Farewell, Ferocious Beasts

Xiao Cui lightly beat her wings as she led the way, her face still carrying a trace of pallor from the lightning tribulation. The life energy in the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest was so dense that it had condensed into a pale green mist; every breath felt as though it drew in the most ancient essence of life. Tang Wulin's black hair appeared even more tranquil amid the hazy mist. The Blue Silver Emperor bloodline within him, like a wanderer returning home, resonated joyfully with the boundless network of Blue Silver Grass beneath his feet. Gu Yuena's silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, her violet eyes deep. She felt every cell in her body breathing in rhythm with this primeval forest. An indescribable sense of belonging and quiet majesty slowly awakened from the depths of her soul, silently replacing her initial confusion.

Yet the tranquility of this forbidden core region was destined to be shattered.

"Boom!"

Ahead and to the side, several ancient trees that would have taken multiple people to encircle were torn apart and flung away like brittle reeds. A dark golden figure, towering like an iron tower and carrying a suffocatingly savage aura, brazenly blocked their path. He was a giant man over three meters tall, his muscles knotted like forged metal. A crude dark golden fur cloak hung from his body, while veins bulged across his bare arms. His knuckles were thick, and his nails gleamed with a metallic chill. His face was rugged, and pure, destructive fury burned in his bell-sized eyes as they locked tightly onto... Tang Wulin.

The Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear, Xiong Jun!

The giant man's rage froze the instant it met Tang Wulin's calm black eyes, like a red-hot iron plunged into icy water. His massive body suddenly stiffened. The blood-red pupils that had brimmed with the desire for destruction were instantly replaced by a deeper, more primal emotion—one that mingled shock, disbelief, and a trace of fear etched into his very soul!

"It... it's you... That's impossible..."

His thunderous voice was forced out from deep in his throat, trembling visibly. His enormous palms, capable of splitting mountains and shattering stone, actually drew back slightly against his will. His burly body even unconsciously assumed the faintest posture of retreat. That brief confrontation ten thousand years ago, yet one seared into his soul—the absolute suppression of bloodline, the agonizing pain and helplessness when his claws had nearly shattered—now assaulted his mind like the most terrifying nightmare. It was him! It had to be that terrifying being who bore the origin of destruction! Even after ten thousand years, even with his aura restrained as deeply as an abyss, the pressure from the pinnacle of the bloodline could not possibly be mistaken!

Almost at the same time, a violet-black alluring figure gathered in the clearing like drifting smoke. She was an incomparably seductive woman dressed in a close-fitting violet-black scaled gown that outlined her breathtaking curves. Her face was enchanting, and every glance of her eyes carried natural charm, yet waves of darkness and destruction that made one's heart tremble radiated from her body.

The Hell Dragon King, Zi Ji!

The instant she appeared, her gaze searched anxiously. When it fell upon Gu Yuena, uncontrollable ecstasy and excitement erupted across her enchanting face. Her red lips parted, ready to call out. But her gaze inevitably swept over the black-haired young man beside Gu Yuena.

In an instant, her delicate body shuddered violently, as if frozen through by invisible ice! All her seductiveness vanished, replaced by the utmost terror instinctively born from her dragon bloodline toward a higher level of destructive power! Even the dragon tail hidden beneath her skirt seemed to stiffen, taking on a posture that was almost defensive and submissive. "That... that power... You..." Her voice was dry and tight, and she could not form a complete sentence.

Gu Yuena stepped forward. An invisible majesty naturally spread from her, pulling the two humanoid ferocious beasts back from the extreme shock of their emotions. Her violet eyes were cool as they swept over the dark golden giant standing as though before a formidable enemy and the pale-faced enchanting woman. Her voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.

"We have forgotten the past. We came here to find something."

The simple statement exploded like thunder in Xiong Jun and Zi Ji's minds.

Forgotten? Their lord had forgotten the past? Even the baleful star beside her had forgotten as well?

The muscles on Xiong Jun's huge face twitched. His gaze shifted repeatedly between Gu Yuena and Tang Wulin, shock, confusion, grievance, and that inescapable fear intertwining into utter chaos. Several meaningless growls rumbled from his throat. In the end, the rage and killing intent he had accumulated were forcibly pressed back down beneath the tug-of-war between his loyalty to Gu Yuena and his bone-deep fear of Tang Wulin. Only his heavy breathing revealed the turmoil within him.

Zi Ji was more quick-witted. She forcefully suppressed the storm of emotions within her, took a deep breath, and bowed deeply to Gu Yuena with utmost respect.

"Your return is the highest glory of our clan. It is only that... your state, and this one's... are matters of great importance. This subordinate respectfully requests that I immediately guide you to see the Beast God, so that he may decide how to proceed."

She skillfully avoided directly addressing Tang Wulin and pushed the decision to a higher existence. Gu Yuena could sense the surging waves within these two powerful soul beasts, especially the fear of Tang Wulin that they could barely conceal. She tilted her head slightly and looked at Tang Wulin. Seeing that his black eyes remained calm and that he had no objection, she nodded indifferently.

"Lead the way."

Thus, the group became increasingly large and strange. The dark golden giant walked at the front with pent-up frustration, each step making the ground tremble faintly, yet he did not dare look back again. The enchanting woman followed silently behind him, her posture respectful, though the tight line of her shoulders exposed the extreme unrest in her heart. Feiyun restrained her aura and quietly followed farther back.

Along the way, more gazes came from the darkest corners of the forest.

A young man clad in a dark green robe, with an ancient-looking face and countless tiny whirlpools seemingly turning in the depths of his eyes, appeared soundlessly beneath the shadow of an ancient tree—the Demon Eye Tree, Myriad Demon King. His deep gaze swept over them and turned reverent when it touched Gu Yuena. Yet when his eyes passed over Tang Wulin, those placid eyes suddenly contracted. The whirlpools in his pupils spun rapidly, as though he had seen something utterly terrifying. The fingers hidden within his sleeves curled slightly. In the end, he merely let out a nearly inaudible sigh of horror, and his figure slowly merged into the tree's shadow, making no further movement.

Tang Wulin walked silently among the greatest predators of the Star Dou Great Forest. He could clearly feel those gazes—from the suppressed fury of the dark golden giant, the deeply hidden fear of the enchanting woman, the silent horror of the dark green-robed youth... Those gazes seemed tangible, weaving into an invisible net that shrouded him. They knew him, feared him, and perhaps... even hated him.

This deepened his desire to uncover his blank past, while also giving rise to a complicated premonition about the dormant destructive power within him—the power that could throw all beasts into panic. Who exactly am I?

Gu Yuena followed closely at his side, the coolness in her violet eyes growing deeper. She could keenly sense the barely concealed negative emotions these powerful beings held toward Tang Wulin, and an inexplicable trace of displeasure and irritation rose within her. Without making a sound, she moved one imperceptible step closer to Tang Wulin, until she was almost walking shoulder to shoulder with him. This minute gesture made the dark golden giant leading the way stiffen through his back, caused the silent enchanting woman's lashes to tremble faintly, and made the hidden watchers' thoughts grow ever more grave.

The tearing sensation between loyalty to the source of their bloodline and fear of destructive power spread wildly through the hearts of these ferocious beasts. They watched their amnesiac lord with reverence. Why had she appeared once more alongside Tang Wulin? The weight of history from ten thousand years ago and the silence of the present pressed down upon them. Every question, every fear, every suppressed hostility continued to accumulate and ferment as they advanced through this oppressive atmosphere.

The group of one human and soul beasts slowly made their way through the strange, tense air toward the place held in the highest reverence throughout the forest—the Lake of Life.