cried out. Then he snapped back to his senses and roared down at Zhao Wuji, "Take the children and leave! It's the Titan Giant Ape!"

The Titan Giant Ape?

Everyone was stunned. As soul masters, anyone with even a little knowledge should have heard of the kings of the Star Dou Great Forest: the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python.

The moment the ground began to shake, Luo Chuan had already suspected as much. With Xiao Wu here, the Titan Giant Ape could not possibly stay away.

Tang San stood nervously in front of Xiao Wu, while Xiao Wu looked flustered, unsure what to do. She was not afraid. She was considering how to conceal her identity while keeping Er Ming from harming the people of Shrek Academy.

Luo Chuan looked at Xiao Wu. In her panic, Xiao Wu met his gaze, then covered her Red Lips in alarm with one small hand.

No way. Luo Chuan couldn't possibly have seen through my identity. Xiao Wu could scarcely believe it, but why was Luo Chuan looking at her right now? And there was determination in his eyes.

It was as if he had decided that she was the cause of this disaster.

Xiao Wu's heart pounded wildly. Luo Chuan's lips moved slightly, and he condensed his Soul Power into a thread of sound that entered Xiao Wu's ears. "The king of the forest came for you. You have a way to resolve this. I'll cover for you."

As Xiao Wu listened to Luo Chuan's voice transmission, a complicated light flickered in her eyes. Her identity had been exposed? But why would Luo Chuan help her keep it secret? Shouldn't he kill her for her soul ring and soul bone?

Luo Chuan saw through Xiao Wu's thoughts and immediately sent another message. "Find a way to let the Titan Giant Ape take you away, then come back on your own. Or I can have someone rescue you. Blink once for the first option. Shake your head for the second."

Xiao Wu blinked. Luo Chuan nodded, and the soul rings beneath his feet lit up. The Merit Golden Lotus bloomed, transforming into two lotus platforms that protected Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing within them.

The ground trembled, but the two girls protected by the golden lotuses were unaffected. Within the range covered by the lotuses, everything remained calm as usual.

ROAR!!

The Titan Giant Ape's enormous body appeared before everyone's eyes. Trees twenty meters tall were like saplings in its hands. With a casual sweep, it pushed aside all the trees blocking its path.

It was a being like a mountain. Its dark fur shimmered faintly beneath the dim starlight and moonlight. Although it moved on all fours, its shoulders still stood well over seven meters high.

If it stood upright, it would likely exceed fifteen meters in height.

It looked like both an ape and a gorilla. Aside from its lantern-sized eyes, which gleamed with a yellow crystal-like radiance, its entire body was pitch-black.

This enormous creature was unimaginably muscular. Not only was its body massive, but every inch of it was covered in powerful muscles even more terrifying than granite, bulging like small hills.

"Honored king of the forest, we mean no offense. If this is your territory, we are willing to withdraw immediately," Flender said. Of course, he knew this was not the Titan Giant Ape's territory. This giant's territory was in the core region of the forest, but since it had appeared here, they had no choice but to back down.

If they yielded, perhaps they could still escape with their lives!

Flender and Zhao Wuji stood in front of the Titan Giant Ape. Even though Zhao Wuji was already 2.5 meters tall, he looked like a little child before the Titan Giant Ape.

The Titan Giant Ape ignored Flender's words. It merely made one simple movement, yet everyone's hearts leaped into their throats—it took a step forward.

Though it was only one step, given its enormous body, that single step greatly closed the distance between it and the people of Shrek Academy.

Luo Chuan waved both hands, and the two golden lotus platforms slowly shifted. He controlled the Merit Golden Lotus with his Soul Power, forming them into platforms and moving Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong toward a safer location.

The Titan Giant Ape glanced at Luo Chuan, then stretched out a massive arm and grabbed forward.

Xiao Wu frantically shook her head, but Er Ming had already come. Naturally, he wanted to take Xiao Wu away and exchange a few private words with her.

If the Titan Giant Ape had simply taken Xiao Wu away, Luo Chuan would never have intervened. But this Titan Giant Ape seemed somewhat interested in Luo Chuan's Merit Golden Lotus.

Watching the huge hand reach for him, Luo Chuan frowned. Had this gorilla sensed the special power of his Merit Golden Lotus?

"Xiao Chuan! What are you standing around for?! Zhao Wuji and I will hold it off! Use Oscar's Flying Mushroom Sausages and get out of here!"

Seeing the Titan Giant Ape actually reaching for Luo Chuan, Flender immediately stopped caring about anything else and directly unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar.

A Lightning Thunder Eagle with a wingspan of six or seven meters swooped toward the Titan Giant Ape, carrying surging thunderous power.

If Flender had originally been an agility-type flying soul master, then he was now a flying soul master with enhanced agility, offense, and strength. His frontal combat power had increased by far more than just a little.

All seven of Zhao Wuji's soul rings flashed at once, and he likewise unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar without hesitation.

The Vajra Bear grew another meter taller, but even then, its height was still insignificant before the Titan Giant Ape.

The attacks of the two powerful Soul Sages forced the Titan Giant Ape to withdraw its outstretched hand, but it was also angered.

Out of consideration for Xiao Wu, it had not attacked to hurt anyone. Yet these humans actually dared to take the initiative and attack it.

ROAR!

Surging Soul Power swept outward. With an enraged roar from the Titan Giant Ape, a black wave instantly blasted Flender and Zhao Wuji seventeen or eighteen meters away.

"Quick, quick, quick!"

Oscar's face had gone pale as he frantically chanted his soul incantation, but he only managed to produce five Flying Mushroom Sausages in his hands.

"What a hassle." Luo Chuan shook his head. He had not wanted to reveal Yun Ming's existence yet.

"Uncle Yun Ming, make your move," Luo Chuan called into the air. Luo Chuan had explained to Flender that Yun Ming was his uncle.

But Flender did not ask further. He neither asked where Yun Ming was nor what his strength was.

The moment Luo Chuan called out, everyone immediately turned their eyes toward him.

And as his words fell, Yun Ming appeared before them. He still looked like a refined scholar, utterly ordinary and unremarkable.

Yet the instant he appeared, the Titan Giant Ape sensed an unknown threat. Its movements against Flender and Zhao Wuji came to a halt. Its lantern-like eyes fixed on Yun Ming, and the atmosphere instantly sank into an eerie silence.