A mountain-like presence silently emerged from the forest, parting the towering trees on either side.
The faint starlight and moonlight glimmered dully across its pitch-black fur.
It stood taller than the surrounding trees!
It looked like both an ape and a chimpanzee, and its lantern-sized eyes gleamed like yellow crystal.
Those weren't two moons after all. They were its eyes.
Its entire body was pitch-black, seeming to blend into the night. Every inch of its enormous frame was covered in powerful muscles more terrifying than granite, bulging like little hills.
Yet despite its colossal size, it made no sound as it moved—not even the sound of its breathing.
Zhao Wuji said gravely, "Respected King of the Forest, we mean no offense. If this is your territory, we'll leave at once."
Ma Hongjun's voice trembled. "A Soul Beast...?"
Xia Yan answered with certainty, "Yes, a Titan Giant Ape, the king of the Star Dou Great Forest. At this size, it might already be over a hundred thousand years old..."
Everyone held their breath.
A-a hundred thousand years?! One that existed only in legends?!
The Titan Giant Ape ignored him and simply took a step forward. Yet that one simple movement made everyone's hearts leap into their throats.
Zhao Wuji's heart sank. He figured the King of the Forest wouldn't let them go.
Soul Masters slaughtered Soul Beasts, and Soul Beasts hated Soul Masters. Besides, a Soul Master's body was a great tonic to a Soul Beast.
Eating them would bring nothing but benefits.
There was no reason to spare them.
Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth and made up his mind. "I'll hold it off. Ning Rongrong, use your Soul Skills to boost them. Get out of here, and be quick! I can't hold it off for long."
He took a deep breath.
"Run!"
As a Soul Saint, he'd have a better chance of surviving if he fled alone than if he fought head-on.
But his students were behind him. He'd rather fight alone!
In an instant, seven Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—appeared, shining brilliantly. Zhao Wuji charged straight at the Titan Giant Ape!
Ning Rongrong immediately summoned the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. "Seven Treasures have a name: First, Power; Second, Speed!"
Forcibly boosting a Soul Saint-level powerhouse drained her Soul Power in an instant.
"Get out of here!"
But before anyone could reply, the Titan Giant Ape merely raised a hand and sent Soul Saint Zhao Wuji flying with a single slap.
His body shot away like a cannonball.
Xia Yan caught Ning Rongrong as her body went limp.
He immediately summoned the Demon Suppressing Pagoda, and two purple Soul Rings appeared.
"Zhuqing, carry her!"
"Get out of here! I'm going to help Teacher Zhao!"
With that, Xia Yan's aura surged, and he charged straight at the Titan Giant Ape.
He couldn't run. He had to stay.
Seeing Xia Yan charge over, Zhao Wuji roared, "Get out of here!"
His sinister black Soul Ring suddenly pulsed.
As the Vajra Bear roared, Zhao Wuji's body swelled to five meters tall. His bronze-cast muscles bulged in knotted ridges, and gray fur sprouted all over him. He became a true giant bear.
Seventh Soul Skill—Martial Soul Avatar!
His imposing aura spread, unleashing the terrifying pressure of a Soul Saint. But compared to the Titan Giant Ape, it was like a firefly beside the bright moon—
so faint as to be insignificant.
The Titan Giant Ape let out a heaven-shaking roar, and a black shock wave surged out like a tsunami.
Every blade of grass and every tree in its path shattered to pieces, while everyone else was sent flying,
forced backward.
At last, the enormous creature moved. It was almost too fast to react to, its massive body dropping from above with the force of Mount Tai crushing down on them.
Tang San used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to keep his balance, while unleashing all his Hidden Weapons in an attempt to blind the Titan Giant Ape.
But—
His usually unstoppable Hidden Weapons were blocked by the Titan Giant Ape's eyelids, hard as steel.
The attack seemed to enrage it. It swung a fist, and before Tang San could even react, it had already struck!
"Pfft!"
Tang San didn't even have time to use Blue Silver Grass to protect himself before his vision went black.
His body flew out of control,
snapping a large tree in half before crashing to the ground and lying unconscious like a dead dog,
his fate unknown.
