Are We Really Running? Wait, You're Actually Running!

But the Titan Giant Ape threw back its head and roared, then took another step forward, giving Zhao Wuji no face whatsoever.

At the sight, most of their faces immediately fell.

After all, an overlord-level soul beast like this might not speak human language, but it could certainly understand it.

Since it understood and still acted this way, that meant the negotiations had failed.

"Hurry up and eat Oscar's Third Soul Skill, then run! Flender and I will most likely only be able to hold this beast off for a while."

With that, Zhao Wuji immediately unleashed four soul rings and charged at the Titan Giant Ape.

Without another word, Flender also released his martial soul and soul skills, launching himself at the Titan Giant Ape.

The two Soul Saints joined forces once again.

Only this time, their opponent was a hundred-thousand-year overlord-level soul beast.

"You go ahead. I'm staying to help the dean and Teacher Zhao, and to protect Yang Jian."

Dai Mubai did not obediently leave. Instead, he released his martial soul and rushed toward the heart of the battle.

"Seven Treasures Turn, Glazed Light Emerges, Seven Treasures Have Names-"

"First: Strength!"

"Second: Speed!"

Only after applying her soul skills to Zhao Wuji and Flender did Ning Rongrong continue, "Of course I'm the one who should protect my big brother. You all go!"

"If you want to leave, then leave."

"This is exactly when my teacher and boss need me. How could I possibly leave?!"

"At worst, we'll die together! Like the boss said, die with your dick pointing skyward; survive, and live for ten thousand years!"

Ma Hongjun did not show the slightest cowardice either.

Although Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, the way she released her martial soul and guarded Yang Jian without leaving his side made her feelings clear.

"Fine! If you're not leaving, neither am I! I, Oscar, am no coward!"

"I Have a Big Sausage!!"

"I Have a Mushroom Sausage!!!"

With that, Oscar immediately began chanting his soul incantations, unleashing his first and third soul skills.

He conjured Big Sausages that restored stamina and a small amount of soul power when eaten, along with Mushroom Sausages that allowed someone to fly for one minute.

Back when he was a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster, his Big Sausages had already been quite effective. Even a Soul Saint could recover some soul power by eating them. Now, he had advanced to a three-ring Soul Elder.

Naturally, the effectiveness of the Big Sausages he produced needed no further explanation.

They had climbed another level.

"I'll stay right here making sausages! Today, we're going to fight a battle of attrition with this Titan Giant Ape!"

Oscar bellowed.

He looked just like one of those normally meek students at school who had been pushed too far.

He kept chanting his soul incantations and making sausages.

"Aooo-!"

"Roar-!!"

"..."

The Titan Giant Ape was growing bored with the antlike humans pestering it.

It raised an ape arm as massive as a century-old tree and, with a single strike, knocked Flender out of the air. He crashed to the ground, the lingering force driving his back through the earth like an excavator.

Everywhere he passed, two long, narrow walls of dirt rose up, leaving a trench stretching dozens of meters beneath him.

"Flender!"

"Dean!!"

"..."

Everyone cried out.

Zhao Wuji's attention was also drawn by the Titan Giant Ape's blow.

In that instant of distraction, he felt heat against his back. A moment later, that long, enormous ape arm sent him flying in another direction.

He flew no shorter a distance than Flender had.

"Teacher Zhao!"

At the sight, Dai Mubai's anger instantly overwhelmed his fear, and he activated his third, first, and second soul skills in succession!

"You beast!"

"Your life is mine!!"

Ma Hongjun's eyes also reddened at the sight. Without caring in the slightest about his own strength, he charged forward, activating his second and first soul skills in succession.

A White Tiger Light Wave and a Phoenix Fire Line struck the Titan Giant Ape's waist one after another.

Clearly, however, attacks of this level were little more than an itch to this hundred-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape. They might not even have amounted to that.

"Roar-!"

The Titan Giant Ape clearly did not consider Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun worth its attention.

First, it let out a roar, arresting their movements. Then it strode forward and barreled past them.

It pursued Yu Xiaogang and the others along their escape route.

That was right.

As early as Zhao Wuji's warning, Yu Xiaogang had already begun itching to flee.

When he heard Dai Mubai and the others declare what sounded like their intention to die here, he immediately gave Tang San a look and took the lead in escaping.

At first, however, to avoid being noticed by the others or the Titan Giant Ape, he moved slowly away.

By the time everyone began fighting, he had already retreated dozens of meters with Tang San and Xiao Wu.

Then he began running for all he was worth.

By the time the Titan Giant Ape pursued them in that direction, they had already been running for nearly ten minutes.

"Teacher, the Titan Giant Ape doesn't seem to be following us anymore."

"Should we slow down a little?"

"Otherwise, even if we escape the Titan Giant Ape's pursuit, we might end up in danger again by disturbing other soul beasts' territories."

As he sprinted, Tang San suddenly looked at Yu Xiaogang beside him.

Having come from a sect specializing in hidden weapons and poison in his previous life, Tang San naturally accepted this sort of thing very quickly.

Thus, he did not ask Yu Xiaogang why they were running. He asked whether continuing to run would cause problems.

"Yes, there's no sign of them behind us anymore. Besides, with Flender and the others holding it off, we really don't need to push ourselves so desperately now."

"But we still can't let our guard down."

"There are far too many soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest. Until we're out of this forest, we must remain careful."

Yu Xiaogang was already utterly exhausted. Hearing Tang San say this, he slowed his steps as well.

"Is it really all right for us to abandon them like this?"

After they stopped.

Xiao Wu, who had held back for a long time, finally could not restrain herself and asked.

On the surface, her question was directed at Tang San, but in truth, she was also asking Grandmaster.

"Xiao Wu, you're still too kind."

"If people like them really had the chance to choose, they'd abandon us too."

Tang San spoke indifferently.

"San, do you mean that if our positions were reversed today, they'd abandon us and run too?"

Xiao Wu asked.

"Yes."

Tang San nodded.

"What about you, Grandmaster?"

"Aren't you and Dean Flender close friends?"

"Why did you run too?"

Although Xiao Wu's voice was quiet, it pierced Yu Xiaogang's heart like a thorn.

However.

The thorn had only pricked him for an instant before Yu Xiaogang pulled it out. "Xiao Wu, I didn't take you two away because Flender and I aren't close. Quite the opposite. It was precisely because we're close that I had to take you two away."

"Why?"

Xiao Wu asked.

At this point, even Tang San raised his head to look into Yu Xiaogang's eyes, seemingly hoping to find some trace of a clue.

"Precisely because I'm his close friend, I must ensure my own safety. Otherwise, staying there would only distract him. It wouldn't help him at all."

"Then, Grandmaster, why didn't you bring the rest of Shrek along to run with us?"

"Well... Xiao Wu, didn't you see them all charging forward like madmen? How could I bring them?"

"B-but... you didn't say a single word."

As Xiao Wu's words fell.

The entire clearing seemed to fall silent as a flock of hushed crows, so quiet that a falling needle could be heard.

It was so quiet that Yu Xiaogang's rapid breathing seemed audible.

He seemed to be suppressing his anger, or perhaps holding in some ultimate move.

Whatever he was holding in, it certainly wasn't a decent fart.

"Roar-!!!"

However.

Before Yu Xiaogang could open his mouth to refute Xiao Wu and release that fart bottled up in his heart, he heard that somewhat familiar, deafening sound.

Xiao Wu happened to turn and look back as well, her Scorpion Braid lifting as though caught by the wind.

In just an instant.

Her entire body vanished from where she stood, as though she really had been bathed in the wind.