Deep within the Star Dou Great Forest's core, danger arises

Luo Yun's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

"Erasure?"

"Father."

Luo Shang stopped in his tracks, turned his head to glance at him, and his brows knitted together instantly.

"What is it?"

Luo Yun swallowed hard, his voice sounding a bit airy: "Will I really be erased if I fail the second trial?"

Luo Shang's fingers tightened slightly: "Has the content of the second trial been revealed?"

"Yes, enter the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest core area." Luo Yun enunciated each word clearly, "Time limit: one month. Failure... erasure."

Luo Shang's expression shifted.

For the first time, that face, which was always composed, displayed a look Luo Yun had never seen before.

"The depths of the core area." Luo Shang repeated the five words, his voice very soft, yet each syllable sounded as if it were being squeezed through his teeth.

The Star Dou Great Forest, the depths of the core area.

That was a place even Titled Douluo dared not step into lightly.

The territory of hundred-thousand-year soul beasts.

And an unknown region at that.

Even he, King Frost Extreme, could not guarantee he would walk out of that region alive.

Let alone while bringing along a six-year-old child.

A child who had just obtained his first soul ring and hadn't even warmed up to his soul skill yet.

Luo Shang closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

In his heart, he cursed the fellow who issued this god trial eight hundred times over.

Bullshit god trial.

Is this a test or a murder?

But anger was useless.

Cursing wouldn't change the facts.

"Since that is the case, then we go." Luo Shang opened his eyes, took Luo Yun's hand, and strode toward the depths of the forest.

"Didn't you say we were going back to rest and regroup?"

"There is no time." Luo Shang's voice was as cold as the blade of the Frost Cold Sword.

"It will take us at least half a month just to walk slowly from here to the depths of the core area."

Luo Yun shut his mouth.

The two traveled through the forest; Luo Shang's footsteps were so light they were almost inaudible.

Luo Yun followed behind, trying his best to keep his own footsteps light as well.

After walking for about an hour, Luo Shang suddenly stopped.

Luo Yun nearly collided with his back and hurriedly braked.

Luo Shang turned around, crouched down, and looked Luo Yun in the eye.

His hands pressed onto Luo Yun's shoulders with a weight that was neither too light nor too heavy, but Luo Yun could feel the warmth from his father's fingertips.

"From here on out, you are not to forget a single word I say." Luo Shang's voice was very low, his eyes fixed steadily on Luo Yun.

Luo Yun looked into his father's eyes and nodded.

There was no fear in those eyes, only calmness and gravity, the same look he had when leading troops into battle in the Northern Territory.

"First, from now on, do not release any soul power. Not even a sliver."

Luo Shang held up one finger, "Those soul beasts in the core area are ten thousand times more sensitive to soul power fluctuations than you can imagine. If you leak even a trace, they will be able to smell you from dozens of miles away."

Luo Yun nodded vigorously.

"Second, do not make a sound." Luo Shang held up a second finger.

"Keep your mouth shut. Do not say a single word. Even if you need to cough or sneeze, you hold it in for me."

Luo Yun opened his mouth, then closed it again, opting to nod instead.

"Third." Luo Shang held up a third finger, his gaze deepening, "No matter what you see, if I tell you to run, you must run back without looking back. Do you understand?"

Luo Yun was stunned.

He looked at his father's face; there was no hint of a joke there.

He suddenly felt his nose stuff up and his eyes sting.

His father was doing all this for his god trial.

Why was he so useless... still having to rely on his father!

"...Father."

"Do not cry." Luo Shang's voice suddenly turned stern.

Luo Yun bit his lip.

After a few moments of silence, Luo Yun reached out and hooked his pinky finger around Luo Shang's.

"I promise you." His voice was a bit hoarse, but very earnest. "But you must promise me, too—don't make me have to use this."

Luo Shang looked at that tiny pinky hooked around his own, his eyes reddening slightly, though only for an instant.

He stood up, took a deep breath, and suppressed all his emotions.

"Let's go."

The father and son set off once more.

Luo Yun followed behind Luo Shang, his steps light, his lips pressed tightly together, not saying another word.

If only I could become strong enough!

Then I wouldn't need Father's protection; I could protect my family myself!

The Core Circle.

Half a month later.

The two stood before a lake, their mouths slightly agape.

The lake was so vast that its edges were nowhere to be seen; the water was as clear as a giant sapphire, with a thin layer of mist drifting across its surface.

The grass by the shore was incredibly soft.

The air was saturated with an intense, extreme aura of life. Just by breathing it in for a short while, Luo Yun felt more than half of the fatigue in his body washed away.

They had been through a lot over the past half-month.

They had encountered a 100,000-year-old Titan Giant Ape.

When that creature charged out of the forest, Luo Yun only felt the ground shaking. Before he could even see what it was, Luo Shang had grabbed him and tossed him behind his back.

By the time he regained his senses, he saw a black giant ape taller than the gatehouse of Frost Ridge City, its two eyes glowing like lanterns with a scarlet light.

His father had reacted instantly.

The moment the Frost Cold Sword was unsheathed, the surrounding temperature plummeted. The Titan Giant Ape's fist slammed down, blasting a two-meter-deep crater into the ground, showering Luo Yun's face with gravel and dirt.

Luo Shang did not linger to fight; he grabbed Luo Yun and ran.

The Titan Giant Ape chased them for a while before stopping at some invisible boundary line, letting out a deafening roar, and then turning to vanish back into the dense forest.

It was clearly afraid to follow them inside.

However, Luo Yun could not understand what could possibly be in such a beautiful place that would deter a 100,000-year-old Titan Giant Ape.

Luo Shang stood by the lake and took a deep breath, feeling the wounds on his back slowly knitting together.

"The aura of life here... is more than a hundred times denser than in the outside world." His voice was soft, carrying a hint of disbelief.

Luo Shang crouched down and reached out to test the temperature of the lake water.

The water was warm, as if something at the bottom of the lake was radiating heat.

He hesitated for a moment, then cupped a handful of water and took a sip.

The water was sweet.

It carried a faint, grassy fragrance.

He didn't drink any more, merely rinsed his mouth, and stood up.

"Let's go."

"It's too quiet here; something is wrong."

Luo Yun nodded and was about to take a step.

Just then.

BOOM!

Several terrifying waves of pressure descended from the sky, slamming into the two of them like an invisible mountain.

"Not good!"

Luo Yun's legs went weak, and his knees crashed directly into the ground.

The pressure was so heavy that he found it difficult even to breathe, and his vision began to black out.

Luo Shang was faring no better.

His knees were slightly bent, and the Frost Cold Sword manifested from his palm, its tip digging into the ground to barely steady his frame.

But his face was deathly pale, the veins on his forehead were bulging, and his hand gripping the hilt was trembling violently.

The soul power of a level 95 Super Douluo surged frantically within his body, attempting to resist the pressure, but it had little effect.