Titan Giant Ape!

Pfft!

The Ghost Fire Demon Fox, still lost in its dreams, didn't even have time to let out a cry before a bloody hole appeared between its brows, killing it instantly.

Precise, efficient, cold.

Hu Liena was long since accustomed to this. Without any affectation, she immediately stepped forward, sat cross-legged, and drew out the purple soul ring to begin her absorption.

Lin Qiu stood to the side with his hands behind his back, acting as her guardian.

Half an hour later.

The soul power fluctuations around Hu Liena gradually subsided, and the purple soul ring settled firmly onto her martial soul.

She slowly opened her eyes. Those already charming and alluring pupils now held an extra layer of moist luster, as if they could snatch a person's soul away.

What made it even harder to look away was that, following the evolution of her martial soul, a pair of furry fox ears had sprouted atop her head. They twitched slightly, adding a touch of exotic temptation.

Hu Liena stood up, feeling the surging power within her body, and was ecstatic.

With a sway of her figure, she threw herself directly into Lin Qiu's arms, wrapped her hands around his neck, and rubbed those newly sprouted fox ears against his cheek.

"Qiu, thank you! This soul skill is amazing!"

The unique, fresh scent of a young girl wafted over, and with those long, straight, flawless legs pressed tightly against him, even Lin Qiu, with his extraordinary self-control, couldn't help but feel his heart flutter.

"Ahem, it was just a small effort."

Lin Qiu patted her back gently, just about to enjoy this ambiguous moment.

Right at that instant—

ROAR!!!

An earth-shattering roar suddenly erupted from the depths of the forest.

The sound was so immense it was like a thunderclap, shaking the surrounding leaves until they drifted down in droves, and even the ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently.

Within that terrifying sound wave was a suffocating, primal aura that instantly swept across the entire valley.

Hu Liena's pretty face turned deathly pale, and she instinctively clung tightly to Lin Qiu.

Lin Qiu's expression tightened as he jerked his head up to look into the distance.

He saw the trees in the distance toppling over like blades of grass, and a shadow as massive as a mountain was striding toward them.

With every step it took, the earth shuddered, and everything in its path—be it century-old trees or solid rock—was crushed into powder as if it were nothing.

It was a giant ape, pitch-black from head to toe, its muscles bulging like granite, its eyes red as lanterns, and the aura it exuded was enough to make any soul beast bow in submission.

Titan Giant Ape!

The King of the Forest!

Lin Qiu felt a slight shock in his heart, but he quickly calmed himself.

This should be the mixed zone of the Star Dou Forest; logically, the Titan Giant Ape should be staying in the core zone, so why would it suddenly run out here?

Could it be because of the Ghost Fire Demon Fox just now, or did we intrude upon its territory?

Hu Liena's voice trembled: "Is... is this the Titan Giant Ape? The legendary hundred-thousand-year soul beast?"

Just as the two were filled with doubt and fear, a feminine yet anxious voice rang out from the shadows.

"Bad! Damn it, how could we run into this star of disaster!"

A golden figure instantly darted out from the shadows, blocking the path in front of Lin Qiu and Hu Liena.

It was the Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yue Guan, who had been escorting them in secret.

At this moment, the face of Yue Guan, which usually wore a playful smile, was filled with gravity and despair.

He was stunned.

Truly stunned.

He was only responsible for protecting them from the shadows, preventing some blind ten-thousand-year soul beasts from hurting these two precious gems.

But who could have imagined they would run straight into the overlord of the Star Dou Forest—the Titan Giant Ape!

This was a terrifying existence that even an ordinary Title Douluo would take a detour to avoid!

If something happened to Lin Qiu here, that madwoman of a Pope would absolutely skin him alive, and the entire Martial Soul Hall would go insane because of it.

"Young Master, Nana, run! I will hold it off!"

Chrysanthemum Douluo shrieked, not daring to hold back even a fraction.

The nine soul rings on his body lit up instantly, especially the ninth black soul ring, which shone with brilliant light.

"Ninth Soul Skill: Chrysanthemum Remnant, Flowers Scatter Across the Ground, Petals Fall and Hearts Break!"

Countless golden petals transformed into blades that filled the sky, forming a golden tornado that swept toward the striding Titan Giant Ape.

This was the full-force strike of a Title Douluo, a massive display of power capable of shredding mountains.

However.

Facing the petals filling the sky, the Titan Giant Ape merely raised its arm and swiped it away casually.

BOOM!

A wave of black energy erupted outward.

Those seemingly razor-sharp golden petals struck the Titan Giant Ape's iron-hard fur, merely sparking a string of embers and emitting a harsh, grating sound without leaving so much as a single scratch.

A tickle.

It was truly nothing more than a tickle.

The Titan Giant Ape was worthy of being a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast with a top-tier bloodline; its monstrous defense was simply not something an ordinary Title Douluo could penetrate.

Chrysanthemum Douluo's face turned deathly pale in an instant, a deep sense of despair surging in his heart.

It was over.

He couldn't even scratch it.

The strength and defense of this Titan Giant Ape were simply bug-level existences.

Without Gui Mei here to perform a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, there was no way he could hold off this monster alone.

The Titan Giant Ape was clearly becoming irritated by this "little fly," and with a furious roar, its massive fist descended like a falling meteorite.

Chrysanthemum Douluo could only dodge in a sorry state, his only thought being the hope that Lin Qiu and the others could escape.

However, when he looked back, he nearly vomited blood in frustration.

Not only had Lin Qiu not run, but he was standing right where he was, watching the giant ape with a calm expression—and was that... a hint of anticipation in his eyes?

"Young Master! What are you doing?! Run!" Chrysanthemum Douluo shrieked.

Lin Qiu ignored the elder's shouting.

Because just a moment ago, the system that had been silent for so long had released another mission.

Ding! Emergency mission triggered: Face the pressure of a Saint-level powerhouse!

Mission Description: Survive in the presence of this powerhouse who possesses supreme might and has attained sainthood in the flesh.

Mission Reward: ??? (Determined by performance rating)

Lin Qiu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.

The silly system had actually mistaken the Titan Giant Ape for a "Saint" level powerhouse from the Shrouding Heavens World?

What kind of existence was a Saint in Shrouding Heavens? A single drop of blood could crush a mountain range, and a single strand of hair could sever the stars.

Yet the Titan Giant Ape before him was, at most, just a monkey with a bit of extra strength.

The contrast...

If he could "repel" or "intimidate" this "Saint," how generous would the reward be?

Thinking of this, a sharp glint flashed in Lin Qiu's eyes.

He pushed aside the panicked Hu Liena and stepped forward.

"Elder Chrysanthemum, stand down."

The youth's voice was not loud, but wrapped in soul power, it reached the ears of every living creature present with perfect clarity.

Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had been preparing to fight to the death, froze.

He stared in bewilderment at Lin Qiu, who had stepped out from behind him.

"Young Master? Have you lost your mind? This is a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast! It's not something you can handle!"

Lin Qiu offered no explanation, merely giving him a look of reassurance.