Deep within the Mixed Zone of Sunset Forest—
At this moment, Wang Chuan and the other two were proceeding slowly and cautiously, having completely lost the swagger they had shown when they had crazily used Shave to travel through the outskirts.
But there was no helping it.
They could withstand the little traps set by Spirit Beasts in the outskirts with their physiques.
But this was the depths, where powerful Spirit Beasts tens or even thirty thousand years old could appear at any moment. One careless move, and the noise from their travel might alert some powerful Spirit Beast, leading to all sorts of trouble.
Suddenly, Wang Chuan halted and hurriedly raised a hand, pulling both Golden Scale and Zhao Wuji, who had been following behind him, into a concealed corner.
Thump... thump... thump...
Heavy footsteps came from the distance. An elephant-type Spirit Beast at least ten meters tall appeared, slowly passing in front of Wang Chuan and the others, followed by an entire herd.
Seeing that formation, even Zhao Wuji, who feared neither heaven nor earth, was so tense that he did not dare swallow.
Because he recognized the leading giant elephant as a Copper-Armored Giant Elephant with more than fifty thousand years of cultivation. It was a powerful Spirit Beast capable of rivaling a high-level Soul Saint.
That alone would have been bad enough, but several slightly weaker Copper-Armored Giant Elephants followed behind it.
Combined, this force would directly crush any ordinary Spirit Master who lacked the strength of a Soul Douluo before they even had the qualifications to clash with them.
At that moment, Zhao Wuji deeply realized that his decision to come help this time had apparently been far too reckless.
Even so, Zhao Wuji did not regret it. After all, he and Wang Chuan were brothers.
After a while, Wang Chuan finally released Zhao Wuji once the herd had gone far away.
Wang Chuan did not particularly fear this herd, but in a place like this, he felt it was better to avoid unnecessary conflicts.
After all, Spirit Masters had developed for so many years, while ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts generally possessed the intelligence of human children. That meant they held grudges.
If things got too noisy and drew a crowd of ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts, Wang Chuan did not think he could ensure that both he and Zhao Wuji would emerge safely with Zhao Wuji as baggage.
Wang Chuan could not help but sigh inwardly at the warped nature of the Spirit Master cultivation system.
Without a powerful elder to lead them, ordinary Spirit Masters really could not hunt the Spirit Rings they wanted. And the farther they progressed, the worse this problem became.
However, they had already entered these depths for ten days.
Zhao Wuji had clearly tempered his mindset as well. His gaze remained clear, without the slightest trace of fear, so Wang Chuan could not be bothered to comfort him and instead said to Golden Scale,
"Let's go, Golden Scale. That herd has gone far enough that it can no longer threaten us. Let's continue looking for a suitable Spirit Beast for you."
Wang Chuan had said similar things many times along the way, because Golden Scale was still in its juvenile stage and possessed limited intelligence.
But this time, Golden Scale did not obey Wang Chuan and continue lying low as his dragon search tool.
Golden Scale's eyes were unusually restless. It shook its head from side to side as if searching for something.
In the end, it simply revealed its true form, which had grown to nearly four meters long, quickly climbed a nearby ancient tree, and frantically sniffed at something.
Wang Chuan's eyes lit up at the sight!
Because if Golden Scale showed no abnormal reaction, there would be no gains. Its behavior instead suggested that something had stirred its instincts!
Wang Chuan hurriedly said to Zhao Wuji beside him,
"Old Zhao, stay alert. It seems my target has appeared. Adapt to the situation yourself later. Keep your distance from me, and hide yourself well. Otherwise, once the fight starts, I may not be able to keep track of you."
Zhao Wuji curiously watched Golden Scale's changes and thought to himself, So what Boss said was true. He then nodded seriously and grinned.
"Got it, Boss. But don't worry about me. Even ordinary agility-type Soul Saints can't catch me in a short time at my current speed. Isn't that what you said?"
Just as Zhao Wuji's words fell—
"Roooar!!!"
A huge elephant's roar suddenly came from the distance.
Immediately afterward, more and more Copper-Armored Giant Elephants let out shrill cries, as though they had encountered some danger.
Watching flocks of birds take flight in the distance, Wang Chuan narrowed his eyes.
There was nothing unusual about elephants roaring.
But after this period of training in Observation Haki, Wang Chuan's sensory range had grown with each passing day.
Those Copper-Armored Giant Elephants were less than a kilometer away, so Wang Chuan could clearly sense the fear contained in their roars.
One had to know that there was a Copper-Armored Giant Elephant comparable to a high-level Soul Saint, along with several others comparable to ordinary Soul Saints.
Even in the entire Mixed Zone of Sunset Forest, such a herd could not be considered weak. Yet it was still capable of feeling such fear.
That meant their enemy was anything but simple!
Wang Chuan's heart immediately sank a little.
Because this might also mean that the Spirit Beast which had caught Golden Scale's attention was definitely not weak. It might even exceed the cultivation age range Wang Chuan had originally planned to hunt.
But after searching for so long, it was rare to find a suitable one. Wang Chuan felt rather unwilling to leave without taking a look.
Feeling his own powerful physique, Wang Chuan made a swift decision and spoke to Zhao Wuji again.
"Old Zhao, the plan has changed. Don't follow me. Wait here, and I'll definitely be back within thirty minutes."
Zhao Wuji instinctively wanted to say something, but Wang Chuan directly interrupted him.
"I'm not discussing this with you, Old Zhao.
Because this Spirit Beast is probably at least as strong as a Soul Douluo.
Otherwise, that herd would not be so terrified. And against an enemy like that, I truly have no confidence that I can protect you if you stay too close.
But I have absolute confidence in my ability to escape, so don't make things harder for me."
With Wang Chuan having put it so plainly, Zhao Wuji could only comply.
Still, Zhao Wuji felt stifled. He had not expected that despite appearing to be about the same age as Wang Chuan, the gap between their strength was actually so enormous.
Their strength was clearly both mainly rooted in their physiques now. It seemed he had still been slacking off. He would have to train even harder in the future!
Wang Chuan did not know that Zhao Wuji intended to return and become a training maniac. After explaining everything clearly, he pushed off with his feet and sped after the route the Copper-Armored Giant Elephants had taken.
A kilometer was quite far, but with Shave's boost, Wang Chuan took only a few seconds to move at superhuman speed and conceal himself within the canopy near the battlefield.
With just one glance, Wang Chuan's pupils contracted sharply!
Because the battle was simply too brutal!
The herd of ten Copper-Armored Giant Elephants from before was now covered in wounds.
One had to know that the Copper-Armored Giant Elephant's greatest claim to fame was its defense.
The fact that they had been reduced to this state showed just how powerful their opponent was!
Very quickly, Wang Chuan also confirmed the identity of the Copper-Armored Giant Elephants' enemy.
Their enemy possessed a wolf-like physique, with gray fur overall. Its ears were astonishingly large and somewhat fox-like, while the fur on its head was a crimson red that completely clashed with the rest of its body, making it look rather mismatched.
With such obvious traits, Wang Chuan immediately recognized the race of this Spirit Beast.
Red-Headed Jackal.
Before you continue