Crushing Them, Hurricane's First Showing

"..."

The scene fell silent.

Aside from Ning Tian and Wu Feng, everyone else stared in stunned disbelief at the scene in the middle of the field, as if time had frozen. A Datura Snake had opened its jaws wide, almost about to swallow the youth before it, yet Su Wen remained calm, showing no fear at all in the face of the threat before him.

Because up ahead, a giant ape over four meters tall had appeared at some point. Its muscles were clearly defined, its build long and lean without seeming gaunt, its entire body covered in snow-white fur, with a faint violet marking at the corner of its eye. It grabbed the Datura Snake by the tail and, with a contemptuous expression, yanked it viciously backward.

"Hiss!!!"

The Datura Snake was in agony, but Hurricane had its tail pinched like it was a toy. In its pupils, the youth's calm face grew farther and farther away, and along with its fear, sharp pain spread through its entire body. It knew it had probably provoked the one existence in this team it least should have provoked...

Hurricane swung it like a hemp rope, playing with it in his hand, whipping up a shrill howl of wind.

"Hurricane."

Su Wen frowned.

"Roar~"

The latter nodded, held up the snake's tail, smashed its head into the ground, then punched down on it. With a "pfft," the Datura Snake spat out a mouthful of dark blood and knew nothing more.

Just like that, a Datura Snake was crushed into unconsciousness.

Among the whole team, Tang Ya and Huo Yuhao both looked dazed.

Tang Ya in particular flushed a little once she recovered. Earlier, she had carelessly said that Bei Bei would protect him. No wonder Bei Bei's expression had been a little strange. So that was why...

Huo Yuhao was even more shocked, his eyes wide.

Bei Bei's fierce attacks, and his strength as a Soul Elder at only fifteen years old, had made him endlessly envious. Yet the Datura Snake that even Senior Bei Bei, with that level of strength, had found difficult to kill, had been taken down by Su Wen...

"So... freakish." Huo Yuhao ran out of words.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, meanwhile, acted as if facing a great enemy, staring in horror at this Wind Baboon, his gaze growing stranger and stranger.

"A Wind Baboon? No! It feels like there's been a qualitative change in its bloodline. A mutated species among Wind Baboons? And isn't this guy's martial soul the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion? How did another Wind Baboon suddenly pop out?!"

"Over four thousand years, right?"

Bei Bei released Martial Soul Possession and walked over with an envious expression, sizing Hurricane up from head to toe. Su Wen was a "Beastmaster"; that was something everyone in the Inner Courtyard knew. The Soul Beasts under him were more monstrous than the last.

This one should be the rumored "Hurricane," right?

He really was cool.

With a whole bunch of "little brothers" under him, he did not even need to act personally. The style was overwhelming.

It had to be the summoning type...

Was it you taking on my pack of Soul Beasts alone, or my pack of Soul Beasts ganging up on you?

"More or less."

Su Wen smiled.

"What kind of baboon is this? He's so handsome." Tang Ya's eyes shone as she walked over and carefully stroked Hurricane's fur, unable to hide the envy in her gaze.

"A Wind Baboon," Wu Feng said before Su Wen could speak.

Tang Ya: "..."

Even more awkward.

"All right, only Ning Tian's third Soul Ring is left. In that case... Hurricane!" Su Wen gave Hurricane a look. The latter let out a low roar. Though his body was enormous, his speed was like the wind. In a few flickers, he vanished from everyone's sight, going straight up along the ancient trees and leaping away into the distance.

Tang Ya took out a Hidden Weapon and stabbed it into the neck of the dying Datura Snake, ending its Life.

Then a pale violet Soul Ring rose up, and she sat cross-legged on the ground and began absorbing it.

Several minutes later.

The heavy body of a black ape over three thousand years old crashed down from the ancient tree above. Hurricane followed right behind, stepping onto its body and giving Su Wen a low roar.

"Mountain Heavy Ape, leaning toward... strength."

Su Wen looked toward Ning Tian at the side.

For the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, not every owner's soul skills were fixed. A very small number of Soul Beasts could also grant unique skills. For example, Ning Tian's second soul skill was—Release, and for her third soul skill, she had chosen Strength.

The latter gave a sweet smile.

"Mm."

She stepped forward cleanly, held a sharp blade, and only managed to finish it off after using some effort.

Then she began absorbing the Soul Ring.

Bei Bei watched the two of them absorb at the same time, the corner of his mouth twitching.

They were both advancing to Soul Elder, but one was fifteen, while the other had only just turned eleven not long ago. Tang Ya had even struggled to absorb a two-thousand-year Soul Ring, but Ning Tian had chosen one over three thousand years old for her third Soul Ring, close to four thousand years...

Su Wen's expression remained calm.

As the Young Sect Master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School, Ning Tian had eaten so many heavenly treasures that she was sick of them. Never mind Whale Rubber—even more precious things were not something she had never eaten. Her body's tolerance had long since reached a level ordinary people could hardly hope to match.

Forget over three thousand years; she could even hold up against one over five thousand years. It was just that the former was safe, while the latter carried a certain risk.

"Pfft~"

Hurricane was bored out of his mind, drilling wood until a little smoke and flame rose.

His massive body sat on the ground as he found himself a bit of fun in this dry, tedious life.

Bei Bei had originally wanted to warn him that lighting sparks in the Star Dou Great Forest could easily attract Soul Beasts, but after thinking about how Su Wen seemed to have another Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, he opened his mouth, then said nothing. Out here on the outskirts, there were probably only a very few things that could truly threaten Su Wen.

With a wry smile, he sat back down where he had been, his gaze returning to Tang Ya.

"You're actually this strong now?"

Wu Feng watched Ning Tian absorb her Soul Ring and found herself rather bored, so she simply sat back down beside Su Wen. Her fair, delicate face leaned closer, her crimson eyes filled with astonishment and curiosity.

After all, when the two of them had first met, she had been several levels below him and had been beaten so miserably that she felt as if several of her ribs had been broken. She had nearly been traumatized by it. But now... the gap seemed even greater, like a chasm between heaven and earth. She could barely even see Su Wen's back anymore.

Su Wen ignored her and continued circulating the Golden Core within his body.

"Got any tricks?" Wu Feng moved her face a little closer, her damp breath tickling Su Wen's cheek.

"Yes." Su Wen opened his eyes and looked helplessly at Wu Feng, who had practically pressed her whole body against him and burrowed into his arms. "Dream less. Train more."

"Tch~~~"

Wu Feng scoffed and drew back again.

Bored out of her mind, she lay down and looked up at the sky.

Huo Yuhao, however, noticed that the girl's ears seemed to have turned red.

"Jealous?"

In the Sea of Consciousness.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm asked with a grin.

"Mm..." Huo Yuhao nodded slightly. Although avenging his mother came first, as a boy in adolescence, he naturally felt some restless stirrings in that regard.

"Back in the day, in the Land of Extreme North, I was known as quite the little expert at flirting. Even the Ice Empress, one of the Three Great Heavenly Kings, was hopelessly charmed by me. Unfortunately, to explore the world, I was forced to leave back then. I wonder how little Bingbing is doing now." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm chuckled.

"Oh, right. When you go to obtain your second Soul Ring, take a trip to the Land of Extreme North," Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said, the corners of his mouth lifting. "There's an opportunity waiting for you there."

"Oh..." Huo Yuhao committed it firmly to memory.

He nodded slightly.

P.S. There's one more chapter coming a bit later.