Back in the private room, Dugu Yan came over and linked her arm with Wang Li's, curiously asking:
"Who were those people just now?"
Wang Li smiled faintly and said:
"They were students from the Junior Soul Master Academy. But after only a year, I moved up first to the Intermediate Soul Master Academy, then to the Advanced Soul Master Academy. That's how I got to meet you, Yan Yan-jie!"
Hearing this, Dugu Yan's eyes and lips curved into a smile:
"That's nice to hear. How about coming to my room tonight? I'll give you a little reward!"
Wang Li raised an eyebrow. Now he was even taller than Dugu Yan, so he leaned close to her ear and said softly:
"Of course I want your reward, Yan Yan-jie, but tomorrow we enter the Star Dou Great Forest. Can we move this reward until we return to Heaven Dou City?"
The warm breath from Wang Li brushed against Dugu Yan's ear, and her eyes became dreamy:
"As you wish, as you wish, whatever you want!"
Around them, those who had been interested in hearing Wang Li talk about his past,Shi Mo, Shi Mo's brother Shi Mo, Osro, and Yufeng,saw the sudden display of affection between Wang Li and Dugu Yan and all quickly moved far away. Ye Lingling's earlobes were slightly red, and Yu Tianheng's face turned pale.
Not long after, Qin Ming returned. He had a smile on his face, as if he had just had a very pleasant conversation, but he did not explain anything to the others.
After finishing their meal, the evening fell, and everyone returned to their rooms to rest. The night passed uneventfully, and the next morning, when the sun rose in the east, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy group had breakfast at the hotel before checking out and setting off again by carriage. The small town they were in was still more than a hundred miles from the Star Dou Great Forest, so it was best to conserve energy and build up strength.
After all, this was a forest of wild soul beasts, the largest and most famous on the continent. Even on the outskirts, it was possible to encounter century-old soul beasts, or even thousand-year-old ones.
When they were less than ten miles from the Star Dou Great Forest, Qin Ming told the carriage driver to stop. They would proceed on foot from here.
Once everyone had disembarked, Qin Ming spoke seriously:
"All right, up ahead is the Star Dou Great Forest, the largest and most renowned wild soul beast forest on the continent. Its terrain is complex and full of countless soul beasts.
"This is both a treasure land and a forbidden zone for soul masters. Danger lurks everywhere, as everyone knows, so I won't go into details.
"From now on, maintain a combat formation. If any emergency occurs, you must be ready to summon your martial souls immediately."
Everyone responded loudly:
"Yes!"
Shi Mo and his brother led the way, followed by control-type soul master Dugu Yan and healer Ye Lingling on the left and right. Yufeng and Osro were beside them. Wang Li and Yu Tianheng brought up the rear, both to protect the back and to provide immediate support if an emergency occurred ahead.
Qin Ming was not in the formation but was constantly observing the team. He could not be completely certain they would find the Gluttonous Root Demon Wang Li needed. After all, it was a rare, mobile plant-type soul beast.
He considered this mainly an opportunity to train the Heaven Dou Royal Academy combat team in preparation for the next All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Tournament.
As they traveled, they moved at a steady pace, and before long, they reached the Star Dou Great Forest.
Tall trees and rolling mountains exuded a raw, wild aura. Only a place so rarely visited by humans could retain such a primeval feeling.
Qin Ming's expression turned serious. In a deep voice, he warned:
"Everyone, stay alert. We are entering the forest."
Everyone responded in unison:
"Yes!"
Once inside the forest, they occasionally saw soul beasts, mostly ten-year-old ones. These were not their targets, so they largely ignored them. Even ordinary ten-year-old soul beasts did not dare to provoke them.
Wang Li's fourth soul ring required at least a 5,000-year-old Gluttonous Root Demon, so they had to delve deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.
As they continued, they encountered more low-level soul beasts, including occasional thousand-year-old ones.
Thousand-year-old soul beasts were bolder and often launched surprise attacks, giving the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team opportunities for training.
After most of a day, they had traveled far enough that thousand-year-old soul beasts were frequently seen nearby.
Qin Ming was about to order a short rest and start exploring the area when suddenly, the ground shook violently, as if a colossal creature had passed by.
Many thousand-year-old soul beasts, whether resting, hunting, or being hunted, panicked and fled in all directions.
Yufeng, who could fly, saw the truth: a giant ape the size of a mountain moved through the forest, heading toward the outskirts. Wherever it went, the ground shook, and all century-old and thousand-year-old soul beasts fled frantically.
"A giant ape! It's a giant ape!"
Qin Ming's expression changed. He leapt onto a large tree and shouted at once:
"Retreat quickly! This is the King of the Forest, the Titan Giant Ape. This one could be a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast,or even a hundred-thousand-year-old! How could such a beast appear on the forest's outskirts?"
The Heaven Dou Royal Academy team's faces all changed drastically. Soul beasts of ten thousand or a hundred thousand years normally only lived in the forest's core. How could one appear on the outskirts?
Only Wang Li knew the truth. No surprise,this was likely the Titan Giant Ape named "Er Ming," which had sensed Xiao Wu's presence and rushed over.
After taking Xiao Wu away, Tang San had frantically pursued it, eventually killing a thousand-year-old Human-Faced Demon Spider, absorbing its soul ring, and gaining an external soul bone, the Eight Spider Spear.
Undoubtedly, this was a powerful and growth-capable treasure. But Wang Li was not very interested.
The evil-attributed Eight Spider Spear did not match the life attribute he was cultivating. Wang Li envisioned a future where, with a clap of his hands, the Blue Silver Vines swept the world, and he could use his third soul skill, the Frenzied Dance, to sweep across all enemies.
He planned to retreat with the group and leave first. Once the Titan Giant Ape was gone, they could return safely.
At that moment, Yufeng rubbed his eyes in disbelief and said:
"You won't believe this, but I just saw a bunch of tree roots running by themselves!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Li's eyes widened. Qin Ming furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, then shouted:
"Yufeng, confirm the direction and distance. That moving bunch of tree roots could very well be the Gluttonous Root Demon Wang Li needs. It seems the forest king's disturbance has greatly affected the other soul beasts here. Even if we cannot determine its age, we must intercept this moving tree root first!"
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