Encountering Danger

"Is he heading for the Star Dou Great Forest?" Tang Ya muttered as she watched Huo Yuhao leave.

Bei Bei shook his head. "Hard to say. I can vaguely sense that he has Soul Power, but it's very weak. In his condition, even encountering a ten-year soul beast in the Star Dou Great Forest would be dangerous. Yet the direction he left in is indeed toward the Star Dou Great Forest. It is rather strange."

Tang Ya pondered this. "He has Soul Power, huh? How about recruiting him into our Tang Sect?"

Bei Bei replied irritably, "You don't just want to recruit him because his grilled fish was delicious, do you?"

Having had her thoughts exposed, Tang Ya's pretty face flushed as she stuck out her tongue at Bei Bei.

Bei Bei considered it. "Come to think of it, little brother Huo seemed to know us?"

Tang Ya looked puzzled. "Did he?"

Bei Bei reproached her helplessly, "Your eyes were glued to the grilled fish at the time, so of course you didn't notice. When he first saw us, he froze for a moment. I noticed it. I was worried he might be plotting something against us, so I deliberately waited for little brother Huo to eat the grilled fish first. Who knew you would start wolfing it down without another word?"

"You didn't remind me. How was I supposed to know?" Tang Ya said coquettishly.

"But little brother Huo's grilled fish was so delicious, so he must be a good person too! There was no need to be so guarded. Look, aren't we fine? Disciple Bei Bei, you should trust Teacher Xiao Ya's judgment!" Tang Ya lightly patted Bei Bei on the shoulder, looking pleased with herself.

Bei Bei smiled wryly. "Great Tang Sect Leader Tang Ya, how did you arrive at the conclusion that anyone who makes delicious grilled fish must be a good person?"

"Hmph. Just tell me, did little brother Huo plot anything against us?" Tang Ya huffed, then asked, "So, Bei Bei, should we recruit little brother Huo into our Tang Sect?"

Bei Bei said, "There are only the two of us in the Tang Sect now, and your ambition is to restore the Tang Sect. We can't recruit those with top-tier talent. Little brother Huo seems very steady in his conduct. Though his Soul Power is rather low, disciples like him are all our Tang Sect can recruit."

"Besides, it depends on whether little brother Huo is willing. Maybe he won't agree."

"Sigh..." Thinking of the Tang Sect's current situation, Tang Ya could not help but sigh. In truth, she was not particularly enthusiastic about what Bei Bei had said about restoring the Tang Sect. What she truly wanted was revenge. Yet she could not tell Bei Bei about the hatred in her heart, fearing that he and Shrek Academy would stop her. Thus, she could only use restoring the Tang Sect as an excuse and a source of comfort. Only then could she keep the increasingly burning hatred from corroding her mind.

Tang Ya's low mood lasted only a moment before her fighting spirit reignited. "Don't worry. If this Sect Leader personally recruits little brother Huo, I'll definitely be able to bring him into our Tang Sect!"

Tang Ya stood and dusted off her clothes. "Let's hurry after him. Little brother Huo entered the Star Dou Great Forest alone. If we catch up, we can protect him a little."

Bei Bei also rose and followed the energetic Tang Ya.

Naturally, Huo Yuhao did not know about Tang Ya and Bei Bei's conversation. But based on the plot of the Original Work, he could guess that the two might follow him.

He still needed to have a "chance encounter" with Tian Meng, so he could not let them see him. With that in mind, Huo Yuhao quickened his pace.

Before he had gone far, a wooden sign by the roadside caught Huo Yuhao's attention.

"Fifty li ahead lies the Star Dou Great Forest. Soul beasts may appear. Exercise caution."

Huo Yuhao grew slightly excited, but he also raised his guard. In the Original Work, not long after passing this sign, Huo Yuhao had been attacked by a Godslayer Wind Baboon. After narrowly escaping death, he encountered the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

Huo Yuhao gripped the White Tiger Dagger tightly. Soul Power gathered in his eyes, allowing him to react the instant danger arrived.

The Spirit Eye Martial Soul greatly enhanced his vision. Not only could he see things in greater detail, he could also see much farther.

