Chapter 228.1: Jade Ocean Spirit Ape

This soul beast was green all over, and was hard to see it in the green jungle if one didn"t look closely. Furthermore, it was covered by the trees and branches in the two hundred meters between them. However, Huo Yuhao"s Spiritual Detection could clearly lock onto its position.

Huo Yuhao didn"t lock onto all the soul beasts around him after he activated it. However, his Spiritual Detection could reach a heightened level of precision even at a distance, and he could tell if it was hostile towards them from the soul beast"s blood essence, soul power, and spiritual power.

They had come across quite a few soul beasts before this, but most of them kept their distance and avoided the group. Some displayed hostility, but they were just trying to intimidate the group, and didn"t come near at all. The soul beast before them was different. Once it discovered Huo Yuhao"s group, it didn"t evade at all, and swiftly came nearer instead. There was a strong aura of hostility and murderous intent around it.

There were several typical circ.u.mstances with soul beasts like these. First, they could be meeting a belligerent and aggressive soul beast that would attack no matter who its adversaries were. Second, they could encounter a hungry or starving soul beast that had a particular preference for humans. Humans were considered as delicious as meals could get, and these soul beasts would definitely not let go of an opportunity like this. Soul masters were nutritious and extremely beneficial for soul beasts!. A soul master"s tendons, flesh, blood, and veins were perennially nourished by soul power, and the nutrition contained within them was far superior to normal soul beasts. The higher level these soul beasts were, the more interested they would be in high-level soul masters. There were some soul beasts that could directly absorb a soul master"s soul power to boost themselves!

The last situation was territory. Some relatively stronger soul beasts would mark out their own territories due to their predatory and dietary needs, and these territories were not restricted to soul beasts! Humans would definitely be a.s.saulted if they trespa.s.sed. After all, soul beasts that could mark their own territories were stronger than most of their kind.

The soul beast in front of them belonged to the third situation, as they hadn"t encountered any other soul beasts in the minutes before they had discovered this one.

"That looks like a Jade Ocean Spirit Ape, and it"s probably above ten thousand years in cultivation." Huo Yuhao was the owner of the Spiritual Detection, and thus immediately reported this soul beast"s strength.

The Jade Ocean Spirit Ape was an ape-type soul beast, and it fed upon the venomous Spiritjade Fruits. It was a wood-type soul beast, could control plants within a small radius, and was adept with poisonous attacks. It was a soul beast that was hard to deal with.

"Does anybody need this?" Zhang Lexuan asked immediately. Everyone wanted ten thousand year soul rings, while the Jade Ocean Spirit Ape was a comparatively rare soul beast.

Mo Xuan hesitated momentarily before he said, "I"ll take it, eldest senior sister. I hope this Jade Ocean Spirit Ape is a little stronger… It would be best if it was twenty thousand years."

Six-ringed Soul Emperors normally found it challenging to absorb twenty-thousand year soul rings, but students from Shrek Academy"s inner courtyard were definitely not normal. They feasted on nutritious and sumptuous meals provided by the canteen every single day, and their bodies were tough and resilient to an extent that normal soul masters couldn"t possibly compare with.

Zhang Lexuan smiled and said, "I guess we"re lucky that we found something we need so quickly."

"It"s coming!" Huo Yuhao instantly reminded her.

Zhang Lexuan immediately said, "Yuhao, w.a.n.g Dong"er, and w.a.n.g Qiu"er, you guys are up. Capture it alive, Ruoruo and I will back you up."

All three of them were slightly taken aback by Zhang Lexuan"s command. Ten-thousand year soul beasts were a piece of cake for their eight-ringed eldest senior sister, and everyone had a.s.sumed she was going to take point.

