Seeing the undisguised shock in Hu Liena's eyes, Bibi Dong's tone softened slightly, carrying a hint of warning and concern. " Nana, you are already outstanding. But the Slaughter City is a truly perilous place where nine out of ten will die. Even with your strength, you might not be able to escape unscathed."
She paused briefly. "I have other plans regarding the training. Elder Gui Mei recently explored the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest and discovered the aura of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, and there's more than one. I will personally go to investigate in a few days. You will come with me. Tempering yourself under the pressure of truly dangerous terrain and top-tier Soul Beast will also be rewarding..."
Hu Liena slowly recovered from the shock of the " Tang Feng " news. Upon hearing that the Pope was going to the Star Dou Great Forest in person and would take her with him, she immediately composed herself and respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Majesty! Your disciple obeys."
Bibi Dong took in the changes in her expression and sighed softly, saying, " Nana, shift your gaze away from that half-crippled Tang San. Tang Feng is your true rival of this generation, and a formidable enemy that our Spirit Hall must face squarely in the future."
Hu Liena lowered her head deeply, her heart churning with turbulent emotions.
On the fifth day, before dawn, twelve figures stood silently in the main peak square of Cloud Mist Mountain.
The group is led by Tang Xiao, consisting of six Titled Douluo, three Quasi-Titled Douluo, Bai He, a speed-reconnaissance type Soul Douluo, as well as Tang Feng and Zhu Zhuqing.
Tang Xiao spoke succinctly, waving his hand. "Let's go."
A group of twelve people flew towards the Star Dou Great Forest procession.
Despite the impressive lineup, there was no earth-shattering display. The twelve figures soared into the air, like shooting stars merging into the morning mist, silently streaking across the sky and speeding towards the Star Dou Great Forest.
After two consecutive days of flying and rest, we traversed more than a thousand kilometers of mountains and rivers.
The next evening, the group landed in a secluded, deserted valley on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The valley is deep and secluded, with a babbling brook, perfect for a rest.
The group sat in meditation to regulate their breathing, restoring their energy and mental state from the slight exhaustion of the long journey to their optimal condition.
At dawn the following day, the team set off again, officially entering the vast and perilous Star Dou Great Forest.
The outer area posed little threat to them. The team maintained a tight formation, with Elder Bai He, the fastest of the group, scouting from high above, while Tang Xiao provided support from the center.
On the fifth day, they had ventured deep into the area where Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast were active, and had been searching for five days.
Elder Bai He finally discovered the trail of a suitable Soul Beast for Zhu Zhuqing in a " Moon Valley "—a " Dark Moon Shadow Leopard "—located in a depression in the terrain and shrouded in strange gray mist all year round.
Bai He whispered, "This kind of Soul Beast is extremely rare. It lives in this absolutely dark environment year-round, has an extremely strong ability to hide, and its Soul Beast is among the best of its kind. It is adept at teleporting to launch a fatal attack. Judging from the residual Soul Power fluctuations and footprints, the one in the valley is about 40,000 years old, which is perfect for Zhu Zhuqing."
Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's cat-like eyes.
The characteristics of the Dark Moon Shadow Leopard are a perfect match for her Nether Civet Martial Soul and fighting style.
Tang Xiao ordered, "A swift and decisive battle is needed to avoid unnecessary trouble. Elder Yang and Seventh Elder, make your move and subdue him in one strike, leaving him with his last breath for Zhu Zhuqing. The rest of you, stand guard around the perimeter."
Yang Wudi and Tang Lie nodded, and the two silently slipped into the deep shadows of Moon Valley.
Their Titled Douluo cultivation level allowed them to blend almost seamlessly into their environment.
Deep in the valley, beside a massive, shadow-covered rock, a pair of eerie green eyes slowly opened, filled with cold wariness.
The Dark Moon Shadow Leopard sensed the intruder, but it was extremely confident in its stealth abilities and did not reveal itself immediately. Instead, it seemed to melt away, its form becoming even more indistinct, preparing to deliver a thunderous blow to the trespasser.
However, it was facing two seasoned and Peak Douluo.
"Aww!!"
A sharp, short, painful roar rang out, and the Dark Moon Shadow Leopard was forced to stumble and fall from the shadows.
A bloody hole had already been pierced in its ribs by Yang Wudi's spear.
The Shadow Leopard instinctively tried to escape, transforming into a streak of black light.
