The next day, early morning.
Before the sun even shone into the Star Dou Great Forest, the team had already begun preparations, waiting for the sky to be completely bright so that the soul beasts active at night would return to their lairs and the danger would decrease before they could begin their operation.
Tang San's eyes gleamed as he followed Hu Liena and the others out of the tent.
He had to figure out the purpose of these people from the Spirit Hall coming to the Star Dou Great Forest. Two Title Douluos, several Soul Douluos, and dozens of Soul Saints—this kind of lineup was enough to easily destroy a kingdom.
Tang San didn't believe these guys were here for sightseeing!
"If these guys really came for Xiao Wu, then we're in trouble!"
For a moment, Tang San's heart was filled with gloom. His strength was simply insufficient to stop any action of this group. Even if the Titan Giant Ape that appeared back then was Xiao Wu's friend, it would be impossible for it to stop so many people.
Inside the camp, Soul Saints and Soul Douluos dressed in black robes were on high alert. Of the two Title Douluos, only Chrysanthemum Douluo was leaning against a tree trunk, looking rather lazy. The other Title Douluo had disappeared, but Tang San was certain that the Title Douluo was hiding in the surrounding area.
Hu Liena and the other three were protected in the center by the Soul Saints and Soul Douluos, silently eating the dry rations in their hands.
Tang San cautiously observed his surroundings out of the corner of his eye, then sat down with Hu Liena and the others, eating their dry rations and pondering the group's purpose. While the others chatted idly, he seized an opportunity to speak:
"By the way, your team has so many powerful members. You really live up to the reputation of the Spirit Hall. You're so extravagant just to hunt a few spirit beasts."
Hu Liena and the others were already somewhat wary of Tang San, and upon hearing this, their vigilance increased even further. They could easily discern the purpose behind Tang San's words.
Just as they were about to speak, Dai Yao casually put his arm around Tang San's shoulder and said with a half-smile:
"Hey, Xiao Tang, don't pry into things like this. Who are you, and who are we? Don't ask questions you shouldn't. Knowing too much isn't good for you, don't you think?"
"From now on, don't call me Dai Yao anymore, just call me Brother Yao."
Tang San's face stiffened, cursing inwardly, but he forced a smile, suppressing his physical discomfort:
"Yes...yes. Brother Yao!"
Dai Yao's words disgusted him. He even suspected that Dai Yao already knew his identity and was deliberately trying to annoy him. But then he thought, Dai Yao couldn't possibly know his identity. If he did know his true identity, why would he help him hide it?
What is his purpose?
Hu Liena and the other two looked at Dai Yao with some confusion. Dai Yao's attitude towards Tang Yin made them feel a little strange.
Although Dai Yao was powerful, he was not an arrogant person after getting to know him. However, it was strange that he treated Tang Yin with such arrogance.
However, it was indeed rather tactless for Tang Yin, a newcomer to the team, to ask about such confidential matters.
Dai Yao's behavior towards Tang Yin was perhaps for the sake of secrecy. They were once again exasperated by Dai Yao's cautiousness. In the present continent, who dared to deceive the people of the Spirit Hall?
Looking at Tang San's aggrieved expression, Dai Yao smiled inwardly.
"Form ranks and set off!"
After daybreak, Chrysanthemum Douluo glanced at the sky and calmly gave orders to the people behind him.
As soon as Chrysanthemum Douluo finished speaking, everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, packed their belongings, and prepared to leave. Dai Yao and his group of five also put away their dry rations and looked around warily.
After everyone was ready, Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded slightly to a secluded spot, and then a strange shadow flashed and suddenly rushed to the front.
Everyone immediately sprang into action. Numerous powerful figures protected Dai Yao and his group of five in the center, with Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo positioned one in front and one behind as the vanguard and the rearguard, respectively, forming a special barrier to safeguard the entire team's safety.
The entire team sped off towards the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Although some powerful soul beasts in the vicinity sensed the aura of the outsiders, they dared not stop the team after perceiving the two powerful auras.
As they went deeper, the expressions on everyone's faces became increasingly serious.
Tang San was even more anxious, because the barrier formed by Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo prevented him from using his Blue Silver Domain to locate Xiao Wu. If he encountered Xiao Wu in the forest, there was absolutely no chance of her survival.
Two hours later, Ghost Douluo suddenly stopped and said:
"Rest where you are!"
The group immediately stopped their rapid pace and tacitly formed a circle around Dai Yao and his group of five. A few people were responsible for guarding the area, while the rest began to regulate their breathing.
