Thunder Dragon Shadow

After the spirit power contest with Meng Yiran, Tang San also broke through to level thirty. Since Oscar's spirit ring was difficult to find, they arrived at an area with the highest concentration of plant-type Soul Beasts.

"Tang San, what kind of Soul Beast are you looking for?" Zhao Wuji asked.

"Teacher Zhao, my first two spirit rings both came from Lone Bamboo. My teacher told me to try and absorb bamboo-type Soul Beasts whenever possible to continue strengthening the toughness of my Blue Silver Grass." Tang San repeated the instructions Yu Xiaogang had given him before he left Nuoding City.

"There is a bamboo forest nearby, though there shouldn't be any Lone Bamboo left. Perhaps we can look for other bamboo-type Soul Beasts." Zhao Wuji nodded.

"Prepare for battle!"

Zhao Wuji stood up abruptly, his Vajra Bear spirit instantly possessing him. Seven spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—appeared.

Without a moment's hesitation, his seventh spirit ring erupted with a dazzling light, and he entered the state of his True Spirit Body.

Dai Mubai, Tang San, and the others also stood up, released their spirits, and scanned their surroundings vigilantly.

"Teacher Zhao, what is it?" Dai Mubai asked.

Before Zhao Wuji could answer, the ground shook violently. A Titan Giant Ape, resembling a small mountain, swept over their heads and stopped in front of Zhao Wuji.

"This is... a Titan Giant Ape!" Tang San recognized the creature and said, "A hundred-year-old Titan Giant Ape can rival a ten-thousand-year-old Soul Beast. Judging by the size of this one, it must be ten thousand years old."

"Respected King of the Forest, we mean no offense. If we have accidentally trespassed into your territory, we shall leave immediately," Zhao Wuji said, bowing respectfully.

The Titan Giant Ape ignored Zhao Wuji's words. It pounded its massive fists against its chest before slamming them heavily onto the ground.

A powerful shockwave instantly rippled outward, blowing everyone from Shrek, except for Zhao Wuji, backward.

"Ah—"

Oscar let out a miserable shriek, reaching out to grab a small tree, but his entire body was still sent drifting backward.

"You fat pig, let go!"

Ma Hongjun hurriedly reached out and grabbed Oscar's ankle.

"I won't let go! I won't let go even if I die!" Ma Hongjun shook his head repeatedly.

"Gravity Enhancement!"

The surrounding gravity suddenly intensified, suppressing and dispersing the powerful shockwave triggered by the Titan Giant Ape.

"You guys go first, I'll stay behind to help Teacher Zhao." As soon as Dai Mubai landed, he spoke to Tang San and the others.

"Third Spirit Skill: White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"

"Second Spirit Skill: White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"

Dai Mubai activated two spirit skills in succession. A platinum-colored White Tiger Intense Light Wave erupted from his tiger maw, charging straight toward the Titan Giant Ape.

"I'll stay to help them too." Ning Rongrong summoned her Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda. "Seven Treasures Glazed Tile, one: Power, two: Speed."

Two streaks of seven-colored light flew from the top of the pagoda and entered the bodies of Zhao Wuji and Dai Mubai.

In the distance, Di Lintian and Na'er, who had just emerged from the core area of the Star Dou Forest, also felt the violent tremors caused by the Titan Giant Ape.

"It seems the Titan Giant Ape has just encountered Shrek. Let's go take a look," Di Lintian said. He spread his Dark Dragon Wings, picked up Na'er, and sped toward the source of the noise.

Before he arrived, he saw the Titan Giant Ape turning to leave, seemingly clutching something in its hand.

The Titan Giant Ape had snatched Xiao Wu; the next sequence should be Tang San's furious pursuit.

Di Lintian continued to fly toward the site of the battle. As soon as he arrived, he saw Tang San absorbing a purple spirit ring.

"Young Pavilion Master, the Human-Faced Demon Spider is right here." Red Fire appeared beside Di Lintian, handed him a storage bag, and briefed him on the current situation. "The Titan Giant Ape knocked Tang San unconscious and took his companion. As soon as he woke up, he hunted a thousand-year-old Sword Bamboo to serve as his third spirit ring."

"Hmm." Di Lintian nodded. This Tang San was truly obsessed with bamboo; why did he keep absorbing bamboo spirit rings? He hadn't even interfered this time.

"Let's head to the town to meet up with Yu Tianheng and the others." Di Lintian flew toward the town, though his gaze kept drifting toward the north.

Di Lintian had already completed the fate-binding with the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and had condensed his fourth spirit ring in the core area.

Outside the town.

"Why haven't the Boss and the Big Sister come out yet?" Oslo asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, Oslo. With Teacher Red Fire there, they must have taken the Boss into the core area to obtain a spirit ring," Yu Tianheng comforted him.

A moment later.

Within the sight of the five members of Royal Academy, a pitch-black meteor flew out from the Star Dou Forest and crashed into their camp, sending up thick smoke.

As the dust settled, the people inside were revealed.

"Boss, Big Sister, you're finally back," Oslo said, relieved.

"I have already absorbed my fourth spirit ring. We will rest here tonight and head to Soto City tomorrow," Di Lintian said.

"I'm afraid that won't work, Boss. I've also broken through to level forty and need a fourth spirit ring." Yu Tianheng fanned away the lingering dust in front of his nose.

"Then we will enter the Star Dou Forest again tomorrow to hunt a thousand-year spirit ring for you."

Yu Tianheng's breakthrough was much faster than in the original story; he remembered that in the original, Yu Tianheng only reached level forty after the battle with the Shrek Seven Devils.

"Dugu Yan, what is your spirit power level now?" Di Lintian looked at Dugu Yan and asked.

"I'm at level thirty-eight. Why, Boss?" Dugu Yan asked, confused as to why Di Lintian had suddenly addressed her.

"I have a two-thousand-year-old Human-Faced Demon Spider here. It has a high chance of producing an External Spirit Bone, but its age is too low for a fourth spirit ring. You decide whether or not to absorb it." Di Lintian then explained to Dugu Yan what an External Spirit Bone was.

It was a carefully considered decision to have Dugu Yan absorb this Human-Faced Demon Spider; the five members of the Imperial Dou Team all possessed excellent innate martial souls and were worth cultivating.

Di Lintian felt that if they were to consume an immortal herb, it was not impossible for them to inherit a godhood during this era of Douluo I, where divine legacies were scattered everywhere. Once this trip to Soto City concluded, he would pay a visit to Dugu Bo's herb garden.

"I... need to think about it," Dugu Yan said after a moment of hesitation.

A treasure comparable to a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and spirit bone was incredibly tempting, but the high probability of success was not a guarantee. Since this concerned her own future, Dugu Yan needed to consider whether or not to take the gamble.

Early the next morning, the Imperial Dou Team entered the Star Dou Forest once again, bypassing the outer perimeter and heading straight into the mixed zone.

They had not been wandering the mixed zone for long before they discovered a lightning-attribute, sub-dragon species crocodile.

Di Lintian used another spirit ability from his hundred-thousand-year head spirit bone—Soul Illusion—to let it experience a painless death.

After Yu Tianheng absorbed it, he gained a powerful offensive spirit ability: Thunder Dragon Shadow.

As no one else reached level forty afterward, the Imperial Dou Team proceeded smoothly toward Soto City.