Cai Mei"er"s aura was not far behind everyone, and she subtly nodded her head. Zhang Lexuan could tell that w.a.n.g Qiu"er hadn"t really gelled with the team, and Zhang Lexuan wanted her to be included as quickly as possible. There were already rumors going around in the academy about w.a.n.g Dong"er and w.a.n.g Qiu"er, the two people who shared almost the same name and who looked almost identical. n.o.body would know how they were related to each other if they didn"t tell.

The green shadow was bouncing forward rapidly. It jumped directly from tree to tree, and its green radiance grew stronger with every jump. It covered the two hundred meters between them in no time.

Everyone could clearly see what this ten thousand year soul beast looked like when it got close. The Jade Ocean Spirit Ape was about one and a half meters tall, and it had an extremely lean and muscular body. Its entire body was covered by green fur, and one could feel that its relatively small frame was filled with strength and power. Its eyes were dark green and ferocious, and two enormous fangs protruded from its lips. The ape"s abdominal area swelled continuously as the green light on its body became stronger.

Huo Yuhao pulled w.a.n.g Dong"er along and left the formation after Zhang Lexuan"s command. w.a.n.g Qiu"er followed behind, still maintaining that quiet look.

Huo Yuhao still shared his Spiritual Detection with her no matter what she was like.

He had encountered many ten-thousand year soul beasts before, so he naturally wasn"t nervous at all. A dash of orange-gold light flew from his body, and the tiny Snow Lady was already in midair.

w.a.n.g Qiu"er was momentarily stunned when she saw the little Snow Lady, and her footsteps became even slower than before. She was even more out of rhythm with the pair in front of her.

Huo Yuhao had already made his move. A purple-gold light immediately erupted from his eyes and flickered once before the Jade Ocean Spirit Ape that was still bounding forward howled agonizingly, and large swathes of green fog started to pour from its body.

"Watch out, that"s its Spiritjade Poison Fog!" Zhang Lexuan reminded everyone.

Huo Yuhao naturally knew that this was Spiritjade Poison Fog, and he had already prepared to react. His Spiritual Shock had been fired off precisely. Otherwise, that poisonous fog wouldn"t have been coming toward them from a distance, it would have instead spurted directly on top of them!

The ape"s soul skill was interrupted, and it broke the branch it was hopping on and plummeted from the trees. However, ten-thousand year soul beasts were not that easy to handle, and it recovered a little even as it fell to the ground. It roared into the sky, and opened its mouth once more as another stream of green fog fired out, blowing the denser poison fog from before towards the Shrek students.

However, a dark blue light resembling a sprawling arch now struck out with lightning speed. The green fog immediately turned into ice and dissipated wherever this light touched, frozen in that very moment, and every piece fluttered to the ground.

The fog itself was made from very tiny particles, and it contained smoke, mist, and water vapor. No matter how strong the Spirit Ape"s poison element was, the venomous air that its body generated would naturally carry some water particles and this meant the fog was ultimately more like mist.

The tiny Snow Lady"s tiny hand pointed forward; that was the Ultimate Ice Light Beam, and all the water that this light touched instantly became ice crystals. The venomous fog broke apart by itself, and was dispelled by the extreme chill.

The ape evaded the beam of light in a flash, but its ferocious eyes became a little doubtful and unsettled. The temperature around it was starting to plummet, while its poisonous fog was dispelled in an instant. This made the soul beast, which had a certain level of intelligence, a little afraid.

Describing the process was slow, but everything happened in a single instant. Huo Yuhao and w.a.n.g Dong"er darted forward the moment the Snow Lady fired the beam, and the two of them surged into the sky. The golden light in Huo Yuhao"s eyes flickered once more as his fourth soul ring sparkled, and a pale golden whirlpool instantly appeared above the Spirit Ape"s head.

This ten-thousand year soul beast"s spiritual cultivation wasn"t weak, but it was far inferior to Huo Yuhao. Spiritual Confusion immediately took effect on the Spirit Ape, and the dazed and confused soul beast immediately used the same attack.

