After this brief interlude, Xu Zihuang and He Caitou confirmed their direction and, using their flight soul guidance devices, headed toward the Star Dou Great Forest south of Shrek Academy.
Shrek Academy was very close to the Star Dou Great Forest. With the aid of level-four soul guidance devices, the two arrived at the forest's peripheral region by the afternoon of the same day.
Back when Xu Zihuang, Tang Ya, Beibei, and Huo Yuhao had taken nearly half a month to return to Shrek Academy from the Star Dou Great Forest, it was partly because they weren't in a hurry and partly because they had exited from the southeast direction, effectively circling more than half of the forest.
Now, Xu Zihuang and He Caitou had no intention of taking a detour. They flew in a straight line, planning to enter the Star Dou Great Forest from its northwest direction.
Shrek Academy students frequently entered the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt soul beasts, which made the soul beast powerhouses in the forest particularly hostile toward them. Consequently, the soul beasts in the northwest direction, directly facing Shrek City, were the strongest.
Shrek Academy had a clear rule: unless led by a teacher with at least Soul King-level cultivation, entry from this direction into the Star Dou Great Forest was prohibited, even if only wandering in the peripheral region.
However, such rules didn't apply to Xu Zihuang and He Caitou. Though both were currently only at the four-ring Soul Ancestor level, they possessed combat strength surpassing that of a Soul King.
Xu Zihuang needed no further explanation—his current strength was such that even Soul Emperor-level powerhouses might not be his match. Only top-tier Soul Emperors like Ma Xiaotao could pose a threat to him.
As for He Caitou, with his array of highly destructive soul guidance devices, his attack power surpassed that of many Soul Kings. His only shortcoming was his limited endurance in prolonged combat.
Deep purple and blazing white flames streaked across the sky as Xu Zihuang and He Caitou landed steadily on the ground. They were still some distance from the Star Dou Great Forest, but the air around them had already become fresher, making breathing noticeably smoother.
"Senior Brother He, let's rest for an hour to restore our soul power before entering the Star Dou Great Forest," Xu Zihuang said, stowing away his sleek, deep purple flight soul guidance device.
He Caitou nodded earnestly.
"Alright."
They had flown for nearly four hours straight, stopping once midway to recover their soul power. Currently, their soul power was at about eighty percent of normal. However, entering the perilous Star Dou Great Forest required them to be in peak condition.
In recent years, the quality of soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest had been improving, especially in the northwest direction facing Shrek Academy, where it wasn't uncommon for soul beasts to appear outside the forest's boundaries.
To be cautious, the two took turns keeping watch while the other recovered. In less than half an hour, both had restored their soul power to its optimal state.
Instead of rushing into the Star Dou Great Forest, they ate some dry rations and jerky with fresh water to replenish their stamina, allowing themselves to fully relax. They knew that during the half-month survival in the forest's mixed zone, their minds would be in a constant state of high alertness.
By the time they prepared to enter the Star Dou Great Forest, the sky had begun to darken.
The air here was not only fresh but also carried a rich moisture. As they stepped into the forest's boundaries, both felt as though their bodies were being nourished by a special force—the life aura unique to the Star Dou Great Forest. Having nurtured countless soul beasts, how could the forest not possess something extraordinary?
"Junior Brother Yu," He Caitou, walking behind Xu Zihuang, handed him a thick, dark cigar.
It was his first soul skill, the Invigorating Thick Cigar, undoubtedly the most suitable for a mental-attribute soul master like Xu Zihuang.
Xu Zihuang accepted it with understanding. As long as it could enhance his strength or benefit him, he didn't care whether He Caitou's soul skill seemed crude.
After He Caitou lit the cigar for Xu Zihuang, he put one in his own mouth as well. Though the effect on him wasn't as pronounced as on Xu Zihuang, it still helped him maintain high mental focus, which was perfect for the Star Dou Great Forest, where constant vigilance was necessary.
Xu Zihuang's deep purple eyes instantly turned brilliant gold. Holding the thick cigar between his slender index and middle fingers, he took a deep drag and said in a low voice, "Let's go, Senior Brother He. As we discussed, we won't rush into the mixed zone today. We'll spend the night in the peripheral zone to get acclimated."
