The Forest's Favored Child? Just Who Is This Kid?!

Haste makes waste...

I may have three capable subordinates now, but my own strength is still far too weak.

With only level-twenty soul power, despite possessing a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring and powerful domain soul skills, he was fundamentally unable to unleash their true power!

It was like a three-year-old child wielding a massive hammer weighing a hundred jin. It looked intimidating, but in truth, it could not hurt anyone.

Therefore, he had to raise his strength as quickly as possible!

And the key to growing stronger within the Star Dou Great Forest lay in the auxiliary technique of his second soul skill, Domain: Gluttonous Sea of Light—Myriad Essence Life-Eater!

[Countless plants gather life essence; it can draw upon the vitality of the earth and plunder the lives of living beings.]

Cursed Spirit Hanami's description of this technique was simple yet tyrannical.

Lu Ming had a feeling that as long as he mastered Hanami's technique, he would be able to establish a special connection with the forest beneath his feet.

If I can gain the recognition of this region of the Star Dou Great Forest and make it part of my power...

Then the power of my Domain: Gluttonous Sea of Light will rise to an unimaginable level!

By then, within this region, he might become an invincible existence!

Lu Ming closed his eyes, sank his consciousness into his body, and attempted to activate the technique, "Myriad Essence Life-Eater"...

Just as Lu Ming began attempting to circulate Myriad Essence Life-Eater, a pink figure silently landed atop the canopy of a towering ancient tree not far above him.

Like an agile cat, Xiao Wu concealed every trace of her presence and crouched on a thick branch, curiously observing the scene in the valley below through the lush foliage.

She saw the youth Da Ming and Er Ming had spoken of sitting cross-legged. He looked about her age, with black hair and a handsome face, just like an ordinary human!

Is this the evil soul master Da Ming and Er Ming mentioned?

Xiao Wu tilted her head, feeling that he was rather different from what she had imagined.

The evil soul masters she had imagined should have been villains with savage faces, radiating ominous auras from head to toe.

Yet the youth before her felt clean to her, even... a little familiar.

Especially the faint life aura around him, which made her feel very comfortable.

"What a strange guy."

Xiao Wu muttered and continued watching.

She saw the little girl called Yue Xi sitting quietly beside the youth, gazing at him without blinking with a pair of purple eyes, utterly docile.

Xiao Wu could clearly sense the bloodline and soul of a Moonlight Deer flowing within Yue Xi.

He really... turned a soul beast into a human...

Seeing it with her own eyes was far more shocking than hearing Da Ming describe it. Xiao Wu's heart began pounding uncontrollably.

She stared intently at Lu Ming, wanting to see through whatever magic he had used.

Just then, a sudden change occurred!

Centered on Lu Ming, an invisible ripple spread silently outward like waves across the surface of water...

Then, a scene that left Xiao Wu dumbfounded unfolded!

Every plant in the valley seemed to come "alive" in an instant!

The grass on the ground straightened and swayed gently toward Lu Ming; the vines in the cracks between rocks unfurled their curled leaves as though stretching lazily; the towering ancient trees around them rustled, their leaves making a sound of heartfelt joy; wildflowers bloomed one after another, releasing a refreshing fragrance...

Countless emerald motes representing life force rose from the plants in every direction. Like fireflies answering a summons, they gathered into streams of light and slowly, gently flowed into Lu Ming's body.

The entire valley became a green ocean pulsing with life.

And Lu Ming was the center of that ocean.

He seemed to have merged with the entire forest, becoming the child most favored by this land...

"Th-this..."

Xiao Wu was completely stunned.

Her little mouth formed an "O," large enough to fit an egg.

The forest in this area... is welcoming him?

No, this isn't merely a welcome. It's actively offering him its power!

Xiao Wu herself was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast who had taken human form. More than anyone, she understood what this meant...

It meant that the youth before her had received the deepest recognition of this forest's will!

Within this Star Dou Great Forest, only beings like her mother, or emperors like Da Ming who guarded the Lake of Life, could make the forest display such intimacy...

But how had he, a human, managed it?

Could it be... he isn't an evil soul master?

If the person before her were evil, the forest would never react like this!

But if he was not evil, then how was she supposed to explain his act of turning soul beasts into humans?

This youth carried far too many mysteries!

Xiao Wu felt as though her curiosity had become dry kindling set ablaze, burning fiercely beyond all control.

She decided not to return for the time being.

She would stay and thoroughly figure out this strange guy!

Lu Ming in the valley knew nothing of this. At that moment, he was immersed in an unprecedentedly wondrous experience.

The instant Myriad Essence Life-Eater activated, his perception was no longer limited to his own body.

His consciousness followed those emerald streams of energy and extended into every corner of the valley.

He could "hear" the grass growing.

He could "smell" the fragrance of flowers blooming.

He could "feel" the pulse of tree roots plunging deep into the earth.

It was as if he had gained countless pairs of eyes and ears. Every living thing in the valley was tightly connected to him.

So that's how it is... This is the true use of Myriad Essence Life-Eater.

Enlightenment filled Lu Ming's heart.

Hanami's technique was not simply about absorbing energy. It was more like a form of "resonance."

By resonating with the life frequencies of plants, he could gain their recognition and borrow their power.

However, being able to achieve this much now probably isn't solely due to Hanami's technique. The Blue Silver Emperor essence I absorbed is also crucial!

The greatest reason he could establish a connection with the forest so easily was the trace of Blue Silver Emperor essence within his body.

That aura of the Blue Silver Emperor was the "key" allowing him to communicate with the plant world. Myriad Essence Life-Eater combined with Blue Silver Essence was what produced this result...

As more and more life energy flowed into his body, Lu Ming felt his soul power recovering and growing at an astonishing rate.

Moreover, his spiritual power and physical body were both being strengthened in every aspect by the nourishment of that pure life energy.

The damage to his soul caused by repeatedly using Formless Transformation was also rapidly being repaired.

This feeling... is incredible!

Lu Ming nearly moaned aloud. This was thousands of times more effective than even the highest-grade soul power meditation technique!

As long as he stood in this forest, he could continuously obtain power!

Within this region, he was the true "ruler"!