Chapter 108: The Forest King — The Titan Giant Ape Appears!
The Shrek group set out once more.
This time, however, the atmosphere within the team had completely changed.
Oscar walked at the very front beside Zhao Wuji, keeping as far away from Tang San as possible.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing stayed close to Xiao Wu. The three girls spoke in hushed tones, yet their eyes occasionally drifted toward Lin Qingmo.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun walked in the middle, both wearing strange expressions.
Ma Hongjun quietly elbowed Dai Mubai.
"Boss Dai, do you think Tang San actually has something wrong with his brain?"
"Tsk."
Dai Mubai shot him a glare.
Just hearing Tang San's name made him feel disgusted.
That guy really was sick. And he deserved to die.
When Oscar's soul ring absorption failed, his first concern wasn't Oscar's condition, but rather the hope that Zhao Wuji would slap Tang San to death in a fit of rage!
Unfortunately, knowing that Tang San had Tang Hao backing him, Dai Mubai had managed to keep his rationality despite his anger.
Tang San now walked at the very back.
His head was lowered, his gaze dark and gloomy.
Zhao Wuji's slap, along with the hatred in Oscar's eyes… had filled him with resentment.
He didn't believe he was wrong.
The one at fault was clearly Lin Qingmo!
If Lin Qingmo hadn't appeared, Xiao Wu would be his!
If Xiao Wu were his, how could he have been emotionally stimulated? How could he have interrupted Oscar's absorption?
Everything was Lin Qingmo's fault!
Just wait. One day…
He lifted his head and stared at Lin Qingmo's back, a trace of cold killing intent flashing in his eyes.
"Hmm?"
Lin Qingmo suddenly turned around.
He looked at Tang San calmly, his gaze placid and unreadable.
Then he turned back around.
But in his heart, he had already labeled Tang San as a "high-risk individual."
'Seems like I'll have to be more careful in the future.'
…
High above them—
Bibi Dong quietly observed everything.
When she noticed the killing intent in Tang San's eyes, her violet pupils narrowed slightly.
"Courting death."
She murmured.
Yet she did not intervene.
She wanted to see how her foolish disciple would handle this kind of trouble.
…
Three more days passed, still without any harvest.
An indescribable heaviness hung in the air.
Oscar walked at the front, his face as dark as soot.
Yesterday's incident was like a fishbone lodged in his throat.
He couldn't spit it out, couldn't swallow it down.
With every step, his chest felt tighter.
The scene of his soul ring shattering replayed over and over in his mind.
The purple light scattering—like slow motion, frame by frame.
"Damn Tang San…"
He gritted his teeth, his voice so low only he could hear it.
His fists clenched so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his palms.
If not for Tang San, he would already have obtained the most suitable soul ring for himself.
Tang San trailed at the back of the group, deliberately keeping his distance from everyone, head lowered, lost in thought.
Occasionally, he would lift his gaze, letting it drift toward Xiao Wu's back.
Lin Qingmo was holding Xiao Wu's hand as they chatted casually.
The topic jumped from the dry rations they'd eaten in the morning, to which mushrooms in the forest were poisonous, then to whether yesterday's Phoenix-Tail Crested Serpent would have tasted good.
Completely trivial subjects, but the atmosphere between them was relaxed.
Yet today, Xiao Wu seemed somewhat distracted.
She kept glancing toward the depths of the forest.
Her eyes were unsettled, as if she were nervous about something.
"What's wrong?"
Lin Qingmo gently squeezed her hand and asked in a low voice.
"N-Nothing."
Xiao Wu turned and gave him a sweet smile.
But her hand, holding his, tightened unconsciously.
Her fingertips were icy.
Zhao Wuji walked in the middle of the group, his brows tightly knitted.
He felt as if he were carrying a ticking bomb in his arms.
On one side was Oscar, whose soul ring had been destroyed, suppressing a belly full of fury.
On the other side was Tang San, emotionally unstable, his gaze growing darker by the day.
This team… was hard to manage.
He sighed and glanced up at the sun.
It was already high overhead.
They needed to hurry.
Just as everyone's mood had sunk to its lowest point, even their footsteps sounded weak—
"BOOM—!!!"
Without warning.
The ground beneath their feet violently shook!
This was no ordinary tremor.
It felt as though some colossal being had turned over deep underground—or as though something immense was awakening from slumber.
"What's happening?!"
Zhao Wuji's expression changed instantly. Almost instinctively, he activated his martial soul.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black.
Seven soul rings rose in an instant, soul power erupting outward!
The phantom of the Vigorous Vajra Bear materialized behind him, roaring.
"Close ranks! Back to back! Stay alert!"
He shouted sharply, his voice filled with unprecedented gravity.
"Rumble—!"
The trees began to sway violently.
Thick trunks groaned under unbearable pressure. Cracks spread from roots to canopy as branches and leaves rained down.
Birds and beasts fled in chaos.
Flocks of birds burst from the treetops, scattering wildly in the sky.
Wild beasts crashed through bushes in panic, some even darting straight past the group's feet.
The entire forest seemed to be stirred by an invisible hand—thrown into complete chaos!
"ROAR—!!!"
A roar erupted from the depths of the forest.
Low and resonant, it carried terrifying soul power fluctuations, slamming into everyone's chest like a massive hammer.
Their eardrums buzzed.
Their hearts pounded violently in rhythm.
Even breathing became difficult.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Heavy footsteps approached from afar.
With each step, the earth trembled.
The entire forest quivered in anticipation of its arrival.
Trees were pushed aside, snapped, crushed.
A massive black silhouette slowly emerged from the dense woods.
He was over ten meters tall.
His body was covered in thick black fur like heavy armor. Muscles bulged across his frame like a moving mountain.
His enormous arms hung at his sides, fists larger than millstones.
Every inch of his body was coiled with explosive strength.
Most terrifying of all were his eyes.
Like a lofty god gazing down upon insignificant ants.
Cold.
Emotionless.
Only pure, overwhelming power and violence.
"Titan… Giant Ape…"
Zhao Wuji's voice trembled for the first time.
His face turned pale. Fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead, soaking through his back.
As a Soul Saint, he understood better than anyone what this existence represented.
A hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
The absolute king of the Star Dou Forest.
A terrifying existence that even a Titled Douluo might not be able to handle!
"It's over…"
Dai Mubai muttered, his legs trembling.
He felt his White Tiger martial soul quiver faintly under that gaze.
It was suppression from the very level of life itself.
Ma Hongjun and Oscar collapsed directly onto the ground, teeth chattering, too weak to even stand.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing clung tightly together.
Both girls were pale, their palms drenched in sweat.
Only Xiao Wu—
When she saw the Titan Giant Ape, her eyes lit up briefly.
The light vanished in an instant, too fast to catch.
She gripped Lin Qingmo's hand tightly, so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"Get behind me—NOW!!"
Zhao Wuji roared.
His martial soul true body activated!
The phantom of the Vigorous Vajra Bear expanded instantly, transforming into a nearly five-meter-tall giant bear.
And he charged straight toward the Titan Giant Ape.
—
End of Chapter