But Tang Lie had been waiting for a long time. His figure appeared like Gui Mei in the path of its escape. With the immense force of the Clear Sky Hammer, he nimbly slammed it horizontally, accurately striking the Shadow Leopard's neck. It did not kill it, but instantly shattered its gathered Soul Power and will to resist.
The whole process was lightning fast; from locking down to subduing, it only took a few breaths.
The 40,000-year-old Dark Moon Shadow Leopard, with the perfect coordination of the two Titled Douluo, was almost unable to put up any decent resistance before being severely injured and collapsing to the ground, only able to let out a unwilling whimper.
Accompanied by Tang Feng, Zhu Zhuqing quickly approached.
She took a deep breath, Dark Gold Dreadclaw shot out, cleanly and decisively ending its suffering.
A deep black Soul Ring slowly rose, emanating a pure yet powerful aura of shadow and speed attributes.
Zhu Zhuqing sat down cross-legged and, with the protection of the crowd, began to absorb the 40,000-year Soul Ring that was extremely compatible with her Martial Soul.
The process went even more smoothly than expected. The pure energy in the Soul Ring rapidly strengthened her meridians, bones, and muscles, especially her abilities related to speed and stealth, which saw a particularly significant improvement.
Three hours later, Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes, her Soul Power soaring to the peak of Level 62.
She stood up, stretched her now even more voluptuous body slightly, felt the surging power within her, and a faint yet extremely captivating smile appeared on her face.
What surprised her most was the Sixth Soul Skill she obtained.
" Sixth Soul Skill! Dark Moon Shadow Flash."
Soul Skill Effect: Instantly transforms oneself into a pure Dark Moon shadow, capable of three consecutive ultra-high-speed Teleportation, each Teleportation a maximum distance of twenty meters.
During the Teleportation, the figure is in a brief state of "absolute invisibility". Not only does it disappear visually, but its aura and Soul Power fluctuations are also completely hidden. It cannot be tracked by any locking skills and is immune to all non-area attacks during this period.
After the three Teleportation are completed, the next attack will automatically be imbued with " Dark Moon Power", dealing 200% physical damage and inflicting a "Shadow Slow" state on the hit target for two seconds, reducing movement speed and attack speed by 30%.
It combines extreme displacement, absolute stealth, burst damage that breaks stealth, and powerful soft crowd control!
The practicality, surprise, and tactical value of this Soul Skill are simply astonishing!
Perfectly suited to Zhu Zhuqing's Agility Attack System an agile assassin, this skill is divine, whether it's entering the battlefield, dodging fatal attacks, chasing down remaining enemies, or creating opportunities for output!
"What an amazing Soul Skill!" Even the well-informed Tang Xiao couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. "With this Soul Skill by your side, Zhu Zhuqing, your combat ability will undergo a qualitative leap."
Tang Feng was genuinely happy for her; the strength of this Soul Skill far surpassed that of ordinary Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill.
Zhu Zhuqing was extremely satisfied. She could feel that this Soul Skill was tailor-made for her, and using it felt as smooth as using her own limbs.
Without further delay, the group continued their stealthy journey deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.
Tang Feng naturally took Zhu Zhuqing's hand, their fingers intertwined, and their palms pressed together, exchanging warmth and a reassuring sense of strength.
Zhu Zhuqing's fingers curled slightly as she gripped his hand, her fingertips lightly tapping the back of his hand, as if silently confirming each other's presence. The two walked lightly and tacitly followed the group.
They searched so thoroughly for about ten days.
That afternoon, Elder Bai He, who had been scouting ahead, returned as a streak of light, excitedly reporting, "Sect Master, about thirty miles ahead, there's an anomaly in the earth's veins, with extremely powerful earth-elemental energy converging. We've discovered three gigantic Qian Jun Ant Emperor, their carapaces a dark gold color, each exceeding the ninety-thousand-year mark!"
Upon hearing this, Tang Xiao's eyes flashed with excitement, and he exclaimed, " The Qian Jun Ant Emperor? And three of them? Excellent! Just what Tai Tan and his companions need! Everyone, prepare for battle!"
Everyone perked up and quietly made their way there.
Parting the last leaf of the giant fern, the sight before one's eyes was breathtaking.
It was a relatively open woodland, but the soil had an eerie dark gold color, as if it had been soaked in metal.
Three Qian Jun Ant Emperor were slowly swimming through the forest. Each of them was over three meters long and covered with an incredibly thick, dark gold carapace. Every time their six thick legs landed, they left deep dents in the ground.