With each hand forming orchid-shaped fingers, her right palm facing upward resting flat on her thigh while her left hand stood vertically before her chest, Xiao Wu began uttering a series of peculiar syllables resembling some ancient ballad.
As these strange sounds emerged, a faint crimson gradually tinted Xiao Wu's eyes.
Two yellow Soul Rings quietly rose from her feet, rhythmically circling around her body.
Simultaneously, a massive phantom of a Soft Bone Rabbit materialized behind her, its fluffy ears drooping yet its gaze mirroring Xiao Wu's wariness.
A faint red glow spread from Xiao Wu's body, rippling outward like water waves.
Over time, the red glow intensified, nearly enveloping her entire form.
After approximately ten minutes, a hint of purple suddenly pierced through the depths of the red light. Like ink drops dispersing in water, the purple rapidly spread until it completely overshadowed the red glow.
Shortly after, the purple light abruptly contracted, coalescing into a purple Soul Ring that settled firmly around Xiao Wu, harmoniously complementing her previous two yellow rings.
As the Soul Ring stabilized, the fluctuations of Soul Power within Xiao Wu noticeably surged, smoothly breaking through to the thirtieth rank and reaching thirty-first level.
She opened her eyes, the crimson hue fading as she looked toward the somewhat dejected Er Ming beside her. Smiling, she patted its cheek:
"Alright, Er Ming, don't hang your head. Sister Xiao Wu isn't leaving forever. Hurry back now, or Da Ming will worry about you again."
"Ooh! Ugh!"
Er Ming let out a low growl, carefully lowering Xiao Wu from its shoulder.
Then it raised its massive fist and pounded its chest twice heavily, emitting a series of dull roars as if making a promise to her.
Not long after the roars subsided, a prolonged bull howl echoed from the direction of the core area nearby. The resonant sound clearly indicated Da Ming's response to Er Ming.
Hearing Da Ming's voice, Xiao Wu's eyes grew slightly moist, but she gritted her teeth:
"I should go."
Waving to Er Ming, she turned and dashed toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, her figure soon vanishing into the dense woods.
Meanwhile, Su Yu returned to where the group was resting, bringing the Eight Spider Lances Spirit Bone.
Seeing him return, Zhao Wuji merely nodded without further questions. Hoisting the still unconscious Tang San over his shoulder, he led the group out of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Just as they were about to cross the forest's edge, two deafening roars suddenly erupted from the depths of the forest.
One after another, they rolled like thunder, causing the ground to tremble faintly.
Zhao Wuji, leading the group at the front, whirled around, his expression instantly turning grave.
"This is..."
His pupils contracted slightly, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes—he would never mistake the first roar.
It was the distinctive bellow of the Titan Giant Ape, brimming with overwhelming, savage power!
But the second roar that followed immediately sent a shock through his heart.
That sound was even more profound and resonant, like ten thousand bulls roaring in unison, carrying an ancient and majestic aura.
Crucially, it was in no way inferior to the Titan Giant Ape's roar, even seeming to suppress it slightly.
Who else could it be?
Zhao Wuji's heartbeat quickened involuntarily.
In the understanding of most Soul Masters, the Titan Giant Ape was unequivocally the king of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The reputation of this hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast was deeply ingrained in the bones of every Soul Master who ventured deep into the forest.
But now, something capable of rivaling it had appeared?
Could it be... that there was another forest overlord in the Star Dou Great Forest?
As soon as this thought emerged, a cold sweat instantly broke out on Zhao Wuji's back.
Zhao Wuji quickly led the group out of the Star Dou Great Forest.
An hour later, the group arrived at the small town inn where they had previously stayed.
From a distance, they saw Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar already waiting at the entrance, clearly having exited the forest ahead of them.
Seeing Su Yu and the others return safely, the three of them showed obvious surprise on their faces and hurried forward to greet them.
"Teacher Zhao!"
Dai Mubai immediately noticed Zhao Wuji's disheveled state and the wound on his shoulder, rushing forward to support him.
"Are you alright?"
But Zhao Wuji sidestepped, avoiding his outstretched hand, grunted, and walked straight to a seat in the corner of the hall, sitting down heavily and panting.
He looked at these boys before him, a fire burning in his heart—these ungrateful brats!
Back when he was holding off the Titan Giant Ape at the front, these guys had run off without a second thought, disappearing in the blink of an eye!
Even Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, who had only recently joined the academy, had thought about staying to lend a hand.
Although he had ultimately shouted at them to leave, their intentions were still better than these fast-running rascals!
Though he knew running in that situation with the Titan Giant Ape wasn't wrong, Zhao Wuji just couldn't feel good about it!
Ma Hongjun scratched his head, noticing Zhao Wuji's displeased expression, and forced an awkward smile:
"Teacher Zhao, we... we were thinking of running out first to send word and find help..."
"Send word?" Zhao Wuji's eyes widened, his voice suddenly rising.
"By the time you brought help, I'd have long been smashed into paste by that Titan Giant Ape!"
Ma Hongjun shrank back, not daring to utter another word.
When the Titan Giant Ape had appeared, its oppressive aura had nearly suffocated him, leaving only the thought of "run" in his mind—he hadn't cared about anything else.
Dai Mubai's face also flushed with embarrassment, and he braced himself to say:
"Teacher Zhao, we were wrong. It won't happen again."
"There's a next time?"
Zhao Wuji snorted angrily.
"If there's a next time, you can roll back to the academy on your own!"
Zhu Zhuqing silently poured a cup of tea and handed it to Zhao Wuji, saying softly:
"Teacher Zhao, have some water first."
Zhao Wuji took the teacup, drank a sip, and his expression eased slightly.
Looking at Dai Mubai and the others, he ultimately swallowed the rest of his words—forget it, what mattered was that they had returned safely.
Seeing that Zhao Wuji bore no grudge, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar finally breathed a sigh of relief.
At that moment, Tang San, who had been knocked out by Zhao Wuji, slowly woke up nearby.
"Ugh! That hurts!"
He clutched the back of his neck, brows furrowed, unable to hold back a low groan.
"Why does my neck hurt so much!"
Tang San moved his neck a few times, and only when the stiffness eased slightly did he suddenly remember what had happened before he lost consciousness.
The Human-faced Demon Spider! The Human-faced Demon Spider!
His eyes instantly turned urgent as he looked up at Zhao Wuji and asked:
"Teacher Zhao! What happened to the Human-faced Demon Spider?"
Zhao Wuji shot him an annoyed glance: "That Soul Beast had been pursued by the Dragon Duke for a long time. Naturally, he took it away."
"What?!"
Tang San abruptly stood up, his face filled with resentment, his tone carrying a hint of accusation:
"Teacher Zhao! That Human-faced Demon Spider is very important to me! I clearly had a chance to obtain it—why did you have to knock me out?"
"Tang San! Are you an idiot?"