The Mighty Er Ming Makes His Entrance

Night fell, and the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest gradually grew quiet. Only the chirping of insects and the occasional low growl of a distant Soul Beast remained.

Zhao Wuji found a relatively flat clearing and motioned for everyone to stop.

"We'll camp here tonight. Build a fire and take turns keeping watch."

Everyone answered and began pitching the tents. Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun went to gather firewood, Oscar tended the fire, and Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing checked the surrounding area for danger.

Ning Rongrong sat to one side, hugging her knees. She watched Lin Yuan and Xiao Wu put up their tent in a few deft movements and shot them a curious look.

Xiao Wu dusted the dirt off her hands and smiled. "Back in Nuoding City, we often went camping with Sisi and Su Yuntao. We've had plenty of practice putting up tents."

Ning Rongrong blinked. "Sisi? Su Yuntao? Who are they?"

Lin Yuan replied casually, "You don't know them."

Ning Rongrong pursed her lips. Before she could speak, Ma Hongjun came over and cut in. "They're old friends from a little country town. How would a young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect know them?"

Ning Rongrong glared at him. Ma Hongjun gave an awkward grin and went back to gathering firewood.

The campfire sprang to life, its orange-red flames dancing in the darkness and lighting everyone's faces.

Zhao Wuji sat beside the fire, prodding it with a branch. "All right, get some rest. Tomorrow we'll head deeper in and find a suitable Soul Ring for Tang San."

Xiao Wu sat beside Lin Yuan, holding a leaf with a few wild berries she had picked along the way. She took a bite and squinted at the sourness, then offered him the rest.

"Try one. It's so sweet."

Lin Yuan took it, but instead of eating it, he held it up to Little Moon on his shoulder. Little Moon bit into it and chewed twice. His little face instantly scrunched up, and he spat it all out.

"So sour! Lin Yuan's mean! Guga!"

Xiao Wu froze for a second, then doubled over laughing. Lin Yuan laughed too and tossed the berry back onto the leaf. "Guess it really is sour."

Little Moon puffed up his cheeks and punched Lin Yuan's neck with his tiny fists. "I'm never trusting you again, guga!"

Across the fire, Ning Rongrong saw them and laughed too.

The firelight flickered. The night in the Star Dou Great Forest was still and deep.

Late into the night, everyone slipped into their tents one by one. Lin Yuan leaned against a tree outside a tent, his eyes closed. Little Moon lay on his shoulder, his head swaying gently as he opened his eyes now and then to scan the surrounding darkness.

The camp fell quiet. Only the fire crackled.

Then—

The ground trembled.

Ma Hongjun's snoring stopped dead.

"What was that?"

Before he finished speaking, a second tremor came, stronger than the first. Even the campfire jumped.

Zhao Wuji burst out of his tent. Irritation vanished from his face, replaced by a grim look. He turned toward the depths of the forest, his expression darkening by the moment.

"Everybody up! Now!"

The others ran out of their tents. Before they could steady themselves, a massive outline appeared in the darkness.

It was a black shadow towering far above the ancient trees around it. Each step shook the ground. Branches snapped against its body with sharp cracks. As it drew closer, it blocked out even the moonlight, casting the entire camp into shadow.

A giant ape.

Its pitch-black fur held a dull sheen beneath the moonlight, and it loomed like a small hill on the move. Its bright yellow eyes hung in the dark like two lanterns, slowly sweeping over the figures below.

The Titan Giant Ape.

King of the forest. A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. A creature that stood at the very tip of the pyramid in the world of Soul Beasts.

It did nothing but stand there, yet an invisible pressure weighed heavily on everyone's chest, making it hard even to breathe.

"What a huge monkey, guga!"

Guga tipped his head back and stared at Er Ming in amazement.

Dark Gold Guga looked up, then snorted. "Don't make such a fuss, guga."

"...That's an ape, guga."

Zhao Wuji's expression changed sharply. Cold sweat sprang onto his forehead.

He drew a deep breath, stepped forward, and cupped his hands in salute. His voice carried a gravity none of them had heard before. "Honored king of the forest, we meant no offense. We wandered here by mistake. If this is your territory, we'll leave at once. We wouldn't dare disturb you."

The Titan Giant Ape looked down at him as though he were an ant.

It took another step closer.

The ground shook with a boom, and an invisible pressure surged over them like a tide. Ma Hongjun's legs went weak. Dai Mubai turned pale. Tang San clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.

The Titan Giant Ape's target was unmistakable—it paid Zhao Wuji no attention at all. Its gaze fell straight on Xiao Wu among the group.

Zhao Wuji's expression changed.

"Prepare to fight!"

