Confirmed...

"However, if they thought this was enough to make me, Zhu Zhuyun, accept my fate, they were wrong!"

"Hell Spirit Cat! Martial Soul Possession!"

A blackish-purple phantom of a large cat appeared and merged into Zhu Zhuyun's body. Two yellow and one purple Soul Rings rose beneath her feet.

Zhu Zhuyun then frantically circulated the Soul Power within her body, attempting to offset the effects of the gravity on herself.

It was not time for despair yet. Even if there truly was no hope of survival, she would at least knock out one of that Titan Giant Ape's teeth.

She would make it understand that she was not someone to be trifled with.

However, the appearance of a bull's head next completely plunged Zhu Zhuyun into despair.

"Slow Domain!"

Fearing an accident, the Sky Azure Bull Python saw the Titan Giant Ape use its Gravity Domain to increase the gravity around those human Soul Masters.

It immediately used its own domain skill as well—the Slow Domain.

A wave of azure light instantly swept out from it, covering everything in the surrounding area.

"It's... it's over..."

She felt the speed of her body suddenly slow, reduced by at least half.

Zhu Zhuyun's hands and feet turned icy cold, and a trace of bitterness flashed across her face.

One Titan Giant Ape had already been despairing enough, yet now another overlord-class Sky Azure Bull Python had appeared.

With gravity and slowing, two major restrictive skills layered together, there was simply no chance of escape left.

However, the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape had no intention of killing them.

The Sky Azure Bull Python's massive tail slammed against the ground.

Ripples spread across the flat earth, and a burst of azure light flared.

The next moment, several enormous bubbles emerged from the ground and directly enveloped Zhu Zhuyun and the others.

"My Soul Power? It's disappearing?"

Trapped within the bubble, Zhu Zhuyun felt the Soul Power in her body being depleted at an inconceivable rate.

Very quickly, so much had been consumed that she could no longer maintain her Martial Soul Possession, leaving her limply slumped on the ground.

The bubbles trapping them floated up and flew before the Sky Azure Bull Python.

"Human Soul Masters, tell me—do you know how to determine a Soul Beast's exact age?" The Sky Azure Bull Python's enormous bull head drew close to the bubbles as it stared at those trapped inside and asked.

"It... it spoke... A Soul Beast spoke..." one of them said in shock.

"Answer its question, now!" the Titan Giant Ape barked coldly and impatiently. "Otherwise, I'll smash you all to death!"

Two Soul Beasts that could speak?!!

Zhu Zhuyun's heart shook violently. This was the first time she had learned that Soul Beasts capable of speech and communicating with humans existed in this world.

And they were the two overlord-class Soul Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest, said within the Soul Master world to frequently fight and be at odds with each other.

Yet they even seemed to be quite familiar with each other.

But this was a good thing, because being able to communicate meant there was still an opportunity.

Thus, Zhu Zhuyun forcefully suppressed the turmoil in her heart and replied with feigned calm, "Yes. I have studied how to identify Soul Beasts since childhood. No matter the type of Soul Beast or its age, I can tell."

"Very good. I need you to find me a Three-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in the Star Dou Great Forest. Not one year more or one year less," the Sky Azure Bull Python said with a satisfied nod.

"I can do that. However, after I have completed this task for you two, I hope you will spare us," Zhu Zhuyun said respectfully.

"Hmph, human, you have no right to make demands of us!"

The Titan Giant Ape snorted. It had no favorable impression of human Soul Masters.

Especially after what had just happened with Xiao Wu being held hostage by Jiang Li.

The Sky Azure Bull Python had known that Er Ming could not be relied upon. To stop him from ruining things,

its snake body coiled around and struck the Titan Giant Ape, directly pinning it to the ground.

"I guarantee it in my name: if you can help us find a Three-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, we absolutely will not harm you."

The Sky Azure Bull Python did not say it would let them go. It merely said it would not harm them.

Because it still had other suspicions in mind.

These people had appeared here by such coincidence. Perhaps they were connected to the human Soul Master who had held Sister Xiao Wu hostage earlier.

