Three days later, after sleeping under the open sky and growing more haggard by the day, Xiao Yan and the others finally found a target that satisfied them.
In a lava lake deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, a huge, powerfully built figure swam through the lava like a fish in water. To its tough skin, the scorching lake seemed no more than a large pool slightly warmer than an ordinary hot spring.
Hidden among the trees and bushes, Xiao Yan and the others watched the massive figure in secret. They knew full well that this Soul Beast had to be among the finest of the ten-thousand-year soul beasts. Though it was still young, no more than twenty thousand years old by their estimate, its strength was probably no less than that of an eighty-thousand-year-old soul beast. Choosing such a Soul Beast as their enemy, even if the four of them were unrivaled among their peers, they could hardly be certain of victory.
As Xiao Yan and the others weighed their options, a flickering shadow suddenly appeared atop a giant tree more than ten meters away. At the sight of the target the four had chosen, his gaze jolted. He then drifted lightly like a ghost toward the bushes where they hid and said angrily in a low voice, "Have you gone mad? Three Soul Kings and a Soul Ancestor, and you actually intend to make an enemy of the King of the Forest? Even if I did everything in my power to protect you, I fear I'd have the will but not the strength. How would I answer to Her Holiness the Pope then?"
"Grandpa Ghost!" Hu Liena cried, both startled and delighted. Clearly, none of the four had realized that Bibi Dong would secretly send a Titled Douluo to protect them, much less one of her own trusted confidants. That was hardly surprising, though. These four were the future of Spirit Hall; there was no way they would simply be sent into danger with no one to rely on.
Indeed, this man was Pope Bibi Dong's right-hand man, a Spirit Hall elder whose title was "Ghost": Ghost Douluo, Gui Mei.
"If you still call me Grandpa Ghost, then hurry up and put those unrealistic fantasies of yours to rest." Clearly, Gui Mei held both Hu Liena and Xiao Yan in high regard and was close to them. Not only had the two grown up under his and Yue Guan's care, but they were also Bibi Dong's personal disciples, as close to her as a mother and her children, and highly likely to inherit the position of Spirit Hall's Pope one day. At this moment, he could not stand by and watch them venture deeper into danger.
"Though this giant ape mutated to possess both fire and earth attributes, making it an excellent Soul Ring for Yan, the markings on its forehead clearly show that it carries the bloodline of the Titan Giant Ape. Since it was able to establish its own territory near the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest, it must have a close connection to the King of the Forest, the hundred-thousand-year soul beast, the Titan Giant Ape." After casting a wary glance deep into the forest, Ghost Douluo continued his analysis. "The Titan Giant Ape is one of the rulers of the Star Dou Great Forest. Even I wouldn't dare face it head-on. Throughout the ages, only one Titled Douluo has ever defeated him: Tang Hao, the man who killed Spirit Hall's previous Pope!"
In a corner no one noticed, Xiao Yan's fists were clenched tight, though even he had not realized it. He sighed, seemingly having come to a decision.
"Grandpa Ghost, if I can lead Little Senior Sister and the others in hunting down this Soul Ring, can you get us all out in one piece?"
Ghost Douluo chuckled at that. "Xiao Yan, boy, I'm afraid you don't know how high the heavens are or how vast the earth is." But he did not refuse. Instead, he patted Xiao Yan gently on the shoulder and sighed. "It's extraordinary that you have such spirit. I see the other three don't intend to leave either. Very well. Since you call me Grandpa, I'll make this agreement with you." With that, his figure turned ghostly once more and vanished in a flicker, leaving only his voice lingering in the four's ears, now distant, now close.
"I won't lift a hand to help you hunt that giant ape. If you can kill it with your own strength, then even if the King of the Forest dares to appear, no person or beast will be able to hurt you."
"I've already sent word to Chrysanthemum Guan. With the two of us working together, protecting you will be as easy as lifting a hand."
"But if you fail, then your Grandpa Chrysanthemum will have come only to watch a farce."