Ma Hongjun was the first to lose his nerve. The Evil Fire Phoenix possessed him, crimson flames surged skyward, and a Phoenix Fire Line blasted toward the Titan Giant Ape.

The flames struck its body as though they had hit an iron wall. They did not singe a single hair.

The attack did no harm, but it clearly angered the Titan Giant Ape. It let out a low growl, turned its gaze on Ma Hongjun, and raised a foot to advance.

Dai Mubai gritted his teeth. His White Tiger Protection Barrier flared, and a White Tiger Fierce Light Wave burst from his mouth. The white beam slammed into the Titan Giant Ape's chest. Again, there was no reaction.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass spread across the ground and wrapped around the Titan Giant Ape's ankle, trying to restrict its movement. The ape lifted its foot and gave the slightest tug. The Blue Silver Grass snapped like spider silk.

The three attacks finally enraged the Titan Giant Ape.

It threw back its head and unleashed an earthshaking roar. The sound wave spread almost like a solid force, shaking the surrounding trees until leaves came raining down. Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai, and Tang San staggered backward under the blast. Ma Hongjun landed hard on his backside, his face pale.

Zhao Wuji knew he could wait no longer.

With a roar, he activated the Great Strength Vajra Bear's Martial Soul Possession. His body swelled instantly, muscles knotting. Seven Soul Rings rose beneath his feet—two yellow, two purple, and three black, dazzling against the darkness.

Martial Soul Avatar!

His body swelled again, transforming him into a massive vajra bear that roared and charged the Titan Giant Ape. At the same instant, every one of his enhancement Soul Skills stacked together—strength, defense, speed, and attack, all pushed to their limits.

This was the strongest blow he had.

Zhao Wuji reached the Titan Giant Ape and swung a bear paw at its chest with the force of ten thousand jun.

The Titan Giant Ape raised one hand and casually swatted it aside.

Boom!

Zhao Wuji flew backward like a cannonball, smashing through three large trees before slamming into a boulder. The boulder shattered on impact. His Martial Soul Avatar collapsed at once, and he spat a mouthful of blood. He struggled a few times but could not get up.

Dai Mubai's eyes went wide. "Teacher Zhao—!"

Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Flame went out instantly. His mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg. The firewood slipped from Oscar's hand as he froze in place. Tang San's face changed abruptly, and he clenched his fists without thinking.

A Soul Saint had unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar and stacked every enhancement Soul Skill he had, only to be sent flying by a casual swat.

Everyone sucked in a cold breath at once.

The Titan Giant Ape did not spare Zhao Wuji another glance. It lowered its head and fixed its gaze on someone in the group.

Xiao Wu.

It reached out its enormous hand and grabbed for her.

"Xiao Wu!" Tang San cried. Blue Silver Grass surged out wildly and wrapped around the Titan Giant Ape's arm, but the vines snapped the instant they touched its skin. They could not stop it at all.

The Titan Giant Ape seized Xiao Wu and held her gently in its palm. She struggled for a moment, then turned to look at Lin Yuan.

The Titan Giant Ape turned and bounded into the depths of the dense forest. Each step made the ground shudder, and its enormous body soon vanished into the darkness.

Tang San's eyes reddened instantly.

"Xiao Wu—!"

He grabbed Oscar, his voice hoarse. "Mushroom Sausage! Hurry!"

Oscar hurriedly channeled his Soul Power, and a Mushroom Sausage appeared in his hand. Tang San snatched it, stuffed it into his mouth, and its effect took hold at once. A strange force lifted his body, and he sped close to the ground like a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, chasing after the Titan Giant Ape.

"Tang San!" Dai Mubai shouted, but Tang San had already vanished into the darkness.

Ning Rongrong got up from the ground and brushed the dirt off her clothes. She turned toward where Lin Yuan had been standing, about to ask him what they should do, then stopped short.

The spot where Lin Yuan had stood was empty.

"Where is he?" Ning Rongrong looked around. "Where's Lin Yuan?"

Zhu Zhuqing turned to look too. Her gaze swept across the camp, and her expression shifted slightly.

The figure leaning against the tree had vanished at some point.

Little Moon had disappeared from his shoulder as well.

Ning Rongrong stood rooted to the spot. "When... when did he disappear?"

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing. She searched the dark woods with her eyes, then shook her head.

"He was there just now." Oscar swallowed. "I know I saw him standing there..."

The campfire flickered, casting orange-red light across the empty tree trunk. Somewhere deep in the forest, an unknown Soul Beast let out a cry that was soon swallowed by the darkness.

Both of them had disappeared in the same direction—deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.

Tomorrow's chapter is going to be so, so, so fun! Be sure to read it, everyone! ˶﹥ᗜ﹤˶