The Chant Begins [Please collect]

This chapter is a bit cringe; feel free to skip it.

The reason Zhang Yang charged back into danger was simple: Ning Rongrong and Oscar were still there.

Support System Soul Masters had no offensive power. When danger struck, they were the ones who felt the least secure. If they were willing to form a team with you and venture into dangerous places, it meant they had truly entrusted their lives to you.

Never betray the trust of a Support System Soul Master—Master.

Master's teachings echoed in his ears. Zhang Yang turned into a streak of light and instantly appeared beside Ning Rongrong. He wrapped an arm around her waist, spun around, and kicked Oscar away.

Actually, it did not matter whether Zhang Yang kicked Oscar or not. Even with one person under each arm, he could have carried them both out of danger. But right now, Zhang Yang really wanted to give Oscar a beating.

Damn it, the moment the Titan Giant Ape showed itself, you started making Flying Sausages. You had a whole handful of them in your hand now, so why didn't you eat one to save your own life?

Still, Zhang Yang knew Oscar was frail and could not take much of a beating, so he did not use much force. He merely kicked him into the air, then tucked him under his arm and swiftly darted out of the Titan Giant Ape's Pounce range.

The Titan Giant Ape was only seven meters tall in its crouched posture, so its Pounce range was not despairingly vast. Zhang Yang easily brought the two Support System Soul Masters to safety behind it.

"Rongrong, are you okay?" Zhang Yang set Oscar down and looked at Ning Rongrong in his arms.

Ning Rongrong shook her head. "I'm fine."

Just as Zhang Yang was about to say something else, Tang San roared, "No—let go of Xiao Wu!" When he turned back, Zhao Wuji had already released his seventh Soul Ring and transformed into a brownish-yellow giant bear over five meters tall.

The Titan Giant Ape grabbed Xiao Wu with one hand, shut its eyelids to block more than ten of Tang San's Hidden Weapons, and swung its other hand to block the crushing blow of Zhao Wuji's Martial Soul Avatar.

"Roar!!!"

Another wave of black air swept forth. Tang San, who was in midair, was blown away and slammed viciously into a large tree.

"No!" Xiao Wu's cry vanished almost instantly as the Titan Giant Ape leaped more than a hundred meters away.

"Xiao Wu was taken by the Titan Giant Ape!" Ning Rongrong cried out.

"!" Zhang Yang's brow instantly furrowed.

Zhang Yang knew Xiao Wu was a rabbit transformed from a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, but he did not know what relationship she had with this Titan Giant Ape. After all, the last time he had read the original novel was twenty-four years ago. He had forgotten the plot inside almost completely.

Save her? Or not? Zhang Yang's mind was a mess.

If they had been a hunting party made up of Soul Masters, then when facing the Titan Giant Ape, with only one person taken, no one would have gone to rescue them. They might even have felt lucky to survive the disaster.

But they were just a group of students.

Students at the age when their blood ran hot.

Zhang Yang was not young, but he possessed the life-saving ability of Elementalization. Even in the most dangerous situations, he could retreat unscathed.

So while Tang San was still quietly having Oscar prepare Flying Mushroom Sausages, Zhang Yang flashed and appeared over a hundred meters away from the group.

"Teacher Zhao, I'm going after them."

Zhang Yang's voice drifted back from afar, but he had already vanished. He was so fast that Ning Rongrong did not even have time to use her Martial Soul to enhance him.

The Titan Giant Ape moved much like an ordinary gorilla, but with its boundless strength, every leap carried it more than a hundred meters.

Such speed could shake off Zhao Wuji, but it could not shake off Zhang Yang after he activated Flash Physique.

In just two or three minutes, Zhang Yang heard the Titan Giant Ape's deep roars and saw countless Soul Beasts fleeing in panic.

Noticing something unusual, Zhang Yang began cautiously making his way toward the source of the Titan Giant Ape's roars.

Before long, Zhang Yang spotted the Titan Giant Ape—and Xiao Wu sitting cross-legged beside it.

A faint Red Light glowed around Xiao Wu. Two yellow Soul Rings rose and fell around her body, while the phantom of her Jade Rabbit Martial Soul appeared behind her.

The Titan Giant Ape, Erming, lay prone beside Xiao Wu. As it watched Xiao Wu within the Red Light, a trace of longing shone in its enormous eyes.

Zhang Yang was very familiar with such a scene. It was clearly a repeat of Xiao Wu cultivating while Tang San stood guard for her.

So Xiao Wu knows the Titan Giant Ape.