Dai Mubai was closest to Tang San and took a solid slap from the Titan Giant Ape as well. It felt as though all his internal organs were about to shatter.
Then his body flew off into the distance,
vanishing into the moonlit night of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Zhu Zhuqing had moved away from the battlefield early to get Ning Rongrong to safety, so the two of them were hurt the least. They were only grazed by the attack,
but their faces were still pale.
The Titan Giant Ape didn't stop. It grabbed Xiao Wu, who was still in the air, turned, and disappeared into the night with her.
"Xiao Wu!"
When Zhao Wuji saw Xiao Wu get taken, he immediately tried to chase after them. But the instant his feet pushed off the ground, his legs went weak,
and he nearly fell over.
Using the Martial Soul Avatar left him weak for a while afterward. He'd been closest to the Titan Giant Ape, and its roar had nearly shattered his avatar.
The backlash was even worse.
"Damn it!"
Zhao Wuji ground his teeth and slammed a fist into the ground. How could a Titan Giant Ape be in the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest?!
Ma Hongjun and Oscar came running over from the distance, staggering and filthy.
"Teacher Zhao..."
Zhao Wuji immediately said, "Quick, find Mubai and bring him back. Then treat Tang San!"
His face was deathly pale, his strength spent.
"I didn't take good enough care of everyone. I'm sorry. Xiao Wu was captured because of me..."
Xia Yan's face was pale as he landed beside Zhao Wuji. The blow he'd taken was no lighter than anyone else's.
"Teacher Zhao, don't blame yourself. I'm going after Xiao Wu!"
Zhao Wuji's expression changed, and he reached out to grab Xia Yan. "You're not going!"
But Xia Yan dodged him.
Xia Yan's expression was grave. "I'm sorry, Teacher Zhao, but I have to find Xiao Wu. She's my companion. Even if she's already dead, I'll bring her body back."
With that,
he vanished into the night in an instant, heading in the direction the Titan Giant Ape had gone.
"Get back here!"
Zhao Wuji was truly panicking. They'd already lost Xiao Wu. He couldn't lose Xia Yan too!
"Oscar, where are you? Hurry up and heal me!"
In the night wind,
Xia Yan used his Second: Speed Soul Skill, racing through the Star Dou Great Forest.
He was finally free!
He stood atop the canopy, gazing out at the endless Star Dou Great Forest beneath the moonlit sky, and summoned his Soul Beasts. "Come out, my Soul Beasts!"
"Sisi!"
"Whoosh, whoosh!"
"Roar!"
In an instant,
three figures appeared before him:
a crimson Datura Snake, a green Jade Green Bird, and a white Light White Tiger.
"I've already explained the situation. Sorry for the trouble, but please help me find the Man Faced Demon Spider."
The three Soul Beasts immediately thumped their chests and promised:
"Sisi!"
"Whoosh, whoosh!"
"Roar!"
"Go on."
The three Soul Beasts immediately scattered. In this area, they were the most powerful Soul Beasts. Besides, if they really encountered danger, they could return to the Demon Suppressing Pagoda at once.
"Rustle..."
A black figure sped through the dense forest.
It was at least five meters long, with eight spear-like spider legs more than three meters long. Its entire body was covered in a gleaming black carapace.
Its eight eyes glinted with a chilling light, and all of them were on its abdomen.
Two of those eyes had been smashed, and a wound marked its lower abdomen, where white markings formed a strange human face.
Some kind of purple liquid was still oozing from it.
It had been attacked.
"Chitter..."
The weariness and pain in its body told it to stop and rest, to hunt and recover. But its instincts were screaming at it to flee!
"Chit..."
So hungry... So hungry...
Moving silently, the Man Faced Demon Spider suddenly sensed the scent of a human in the air.
Prey!
It abruptly slowed and followed the scent, moving silently through the darkness.
"Chit..."
Less than a hundred meters away, it spotted a human standing in a clearing with his back to it, completely off guard.
The six remaining purple eyes glinted with an eerie light.
"Chit..."
Found you...
And nearby, the hidden Datura Snake's gemlike eyes gleamed with a mysterious light as well.
What a coincidence. I found you too...
Before you continue