Lin Hao and Xiao Wu traveled day and night using Lightning Flying Mushroom Sausages.
Two days later, after each had used up their last Lightning Flying Mushroom Sausage, they reached the Soul Hunting Forest on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
After flying for two days and nights, Lin Hao and Xiao Wu were exhausted in body and mind, so they planned to rest for a night in this Spirit Hunting Town.
After entering the Spirit Hunting Town and having dinner, Lin Hao and Xiao Wu went to its most luxurious hotel and booked the best room with a king-size bed.
What followed was Lin Hao's time to deliver.
After several hours of struggle, and several bouts of bliss that felt like ascending to immortality, Xiao Wu admitted utter defeat.
Now naked, Xiao Wu lay on Lin Hao's chest, tracing circles with her finger.
"Brother! Can you really resurrect a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form who was killed?"
"Then could you help my mother too?"
As she spoke, tears streamed down Xiao Wu's face.
Normally, after a Soul Master absorbed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, some remnants of the soul would still survive, more or less, even after a hundred thousand years.
That was why a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast could be resurrected.
For someone like Ah Yin, most of her soul had remained intact, merely becoming extremely weak. With enough life force, she could recover.
But when it came to resurrecting Xiao Wu's mother, Ah Rou, Lin Hao truly had no solution at all.
[Xiao Wu's mother is basically Schrödinger's cat, moved wherever the plot needs her. After all, this isn't the first time Third Young Master has swallowed his own established lore.
So in my story, Ah Rou became Bibi Dong's Soul Ring.]
The one who had absorbed Ah Rou's Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring was Bibi Dong, and she had done so with her second martial soul, the Soul-Eating Pearl Emperor. The name of this soul-eating Spider Emperor martial soul alone made its destructive power against souls clear.
"Xiao Wu, I have no way to resurrect your mother right now."
Hearing this, Xiao Wu cried even harder.
Seeing her like this, Lin Hao hurried to comfort her.
"Xiao Wu, I said I have no way right now. That doesn't mean I won't have one later. If I can't do it now, wait until I become a Soul Sage. If that still isn't enough, wait until I become a Titled Douluo. And if even that won't work, I'll become a god."
"I believe the potential of my second martial soul, the Life Evergreen Vine, will catch the attention of someone powerful in the Divine Realm, and they'll grant me a divine trial."
Lin Hao's reassurance made Xiao Wu feel much better. After all, she also knew her mother Ah Rou's condition: she had neither a physical body nor any remnants of her soul.
Her earlier surge of emotion had come from remembering the happy days she had spent with Ah Rou in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Once Xiao Wu's emotions settled, Lin Hao held her in his arms and went to sleep.
The next day, the sun was already high before Lin Hao and Xiao Wu woke.
After waking, Lin Hao looked at Xiao Wu's snowy-white skin, and desire immediately stirred within him. The two then began their morning exercise.
After an hour of morning exercise, Lin Hao and Xiao Wu tidied up, ready to get out of bed, wash, eat breakfast, and head to the Star Dou Great Forest.
Once they had tidied up, washed, and eaten breakfast, the two set off fully prepared for the Star Dou Great Forest.
Neither Lin Hao nor Xiao Wu was visiting the Star Dou Great Forest for the first time, so they followed the familiar route into its mixed zone.
After entering the mixed zone, Xiao Wu began releasing the life essence within her body to draw Er Ming over.
Meanwhile, neither Lin Hao nor Xiao Wu slowed or broke stride as they continued steadily toward the Lake of Life at the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Once Xiao Wu began releasing the aura of her life essence, Da Ming and Er Ming, far away at the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest, reacted immediately.
A huge figure with a serpent's body and a bull's head emerged from the Lake of Life.
After sensing the aura of Xiao Wu's life essence, a giant ape as enormous as a mountain raised his fists and beat his chest.
"Da Ming! It's Sister Xiao Wu!"
"I'll go bring her back right now!"
Da Ming was just about to stop him when he saw that Er Ming, the Titan Giant Ape, had already bounded away.
Wherever Er Ming passed, masses of towering trees were smashed to pieces.
Not long after Xiao Wu released the aura of her life essence, she and Lin Hao sensed an enormous figure charging toward them.
Recognizing the enormous figure's aura, Xiao Wu exclaimed delightedly.
"Brother! It's Er Ming!"
The next moment, a creature over fifteen meters tall appeared, looking like a cross between an ape and a chimpanzee.
"Sister Xiao Wu!"
With a Teleportation, Xiao Wu appeared on Er Ming's shoulder and affectionately hugged his head.
"Er Ming! I missed you so much!"
"Sister Xiao Wu! I missed you so much too!"
After hugging Er Ming, Xiao Wu hurried back to Lin Hao's side to introduce him.
"Er Ming! This is Lin Hao, my partner."
"I came back this time not just to condense my fourth Soul Ring, but also to bring Lin Hao here so he could meet you and Da Ming!"
Since arriving, Er Ming had focused entirely on Xiao Wu. Only now did he notice Lin Hao beside her.
"Hello! My name is Er Ming."
Hearing Er Ming's deep, rumbling voice, Lin Hao responded with a smile.
"Hello, Er Ming! My name is Lin Hao."
After their brief introductions, Lin Hao and Xiao Wu each stood on one of Er Ming's shoulders and rode with him toward the Lake of Life at the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest.
As the king of the earth and a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast of the Star Dou Great Forest, Er Ming sent every other soul beast along the way fleeing far from his imposing aura.
Their path was clear the entire way, and in just twenty minutes, Er Ming brought Lin Hao and Xiao Wu back to the Lake of Life.
Upon reaching the lakeside, Lin Hao and Xiao Wu jumped down from Er Ming's shoulders.
Xiao Wu looked toward the Lake of Life, then cupped her hands around her mouth like a horn and shouted.
"Da Ming!"
At Xiao Wu's shout, Da Ming, with his serpent's body and bull's head, surfaced from the water.
"Sister Xiao Wu!"
"Da Ming!"
Xiao Wu greeted her family.
Lin Hao, meanwhile, began sensing the environment around the Lake of Life.
The Lake of Life truly deserved its reputation as a treasure nurtured by the entire Star Dou Great Forest. Its vitality was several times greater than that of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Unfortunately, Xiao Wu and the others did not know how to use it. Very few medicinal herbs grew here, and not a single one was of immortal grade.
Lin Hao would not let the vitality here go to waste. As it happened, he had plenty of seeds for various immortal herbs and spiritual herbs obtained from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
While Xiao Wu told Da Ming and Er Ming about her experiences over the years, Lin Hao began taking out the seeds and planting them one by one around the Lake of Life.
As he planted, Lin Hao also discovered many valuable things among the weeds surrounding the Lake of Life.
For instance, according to the records in the Tang Sect's legacy, this little star-shaped plant was called Star Soul Grass, an excellent herb for strengthening the soul and nourishing the spirit.
Then there was this crystal-clear, translucent lotus. According to those inherited records, it was called the Heavenly Crystal Lotus. It could cleanse the body down to the marrow and strengthen the resilience of the meridians, and it was also an exceptional healing medicine.
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