Even after rapidly deducing these possibilities with his own intelligence, Tang San didn't dwell on it much. It was perfectly normal to encounter Soul Masters who hunted and killed Soul Beasts within the Star Dou Great Forest.
The reason he had stopped here to rest today was that he had reached the transitional zone between thousand-year and ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts. Proceeding further inward, he would encounter the presence of ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts. Facing such dangers, the deterrent effect of the Slaughter Domain would diminish significantly, and he would have to deal with these Soul Beasts with extreme caution to avoid peril.
Therefore, before anything else, he needed to restore his condition to its peak. The increasing danger here signified that he was also getting closer and closer to Xiao Wu. Thus, alongside a faint tension, there was far more excitement.
Although the nature of his relationship with Xiao Wu had only evolved from their previous sibling-like bond to something more ambiguous just before they separated, the passage of time had not diluted this feeling. Instead, it had led Tang San to think about it at great length. He had been surprised to discover that, a very long time ago, his feelings for Xiao Wu were already not just simple sibling affection. He could also feel that Xiao Wu's feelings for him were similarly not that pure and simple.
What did it matter that she was a Soul Beast? She was a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast, wasn't she on the same level as his mother? All Tang San cared about was the bond between him and Xiao Wu. He gave little thought to everything else.
When he left the Clear Sky Sect, he had considered it carefully. For him, the most difficult of the three tasks was not killing a Titled Douluo affiliated with Spirit Hall, nor reaching rank eighty or above within ten years. It was hunting a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast.
Perhaps a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast could be found, but such a beast could transform into a human. Both his mother and Xiao Wu were such existences. When facing a powerful hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast, could he really bring himself to strike? Even Tang San himself didn't know the answer to this. Everything would have to follow its natural course; he would need to reach around rank eighty before he would have the capacity to absorb such a Soul Ring.
Tang San didn't know, truly didn't know, and didn't want to think about it too much right now. There was still plenty of time. Five years had passed. How would Xiao Wu's delicate features have changed? He looked forward to it immensely, even feeling a sudden urge to embrace her in his arms.
After eating a simple meal, Tang San sat cross-legged and began his cultivation. He was only a hair's breadth away from rank sixty in Soul Power. Having come to the inner Star Dou Great Forest, he couldn't enter a treasure mountain empty-handed. If he encountered a suitable Soul Beast, he would naturally seize the opportunity to kill it and obtain his sixth Soul Ring.
Just as Tang San was about to begin his cultivation, a faint sense of alarm suddenly reached him through the surrounding Blue Silver Grass. Although the information these low-level creatures could convey was limited, in this vast and dangerous forest, even the slightest premonition of alarm was enough to jolt Tang San wide awake.
After all, if the Blue Silver Grass could send him a warning, it meant the Blue Silver Grass shelter he had created was insufficient to protect him, or it was more likely an unknown threat approaching.
If it were Soul Beasts, Tang San wouldn't be overly concerned. But if he encountered other humans here to hunt Soul Beasts, the danger would be much greater.
In the outside world, Soul Masters generally maintained a balance of power with each other and rarely encroached on one another. But within the Soul Beast forests, things were different. Just like when Tang San and his companions first came to the Star Dou Great Forest and encountered the Dragon Snake couple, hostility could flare up easily. Especially when one side's strength far outstripped the other, they might even resort to killing.
The location Tang San was in now faced the constant threat of ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts, meaning the chance of Spirit Bone appearance was high. A powerful hunting squad would almost certainly attack a weaker one if the chance arose. If they could obtain Spirit Bones from their opponents, it would be an incredibly profitable endeavor.
Therefore, the moment the Blue Silver Grass transmitted its warning, Tang San immediately abandoned the idea of cultivation. The blue halo once again emanated from his body, and the thick Blue Silver Grass around him swiftly retracted, vanishing back into the ground in the blink of an eye. Everything around became silent again, as if the Blue Silver Grass treehouse had never existed.
He leaped lightly into the air, found a large tree to hide in first, and only then completely released his Blue Silver Domain, merging his spiritual power completely with the surrounding Blue Silver Grass.
Tang San discovered that when his spiritual power fully merged with the Blue Silver Grass around him, everything within the normal range his spiritual power could extend to became as clear as if he could see it with his own eyes. Beyond that, his perception was also much sharper. The range he could sense was terrifying, though he still couldn't achieve the clarity of sight within the entire extent of the Blue Silver Grass's reach.
This way, the area Tang San could perceive with complete clarity was roughly five hundred meters in diameter. This was already a vast range. Within this area, Tang San could sense everything that might occur. Even a single leaf sliding to the ground, he could feel clearly.
