Star Dou Forest? Seizing the Titan Giant Ape's Opportunity

Star Dou Forest? Seizing the Titan Giant Ape's Opportunity

The morning mist had yet to disperse when the outline of Star Dou Forest spread out before them. The branches of towering ancient trees interwove like a net, slicing the rising sun into fragmented patches of light that fell across the muddy path. Master Yu Xiaogang walked at the very front of the group, the Spirit Beast Illustration Book in his hand dampened by morning dew. His gaze behind his lenses swept over the surrounding vegetation. "The spirit beasts on the outskirts are mostly ten-year beasts. Our target is a compatible spirit beast under a thousand years old. Everyone, maintain Soul Power vigilance."

Lin Che stepped over decaying leaves, the Azure Water Sword at his waist trembling faintly in its sheath, as if responding to the Energy Fluctuation deep within the forest. Jiang Zhu followed close behind, the vine patterns on her Healing Scepter glowing with a pale golden light—ever since it had resonated with Ning Rongrong's glazed tile pagoda yesterday, the scepter's perception of Soul Power had grown increasingly keen. Suddenly, a notification appeared on the system panel: [Detected Energy Fluctuation from an Immortal Herb Coordinate Fragment. Linked special spirit beast reaction detected. Titan Giant Ape (Er Ming) located: three li west of the core area. Accompanied by an unknown opportunity.]

"Master, there's an abnormal Soul Power Fluctuation ahead." Lin Che suddenly stopped, his fingers brushing across his sword sheath. "I'm afraid a high-level spirit beast is nearby."

Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang immediately raised a hand to signal the group to stop. His Soul Power Detection spread outward like a tide. "Strange. Why would there be such dense earth-element Soul Power on the outskirts?" Just as he was about to investigate further, he heard Dai Mubai cry out, "What is that?!"

Everyone followed the sound and looked over, only to see the treetops to the northeast suddenly blown away. A pitch-black giant ape crushed ancient trees beneath its feet as it approached, its body three zhang tall and carrying the pressure of a collapsing mountain—it was one of Star Dou Forest's overlords, the Titan Giant Ape, Er Ming. Its crimson eyes swept over the crowd before finally settling on Xiao Wu. Its long arm suddenly shot out, and before anyone could react, it seized Xiao Wu in its palm and turned to race wildly toward the depths of the forest.

"Xiao Wu!" Tang San roared. Blue Silver Grass erupted in an instant, but it only caught a few strands of Er Ming's drifting fur. Ignoring Master's attempts to stop him, he swallowed the Dragonfly Sausage Oscar handed him and raced after it atop Blue Silver Grass, the Purple Demon Eyes burning with anxious red light.

"Nonsense! The Titan Giant Ape is a ten-thousand-year spirit beast. Even a Titled Douluo might not be able to defeat it!" Just as Flender was about to unleash his Martial Soul Avatar and give chase, Lin Che lightly tapped the ground with his toes, and Azure Sword Qi carried him soaring into the sky.

"Jiang Zhu, follow me! Use the Scar Healing Halo to protect everyone!" Lin Che's voice came from midair as the Azure Water Sword split open the thick fog and shot in the direction marked by the system. He deliberately infused Soul Power into his voice, creating sonic vibrations—both to guide Tang San and to declare that he was determined to claim this opportunity.

Er Ming was astonishingly fast. Every time its massive feet struck the ground, the earth cracked from the impact. Lin Che operated his Soul Power and activated the Azure Water Sword. The glazed fragments on its tassel turned into specks of starlight, converting the surrounding Soul Power into propulsion. In less than the time it took to burn half an incense stick, Er Ming appeared ahead—it stood before a valley, Xiao Wu unharmed in its palm, though she was restrained by Soul Power and unable to move.

"Put her down." As Lin Che landed, Sword Qi burst forth. Azure vines wrapped around the ancient trees on both sides of the valley, forming a natural barrier. Er Ming turned its head toward him, anger flashing through its crimson eyes. Its giant palm swept down with the sound of tearing wind, earthy yellow Soul Power pressing toward Lin Che like a city wall.

Rather than retreating, Lin Che charged forward. A pale golden cauldron phantom suddenly appeared in his left hand. "Universe Cauldron, absorb!" The mouth of the cauldron spun into a vortex, continuously drawing in the Soul Power within Er Ming's palm wind. Er Ming's movement clearly faltered, its giant hand stopping three chi away from Lin Che—it had actually had nearly a tenth of the Soul Power inside its body forcibly siphoned away!

