Beast Tide Anomaly, Braving It Alone

"That's right! The weirdest part is that even thousand-year soul beasts have been running out to the outer perimeter!

My third grand-uncle's second nephew caught a glimpse of one from afar and was so scared he pissed his pants!

That was a thousand-year-level beast! They usually stay in the mixed zone, so why would they run out to the perimeter?"

"I don't think this is simple. I'm afraid something big is about to happen. This forest is off-limits for now!"

"Who's to say otherwise? Saving one's life is what matters most, saving one's life is what matters most!"

Listening to these discussions, the hand Ye Feng used to hold his teacup froze in mid-air.

He couldn't help but frown.

He couldn't be this unlucky, could he?

After all the hardships, trekking over mountains and through rivers to reach the Star Dou Great Forest, only to be told that a beast tide had broken out?

Are you kidding me?

Wait...

A flash of inspiration struck Ye Feng's mind, and a terrifying thought emerged.

At this point in time...

In the original story, it seems...

Could it be that Bibi Dong brought those two lackeys, Yue Guan and Gui Mei, to hunt down Xiao Wu's mother?

Hiss!

That possibility is extremely high!

In the original story, it was precisely because Ah Yin's identity as a hundred-thousand-year soul beast was exposed and she was hunted by Martial Soul Hall that the subsequent series of events occurred.

And Xiao Wu's mother, also a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit, was hunted by Bibi Dong around this same time to become her soul ring.

A hundred-thousand-year soul beast being hunted—and one with close ties to the two overlords of the forest—would be enough to trigger a rampage among all the soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest!

Otherwise, why would these soul beasts act like they've gone mad, attacking anyone they see indiscriminately?

Hiss! It seems he really is unlucky to the extreme!

It's a pity that little rabbit Xiao Wu won't run out of the forest to attend Nuoding Academy for another two years.

Otherwise, if he could catch her now...

Tsk tsk, a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, plus a hundred-thousand-year soul bone—wouldn't that be an instant power-up, taking him straight to the top?

As for so-called human-beast romance, Ye Feng looked down on it from the bottom of his heart.

Humans are humans, and soul beasts are soul beasts.

To fall in love with a beast that looks like a human, and even produce offspring—that is something only someone with a severely twisted and perverted psychology could do!

Such absurd things are only something that Tang Hao and Tang San's family could pull off!

The father marries a soul beast, and the son marries a soul beast too.

To put it nicely, it's love that transcends species; to put it bluntly, isn't it just cross-breeding?

That family is truly invincible in the Douluo world!

Now, the most realistic and fatal problem facing Ye Feng is whether or not he should enter the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow!

For a moment, Ye Feng felt a mix of laughter and tears.

Just as he was struggling with the dilemma, an old voice sounded from beside him.

"Little brother, looking at you, you're here to hunt for a soul ring, right?"

Ye Feng came back to his senses; it was the owner of the tea shop, an old man with gray hair and a face full of wrinkles.

"That's right, uncle."

Ye Feng nodded:

"Do you know how long this beast tide usually lasts before it ends?"

The old man looked Ye Feng up and down with cloudy eyes and sighed.

"Little brother, seeing as you're so young, let me give you a piece of advice."

He draped a damp towel over his shoulder and spoke in the tone of someone who had seen it all.

"Once these soul beasts go crazy, it's impossible for things to calm down in less than a week! Going in now is no different from seeking death!"

"Hunting for a soul ring is important, but your life is more important. A few days won't make a difference."

"Alright, thank you for the reminder, uncle."

Ye Feng responded politely.

He understood the logic.

But...

He couldn't wait a week.

Time is precious; not a single second can be wasted.

Furthermore, crises are often accompanied by opportunities.

Although the beast tide is dangerous, it also means the distribution of soul beasts has been disrupted; some rare soul beasts that usually hide in the depths and are hard to find might just be pushed to the outer perimeter.

The pure light-attribute soul beast he is looking for is rare to begin with.

This beast tide might be his only chance!

Forget it!

Regardless of whether he can hunt it or not, he must give it a try!

If you gamble, a bicycle might turn into a motorcycle!

Ye Feng downed the cold tea in his bowl and placed a few copper soul coins on the table.

He stood up and took one last look at the silhouette of the forest, shrouded in twilight like the maw of a giant beast.

Then, under the astonished gazes of the tea shop owner and the people around him, he resolutely strode forward.

"Is this kid crazy? Daring to charge into a beast tide? Does he think his life is too long?"

"Look at his build; I'm afraid he's just going in to be a snack for the soul beasts! Young people these days really don't know the immensity of heaven and earth!"

"Tsk, another fool blinded by the halo of genius, thinking he's the child of destiny? The Star Dou Great Forest will teach him a lesson!"

"I bet this kid won't last an hour before he comes running out crying, assuming he still has legs to run with."

"Running out? Keep dreaming! My great-uncle's second nephew said that those who went in yesterday didn't even have a hair left behind!"

Ye Feng paid no mind to the idle chatter of those people.

Their discussion was nothing more than the chirping of summer cicadas—noisy but powerless.

An hour later, when he arrived a few hundred meters from the edge of the forest, he was instantly stunned by the scene before him.

Holy crap!

This isn't a forest; it's a living, green wall!

These trees block out the sun, each one so thick it would take a dozen people to wrap their arms around it, piercing straight into the sky—each one must be at least thirty or forty meters tall!

It is more terrifying than any primeval forest he had ever seen in his past life!

A rich scent of vegetation mixed with a faint, lingering smell of blood rushed toward him.

The light here was severely diminished, appearing gloomy and oppressive.

Even before truly stepping into the forest, he could already see many decades-old soul beasts in the shadows of the trees, staring at him with gazes that were either curious or wary.

At that moment, Ye Feng subconsciously swallowed his saliva.

His heart began to beat faster, against his will.

Whatever, he was already here!

Observing his surroundings carefully, most of the decades-old soul beasts were herbivores, such as Long-Eared Rabbits and Unicorn Sheep; although they were curious about this uninvited guest, they showed no aggression.

Only one leopard lurking behind the bushes, its body covered in dark cyan spots, locked its ghostly green pupils onto him, filled with undisguised killing intent and greed.

That was a ten-year cultivation Ghost Shadow Leopard, known for its speed and sneak attacks.

Ye Feng's heart tightened, his right hand already quietly gripping the Short Sword at his waist.

Just as he was concentrating fully on guarding against that Ghost Shadow Leopard, the creature moved!

Without a hint of warning, the Ghost Shadow Leopard's body suddenly tensed, turning into a cyan blur as it hugged the ground and lunged silently from the rear flank, its sharp front claws carving a deadly cold light through the dim shadows!

Too fast!

If it were any newly graduated soul master facing such a swift ambush, they probably wouldn't even have time to react.

But Ye Feng is not!