Training in the Star Dou Great Forest (II)

Ye Lingling stood nearby and caught a few words. A faint blush rose to her cheeks.

She looked at Lin Chen and nodded gently, gratitude in her eyes.

"Now that everyone understands, let's move out." Qin Ming waved a hand. "In four hours, meet at Eagle Beak Cliff in the middle. Stay safe, and send a signal if you encounter an enemy."

The two teams parted ways.

The second team headed west, gradually disappearing into the depths of the dense forest. Instructor Lin Wuyuan was a level sixty-two Control System Soul Emperor whose Martial Soul was the Iron Wall Overlord Tree, combining defense and control. With Wang Ze, a level fifty-eight Agility Attack System Soul King, they were more than capable of holding the outer region.

Qin Ming led the first team east. The deeper they went, the thicker the trees grew. Ancient trees several meters across at chest height stood everywhere, and a thick layer of fallen leaves blanketed the ground, soft beneath their feet.

The spiritual Qi in the air also grew denser, and the presence of Soul Beasts gradually became more common. Every so often, a Soul Beast a few hundred years old would peer at them from afar, only to flee as soon as it felt Qin Ming's Soul Emperor pressure.

"Shi Mo, Shi Mo, watch the flanks," Qin Ming ordered in a low voice. "Soul Beasts at the boundary vary widely in age. They could be anywhere from a hundred to five thousand years old, so don't let your guard down."

"Yes!"

The brothers answered in unison and released their Martial Souls at the same time. Their First Soul Skill, Black Tortoise Armor, strengthened their defenses. Dark golden illusory tortoise shells appeared behind them as they walked with steady steps, guarding the team's flanks, one on each side.

Lin Chen walked near the back of the team, his gaze sweeping over every blade of grass and every tree in the forest.

The presence of the Chaos Pearl quietly spread out, sensing the fluctuations of Soul Power around them. He could clearly "see" the distribution of Soul Beasts for several li around them: hundred-year wind wolves, thousand-year tree demons, and, in a valley deeper in the forest, clusters of colorful lights fluttering about-the Phantom Colorful Butterflies.

We're almost there, Lin Chen thought.

Xiao Wu walked beside him, seemingly skipping along, but her ears were slightly raised as she listened alertly for movement around them. The Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul was naturally keen at sensing danger, and with her level thirty-four Soul Power, an ordinary Thousand-Year Soul Beast could not approach without her noticing.

After they had walked for roughly another hour, the mist ahead gradually thickened, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance. The flowers and grasses in the forest became a riot of color, and even the leaves shimmered with a seven-colored glow.

Qin Ming stopped, his expression suddenly grave. "Everyone, stop! There's something wrong with this mist. It's scale powder from the Phantom Colorful Butterflies, and it can cause hallucinations. Focus your minds and guard your hearts. Don't let it deceive you!"

No sooner had he spoken than Shi Mo shook his head, his eyes growing somewhat dazed. "Smells so good... so many meat pies..." he mumbled.

He was simple and good-natured by nature, and his mind was less resolute than the others', so he was the first to be affected by the scale powder.

"Shi Mo! Wake up!" Shi Mo shouted, reaching out to give him a shove.

Qin Ming frowned, and dark red flames abruptly rose from his body.

"Second Soul Skill, Wolf Fire Mantle!"

Dark red flames wrapped around his entire body like a coat. Scorching heat spread out, dispersing much of the sweet-smelling mist around them. The Blazing Fire Wolf was a Martial Soul of supreme yang and hardness, and its flames naturally countered mental hallucinogens.

"Phantom Colorful Butterflies are Mental Attribute Soul Beasts. The scale powder of those over a thousand years old can directly invade the mind, trapping people in illusions they can't escape." Qin Ming scanned their surroundings with a sharp gaze. "They're hiding in the mist, and there should be quite a few of them. Ye Lingling, get your healing halo ready to steady everyone's minds."

"Okay."

Ye Lingling answered softly, and a pale pink glow lit up in her palm. The illusory image of a Nine Heart Begonia slowly blossomed above her head, and a warm, gentle halo spread outward, enveloping all five of them.

A cool power seeped into their seas of consciousness. Shi Mo instantly came to his senses, his cheeks reddening slightly. "Sorry, Instructor Qin, I... I got distracted."

"I don't blame you. Mental attacks from Phantom Colorful Butterflies are hard to guard against in the first place." Qin Ming waved a hand, his gaze growing even graver. "Careful, they're coming."

Almost at the same moment, the mist around them surged violently.

Countless palm-sized colorful butterflies flew out from among the trees, flowers, and leaves, their wings shimmering with seven-colored phosphorescence. There were more than a hundred of them, sweeping toward the team like a sky-covering, earth-blanketing tide. Their wings beat at incredible speed, stirring up waves of fine mental fluctuations that stabbed at everyone's seas of consciousness like needles.

The one at their head was especially large, with golden-red wings and faint purple markings at the tips-a Phantom Colorful Butterfly King of eighteen hundred years.

"So many!" Shi Mo sucked in a cold breath and hurriedly activated his Martial Soul. "Second Soul Skill, Tortoise Shell Barrier!"

A translucent, dark golden tortoise-shell barrier spread open in front of the team. But the Phantom Colorful Butterflies' attacks were mental in nature. A physical defense could block the scale powder, but not the mental assault. The moment the barrier took shape, Shi Mo let out a muffled groan, his face turning pale.

Ye Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia halo also began to shake violently, clearly under considerable pressure.

Qin Ming snorted coldly. "You mere insects dare act so brazenly! Third Soul Skill, Wolf Lie Yan!"

He slammed both fists into the ground. Dark red flames spread across the earth, forming a blazing wall of fire directly in front of the team. Phantom Colorful Butterflies struck the wall with a sizzling sound, their wings charring as they fell one after another.

But there were too many butterflies, and they shifted unpredictably between tangible and intangible forms. The flames could only burn their physical bodies, while the mental fluctuations penetrated the wall of fire, battering everyone's seas of consciousness in an endless stream. Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on Ye Lingling's forehead, and the light of the Nine Heart Begonia grew dimmer and dimmer.

Qin Ming frowned deeply. He was a Power Attack System Battle Soul Emperor, and his methods were limited when dealing with swarms of Mental Attribute Soul Beasts. If he had been alone, it would have been one thing, but he also had to protect four students, leaving him unable to act freely.

Just then, a pale gray force field slowly spread out from the rear of the team.

Lin Chen took a step forward, and three Soul Rings-purple, purple, and black-lit up in succession beneath his feet. An ancient, weighty presence of chaos rushed outward as he activated his Second Soul Skill, Chaos Suppression, at full power.

The gray force field was like a placid lake. Wherever it passed, the turbulent mental fluctuations were instantly smoothed away.

The fluttering Phantom Colorful Butterflies seemed to freeze. Their wingbeats abruptly slowed, and their seven-colored phosphorescence dimmed. Even the Butterfly King struggled to flap its wings, but the Power of Chaos locked its mental core firmly in place, leaving it unable to move.

The sharp mental stinging vanished without a trace.

Ye Lingling stared for a moment, then hurriedly steadied her Soul Power, and the healing halo brightened once more. The Shi Mo brothers also breathed a sigh of relief, staring at Lin Chen's back in shock.

Qin Ming was even more shaken. He knew Lin Chen was exceptionally gifted, but he had never expected him to be able to suppress mental attacks as well. The Soul Skill Chaos Suppression could actually suppress both the physical and the mental at once. This Martial Soul was far too versatile.

"Instructor Qin, now's your chance," Lin Chen said mildly, his tone calm.