At this moment, Tang San finally felt relieved. After stopping to rest, the barrier disappeared, and he was finally able to use the Blue Silver Domain.
But when he glanced at Dai Yao out of the corner of his eye, his heart skipped a beat. He realized that Dai Yao was staring straight at him!
He immediately abandoned his original plan to use the Blue Silver Domain to probe Xiao Wu's whereabouts. He casually raised his head, noticed Dai Yao's gaze, and, startled, asked in confusion:
"Brother Yao, is there something you need?"
Dai Yao's lips curled into a slight smile, as if he were pondering something, and he said:
"By the way, Xiao Tang, I remember your mental fluctuations seemed quite strong last night. Do you have a mental detection skill? If so, please help us find a soul beast!"
Tang San's heart skipped a beat. Dai Yao had actually guessed his Blue Silver Domain skill! Wouldn't it be just what he wanted if he were to use the Blue Silver Domain?
Isn't this going too smoothly?
It was as if some kind of force was pulling him step by step into a trap. But if he wanted to find Xiao Wu, he had to use the Blue Silver Domain.
However, one word in Dai Yao's words caught his attention.
A soul beast.
A thought flashed through his mind, but he said calmly:
"Brother Yao is right. I do have an extremely powerful talent skill that allows me to detect very long distances. I wonder what kind of soul beast Brother Yao is looking for, and if I can help."
Hearing that Tang San possessed a mental detection skill, Hu Liena and the others were overjoyed. Although they were incredibly powerful, searching aimlessly in the Star Dou Great Forest would take an unknown amount of time.
Since Tang Yin possesses the skill of mental detection, let him use it; it might have a surprising effect.
However, if they want Tang Yin to help them, they must first let him know the purpose of their trip.
Hu Liena explained:
"That soul beast is a 100,000-year-old soul beast. Before it transformed, it was a Soft Bone Rabbit. If you sense it carefully, the aura of that rabbit now should be about the same as yours."
Tang San heard the words "a 100,000-year-old soul beast in human form" and felt a thunderous boom in his ears, making it difficult to hear what Hu Liena was saying afterward.
"They really were after Xiao Wu!"
Tang San gritted his teeth inwardly, a surge of overwhelming hatred rising within him.
But he controlled himself well, suppressing his anger, and spat out a single word through gritted teeth:
"good!"
So he began to activate his Blue Silver Domain, using the Blue Silver Grass growing on the ground to search for all sorts of information. The auras of various soul beasts kept appearing in his mind.
Seeing Tang San's focused search, Dai Yao couldn't help but sneer.
He had always had a question: why did Tang San search for Xiao Wu's location while he was with the Spirit Hall's forces in the original story? If he hadn't made things worse, Xiao Wu might not have died.
If he remembered correctly, Tang San's motivation for doing this was that Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo had finally broken the barrier and were getting closer and closer to the center of the Star Dou Great Forest, which was one of the few opportunities he could use to detect them.
Moreover, it was because he missed Xiao Wu so much that he used the Blue Silver Domain.
Dai Yao couldn't help but laugh. If it weren't for Tang San, the Spirit Hall's team might not have been able to find Xiao Wu, and Xiao Wu wouldn't have sacrificed herself. In a sense, Tang San personally killed Xiao Wu, yet he still portrayed a deeply affectionate character.
But Tang San never actually intended to kill Xiao Wu.
"Truly worthy of being our pure, noble, and resourceful 'King Tang'!"
Dai Yao sighed.
After a long while, Tang San suddenly groaned, opened his eyes, spat out a mouthful of blood, and collapsed to the ground.
"What's wrong? Xiao Tang, are you alright?"
Dai Yao, who was always watching Tang San, immediately reacted, rushed to Tang San's side, helped him up, and said with a worried expression.
The deep worry on Dai Yao's face made Hu Liena and the others sigh with emotion. They were amazed that Dai Yao and Tang Yin had developed such a profound bond in such a short time.
Ghost Douluo suddenly appeared, looked at Tang San in Dai Yao's arms, and let out a soft exclamation. He reached out and gently tapped Tang San's forehead.
Tang San immediately shuddered, his eyes snapped open, his face as pale as paper, gasping for breath like a drowning person.
After a short while, Tang San gradually regained his senses, and the splitting headache in his head was relieved somewhat.
Dai Yao quickly took out the water bottle, held it to Tang San's lips, and said with concern:
"Xiao Tang, take a break and have some water first!"