Before the relieved smile could even appear on Zhang Yang's face, a colossal figure suddenly appeared before him, blocking his view.

A body like a small mountain, muscles bulging like hills—this enormous creature was naturally the Titan Giant Ape.

When the Titan Giant Ape discovered that Zhang Yang was one of the humans who had entered the forest with Xiao Wu, it developed the intent to kill him. Anyone who might have discovered Xiao Wu's identity as a transformed Soul Beast had to die.

"Wait!" Zhang Yang hurriedly raised both hands, signaling for the Titan Giant Ape to stop. "I'm Xiao Wu's friend. I mean no harm."

How could the Titan Giant Ape listen to Zhang Yang's explanation? Since Xiao Wu was behind it and it could not use its airwave, it raised its right palm and slapped downward.

"Bang!"

The vicious slap blasted a palm-shaped Big Pit three meters deep into the ground. Zhang Yang's figure had long since disappeared without a trace.

But how powerful was the Titan Giant Ape? Naturally, it could sense whether Zhang Yang was dead or not.

The Titan Giant Ape turned its head. Sure enough, Zhang Yang was standing less than a meter away from Xiao Wu, dramatically wiping sweat from his forehead.

The Titan Giant Ape was furious. This was the first time it had experienced the feeling of being threatened.

As the saying went, only when a mosquito landed on your crotch would you realize violence could not solve every problem.

Having seized the Titan Giant Ape's weakness, Zhang Yang finally let out a breath. "Sit down, don't be polite. Make yourself at home."

Sit my ass.

The Titan Giant Ape panted heavily, its breathing deep and low.

Zhang Yang sat cross-legged on the ground and calmly said, "My name is Zhang Yang. I'm twelve years old and live in Saint Soul Village, in the southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire. I don't have a girlfriend yet."

The Titan Giant Ape's lantern-sized eyes widened.

"I study at Shrek Academy, where I cultivate every day to improve my strength. I don't fool around, and I've only gambled once. In every battle, I charge to the front and create the best possible opening for my classmates."

"I help my classmates prepare the supplies they need. I've also prepared plenty of carrots that Xiao Wu likes to eat, and I hardly ever miss anything. When everyone wakes up in the morning, I even provide clean water for them to wash up, clearing away the exhaustion and sluggishness from a night of cultivation before they welcome a new day. Everyone appreciates what I do."

"Roar." The Titan Giant Ape let out a low growl. This man had completely confused it.

"I'm explaining that I am someone who puts the team and my classmates first. I'm not obsessed with profit, nor am I tangled up in selfish desires. I do not want to become a petty person my classmates gossip about behind my back."

"This is how I treat my classmates, and I know full well that we are not in a life-or-death conflict. But even if we did fight, I could still escape from your hands."

"Roar!" The Titan Giant Ape felt that Zhang Yang's last sentence was a provocation.

"In other words, Forest King, since you will not harm Xiao Wu, you have no reason to harm me either."

"Roar!!" The Titan Giant Ape did not know why Zhang Yang was so confident.

"[Boss Zhang]. Xiao Wu used to call me that."

After Zhang Yang's epic chant, the Titan Giant Ape temporarily quieted down. Xiao Wu was currently at the critical moment of obtaining her Third Soul Ring, and it was not completely confident it could kill this human without harming her.

Time passed bit by bit. A layer of purple light gradually seeped through the red glow around Xiao Wu. The purple light turned into specks of starlight and condensed into shape. Judging by its form, it was unmistakably a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

As the Soul Ring settled onto Xiao Wu's body, her appearance instantly became much more mature, and some of the childishness on her face faded. The Jade Rabbit phantom behind her also became more solid.

Before long, Xiao Wu opened her eyes.

"Roar!"

Seeing Xiao Wu open her eyes, the Titan Giant Ape let out a low roar.

The moment Xiao Wu heard the Titan Giant Ape's roar, her body stiffened.

As a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that had taken human form, Xiao Wu could understand the language of Soul Beasts. The Titan Giant Ape was saying, "Your identity seems to have been exposed, Sister Xiao Wu. Should we kill him?"

Xiao Wu stiffly turned her head and saw Zhang Yang resting his cheek on one hand, smiling at her.

"Zhang... Zhang Yang..." Xiao Wu's voice trembled.

Why was Zhang Yang here? Had her identity really been exposed? Should she deny it? Or tell him the truth?

If she hid it, a human living peacefully with the Titan Giant Ape? She did not know whether such a terrible excuse could fool Zhang Yang.

