Star Dou Great Forest, Cock's Comb Snake

Over an hour later, the sky brightened, and the small town fully awakened.

Zhao Linchuan, accompanied by Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong, walked down the stairs from their second-floor guest rooms with calm composure.

Jin Da had already instructed the hotel staff to lay out a rich and exquisite breakfast on a clean table by the window.

The group took their seats and began to eat.

Ning Rongrong's large eyes darted around, her face unable to hide her excitement and curiosity.

She scooped up a spoonful of porridge, leaned in toward Xiao Wu, lowered her voice, and said with a beaming smile:

"Xiao Wu, I really didn't expect you to be so powerful when you fight, especially since you look so dainty!"

"That blond guy yesterday was so huge, yet you just rushed over with a 'whoosh' and sent him flying with a single 'bang' of your fist! That was so cool!"

She paused, then remembered something else and asked curiously, "By the way, yesterday I saw you appear at the stairwell with a 'swish,' and then you were in front of that blond guy with another 'swish'—it was just like teleportation!"

"How did you do that? Was it a soul skill? But I didn't see you release any soul rings!"

Xiao Wu swallowed her food and explained with a smile:

"Mm, it is one of my soul skills. However, my Young Master taught me a special secret technique that allows me to use soul skills without manifesting my soul rings."

"Oh~~ so there's a secret technique like that!"

Ning Rongrong's eyes sparkled with wonder as she exclaimed, "That's amazing! As expected of..."

She snuck a glance at Zhao Linchuan, swallowed the words "your Young Master," and turned to look at him instead, asking in a lively tone:

"Hey, where are we going to play after we finish eating? It seems like there's nothing fun left to do around the Star Dou Great Forest."

Zhao Linchuan replied:

"After breakfast, you and Zhuqing stay at the hotel or walk around the town, but don't go too far."

"Xiao Wu and I have something to take care of, so we're going out alone."

"Going out alone?!"

Ning Rongrong immediately caught the keyword. A "I know exactly what's going on" smile bloomed on her small face, and she dragged out her words in a sarcastic, sing-song tone:

"Oh~~~ Big Brother, is it that my presence and Zhuqing's are delaying you and 'Little Sister Xiao Wu' from attending to your 'important business'?"

She blinked her large eyes and deliberately used a tone that suggested she was being "very understanding": "If you feel that Zhuqing and I are eyesores, you could have just said so in advance~"

"Zhuqing and I would certainly be sensible enough to clear out and give you enough space and time to go 'attend to your business' in peace and at your own leisure~"

"Is an hour enough for you~? If not, we can wait a little longer~"

"Just eat your food!" Zhao Linchuan rolled his eyes at her, too lazy to deal with this eccentric little witch, and continued his meal.

On the other side, on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Zhao Wuji led Dai Mubai and the others, who had already changed into clean clothes, as they moved silently along a forest path toward the depths of the woods.

All five of them kept their heads down, walking with hurried steps, the atmosphere as oppressive as the dead silence before a storm.

No one spoke, no one blamed anyone else, and there was hardly even any eye contact.

Yet, it was this eerie silence that made the air feel as though it had solidified. The complex emotions of humiliation, anger, lingering fear, and resentment in everyone's hearts fermented and expanded within this silence, nearly bursting their chests.

It was not until they officially stepped into the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest and felt the gradually thickening primal aura and the faint threat of soul beasts that Zhao Wuji finally managed to pull himself together. With a hoarse voice, he spoke dryly to remind everyone to stay safe and remain vigilant.

By noon, sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting mottled spots of light.

The group was just planning to find a place to rest and replenish their energy when, suddenly, a rapid "rustling" sound came from the bushes to their front-left.

"Movement!" Zhao Wuji became alert immediately and ordered in a low voice, "Tang San, your eyes are sharp, go up and see what it is!"

Tang San nodded, a flash of purple light crossing his eyes. He channeled his Mysterious Heaven Skill, his body leaping up as nimbly as a spirit ape.

With a few bounds, he climbed silently to the high branches of a large tree and focused his Purple Demon Eye to look.

A moment later, he reported back in a low voice, tinged with a hint of pleasant surprise: "Teacher Zhao, it's a snake-type soul beast! Judging by its appearance, length, and the fleshy crest on its head, it should be a Phoenix-Tail Cockscomb Serpent of about a thousand years!"

"A Phoenix-Tail Cockscomb Serpent?!" Hearing this, a glimmer of light finally returned to Zhao Wuji's dim eyes. He looked sharply at Oscar, the only one in the group who needed a soul ring. "Little Ao! Your luck has arrived, kid!"

He quickly explained, "The Phoenix-Tail Cockscomb Serpent is quite unique among snake-type soul beasts. It is non-venomous, and its attack methods are relatively simple, relying mainly on Bind and ramming."

"But it has one major characteristic—its speed is extremely fast!"

"If you can obtain its soul ring for your third soul ring, the soul skill you gain will very likely be related to speed!"

"Whether it's to boost your own speed or to create a sausage that provides a speed-up effect, it would be an extremely practical ability!"

Oscar, who had been feeling down due to last night's encounter and his injuries, turned bright red with excitement upon hearing this and nodded repeatedly.

"That's great! Teacher Zhao, let's hurry and catch it..."

"...Stop!"

At the same time, in the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, by the shores of the Lake of Life.

Xiao Wu, accompanied by Zhao Linchuan and Jin Da, arrived at this sacred land of soul beasts.

The lake water was as blue as a mirror, containing vast life energy, while the surrounding ancient trees towered into the sky, shrouded in dense spiritual aura.

Sensing Xiao Wu's presence, two incomparably massive figures, radiating terrifying pressure, slowly rose from the lake and emerged from the depths of the dense forest.

They were none other than the two overlords of the Star Dou Great Forest—the Azure Bull Python "Da Ming" and the Titan Giant Ape "Er Ming."

However, at this moment, these two overlord-level soul beasts did not immediately greet Xiao Wu with their usual affection.

Instead, they cast looks of extreme wariness and vigilance toward the silent, tower-like burly man beside Xiao Wu, as well as the seemingly harmless, unassuming black-haired youth.

Da Ming's lantern-like bull eyes were filled with gravity.

It could clearly sense that within the burly man's body lay a terrifying power, akin to a volcanic eruption; the purity and dominance of that energy made even it feel alarmed.

But what caused tremors and suppression to rise from the depths of its soul was the youth!

The faint, natural aura inadvertently radiating from the boy felt like a gaze from the very pinnacle of the life hierarchy, making it, a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, feel unable to breathe, its bloodline-derived awe and fear nearly impossible to suppress.

Er Ming lowered its massive body even further, emitting uneasy low growls from its throat, its giant eyes fixed firmly on Zhao Linchuan; its beastly instincts told it that he posed a fatal threat.

It was not until Xiao Wu called out "Da Ming! Er Ming!" in a crisp, cheerful voice and hurried to their side to explain the situation that the tense nerves of Da Ming and Er Ming finally relaxed slightly, though the awe in their eyes remained undiminished.