Huo Yuhao was holding onto w.a.n.g Dong"er with his right hand, but he released her hand as they raced forward. w.a.n.g Dong"er telepathically understood his intentions as she grabbed his arm and s.h.i.+fted behind his back before she grabbed his shoulders. The Radiant b.u.t.terfly G.o.ddess" wings extended outward, and the brilliant Light of the b.u.t.terfly G.o.ddess burst toward the Jade Ocean Spirit Ape.

This was only w.a.n.g Dong"er"s second soul skill, but it was both completely charged with the power of light and amplified by her Golden Light Left Arm Bone at the same time.

The Spirit Ape was still struck by Huo Yuhao"s Spiritual Confusion, so it couldn"t even evade those golden spheres. It was battered until it began to chitter, and streak after streak of fire ignited on the ground. All the venomous particles that had drifted to the ground before were cleansed by the light.

However, the Jade Ocean Spirit Ape had to be relatively formidable for it to reign supreme in its territory inside the Hybrid Region. Its green fur radiated with pale colors as most of the attacks that hammered into its body were dispelled. It was continually forced backward from the onslaught, but it hadn"t really been wounded yet.

"Eeeee…" the Spirit Ape howled furiously as the green light on its body immediately became stronger. Huo Yuhao and w.a.n.g Dong"er were ten meters away from it at this point, and w.a.n.g Dong"ers wings spread apart and beat heavily as she lifted Huo Yuhao back into the sky.

The dense vegetation on the ground began to radiate with powerful green light, with the Spirit Ape at the center. Green light waves that resembled sharp swords moved outward and shot more than five meters high. They covered almost thirty meters in diameter around the Ape.

w.a.n.g Qiu"er was originally following behind Huo Yuhao and w.a.n.g Dong"er. She paused in her tracks when the ape suddenly exploded with light, then took a small step forward with her left leg to plant herself stably before punching out with her right fist.

Her right fist became completely golden when she punched forward, and a deep dragon roar could be heard that caused all the trees around her to tremble.

The green waves that were pus.h.i.+ng forward split open in two as they hit the golden l.u.s.ter, and not a single one struck w.a.n.g Qiu"er.

Right when she punched out, the Jade Ocean Spirit Ape in the distance suddenly quivered vigorously. It had finally recovered from Huo Yuhao"s Spiritual Confusion, and it turned to flee without hesitation.

Chapter 228.2: Jade Ocean Spirit Ape

The dense vegetation that had previously burst with surging green light all wilted, as if their vitality had been sucked away.

Right when the Jade Ocean Spirit Ape was turning to run, a golden patch of light suddenly glowed on the ground in front of it. The golden radiance wasn"t that brilliant, but it was filled with the gentle power of light. There was another golden hexagram on the ground, but it wasn"t very conspicuous, as it was covered by all the vegetation. However, it was quite large, with a diameter of around three meters, so it extended horizontally across quite a large area.

The Spirit Ape was escaping in a panic. Even though it saw the golden hexagram, it didn"t feel any threat from it, so it leapt forward in an attempt to jump right over it.

However, just as it was in midair, the hexagram was triggered. A similar golden pillar surged into the sky and completely enveloped the Jade Ocean Spirit Ape.

The Spirit Ape was propelled at least three meters into the air by this pillar of light. The intense golden light fixed it in place in the air and completely immobilized it, while scorching golden flames incinerated its body. The ape howled painfully and desperately as it struggled as hard as it could, and layer after layer of green soul power undulations flowed from its body.

w.a.n.g Dong"er"s black fourth soul ring was glowing; this was her fourth soul skill, Hexagram Array.

The Hexagram Array was remarkably powerful. Anything that it struck would immediately be trapped by the power of light contained within, and would have to withstand intense searing fire from the pillar of light. The only way to resist the fire was to continually release soul power, as one couldn"t use any soul skills at all once struck by the Hexagram Array; all one could do was release soul power to fight against it. This would naturally consume a lot of soul power, and the duration was closely related to the target"s cultivation. However, if the target"s cultivation was within two ranks, the shortest duration of the trap would still be at least three seconds.