[Universe Cauldron absorbed ten-thousand-year Soul Power ×10%. Pure earth-element energy detected. It can be converted into the host's Soul Power or trigger Soul Skill awakening...]

"Roar!" Er Ming bellowed in fury and swung its other giant palm, causing massive rocks from above the valley to tumble down. Lin Che's sword stance sank. "First Soul Skill: Wind Scar Slash!" Sword Qi split open the falling rocks, while Azure Water Entanglement coiled around Er Ming's ankle like a venomous snake, attempting to restrict its movements. But the Titan Giant Ape's strength was simply too terrifying. The vines were snapped taut and broken in an instant, and Lin Che was blasted back several steps, a trace of blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth.

Just then, Jiang Zhu arrived with Ning Rongrong, Oscar, and the others. Ning Rongrong immediately raised the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda over her head. "First Soul Skill: Strength Amplification! Second Soul Skill: Speed Amplification!" Two beams of golden light fell upon Lin Che, and the circulation of his Soul Power suddenly accelerated. Oscar threw out several Recovery Sausages. "Brother Lin Che, catch!"

Lin Che swallowed the sausage, and his Soul Power was instantly replenished. He stared at Xiao Wu in Er Ming's palm and suddenly realized that the Titan Giant Ape bore no ill will—it possessed immense Soul Power, yet had deliberately avoided Xiao Wu's vital points. The system panel appeared again: [Detected a soul bond between the Titan Giant Ape and target Xiao Wu. No intent to harm detected. The core opportunity is located at the roots of the ancient tree to its left.]

Following the system's guidance, Lin Che indeed saw a Black Vine coiled beneath the ancient tree, weak Soul Power Fluctuations shimmering across its leaves—it was a hundred-year Ghost Vine, the spirit beast most compatible with Control System Soul Masters. At that moment, Tang San finally appeared at the entrance to the valley, Blue Silver Grass growing wildly as it rushed toward Er Ming. "Let go of Xiao Wu! Come at me if you want anything!"

Enraged by Tang San's interference, Er Ming swept out with its giant palm. Earthy yellow Soul Power slammed Tang San viciously into an ancient tree. Tang San spurted out a mouthful of blood, yet still struggled to extend his Blue Silver Grass—he had also seen the Ghost Vine and knew it was the most suitable Second Soul Ring for him.

"Now!" Lin Che seized the moment Er Ming was distracted. The Universe Cauldron operated at full power, pale golden halos wrapping around Er Ming's arm like chains. [Universe Cauldron Soul Power absorption progress increased to 20%. Special reward triggered: Rare Can ×1.] With a thought, the Rare Can exploded in his palm. A streak of golden light floated out and turned into a talisman and a skill manual.

[Obtained item: Soul Ring Year Enhancement Talisman (Rare)]

[Item effect: Can forcibly increase the age of a spirit beast under one thousand years to one thousand years. Soul Ring compatibility remains unchanged after enhancement.]

[Unlocked Universe Cauldron Second Soul Skill: Cauldron Suppression]

[Soul Skill effect: Releases a cauldron-shaped Soul Power field that suppresses 50% of the Soul Power of targets within range for ten seconds, consuming 30% of the user's Soul Power.]

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Che threw the enhancement talisman toward the Ghost Vine. The moment the rune landed on the vine, it exploded. The black Ghost Vine suddenly trembled violently, the Soul Power Fluctuations on its leaves surging. Its original hundred-year aura actually rose to the thousand-year level, and a purple Soul Ring phantom appeared above the vine.

Sensing the Ghost Vine's change, Er Ming roared and tried to pounce over, only to be stopped by Lin Che's Cauldron Suppression skill. The pale golden cauldron-shaped Soul Power field enveloped Er Ming, and its movements instantly became sluggish as the Soul Power within its body was forcibly suppressed. Lin Che seized the opportunity and activated the Azure Water Sword, Azure Sword Qi cutting off the Ghost Vine's roots—the thousand-year Ghost Vine's Soul Ring had been stripped away and now floated in midair.

"That's my Soul Ring!" Tang San's eyes split with rage as he struggled to rush over, only to be blocked by Ning Rongrong's amplifying golden light. "Tang San, calm down!" Master arrived just in time and firmly pressed down on his shoulder. "That's a thousand-year Soul Ring. With your current Soul Power, you simply cannot absorb it. Forcibly merging with it will only make your body explode!"

