"Brother Fan, let's go." Tang San slowly walked over to Qian Fan, gently patted his shoulder, and sighed helplessly.
Qian Fan nodded slightly in agreement, then carefully unfolded the Mysterious Map Xu Fangyuan had given them in front of the enormous rock before him.
Seeing this, Tang San and Chen Sixue hurriedly leaned closer to take a look.
However, when they saw what was marked on the map, both paled in shock.
Chen Sixue instinctively covered her mouth, her face filled with disbelief as she cried out, "Heavens! The teleportation array is actually that far away!!!"
Standing nearby, the Abyss God burst into laughter at her startled cry, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.
He said, "Little girl, it's not just far. It's ridiculously, unbelievably far! First, you'll have to pass through that utterly terrifying Taotie Forest, then avoid the immensely powerful White Tiger tribe. Finally, you'll have to cross the boundless Parallel Ocean and Shipwreck Island, where danger lurks on every side. It's no exaggeration to say that you'll be crossing almost half the Seven Star Domain!"
Qian Fan's face remained expressionless.
It was as though he could already see his beloved suffering and had to rush to her rescue at once. He clenched his fists tightly.
He said, "To bring Yuan'er back, no matter how many hardships and dangers lie ahead, even if I have to scale towering mountains, cross raging rivers, or plunge into a bottomless abyss and fall beyond all hope of salvation, I will never retreat a single step! Because she is my entire world. As long as she can be safe, I'll pay any price!" An unparalleled surge of soul power radiated from Qian Fan.
Tang San and Chen Sixue exchanged a glance, each seeing determination in the other's eyes. They knew this journey would be fraught with peril, but they had no other choice if they wanted to save Yuan'er.
Qian Fan took a deep breath and stepped forward first, heading toward the distant Taotie Forest. Tang San and Chen Sixue followed closely, and the three figures gradually vanished into the dense woods.
The three traveled for an entire day without a moment's rest, until darkness had completely fallen.
At night, the Taotie Forest was eerily quiet. Only the occasional cries of unknown beasts broke the silence, sending chills down their spines.
Qian Fan and the others found a relatively safe place to rest. Tang San leaned against a tree and gazed at the sky, thinking about the journey ahead.
"According to Senior Ouyang, we still have to pass through the White Tiger tribe, the Parallel Ocean, and Shipwreck Island. Every one of those places is full of danger." Tang San's voice broke the silence.
Qian Fan nodded. "But we have no other choice. We have to rescue Yuan'er."
Qian Fan tightened his grip on his sword, his gaze resolute. "Whatever hardships we encounter, we have to press bravely forward. We'll set out again first thing tomorrow morning."
Ouyang Tianxin nodded.
"It really isn't suitable to travel this late at night. Besides, this is the Taotie Forest. There are beings here that even God Kings fear. They say the Soul Devouring King, chief of the Taotie Clan, has long since reached the level of a Peak God King, or even the half-step transcendent god realm."
Qian Fan nodded as well. Traveling this way meant they were unlikely to encounter a super soul beast, but among their group, only Ouyang Tianxin had reached the god realm, while Qian Fan was a Titled Douluo.
Tang San was a Soul Saint who had yet to obtain his seventh soul ring.
And Chen Sixue was only a Soul King. With a lineup like theirs, even an ordinary seven-hundred-thousand-year soul beast could easily crush them. Why? Don't forget, this was the Seven Star Domain, not the Douluo Continent. The density of spirit power here was more than three times that of the Douluo Continent, and a seven-hundred-thousand-year soul beast here rivaled a nine-hundred-and-ninety-thousand-year soul beast there.
Moreover, night was the perfect time for the Taotie to fight.
As the night deepened, everyone rested around the fire. Suddenly, a low roar came from the distance, followed by the sound of falling trees.
"Trouble! A soul beast is attacking!" Tang San sprang to his feet, alert.
"Everyone, prepare to fight!" Sword in hand, Qian Fan fixed his gaze on the direction of the sound.
"Roooaaar!"
A deep roar rang out.
In the darkness, a massive figure gradually emerged, radiating a powerful aura that chilled them to the bone.
"It's a taotie!" Ouyang Tianxin said.
"And a seventy-thousand-year taotie at that. It delivered itself right to our doorstep!" Qian Fan said with a laugh.
At this point, Qian Fan and Tang San were the only members of the group still missing their ninth and seventh soul rings respectively, and seventy thousand years was just right for Tang San.
"Senior Ouyang, sorry for the trouble," Tang San said sheepishly.
"It's nothing. It's just a mere seventy-thousand-year taotie."
Ouyang Tianxin unleashed his divine power. The pressure of his god realm pinned the taotie straight to the ground, and he swiftly summoned his martial soul to subdue it.
"Damn... you little beast... How dare you show off here-didn't you bother finding out who was camping here?"
Ouyang Tianxin planted one foot on the taotie's head and crouched down. Curling his index finger, he rapped his knuckle against its broad forehead.
"You little beast... be more careful in your next life..."
Tang San was beside himself with excitement.
"Thank you, Senior Ouyang! Thank you, Senior Ouyang!"
With Tang San's experience from two lifetimes and his Clear Sky Hammer martial soul, absorbing this seventy-thousand-year taotie's soul ring should have posed no problem.
Tang San walked up to the taotie, released his soul power, and began absorbing the soul ring.
Although absorbing a seventy-thousand-year soul ring should have posed no problem for Tang San, this was a taotie, one of the four great evil soul beasts. Its soul ring was extraordinarily domineering.
Tang San's body began trembling violently. He felt a powerful force trying to devour his soul. Gritting his teeth, he resisted it with all his strength.
Seeing Tang San's condition, Chen Sixue felt her heart tighten. She knew he was in extreme danger. If he failed to absorb the soul ring, he could suffer grievous injuries.
Come on, Third Brother! Chen Sixue silently cheered him on.
Time passed, second by second. Tang San's face grew increasingly pale, and sweat soaked his clothes. Still, he persevered, refusing to give up.
At last, Tang San gradually tamed the soul ring's power, and it merged into his body. He opened his eyes and let out a long breath.
"He did it!" Chen Sixue cried excitedly.
Feeling the newfound power within him, Tang San smiled with relief.
"Congratulations," Qian Fan said to Tang San.
"Wow... Third Brother, you're a Soul Saint now!"
Tang San scratched his head sheepishly.
"It's all thanks to your help... Otherwise, I couldn't have grown this quickly."
"What are you saying...? We're all brothers."
Before you continue