Boom!
It was as if thunder had exploded. In the terrifying blast, waves of light rippled as mountains crumbled and the earth split apart. Amid the roars of Ferocious Beasts and furious shouts, the scene was truly horrifying.
There was a brief silence, and the world fell still.
But that calm was soon shattered. What followed was an even more terrifying storm that swept across heaven and earth.
"Miss, hurry, go!"
Two figures came hurtling through the air in a sorry state and landed heavily beside Qian Renxue. They were Puffer Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo, who had gone to face the old man from the God-Demon Realm!
"The Titan Giant Ape appeared! It came out of the forbidden zone and nearly fought us!"
Both men were deathly pale.
When they saw that Qian Renxue was safe and sound, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The speaker was Snake Lance Douluo. His luxurious clothes were already in tatters, his Soul Power fluctuated violently, and his breathing was ragged. He looked utterly miserable.
The Starry Sky People were far more powerful than they had imagined. Their methods were endless, and they were practically like gods and demons. The two of them had been completely suppressed throughout the fight. If the Titan Giant Ape hadn't appeared at the last moment, they would likely have been buried in Star Dou today.
"It's hard to believe. He seemed to be on the same level as us... and even needed other methods to fly, yet his strength was so terrifying. Even the Clear Sky Douluo might not be his match!"
Puffer Douluo still hadn't recovered. A chill kept rising from the depths of his heart, and now, whenever he looked at Qin Chuan, he felt a little unnerved.
"You two have certainly been diligent in your duties. If Qin Chuan hadn't come to my rescue, who knows where I'd be now?"
Qian Renxue spoke coldly, her voice stern and grave, anger simmering beneath the surface. This was her truest self.
The gentleness she showed when she was with Qin Chuan was fleeting and illusory. Her world had always been black and white, and everything came down to self-interest.
Those were the lessons she had learned in the palace over the years.
Otherwise, Heaven Dou would have discovered her long ago, and she never would have made it this far.
The two Douluo stiffened, breaking into a cold sweat as they hurriedly knelt to beg forgiveness.
"Please forgive us, Miss. We weren't deliberately late. That Starry Sky Person was simply impossibly powerful. We were no match for him!"
Only then did they remember that, when they had left to fight their opponent earlier, several Soul Saints and Soul Emperors had still been there. Cold sweat poured down their faces.
But when they heard that Qin Chuan had apparently dealt with all those Soul Saints and Soul Emperors by himself, astonishment flashed in their eyes.
The thought left them deeply shaken!
"Uh, Sister Xue, you can't really blame them. The fighting started so suddenly that no one could have expected that old guy to be so powerful!"
Qin Chuan spoke up at just the right moment, calmly helping the two men out.
"Hmph!"
Qian Renxue snorted but didn't punish them. They were, after all, her subordinates, and some of her anger had already faded.
"By the way, seniors, you said the Titan Giant Ape appeared. What happened to that guy named Luo Lie? How did he fare?" Qin Chuan asked curiously, wanting to know how things had unfolded and whether they had gone as he'd expected.
"Once the Titan Giant Ape appeared, our fight was forced to stop. Pufferfish and I were worried about Miss's safety, so we took the opportunity to leave. But that fellow started fighting the Titan Giant Ape. I don't know what happened after that."
Snake Lance Douluo shook his head. For some reason, he now held Qin Chuan in considerably higher regard, so he answered at once.
"Just as I thought. Sister Xue, would you like to see a grand show?" Qin Chuan asked with a smile.
"What grand show? What scheme are you plotting now?" An unusual gleam shone in Qian Renxue's beautiful eyes, like a river of stars, lending her the dignity of an empress.
"You'll find out when the time comes." Qin Chuan smiled confidently, then turned to Puffer Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo. "I'm going to have to trouble you two next."
"Now, head for the Forbidden Land in the Star Dou Great Forest. Let's go!"
"What? The depths of the Star Dou Great Forest?" Qian Renxue was taken aback. They had barely made it out of the Core Circle, and now they were heading right back in—to the Forbidden Land at the very heart of the forest. What on earth was this man planning?
"Sister Xue, trust me. Nothing will happen." Qin Chuan looked at her. The confidence in his eyes made Qian Renxue's heart skip a beat, and she quickly looked away.
"I trust you, but the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest are too dangerous. At least tell me what you're planning to do."
"I'm going to find the Sky Azure Bull Python!" Qin Chuan said with a smile. His casual tone startled all three of them.
"You're going to..." Qian Renxue stared blankly for a moment. At last, she understood what Qin Chuan had in mind, but she still couldn't quite believe it. To consort with Ferocious Beasts? This...
"That's right."
"You really are audacious beyond belief!" Qian Renxue was at a loss for words. She could hardly accept it, yet when she met Qin Chuan's confident, unwavering gaze, she found herself unable to object.
"Lead the way, seniors!" Seeing Qian Renxue's reaction, Qin Chuan smiled in relief and looked toward the two men.
Puffer Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo were baffled. They had no idea what Qin Chuan was planning, and they were deeply reluctant to venture into the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest. But when Qian Renxue nodded, they didn't press him for an explanation and could only set off helplessly.
Still, they couldn't help thinking:
Go looking for the hundred-thousand-year Ferocious Beast emperor, the Sky Azure Bull Python?
That was madness!
Since time immemorial, human Soul Masters had hunted Ferocious Beasts. No one had ever dared to seek out the two great Ferocious Beasts lurking in the depths of the forest!
Perhaps...
Puffer Douluo glanced at Qin Chuan and remembered the old man beside that brocade-clad young man. A chill ran through him.
Could this fellow also have a profoundly mysterious guardian hidden at his side?
The terrifying battle had yet to die down. Streaks of light flashed from time to time across a vast area, each one capable of destroying heaven and earth. It was a truly dreadful sight.
To stay hidden, Qin Chuan had the two Titled Douluo stop whenever they passed near the battlefield and sneak through the area on foot.
Only after they had put a great distance between themselves and the battle, making sure they wouldn't be detected, did they take to the air again.
Though they traveled more slowly, it was much safer. Under the protection of the two Titled Douluo, the group reached the deepest part of the Star Dou Great Forest without incident—the legendary Forbidden Land.
"What rich Heaven and Earth Essence! Cultivating here would bring twice the results with half the effort!"
Qin Chuan exclaimed. Before them lay a crystal-clear lake, as if it had formed entirely from Heaven and Earth Essence. It radiated an astonishing aura of life.
"The vitality here really is astonishing. It's hard to imagine that the deepest part of the Star Dou Great Forest could be such a treasure trove!" Qian Renxue exclaimed too. She bent down and picked a flower with pale-blue petals. It was the most common kind of Sea Flower, yet here it had grown to an incredible size.
"Sister Xue, I never would've guessed you liked flowers. You'd look lovely wearing one!"
Watching Qian Renxue gently stroke the Sea Flower's petals, seemingly unable to bear letting it go, Qin Chuan couldn't help teasing her.
With the beautiful scenery and rippling blue waters around them, they both relaxed a little. Besides, Qin Chuan hadn't been all that tense to begin with.
Puffer Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo, however, were nothing like them. Every inch of the surrounding ground was steeped in a savage aura—that of the Titan Giant Ape.
They had nearly fought the Titan Giant Ape moments ago, and their nerves were stretched taut. The slightest rustle could put them on alert.
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