This was a powerful offensive soul skill and a formidable controlling soul skill at the same time. It trapped and hurt the opponent, and it greatly consumed the opponent"s soul power! Truly a forceful and well-rounded soul skill.

Of course, this soul skill naturally had its weaknesses amidst all of its strengths. There could only be one active Hexagram Array at any one point in time, and the array had a one second delay to take effect after it had been unleashed. The target also had to cross over it for it to take effect. The limitations rendered this powerful soul skill not so excessively terrifying.

The Jade Ocean Spirit Ape obviously didn"t know that the seemingly unthreatening Hexagram Array would be this potent, or that it would have to fight for dear life inside w.a.n.g Dong"s fourth soul skill.

Huo Yuhao and w.a.n.g Dong"er had already descended again from the sky, and he had already swapped positions with w.a.n.g Dong"er in midair.

w.a.n.g Dong"er"s bluish-golden wings became completely golden, and plunged from the sky like two giant scythes. Her wings crossed one another continuously as they slashed the immobilized Spirit Ape, and it was hurled into the sky once more as it howled in excruciating pain.

The original Hexagram Array instantly vanished, and another Hexagram Array glowed in the spot where the Spirit Ape would land after it was hurtled away.

The one second that the Hexagram Array required had already pa.s.sed when the Spirit Ape crashed heavily to the ground. It was thrown into the air once more, and torched by the fire of light yet again.

w.a.n.g Dong"er had rarely launched attacks ever since she reunited with Huo Yuhao, but that didn"t mean she wasn"t powerful enough. It simply meant she gave Huo Yuhao more chances to perform. She was willing to be the woman behind his limelight, while the reason why she took the initiative this time was to put on a display for a certain someone.

The two Hexagram Arrays that came one after another, in addition to the mighty slas.h.i.+ng wing-blades boosted by her Golden Light Left Arm Bone, severely wounded the Jade Ocean Spirit Ape. The green light that the ape released while it was being scorched within the Hexagram Array was a lot dimmer than before, and two huge gashes crossed both of its shoulders.

w.a.n.g Dong"er exclaimed as she extended her wings, and she bounced off Huo Yuhao"s palms, which were stretched out to give her a boost. She flew about six or seven meters into the sky, and searing bluish-golden flames lit up on her. In the next moment, her fifth soul ring began to glow and she phased into an elegant and graceful bluish-golden b.u.t.terfly for a single instant. The area for several hundred meters all around her was painted with bluish-gold hues when she unleashed her attack, as if there were countless bluish-gold b.u.t.terflies flickering in the sky. w.a.n.g Dong"er had already finished her soul skill even as everyone saw a blinding flash.

This was clearly a shock-type offensive soul skill, but w.a.n.g Dong"er was simply too fast. The bluish-gold light only seemed to flash once, and she was behind the Spirit Ape in the next moment.

The Hexagram Array"s light was instantly withdrawn as the Jade Ocean Spirit Ape plummeted from the sky. It was still trembling vigorously, and everyone could clearly see that it had multiple bluish-golden light patterns plastered all over its body… or, one could describe them as wounds.

"Quickly, Mo Xuan!" Zhang Lexuan shouted.

Mo Xuan wouldn"t let an opportunity like this slip away. He darted out with a flash, and arrived before the Jade Ocean Spirit Ape as Zhang Lexuan followed behind him and gave it a final blow.

The Spirit Ape"s life force was reaching its end, and it felt as if the power of light was forcibly maintaining its last breath.

b.u.t.terfly G.o.ddess" Meteor, w.a.n.g Dong"er"s fearsome fifth soul skill. Its offensive power was so strong that even Cai Mei"er, who was watching the battle from the side, reacted in shock. The air was filled with the smell of suns.h.i.+ne that was created after everything was incinerated by the fiery light.

