The next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the entire town was still shrouded in a haze.
The trees lining the streets swayed gently in the breeze. In the distance, the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting their light upon the earth.
Cheng Xiao and Xiao Wu got up, ate breakfast, and then left the town. Before leaving, Cheng Xiao bought a rough map of the Star Dou Great Forest to help them find their way.
With the map in hand, Cheng Xiao and Xiao Wu hurried towards the Star Dou Great Forest.
Xiao Wu was cheerful and chatty along the way. She missed the Star Dou Great Forest, where she had been away for two years. Moreover, her family was in the depths of the forest.
The Star Dou Great Forest was located in the south of the Heaven Dou Empire. It straddled the borders of the two empires, with two-fifths of its area in the Heaven Dou Empire and the remaining three-fifths in the Star Luo Empire.
It was a vast, primeval forest with extremely complex terrain, including swamps and wetlands. The closer one got to the center of the Star Dou Great Forest, the more powerful the Soul Beasts became.
As one of the most famous gathering places for Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent, this was the most suitable place for Soul Masters to hunt for Soul Rings. As long as they had enough strength and good luck, they could find a Soul Ring that suited them here.
From a distance, Cheng Xiao saw the largest primeval forest on this continent. The air was filled with the scent of damp earth. For Cheng Xiao, who had been staying in the academy for a long time, this fragrance of earth was quite refreshing.
"Cheng Xiao, when you get your second Soul Ring, we shouldn't go too deep into the Star Dou Great Forest." Returning to a place she hadn't been to in a long time, Xiao Wu only felt a sense of comfort, but she still didn't forget to remind Cheng Xiao beside her.
After all, she was a human who had transformed from a Soul Beast. She had Da Ming and Er Ming's protection, but Cheng Xiao was different. Even if he was powerful, he was only a Level 20 Soul Grand Master. The Star Dou Great Forest was extremely dangerous; if he wasn't careful, he might lose his life here.
"Xiao Wu, we're clearly here for the first time, how come you seem more familiar than me?" Cheng Xiao held a map in one hand and joked.
"Ah?" Xiao Wu was slightly stunned, and then fell silent. She didn't know whether to tell Cheng Xiao her identity, nor did she know what excuse to use to explain it.
Seeing Xiao Wu's head lowered, with a hesitant look, Cheng Xiao didn't say anything either. Xiao Wu could hesitate, which meant she wasn't stupid. If she blurted out her identity, that would be truly foolish.
They went without a word, Cheng Xiao and Xiao Wu continued to go deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest. Perhaps it was due to luck, but the two of them walked for a long time without encountering an attack from a Soul Beast. This made Cheng Xiao suspect that the two great emperors had already noticed them the moment they entered the forest.
Just as Cheng Xiao was about to find a shady tree to sit under and rest, the ground suddenly trembled. Not far in front of them, the trees on both sides toppled, and a colossal creature was rapidly approaching.
Cheng Xiao wasn't flustered. He casually took Xiao Wu's hand and waited for the behemoth to arrive before them.
Seeing Cheng Xiao's calm expression, Xiao Wu was a little puzzled. But feeling the warmth from his palm, she didn't ask.
She didn't understand. Facing an unknown colossal creature, it was fine that Cheng Xiao wasn't at all flustered, but he was actually standing there waiting for it to arrive. Could he also be a human transformed from a Soul Beast? But besides her, were there other Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts that had transformed in the Star Dou Great Forest?
Under Xiao Wu's puzzled gaze, Cheng Xiao gently squeezed her hand and whispered, "Your family is here to see you. Aren't you going to take a look?"
The next moment, the creature that had made the huge commotion arrived in front of them. From its appearance, it looked like a mix of a monkey and a gorilla. Except for a pair of eyes the size of lanterns, which flickered with the light of yellow crystals, it was completely black.
The Titan Giant Ape was not only huge, but every part of its body was covered with strong muscles more terrifying than granite, bulging like small hills. No one would have imagined that such a powerful Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast would call a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit "sister."
"Hello there, Titan Giant Ape." Looking at the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that was like a mountain before him, Cheng Xiao raised his other hand and waved at the Titan Giant Ape.
"You actually know?" Hearing Cheng Xiao's words, Xiao Wu was stunned for a moment, then immediately pulled her hand away from Cheng Xiao's grasp and said vigilantly, "How did you know he's my family? Have you already recognized my identity?"
Seeing the wary Xiao Wu, Cheng Xiao smiled helplessly. "You're right. I recognized your identity a long time ago. After all, besides me, who else could be a human who doesn't need to hunt Soul Beasts to obtain Soul Rings, except for a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?"
"What did you say?" Xiao Wu was startled. From Cheng Xiao's words, she heard something only a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast could do – creating Soul Rings without hunting Soul Beasts. Could it be that Cheng Xiao was also a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form?
No, that's not right. If Cheng Xiao was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, he should have a unique scent specific to Soul Beasts. However, they had slept together for so long, and she had never smelled that scent on him. Then, what did he mean by not needing to hunt Soul Beasts to obtain Soul Rings?
"Well, this might sound a bit shocking." Cheng Xiao touched his nose and looked at Xiao Wu. "I'm different from other Soul Masters who need to hunt Soul Beasts for Soul Rings. I have a special power inside me. This power allows me to condense Soul Rings without the need for Soul Beasts. So, you can consider me your kind, a human in the form of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."
"Little… Wu… Sis, why are you… talking… to this… human."
Watching Cheng Xiao talking with Xiao Wu, the Titan Giant Ape suddenly roared, then slammed its fist towards the ground near Cheng Xiao.
Human Soul Masters and Soul Beasts were sworn enemies. It would never allow its Little Wu Sis to be deceived by human lies!
Seeing the Titan Giant Ape immediately attack, Xiao Wu hurriedly shouted, "Er Ming, stop! He's my friend!" As soon as the words fell, Xiao Wu flashed in front of Cheng Xiao, spreading her arms to protect him, her protective intent obvious.
Xiao Wu's sudden action also stunned the Titan Giant Ape. Its fist, which was about to hit Cheng Xiao, stopped mid-air, only a meter away from the ground.
"Xiao Wu… sis… humans… cannot… be trusted."
The Titan Giant Ape slowly lowered its fist, speaking in human language, word by word.
"Er Ming, I know." Xiao Wu lowered her arms, tilted her pink, delicate face, and looked up at the Titan Giant Ape, who was many meters taller than her. She slowly said, "But I want to try trusting him."
...
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