Lake of Life, the Transformed Soft Bone Rabbit

Deep within the Core Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Not far from the Lake of Life.

In a quiet clearing among the trees stood a wooden hut, utterly out of place.

A low fence surrounded the hut. Several clusters of unknown wildflowers grew in the yard, red and white blossoms blooming in full splendor.

A small patch of open ground had also been cleared beside the flowers, where lush green carrot tops grew in neat rows.

In the Core Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest, a forbidden land that even Titled Douluo did not dare enter lightly, the appearance of such a human dwelling, complete with a touch of rustic charm, seemed especially abrupt and eerie.

Just then, the wooden door creaked open, and a woman stepped out.

She appeared to be around thirty years old. Her long black hair was casually pinned behind her head with a wooden hairpin, several loose strands falling beside her ears and swaying gently in the breeze.

Her features were delicate and gentle, her brows carrying a simple, tranquil air. She wore coarse cloth garments, and though her skin was not particularly fair, it glowed with healthy radiance.

She looked just like an ordinary farmer's wife.

The woman crouched beside the vegetable patch, bending down to pull up several ripe carrots and place them in a basket.

"Xiao Wu!" the woman suddenly called out, her clear voice carrying far through the forest. "Stop playing and come back!"

This woman dressed like a village wife was Xiao Wu's mother, a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit who had successfully transformed into human form.

After transforming, she had gone to the human world and hidden in a small mountain village, successfully cultivating to the Mature Stage. She then returned to the Star Dou Great Forest to care for her daughter, Xiao Wu.

A moment later, a series of heavy rumbles came from afar.

The ground began to tremble faintly, branches and leaves rustled, and birds in the forest took flight in alarm.

Before long, an enormous figure ran out of the dense woods.

It was an ape-like giant beast, astonishingly massive, like a moving hill. Its golden eyes resembled two lanterns.

It was Er Ming, the Titan Giant Ape, one of the rulers of the Core Zone.

Yet atop the head of this ruler-class Soul Beast stood a fluffy Soft Bone Rabbit. Its entire body was snow-white, its eyes crystalline pink, and its long ears twitched slightly.

This Soft Bone Rabbit was Xiao Wu before her transformation. She had now cultivated for more than ninety thousand years and stood only one step away from the hundred-thousand-year threshold.

In a few more decades, she would be able to transform into human form like her mother and enter the human world.

Very quickly, the Titan Giant Ape arrived beside the woman and crouched down like a docile pet. It let out a deep growl from its throat, seemingly acting coquettishly, without a shred of a ruler's majesty.

Xiao Wu also jumped down, landing on the ground. She shook her ears and hopped around the woman twice, her pink eyes sparkling brightly.

"Er Ming, you took her running around again. What if you run into powerful human Spirit Masters out there?" the woman scolded with a smile.

Er Ming scratched his head and let out a low growl, as if explaining himself.

"What did you say?" The woman raised a brow after listening. "You said that with you around, no one would dare bully Xiao Wu? So you're that capable, are you?"

Er Ming puffed out his chest and beat it with both fists, producing muffled thuds. His roar was filled with pride.

The woman shook her head with a smile, then reached out and tapped Xiao Wu on the head. "And you, all you know how to do all day is play."

Xiao Wu rapidly gestured with her front paws, chirping nonstop. Her pink eyes widened round as she seemed to argue her case.

"Alright, alright, I can't outtalk you." A helpless yet doting smile appeared on the woman's face as she reached out and rubbed Xiao Wu's head.

Xiao Wu hopped over to the woman's feet and rubbed her head against her calf. Looking at the carrots in the basket, her little nose twitched.

The woman scolded affectionately, "You little glutton, the carrots haven't even been washed yet. They're covered in dirt."

But Xiao Wu merely chirped twice, then directly pulled out a carrot, hugged it to her chest, and began crunching away happily, her face full of satisfaction.

Seeing this, the woman shook her head but did not stop her. "You really are something. After you transform, don't be this messy."

Xiao Wu ignored her and continued eating her carrot.

Er Ming lay outside the fenced yard, his huge body resembling a small hill.

He propped his chin up with both hands, his massive eyes half-open as he lazily watched the scene in the yard. A low sound came from his throat, as if he were laughing.

One human and two beasts lived together in remarkable harmony within this forbidden land surrounded by fierce beasts.

Just then, the surface of the nearby lake began to churn.

Ripples spread outward from the center of the lake, while beneath the water, a massive black shadow could faintly be seen rising.

The shadow grew larger and clearer.

The next moment, the lake surface suddenly exploded, and enormous waves shot into the sky.

A gigantic bull's head emerged from the water. A pair of curved horns like scimitars rose from its head, while its body resembled a giant serpent, entirely covered in azure scales. Its dark green vertical pupils were cold as ice.

It was Da Ming, the Sky Azure Bull Python, another ruler of the Star Dou Great Forest's Core Zone and a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

"Aunt Rou," the Sky Azure Bull Python said deeply. "Powerful humans have entered the Core Zone and are heading this way."

The warm atmosphere instantly froze.

Upon hearing this, Er Ming's enormous body suddenly tensed. A vicious gleam flashed through his golden eyes as he beat his chest with both fists and let out a deep roar.

It was as if he were saying, Humans? Those damned Spirit Masters! They dared come to the Core Zone looking for death? I'll crush them all!

The smile on the woman's face vanished. She rose to her feet and looked toward the depths of the forest, her gentle eyes immediately turning icy.

Holding the restless Xiao Wu, she asked in a deep voice, "How many are there? How strong are they?"

Da Ming replied gravely, "Five. One of them has an extremely terrifying aura. Er Ming and I may not be his match."

"What? Neither you nor Er Ming are his match?" The woman furrowed her brows, a faint sense of unease rising in her heart.

She knew Da Ming and Er Ming's strength better than anyone.

If even they were no match for him, just how powerful was that human?

"Aunt Rou, take Xiao Wu and hide quickly," Da Ming said deeply. "Er Ming, protect Aunt Rou. I'll hold them back!"

Er Ming snorted, two streams of white vapor blasting from his nostrils. He let out an unwilling low growl, but still nodded.

"No." The woman refused decisively. "Da Ming, it is too dangerous for you to stay behind alone. If we leave, we leave together!

The Star Dou Great Forest is so vast, and we know every inch of its terrain. As long as we hide and do not reveal ourselves, they will not be able to find us."

However, Da Ming did not answer.

He turned his head and stared fixedly at the distant forest, saying in a deep voice, "It's too late. They've already discovered us..."