A Giant Octopus?

Bi Ji slowly withdrew her Life Force, her gaze towards Lin Xia and Bibi Dong was filled with complex emotions.

Shocked by the powerful strength and decisiveness of the Martial Soul Pope, even more astonished by the purification ability displayed by that boy and his strange Martial Soul partner, which was almost restrained by pollution!

Especially that golden-red Sun Wheel, its purifying essence even touched her, the master of life.

Bi Ji landed gracefully and walked up to Lin Xia, looking at him intently. She then glanced at the tired but determined Ivysaur, and finally turned to Bibi Dong, her tone filled with unprecedented solemnity and a hint of barely Frisk expectation.

"Your His Holiness the Pope, this young friend... and his companions, their power... especially that Purification Light, may be the key to eradicating this forest's affliction! I wonder..."

Bi Ji paused, seemingly considering her words.

"I wonder if Your Majesty would allow this young friend, at an appropriate time and under the premise of ensuring safety, to assist me in purifying this place?"

Bibi Dong and Lin Xia's eyes met in mid-air, and after confirming something, Bibi Dong spoke directly:

"Bi Ji Excellency, the danger here is extraordinary. To ensure everything goes smoothly, would you mind waiting a while?"

"Qian Daoliu, the Grand Pontiff of my Spirit Hall, will arrive near the core area of Star Dou Forest soon."

"He possesses the Angel Spirit, with Soul Power level of ninety-nine and a demigod's body. He is considered an authority in this world when it comes to purifying evil spirits, stabilizing one's origin, and dealing with various extreme situations."

"If he were to be present to protect us, even if something unforeseen happens... there would be more room for maneuver."

Bibi Dong subtly pointed out Qian Daoliu's authority in "purification," which undoubtedly hit the pollution problem that Bi Ji was most concerned about.

Bi Ji's clear, emerald-lake-like eyes flickered slightly, her long eyelashes drooping as she fell into deep thought.

The gentle aura of life emanating from her seemed to rise and fall with her thoughts.

Lin Xia and Qian Renxue's gazes also focused on her, awaiting the decision of this forest guardian.

Time seemed to stretch out, and the forest night grew ever quieter.

Finally, Bi Ji slowly raised her head. Her gaze lingered for a moment on Lin Xia's youthful yet resolute face, then swept over Bibi Dong's purple eyes, which held a hint of worry yet remained majestic. Finally, she nodded gently, her voice like a clear spring flowing through jade.

"Very well... This pollution is strange and unpredictable; even I haven't been able to delve into its core to see its full extent. If a level 99 peak human expert were to be there to look after it, the risk would certainly be greatly reduced. In that case... I'll have to trouble you all."

Her words carried a hint of relief, while also presupposing the legitimacy of the intervention of powerful human beings at this juncture.

Let's stay here and guard this place for a while.

She added, her gaze drifting towards the Black Swamp Forest, where a persistent, grayish-green Poison Miasma lingered, appearing particularly eerie even in the night.

An unspoken understanding filled the air.

Bibi Dong did not mention the fundamental contradiction between humans hunting for Soul Ring and the survival of Soul Beast, nor did Bi Ji emphasize the ironclad rule that Soul Beast territory is inviolable.

Faced with the eerie shadow of "contamination" and the shared goal of obtaining a special Soul Ring, both sides temporarily set aside their hatred that had lasted for tens of thousands of years and chose to cooperate cautiously.

Soon, a simple but safe enough temporary camp was set up on a relatively dry and sheltered high ground, far from the edge of the Poison Miasma Swamp.

Limber animal skin blanket was spread out, insulating the damp, cold ground.

Bibi Dong waved her hand, creating a powerful Soul Power Barrier that isolated her from the erosion of the Poison Miasma and the spying of the Soul Beast outside.

The Courtney was relit, dispelling the chill from the depths of the forest and casting long shadows of the three people sitting around it onto the ancient, mottled tree trunks behind them.

The flickering firelight illuminated Bibi Dong's serene profile, Bi Ji's emerald-clear eyes, and Lin Xia's inquisitive gaze.

After a brief silence, Bibi Dong broke the tranquility. Her voice restored the Pope's composure and inquisitiveness, and her sharp gaze fell upon Bi Ji.

"Lady Bi Ji, the pollution here is incredibly strange. It can even corrupt a pure light beast like the Holy Light Unicorn, and even perfectly conceal itself beneath its divine appearance. If it weren't for Xiao Xia and Ivysaur's special senses, we would have almost been affected."

"This is nothing more than something that ordinary Soul Beast or natural phenomena could cause. You've been stationed here for a year; do you know where this pollution... comes from?"

This question, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirred deep ripples in Bi Ji's eyes.

Beneath the pure radiance of life in her emerald eyes, a thick, impenetrable gloom seemed to rise, along with a hint of... lingering fear.

Bi Ji remained silent for an even longer time, seemingly recalling a terrifying past she didn't want to revisit.

Her fingers unconsciously twirled a piece of emerald green feather on the hem of her skirt, and the soft halo around her dimmed, revealing a heavy sense of weariness.

Finally, she spoke slowly, her voice no longer as melodious as a clear spring, but with a hoarse, heavy tone, as if each word carried immense weight:

"One year ago..."

Her gaze drifted deeper into the Black Swamp Forest, as if she had traveled through time and space to witness the moment when disaster struck.

"Without warning, an extremely fine crack suddenly appeared in the core area of Star Dou Forest."

She raised her hand and gently traced a line in the air with her slender fingers, a faint emerald light outlining a twisted, irregular thin line.

"That wasn't a spatial teleportation channel; it was more like... Sheer Force torn, extremely unstable wound. The crack was very small and fleeting; if I hadn't possessed an exceptionally keen sense of the forest's life force, I would have been almost completely unaware of Frisk."

Her voice lowered, filled with barely concealed fear.

"The instant the crack disappeared, something... fell down."

Bi Ji's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and a deep sense of disgust and fear flashed in her eyes.

"That was a monster I had never seen before... I wasn't even sure if it should be called a 'Soul Beast'! It... it resembled a giant, writhing octopus, but far more... blasphemous than any deep-sea kraken!"

She struggled to find the words to describe that indescribable thing.

"Its main body was a constantly writhing mass of flesh, flowing with a viscous, dark purple liquid, like an aggregate of rotting internal organs. Countless 'tentacles,' seemingly twisted from rotten tentacles, extended from the mass of flesh, each covered with densely packed, constantly opening and closing Suction Cups. Inside the Suction Cups were not fleshy buds, but... countless tiny fragments of eyes, shimmering with a malevolent purple light!"

"In its 'head' position, there were no eyes, only a constantly rotating, dark purple vortex that seemed to devour light, radiating pure malice and ominousness that could freeze one's soul!"