Starry Sky Forest.
Danger lurks everywhere in the dense forest.
A group of several dozen people walked through the forest as if no one else was there. Although they tried to avoid fighting spirit beasts, their calm and composed demeanor clearly showed that they were not afraid of fighting them.
"Dai Yao, it's been several days, haven't you found the soul beast you want yet?"
Yan approached Dai Yao and asked with a hint of helplessness.
Over the past few days, both he and Xie Yue have found their sixth spirit rings in the Star Dou Great Forest, greatly increasing their strength. However, for some reason, Dai Yao is always picky, even when he encounters spirit beasts that they both covet, he still gives them up.
He really didn't know what kind of soul beast Dai Yao wanted.
Dai Yao shook his head, his eyes holding a deep meaning, and smiled:
"Let fate decide. There are many kinds of soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest. I don't believe I can't find a suitable one..."
He still has to wait for one person, and that is Tang San. If Tang San is not here, Xiao Wu will not sacrifice herself; instead, she will be taken away by the Spirit Hall and brought back to the Spirit Hall for Bibi Dong to absorb.
Dai Yao is determined to obtain Xiao Wu's 100,000-year soul ring.
On one hand, Xiao Wu's spirit ring is a 100,000-year spirit ring, which greatly enhances her abilities;
On the other hand, although Dai Yao possesses the Chaotic Green Lotus Martial Soul, the Chaotic Green Lotus's soul rings are all condensed by himself. In a sense, Dai Yao only has one Martial Soul, and the soul rings he can absorb are the nine soul rings of the Sacred White Tiger.
Therefore, every spirit ring is of utmost importance.
Although Xiao Wu's Soft Bone Rabbit spirit ring wasn't a perfect match for Dai Yao, it had one feature that greatly appealed to him: reviving Xiao Wu would eliminate his previous, useless spirit rings.
At that time, after Dai Yao eliminates the previous few hundred or thousand-year soul rings, he will be able to absorb several ten-thousand-year and hundred-thousand-year soul rings.
The benefits of this for a Soul Master are self-evident.
"Sigh, it seems you still haven't found a soul beast you like. If you keep waiting, both of you will probably find that damned rabbit by now!"
Yan said helplessly.
Dai Yao chuckled lightly but did not reply.
Yan glanced around furtively, especially at the figure beside Chrysanthemum Douluo, then cautiously leaned close to Dai Yao's ear and said bitterly:
"Dai Yao, can you analyze this for me? Ever since Nana came out of the City of Slaughter, I've noticed that when she's alone, she often hugs a mask and seems to be reminiscing about something."
"Moreover, during this time, Nana has been searching for something in the archives, and every time she comes out of the archives, she looks disappointed."
"Can you help me analyze this? Do I still have a chance?"
Looking at Yan's unwilling expression, Dai Yao couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. After several years of getting along, putting aside the prejudice from the original work, Yan was a pretty good friend.
He also hoped that Yan could forget Hu Liena and find his own happiness.
After all, because of Bibi Dong's arrangements, Hu Liena is now single-mindedly searching for the illusory 'Asura Emperor'. Given Hu Liena's personality, once she falls in love with someone, she won't easily change her mind.
"Give up, you have no chance. You haven't been able to win her heart all these years, and Nana clearly doesn't have any feelings for you. What can you change by continuing this one-sided pursuit?"
Dai Yao offered his advice.
Yan's face stiffened, and he turned his head with difficulty, his eyes filled with resentment as he looked at the graceful figure in front of him. From childhood to adulthood, he had always admired her; how could he easily give her up?
He originally planned to express his feelings to Hu Liena after winning the competition, but then he encountered Dai Yao, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
His defeat in the competition made him afraid to confess his feelings to Hu Liena.
Even so, as long as he remains loyal to Bibi Dong, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Bibi Dong will still betroth Hu Liena to him. After all, he is the only one in the Spirit Hall worthy of Hu Liena.
As for Dai Yao, he already has several wives and is no longer within Hu Liena's consideration for a future husband.
"I know what you mean, Dai Yao. But I believe that as long as I continue to treat Nana well, one day I will be able to win her heart."
Yan clenched his fist firmly and said.
After a long silence, Dai Yao slowly uttered a few words:
"You're awesome..."
Although Yan wouldn't be considered a simp, Dai Yao truly admired his behavior.
"If Nana ever finds that guy, I'll definitely give him a good showdown. I want to see what he's got to win Nana's heart!"
"If he can't even beat me, he doesn't deserve to be with Nana!"
Yan said viciously. It was as if he could already see his rival in love lying at his feet, begging for mercy in pain.
"Forehead·······"
Dai Yao felt a little embarrassed. Wasn't Yan's rival in love the 'Asura Emperor'?
However, what does Hu Liena's liking for the 'Shura Emperor' have to do with Dai Yao?