A black soul ring rose from the Jade Ocean Spirit Ape"s body, and Mo Xuan immediately sat down cross-legged beside it without hesitation. He began to absorb the soul ring with the guidance of his soul power.

Everyone naturally surrounded him for protection.

Zhang Lexuan turned to look at Huo Yuhao and w.a.n.g Dong"er, and then at w.a.n.g Qiu"er, who had done nothing at all except punching out with that one fist. She frowned delicately and said, "I"ll have to criticize you first, Yuhao. You"re the main control-type soul master… how did you lead your companions? Why didn"t w.a.n.g Qiu"er truly partic.i.p.ate in the battle from beginning to end? While it"s true that you and w.a.n.g Dong"er were enough to defeat this Jade Ocean Spirit Ape, wouldn"t Qiu"er"s partic.i.p.ation have made it a lot easier, and you would have expended a lot less soul power?"

w.a.n.g Dong"er didn"t even wait for Huo Yuhao to respond. She exclaimed unhappily, "We don"t know what she can do, and neither do we know what soul skills she possesses or how powerful she is. What if she drags us down when we delegate something to her and ask her to cooperate? Furthermore, we are also concerned about her safety!"

Zhang Lexuan"s expression grew dark. "Do you know what being on a team means, w.a.n.g Dong"er? If everyone on the team shares your opinion, then the team will crumble sooner or later. You"re also from the inner courtyard, and you"re Elder Mu"s disciple, don"t you understand simple reason? Our fight has only just begun, and what we need right now is mutual cooperation and understanding. I don"t care about what problems you have with w.a.n.g Qiu"er, but you can"t act on them on this expedition, as everyone"s safety is concerned! From now on, you will temporarily stop your coordination with Huo Yuhao. You will stand guard at the back."

Light flashed across w.a.n.g Dong"er"s eyes, and she wanted to continue arguing, but Huo Yuhao held her back. Huo Yuhao muttered softly, "Eldest senior sister is right. We are a team, and we are one body. It"s my fault, eldest senior sister."

w.a.n.g Dong"er also calmed down at this moment. She knew that Zhang Lexuan was right, but she said nothing more even though she still felt a little aggrieved and unconvinced.

Zhang Lexuan"s eyes turned towards w.a.n.g Qiu"er, and her voice was clearly harsher. "What about you, w.a.n.g Qiu"er? What did you do? Why didn"t you take the initiative to cooperate? It"s understandable why you fell behind in the beginning, but you could have caught up when w.a.n.g Dong"er released the first Hexagram Array. Why did you stop? The three of you are working together, do you even have a single inkling of cooperation? You were cowering at the back as you watched your comrades fight. Are you even worthy of becoming part of Shrek Academy"s inner courtyard?"

w.a.n.g Qiu"er shot her a glare and said coldly, "You are not qualified to decide whether I"m part of the inner courtyard or not. Why do I have to fight if the two of them are enough? It would even have been enough if I had been by myself. Furthermore, I have never cowered in the face of an adversary. If you don"t believe that, we can switch positions, and I"ll take point."

Eldest senior sister"s awe-inspiring aura had been challenged, and the other inner courtyard students were stunned as they looked on, slack-jawed. They had never ever seen anyone talk back to Zhang Lexuan like that.

Zhang Lexuan smiled plainly and said, "I"m sorry, but I am actually qualified to decide whether you"re part of Shrek Academy"s inner courtyard. I"m part of Shrek Academy"s Sea G.o.d"s Pavilion, and I have the right to ask to the academy to expel any member from the inner courtyard. What you have done violates school rules, so n.o.body will protect you. If you are unconvinced about my ability, you can challenge me after the expedition. But I am the team leader for now, and I will give you one last chance. Answer me: are you willing to follow my orders and cooperate with the team?"

w.a.n.g Qiu"er"s eyes turned cold as she listened to Zhang Lexuan, as if she were about to explode. Everyone else was looking at her. n.o.body expected that w.a.n.g Qiu"er, who was still new, would dare to antagonize their eldest senior sister, who was the team leader. This was the Great Star Dou Forest"s inner region, and Zhang Lexuan"s actions were indisputable. She had to ensure that the team had only one voice, and that everyone would listen to her commands and her delegations. That was the only way for her to ensure everyone"s safety.

