Boom!
That casually spoken sentence exploded in Xiao Wu's mind like a bolt from the blue!
The color instantly drained from her face, and her body went rigid. A terror rising from deep within her bloodline nearly robbed her of the ability to breathe. A Titled Douluo! That was an existence capable of rivaling a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast at its peak. Her mother... had died at the hands of a Titled Douluo!
And now, she, a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, had appeared right beneath the eyes of a Titled Douluo and had even ridden in the same carriage.
Having heard the answer she least wanted to hear, coupled with Bai Shu's meaningful "Little Rabbit," Xiao Wu could no longer keep acting. Her eyes instantly reddened, and her voice carried a faint tremble of tears.
"Bai Shu, y-you... you don't mean to... to do something to me, do you?"
Seeing Xiao Wu's reddened eyes and trembling body, as though she would burst into tears at any moment, Bai Shu helplessly raised a hand and lightly tapped her smooth forehead.
"Enough. If I wanted to kill you for your ring and bone, would you still be hopping around so lively now? Old Xie wouldn't lay a hand on you either. On the contrary, as long as you follow me, he'll protect you."
Tears welled in Xiao Wu's eyes as she looked up at Bai Shu's helpless yet earnest expression. She asked uncertainly, "R-really? You're not lying to me?"
Bai Shu asked in return as if it were only natural, "Of course it's true. Do I need to lie to you? Besides..." He looked her up and down, then curled his lip. "The spirit ring and Spirit Bone of a Stupid Rabbit like you wouldn't suit me anyway. They're too weak."
Xiao Wu had been slightly relieved by the first half of his words, but the second half instantly made her bristle. Her grievance immediately turned into anger.
She sprang up from her seat, planted her hands on her hips, and shouted indignantly, "Who are you calling a Stupid Rabbit? Sister Xiao Wu is a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast! How could a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast's spirit ring and Spirit Bone possibly be weak?!"
The moment those words left her mouth, not only did Bai Shu freeze, but even Xie Biyan, who had been focused on driving the carriage, could not help glancing back at Xiao Wu through the gap in the window. In his cloudy old eyes appeared, for perhaps the first time ever, a trace of... concern for the intellectually challenged.
The air inside the carriage instantly fell into dead silence.
After shouting, Xiao Wu froze as well. Looking at the shocked gazes Bai Shu and Xie Biyan cast her way, she belatedly realized what she had said. Her little hands helplessly covered her mouth, while her big eyes were filled with three words: I'm doomed.
"Damn..." Bai Shu finally broke the silence, speechlessly uttering those two words as he gave Xiao Wu a thumbs-up.
He was now not only questioning the quality of Xiao Wu's spirit ring—he was also wondering whether absorbing this Silly Rabbit's spirit ring would affect his brain.
Thinking of some of Tang San's actions in the later parts of the original story, Bai Shu could not help nodding in deep agreement. This deduction made perfect sense.
The ten-day journey passed in a flash. Along the way, the three of them passed through several towns and took in the local customs before finally arriving at their destination without haste—the Sunset Forest.
They left their carriage at an inn near the forest, then proceeded deeper inside on foot.
The trees in the Sunset Forest were more primordial, and the air was filled with the scent of damp earth and lush vegetation. Insects chirped and birds called all around them. If one ignored the dangers within, it was actually quite a nice tourist destination.
Although it could not compare to the Star Dou Forest, there were still quite a few Spirit Beasts over ten thousand years old here, so Bai Shu and the others remained vigilant.
"Young Master, the Spirit Beast you seek is of the life type. Such Spirit Beasts are rather rare, and most are guarded by other powerful Spirit Beasts. We may need to go deeper," Xie Biyan suggested.
Bai Shu considered it briefly and agreed. With Xie Biyan, a Super Douluo, present, there was no need to worry about safety.
Unfortunately, life-type Spirit Beasts were simply too rare. The three searched from morning until dusk, yet still found nothing.
After a full day of traveling, Xiao Wu was clearly reaching her limit. She plopped down on a large bluish stone, her slender legs dangling weakly. "Ahh~ I don't want to walk anymore. I'm so tired. My feet are about to break~"
Bai Shu shot her a glance and said irritably, "I haven't even said I'm tired, and you're a mere backup spirit ring. How dare you complain? Get up and keep looking."
That was right. After Xiao Wu's self-promotion and campaigning, her identity had now become Bai Shu's backup spirit ring.
Xiao Wu pouted unhappily. Even after more than ten days, whenever she recalled her idiotic declaration in the carriage, she wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground.
Although she was no longer particularly afraid of Bai Shu after spending this time together, she still felt instinctive fear toward Xie Biyan, a genuine Titled Douluo.
Left with no choice, she reluctantly got up from the stone and continued following Bai Shu.
However, after Xiao Wu's fuss, Bai Shu could not help pondering the matter. Searching like this for a needle in a haystack truly wasted too much time. He needed to find a faster method.
Suddenly, inspiration struck Bai Shu. He remembered the method Tang San had used in the original story to search for Spirit Beasts after awakening his Blue Silver Emperor.
"Old Xie, in a moment, I'll use my martial soul to sense where life-type Spirit Beasts are. However, this method will definitely attract Spirit Beasts across a wide area. Just drive them away; there's no need to kill them."
"Yes, Young Master." As he spoke, Xie Biyan glanced at Xiao Wu beside him. Seeing her look genuinely moved, he could not help giving Bai Shu a thumbs-up. As expected of the Young Master—he had this Silly Rabbit completely wrapped around his finger.
Naturally, Bai Shu had no idea about Xie Biyan's elaborate inner thoughts. Seeing him agree, he no longer hesitated and directly released his martial soul.
In an instant, a pale cyan mist spread from his hand. A fresh aura of life filled the surroundings, making even breathing feel soothing.
This aura held a fatal attraction for any Spirit Beast. If a Spirit Beast caught its scent, it would definitely rush over at once.
But this was merely the appetizer.
The next moment, Bai Shu narrowed his black eyes and shouted, "Life Domain, open!"
In an instant, visible emerald-green ripples spread out from him, sweeping in all directions at astonishing speed!
Wherever the ripples passed, the weeds beneath their feet grew wildly at a visible rate. Withered vines sprouted tender green buds anew, and even the towering ancient trees let out joyful hums!
That was right—this was Bai Shu's method! The Life Domain could also communicate with plants. Unlike the Blue Silver Emperor, which could only communicate with Blue Silver Grass, before this God Level plant-type martial soul, the countless plants in the forest—whether flowers, grass, or trees—all had to obey its command and acknowledge him as their master!
After issuing commands to the plants around him, countless streams of chaotic information poured into Bai Shu's mind like a tide. He closed his eyes and swiftly sorted through the intelligence coming from all directions.
Only a moment later, Bai Shu opened his eyes again. A sharp gleam flashed through them as he said to Xie Biyan, "Found it. Follow me."
With that, Bai Shu took the lead and headed toward the direction he had just sensed.
After traveling roughly half a kilometer, the view before the three suddenly opened up. They had arrived at a vast bamboo forest. The air here was fresher and more humid than elsewhere, and as the breeze passed through, the bamboo leaves rustled pleasantly.
Xiao Wu curiously looked at the tall, emerald bamboo around them and could not help asking, "Bai Shu, the Spirit Beast you're looking for... is a bamboo?"
Bai Shu nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting. "That's right. If the plants' feedback was correct, a very rare Bamboo Spirit Beast should be hidden here."
Before you continue