Chapter 5: Journey to the Star Dou Forest Inner Circle

The surging soul power gradually settled within Chen Xiaoming, who relished the euphoric sensation of his soul power ascension.

When everything subsided, Chen Xiaoming finally regained his senses.

He summoned the attribute panel of his respiratory system.

...

Host: Chen Xiaoming

Age: 27

Soul Beast: Azurewood Tree

Soul Power: 10,000 Years (+) 4180385000/1000000

Items: None

Experience Points: 4180385000

...

His soul power had broken through to the ten-thousand-year soul beast level, consuming ten billion experience points, leaving only four billion remaining.

Glancing at the million experience points required for the next upgrade, Chen Xiaoming breathed a sigh of relief.

Any progress was welcome—otherwise, reaching the next level would take an eternity.

"Right, it's time to go."

The joy of his breakthrough had made him momentarily forget his most pressing goal.

Feeling his own root system, Chen Xiaoming willed his thick roots embedded deep in the earth to surge toward the surface.

Boom, boom, boom, boom...

One root after another burst from the ground, causing the thirty-meter radius around him to sink as the earth trembled.

"Finally, I can move again."

Taking a deep breath, Chen Xiaoming withdrew his roots from the soil, letting them rest on the surface like legs.

A gentle breeze swayed his branches. After two years of confinement, he was finally free. His heart was a tumult of emotions.

The soul beasts that had accompanied him for two years stared at him in bewilderment, their bodies instinctively pressed low to the ground.

A ten-thousand-year soul beast!

The aura radiating from Chen Xiaoming filled them with fear—they dared not even meet his gaze.

"Everyone, I'm leaving... Eh? Why are you all bowing?"

His branches swayed as he prepared to bid farewell, only to find that whether it was the Bamboo Couple or the Leopard Soul Beast, all were prostrated on the ground, trembling as they looked up at him in terror.

Chen Xiaoming blinked in confusion before retracting his oppressive aura.

Having just broken through, he hadn't noticed the pressure he was exuding.

Yet even with his aura withdrawn, the Bamboo Couple and the Leopard remained motionless, their fear deeply ingrained.

The joy of his breakthrough was dimmed.

For two years, these soul beasts had been his only companions. He had planned to bring them with him into the Star Dou Forest inner circle to survive.

But seeing them like this, he dismissed the thought.

The world of soul beasts was simple—the strong reign supreme.

The inner circle was home to thousand-year and ten-thousand-year soul beasts. Bringing hundred-year soul beasts along would only spell disaster for them.

"I'm leaving now. Thank you for your two years of companionship."

His branches swayed gently, sending out unique waves of farewell. The Bamboo Couple trembled but remained prostrated, unable to lift themselves.

Chen Xiaoming sighed deeply, his roots moving swiftly as he advanced toward the Star Dou Forest inner circle.

Loneliness. Solitude. Only he could understand the weight in his heart.

...

Star Dou Forest Outer Perimeter.

"Everyone, be careful. We're nearing the inner circle of the Star Dou Forest. At any moment, we could encounter ten-thousand-year soul beasts. Stay vigilant."

A party of five—four men and one woman—moved cautiously. The leader, a seasoned Soul Master in his sixties, spoke in a firm, low voice.

Behind him, two Soul Masters in their fifties flanked him on either side, guarding the group's perimeter.

At the center were a man and a woman in their thirties, following closely with wary expressions.

Only those with significant strength dared to approach the Star Dou Forest's inner circle.

The leader was a Rank 71 Soul Saint with the Shattered Star Blade Martial Soul, a formidable force.

The two guards were Rank 63 Soul Emperor with the Pine Bamboo Staff Martial Soul and Rank 61 Soul Emperor with the Azure Wolf Martial Soul.

The young man in the middle was a Rank 50 Soul Ancestor, seeking his next soul ring, while the woman was a Rank 52 Soul King with the Heavenly Fragrance Cauldron, a crucial support-type Martial Soul and the core of their group.

"We'll search the outskirts first. If we don't find anything suitable, we'll enter the inner circle."

With such a powerful lineup, they could barely escape from a fifty-thousand-year soul beast.

Even so, the Soul Saint was reluctant to enter the inner circle.

"Teacher, is the inner circle really that terrifying?"

The young Soul Ancestor, venturing this close to the inner circle for the first time, couldn't hide his curiosity.

The Soul Saint's expression darkened, recalling a painful memory.

"Never enter the Star Dou Forest inner circle lightly. That is a warning written in blood."

He paused, then began in a hushed tone.

"Twenty years ago, when I was a Soul Emperor, I entered once. Leading the group was a Rank 87 Soul Douluo, seeking a sixth soul ring for his grandson."

"With that level of power, he could handle most of the forest's soul beasts alone."

"But his grandson coveted a powerful soul beast—a Forty-Thousand-Year Azure Wolf King."

The listeners froze, the young Soul Ancestor's eyes filled with doubt.

"Teacher, wouldn't that be easy for a Soul Douluo?"

The Soul Saint nodded grimly.

"A single beast, yes. But the Azure Wolf King was cunning, with two Twenty-Thousand-Year Azure Wolves under its command... and a Fifty-Thousand-Year Azurewood Tree nearby."

Hiss...

Everyone drew sharp breaths. Four ten-thousand-year soul beasts—one of them a powerful plant-type.

"Perhaps the Soul Douluo was too confident. He didn't summon allies, relying only on a hastily assembled team."

"Six in total: one Soul Douluo, two Soul Saints, and three Soul Emperors."

"I was one of them."

The Soul Saint's voice trembled, his body shivering at the memory.

"Teacher... what happened? Did you kill them?"

The Soul Saint's eyes flickered with fear.

"No. The Soul Douluo died. The two Soul Saints died. Only I and one Soul Emperor escaped... barely."

Hiss...

The group inhaled sharply, shock and fear clouding their faces.

"The Star Dou Forest inner circle... is that terrifying?"

---

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