Hovering above Bibi Dong and her entourage, Lin Feng silently contemplated the situation.
This trip was originally meant to be a tempering journey—his goal had been to establish connections with main cast members like Yu Xiaogang and Flender, hoping to build goodwill.
If successful, it might earn him valuable allies across the continent in the future.
He hadn't expected to stumble upon something so significant today—Bibi Dong arriving a full year early to hunt for a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
A surge of emotion rippled through his heart.
A hundred-thousand-year soul beast… I want it too.
Even if he couldn't absorb its soul ring, seizing its soul bone would still be an enormous gain.
Unfortunately, while his Green Lotus Core Flame had immense offensive power, it alone wasn't enough to snatch a soul bone from Bibi Dong.
And judging by how things were unfolding, Xiao Wu, the fated heroine, was about to appear as well.
Compared to Yu Xiaogang and Flender, she was far more important.
He had to gain full control over Xiao Wu.
A glint of resolve flickered in Lin Feng's eyes.
After a moment of deliberation, he decided to head into the deeper regions of the Star Dou Great Forest and investigate.
After all, with Bibi Dong acting this early, if both Da Ming and Er Ming were still nearby, the situation could become unpredictable.
---
The Lake of Life.
Even with his teleportation-like speed, it took Lin Feng quite some time and many detours to reach the Lake of Life, due to its well-hidden location deep within the Star Dou Great Forest.
When he finally arrived, he saw a woman standing quietly by the lake's edge.
She was stunningly beautiful—skin whiter than snow, as smooth as jade, radiating a soft, gentle glow.
Her eyes were like crystal-clear lakes, deep and tranquil. Her graceful figure was wrapped in a moon-white dress that swayed gently in the breeze, exuding a boundless tenderness.
Beside her lay a glowing cocoon of light.
Lin Feng's heart jumped. Through his system interface, he could instantly identify the presence within the cocoon.
It was Xiao Wu, undergoing her transformation into human form.
And the extraordinary woman before him—without a doubt—was A Rou, Xiao Wu's mother.
No wonder she couldn't defeat Bibi Dong… she's already taken human form.
Judging by her current level—just a Soul Sage—A Rou would hardly survive in the Star Dou Great Forest without the protection of the Lake of Life.
Lin Feng glanced around. The clearing was silent; only the mother and daughter were present.
He frowned and muttered to himself:
"Huh? That's odd… where are Da Ming and Er Ming?"
He immediately activated his Observation Haki and scanned the surroundings in detail.
Soon, he sensed commotion some twenty kilometers away.
It turned out that the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape were currently locked in a playful brawl with a three-headed Ant Emperor—a fight that could easily drag on for days.
So that's it. They haven't sensed the looming threat over the Lake of Life yet, which is why they're so relaxed.
The Lake of Life sat at the very heart of the Star Dou Great Forest and was deeply hidden—even a Titled Douluo would struggle to find it.
Naturally, they felt secure here.
Unfortunately, Bibi Dong had somehow caught wind of this place's location.
A great battle was inevitable today.
Just then, A Rou's gentle expression suddenly tensed.
She had sensed something—some great danger approaching.
Her brow furrowed, her body tensed. She wrapped her arms tightly around the glowing cocoon and whispered softly:
"Don't be afraid, Xiao Wu. Mommy's here. Mommy's right here."
"…Mom? What's wrong…?"
A Rou gazed lovingly at her daughter, but determination was already flickering in her eyes.
Gritting her teeth, she let out a low breath, and with a sharp movement, she threw the cocoon into the Lake of Life.
Plop.
The cocoon entered the water with a gentle splash, ripples spreading outward.
Then came Xiao Wu's voice from within, echoing with panic and sorrow across the water's surface:
"Mom! MOM!"
"STOP!!"
A cold, commanding voice suddenly thundered from afar like a bolt of lightning.
Lin Feng turned toward the sound and saw a figure in black streaking through the sky like a shooting star.
In the blink of an eye, the woman landed at the lakeside—it was Bibi Dong.
She wore a flowing black robe adorned with intricate golden patterns that shimmered in the sunlight like living runes, glowing with eerie brilliance.
Looking closely, her face was ethereally beautiful, yet there was an icy cruelty in her expression. Her pale skin glowed with a chilling, flawless sheen.
Her eyes locked instantly onto the white cocoon floating on the lake.
With just a glance, she identified it as the cocoon of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast—clearly on the verge of transforming.
At that moment, the thrill of the hunt surged in her chest.
She gave a sharp, decisive order to Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo beside her:
"Seal the lake—NOW!"
Her tone brooked no argument.
The two elders exchanged a glance, then rose above the Lake of Life in unison.
Their soul power exploded outward and fused in midair, forming a massive ring of light that radiated from their position and expanded rapidly.
In an instant, a portion of the Lake of Life was locked in place.
Xiao Wu's cocoon, mid-descent into the lake, was suddenly frozen in space, completely immobile.
---
Twenty kilometers away, Da Ming and Er Ming were still playing roughly with the Ant Emperor.
Suddenly, their bodies froze. They both sensed a sharp fluctuation of soul power in the distance.
"…Something's wrong. Aunt Rou and Xiao Wu are in danger!" said the Sky Azure Bull Python, anxiety flashing in his eyes.
The Titan Giant Ape let out an earth-shaking roar of fury, causing the nearby trees to tremble violently.
Then, without hesitation, the two of them charged at top speed toward the Lake of Life—moving like black lightning.
Wherever they passed, trees shattered and dust surged into the sky.
Watching it all unfold, Lin Feng couldn't help but sigh internally.
At this rate, even if Da Ming and Er Ming went all out, they likely wouldn't make it in time.
Was he really going to let Bibi Dong take Xiao Wu away?
Absolutely not.
---
Bibi Dong stared at the immobilized cocoon in the lake, eyes gleaming with greed. She could barely restrain herself from diving in to claim her prize.
But just as she moved to act, A Rou stepped forward, slamming her claw against her own throat and shouting:
"Take one more step toward my daughter, and I will end my life here and now!"
Bibi Dong's figure flashed—grabbing A Rou by the neck with lightning speed.
"You think I won't kill you?" she said coldly.
"If you kill me, you'll have to absorb my soul ring right here—and Da Ming and Er Ming will never let you succeed!" A Rou gasped, blood trickling from her lips.
Her words struck true.
That roar from earlier… it came from more hundred-thousand-year soul beasts?
Bibi Dong's brow furrowed deeply as a flicker of hesitation crossed her face.
Indeed, she could now sense two powerful soul beast auras rapidly closing in.
If she got entangled with them here, the hunt would almost certainly fail.
There was no time to hesitate.
"Third Soul Skill – Spiderweb Restraint!"
Bibi Dong shouted, unleashing a deep purple web laced with poisonous miasma. It exploded from her body and instantly wrapped around A Rou, paralyzing her completely.
"Withdraw!"
Without another word, she seized A Rou and turned to flee the scene at high speed.
Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo immediately cancelled their fusion technique and followed close behind.
Watching Bibi Dong and her group retreat, Lin Feng's lips curled into a cold smile.
"You think you can get away that easily?"
Not a chance.
---
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