Chapter 32: Sunset Forest
Upon entering the Sunset Forest, Yang Xiong became extremely cautious.
The Sunset Forest is known as one of the three great soul beast forests, rich in soul beast resources. While it might not have any ten-thousand-year soul beasts, high-level soul beasts are abundant.
The Sunset Forest covers a vast area. Although not as large as the Star Dou Forest, it has a diameter of several hundred kilometers. The deeper areas are shrouded in mystery, and there are several soul beasts that are around 70,000 to 80,000 years old.
Soul beasts at the 80,000-year level are comparable to top-tier Soul Douluos, and they even provide great soul rings for soul masters. Their power is incredibly strong.
Yang Xiong had already studied the map of the Sunset Forest in great detail and had a general understanding of the area. However, once he truly entered the forest, he realized just how terrifying the soul beast forest could be.
The ground was covered with various weeds, and only faint paths could be seen here and there. Countless trees of different sizes surrounded him, all brimming with vitality. While not all were soul beasts, their ages were undoubtedly very high.
But the Sunset Forest is also incredibly dangerous. Among the weeds, soul beasts would occasionally spring out. If it wasn't for Yang Xiong's keen perception, he would have easily fallen into an ambush.
In such a dangerous environment, normal people would move extremely slowly. Even for a Great Soul Master like Yang Xiong, he wasn't sure if he could cover ten kilometers in a day.
Each time he encountered a soul beast, Yang Xiong quickly evaded it. Fighting soul beasts in the forest was a major taboo as it could lead to injuries.
In just half a day, Yang Xiong had already encountered seven or eight thousand-year-old soul beasts, and many more hundred-year-old soul beasts. The variety of soul beasts in the forest far surpassed that of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but this also meant even greater danger.
One particular encounter stood out. Yang Xiong came across a thousand-year-old Ironbone Snake. The snake, hidden in the grass, had managed to completely conceal its aura. Even its soul power and temperature fluctuations were undetectable. It was like a predator lying in wait.
When Yang Xiong passed by, the snake suddenly launched an attack from only five meters away, and Yang Xiong was startled.
Such a close-range attack from a thousand-year-old soul beast was something that ordinary Great Soul Masters could never avoid. Even a Soul King would easily be killed.
Yang Xiong felt a violent impact on his body and spat out a mouthful of blood. It felt as though his bones were shattering, and he even suspected that several bones had broken.
In the critical moment, Yang Xiong's body flickered and he instantly teleported several dozen meters away.
However, the Ironbone Snake was extremely quick, swiftly chasing after Yang Xiong. Its speed was so fast that it surpassed a Soul King's, meaning it was likely a snake over two thousand years old.
Yang Xiong gritted his teeth. Power fluctuated from his back and ribs, and a massive turtle shell with a diameter of two meters suddenly extended from his back. Yang Xiong was fully covered inside the shell. This was his external soul bone, the Xuanming Armor.
The Xuanming Armor had two modes of use. It could form a huge turtle shell that protected the entire body, completely covering him. He looked like a giant turtle shell.
Originally, the Xuanming Armor was only around 500 years old, but after years of training, it had reached the level of a thousand-year soul bone.
The Ironbone Snake was less than ten meters long, with a diameter of only about 40 centimeters. When facing the massive two-meter turtle shell, it had no way to attack.
With the Xuanming Armor's formidable defense, not even a thousand-year-old Ironbone Snake could break through, let alone a thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape.
Furthermore, due to the size of the Xuanming Armor, the Ironbone Snake wouldn't be able to swallow it, much less digest it.
Yang Xiong estimated that no soul beast below the ten-thousand-year mark could break the Xuanming Armor, unless it was an exceptionally top-tier soul beast.
Considering the defense of the Xuanming Turtle, even a higher-level soul beast would find it difficult to defeat. Yang Xiong's Xuanming Armor replicated the Xuanming Turtle's powerful defense. Turtle-type soul beasts were known for their supreme defense. The shell covered the entire body, leaving no weak points and could withstand forces several dozen times heavier than the body's weight. The Xuanming Turtle was the pinnacle of turtle-type soul beasts.
When the Ironbone Snake saw the massive turtle shell in front of it, it didn't give up its prey. It sank its sharp teeth into the Xuanming Armor, but the armor didn't budge at all.
The Ironbone Snake wrapped its entire body around the Xuanming Armor, trying to use all its strength to crush the shell, but the armor remained unmoved.
The Ironbone Snake struggled for half an hour, but seeing that the massive turtle shell was impenetrable, it had no choice but to leave.
Yang Xiong, hidden inside the Xuanming Armor, had been extremely worried at first, but once he realized the Ironbone Snake couldn't do anything to him, he breathed a sigh of relief.
After confirming that the Ironbone Snake had completely left, Yang Xiong retracted the Xuanming Armor and quickly left the area.
This was Yang Xiong's first encounter with life-threatening danger in the Sunset Forest. Luckily, he had life-saving measures in place. If he were a normal Soul King, he probably wouldn't have made it out alive.
If the dangers during the day were visible to the naked eye, then at night, the entire Sunset Forest transformed into a terrifying beast, seemingly ready to devour any intruders.
At night, visibility was extremely poor. Many dark-type soul beasts could hide their soul power fluctuations, making the forest a true hunting ground.
Yang Xiong dug a hole in the ground and surrounded it with the feces of high-level soul beasts, which helped deter some of the weaker soul beasts.
The entire night was filled with tension for Yang Xiong. He couldn't sleep, and even meditating without distractions was difficult. Soul beasts in the forest were unpredictable, and if he encountered one that could attack mentally, he needed to stay alert at all times.
The first day in the Sunset Forest was the most nerve-wracking and frightening for Yang Xiong. It was his first time living in such a dangerous environment. Fortunately, Yang Xiong was far from an ordinary eleven-year-old boy, or he wouldn't have been able to endure the mental strain.
Moreover, Yang Xiong came to the soul beast forest with the intention of training in such a perilous environment. After all, soul masters only truly grow through danger.
In the following days, Yang Xiong gradually adapted to the environment of the Sunset Forest. He was extremely glad that he had practiced Mind Control beforehand, allowing him to focus on his training while also remaining aware of his surroundings.
(END CHAPTER)
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