Xiao Wu Also Cried in Distress

Yu Xiaogang was busy envisioning how he would tailor training regimens for the Shrek Seven Devils, how they would absorb spirit rings, and how he would configure the team; everything seemed perfect.

He was unaware, however, that the Shrek Seven Devils were currently on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

The Star Dou Great Forest was suffocatingly silent.

The core region, once filled with the thunderous roars of beasts, was now reduced to the rustling of wind through leaves, as empty and desolate as a ghost realm.

The air was no longer thick with the musk of spirit beasts or the freshness of vegetation, but with a hollow void that stirred deep anxiety.

"They're gone... they're all gone..."

"How could this happen?"

"This is the Star Dou Great Forest, for heaven's sake..."

"If even the Star Dou Great Forest has become like this, could the spirit beasts in other places have vanished as well?"

The more Dai Mubai searched, the colder his heart grew, and he spoke with mounting terror.

"Shut up!"

"How could all the spirit beasts possibly disappear!"

Zhu Zhuqing, standing behind Dai Mubai, snapped at him in anger upon hearing his words.

She had not yet forgiven Dai Mubai, and hearing him spout things she didn't want to hear made her tone naturally sharp.

If the spirit beasts were all gone, wouldn't that mean she would have no spirit rings to absorb?

She would be stuck at the level of a Soul Grand Master for the rest of her life, and she refused to accept that.

"Damn it!"

"Damn it!"

"How could it be like this?"

"Not a single spirit beast to be seen, not even the plant-type spirit beasts... they've all vanished."

On the other side, after searching for a long time, Oscar and Ma Hongjun were also filled with agitation and fear, unable to accept the reality before them.

The spirit beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest had truly, completely disappeared.

"It's fine, maybe it's just the spirit beasts in this area that have vanished; it shouldn't be the same in other directions."

"That's right, the Star Dou Great Forest is so vast, it's impossible for every single spirit beast to have disappeared."

"Yeah, we shouldn't scare ourselves. Even if the spirit beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest are gone, it's no big deal; aren't there still spirit beasts in other places?"

"Mhm, as long as it's not every spirit beast in the entire world that has vanished, we'll be fine."

Oscar and Ma Hongjun were both trying to comfort each other and themselves.

After saying that last sentence, both fell silent; the mere thought of that possibility filled them with boundless dread.

"Impossible... that kind of thing is absolutely impossible..."

The two exchanged a look once more.

Then, they both visibly relaxed.

They truly did not believe that the extinction of spirit beasts could ever happen on the Douluo Continent.

It was simply impossible!

"Teacher Zhao, what on earth is happening?"

"Even the spirit beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest have disappeared; could the spirit beasts elsewhere have vanished too?"

Ning Rongrong, following behind Zhao Wuji, was utterly shocked after her own search.

She was quite knowledgeable and knew that the Star Dou Great Forest was the largest and most powerful spirit beast forest, so she feared that other places had also been affected.

"Don't worry, that kind of thing is impossible."

Zhao Wuji did not turn around, offering only a perfunctory reply.

Ning Rongrong pouted at Zhao Wuji's back, feeling a surge of irritation.

She was currently terrified and deeply unsettled, hoping to find some sense of security from Zhao Wuji, yet he was being dismissive.

This immediately made Ning Rongrong miss her own Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

If she were at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect right now, her father, Sword Grandpa, or Bone Grandpa would have prioritized her feelings immediately.

"No, if the spirit beasts have really disappeared, I must return to the sect at once."

"If there are no more spirit beasts, there is no point in staying at Shrek Academy."

The thought of returning home began to take root in Ning Rongrong's heart.

Before, she had been focused on how to integrate into Shrek, but after such a terrifying event as the disappearance of the spirit beasts, she no longer had the heart to worry about fitting in.

All she wanted now was to return to her sect and have her father and the two grandpas get to the bottom of what was happening.

However, Ning Rongrong was not entirely without growth; had this been before, she certainly would have demanded Zhao Wuji take her back immediately in her usual overbearing manner.

Now, she did not speak, only thinking of waiting until everyone returned together before she took her leave.

Xiao Wu's figure darted through the woods like a startled rabbit.

Her pink dress was torn by thorns, and her fair calves were covered in bloody scratches, yet she remained completely unaware.

Tears had long since blurred her vision, and her heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an icy hand, every beat bringing a tearing pain.

At this moment, she was not only anxious that Daming and Erming might have met with disaster, but she was also grieving for the vanished soul beasts.

Regardless of anything else, she had once been one of them, and seeing so many soul beasts disappear now left her deeply saddened.

"Daming! Erming! You must not be hurt!" Xiao Wu felt an extreme sense of urgency in her heart.

At first, she had been with Tang San, but when she realized she truly could not find a single soul beast, she seized an opportunity to slip away and rushed toward the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.

She dared not confess her identity as a soul beast to Tang San, yet she was truly worried about Daming and Erming, so she had no choice but to sneak off.

She would simply find an excuse once she returned.

Swish—

Finally, she rushed to the familiar Lake of Life.

This place should have been the heart of the forest, the dwelling place of the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python, the most powerful symbol of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Yet at this moment, while the lake water remained deep and emerald green, the surface was terrifyingly calm.

There was no Titan Giant Ape on the shore, nor was there a bull's head emerging from the water; those two behemoths that guarded this place like small mountains, along with their presence that even Title Douluo feared, had vanished without a trace.

"No—!" Xiao Wu let out a shrill, miserable scream, her legs giving way as she collapsed onto the cold mud by the lakeside.

"Daming! Erming!"

"Come out, quickly!"

"It's me, I'm back! Your Big Sister Xiao Wu is back!"

"Come out, please, don't scare me like this!"

Xiao Wu cried out anxiously toward the lake surface.

However, the only response was the undisturbed, tranquil water.

"No—!"

An immense sense of terror and grief completely overwhelmed Xiao Wu.

The forest was empty, her home was empty, and the brothers she had relied on for survival were gone.

She felt as if the entire world had abandoned her.

Why? Who could have done this? Who possessed such terrifying power that they could wipe out all the soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest in an instant?

Xiao Wu's mind was in chaos, leaving only endless sorrow and helpless cries.

In the distance, Tang Hao, who had followed her the entire way, felt his own heart turn cold.

When Xiao Wu had slipped away, he had hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow.

It was not that he was unconcerned about Tang San; rather, he had discovered that the soul beasts of the entire Star Dou Great Forest seemed to have truly vanished. With no soul beasts left, Tang San was no longer in danger.

That was why he had followed.

Now, seeing that the center of the Star Dou Great Forest was also empty, Tang Hao was not only shocked but finally began to feel fear.

"Ah Yin, are you still there?"

"You must still be there, right?"

"Ah Yin, wait for me, I am coming to see you right now!"

Swish—

Tang Hao's figure vanished in an instant.

The soul beasts were gone, and Tang San was safe for the time being.

He did not want to wait even a second longer.