As Huo Yuhao's gaze swept around, the scenery of the Star Dou Great Forest filled his vision. Blue Silver Grass was everywhere, giving off a faint glow, while dense shrubs provided an excellent hiding place for smaller soul beasts.

Huo Yuhao knew that with his current level-ten Soul Power, even somewhat stronger ten-year soul beasts could pose a danger to him, let alone Hundred-Year Soul Beasts. Therefore, he had to be as careful as possible.

The forest's unique scent of grass, trees, and life permeated the air. As he ventured deeper, the surroundings became ever quieter and more secluded, as though they would swallow any intruder whole.

As he walked forward, Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eye spotted two twitching ears in the shrubs ahead.

Huo Yuhao tightly gripped the White Tiger Dagger in his right hand and held it before him as he slowly backed away, careful not to startle the soul beast ahead.

He felt that he had most likely taken the wrong path. No matter how he looked at them, those two long ears in the shrubs could not possibly belong to a Wind Baboon.

Faced with possible danger, Huo Yuhao could only set aside his disappointment for now. He decided to retreat first, then search for the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm again.

Huo Yuhao stared fixedly at those long ears, backing away step by step, afraid of startling the other party.

One step, two steps, three steps...

Huo Yuhao counted silently. One hundred steps, one hundred and—

Just as Huo Yuhao felt he could leave safely, the shrubs where the long-eared soul beast was hiding swayed. A pair of pink eyes appeared through the leaves, gleaming faintly as they locked onto his direction.

Huo Yuhao stopped retreating and watched the soul beast in the shrubs vigilantly, without moving. The soul beast also raised its two ears, its pink eyes staring unblinkingly at Huo Yuhao.

Suddenly, a black shadow flashed past the shrubs where the long-eared soul beast was hiding. The long-eared soul beast abruptly leaped out and kicked at the black shadow.

In an instant, the black shadow fell to the ground and lay motionless. From the corner of his eye, Huo Yuhao saw that it was a ten-year Wind Baboon. The appearance of the long-eared soul beast was also revealed to him.

A rabbit with long ears, pinkish-white fur, and pink eyes—those traits meant it was a Soft Bone Demon Rabbit. Judging by its size, it was at least seven or eight hundred years old.

Huo Yuhao let out a breath of relief.

He knew something about Soft Bone Demon Rabbits. Not only because of Xiao Wu, the hundred-thousand-year rabbit from Douluo I, but also because of a girl whose Martial Soul was a Soft Bone Demon Rabbit. That girl was Jiang Nannan.

While Huo Yuhao had been traveling the continent in search of a way to treat his mother, he had met her. She too had been searching for someone to cure her mother's illness.

Huo Yuhao had visited the famous doctors he could find throughout the land, so naturally he knew where the truly skilled ones were. He took Jiang Nannan and her mother there, and that physician cured the girl's mother. Later, Jiang Nannan had protected him for a time to repay him. As a result, Huo Yuhao was familiar with the habits of Soft Bone Demon Rabbits.

As herbivorous soul beasts, Soft Bone Demon Rabbits generally did not attack first unless someone attacked them beforehand. If that Wind Baboon had not launched an attack, this Hundred-Year Soft Bone Demon Rabbit would likely have stared at Huo Yuhao until he left.

Fortunately, the appearance of that Wind Baboon confirmed that the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was nearby.

Huo Yuhao slowly moved away from the Hundred-Year Soft Bone Demon Rabbit. He felt it was better to keep his distance. Though the Soft Bone Demon Rabbit was a herbivore, it had kicked the Godslayer Wind Baboon to death with a single blow.

Huo Yuhao did not dare turn his back on it and could only retreat step by step. Suddenly, the rabbit's pink eyes lit up—

Bewitchment! One of the Soft Bone Demon Rabbit's skills.

Huo Yuhao instantly recognized the skill, but the moment he saw those glowing eyes, he had already fallen victim to it.

Huo Yuhao felt dazed, as though he saw Tang Ya from earlier walking toward him with a radiant smile.

Fortunately, his Martial Soul was the Spirit Eye, and he quickly broke free from Bewitchment's control. However, the Hundred-Year Soft Bone Demon Rabbit was even faster. By the time Huo Yuhao came to his senses, it was already right before him. All it needed was one kick, and he would die on the spot just like that Wind Baboon.