The light in w.a.n.g Qiu"er"s eyes receded, and she answered plainly, "Alright, as you wish. I will listen to your orders."

Chapter 228.3: Jade Ocean Spirit Ape

Zhang Lexuan didn"t look proud at all, and she muttered solemnly, "You"ve made the right choice. The reason is because this doesn"t just concern your own safety. The entire team"s safety is at stake. I hope you won"t do anything foolish in our subsequent ventures. From now on, you will be cooperating with Huo Yuhao."

She returned to the formation after speaking these words, and the initial tension and instability was instantly resolved by her timely handling of the situation. She had temporarily severed Huo Yuhao and w.a.n.g Dong"er"s partners.h.i.+p and paired Huo Yuhao with w.a.n.g Qiu"er. This move had a deeper meaning, and she wanted to break the ice and the barriers between the two of them through battle and helping each other out. They had just entered the Hybrid Region, and were still far from actual danger. It was better to resolve these issues right now than when the real problems came around, and she targeted both parties at the same time so n.o.body would feel aggrieved or wronged.

w.a.n.g Dong"er took a few steps back reluctantly. She followed behind Huo Yuhao, but was still quite near. w.a.n.g Qiu"er was perhaps deliberately trying to upset her as she walked up to w.a.n.g Dong"er"s original spot. She was standing extremely close to Huo Yuhao, except she wasn"t holding hands with him.

w.a.n.g Dong"er nudged Huo Yuhao from behind, and Huo Yuhao hurriedly waved his hands behind her and clasped her hands once to tell her to relax and not to worry.

w.a.n.g Dong"er was still a little reluctant, but she had to get used to it, as she couldn"t just ignore Zhang Lexuan"s orders.

w.a.n.g Qiu"er was still quiet like she had always been. She was just standing there and staring into the distance, and her large blue eyes looked a little empty. n.o.body knew what she was thinking about.

Huo Yuhao was also contemplating something… he was thinking about w.a.n.g Qiu"er"s punch from before.

He had been engaged in battle, but he was still observing and monitoring the entire battlefield through his Spiritual Detection. w.a.n.g Qiu"er"s punch had looked as simple as a punch could be, but the power that had erupted in that moment had astonished Huo Yuhao.

There was a hint of unrivaled power and prestige within that punch. It was accompanied by that deep dragon"s roar, which had momentarily dazed Huo Yuhao while he was monitoring the battlefield.

Furthermore, w.a.n.g Qiu"er"s punch was only intended to protect herself, and she didn"t attack the Jade Ocean Spirit Ape directly. The truth was that her punch had quite an effect, as Huo Yuhao could clearly feel the intense fear that rose from the ape, and the ape fled into the trap that he and w.a.n.g Dong"er had set up immediately afterwards.

Pure strength could actually reach a level such as this. Furthermore, w.a.n.g Qiu"er"s spiritual power had to be quite formidable as well. At least, her ability to fuse spiritual power and soul power was definitely equal to his own, if not better.

This was the judgment that Huo Yuhao had made about her in this short period of time. However, w.a.n.g Qiu"er only made that one attack, and he didn"t have enough information to make even more deductions. He was becoming increasingly interested in this Golden Dragon martial soul.

This Jade Ocean Spirit Ape was only around fifteen thousand years old, so Mo Xuan didn"t have too much difficulty absorbing it. An hour pa.s.sed before he finally finished absorbing his sixth soul ring, and he leapt to his feet happily.

