The Titan Giant Ape's Arrival

Early the next morning, when the sky had only begun to brighten, the entire town was still shrouded in a hazy mist.

The trees lining both sides of the street swayed gently in the breeze. In the distance, the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and spilled across the earth.

After Cheng Xiao and Xiao Wu got up and ate breakfast, they left the town. Before leaving, Cheng Xiao bought a rough map of the Star Dou Great Forest to help them find their way.

With the map, Cheng Xiao and Xiao Wu hurried at full speed toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

Along the way, Xiao Wu chatted and laughed. She deeply missed the Star Dou Great Forest, which she had been away from for two years. More importantly, her family was deep within the forest.

The Star Dou Great Forest lay south of the Heaven Dou Empire, spanning the border between the Two Great Empires. Two-fifths of its area was within the Heaven Dou Empire, while the remaining three-fifths lay in the Star Luo Empire.

It was an enormous primeval forest with extremely complex terrain, including swamps and wetlands. The closer one got to the center of the Star Dou Great Forest, the more powerful the Soul Beasts became.

As one of the three most famous Soul Beast gathering grounds on Douluo Continent, this was the most suitable place for Soul Masters to hunt for soul rings. As long as one was strong enough and lucky enough, one could find a soul ring suited to oneself here.

From afar, Cheng Xiao saw the largest primeval forest on the continent. The air was filled with the damp scent of earth, and for Cheng Xiao, who had spent years in the academy, the fragrance of the soil felt especially refreshing.

"Cheng Xiao, once we obtain your second soul ring, let's not go any deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest." Having returned to a place she had not visited in a long time, Xiao Wu felt immensely comfortable, but she did not forget to remind Cheng Xiao beside her.

After all, she was a Soul Beast who had taken human form. With Da Ming and Er Ming protecting her, she would be safe. But Cheng Xiao was different. No matter how capable he was, he was only a level-twenty Soul Grandmaster. The Star Dou Great Forest was extremely dangerous; one careless mistake could easily cost him his life.

"Xiao Wu, this is clearly our first time here. Why do you seem even more familiar with this place than I am?" Cheng Xiao asked jokingly, holding the map in one hand.

"Huh?" Xiao Wu froze slightly, then fell silent. She did not know whether she should tell Cheng Xiao about her identity, nor did she know what excuse she could make to explain herself.

Seeing Xiao Wu lower her head with a hesitant expression, Cheng Xiao did not say anything. Her hesitation meant she was not stupid. If she had blurted out her identity without thinking, that would have been truly foolish.

Neither spoke as Cheng Xiao and Xiao Wu continued deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest. Perhaps they were lucky, but after walking for a long time, they had not encountered a single Soul Beast attack. Cheng Xiao could not help suspecting that the moment they entered the forest, the Two Emperors had already noticed them.

Just as Cheng Xiao was about to find a shady spot beneath a large tree to rest, the ground suddenly began to tremble. Not far ahead, the trees on both sides toppled one after another as a colossal creature rapidly approached them.

Cheng Xiao did not panic. He casually took Xiao Wu's hand and waited for the enormous creature to arrive before them.

Xiao Wu was somewhat confused by Cheng Xiao's calm expression, but feeling the warmth from his palm, she still did not ask.

She could not understand it. It was one thing for Cheng Xiao not to panic before an unknown giant creature, but he was actually standing still and waiting for it to come. Could he also be a Soul Beast who had taken human form? But aside from her, were there any other Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest that had taken human form?

Under Xiao Wu's puzzled gaze, Cheng Xiao gently squeezed her hand and said softly, "Your family has come to see you. Aren't you going to take a look?"

The next moment, the creature causing the tremendous commotion arrived before them. From its appearance, it looked both like an ape and a gorilla. Its entire body was jet-black, save for a pair of lantern-sized eyes that gleamed with a yellow crystal-like radiance.

Not only was the Titan Giant Ape enormous, but every part of its body was covered in powerful muscles even more terrifying than granite, bulging like small hills. No one would have imagined that such a powerful Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast would call a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit its elder sister.

"Hello, Titan Giant Ape." Looking at the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast before him, towering like a mountain, Cheng Xiao raised his other hand and waved at it.

"You actually knew?" Hearing Cheng Xiao's words, Xiao Wu was stunned at first. Then she immediately pulled her hand free from his grasp and said warily, "How did you know he was my family? Did you recognize my identity long ago?"

Watching the deeply wary Xiao Wu, Cheng Xiao smiled helplessly. "You're right. I recognized your identity a long time ago. After all, among Soul Masters who can condense soul rings without hunting Soul Beasts, aside from me, I imagine only Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts that have taken human form can do that, right?"

"What did you say?" Xiao Wu was shocked. From Cheng Xiao's words, she heard of something only Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in human form could do: produce soul rings without hunting Soul Beasts. Could Cheng Xiao also be a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form?

No, that wasn't right. If Cheng Xiao were a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form, he should have a scent unique to Soul Beasts. Yet they had slept together for so long, and she had never smelled that scent on him. Then what did he mean when he said he could condense soul rings without hunting Soul Beasts?

"All right, this might sound a little unbelievable." Cheng Xiao rubbed his nose and looked at Xiao Wu. "I'm different from other Soul Masters, who need to hunt Soul Beasts to obtain soul rings. There is a special power within my body that allows me to condense soul rings on my own without using Soul Beast soul rings. So, for now, you can consider me one of your kind—a human formed from a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."

"Sister... Xiao Wu... why waste... words with... this human..."

Seeing Cheng Xiao speaking with Xiao Wu, the Titan Giant Ape suddenly let out a roar and slammed a fist toward Cheng Xiao on the ground.

Human Soul Masters and Soul Beasts were mortal enemies. It would never allow Sister Xiao Wu to be deceived by a human's lies!

Seeing the Titan Giant Ape attack without warning, Xiao Wu hurriedly shouted, "Er Ming, stop! He's my friend!" As soon as she spoke, Xiao Wu flashed in front of Cheng Xiao, spreading her arms to either side in an obvious protective stance.

Xiao Wu's sudden action startled the Titan Giant Ape as well. Its fist stopped in midair, less than a meter away from Cheng Xiao on the ground.

"Sister... Xiao Wu... humans... cannot... be trusted."

The Titan Giant Ape slowly lowered its fist and spoke in human language, word by word.

"Er Ming, I know." Xiao Wu lowered her arms and raised her delicate little face to look at the Titan Giant Ape, which stood countless meters taller than her. She said slowly, "But I want to try trusting him."