"If you find it, I'll come and lend a hand!"
Dai Yao solemnly promised.
"You truly are my good brother. You absolutely have to come and help me when the time comes!"
Yan excitedly punched Dai Yao's chest.
Just then, Dai Yao suddenly felt a chill rush straight to his head, his hair stood on end, his breath caught in his throat, and his tailbone felt incredibly cold.
"What's going on?!"
Dai Yao was utterly horrified.
That's the instinctive alertness of a creature when it's being targeted by a predator.
In an instant, his martial spirit possessed him, making him appear much larger, and the golden 'king' character pattern on his forehead shone brightly.
The powerful aura instilled a deep fear in all the Soul Emperors and Soul Saints present.
His golden eyes searched rapidly through the surrounding dense forest, trying to find the source of the chill. But no matter how hard he searched, he couldn't find the cause.
But the chill only grew deeper, as if a ferocious beast was about to pounce.
Hundreds of miles away, the sky suddenly turned dark, as if it were a realm of darkness, where not a single ray of light could seep through. Yet everyone seemed oblivious, still focused on their own tasks.
A massive tiger's eye, seemingly piercing through hundreds of miles, met Dai Yao's gaze. Despite the vast distance, to Dai Yao, that tiger's eye was no bigger than a speck of dust.
But Dai Yao clearly sensed a human-like joy in those tiger-like eyes. It was as if they were saying: I've found you...
boom!
In the spiritual world, the sacred white tiger seemed to sense its natural enemy and roared warily.
At the same time, a rumbling sound came from afar, the loud noise of numerous soul beasts stomping on the ground.
"Be careful, it's a beast tide!"
Hu Liena, standing at the very front, exclaimed sweetly.
Everyone immediately went on high alert, unleashing their full power with hundreds of spirit rings shining brightly. Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo stood at the forefront, their combined eighteen spirit rings gleaming brilliantly, their powerful aura so overwhelming that no one dared to look directly at them.
The beast tide came too fast, and there was no time to evacuate; they could only stay where they were.
However, the group was not particularly alarmed, because with their strength, they would be safe in the Star Dou Great Forest as long as they didn't do anything reckless.
The spirit beasts were quite sensible; knowing they were not to be trifled with, they automatically parted to make way for them when they encountered them.
Everyone remained cautious and vigilant. After a long while, the beast tide finally subsided, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. However, the chill that lingered on Dai Yao's body did not disappear.
"How's it going, kid?"
Someone patted Dai Yao on the shoulder, and a gentle aura flowed into Dai Yao's body through his arm. As if sensing that the owner of this aura was not to be trifled with, the malice melted away as quickly as an iceberg.
Dai Yao turned around and saw that it was none other than Chrysanthemum Douluo. He was still breathing heavily, shaken, and said:
"Much better."
"What exactly happened? How did it get like this?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo was very puzzled, as he knew Dai Yao quite well.
The magnificent scene of him single-handedly fighting all the younger generation disciples of the Haotian Sect in front of them was still vivid in his mind. He couldn't imagine what could make Dai Yao feel such fear right under their noses.
"have no idea······"
Dai Yao gave an ambiguous answer. Indeed, he did not know the source of that chill, but his understanding of the original work and his familiarity with the theory of soul beasts led him to a guess.
That was the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger that nearly killed Tang San in the original story!
Legend has it that the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was a super soul beast formed when an evil god descended upon a white tiger. No human has ever possessed its martial soul, as it is beyond the capacity of a human body.
If judged by the level of a martial soul, it is definitely on the same level as a six-winged angel.
Under the influence of the Chaos Green Lotus, Dai Yao's Sacred White Tiger Martial Soul also became a god-level Martial Soul, on par with the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
Its radiant and sacred aura is the opposite of the dark and evil Dark Demon Tiger; they are natural enemies.
Between us, it's a fight to the death!
"I was wondering why the beast tide I encountered when I first came to the Star Dou Great Forest was so strange. At the time, I suspected it was caused by the appearance of the Titan Giant Ape. Now it seems that it was also the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger that sensed my presence and instigated the beast tide to force me to reveal my location."
Dai Yao couldn't help but think.
His third spirit ring, the six-thousand-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, was found during that beast tide.
"The last time I encountered a beast tide, I ran away immediately. Grandpa Jackson helped me hunt a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, so the Dark Demon God Tiger didn't discover my location."
"But this time, my aura was much stronger, a holy aura, as conspicuous as a spotlight in the dark, so the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger immediately located me."
"As expected of a soul beast descended by the god of evil, even from such a distance, it fills me with fear. However, since you have already set your sights on me, haven't I already reserved a place for you on my soul ring?"
A cold smile crept across Dai Yao's face as he silently thought to himself.
"This time, it was fortunate that I was with Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo. Otherwise, if I had faced the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger alone, I probably wouldn't have been able to force it to use its Rejuvenating Death Arena, and I would have had to run away..."
