Chapter 297: with translation of chapter title

Li Yongyue discovered, with the help of mental detection, that three figures were rapidly approaching them from several hundred meters away.

Obviously, Tang Wulin and the others could no longer avoid contact with the other party.

In the Star Dou Great Forest, encountering humans is hardly a good thing; indeed, humans are often far more dangerous than soul beasts.

If the two sides' demands come into conflict, no one can guarantee whether the other will resort to lethal means.

Seeing Li Yongyue finish absorbing, Han Ruoruo unhesitatingly used the Golden Tremor Rope, dug a hole in the ground, buried the Silver Moon White Fox's corpse, and then quickly filled it in.

Obviously, her action was meant to avoid revealing their strength.

Just three seconds after she finished burying the Silver Moon White Fox, three figures entered the field of view of the Shilake Academy group.

Upon seeing these three people, Zhang Lexuan's eyes flickered, and a bad premonition rose in her heart.

They were three elderly men, appearing to be at least seventy years old; astonishingly, these three elders looked exactly alike, forming a set of triplets, and their attire was also identical.

Their bodies were all thin, with many wrinkles on their faces; their grayish-white hair was simply draped behind their heads, their eyes dull yellow, giving a sense of decadent decline; notably, they all had hooked noses and thin lips.

The three elders all wore gray robes, each holding a black staff as thick as black iron, about a zhang long, with a gray gem the size of a human head atop each.

As soon as the three elders appeared, their gazes fell upon the Shilake Academy group; their movements were perfectly synchronized—tapping their staffs on the ground, they floated forward together, taking off and landing simultaneously; after two such motions, they stood before the Shilake Academy crowd.

By then, the Shilake Academy group had restored their former formation, with Zhang Lexuan standing at the front, warily eyeing the three old men before her.

"A bunch of little brats."

The central elder frowned slightly and muttered.

His voice was hoarse like a broken bellows, utterly unpleasant.

The elder on the left said:

"There seems to be a hint of bloodiness here."

The elder on the right directly asked the Shilake Academy group, "Who are you? Where do you come from?"

Zhang Lexuan smiled faintly, stepped forward, slightly bowed, and said, "Greetings, seniors; we are from the Moonflower Sect of the Tianhun Empire."

The right-side elder gave a sinister smile and said, "Looking at your young age, you've managed to penetrate this deep into the Star Dou Great Forest—your cultivation must be not weak! Release your soul rings for us to see."

These three not only look alike and dress alike, but even their voices are identical, like broken bellows.

"Seniors, bullying the weak with your strength seems a bit excessive, doesn't it?"

A soft voice sounded from not far away; Vice Dean Cai Mei'er walked out slowly.

Her steps appeared slow, yet it was as if she had teleported—she reached the crowd in just a few steps and stood beside Zhang Lexuan.

The right-side elder gave a hehe laugh.

"I said as much—these little brats couldn't reach this deep into the Star Dou Great Forest on their own; it turns out there's an old one among you—good, then you too, show your martial soul and soul rings for us to see."

Cai Mei'er gave a light smile.

"Let me show my martial soul—if you have the qualifications for it."

As she spoke, the usually low-key Martial Soul Department Dean of Shilake Academy raised her right hand and slowly pushed it forward.

The right-side elder's eyes widened; his dull yellow pupils seemed to suddenly brighten, and he likewise raised his right hand, making contact with Cai Mei'er's.

"Bang!"

Amid the low, muffled boom, a strong gust surged upward, shaking the treetops violently and causing a shower of leaves to fall.

"Huh? You actually have eight rings." The right-side elder looked at Cai Mei'er with some surprise, curled his lip, and said, "No wonder you dare to speak boldly before me."

"Eight rings?" Tang Wulin instantly understood.

It seemed Cai Mei'er was intentionally concealing her strength.

At the same time, his heart grew somewhat heavy.

Since they could discern that Cai Mei'er's output was eight rings, it indicated they too possessed at least eight-ring strength, which is hardly a good thing.

Cai Mei'er's expression remained calm.

"Each to each; it seems you are also a Soul Douluo-level expert—why then bully the weak? I merely brought these children to obtain soul rings; the Star Dou Great Forest is vast enough that we won't inconvenience you."

The right-side elder gave a gaga laugh.

"Whether it's an inconvenience or not isn't up to you. How about this: you help us three elders with a task, and we'll let you go. You should understand that, with just one Soul Douluo, you could never hope to oppose us three."

The central elder nodded.

"Not bad; help us finish this matter, and you may leave."

The left-side elder echoed:

"Perhaps you'll also gain some benefit; if any soul beasts you hunt along the way suit you, after the task ends you may freely absorb their soul rings."

Cai Mei'er said without changing expression, "Given your cultivation, needing our help for something seems unlikely to be easy; besides, we don't carry much food and are in a hurry."

The right-side elder snorted.

"That's probably not up to you; if you intend to stay here forever, we three elders wouldn't mind spending a bit more effort. Moreover, the favor we ask of you is nearby and won't take up much of your time."

The central elder said fiercely:

"Cut the nonsense, follow us."

As he spoke, the three elders, in perfect unison, released their martial souls.

A strange sight appeared: their right hands gripping the staffs suddenly turned gray, covered in a layer of gray scales, which quickly spread over every part of their bodies, even their faces; the staffs in their hands emitted a strong gray light, and the gray gems atop them lit up, turning into a crimson sheen.

Huo Yutong's voice suddenly rang in Tang Wulin's mind.

"Watch out, Wulin; their soul tools are all eighth-rank."

Upon hearing Huo Yutong's words, Tang Wulin's heart tightened instantly.

Being able to use eighth-rank soul tools shows these three old fogeys are indeed eight-ring cultivators, three Soul Douluo-level powerhouses—no wonder they dare to act so arrogantly.

In the worst case, it's not impossible for these triplets to possess a three-in-one Soul Fusion Technique.

Cai Mei'er seemed to hesitate slightly before nodding.

"Well then, but how can I trust that you three will keep your word and let us go after the matter is settled?"

For her, the most important task is to ensure the safety of these children around her; as long as this can be done, other matters can be yielded.

The voice of the old man on the left grew a bit softer.

"Let us three make an oath; given our standing, how could we possibly break it?"

After saying that, the three of them spoke in unison: "I, Zhongli Tian (Zhongli Di, Zhongli Ren), hereby swear that if these people before us help us complete the upcoming action, I will certainly not make things difficult for them and will let them leave. If I violate this oath, heavenly punishment and earthly annihilation."

Cai Mei'er hesitated no longer and nodded.

"All right, please lead the way, three of you, and also please specify on the road what we need help with."

(End of chapter)