The Star Dou Overlord Was Stunned—What Exactly Was This Kid?

Yue Xi's personality was completely different from Zhu Mao's and Feng Qie's.

She was quiet, even somewhat timid. She always liked to follow behind Lu Ming, her small hand tightly clutching the corner of his clothes, as if she would disappear the moment she let go.

Feng Qie tried to amuse her, using the wind as though performing a magic trick to lift a leaf and send it floating before her.

Yue Xi merely blinked those pure violet eyes at it, then buried her head behind Lu Ming's back again.

This dealt a severe blow to the ever-narcissistic Feng Qie.

"Master, does she not like me?" Feng Qie edged closer to Lu Ming with a wounded look.

[You're such a chatterbox, of course you'll scare the little girl!]

Lu Ming grumbled inwardly, but said aloud, "She's only just adjusted to her new body. Give her some time."

Zhu Mao remained the same silent guardian, except the range of his protection had expanded from Lu Ming alone to both Lu Ming and Yue Xi...

Three Arrancar: one silent assassin, one lively scout, and one timid support.

As Lu Ming looked at his three followers of distinctly different forms, an odd sense of satisfaction rose within him. It felt like playing a character-raising game, and they were all characters he had been lucky enough to pull...

"Let's go. We need to find a place and prepare for the training ahead."

Lu Ming patted Yue Xi's head and led the three onward as they continued exploring the forest's outskirts.

What he did not know was that from the moment he entered the Star Dou Great Forest, every move he made—including the entire process of transforming the Moonlight Deer—had been watched clearly by a pair of eyes...

Star Dou Great Forest, Lake of Life.

The lake water was crystal clear. Dense life energy had condensed into tangible mist here, shrouding the entire surface of the lake.

At the center of the lake, an incomparably massive bull's head slowly emerged from the water. Its entire body was blue-black, and the two enormous horns atop its head resembled curved sapphires. In its lantern-sized eyes was reflected the entire scene of Lu Ming transforming the Moonlight Deer.

It was the emperor of the Star Dou Great Forest, a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast—the Sky Azure Bull Python, Da Ming.

"Er Ming, come take a look."

Da Ming's deep, majestic voice sent ripples spreading across the lake.

"Rumble!"

The ground by the lakeshore shook violently as a giant ape as massive as a mountain strode over. Every step it took made the earth emit a dull groan.

"Big Brother, what's wrong?"

The king of the forest, the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Titan Giant Ape Er Ming, asked in a booming voice. He pounded his enormous fist against his chest, his gaze carrying a hint of simple honesty.

"Look at that 'human.'"

Da Ming signaled with his eyes. Er Ming looked toward the lake's surface and happened to see Yue Xi being born from the light, then timidly grabbing the corner of Lu Ming's clothes.

"Hm? A human little girl? That is... the aura of a Moonlight Deer? No, those three Shadow Wolves died. Did that spider-like freak beside him do it?" Er Ming scratched his massive head, unable to make sense of it.

"That isn't the important part." Da Ming's tone held unprecedented gravity. "Look at that little girl. She is a Moonlight Deer."

"What?!" Er Ming's huge eyes went round. "Big Brother, you're not joking, are you? How did a Soul Beast turn into a human? She's not even a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!"

This completely overturned the Titan Giant Ape's understanding.

Beast Transformation was a privilege only Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts possessed, and the process was fraught with danger. They had to cultivate anew as humans.

But what was happening before them?

A Moonlight Deer with only a few hundred years of cultivation had directly become a human little girl?

"I cannot understand it either." Da Ming's tone was equally full of confusion. "I can sense that the little girl's soul is still that of a Moonlight Deer, but her body has taken human form... This is a method of transformation I have never seen before!"

"And look at the other two beside him." Da Ming continued. "The silent one carries the aura of a Man Faced Demon Spider. The lively one carries the aura of a Wind Spirit Leopard. Their auras are very similar to that little girl's. Though their forms differ, their essence is the same."

Er Ming carefully sensed them. Sure enough, the three human-shaped beings all retained the original aura of Soul Beasts, yet their bodies truly possessed human structures.

They were not humans, nor were they Soul Beasts, much less Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts that had undergone Beast Transformation!

They were an entirely new, unknown form of existence...

"Th-then what kind of demonic sorcery is this?" A trace of fury entered Er Ming's voice. "That human must be an evil Soul Master! He's using our Soul Beasts as experiments! Turning Soul Beasts into these neither-human-nor-beast monsters!"

As the king of the forest, Er Ming possessed a natural instinct to protect Soul Beasts.

Human Soul Masters hunting Soul Beasts for Soul Rings was already a rule they fiercely resisted!

And now, someone was actually treating Soul Beasts as materials for such bizarre transformation experiments?

This had thoroughly crossed his bottom line!

"Big Brother, I'll go capture him! Tear him to pieces!" Er Ming roared, raising his mountain-sized fist as he prepared to strike.

"Wait!" Da Ming stopped him. "Don't act rashly."

"What are we waiting for? If we wait any longer, who knows how many more of our kin will fall victim to him!" Er Ming said anxiously.

"Don't you find it strange?" Da Ming analyzed calmly. "If he truly were an evil Soul Master, why was there no slaughter or torment when he transformed Soul Beasts? Look at that Moonlight Deer. Her soul was not harmed in the slightest; it was even filled with joy. And the will of the forest... has not rejected him."

As the emperor of the Star Dou Great Forest, Da Ming could clearly sense the emotions of the entire forest.

When Lu Ming entered the forest, the forest had not only shown no vigilance, but had instead revealed a sense of closeness and welcome...

That was far too abnormal!

Evil Soul Masters usually carried dense bloodlust and resentment, making them the beings the forest loathed most.

Yet this youth carried a pure, even somewhat familiar life aura...

"Then... what do we do? Just watch?" Er Ming felt rather stifled.

Da Ming fell silent. Countless thoughts churned in his enormous eyes. The appearance of this mysterious youth was filled with too many unknowns.

His abilities and his purpose were both shrouded in a layer of mist!

Acting rashly might bring unforeseen consequences to the Star Dou Great Forest...

Just as the two beasts fell into a dilemma, a crisp, pleasant voice came from Er Ming's broad shoulder.

"Da Ming, Er Ming, what are you talking about? What evil Soul Master?"

A cute young girl in a short pink dress, her hair braided into a scorpion braid, had somehow appeared seated on Er Ming's shoulder. She swung her two fair legs as she watched them curiously.

It was Xiao Wu, who had successfully undergone Beast Transformation but had remained in the Star Dou Great Forest to keep Da Ming and Er Ming company...