As he possessed the Blue Silver Domain for longer, Tang San gradually understood that it wasn't that his domain couldn't perceive a larger area, but that a larger area would flood his mind with more information. At his current level of spiritual power, he could no longer process such an enormous volume of data.
Therefore, to enhance the effectiveness of the Blue Silver Domain, what needed to improve wasn't just the power of the Blue Silver Grass; his spiritual power was equally crucial. Only when his spiritual power reached a far greater magnitude would the Blue Silver Domain possess truly terrifying effects.
Within the five-hundred-meter diameter range, nothing yet occurred to draw Tang San's attention. But as the Blue Silver Domain remained active, the sense of alarm in his heart grew increasingly clear. The warning was coming from the south.
Tang San focused his spiritual power, and the previously dispersed investigative probe of his Blue Silver Domain solidified, condensing and releasing its energy in a single direction. The probing distance in that straight line immediately increased dramatically. When he focused all his energy on one direction, the single-direction probing distance could be enhanced to roughly three times its original diameter, reaching approximately fifteen hundred meters.
A scouting column, five meters wide and fifteen hundred meters long, instantly fed back all information within its range to Tang San's mind. This time, he finally saw the target that had triggered the Blue Silver Grass's alarm.
The target was large. It was indeed humans, and more than one. A group of over twenty people was moving silently through the forest, gradually closing in on Tang San's location.
With the assistance of the Blue Silver Grass, Tang San could clearly see this group of twenty-plus individuals. When he made out their faces, he couldn't help but gasp, a layer of cold sweat breaking out on his back.
He counted carefully. There were twenty-five people in total. Leading the way was a middle-aged man in white, but Tang San knew very well that this person was far from just a simple middle-aged man—he was Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan of Spirit Hall. Behind Yue Guan followed Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan. Further back were exactly twenty Spirit Hall members dressed in black, aged between forty and sixty, with a dignified bearing. From the aura they emitted, Tang San could clearly sense that these individuals possessed strength surpassing even the three young prodigies of the Golden Generation.
Bringing up the rear was a ghostly shadow. Ghost and Chrysanthemum Douluos always acted together, so the identity of this one figure Tang San couldn't clearly make out was self-evident.
Two Titled Douluos, plus Spirit Hall's three most outstanding young generation members and a large squad of experts. What were they doing in the Star Dou Great Forest?
It couldn't be because someone in the Golden Generation needed a Soul Ring and they came to hunt a Soul Beast. What level was the Golden Generation at? With two Titled Douluos taking action, they could handle even a super Soul Beast like the Titan Giant Ape. Moreover, there were so many other experts. The others wouldn't warrant Titled Douluo intervention.
Thinking of this, Tang San's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that they had come here for the same purpose as him—for Xiao Wu? Spirit Hall's influence was vast, and it wasn't impossible for them to have discovered Xiao Wu was in this part of the Star Dou Great Forest.
At this thought, Tang San's anxiety flared, making him feel as though he were burning. Even the spiritual power he controlled wavered slightly. Fortunately, within his Blue Silver Domain, his spiritual power was concealed by the Blue Silver Grass. Otherwise, even this slight fluctuation in Soul Power would have alerted the two Titled Douluos.
What Tang San feared most was that they had already succeeded. If they truly came for Xiao Wu, how could she resist such an overwhelming lineup? Even if the Titan Giant Ape was Xiao Wu's friend, could they withstand so many Spirit Hall powerhouses?
Never before had Tang San experienced such terror. Especially after enduring the trials of the Slaughter City and his studies at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, his now-mature mind was utterly unable to remain calm. Perhaps this was what they meant by "anxious because you care."
While Tang San was deliberating, the Spirit Hall party stopped. They halted less than five hundred meters from Tang San's location.
The twenty Spirit Hall experts quickly dispersed, chopping down surrounding trees to clear a space. They placed the felled timber around the perimeter as makeshift defenses. The two Titled Douluos and the three members of the Golden Generation clearly held higher status. The two Titled Douluos, in particular, gathered together and stood quietly in the center of the clearing, while Hu Liena and the other two stood respectfully behind them.
The twenty experts worked swiftly. In a short time, they had finished clearing the perimeter and building the defensive structures, while also erecting several tents. It was obvious they intended to rest here.
The two Titled Douluos shared one large tent, Hu Liena and the others were in another, and it didn't appear that Hu Liena received any special consideration for being female. The remaining twenty people were housed in five separate tents, their arrangement subtly encircling the two central tents.
Throughout the entire process, they communicated without a single word, even minimizing noise when chopping down trees. The two Titled Douluos and Hu Liena's trio quickly entered their tents to rest. Five of the twenty people began patrolling the perimeter, while the others took out rations for simple preparation, without lighting a fire.