"Thank you." Mo Xuan walked to Huo Yuhao, w.a.n.g Dong"er, and w.a.n.g Qiu"er and thanked them with a grateful look.

w.a.n.g Dong"er and w.a.n.g Qiu"er remained silent as Huo Yuhao replied, "You"re welcome. We"re a team anyway, it"s good that it was suitable for you."

Mo Xuan glanced at him and then at the masked beauties beside him. His face suddenly had an added drop of amus.e.m.e.nt as he said, "Good luck, brother."

Huo Yuhao could obviously see the teasing and mocking expression in his eyes, and he suddenly felt a little embarra.s.sed.

At this point, Zhang Lexuan called everyone up to keep moving.

Everyone became more vigilant after their encounter with the Jade Ocean Spirit Ape. However, they didn"t feel much pressure with Huo Yuhao"s Spiritual Detection.

They fought back or chased away several unsuitable soul beasts as they moved forward, and ventured deeper and deeper into the Hybrid Region.

Huo Yuhao could tell from the distance they had traveled that the area they were in had surpa.s.sed his previous expeditions into the Great Star Dou Forest. He felt both nervous and excited at the same time, as every soul master wanted to see the Great Star Dou Forest"s mysterious Slaughter Grounds!

Moving inward from the Hybrid Region would take them into the Core Region, and the Slaughter Grounds were at the center of the Core Region. They were travelling closer and closer to that area.

The forest"s Peripheral Region and Hybrid Regions had the largest surface area of the four main regions. The Core Region was comparatively smaller, but the soul beasts residing within the Core Region naturally had incredibly frightening abilities. How could any soul beast enter and live within the Core Region without some ability?

The Great Star Dou Forest"s layout, where the inner regions were more dangerous while the weaker soul beasts resided in the outer regions, was logical. Huo Yuhao could feel the life energy in the air becoming increasingly dense as they moved further in, something beneficial for any living being. He could only imagine that the Slaughter Grounds at the Core Region"s center was probably a paradise, and it was probably the best place for soul beasts to cultivate.

The sky had gone dark by now, and it was night time. Roars and howls could be heard from time to time, along with a cacophony of bird calls and insect chirps in the area all around them.

Zhang Lexuan paused and took a look at the sky through the canopy. She lowered her voice and said, "We should be inside the Core Region"s central areas. It"s not good to move during the night, so we shall rest here today. Huo Yuhao, can you expand your detection area so that we can find a suitable place to make camp?"

"Alright." Huo Yuhao raised his spiritual power and swiftly expanded his Spiritual Detection. The radius reached a thousand meters in an instant, but he stopped at this distance, as expanding it further would require his Eye of Destiny.

Zhang Lexuan pointed in one direction after a moment, and led everyone there.

It was a place that was relatively higher than the area around it, with dense vegetation and tall trees surrounding it.

Li Yongyue released his martial soul. A moonblade shaped like a beautiful crescent and flickering with a chilly light appeared, and it swept around as it unleashed several blade rays that cleared away all the undergrowth around this area.

Just like Zhang Lexuan had said during their picnic before this, they would have to take shelter in the open air as they travelled into the Great Star Dou Forest"s inner regions. This place would be their camp tonight. Sleeping in tents was an impossibility, as they had to be ready for any changes or unforeseen circ.u.mstances.

Zhang Lexuan glanced around and surveyed her surroundings via Huo Yuhao"s Spiritual Detection before she lowered her voice and said, "There are many soul beasts in the area. However, I could sense during our journey here that there are hardly any powerful soul beasts that have claimed this area as part of their territory. Thanks to Huo Yuhao"s Spiritual Detection, our progress today has been swift, and we have reached such a deep position after just eight hours. We will encounter a lot more trouble from tomorrow onwards, and our forward movement will be much slower. We will have sentries tonight, and everyone will rotate s.h.i.+fts. Those who are resting will meditate where they are. I"ll take first watch, and Ruoruo will go next. Everyone will keep watch for two hours. Huo Yuhao and w.a.n.g Qiu"er will take the third s.h.i.+ft. w.a.n.g Dong"er, Li Yongyue, and Mo Xuan are not suitable for keeping watch, so the three of you will relax and rest."