Lin Che glanced at Tang San and stored the thousand-year Ghost Vine's Soul Ring in the System Space—he had no intention of absorbing it himself; he merely wanted to completely cut off Tang San's opportunity. Er Ming's suppression period had ended, yet it did not attack again. It only stared warily at the Universe Cauldron in Lin Che's hand, seemingly deeply wary of this Martial Soul that could absorb Soul Power. It looked at Xiao Wu in its palm, then suddenly turned and leaped into the depths of the valley, quickly vanishing into the dense forest.

Xiao Wu, still wrapped in Soul Power, fell to the ground. Tang San immediately rushed over and protected her behind him, his Purple Demon Eyes fixed firmly on Lin Che. "Why did you steal my Soul Ring?"

"Before opportunities, the capable take what they can." Lin Che put away the Azure Water Sword, the pale golden halo around the Universe Cauldron gradually converging. "Besides, you couldn't withstand this thousand-year Soul Ring." He was speaking the truth—Tang San's Soul Power had only just surpassed level fifteen. At most, he could absorb a three-hundred-and-fifty-year Soul Ring. A thousand-year Soul Ring was indeed a deadly temptation to him.

Master sighed. Yu Xiaogang naturally understood Lin Che's intentions, but he had no way to refute him. Looking at Tang San, he spoke helplessly. "Little San, Lin Che is right. Let's find another suitable spirit beast first. Safety comes first."

The group searched through the forest for nearly two hours before finally discovering a hundred-year Blue Silver Grass spirit beast beside a stream. Tang San stared at that ordinary Blue Silver Grass, his fists clenched until they turned white—compared to that thousand-year Ghost Vine, it was simply heaven and earth apart. He looked toward Lin Che, who was sitting beneath an ancient tree with the Universe Cauldron floating in his palm, seemingly refining the Titan Giant Ape's absorbed Soul Power. Meanwhile, Jiang Zhu's Healing Scepter was pointed toward the cauldron, and the golden light in its vine patterns grew increasingly intense.

"Absorb it, Little San." Master patted his shoulder. "Stabilize your Soul Power first. There will be other opportunities in the future."

Tang San closed his eyes, and Blue Silver Grass slowly wrapped around the hundred-year spirit beast. A pale yellow Soul Ring rose from the spirit beast's body and merged into his own. The feeling of his Soul Power rising was weak, utterly different from the explosive surge Lin Che had experienced when absorbing the Mandala Snake Soul Ring. When the absorption was complete, Tang San's Soul Power stopped at level sixteen—only one level higher than before.

Meanwhile, a notification had already appeared on Lin Che's system panel: [Refinement of Titan Giant Ape Soul Power complete. Soul Power increased to level eighteen. Universe Cauldron Martial Soul Compatibility increased to 40%.] He opened his eyes and happened to meet Tang San's gaze. Tang San's eyes were filled with unwillingness and jealousy, while Lin Che's gaze remained calm and unruffled—from the moment he seized the Mandala Snake Soul Ring, the gap between them had been destined to grow ever wider.

As the sun set in the west, the group began their return journey. Oscar handed Tang San a Recovery Sausage, hesitating as if he wanted to say something. Ma Hongjun patted Tang San's shoulder. "Don't take it too hard. We can find another opportunity later." Ning Rongrong walked over to Jiang Zhu and asked softly, "What exactly is Brother Lin Che's Martial Soul? It can actually absorb the Titan Giant Ape's Soul Power."

Jiang Zhu shook her head. "I don't know either. I only know that cauldron is incredibly miraculous. It can purify toxins and store Soul Power." She looked at Lin Che's back, and the Healing Scepter suddenly trembled softly—when it had approached the Universe Cauldron earlier, she had clearly felt the golden light within the scepter resonate with the cauldron's energy, as though something was about to awaken.

Lin Che walked at the front of the group, the Universe Cauldron in his palm faintly heating up. On the system panel, the glow of the Immortal Herb Coordinate Fragment grew increasingly clear, while the newly unlocked Soul Skill, "Cauldron Suppression," raised his combat strength to another level. He knew that this trip to Star Dou Forest was only the beginning. Spirit Hall had already set its sights on him, and Tang San's unwillingness would sooner or later turn into a new challenge.

Deep within the distant forest, Yue Guan watched the scene within a Crystal Ball, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "His Majesty the Pope, the Universe Cauldron truly can absorb high-level Soul Power. And that enhancement talisman is rather interesting." On the other end of the Crystal Ball, Bibi Dong gave a light laugh. "It is only a thousand-year Ghost Vine, nothing to fear. Let them fight among themselves for now. Once Lin Che finds the immortal herbs, it will not be too late for us to make our move."