During this time, Tang San's spiritual power remained intensely focused, meticulously scanning every area he could reach. He found no trace of Xiao Wu, which slightly eased his anxiety.
As a Control-type Soul Master with exceptional calculating abilities, Tang San hadn't felt this helpless and at a loss for a very long time. Regarding these Spirit Hall people, he didn't know what he should do. Hide and tail them? If they truly came for Xiao Wu, this would be meaningless.
With two powerful Titled Douluos present, even in this area blanketed with Blue Silver Grass, a sneak attack was impossible. Once exposed, the opponents would undoubtedly strike him down with devastating force.
Go find Xiao Wu first? But Tang San didn't know where Xiao Wu was; he needed to search as well. In that case, unable to track this terrifying Spirit Hall squad, Xiao Wu would be in even greater danger.
Compared to this squad, both he and Xiao Wu were far too weak. There was absolutely no possibility of direct confrontation. Even if these people found Xiao Wu, how could Tang San possibly stop them? Even if his father, Tang Hao, were at his peak strength from years past, a head-on clash might not have been enough to handle this group.
His anxiety gradually yielded to reason. Tang San's mind raced, analyzing rapidly, weighing pros and cons and potential scenarios. By the time the Spirit Hall contingent finished setting up camp, he had already made his choice—a bold and dangerous one.
He leaped down from the tree, quietly retracting his Blue Silver Domain. He no longer concealed his aura, only adopting a cautious posture as he quickly walked toward the Spirit Hall camp.
His first reason for choosing this approach was to find out what these Spirit Hall people were truly doing in the Star Dou Great Forest. Of course, this was also because Hu Liena was in their group. With this "acquaintance," gathering information would be much easier.
Tang San was incredibly perceptive; he could sense the lingering feelings Hu Liena had once harbored for him. For Xiao Wu's sake, he was willing to put aside scruples and make use of it. If they weren't here for Xiao Wu, he could follow them all the way out of the Star Dou Great Forest, ensuring she remained undiscovered, and then return to search for her. This would undoubtedly be the best outcome.
Conversely, if these people truly were searching for Xiao Wu, things would become troublesome. Though Tang San couldn't stop them or assassinate his opponents, he could certainly deliver a warning. He could also follow their squad, providing Xiao Wu with hints from within the forest at any moment to help her avoid this group, until they lost patience and left.
For Tang San, while this approach carried some risk, it was undoubtedly the most proactive course of action, allowing him to better control the initiative.
"Who goes there?" A hundred meters from the Spirit Hall camp, Tang San was already detected. At least four figures reached his side the moment the shout sounded. The sharp cry only came after they confirmed he was human.
Tang San adopted a startled, bewildered posture, his face filled with wariness.
He was now surrounded. Four Spirit Hall experts had encircled him. Previously, the sensation via his spiritual power and Blue Silver Domain hadn't been very pronounced, but now he could clearly feel that these four individuals possessed the strength to completely suppress him. This meant the gap between their Soul Power levels and his was at least ten ranks.
These were four Soul Saint-level powerhouses! Tang San became increasingly certain of his judgment. If it wasn't for a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast, why would Spirit Hall dispatch such a formidable group?
"Who are you?" His cold voice was full of vigilance. The natural grace that had been on Tang San's face vanished, replaced only by icy coldness and intense killing intent, perfectly matching the appearance he had when he left Slaughter City. The Slaughter Domain was unleashed without reservation in an instant, a white halo mixed with an extremely frigid aura rapidly expanding. Using the formidable power of his domain, he forcibly broke free from the locking pressure of the four men. He employed the Ghost Shadow Phantom Trail, and with a flickering movement, he had already broken out of their encirclement.
The four Soul Saints were momentarily stunned. They had certainly felt the aura of Soul Power Tang San deliberately released. A Soul Master with strength clearly inferior to theirs had actually managed to break free from their combined pressure lock. That icy, bloodthirsty killing intent sent a chill down their spines.
However, these men were worthy of being Spirit Hall's specially cultivated experts. The instant Tang San broke free, all four moved almost simultaneously, circling around from different directions. When they reconverged, Tang San was once again within their encirclement. The entire process had taken only the blink of an eye. It was precisely at this moment that all seven of their Martial Souls were fully released.
Tang San drew in a sharp breath. Before him, a total of twenty-eight Soul Rings appeared. With the release of the Martial Souls, the surrounding pressure instantly made the air feel viscous and heavy. Although Tang San had guessed they were at the Soul Saint level, being surrounded by four Soul Saints simultaneously still made every muscle in his body tense up.