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As they stepped from the wilderness into the forest, towering trees became its defining feature.
The sunlight was gradually blotted out.
"Roar!!"
An eerie presence washed over them, and the roars of Soul Beasts rang out around them from time to time, making them tense despite themselves.
This was the Star Dou Great Forest, a region teeming with Soul Beasts.
A dazzling Martial Soul rose, and everyone instinctively closed their eyes.
The surroundings grew a little brighter.
Toys with a few Gold Soul Coins in hand, the newcomer lay on the old green ox's back, his face full of helplessness.
"Grandpa, why get a Soul Ring so soon? I'm not in a hurry."
"Little Yu, you might not be in a hurry, but Grandpa is! There's no harm in becoming a Soul Master sooner."
"Wouldn't a Thousand-Year Soul Ring be far too lousy for my first Soul Ring?"
"You'd already be doing well to get a hundred-year Soul Ring. Little Yu, remember, never reach for heights beyond your grasp."
Cao Yu disagreed. If his first Soul Ring wasn't a million-year one, he would be embarrassed.
After all, seven years later, that cheat Huo Yuhao would encounter the million-year Soul Beast, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.
And he would successfully turn him into his first Soul Ring, then eventually fuse with Electrolux as well.
Why couldn't Cao Yu do the same?
So Cao Yu had been waiting, waiting to fuse with Tian Meng and Elder Yi seven years later.
But his grandfather was terribly anxious and insisted on dragging him to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for his first Soul Ring.
What was this supposed to be?
You couldn't screw over your grandson like this.
"Hiss~ Roar!"
As they advanced, a streak of white light suddenly shot out of the dense undergrowth.
"Little Yu, watch out!"
The old man watched the area ahead warily, keeping himself firmly in front of Cao Yu to protect him.
The ten black-clad figures, however, did not move. The composure of these "seniors" put the old man at ease.
That was right! With them here, Little Yu wouldn't be in any danger.
Cao Yu had hardly used any Limit Douluo Experience Cards over the past few years, so he still had more than ten left.
The next second, the ground began to shake.
Boom!
The Soul Beast lurking in the shadows leaped out and landed before them.
Dust rose from the ground.
The enormous Soul Beast eyed them hungrily, greedy drool dripping from its ugly lower jaws.
"A Man Faced Demon Spider!"
"Little Yu, this one is a perfect match for your Second Martial Soul. Once Grandpa takes it down, you can absorb it!"
"Ha! Take this, beast!"
"Fifth Soul Skill, Mad Lion Stacking Waves!"
This Man Faced Demon Spider was less than a thousand years old, so when it appeared, not only was the old man unafraid, he even looked at it excitedly.
"Roar!"
It let out another furious roar, yet the man before it showed not a trace of fear and charged swiftly toward it instead.
The Man Faced Demon Spider froze.
Why wasn't that trick working anymore?
When it saw the six Soul Rings on the man, it was instantly startled!
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
Before the old man could approach, the Man Faced Demon Spider sprang upward on its eight legs, then rushed toward the dense forest behind it.
Boom!
"Haha! Let's see you survive that."
The old man's Soul Skill still landed squarely on it.
The Man Faced Demon Spider faltered, and green fluid seeped from its enormous abdomen.
In pain, it turned and spat out a streak of white light. A huge web temporarily blocked its attacker.
Seizing that moment, the Man Faced Demon Spider endured the pain and rushed into the distance again.
"This Man Faced Demon Spider really is formidable!"
It had taken a solid palm strike from him and still hadn't died. It truly deserved its place among the ranked Ferocious Beasts.
And this was only a juvenile. How terrifying would an adult be?
In any case, Cao Yanjun would definitely give one a wide berth if he encountered it.
Even for him, surviving an encounter with a ten-thousand-year one would be a tall order.
"But you aren't getting away."
With a chuckle, Cao Yanjun followed the green fluid left in the dense forest and found the wounded Man Faced Demon Spider again.
It was crawling shakily forward, looking utterly feeble.
Green fluid covered the ground, and its enormous abdomen had begun to shrivel.
Its ugly, massive jaws moved, and another streak of white light shot toward the old man, only to be dodged.
The Man Faced Demon Spider sank into despair. As it watched the man draw closer, its eight legs began trembling uncontrollably, yet it still struggled to crawl forward.
It didn't want to die!
So it mustered all its strength and let out a furious roar.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss~ Roar!"
"Little Yu, come finish it off!"
The old man feared that the Man Faced Demon Spider's cries would attract other Soul Beasts, so as soon as Cao Yu arrived, he hurriedly pulled him over.
The Star Dou Great Forest was different from other places. The slightest carelessness could cost them their lives, so it was no wonder the old man was so anxious.
"All right."
This Soul Beast was still too young, but giving it to his Master of Shadows Martial Soul wouldn't be a loss. He might as well absorb it; having one was better than having none.
In any case, he could just reserve the first Soul Ring of his Gold Soul Coin Martial Soul for the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.
He drew the Attractiveness Holy Sword and swiftly finished off the Man Faced Demon Spider.
A yellow Soul Ring immediately rose into the air.
"Roar!"
Just as he crossed his legs to absorb it, a sound even louder than before came from deep within the dense forest.
It sounded somewhat anguished, and then an oppressive presence pressed down like a mountain.
Everyone's heart leaped into their throat, and none dared even breathe loudly.
How terrifying!
Even the ground began to tremble. Clearly, this was an enormous Soul Beast.
The old man hurriedly retreated. Another Soul Beast had been drawn over so quickly. The Star Dou Great Forest truly was no ordinary place!
The next instant.
Boom!
An entire row of towering ancient trees was knocked down with a crash, and the enormous Soul Beast finally revealed itself.
It was a giant Man Faced Demon Spider!
"A h-hundred thousand years!"
"Could it be its parent?"
The old man suddenly felt some regret. He shouldn't have acted so rashly and followed the juvenile Man Faced Demon Spider all the way into the depths of the forest.
If he wasn't mistaken, they had already entered the inner region of the Star Dou Great Forest.
This was the habitat of Ferocious Beasts over ten thousand years old. With his cultivation as a Soul Emperor, surviving here would be extremely difficult.
He could only pin his last hopes on these seniors.
Cao Yu covered his face helplessly.
The giant Man Faced Demon Spider gazed at the Soul Beast's corpse on the ground, and its humanlike face could not help taking on a sorrowful expression.
It seemed to grieve over this.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"
It tried calling out, but there was no response.
Then its eyes turned coldly toward Cao Yu and the others.
They were the murderers who had killed its child.
Unforgivable!
Rumble!
A giant spider leg rose high, blocking the sunlight streaming through gaps in the greenery and instantly darkening the dense forest.
Whoosh!
A gale howled past immediately afterward-the sound of the giant spider leg sweeping violently down.
All sorts of plants swayed ceaselessly in the gale.
Just as it was about to land on Cao Yu and the others, an enormous black shadow darted out from deep within the dense forest.
There will be another update tonight.
(End of chapter)