Chapter 315
Avoid getting into any unnecessary trouble.
The group carefully turned around, trying not to make a loud noise, and slowly bypassed the clearing where the rodents roamed.
The oppressive silence was only broken when they were completely away from the group of weasels and ventured deeper into the darker forest.
"Lord Lin!"
Oscar finally couldn't hold back any longer and whispered the question that everyone was wondering about, his round face full of confusion.
"Those were just ten-year-old soul beasts. Why didn't we just wipe them out? Boss Dai could have easily taken one swipe with his claw, saving us the trouble of going out of our way..."
Ma Hongjun also came over, his small eyes flashing with confusion.
"Yes, Lord Lin, those little things aren't much of a threat, but they're still quite an eyesore. What if they get reckless and charge at us?"
He rubbed his chubby hands together, seemingly still savoring the regret of not being able to make a move earlier.
Flander pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses deep and unfathomable, and he remained silent.
Although Dai Mubai did not turn around, his movements as he chopped at the thorns noticeably slowed for a moment, and his perked-up ears indicated that he was also listening.
Lin Xia did not pause in her steps, as if she had just done something insignificant.
The corners of his mouth seemed to twitch slightly upwards, forming an elusive curve, like a smile, yet carrying a hint of indescribable... pity?
"nothing."
His voice remained calm, yet it clearly pierced through the dampness of the forest.
"It's just that seeing them munching on things makes me... a little heartbroken."
This reason is too flimsy, even absurd.
Can't bear it?
In the dog-eat-dog world of Soul Masters, in the perilous Star Dou Great Forest, how can one bear to harm a group of low-level Soul Beasts?
Before the astonishment and confusion on everyone's faces could fully unfold, Lin Xia's next words, like an icy stream, instantly extinguished all thoughts of disdain.
"Besides, they pose no threat to us, so why kill them?"
Lin Xia paused, her gaze seemingly piercing through layers of giant trees, plunging into the unknowable darkness deeper within the forest.
"Imagine if all the Soul Masters entering the forest were driven by the desire to get their hands on anything that was an eyesore or easy to take advantage of, and they killed every low-level Soul Beast they encountered without exception..."
Lin Xia's voice remained flat, yet it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.
"Ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years... and so on, the slaughter continues without restraint."
"Do you think that in a few decades or centuries, how many soul beasts will be left in this Star Dou Great Forest, which is regarded by countless people as a source of power?"
"Where can the cubs of those powerful ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts grow up?"
The silence of the forest seemed to be magnified countless times at this moment, leaving only the heavy breathing of the crowd and Lin Xia's calm yet resounding words.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.
Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes flickered slightly, as if deep in thought.
Xiao Wu's mouth dropped open, her eyes filled with disbelief. These were words Lin Xia could utter!
"not to mention!"
Lin Xia changed the subject, her tone taking on a cold, realistic edge.
"In a place like the Star Dou Great Forest, the first rule of survival is not to do anything unnecessary or cause any trouble."
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over Dai Mubai's tense back and then over Flander's sunken eye sockets.
“No matter how weak a low-level soul beast is, once it is killed, the strong smell of blood will spread like a lighthouse in the dark.” “The faint gnawing sound may not attract much attention, but the screams of the dying, the sound of bones breaking, the smell of blood splattering… these are nothing less than an invitation to the most sumptuous feast for the top predators in the depths of the forest whose sense of smell and hearing are extremely keen.”
Lin Xia's voice lowered.
"Are you trying to attract a hungry ten-thousand-year-old soul beast, or... something even more terrifying, just because you're itching to do something at this crucial moment when you're searching for a thousand-year-old soul beast for Oscar?"
"hiss……"
A clear gasp of cold air came from Ma Hongjun and Oscar.
Dai Mubai's movements as he chopped at the thorns froze completely, and a layer of cold sweat instantly seeped out from his back.
In that instant, he only wanted to vent his frustration at being blocked and his domineering nature as the Evil-Eyed White Tiger. He never thought that this casual strike might bring about a chain of disasters!
Tang San's pupils suddenly contracted, and his Purple Demon Eyes subconsciously activated again, scanning the darker corners around him warily, as if greedy beastly eyes might light up in the darkness at any moment.
Flander's expression also became extremely solemn. As an experienced Soul Saint, he naturally understood that what Lin Xia said was true. His momentary hesitation just now almost led him to tacitly approve an action that could bring about annihilation.
Lin Xia said no more, as if her words, which contained ecological foresight and cold-blooded survival wisdom, were just casual conversation.
The team continued forward in an even more oppressive silence.
Dai Mubai's tiger claws were still sharp, but his movements as he chopped at the vines were noticeably less frenzied than before, and more cautious and restrained.
With each swing, he deliberately avoided the roots of the bushes where small soul beasts might be hiding.
Tang San activated his Purple Demon Eye to its limit, his mental energy spreading like an invisible spider web, meticulously covering every inch of suspicious shadows around the team.
The only sounds in the air were the hissing of sharp blades cutting through thorns and the extremely faint rustling of people stepping on the thick layer of decaying leaves.
After walking for a while, Flander spoke directly:
"Let's all take a break!"
Flander's order to rest allowed everyone, who had been on edge, to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Dai Mubai remained silent, his tiger claws flashing, his platinum blade sweeping away the surrounding thorns and vines like a whirlwind, creating a clearing of nearly a hundred square meters.
Everyone found relatively dry tree roots or rocks, sat down against them, and made the most of the time to recover their strength.
The air was filled with the damp smell of humus and a faint fragrance of grass and trees.
Oscar immediately fulfilled his duty as a food-type Soul Master, chanting a Soul Incantation, and one by one, a large restorative sausage and a small detoxifying sausage condensed in his palm.
Although his face was slightly pale from the depletion of his soul power, and beads of sweat clung to his beard, he worked swiftly, distributing the sausages to everyone. At that moment, no one was in the mood to savor the taste of the sausages; they simply chewed mechanically, swallowing them whole with the water they carried with them to replenish their energy as quickly as possible.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing sat not far from Lin Xia, their postures relatively relaxed.
Lin Xia leaned against a huge ancient tree, closing his eyes to rest. The cold silver coin between his fingers turned silently, reflecting the sparse light in the forest, as if all the tension around him was irrelevant.
Flander ordered a one-hour rest. After all, this area was still on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, where powerful spirit beasts were less common, making it relatively safe.
Their goal is to venture deep into the forest to find a suitable thousand-year-old spirit beast for Oscar.
The deeper you go, the greater the danger becomes, and the more precious the opportunities and time for rest become. At this moment, it is crucial to get yourself into peak condition.
Time passed in silence, with only the rustling of the wind through the treetops and the faint chirping of insects in the distance.
The fatigue was gradually dispelled by the short rest, and everyone's breathing became steady.
However, just as about half an hour had passed, at the critical point when everyone's minds were most relaxed—
"Whoosh!" (End of Chapter)