Chapter 314
This Way!
Without the slightest hesitation, Dai Mubai swung his palms, his movements expansive and powerful, displaying the domineering and precise nature of the king of beasts.
The platinum claw-like rays, like tangible blades, traced dazzling paths through the dim forest.
Those tough thorns, as thick as an arm and covered with sharp spikes, and the dark brown vines that coiled like pythons trying to block the way, were silently broken and scattered like butter by these two indestructible tiger claws.
His steps were steady and swift, each step leaving only a very shallow mark on the thick layer of decaying leaves, carving out a narrow passage through the primeval forest, and the team's progress was not slowed down in the slightest.
Milky white sap seeped from the broken ends of the thorns, emitting a slightly astringent herbal scent, which was quickly masked by the stronger aroma from the depths of the forest.
Tang San stayed close behind Dai Mubai, his position perfectly positioned to avoid the falling thorn fragments while keeping Dai Mubai within the observation range of his Purple Demon Eye.
In his eyes, a deep purple light burned silently like two quiet flames.
The field of vision is instantly stretched, magnified, and penetrated, revealing every detail of the dark forest: the veins on the back of the leaves, the tiny beetles crawling in the crevices of the bark, and the water droplets clinging to the distant vines...
He can even "see" the turbulent trajectory of tiny dust particles floating in the air in a weak airflow.
At the same time, his earlobes twitched slightly, pushing his hearing to its limit.
The subtle whistling of the wind as it rustles through leaves of different shapes, the faint babbling of a distant stream, the rustling of insects gnawing at roots... countless fragments of sound flood into the ears, and are rapidly analyzed and filtered by the brain.
He was like an invisible net, weaving his senses to the extreme, vigilant against any abnormal fluctuations that might foreshadow danger.
The Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon belt around his waist felt icy to the touch, and several bone-piercing needles coated with paralyzing liquid had already slipped quietly between his fingers, ready to deal with any unforeseen events.
The team ventured deeper into the area in silence.
The oppressive feeling of the forest grew stronger, with the dense canopy almost completely blocking out the sunlight. Only scattered spots of light fell like broken gold, making the surroundings seem even more mysterious and unfathomable.
The thick layer of humus underfoot felt soft and slippery, exuding a complex aroma of aged wood and fertile soil.
The air humidity was incredibly high, and exposed skin quickly became covered with a fine layer of water droplets.
Suddenly, a purple light flashed in Tang San's eyes, his steps froze instantly, and he raised his right hand sharply, spreading his five fingers—a silent but clear "stop" gesture!
"stop!"
Flander's deep, hoarse command was issued almost simultaneously with Tang San's gesture, like a taut bowstring being suddenly plucked.
The entire team froze in place, instinctively holding their breath.
Dai Mubai's outstretched tiger claw stopped abruptly in mid-air, its tip just a hair's breadth away from a thick vine.
All eyes followed the direction locked by Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes, piercing through the gaps in a low, thick-leaved, glossy shrub.
About twenty meters away, in a relatively dry forest clearing covered with exposed tree roots, a group of about twenty or thirty soul beasts, each about the size of a house cat, were gathered.
Their fur is a glossy dark brown, interspersed with irregular gray and white stripes, which provides excellent camouflage in dim light.
With short but exceptionally agile limbs, and a fluffy tail almost as long as its body, it was currently supporting its body on its hind legs, while its front paws held some kind of nut or tree root, which it was quickly gnawing on.
It is the low-level soul beast known for its ability to bite through metal and break iron—the Roach.
Snap! Snap! Snap! The teeth-grinding, dense, and crisp gnawing sounds were unusually jarring in the silent forest.
Their distinctive incisors, like two miniature chisels constantly opening and closing, gleam with a topaz-like luster, easily leaving deep indentations on hard nutshells or woody roots with each bite. Debris falls in a soft rustling sound.
They seemed completely absorbed in their "feast," oblivious to the arrival of these uninvited guests not far away—or rather, utterly indifferent.
"It's a rodent weasel, a group of ten-year-old soul beasts."
Tang San's voice was extremely low, like a whisper, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"Not very aggressive, but its incisors are extremely sharp and can cut through metal. There are about thirty of them."
Flander frowned slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group of weasels and their surroundings.
To the geniuses of Shrek Academy, ten-year-old soul beasts are like ants, but on the edge of the perilous core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, any unnecessary battle could become the fuse for disaster.
His lips moved slightly, as if he was weighing whether to go around or drive them away directly.
Just then, a figure, like a ghost, flashed from the back of the group to the front without warning.
Lin Xia's movements were faster than visual perception could capture. One moment she was beside Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, and the next she had silently appeared next to Dai Mubai.
Dai Mubai was poised to strike, his evil eyes flashing with ferocity, and the platinum-gold sharpness on his tiger claws was full of power. He was about to unleash his attack, tearing the bushes and any roe deer that might be hiding behind them to shreds!
He believed in the domineering nature of the White Tiger, and that anyone who stood in his way, regardless of strength, could be crushed!
However, a slender, steady hand with a cool, jade-like touch gripped Dai Mubai's right wrist, which was covered in soul power and bulging muscles, like an iron clamp.
The power didn't appear particularly violent, but it carried an absolute and irresistible will, instantly piercing through the boiling soul power in Dai Mubaihu's palm and forcefully extinguishing his ready-to-strike fatal blow!
Dai Mubai shuddered, the golden light in his evil eyes fluctuating violently. A surge of suffocating anger rose in his throat, but under the icy pressure contained in that palm, he couldn't utter a single word. He could only look in astonishment at Lin Xia, who had suddenly appeared beside him.
At the same time, Lin Xia casually waved her other hand gently to the people behind her.
The movement was extremely natural, carrying an unquestionable certainty, clearly conveying the instruction of "quiet, no danger".
His gaze never left the group of weasels; his deep eyes were calm and unwavering, as if he were merely observing a group of harmless forest squirrels.
After doing all this, Lin Xia released Dai Mubai's hand and casually pointed to a direction on the left side of the group—where the vines were relatively sparse and a deeper gap in the forest could be vaguely seen.
"This way."
Lin Xia's voice was not loud, and it was as calm as stating an obvious fact.
Dai Mubai's face turned pale, his chest heaving with resentment, a mixture of murderous intent forcibly interrupted and a sense of humiliation at being looked down upon.
But under Lin Xia's calm, almost indifferent gaze, he ultimately dared not lash out.
The golden light in the evil eyes struggled for a moment, but finally extinguished unwillingly.
He glared fiercely at the group of weasels still obliviously gnawing at the ground, let out a low growl, his ferocity still lingering, turned around and swung his tiger claws, the platinum blade drawing a dazzling arc as it slashed fiercely at the vines and thorns in the direction Lin Xia pointed.
This time, the force of the chopping was clearly vented, sending pieces of wood and broken vines flying everywhere. (End of Chapter)