If they failed to find a Soul Beast that satisfied Jiang Li, perhaps these people could be used to threaten him instead.

"Thank you, my lord."

Zhu Zhuyun nodded and accepted the Sky Azure Bull Python's deal.

Her fate was no longer in her own hands, so she had no choice but to agree.

The deal was made, but the Sky Azure Bull Python did not immediately remove the bubbles trapping them.

It knew full well how cunning humans were. Besides, these human Soul Masters' Soul Power Levels were not high, and maintaining these bubbles consumed very little of its Soul Power.

So it kept them inside the bubbles until a suitable Soul Beast could be found, lest something unexpected happen.

Only then did the Sky Azure Bull Python release the Titan Giant Ape. As it did, it did not forget to heavily sweep its tail across the ape's face.

It still remembered how Er Ming had landed a solid punch on its face when it had stopped him from pursuing those Soul Beasts earlier.

Without giving the Titan Giant Ape a chance to speak, it said first, "Er Ming, hurry up. We need to find a Soul Beast. Don't forget, we have to find one before sunset."

The Titan Giant Ape rose, just about to fly into a rage, but after hearing the Sky Azure Bull Python's words, it could only set the matter aside for now.

But Er Ming would remember this grudge.

The sun gradually moved westward.

"Why aren't Da Ming and Er Ming back yet? This is so boring!" Xiao Wu complained, glancing at Jiang Li, who sat cross-legged nearby, meditating and cultivating.

"If you're bored, cultivate like I do and raise your Soul Power Level," Jiang Li said helplessly, opening his eyes and shooting Xiao Wu a sidelong glance.

Xiao Wu yawned. "But cultivating is so boring. I don't know why you're so obsessed with it."

Jiang Li shook his head. Xiao Wu was a Soul Beast who had been protected by others since childhood, who had merely eaten and drunk her way through a peaceful hundred thousand years before gaining immense power.

Naturally, she could not understand an ordinary person from his previous life's age of spiritual decline, and his thirst for strength.

The sensation of constantly feeling the power within his body grow stronger utterly fascinated him.

Xiao Wu, meanwhile, had the temperament of a donkey that would not move when pushed but would retreat when pulled. If he had not occasionally provoked her by bringing up her mother, she probably would not even have broken through to level 26 by now.

Not to mention that she had already reached level 29, the same level she had possessed at twelve in the original work. She was only one level away from obtaining her third Soul Ring.

It had to be known that Zhu Zhuqing, the youngest of the Shrek Seven Monsters in the original work, had possessed level 27 Soul Power at the age of twelve.

And Zhu Zhuqing's Innate Soul Power was at most around level seven or eight, nowhere near Xiao Wu's Innate Full Soul Power.

Xiao Wu was practically wasting the talent of Innate Full Soul Power that came with taking human form as a Soul Beast.

But if he wanted to use Xiao Wu's powerful Soul Skills as soon as possible, he would not indulge her. He had forcibly stipulated that Xiao Wu had to cultivate for at least eight hours every day.

Suddenly, a commotion came from the forest.

"Ah, Da Ming and the others are back." Xiao Wu looked up and saw the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape approaching.

Xiao Wu hurriedly burrowed into Jiang Li's arms, picked up the dagger, stuffed it into Jiang Li's hand, and had him hold it against her neck as they waited for the two beasts to arrive.

Soon, the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape came over.

"Human Soul Master, this is the Three-Thousand-Year Soul Beast you requested."

Smack!

The bubble burst, and a trapped Soul Beast fell to the ground.

Though it had regained its freedom, under the gaze of two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast overlords, it did not dare make the slightest move. It curled up on the ground, trembling.

Pitiful, weak, and helpless.

But Jiang Li did not look at the Soul Beast on the ground. The demand for exactly three thousand years had merely been meant to make things difficult for the Titan Giant Ape. A few extra years would not matter, as long as it was over three thousand years old.

At that moment, Jiang Li's gaze was entirely drawn to the two women trapped inside another bubble.

Having confirmed the enormous busts—far too large to grasp in one hand—and that they were a pair of beautiful sisters, he could think of no other possibility besides the Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing sisters from the original work.