A Great Terror... and Purification?

The roars and fighting sounds that originally belonged to the Soul Beast completely disappeared, leaving only the chilling, continuous "thud" sounds and the muffled thuds of corpses falling to the ground.

Sunlight filtered through the sparse tree canopy, dappling the piled-up corpses of Soul Beast and creating an eerie and cruel scene.

Lin Xia went from initial shock to numbness, and then to complete focus on sensing pollution signals.

He deeply felt the terrifying power hidden behind Bibi Dong's "brutal" and "efficient" methods.

This is not just about overwhelming strength, but also about the ingenious application of the Death Law and the ability to quickly filter target information.

This efficiency is unmatched by any conventional exploration method.

In less than an hour.

When Bibi Dong's figure finally stopped at the edge of a relatively open woodland, the "Shadow Forest" behind her was already deathly silent.

The corpses of hundreds of Soul Beast silently recounted what had just happened.

Lin Xia and Ivysaur stood behind her, slightly out of breath. The purplish-black markings on Ivysaur's back were still faintly glowing, but the direction of the light was now very clear.

Lin Xia pointed ahead, to an area where the forest was deeper, the trees were taller, and the light was dimmer—the edge of the inner region of the Star Dou Forest.

"Master, it's basically confirmed. The core area affected by the Pollution Source is near this border!"

Lin Xia's voice carried a hint of weariness, but more so a firm determination to Lock-On her target.

"The area extending from the outer perimeter inwards covers several miles, with the 'Black Swamp Forest' in front of us being the core. The density of corrupted Soul Beast is the highest, and the level of corruption is the deepest! The Shadow Forest is just the outer affected area."

He paused, then added:

"Moreover, the pollution appears to be spreading slowly from the inside out."

Bibi Dong nodded slightly, her purple eyes like cold pools, gazing at the depths of the forest ahead, which exuded an even more oppressive atmosphere.

The chilling aura of killing intent that had gathered around her had not completely dissipated, making her figure appear exceptionally menacing.

"As expected, it's located at this border... It seems the 'thing' inside intends to use this buffer zone to spread undetected."

She whispered coldly, then decisively gave the order.

"The outer perimeter has been cleared, and the initial area has Lock-On. Next, we should venture deeper into this 'Black Swamp Forest' to see what kind of 'demons and monsters' are lurking inside."

She turned to look at Lin Xia and Ivysaur, the coldness in her eyes softening slightly, but her tone remained unquestionable.

"Stay close to me, let me see what's causing this trouble!"

Lin Xia took a deep breath and looked firmly into the dark forest ahead.

Ivysaur also let out a low, alert "Dana!", its Four-Colored Light Wheel spinning faster, ready to face even greater challenges.

Edge of the Black Swamp Forest.

A suffocating, oppressive atmosphere filled the air.

It wasn't just the humus-like smell unique to swamps; it was also mixed with an indescribable chill and deathly stillness that seemed to originate from the depths of one's soul.

The tall, twisted branches of the trees were an ominous gray-black, and the sparse leaves were covered with a sickly dark green. Underfoot was slippery mud covered with sticky moss, and each step was accompanied by a slight feeling of sinking.

The varying shades of grayish-green miasma, like a living veil, drifted slowly through the forest, obscuring the view. Even the sunlight seemed unable to Infiltrator this murky curtain, casting only pale, dreary patches of light.

Lin Xia followed closely behind Bibi Dong, her mind highly focused.

He could clearly sense the omnipresent malice in his surroundings, as if countless eyes were peering into the depths of the miasma.

Ivysaur let out a low croak, and the Four-Colored Light Wheel on its back, which combined the essence of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, the Angel Divine Mark, the Rakshasa Divine Mark, and the golden-green life force, lit up slightly. It spontaneously expanded into a faint halo with a radius of one meter, enveloping it and Lin Xia and dispelling the foul aura that was trying to invade.

"Master, according to the map and our aura sensing, the core area of the pollution should be at the center of the densest miasma ahead."

Lin Xia said in a low voice, her sharp gaze sweeping across the churning, gray-green wall of mist in front of her.

However, Bibi Dong was walking ahead, suddenly stopped without warning.

Her tall, purple figure stood like a frozen statue, and the immense Soul Power belonging to Titled Douluo instantly receded to its limit, replaced by a state of complete concentration.

Her beautiful brows furrowed tightly, and her deep purple eyes no longer held the absolute control and confidence she displayed when facing the Nether Ghost Tree, but instead, unusually, revealed a hint of... seriousness?

Even a fleeting moment of surprise or doubt?

Lin Xia's heart skipped a beat.

The person who could elicit such an expression from their master was no ordinary individual!

He immediately stopped and nervously approached Bibi Dong, his voice carrying a barely Frisk tension.

"Master? What happened? Why have we stopped moving forward?"

He followed Bibi Dong's gaze and saw nothing unusual ahead except for the increasingly dense miasma and twisted trees.

However, the Four-Colored Light Wheel on Ivysaur's back began to spin faster, especially the purple-black pattern representing the Rakshasa Divine Power, whose light flickered like a warning signal.

Bibi Dong did not turn around. Her mental power was like the most sophisticated radar, Infiltrator layers of miasma and scanning the seemingly desolate area ahead.

She took a deep breath, the air seeming heavy and viscous, leaving a chill on her exquisite face. Under Lin Xia's anxious gaze, she slowly spoke, her voice low and chilling, each word carrying immense weight.

"Ahead... there is great terror."

"A great terror?"

Lin Xia was taken aback; the word carried immense weight coming from her master's mouth!

He immediately thought it might be some kind of dormant Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, or that the pollution had caused a terrifying mutation.

But Bibi Dong's next words instantly filled his mind with huge question marks.

"This aura... is domineering and vast."

Bibi Dong's brows furrowed even more, and the doubt in her voice almost became a tangible expression.

"And it seems... to be 'purifying' this area?"

"Great terror... and purification?"

Lin Xia was completely dumbfounded.

How can these two words, one representing extreme destruction and threat, and the other representing sacred cleansing and rebirth, be put together?

This was completely beyond his comprehension!

He subconsciously looked at Ivysaur and noticed that the Rakshasa Divine Mark on its back were flashing more rapidly, while the golden-green light representing its life force was also slightly brightening, as if it was resisting some invisible pressure.

"Master, this..."

Lin Xia was about to ask further when she saw Bibi Dong's expression suddenly change!

"They're here!"

Bibi Dong's voice suddenly rose in pitch, carrying an unprecedented urgency!

Before she could even explain, a fierce glint flashed in her purple eyes, and her right hand shot out like lightning, grabbing Lin Xia's shoulder and dragging him far away from this eerie place!

The indescribable, terrifying pressure she sensed was sweeping in from the core of the miasma ahead at an unimaginable speed!