Several hours later, Oscar finally completed the absorption of the Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent's spirit ring.
His third spirit skill now granted him the ability to fly. After consuming a Flying Mushroom Sausage created with this skill, the user could fly for one full minute at the speed of the Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent itself. Naturally, the others were full of praise and amazement at this effect.
Seeing that it was already late, and with nightfall making it inconvenient to hunt soul beasts, Yun Chuan decided the team should camp where they were and rest.
The night passed without incident.
By the next morning, everyone had recovered their peak condition. They set off in search of the next target — this time, for Tang San's third spirit ring rather than Oscar's.
Grandmaster had long since planned what kind of beast would suit Tang San's third ring, so Tang San felt finding it should be much easier than Oscar's hunt. Some of the options on that list were relatively common, and as long as the age was right, they would work.
But things rarely went as planned. Two whole days passed, and despite the party combing the forest under Yun Chuan's lead, they still hadn't found anything suitable for Tang San.
By now, Yun Chuan was beginning to grow impatient. He had been waiting for the Titan Giant Ape to show up, but he couldn't remember exactly when it was supposed to appear in the original story.
Two days in the Star Dou had taken their toll. Food was not a problem for soul masters, but living under the constant tension of hidden danger was mentally exhausting.
On the bright side, that constant threat was honing the group's cooperation. True teamwork is forged through repeated shared battles, and this dangerous environment was the perfect training ground. Anyone who could enter Shrek Academy was already among the best of their generation — "monsters," as the school called them — and they had quickly turned pressure into motivation. Their cultivation ranks might not have leapt forward, but their combat instincts and overall skill were steadily sharpening.
Night fell again.
In the Star Dou Forest, you never lit a fire. Most soul beasts feared flame, but the few that were drawn to it were often lethally dangerous.
Without Yun Chuan needing to say a word, the boys busied themselves with pitching the temporary tents, while the girls handled preparing food. Of course, Oscar was again classified as an "honorary girl" and put on food duty.
The tents were small — no room for lying down — but comfortable enough for sitting in cultivation. For soul masters in such a place, staying battle-ready was far more important than sleep.
As the teacher, Yun Chuan naturally took the night watch. After a quick dinner, he sent everyone else into the tents. Sitting with his back to a tree, he closed his eyes in meditation — until a flicker crossed his face. Without a sound, his Plant Domain spread out, covering a full hundred li in an instant.
In that web of perception, he felt a massive presence hurtling toward them.
The corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile.
'…Finally here.'
There was no doubt what it was — his target: the hundred-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape.
Yun Chuan rose slowly to his feet, voice calm but carrying far. "Everyone out. We've got a big one coming!"
The clear command brought the students scrambling from the tents in an instant — after days together, they knew how to react to his tone.
"What is it, Teacher Tang?" Tang San and Dai Mubai hurried to his side, both frowning in puzzlement.
Yun Chuan didn't answer directly, only said gravely, "Looks like we're in for a hard fight. Stay alert and focus on avoiding attacks — I might not be able to protect you at all times."
As he spoke, majesty rolled off him in waves. A stalk of Blue Silver Grass appeared in his grip, and seven spirit rings rose around him, radiating crushing pressure.
None of them understood what could make this teacher so solemn, his expression so set — all except Xiao Wu, whose face had turned subtly strange. She knew exactly who was coming.
And then, it appeared.
Before their eyes, two towering trees slowly parted, and through the gap emerged a colossal figure, moving without a sound.
The sight sucked the breath from everyone's lungs. In an instant, they understood why Yun Chuan stood ready as if facing a mortal enemy.
It was like a mountain come alive — black fur gleaming faintly under the wan moonlight. Even on all fours its shoulder height was over seven meters; stood upright, it would top fifteen.
It was an amalgam of ape and giant black gorilla, its lantern-sized eyes glowing with golden light, the rest of it as dark as shadow. At night, without its movement, one might not even notice its presence.
Every inch of its enormous body was sheathed in muscle harder than granite, bulging like small hills beneath its pelt. And yet it moved with uncanny silence, not even the sound of its breathing escaping.
The second to recognize it was Tang San. Grandmaster's lectures had engraved enough bestiary lore into him that he knew at a glance.
"The king of the forest… Titan Giant Ape," he breathed, his usually steady voice tinged with awe.
Wherever it appeared, in any soul beast forest, it was the undisputed overlord. No beast dared provoke it; the consequence was always death. Even a mere hundred-year Titan Giant Ape could battle a ten-thousand-year beast. Its strength and speed were unparalleled, its offense and defense without flaw. Most frightening of all, it could use techniques akin to spirit skills — and no human had ever lived to catalogue them all.
Among ten-thousand-year soul beasts, disparities in power could be vast depending on innate attributes. The Titan Giant Ape stood atop the pyramid, one of the handful of most formidable species alive. For countless soul masters, it was a living nightmare.
Many had coveted its might, dreaming of making it into a soul ring. Every one of them who had tried was erased from the world.
It wasn't just its power — it possessed intelligence equal to a human. In the forest, it was an absolute king.
For such a being, meant to dwell in the untouchable heart of the Star Dou, to appear here… Tang San could hardly believe it.
(End of Chapter)