So Everyone Knew?

The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger fell.

But he was not dead.

His red eyes still glowed, though much more dimly.

Just then, however, a black current of air began gathering in his mouth.

Shi Meng had seen this before.

In his previous life, he had played games based on Douluo Continent and knew this was the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's most bizarre skill.

Evil God Hook!

This skill could conjure a massive black hole three meters across, suck an opponent inside, and turn only that opponent back into a child. Once inside, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger and his opponent would fight a battle to the death in a separate space.

Only when one side died could the battle end and the survivor leave that space!

No, I can't let him unleash it!

"Divine Light Slash!"

Shi Meng immediately transformed the pointer into a greatsword and raised it high overhead.

A blue divine light flared,

and the next second, he brought the blade crashing down.

He sliced the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's melon clean off.

Chrysanthemum Douluo clutched his left shoulder, blood seeping between his fingers.

"That thing... with eighty thousand years of cultivation, it fought with the strength of a beast well over a hundred thousand years old."

Everyone's faces were frighteningly pale now. They had less than a tenth of their Soul Power left!

Shi Meng had spent the entire fight wearing their opponent down. He had used all four of his Soul Skills, exhausting his Soul Power as well.

"Shi Meng!"

Ning Rongrong was the first to rush over, summoning the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to restore him.

Hu Liena caught his arm.

"Junior brother, how are you feeling?"

Shi Meng forced a smile. "I'm fine. I won't die. I just... need a moment."

Shi Meng sat cross-legged and looked at the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's corpse.

"Time to take the Soul Ring."

He closed his eyes and began drawing in the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's Soul Ring.

The deep black Soul Ring slowly rose, its color even darker than his fourth ring's.

As the energy within the Soul Ring entered him, Shi Meng's body jolted.

The absorption went fairly smoothly, and the Soul Ring was once again tinged with a layer of blue and gold.

Shi Meng opened his eyes, feeling the power surging within him.

The accompanying Soul Power was so immense that it pushed him straight from level fifty to level fifty-three!

Information about his fifth Soul Skill poured into his mind.

"Return of the New Sun to Truth, Engrave the Past, Open the Present."

"Transform the pointer into the Anchor of Doom and smash people with it..."

Holy crap! The Anchor of Doom!

Shi Meng could not stop the corners of his mouth from lifting.

This thing was ridiculously powerful. It might even weigh more than Judah.

"Finished absorbing it?"

Hu Liena leaned closer.

Shi Meng stood. His breakthrough had already restored his strength.

But he remembered that this creature offered another opportunity.

Shi Meng reached beneath the corpse and felt around.

Sure enough, a black pearl rolled out.

The pearl was only the size of a fingernail, pitch-black all over, with extremely fine markings on its surface shimmering with green, blue, and silver light.

The instant Shi Meng's fingers touched it, the pearl shuddered violently, trying to burrow underground.

"Trying to run?"

Shi Meng seized it, immediately pouring the Authority of Time into his palm.

The black pearl struggled twice, then had no choice but to submit.

He turned it over for a look. There was a tiny indentation on its underside, as though some symbol had been carved there.

Shi Meng could not decipher it, so he simply stuffed it into his Storage Soul Tool.

This was the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's Inner Core, his Natal Pearl.

It contained six attributes: evil, darkness, lightning, wind, time, and space.

Something even Tang San had failed to catch in the original story was now in his hands.

The others did not ask much.

They only knew Shi Meng had taken a pearl, not what it was.

Just as Shi Meng was about to say something else, heavy footsteps suddenly sounded from the woods at the far end of the valley. Each step sounded like a small mountain moving.

Then an enormous figure emerged from the woods.

It was an ape, but its build was nothing like an ordinary ape's.

It stood over ten meters tall, black all over, with bulging muscles and golden eyes.

A hundred-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape!

"Er Ming?!"

Xiao Wu's rabbit ears shot straight up.

The Titan Giant Ape had been drawn over by the commotion.

The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's aura, Xiao Wu's aura, and that Titled Douluo-level battle could all be sensed for a hundred li around.

His golden eyes swept over everyone present before finally settling on Xiao Wu.

Then he let out a low roar, unmistakable anxiety and concern in his voice.

He opened an enormous hand, snatched Xiao Wu up, then turned and ran into the forest.

"Xiao Wu!"

"Wait, junior brother, what... what was that huge monkey? Why did Xiao Wu go with him?"

Shi Meng turned to look at Hu Liena.

"A Titan Giant Ape. A hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast, and one of the overlords of the Star Dou Great Forest."

"A hundred thousand years?!"

Hu Liena's pupils contracted sharply.

"Then why did he come looking for Xiao Wu? Is Xiao Wu..."

She suddenly stopped as something clicked in her mind.

Xiao Wu had been acting strangely throughout their journey. Never mind those rather lifelike rabbit ears-her familiarity with the Star Dou Great Forest alone was telling.

It was practically like she had come home!

"Is Xiao Wu... a Soul Beast?"

Hu Liena's voice changed.

But Shi Meng did not answer her.

"Junior brother, say something! Xiao Wu is a Soul Beast? Then all this time she's been staying with us..."

"Senior sister, at least Xiao Wu hasn't harmed any humans, has she?"

Hu Liena opened her mouth, then realized that did seem to be true.

"Wait here. I'll bring her back."

"What? You're going to bring her back? That's a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast!"

"I know. That's why none of you need to follow."

Shi Meng looked at her, his tone calm.

"No! Junior brother, you can't go. What if..."

Hu Liena grabbed Shi Meng's sleeve, but he reached out and gently tapped the back of her neck. Her body immediately went limp.

Seeing this, Ning Rongrong reached out to catch her.

"Brother Shi Meng..."

"We'll talk about Xiao Wu when I get back. I won't be long."

With that, he turned and walked in the direction where the Titan Giant Ape had disappeared.

After Shi Meng vanished among the shadows of the trees, the valley remained silent for a long while.

Supporting the unconscious Hu Liena, Ning Rongrong sighed.

As people who had been reborn, how could they not have known Xiao Wu's identity?

She simply had not expected Brother Shi Meng to know too, or to have known even earlier than she had.

Zhu Zhuqing stood nearby with her head lowered, lost in thoughts no one could guess.

Zhu Zhuyun spoke.

"So that girl named Xiao Wu is a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast who took human form? And you all knew?"

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing both nodded.

Qian Renxue stood to one side, showing no particular surprise either.

She, too, had been reborn, so naturally she knew who Xiao Wu was.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo exchanged a glance.

"Old Ghost."

"Mm."

"Do you think Lord Time Douluo is keeping this hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit captive, or does he see her as..."

A glimmer of amusement flashed through Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes. His meaning went without saying.

Ghost Douluo glared at him. "How could the likes of us fathom His Lordship's intentions? Let's just wait here."

Sword Douluo put away his sword and stood gazing deep into the woods, narrowing his eyes.

"That Soft Bone Rabbit has no human blood on her hands, nor has she harmed anyone. Since Shi Meng knows, it isn't my place to worry."