Terror

Soul Hunting Forest.

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

If a rookie entered Soul Hunting Forest for the first time, they could easily be deceived by the forest's peaceful side and let down their guard, only to encounter sudden danger.

And sure enough,

Just as Yang Ming was following Grandmaster past a towering tree, a Chameleon Soul Beast clinging to the trunk rolled its eyes. A flash of white light emerged from its body as it suddenly opened its mouth. Its crimson tongue shot out like an arrow, stabbing straight toward Yang Ming's eardrum.

If Yang Ming had 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 gleam shone in his eyes, and even the Chameleon Soul Beast's lightning-fast tongue seemed much slower. He immediately ducked his head, and the crimson tongue grazed over the top of his head, taking several strands of hair with it.

Three Cannon, who possessed a keen sense of smell, noticed the danger a beat too late and gave a warning, making Grandmaster's startled cry slightly delayed:

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

Having missed its first strike, the Man-Eating Chameleon clearly understood the essence of an assassin. It immediately retracted its extended tongue, and its body color naturally blended into the same colors as 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.

Just as the Man-Eating Chameleon was about to flee far away, Yang Ming's lips curled into a cold smile.

"You come when you please and leave when you please. Did you ask the spear in my hand?"

The spear remained. A flash of cold light arrived first. Before the Man-Eating Chameleon could react, it was already nailed to the towering tree with a single thrust.

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

"Phew!"

Grandmaster patted his chest as if still shaken and said,

"That Man-Eating Chameleon was 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 its presence immediately. We nearly made a terrible mistake."

Yang Ming had no intention of blaming Grandmaster.

Lean on a mountain, and the mountain may collapse. Lean on others, and they may fall. It was best to rely on oneself.

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

"Grandmaster, how did you determine that Soul Beast's strength—or rather, its age?"

This fell within Grandmaster's field of research. Smiling faintly, he explained,

"It isn't difficult to determine a Soul Beast's strength. Generally, you judge based on the Soul Beast's size and the color of the Soul Power it uses when attacking."

"The Soul Power used by Decade Soul Beasts is white, while that used by Century Soul Beasts is yellow, and so on. Of course, when facing an unknown Soul Beast, you'd better not wait to look at its Soul Power. If it is something beyond what you can endure, then you will face devastating danger."

Yang Ming's eyes flickered thoughtfully. 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 Soul 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 in the distance collapse in unison, revealing the blue sky and white clouds concealed by umbrella-like canopies. Two enormous creatures, far surpassing ordinary Soul Beasts in both size and presence, were battling in the sky.

The fallen trees from earlier had clearly been caused by the aftershocks of their battle!

Seeing the faint purple glow flickering across the bodies of the two gigantic Soul Beasts, Grandmaster was shocked and cried out,

"What is going on? Why are Millennium Soul Beasts appearing on the outskirts of Soul Hunting Forest?"

Logically speaking, only Decade Soul Beasts and Century Soul Beasts usually appeared on the outskirts of Soul 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 marked out 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 fiercest point. A hurricane swept across the ground, sending layers of dust flying.

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

His vision spun wildly as Yang Ming's body rotated uncontrollably in the gale. He pulled 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 slam 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 earth carpeted with thick fallen leaves to dissipate the force of his fall.

Yang Ming brushed the leaves off his body and looked around.

Seeing the utterly unfamiliar surroundings, Yang Ming really wanted to ask,

"Where am I?"

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

However, his situation was much worse.

Because Tang San had encountered the Tattooed Duo, who had followed him all the way here.

The Tattooed Duo consisted of one tall and fat man and one short and thin man. They wore straw hats, white shirts, and black trousers. Strange patterned tattoos were branded across their bare arms, looking rather mysterious, clearly not something etched on at random. No one knew what they meant.

The tall tattooed man, Li Ren, walked toward Tang San. A gentle smile was squeezed onto his fat, Maitreya Buddha-like face, meant to lower the guard of others.

"Little friend, let me ask you something. Where is the boy who was walking with you just now?"

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

Secretly gripping the hidden weapons concealed beneath his sleeve, Tang San replied flatly,

"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 the conversation.

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

Just as the tall man continued walking toward Tang San, killing intent flashed in Tang San's eyes. He used the techniques of Tang Sect Hidden Weapons, and the hidden weapons beneath his sleeve shot out soundlessly.

However,

Tang San's prized hidden weapons struck Li Ren's face as though they had hit steel, producing a crisp ding!

(Two chapters)