Dai Yao felt somewhat relieved, and then he became somewhat excited.
"However, once I become powerful, you will be mine. I'm very curious to know how much of a boost I'll gain after obtaining your spirit ring and absorbing that Heavenly Evil Pearl!"
Dai Yao could sense that the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger had already run far away. That was the intuition of the Sacred White Tiger, its sensitivity to its natural enemy was never wrong, so he didn't want to cause any more trouble and affect his plans.
Chrysanthemum Douluo sensed that Dai Yao didn't want to answer, but he didn't say anything more. He simply patted Dai Yao on the shoulder and said:
"Alright, get some rest and adjust yourself. Our mission this time is very important, and you also need a spirit ring, so we can't let our guard down."
"Um."
Dai Yao nodded.
Chrysanthemum Douluo turned his head and said sternly:
"Everyone, immediately put away your martial spirits and leave this place. Set up camp here at dusk. Tomorrow, we will enter the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest. At that time, even I may not be able to save your lives."
"You must conserve your energy tonight so that you can save your life tomorrow. Do you understand?"
Everyone nodded, not daring to raise their voices in the Star Dou Great Forest. This was something they had all been specifically instructed on after arriving in the Star Dou Great Forest.
After gathering up the belongings left behind by the beast tide, everyone kept their footsteps low and hurried towards the designated camp.
······
Several tents sprang up from the ground. In the perilous Star Dou Great Forest, to have such a quiet and peaceful place must have cost the Spirit Hall many people and resources.
Inside the tent, the candlelight flickered, and Dai Yao, his face somber, was still waiting for Tang San's arrival.
Just then, the tent flap was lifted by a delicate hand, and a beautiful figure, like a magnet, attracted the attention of the three men inside the tent.
"Nana, are you getting ready to rest? Do you want to sleep next to me?"
Seeing Hu Liena enter the tent, Yan quickly stood up, made a welcoming gesture, and said with a smile.
In the Star Dou Great Forest, there is no distinction between men and women; convenience is the only requirement.
Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo lived in the same tent, Dai Yao and the Golden Generation lived in another tent, and the rest of the people surrounded the two tents like stars around the moon.
"No need."
Hu Liena didn't even look at Yan, and said coldly. She glanced around the tent and went to the far right, where Dai Yao was.
Seeing that Hu Liena wanted to sleep next to him, Dai Yao stood up, preparing to switch places with Xie Yue.
Hu Liena smiled and said, "Dai Yao, we are all from the Spirit Hall, and we are on a mission right now, so there's no need to worry about the difference between men and women."
Seeing this, Xie Yue also rejected Dai Yao's idea of changing positions.
With no other choice, Dai Yao slowly sat back down in his original seat, amidst Yan's envious gaze.
Hu Liena carefully placed the mask beside her pillow, treating it like a precious treasure, which ignited Yan's anger.
Hu Liena had just lain down when she seemed to smell a familiar scent. She sniffed it and realized it was coming from Dai Yao. Her gaze immediately widened in surprise. Hu Liena's unusual behavior caught Dai Yao's attention, and he couldn't help but ask:
"What's wrong?"
Hu Liena was somewhat suspicious. When the 'Asura Emperor' carried her out, although she had fallen into a coma, she still vaguely remembered the 'Asura Emperor's' scent.
Although a long time had passed, she could still immediately detect a similar scent when she was near Dai Yao. But Dai Yao couldn't be the 'Asura Emperor'; their martial souls were completely different.
Hu Liena smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled:
"It's nothing. The smell on you is somewhat similar to that of an old friend of mine."
Upon hearing this, Dai Yao's body stiffened abruptly, but his years of acting experience allowed him to quickly recover from the stiffness. Xie Yue and Yan couldn't help but glance at Dai Yao as well.
They grew up with Hu Liena and knew the same people. The so-called old friend was most likely the owner of that mask.
Dai Yao remained calm, feigning helplessness, and said reassuringly:
"Nana, during this time you have used the power of the Spirit Hall to search for that man called 'Asura Emperor' throughout the entire continent. No matter where that man is, he must have heard this news."
"But he hasn't shown up yet, so it's clear he doesn't want to see you. Your feelings are just wishful thinking, so why persist?"
The identity of 'Asura Emperor' can never be recreated, and Dai Yao doesn't want Hu Liena to waste her life for someone who can never appear.
If we could change her mind, that would be wonderful.
Hu Liena gently shook her head and said softly:
"You don't understand, you don't know what I went through on the road to hell. I must find him, no matter what the rest of my life..."
Upon hearing this, Yan's expression immediately darkened. Dai Yao couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
However, at that moment, a mental fluctuation suddenly struck the camp. The familiar aura filled Dai Yao with joy.
"Tang San, you've finally arrived!" (End of Chapter)