Terror

Spirit Hunting Forest.

The forest floor was blanketed in thick layers of fallen leaves. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the branches and foliage, casting speckled patches of light. The air carried a fresh scent, while bird Soul Beasts chirped incessantly in the distance, creating an atmosphere of tranquility.

Novices entering the Spirit Hunting Forest for the first time could easily be deceived by its peaceful side, lowering their guard and falling victim to sudden danger.

Just like now.

As Yang Ming followed the master past a towering tree, a Chameleon Soul Beast clinging to the trunk rolled its eyes. Its body flashed white, and it suddenly opened its mouth, shooting out a crimson tongue like an arrow straight at Yang Ming's eardrum.

Had Yang Ming been careless, that tongue might have pierced through his eardrum, passed through his brain, and emerged from the other side, skewering him clean through.

Fortunately, Yang Ming had activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan long ago. A faint red glow shone in his eyes, and the Chameleon Soul Beast's lightning-fast tongue seemed much slower. He immediately ducked his head, and the crimson tongue grazed over his scalp, taking several strands of hair with it.

Three Cannon, with its keen sense of smell, noticed the threat a beat too late and issued a warning, making the master's startled cry seem slightly delayed:

"Watch out! It's a forty-year-old Man-Eating Chameleon!"

After missing its strike, the Man-Eating Chameleon showed a keen understanding of an assassin's principles. It immediately retracted its tongue, and its colors naturally blended into those of its surroundings. If Yang Ming had not possessed the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and been able to observe with Subtlety, he might not have been able to spot its true body at all.

Seeing the Man-Eating Chameleon about to flee, Yang Ming curled his lips into a cold smile.

"You came when you pleased and think you can leave when you please? Did you ask the spear in my hand?"

His spear was already in hand. A cold glint arrived first, and before the Man-Eating Chameleon could react, it was nailed to the towering tree with a single thrust.

Only then did the Man-Eating Chameleon emerge from its invisible state, revealing its true appearance: a ferocious head, short limbs, an elongated body, and a narrow tail.

"Whew!"

The master patted his chest with lingering fear and said:

"This Man-Eating Chameleon was far too cunning. Not only could it turn invisible, it could even conceal its scent to a certain extent. That was why my Soul Beast, Three Cannon, failed to detect it immediately. We nearly suffered a terrible disaster."

Yang Ming had no intention of blaming the master.

A mountain could collapse if you relied on it; people could let you down if you relied on them. Relying on yourself was best.

Yang Ming had never counted on anyone, so naturally he would not blame the master for his oversight. He only had one question.

"Master, how did you determine this Soul Beast's strength, or rather, its age?"

This touched on the master's field of research. Smiling faintly, he explained:

"Determining a Soul Beast's strength isn't difficult. Usually, you judge by its size and by the color of the soul power it uses when attacking."

"The soul power used by a Decade Soul Beast is white, while that of a Century Soul Beast is yellow, and so on. Of course, when facing an unknown Soul Beast, it's best not to stare at its soul power. If it is something beyond what you can withstand, you will face catastrophic danger."

Yang Ming's eyes turned thoughtful. This corresponded to the colors of Soul Rings.

After the Man-Eating Chameleon's ambush, the group of three became even more cautious, and their pace naturally slowed.

Just as Yang Ming and the others continued deeper into the Spirit Hunting Forest, an angry roar suddenly came from high above.

"What's going on?"

Yang Ming abruptly raised his head and saw vast stretches of towering trees collapsing in the distance, exposing blue skies and white clouds that had been hidden beneath umbrella-like canopies. Two enormous creatures, far surpassing ordinary Soul Beasts in both size and presence, were battling in the sky.

The falling trees had clearly been caused by the aftershocks of their battle!

Seeing the faint purple glow flickering around the two massive Soul Beasts, the master was shocked and cried out:

"What's happening? Why are Millennium Soul Beasts appearing on the outskirts of the Spirit Hunting Forest?"

Ordinarily, only Decade Soul Beasts and Century Soul Beasts appeared on the outskirts of the Spirit Hunting Forest. One would only have a chance of encountering Millennium Soul Beasts after passing through the outskirts and entering the inner region, because most Millennium Soul Beasts claimed their own territories and rarely left them.

But before anyone could react, the battle between the two Millennium Soul Beasts in the sky had already reached its climax. A hurricane swept across the earth, kicking up layer after layer of dust.

Although Yang Ming and the others reacted in time, the battle of Millennium Soul Beasts was far beyond ordinary imagination. The oncoming hurricane was incredibly powerful, directly flinging the three of them in different directions!

Yang Ming's vision spun wildly as his body rotated uncontrollably in the gale. He drew in his abdomen and hugged his knees, like a diver in midair, reducing the damage caused by air resistance.

Just as his back was about to smash into the trunk of a towering tree, Yang Ming suddenly spread his arms and drove his spear into the trunk. Borrowing the powerful recoil, he dropped to the ground like a great bird, rolling several times across the leaf-covered earth to disperse the force of his fall.

Yang Ming brushed the fallen leaves from his body and looked around.

Staring at the completely unfamiliar surroundings, Yang Ming really wanted to ask:

"Where am I?"

At that very moment, Tang San was facing the same problem as Yang Ming.

Only, his situation was much worse.

Because Tang San had run into the Tattooed Duo, who had followed them all the way here.

One member of the Tattooed Duo was tall and fat, while the other was short and thin. They wore straw hats, white shirts, and black trousers. Strange patterned tattoos were branded across their bare arms, looking rather mysterious. They clearly had not been etched on at random, though no one knew what they meant.

The tall tattooed man, Li Ren, walked toward Tang San. A gentle smile squeezed onto his plump, Maitreya-like face, meant to lower the guard of whoever saw him.

"Kid, let me ask you something. Where's the boy who was walking with you just now?"

If Tang San had been an ordinary little boy, he might have been fooled by Li Ren's friendly appearance. But beneath his seemingly childish body hid the soul of an adult, and he immediately saw that these two harbored ill intentions toward Yang Ming.

Tang San secretly gripped the concealed weapons hidden beneath his sleeves and replied blandly:

"Who are you? What do you want with Yang Ming?"

So the traitor's child was named Yang Ming?

The Tattooed Duo exchanged a glance. Then Li Ren continued, saying:

"We're relatives of that boy Yang Ming's father. We came to take him home this time."

As the tall man continued walking toward Tang San, killing intent flashed through Tang San's eyes. Using the Tang Sect's concealed weapon techniques, the hidden weapons beneath his sleeves shot out without a sound.

However,

The concealed weapons Tang San was so proud of struck Li Ren's face as though they had hit steel, producing a crisp clang!

(Two updates)