The outer twenty kilometers of the Star Dou Great Forest were considered the peripheral zone. To reach the mixed zone, they would need to venture twenty kilometers deeper into the forest.
With the frequent encounters with soul beasts, their travel speed would inevitably be affected, so there was no need to rush.
He Caitou nodded, fully deferring to Xu Zihuang. The Ultimate Soldier Plan was centered on Xu Zihuang, with He Caitou as his support. Moreover, as cousins in truth, He Caitou had no objections deep down.
Relying on the extraordinary vision granted by his Golden Eyes and his powerful mental strength, Xu Zihuang sensed several weak soul beasts observing them from a distance. They seemed wary of their presence and didn't approach recklessly.
This was normal—the weaker the soul beast, the more sensitive it was to danger, a kind of instinct inherent to living creatures.
If the soul beasts didn't attack, there was no need for them to eradicate them.
However, not all soul beasts were so prudent. After advancing less than five kilometers into the Star Dou Great Forest, Xu Zihuang and He Caitou encountered the first group of soul beasts bold enough to attack them.
Yes, not a single beast, but a group.
Amid a series of "hiss" sounds, figures emerged from all directions, surrounding them.
They were massive apes, each robust and emitting a foul stench. Their fur was gray-black, but their eyes glowed with an eerie, bloodthirsty red.
"Iron Arm Apes?" Xu Zihuang calmly assessed the giant apes, instantly recalling information about this soul beast.
Iron Arm Apes were strength-type ape soul beasts known for their speed and power. Their iron-like arms were as hard as steel, and they were highly aggressive. Though far less powerful than Titan Giant Apes or Diamond Baboons, they weren't purely strength-type soul beasts—they also possessed mental attributes.
Their innate soul skill, Intimidation, was a halo-like mental skill. Soul masters with weaker mental strength would be greatly affected, potentially even losing their ability to fight.
Combined with their formidable melee capabilities, this mental skill made them a troublesome opponent for many soul masters.
The group before them consisted of over twenty Iron Arm Apes, but only the leader—a 1.8-meter-tall ape—had a cultivation exceeding a hundred years.
This hundred-year Iron Arm Ape bared its teeth at Xu Zihuang and He Caitou, revealing two menacing fangs. It pounded its robust chest with both fists, and a pale white halo began spreading from its body.
It was the Iron Arm Ape's innate soul skill, Intimidation. Only those with over a hundred years of cultivation could extend this halo to a range of nearly twenty meters.
At the same time, the lead ape let out a shrill roar.
The other twenty-plus ten-year Iron Arm Apes, as if triggered, charged madly toward the two.
But just as the pale white halo was about to envelop Xu Zihuang and He Caitou, Xu Zihuang's gaze sharpened. An invisible wave of mental energy surged like a storm, instantly shattering the pale halo.
Before the hundred-year Iron Arm Ape could react, its massive head exploded, splattering the surrounding trees and foliage with crimson blood and white brain matter.
Without needing a word from Xu Zihuang, He Caitou instinctively extended his sturdy arms, still holding the burning, thick cigar in his mouth.
Black metal boxes instantly encased his forearms, each extending six slender barrels.
White light surged, and countless white orbs, each the size of an egg, erupted in an instant. Like a storm, they blanketed the space occupied by the twenty-plus ten-year Iron Arm Apes.
He Caitou was using a six-barrel mini soul guidance cannon, known for its area-of-effect firepower. The power of a single orb wasn't great, but when combined, the destructive force was considerable. If ten Soul Ancestors equipped with these level-four six-barrel mini soul guidance cannons were deployed, they could suppress an army of thousands.
Some of the twenty-plus ten-year Iron Arm Apes were leaping through the air toward the two, while others charged along the ground.
But as the dense barrage of white orbs descended, their movements halted abruptly. In an instant, they were blasted into fragments, as if vaporized, leaving no trace of their bodies. Only faint white soul rings floated in the air.
The surrounding flora also melted under the barrage of the six-barrel soul guidance cannon, and the ground was pockmarked with craters the size of human heads.
He Caitou, with a simple grin, stowed the slightly heated six-barrel mini soul guidance cannon. Yet, at that moment, his honest face carried an eerie sense of terror.
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