Ye Zhiqiu and Xiao Wu sat casually on the shoulder of the Titan Giant Ape.
"Brother Qiu, you knew about it all along, didn't you? Was it at Nuoding Academy, or..." Xiao Wu's expression was a little uneasy, her small hands slightly clenched.
She wasn't afraid of what Ye Zhiqiu would do to her; it was just that she was, after all, a soul beast. Although she had already transformed into human form, she still couldn't avoid the fact that she was a soul beast. How would she get along with everyone in the future?
Xiao Wu was a little afraid that once everyone knew the truth, they would dislike her for not being human, or deliberately distance themselves.
This was something Xiao Wu didn't want to see.
Ye Zhiqiu glanced indifferently at Xiao Wu beside him, as if he had seen through her thoughts. He chuckled and tapped Xiao Wu's head, "What are you thinking? What if you're human? What if you're a soul beast? In this world, there are far more humans worse than beasts."
Ye Zhiqiu gazed at the night sky, his deep eyes reflecting the stars. The calm words that came from his mouth instantly loosened the tight string in Xiao Wu's heart, and a wave of warmth spread through her.
"As for your identity, you told me yourself when you were talking in your sleep before," Ye Zhiqiu looked at Xiao Wu, the corner of his mouth suddenly curving slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips.
Xiao Wu was stunned. No way, did she reveal everything in her sleep-talking?
Xiao Wu secretly pondered. It seemed that only when she was at Nuoding Academy was her bed next to Ye Zhiqiu's. Could it have been at that time?
Just as Xiao Wu was lost in thought, Ye Zhiqiu suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder. Xiao Wu was startled and looked at him in confusion.
At this moment, Ye Zhiqiu no longer had his usual casual and indifferent expression, but a serious one. Xiao Wu's heart couldn't help but become a little more serious, and she straightened her posture. She knew that whenever Brother Qiu made this expression, he was about to talk about something important.
Ye Zhiqiu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Xiao Wu, this time I might need your help, as well as Daming and Erming's. I hope you can help me persuade them."
"I will." Xiao Wu agreed almost without hesitation.
Ye Zhiqiu shook his head and said, "Don't agree so readily. Listen to me first. You should know why I came to the Star Dou Great Forest this time, right?"
Xiao Wu's originally serious yet smiling expression suddenly vanished. A faint sense of loss and dejection appeared in her pink pupils.
Brother Qiu isn't thinking of... wanting Daming and Erming's spirit rings, is he?
I treat you like a brother, and you actually want the spirit rings of my two little brothers?
As soon as Ye Zhiqiu saw Xiao Wu's expression, he knew this girl was thinking crookedly again. He couldn't help but give her another flick on the head, making Xiao Wu's head retract and revealing a wronged look.
"What are you thinking? You're my sister, and Daming and Erming are your friends, so they're naturally my friends too. Do I look like the kind of person who would attack friends?" Ye Zhiqiu rolled his eyes, annoyed.
"Then, Brother Qiu, what kind of help are you talking about...?" Xiao Wu cautiously covered her head with both hands, afraid that Ye Zhiqiu would hit her again. But from her re-brightened eyes, it was clear that her mood had instantly recovered.
"Daming and Erming have been in this Star Dou Great Forest for so many years. Do they have any enemies they can't deal with? Or troublesome guys, evil soul beasts would also work," Ye Zhiqiu said slowly. He spoke vaguely, but Xiao Wu understood.
Ye Zhiqiu's meaning was whether there were any soul beasts that threatened Daming and Erming's status. If there were, that soul beast could be targeted for hunting.
This would both eliminate Daming and Erming's rivals in the soul beast world and allow Ye Zhiqiu to obtain a 100,000-year spirit ring, a win-win situation for both sides.
"I've been away for too long, so I'm not sure. We'll have to ask Daming about this. Although Erming is powerful, he's been dull since he was little, a one-track mind, not very bright. He can't do anything but fight," Xiao Wu said.
"Awoo~?"
Erming heard Sister Xiao Wu say that he wasn't bright, and immediately let out a dissatisfied roar. He considered himself dull, but not stupid at all.
You're going too far by saying that, give me some face! Awoo awoo~?
Ye Zhiqiu smiled faintly. This Titan Giant Ape certainly had a personality.
The core area of the Star Dou Great Forest was perpetually shrouded in a faint mist. This mist was not ordinary mist, but condensed, materialized spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
The vegetation here was much lusher than in the outer regions, with exotic flowers and plants everywhere, and even the air carried a much richer fragrance of plants than the outside world.
If an ordinary soul master could cultivate in such an environment, their cultivation speed would increase by at least several times.
This region's unique scenery was entirely due to a large lake at the center of the area, called the Lake of Life, the true core of the entire Star Dou Great Forest.
At this moment, a giant black shadow stood upright in this lake.
This was a colossal, strange creature with a bull's head and a snake's body. The two curved horns on its head looked even larger than its head, shimmering with a dark, obsidian-like luster.
Its body, as thick as a water vat, was covered with dense, fist-sized green scales. Just the upper half exposed above the water was nearly ten meters long, and beneath the surface, shadows loomed, extending far out.
A pair of lantern-sized eyes, emitting a faint green glow in the night, were staring in a certain direction within the dense forest. It sensed that over there, besides Erming and Xiao Wu's aura, there was also an unfamiliar human aura?
"Awoo~!"
The Titan Giant Ape's figure was still far away, but its excited roar had already reached them.
Before long, the Titan Giant Ape brought Ye Zhiqiu and Xiao Wu before the Azure Ox Python.
The moment Ye Zhiqiu saw the Azure Ox Python, even with his temperament, he was momentarily stunned.
This creature was simply too massive.
Just the part of its body exposed above the water was almost as tall as the Titan Giant Ape. If its entire body were revealed, it would probably be forty to fifty meters long, wouldn't it?
This could definitely be considered a behemoth among soul beasts, but its appearance made Ye Zhiqiu a little strange. A large python with a water buffalo head? What kind of genetic mutation was this product?
Could it be a crossbreed between a python and a water buffalo?
"Human, this is not a place you should be." The Azure Ox Python's upper and lower jaws opened and closed, its voice like a muffled thunder reverberating in all directions, and a terrifying pressure emanated towards Ye Zhiqiu.
Ye Zhiqiu's eyes narrowed slightly. Just as he was about to make a move, Xiao Wu stepped forward, blocking him.
"Daming, Brother Qiu means no harm. He's different from other humans; he's my good friend," Xiao Wu said hurriedly.
"Awoo awoo awoo~ Awoo awoo awoo!" The Titan Giant Ape also spoke, but Ye Zhiqiu didn't understand what it was saying.
Along the way, Ye Zhiqiu and Xiao Wu had talked a lot. The Titan Giant Ape had heard it all. Even if it was dull, it knew that this human was not an enemy.
At this moment, it was also speaking up for Ye Zhiqiu.