Danger

This time, when the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sacrificed itself, it didn't unleash that powerful mental shock. The intense energy fluctuations from a moment ago had sent the surrounding Soul Beasts into a frenzy.

Even some Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts had been drawn out by that energy.

And now, a Hundred-Year Ink Shadow Poison Snake was racing toward Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao, however, was completely unaware, still slowly making his way toward Ye Guchen.

Ye Guchen didn't recognize Huo Yuhao's face, but according to the original story, someone showing up here at this time—a frail-looking, Level 10 Soul Scholar—was impossible to mistake.

"Should I help him or not?"

The Ink Shadow Poison Snake was coiled on a branch above Huo Yuhao's head, its jaws wide as it prepared to pounce!

As for Huo Yuhao, he was cautiously surveying his surroundings but had forgotten to check above him. He hadn't noticed the danger closing in.

Ye Guchen was startled by his own thoughts. Even if it had been an ordinary person, he still would have saved him. Besides, this Soul Beast frenzy had been caused by Ye Guchen himself. How could he stand by and let someone die?

With that thought, Ye Guchen had no time to hesitate. Huo Yuhao was a hundred meters away; by the time he got there, it would be too late.

Ye Guchen immediately used the ability of his fourth pet beast, launching a long-range mental attack.

Just as the Ink Shadow Poison Snake struck, a vast surge of spiritual power shot from between Ye Guchen's brows. It pierced through the layers of trees and slammed straight into the snake's soul.

A Hundred-Year Soul Beast had a feeble soul to begin with. Faced with Ye Guchen's Level 50 mental attack, it had no means of resisting—like a sheet of thin paper being pierced through.

The snake remained poised to attack, but its life had already gone out of it.

Its body, more than four meters long, slid straight off the tree. The noise finally caught Huo Yuhao's attention.

He jerked his head up, only to see a huge venomous snake lunging at him.

He panicked and cried out as he pulled out the White Tiger Dagger and swung it wildly.

"Ah! I'm not afraid of you!"

But the snake had already lost its life. It was nothing more than a corpse now.

The snake crashed heavily to the ground in front of Huo Yuhao.

Yet Huo Yuhao had clearly not recovered from the terror of looking up and finding a massive serpent right in front of him.

He held the White Tiger Dagger up before him and hurried backward, keeping his guard up against the Soul Beast.

By then, Ye Guchen had arrived. Seeing Huo Yuhao in such a sorry state, he couldn't help remembering when his own body from Dou I had first crossed over to the Douluo Continent. His Martial Soul hadn't awakened yet, he had no backing whatsoever, and whenever he faced hardship, he had been just as helpless.

"Hey! It's already dead!"

Ye Guchen's sudden voice pulled Huo Yuhao back from his panic.

"Careful, that snake is poisonous!"

Seeing Ye Guchen suddenly appear beside the snake, Huo Yuhao called out for him to get away.

Ye Guchen was surprised. After suffering so much, Huo Yuhao could still hold on to his kind heart. That was rare!

Ye Guchen waved to show that he was fine.

"Don't be afraid. I've already killed it!"

Looking at the plain-looking boy before him, Ye Guchen felt a little guilty. He had taken the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Electrolux, both of whom should have belonged to Huo Yuhao, and then triggered a Soul Beast frenzy that had nearly killed him indirectly.

He couldn't shake the feeling that he owed Huo Yuhao, but there was no way he could give them back. He'd just have to help him more in other ways in the future!

At that, Huo Yuhao noticed the Yellow Soul Ring floating above the snake and finally relaxed.

Now he understood that the Soul Beast had clearly been trying to ambush him. Fortunately, the big brother before him had saved him. Huo Yuhao bowed to Ye Guchen in gratitude.

"Thank you for saving my life, big brother!"

Ye Guchen couldn't help rubbing his nose. You're thanking me? What would you think if you knew I'd caused all this?

But on the surface, he acted as though nothing had happened and pretended not to know Huo Yuhao.

"It was nothing. By the way, how did a little Level 10 Soul Scholar like you get the nerve to come into the Star Dou Great Forest alone to hunt for a Soul Ring?"

Huo Yuhao looked uneasy. A powerful sense of inferiority washed over him, and he hardly dared meet Ye Guchen's eyes.

"I... I couldn't afford to hire a Soul Hunting group..."

His voice grew softer with every word until it was almost inaudible.

Seeing this, Ye Guchen stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder.

"Good for you!"

Huo Yuhao stared at him blankly.

"Uh... huh?"

Ye Guchen patted his shoulder again.

"I said, good for you. You've got a bit of a man's spirit! That's how a real man should be!"

Huo Yuhao was flattered. No one had ever praised him like that, not once in his life.

"Still, though I admire your courage in venturing into the Star Dou Great Forest alone, I don't approve of what you did. After all, if you lose your life, you lose everything!"

Huo Yuhao nodded in agreement. He was just about to say something, but when he looked up, he saw Ye Guchen staring gravely toward the direction he had come from.

"This is bad, little brother. My junior fellow disciples are in danger. Stay here. I'll come back for you later!"

After the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's sacrifice had caused such a huge commotion, Ye Guchen had been keeping his spiritual power focused in a straight line a thousand meters long, continuously scanning the surroundings.

Just now, at the edge of his range, he had sensed Tang Ya and Beibei being chased by a Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Cave Demon Spider.

He had clearly underestimated the scale of the commotion he had caused. A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast had actually been drawn to this outer region!

Ye Guchen immediately summoned the Martial Soul Contract Grimoire, flipped it open to the first page, and called forth a nearly two-meter-long emerald scorpion.

"There's no time to explain. It's my pet beast. I'll leave it here to protect you. Remember, this area isn't safe anymore. You have to follow it!"

Ye Guchen's voice was urgent. Huo Yuhao was a little afraid of the scorpion Soul Beast, but seeing how anxious Ye Guchen looked, he knew that his friend must be in grave danger. There was no time to think, so he could only nod.

Ye Guchen then flipped open the second page of the Contract Grimoire, and a giant bird wreathed in blazing flames emerged from it.

Ye Guchen leaped onto the giant bird's back and flew toward Beibei and the others.

Watching Ye Guchen's retreating figure, Huo Yuhao felt smaller than ever.

Meanwhile, Beibei and Tang Ya were being chased in a sorry state by a Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Cave Demon Spider.

"Damn it, how can there be a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest? Xiaoya, run! I'll hold it off!"

As the Earth Cave Demon Spider drew closer, Beibei knew that if things continued like this, it would catch up with them sooner or later. Then neither of them would escape.

Rather than wait for it to catch them and have them both die, he would buy his beloved a chance to survive.

But Tang Ya had no intention of letting Beibei sacrifice himself to save her.

"Stop talking nonsense! I'm your teacher. If anyone's staying behind, it should be me!"

As the two argued, the Earth Cave Demon Spider fired a huge web straight at them.

Beibei noticed it first and dodged the ambush with a quick sidestep. Tang Ya, however, didn't have such sharp senses, and the sudden web caught her fast.

Seeing that escape was impossible, Tang Ya shouted at Beibei as he rushed toward her.

"Don't bother with me! Run! And you'd better remember this, I, Tang Ya, love you!"

But Beibei acted as if he hadn't heard her and charged toward Tang Ya without hesitation.

By then, the Earth Cave Demon Spider was less than a hundred meters away from them!