Heaven-Gazing Hou

The outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"All right, Sister Xiao Wu, let's stop here. We'll look around and see if there's a Soul Beast that suits me." After days of travel, Qin Muchu and Xiao Wu had finally reached the Star Dou Great Forest. Qin Muchu had broken through to level twenty two days earlier. All he needed was a Soul Ring to become a Soul Grandmaster.

The Star Dou Great Forest lay in the heart of the Douluo Continent and covered a vast expanse. Qin Muchu had never seen a forest in his previous life, and the towering trees that blotted out the sky left him stunned.

"Have you decided what kind of ability you want for your Second Soul Ring?" Xiao Wu asked Qin Muchu.

"Anything that boosts my attack power, I guess. Something with a special effect would work too." Qin Muchu spoke casually, his eyes flicking now and then toward a nearby thicket. Suddenly, a thousand-year Spiny-Tailed Snake shot out of the brush. His heart jolted, and he grabbed Xiao Wu's hand and hurried back.

When the Spiny-Tailed Snake saw that its first strike had missed, it prepared to attack again. Then it seemed to sense something and fled, its eyes full of terror.

"Tch. Since when did you get so timid? It was only a thousand-year Soul Beast. What were you afraid of with me here?" Xiao Wu rolled her eyes at Qin Muchu. "You even pulled off my ring. Give it back."

Qin Muchu slipped the ring back onto Xiao Wu's finger. "It happened so suddenly that I didn't react. Let's rest here for a bit. Finding the right Soul Beast probably won't be easy. There's no need to rush."

"All right." Xiao Wu sat down where she stood, took a carrot from her Soul Tool, and began to munch on it.

Not long after the Spiny-Tailed Snake left, the ground began to tremble in waves. The two sprang to their feet.

"What's happening?" Qin Muchu stared into the depths of the forest in shock. Xiao Wu frowned, grabbed his hand, and tried to run. "A powerful Soul Beast must be coming. Hurry!"

Qin Muchu pulled his hand free. "We're on the outskirts. How powerful could a Soul Beast here be? Besides, you're with me, Sister Xiao Wu."

"No," Xiao Wu said urgently. "Anything that makes this much noise is more than we can handle. Run!"

But that brief delay had been enough. A massive figure appeared in their field of view, racing toward them like a small mountain. Sunlight gleamed on its jet-black fur. Its thick limbs were like pillars holding up the sky, and every footfall shook the earth.

The giant soon reached them. Qin Muchu looked up. It had to be at least fifteen or sixteen meters tall, a monkey magnified countless times over.

Its overwhelming aura hit him head-on, making it hard to breathe. Though he had prepared himself, facing such a behemoth still made him nervous. If it swallowed him like a snack, who could he complain to?

"Roar!" The Titan Giant Ape let out a sky-shaking bellow. Its lantern-sized eyes swept over Qin Muchu before turning to Xiao Wu beside him.

"First Soul Skill: Ten Thousand Transformations, One Edge!" Qin Muchu pulled Xiao Wu behind him, summoned the Rusty Sword, and sent a half-foot blade of light slashing out. The Titan Giant Ape did not even glance at it. It roared again, leaving Qin Muchu's head spinning. By the time he recovered, it had seized Xiao Wu and was racing into the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Xiao Wu!" Qin Muchu cried out as though his heart were being torn apart. He was about to give chase when Xiao Wu's voice reached him from the distance. "Xiao Chu, don't follow! It doesn't seem to mean us harm. Wait there for me. I'll find a chance to escape."

"No! Big monkey, let Xiao Wu go!" Qin Muchu ran after the Titan Giant Ape, but how could he match the speed of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast? Before long, he could no longer sense its aura at all.

"Damn, that monkey really didn't hold back." Qin Muchu stopped and shook his head. Er Ming had only roared, but the force of his immense body behind it had been more than Qin Muchu could bear. He quickly sat cross-legged to restore his battered mental strength.

Deep within the Star Dou Great Forest.

Xiao Wu anxiously patted Er Ming's shoulder. "Er Ming, why did you come? Put me down! That human out there is my friend. I need to find him. He'll be in danger alone."

"Roar!" Er Ming growled but showed no sign of putting Xiao Wu down. She caught a trace of pain in his voice.

"Er Ming, what happened to you?" Xiao Wu hurriedly examined him and soon spotted a huge wound on his chest, so deep that bone showed.

"Who did this to you?" Xiao Wu's eyes reddened at once. Her face tight with worry, she asked in a trembling voice, "Where's Da Ming?"

Er Ming said nothing and kept running with Xiao Wu. Soon they reached the Lake of Life. Sensing Xiao Wu's aura, the Sky Azure Bull Python raised his head from the water. "Sister Xiao Wu, you're here."

Da Ming's aura was even weaker than Er Ming's. More than a dozen wounds covered him, the scales around them shattered and the flesh beneath torn and bloody.

"Da Ming, what happened? How did you both get hurt so badly?" Xiao Wu asked, her voice trembling. Her ruby-red eyes brimmed with worry. Seeing the companions she had grown up with so gravely wounded filled her with fear for them and dread of what might have happened.

The Sky Azure Bull Python gave a low rumble. Water ran down his enormous neck into the lake, sending rings of murky ripples across its surface. "The Heaven-Gazing Hou came out of the core region. Er Ming and I wanted revenge, but he's grown far stronger than before. We were no match for him. Even Lord Di Tian couldn't defeat him. The others at the center of the Lake of Life came out too. Lady Bi Ji has already treated us, so Er Ming and I are all right now."

Xiao Wu was stunned. She had never been to the core region and did not know what the Heaven-Gazing Hou was, but she knew Di Tian and the other Soul Beasts. She had not imagined that even Di Tian would be no match for him. "What happened then? Where did the Heaven-Gazing Hou go?"

The Sky Azure Bull Python lowered his massive head slightly, his eyes grave. "He was injured fighting Di Tian, and with the other lords watching nearby, he didn't dare fight to the bitter end. Di Tian and the others felt the same way. They've all returned to the core region now."

Xiao Wu breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the Heaven-Gazing Hou could not do whatever he pleased, that was something. She looked at her two companions with concern. "Focus on healing. I'll stand guard for you."

"No, Sister Xiao Wu. I had Er Ming bring you here to tell you to stay in the human world from now on. Otherwise, you might come in one day without warning and run into danger." Da Ming's low voice rumbled on. "It'll take Er Ming and me at least three to five years to recover. Until you're strong enough, you mustn't come back to the Star Dou Great Forest."

"How can I leave when you're hurt this badly? That's enough. Listen to me. We'll do as I say." Xiao Wu's tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

The Sky Azure Bull Python sighed. "Sister Xiao Wu, since taking human form, you've lost almost all your strength. What you need now is to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Besides, the human who came with you to the Star Dou Great Forest is still waiting."

At the mention of Qin Muchu, Xiao Wu hesitated. Da Ming continued, "Sister Xiao Wu, this isn't the time to act on emotion. Staying here won't help us. Er Ming and I would only have to divide our attention to protect you. The safest course is for you to return to the human world. I don't know how you did it, but I can sense that even a Titled Douluo wouldn't detect your Soul Beast aura now. The human world is the safest place for you."

After Da Ming urged her again and again, Xiao Wu finally nodded. "All right. I'll listen to you. But I have to stay tonight and make sure you're both okay. Oh, the human who came with me is called Qin Muchu. He's my best friend in the human world. Let me tell you about him..."