Forbidden Gaze Deep in the Forest

Su Chen traveled at an unhurried pace for three days.

The piercing wound on Iron Wall's left arm had already scabbed over. Dark golden tissue slowly writhed beneath it, exuding a savage metallic texture.

It did not return to the summoning space, instead lumbering behind Su Chen with its mountain-like body.

Whenever Su Chen stopped, the killing machine would lower its head and nudge his shoulder with its wet nose.

When Chu Yao saw this, all she gave was a cold snort.

"Stupid bear."

The ancient road ended at the mountain ridge. Looking north, the dark green sea of trees resembled a massive, breathing shadow.

Five li into the forest's edge, Su Chen stopped.

The claw marks on the bark had changed.

They were scorch marks left by three-thousand-year fire-attribute soul beasts, with dark red embers still clinging to their edges.

Creatures with such strong territorial instincts were now packed densely along the same escape route like frightened sparrows.

"They're afraid."

Su Chen wiped the ash from the bark with his finger. The heat lingering on his fingertips had yet to fade.

"Yan Wuji, survey the ground."

Yan Wuji crouched down and pressed his palm into the soil. A ring of icy blue ripples spread outward.

"The vibration frequency is steady. The stride is around twelve zhang, and the body length is over six zhang."

"Ten-thousand-year level, and... they're moving in groups."

Jiang Tieyi swallowed the jerky in his mouth hard, his voice slightly dry.

"Big Brother, are we going hunting, or are we delivering ourselves as an extra meal for ten-thousand-year soul beasts?"

Su Chen said nothing, merely raising his head to look into the depths of the forest.

The light there had been completely swallowed.

"Change to marching formation."

His spiritual power instantly linked all thirty connections.

Ten Nether Shadow Leopards vanished into the shadows among the trees. They were the legion's eyes, weaving a deadly net across a radius of one hundred and fifty zhang.

Ten Purple Lightning Thunder Eagles skimmed low through gaps in the canopy, the arcs between their wings occasionally illuminating the dark underbrush.

Ten Dark Golden Terrorclaw Bears spread out in a ring, tightly protecting Su Chen and the other five at the center.

Iron Wall stood at the very front. There was no fear in its dark golden eyes, only the furious rage of one that had been offended.

The entire group was like a silent steel millstone, forcing its way into the Star Dou Great Forest.

They advanced another three li.

The images relayed by the shadow leopards synchronized in Su Chen's mind.

A deep trench about two zhang wide had appeared in the woodland, as though some enormous cylindrical creature had plowed through it by force.

Ancient trees thick enough to require two people to embrace had been snapped cleanly on both sides, their cross-sections terrifyingly smooth.

Su Chen stood at the edge of the trench, feeling the lingering tremors beneath his feet.

"It's still nearby."

He closed his eyes, and his spiritual power surged northward like a tide.

Four li.

Five li.

Six li.

The instant his spiritual power touched a certain presence, Su Chen's sea of consciousness sank sharply.

It was a wall.

A scorching, ancient wall of spiritual power carrying absolute oppression.

The other party did not attack. It simply remained there quietly, like a divine mountain overlooking ants.

Su Chen could even sense its teasing "patience."

He had seen that look over chessboards in his previous life.

It was the expression of a top hunter watching prey walk step by step into a trap.

"Big Brother?"

Jiang Tieyi noticed something strange about Su Chen, and his hand was already pressed against his martial soul.

The glow in Ye Linglong's crimson eyes surged as she stared fixedly northeast. A fine layer of cold sweat seeped across her forehead.

"I can't see it... but I can feel that the space in that direction is warped."

"Its spiritual power is a hundred times stronger than mine."

Chu Yao's fingers unconsciously rubbed her gu vessel.

"Retreat?"

Su Chen opened his eyes, the darkness deep in the forest reflected in his pupils.

"Why retreat?"

He took his first step, and the dead leaves beneath his feet cracked sharply.

"It's waiting for me."

"Since it wants to see how far this army can go, then let it see clearly."

Iron Wall let out a deep roar. As the legion's vanguard, it smashed the boulder blocking the path with one slap.

Su Chen walked at the very center of the formation, the residual light filtering through the forest casting one side of his face in brightness and the other in shadow.

He knew the king of this forest was watching him.

But he also knew.

From the moment he awakened as the Supreme Summoner.

This forest was due for a new master.