Chapter 196: Mixed Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest

Boom!

Awooo—

In the Star Dou Great Forest, watching the thousand‑year Crimson Golden Tiger that Tang Wulin punched, let out a mournful wail and then died, Gong Changlong couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

"You kid, your strength has undergone a qualitative change since the last time you came to the Star Dou Great Forest."

A few months ago, Tang Wulin, though already possessing monster‑level physical quality, still couldn't defeat a thousand‑year metallic soul beast with a single punch.

Tang Wulin shrugged.

"After all, people do grow, Dean Gong."

Compared with the vacation a few months ago, Tang Wulin has indeed become much stronger; during this period his adventures weren't as many as Huo Yutong's, but they weren't few either.

With the third and fourth seals broken, the absorption of the Wind Dragon King's left leg bone, and the intake of the essence blood of dozens of ten‑thousand‑year soul beasts in the Sea God Pavilion, he can truly be called a humanoid soul beast now.

"So, Dean, my target age for the third soul ring is ten thousand years."

"I know."

Gong Changlong wasn't surprised by this.

Based solely on Tang Wulin's recent performance and physical quality, not to mention the Soul King, even most offensive‑type Soul Emperors might not be his match.

Nevertheless, understanding as it may be, the thought that someone's third soul skill reaches ten thousand years still made Gong Changlong twitch the corner of his mouth.

Truly an unqualified monster…

He sighed and asked:

"Is your request still the same as last time?"

"Mm."

"Then let's go."

Having done it once, then twice, their action this time will be far more decisive than before.

Besides being familiar with the route, another key reason for their increased speed is that Tang Wulin's strength has grown since the last time.

During both trips to the Star Dou Great Forest, Gong Changlong rarely intervened, leaving Tang Wulin to handle the problems; his main role was to brief Tang Wulin on the soul beasts' characteristics and to assist when Tang Wulin encountered beasts he couldn't deal with.

But Tang Wulin's current strength has truly risen to an absurd level; faced with incoming soul beasts, the kid crushes them all.

Compared to soul masters, soul beasts have stronger physical abilities, yet this advantage looks laughable before Tang Wulin; Gong Changlong has never before seen a great soul master kill a thousand‑year soul beast with a single punch.

The best illustration of this is his attitude when facing the Toothbroken Pigs.

Because the path was similar and the interval short, Tang Wulin and Gong Changlong soon encountered another group of Toothbroken Pigs they had met on the previous visit.

Just as Gong Changlong was about to warn Tang Wulin to be careful, he charged forward in an instant.

A blue‑golden aura unfolded; under the Blue Silver domain, countless Blue Silver Emperors sprouted wildly from the ground, binding the Toothbroken Pigs. Then Tang Wulin leapt high, landing directly atop the largest Pig, his right hand shifting into a golden dragon claw, and he seized it fiercely.

Then, as if cutting cheese with a kitchen knife, the head of the leading thousand‑year Toothbroken Pig was pierced by Tang Wulin, and without pause, golden qi‑blood power surged, and the world‑dominating radiance howled out.

Then, there was no after; the leader of these Toothbroken Pigs was only thousand‑year level, the rest barely ten or hundred years, and against Tang Wulin they had no resistance and were wiped out.

Gong Changlong's face was numb. In less than half a year, the kid had already reached this level; give him a few more years, would he overturn the heavens? Tang Wulin jumped down from the Toothbroken Pig King's corpse and asked Gong Changlong:

"Dean Gong, how far are we from our destination?"

Gong Changlong let out a silent sigh, then replied, "There's still some distance. We need to go deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest than last time; after all, you seek ten‑thousand‑year soul beasts, which can't exist on the outskirts. We must search the Mixed Zone."

"Indeed."

Tang Wulin nodded seriously and, in passing, delivered a finishing blow to a dying Toothbroken Pig.

His experiences from the first two trips to the Star Dou Great Forest had cultivated a habit of finishing blows; here nature is ruthless, governed by jungle law, and if he softens toward these soul beasts, no one can say what he'll face.

The two continued onward, with Tang Wulin handling the intermediate soul beasts; soon, Gong Changlong halted.

He turned around and stared seriously at Tang Wulin.

"We are about to enter the Mixed Zone. Remember, don't stray far from me. In this area, the chance of encountering ten‑thousand‑year soul beasts rises dramatically, and there is even a slight chance of meeting hundred‑thousand‑year beasts. Once, Xuan Lao led a team; after getting separated from his students, they ran into a hundred‑thousand‑year beast, and eight of the twelve trainees perished."

"……"

Tang Wulin didn't know what to say.

He understood what Gong Changlong was trying to tell him: basically, don't run around recklessly; be careful of danger.

But why did that story make Tang Wulin feel so screwed up?

Xuanzi is a level‑98 Super Douluo, and he still got separated from his students?

Yet recalling the Death God Messenger that Huo Yutong single‑killed, Tang Wulin thought it wasn't impossible.

It seemed that no matter how absurd, as long as Xuanzi's name was invoked, everything could be rationalized.

Tang Wulin shook his head violently, banishing the odd thought, and nodded.

"Alright, I understand."

Regardless, caution comes first; nothing is more important than life.

Seeing Tang Wulin nod, Gong Changlong gave a faint smile.

"Very well, let's go; we're also close to the Ten Thousand Demon King's territory."

Indeed, this time they set their target on the Ten Thousand Demon King's subordinate.

Anyway, the Ten Thousand Demon King's family is vast; killing a thousand‑year soul beast and a ten‑thousand‑year soul beast hardly bothers him, and he lives permanently in the core of the Star Dou Great Forest under Di Tian's watch, so no fear of retaliation.

The two kept moving, and before long they encountered a party of riders.

Leading them was a woman, one of only two elders among the group; beside her sat a fourteen‑ or fifteen‑year‑old girl who resembled her, clearly her daughter.

All of them wore identical uniforms, evidently from the same organization.

Seeing Tang Wulin and Gong Changlong, they were startled and quickly stood up.

In the Star Dou Great Forest, one must worry about more than soul beasts; sometimes humans are even more terrifying.

(End of Chapter)