Even though w.a.n.g Dong"er didn"t feel comfortable about not keeping watch with Huo Yuhao throughout the night, she didn"t raise any objections. Her abilities were not suitable for keeping a stealthy watch during the night. The Radiant b.u.t.terfly G.o.ddess was too brilliant, too obvious, and she would easily attract soul beasts in the area. She would probably bring great trouble to everyone if she attracted a lot of soul beasts to where their camp was located.

w.a.n.g Qiu"er glanced at Huo Yuhao, and realized that Huo Yuhao was also staring at her as their gazes met. w.a.n.g Qiu"er snapped her head away, and Huo Yuhao was slightly taken aback as he realized that w.a.n.g Qiu"er"s eyes were a little different from before… they seemed a little more amiable than they were during the day.

They absolutely couldn"t start a fire inside the Great Star Dou Forest. Soul beasts weren"t like typical wild beasts; many of them were instead attracted to flames and fire. As such, enjoying a meal as they travelled was the closest to normal they could get.

Everybody was feeling fortunate about having had a nice meal at lunchtime. Even though they were quite exhausted from their journey, everyone at least had sufficient psychological comfort and satisfaction.

They munched on some simple dry rations and drank a few mouthfuls from their water bottles before everyone sat down in their respective spots and began to cultivate.

Huo Yuhao and w.a.n.g Dong"er were different from the rest. They sat facing each other with their palms raised and in contact as they began to circulate their Haodong power.

They were deliberately suppressing it, but their bodies were still s.h.i.+ning with pale light. This couldn"t be helped, as soul power circulation during cultivation would always release light to a certain extent.

Zhang Lexuan was still standing there as she gazed into the horizon. She no longer had Huo Yuhao"s Spiritual Detection to support her, so she could only rely on her own abilities to stand guard for now.

w.a.n.g Qiu"er sat in a spot not far from Huo Yuhao and w.a.n.g Dong"er, and her alluring eyes showed thoughtfulness as she watched them with their palms together.

Everyone was part of the inner courtyard, and they were all extremely qualified and outstanding. They quickly entered meditation even though they were in a perilous area, and not a single one of them couldn"t adapt.

They swiftly recovered their soul power, and their fatigue was also eased in the process. They would probably need about two hours to return to their peak condition, but they took a longer time to rest to recover from physical fatigue and mental exhaustion, so that everyone would be in an even better state.

Two hours quickly pa.s.sed. Han Ruoruo rose when the time was up and took over Zhang Lexuan"s s.h.i.+ft.

Zhang Lexuan"s arrangements left no room for dispute, and everyone had no choice but to obey. The whole night would be about ten hours long: she took the first two hours, Han Ruoruo took the next two, while Huo Yuhao and w.a.n.g Qiu"er would stand guard for the next two hours. The last four hours would definitely still fall to her and Han Ruoruo, which was equivalent to the two team leaders bearing most of the responsibility to stand guard for the night.

The forest appeared tranquil and undisturbed. It was as if they were blessed by the heavens, and four hours pa.s.sed without encountering any soul beasts pa.s.sing by.

Huo Yuhao woke up when his time came. He withdrew his hands that were still pressed against w.a.n.g Dong"er"s hands, and w.a.n.g Dong"er opened her eyes at the same time, before sticking out her tongue. She glanced at w.a.n.g Qiu"er not far from their position as she gestured at Huo Yuhao to be careful.

Huo Yuhao gave her a thumbs-up to show that he had no problems, and then he stood up and walked over to w.a.n.g Qiu"er.