If she told him the truth, how would Zhang Yang see her? Would he tell Tang San? And what would Tang San's reaction be if he found out?

"Though I don't fully understand, we've been classmates for six years, and you're Xiao San's beloved little sister. So I'll keep your secret for you." Zhang Yang pushed himself to his feet with both hands. "I've been out here chasing for a long time. I have to go back now. What about you?"

Xiao Wu sighed in relief. They had known each other for six years, and Zhang Yang's character was trustworthy.

But then Xiao Wu became somewhat lost again.

"Xiao San has probably already rushed over to find you. With how he feels about you, he'll insist on seeing you alive or dead."

"Even if we barely manage to persuade him to go back, he'll turn the Star Dou Great Forest upside down later."

"I..." Xiao Wu naturally did not want to be separated from Tang San, but because of Zhang Yang, she was now hesitant.

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Yang said, "If you need to make up a story, you can tell me. I'll cooperate with you. If you don't, I'll tell everyone that I failed to catch up with the Titan Giant Ape, searched for a long time without results, and could only return empty-handed."

"I... I'm going back." Xiao Wu made up her mind.

After a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast took human form, it had to experience human aura in order to cultivate and progress. But even setting aside her own cultivation, she had to return for Tang San's sake.

"Alright, then we'll go back together. Of course, you should prepare an excuse in advance for how you escaped from the Titan Giant Ape. I can only help cover for you from the side."

"Roar!" Hearing that Xiao Wu was leaving with this man, the Titan Giant Ape let out a dissatisfied roar.

"Erming." Xiao Wu looked at the Titan Giant Ape. "I'm going back with Zhang Yang to find my companions. Remember what I told you before. The next time you sense my aura, observe from a distance first. Don't act rashly, and don't hurt my companions."

"Roar." The Titan Giant Ape bobbed its enormous head up and down.

"Alright, Zhang Yang, let's go." After saying that, Xiao Wu leaped onto a tree branch and sped toward the direction they had come from.

On the way, Xiao Wu came up with an excuse to deal with her companions. In no time, they found Tang San, Zhao Wuji, and the others three or four kilometers away from camp.

Tang San was sitting cross-legged in front of a huge spider Soul Beast with a body one and a half meters long and legs three meters long, desperately absorbing its Soul Ring. A faint red mist carrying the scent of blood drifted around him, and his expression showed that he was suffering immensely.

"Xiao Wu! You... you're not dead?" Oscar froze when he saw Xiao Wu suddenly appear, and those rather unpleasant words slipped right out of his mouth.

Zhang Yang's figure appeared immediately afterward.

"Zhang Yang." Ning Rongrong showed a relieved expression. "It's wonderful that you and Xiao Wu are alright."

"Uncle Big Sausage, were you hoping I'd die? What happened here? This mist... Heavens, what's wrong with Xiao San?"

Seeing Tang San's twisted expression, Xiao Wu's heart clenched.

"Don't disturb him. He's absorbing his Third Soul Ring." Zhao Wuji hurriedly stopped Xiao Wu.

"A Thousand-Year Man Faced Demon Spider? It is indeed among the Soul Beasts Teacher planned for, but didn't Teacher advise against Tang San choosing this kind of Soul Beast? This Soul Ring's energy is far too tyrannical, and with so little information available, its age cannot be determined." Zhang Yang frowned.

"..." Xiao Wu's anguish was impossible to put into words. The Man Faced Demon Spider Tang San was absorbing was a two-thousand-year Soul Beast. Its legs exceeding three meters in length were proof enough. But Master had researched it: the absorption limit for a Third Soul Ring was only a little over seventeen hundred years.

"An uncertain age is the biggest problem. Fortunately, Tang San's Physical Fitness is exceptionally strong. Though the process is extremely difficult, he should have no trouble enduring this Soul Ring." Zhang Yang analyzed with his arms crossed.

Master's research had found that Twin Martial Souls greatly enhanced a Soul Master's Physical Fitness. What was more, one of Tang San's Martial Souls was the Clear Sky Hammer.

Everyone was immensely curious about Xiao Wu's safe escape from the Titan Giant Ape and began asking questions.

But Xiao Wu had already prepared her excuse on the way back, and with Zhang Yang helping her from the side, she easily fooled everyone.

No one pursued the matter further, which made Xiao Wu breathe a sigh of relief.

However, when she thought about how she still had to give Zhang Yang an answer, Xiao Wu's head began to ache.