"Impossible!"
As the fourth member of their team was knocked unconscious by a single punch from Qi Lin, the remaining opponents—currently locked in battle with Xiao Wu—cried out in shock. Their attention wavered, and their battle rhythm faltered.
"You're distracted in a fight against me?"
Xiao Wu smirked coldly. Seizing the opportunity, she turned her attention to the burly, Broadsword weapon Soul Elder.
Second Soul Skill—Charm!
First Soul Skill—Waist Bow!
Both skills were unleashed in rapid succession, boosted by a 20% amplification from Qi Lin's support ability.
The Broadsword Soul Elder had no chance to resist. His pupils immediately flooded with pink light as he once again fell into Xiao Wu's charm-induced trance.
Bam!
Xiao Wu's kick landed solidly on his jaw, sending him flying several meters into the air.
Without missing a beat, Xiao Wu launched upward with explosive power from her Waist Bow, gripping his ankle midair.
"Eight-Stage Drop!"
Spinning like a whirlwind, her body blurred. In an instant, she slammed her opponent violently into the ground.
Boom—!
A thunderous crash echoed as stone fragments flew in every direction. A web-like crater formed where the enemy's body struck the ground.
"Cough... hack...!"
Blood mixed with bits of internal tissue spewed from the Broadsword Soul Elder's mouth. His chest heaved weakly, barely conscious.
"Boss!"
The remaining three adversaries paled, their eyes full of panic and dread. Their leader was a rank 33 Soul Elder—yet he had been defeated in an instant by a seemingly delicate girl.
What chance did they have?
"Run! These two kids aren't normal Soul Masters—we're no match!"
Someone finally screamed. The other two didn't hesitate. Their survival instincts took over.
No one cared about their fallen comrades anymore. They scattered in different directions, desperately trying to escape.
Xiao Wu narrowed her eyes and let out a cold snort.
"Now you want to run? Think you can get away?"
She reached toward her storage ring—a gift from Qi Lin—and in a flash of light, a sleek silver firearm materialized in her hand: a Desert Eagle, designed and forged by Qi Lin using his third Soul Skill a year ago.
Its destructive power was terrifying—any Soul Master below rank 60 hit in the head would die instantly.
With a devilish smile, Xiao Wu raised the gun and took aim at one fleeing figure.
"Brother Lin always says—'How can you become a grandmaster if you don't use a gun?'"
Bang!
The sharp crack of gunfire echoed through the woods. One of the fleeing men collapsed instantly, blood pooling beneath him.
The other two heard the gunshot and instinctively looked back—only to see their companion lifeless on the ground.
Before they could react further—
Bang! Bang!
Two more shots. Two more bodies hit the ground.
Xiao Wu exhaled softly, blowing the imaginary smoke from the gun's barrel before placing it back into her storage ring. She skipped over to Qi Lin.
"Brother Lin, wasn't my aim perfect?"
Qi Lin nodded approvingly. He drew out another Desert Eagle of his own, calmly walking over to the wounded wide-blade Soul Master and the pudgy fourth member, finishing them off with precise shots.
Neither Qi Lin nor Xiao Wu felt the slightest guilt.
Humans like these—violent, heartless, and known criminals—would only continue to harm others if left alive. Today, they simply met the wrong target.
They gathered what little spoils there were, then returned to the inn.
As expected, these five thugs were dirt poor. Not a single one carried a storage-type Soul Tool, and together they barely had a hundred Gold Soul Coins.
Still, to the penny-pinching Xiao Wu, even that was a windfall worth celebrating.
The next day, their bodies were discovered. Rather than mourning, the townsfolk clapped and cheered. These five were infamous troublemakers, and their deaths were seen as justice served.
After a few days of rest and sightseeing, Qi Lin and Xiao Wu departed the small town, heading toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Before long, the towering trees and thick canopy of the ancient forest came into view, sunlight barely filtering through its dense leaves.
The air was filled with the crisp scent of flora, a natural serenity that was both soothing and refreshing.
Xiao Wu skipped ahead, her face full of delight.
Being back in the Star Dou Great Forest... felt just like coming home.
Well, it was her home, after all.
"Brother Lin, let's go!"
"Alright. Let's head in."
Side by side, they walked into the forest, completely relaxed, without a hint of fear.
But deep within the core of the Star Dou Great Forest—at the Lake of Life—a colossal figure stirred.
Its body was like a mountain, muscles thick as stone, and a deep rumble came from its chest.
"I sense Sister Xiao Wu's aura!"
"She's back!"
Excited, the creature thumped its granite-like chest in joy.
It was none other than Xiao Wu's younger brother, the hundred-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape—Er Ming.
"I'm going to welcome her back!"
He stood up with a roar, shaking the ground with every step he took.
"Er Ming, wait."
A calm but firm voice echoed from beneath the lake. A massive serpentine figure with a bull's head emerged—it was the other Forest King, the hundred-thousand-year Sky Azure Bull Python—Da Ming.
"Don't be reckless. Xiao Wu only left not long ago. She's probably with her human companion, looking for a soul ring. If you rush in now, you might blow her cover."
Er Ming growled, but hesitated.
"I don't care! I want to see Sister Xiao Wu!"
With a thunderous roar, he charged into the forest.
Every step he took made the earth tremble. The nearby soul beasts scattered in fear at the presence of their king.
At the same time, Qi Lin and Xiao Wu continued wandering the forest, aimlessly but joyfully.
They hadn't encountered any particularly dangerous soul beasts yet—only gentle species like the Tricolored Deer, Emerald-Tailed Spirit Kite, and even a rare Unicorn.
Oddly enough, when Qi Lin approached them, the beasts didn't resist. Instead, they leaned into his hand affectionately, nuzzling him like playful pets.
Even Xiao Wu was stunned.
She realized Qi Lin had a rare natural affinity for gentle soul beasts—as if they instinctively trusted him.
Of course, their luck didn't hold forever.
Later that day, they encountered a true threat.
In front of them stood a massive spider, its central body over 1.5 meters wide, and its eight spear-like legs each more than three meters long.
Both Qi Lin and Xiao Wu instantly recognized it.
The Man-Faced Demon Spider!