Seeing the worry on Dai Yao's face, Tang San felt a strong unease and resisted deeply, reaching out to push Dai Yao's hand away. But how could he, in his weakened state, possibly push it away?
Even at his peak, he might not be able to push it away.
Dai Yao feigned ignorance, secretly chuckling to himself. He continued to press the spout of the kettle against Tang San's lips, and no matter how hard Tang San tried, he couldn't push it away.
Just as Tang San was about to say something to decline, Dai Yao suddenly pushed the spout of the pot upwards, forcing Tang San to swallow his words and only make a muffled sound.
"Hey~ Little Tang, do you not like me? What's the big deal about drinking some water?"
Dai Yao asked, puzzled.
With no other choice, Tang San forced himself to drink the water from Dai Yao's kettle, suppressing his nausea. His determination to kill Dai Yao only deepened.
Seeing that Tang San had taken a few sips, Dai Yao finally let go of the kettle.
Through Hu Liena's explanation, Ghost Douluo also learned what had happened. Seeing that Tang San could speak again, Ghost Douluo immediately asked:
"Tang Yin, what happened to you during the exploration? Why did you suddenly faint?"
Tang San shook his head, a fleeting look of resentment towards Dai Yao in his eyes. Hearing Ghost Douluo's question, he carefully chose his words and said:
"During my exploration, I discovered an exceptionally powerful being. It was able to detect my mental fluctuations and launch a mental attack on me. If I hadn't reacted quickly, I would have been dead."
"That soul beast is at least at the Soul Douluo level!"
Tang San sneered inwardly. He had actually sensed three different auras. Two of them were as powerful as his father's, while the last one was similar to his own.
He was certain that that was where Xiao Wu was.
If this team dares to go to that place, those two soul beasts will definitely be able to severely injure them!
"If it's just Contra, then it shouldn't be our target."
Chrysanthemum Douluo frowned.
"Chrysanthemum Pass, no matter what, now that we have a lead, let's investigate. Better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free! Everyone, set off immediately."
Ghost Douluo said cautiously.
As soon as Ghost Douluo finished speaking, more than twenty people sprang to their feet. Dai Yao immediately changed his posture, helped Tang San up, and held Tang San's shoulders tightly, preventing Tang San from leaving.
Tang San gritted his teeth secretly, but pretended to be nonchalant and said:
"Brother Yao, let me go. I can walk by myself."
"Hey, are you being too polite with your brother Yao? You're so badly injured, and you look so pale. How can you walk by yourself? Besides, if you slow down the group's progress, you'll be in big trouble!"
"Your brother Yao is thinking of you too!"
Brother Yao, Brother Yao, Yao your mother!
Tang San cursed inwardly. Calling his blood enemy "brother" was like stabbing him in the heart. Moreover, Dai Yao seemed to be doing it on purpose, insisting on emphasizing that word.
He forced a smile and said:
"Thank you, Brother Yao."
"Oh, it's nothing!"
Dai Yao said casually. Just like an older brother who shelters his younger brother from the wind and rain!
"Tang Yin, where is that soul beast?"
Ghost Douluo turned around and asked.
Tang San pointed.
The Spirit Hall's team immediately advanced swiftly in the direction Tang San indicated. To everyone's surprise, as they ventured deeper into the forest, the number of spirit beasts decreased until, finally, all the spirit beasts disappeared.
In the forest, there was only an eerie stillness.
The air was filled with the chirping of insects and the rustling of birds; the wind rustled through the falling leaves—a scene of utter tranquility. Everyone was on high alert, cautiously scanning their surroundings. Encountering such a strange situation in the heart of the perilous Star Dou Forest was far from normal!
"Welcome to the Starry Sky Forest."
Suddenly, a gentle voice came from directly in front, causing everyone to stop in their tracks.
Chrysanthemum Douluo appeared beside Ghost Douluo in an instant. The two exchanged a glance and made a hand gesture to the rear. The powerful figures more than twenty meters behind them tacitly surrounded Dai Yao and his group of five, and at the same time released their martial souls.
In an instant, hundreds of soul rings appeared in the dense forest, their terrifying aura distorting the surrounding air. Waves of energy surged wildly in all directions.
Hearing that voice, Tang San was overjoyed. Wasn't this the Xiao Wu he had been longing for?!
At the same time, Dai Yao's heart tightened, and a chilling light flashed deep within his golden eyes. Like a hunter watching his prey as it slowly approached his trap... (End of Chapter)