Douluo Continent: Gourmet Prisoner

Following the sounds of fighting, Shi Yu looked over and saw the figure being forced back by the rock drum. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, thinking, "Isn't that Jiang Nannan? What's she doing in the new mixed zone?"

Tang Ya squinted and carefully examined the familiar figure, then suddenly clapped her hands: "Oh! It's her! My roommate Jiang Nannan."

Jiang Nannan was being forced to the edge of the black grass by the giant fist of the rock drum. Her back was almost pressed against the trunk of the cocoa mayonnaise tree, and she barely had any room to breathe. Cold sweat slid down her face, and her eyes were full of despair.

Upon seeing this, Huo Yutong's heart tightened immediately. The Snow God Moth martial soul on her shoulder instantly flapped its wings, ready to take flight, its icy blue soul power subtly swirling around her. Her tone was urgent and firm: "Sister Xiaoya's classmate is in danger! Let's go help her!"

Before she could finish speaking, Zhu Lu had already rushed out first.

She poured all her soul power into her legs, and at the same time, her first soul ring lit up. She activated the Netherworld Thrust soul skill, and her figure suddenly turned into a blur, like an arrow released from a bow. In the blink of an eye, she rushed to the side of the rock drum.

Just as the rock drum raised its forelimbs, its massive fist, as big as a casserole dish, was about to smash down on Jiang Nannan with immense force, Zhu Lu leaped up and slammed her fists, which were imbued with all her soul power, into the cracks in the rock drum's outer shell—its weakest point.

"Thump—!"

A deep, muffled bang exploded, making the surrounding black grass tremble.

The rock drum, in pain, let out a furious roar. Its massive body was shaken by the force and staggered two steps. The giant fist that was originally aimed at Jiang Nannan also deviated from its direction and slammed heavily to the ground, splashing up a cloud of dirt and gravel.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jiang Nannan quickly retreated several steps, barely dodging the attack. Clutching her chest, which was still aching from the shock, she looked at Zhu Lu, who had suddenly intervened, her eyes filled with gratitude, her voice trembling slightly: "Thank you..."

"Don't speak yet!" Zhu Lu shouted without turning her head, her soul power flowing through her fist. "This big guy's shell is incredibly hard; attack its joints!"

Tang Ya and the others had also rushed up. Tang Ya's martial soul was activated, with three soul rings—two purple and one black—rising and falling. Blue silver grass vines shot out like serpents, their thorny tendrils tightly binding the rock drum's limbs, attempting to restrict its movements.

Huo Yutong activated her Snow God Moth Martial Soul, gathering icy blue soul power on her fist, with ice crystal-like patterns spreading across her arm—this was one of the soul skills brought by the Ice Emperor's first soul ring, the Frozen Fist.

She seized the opportunity and landed a precise punch on the rock drum's right knee joint.

With a soft "crack," frost instantly spread, freezing the right knee joint of the rock drum solid.

The massive rock drum crashed down, its enormous body slamming into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust. Its right leg joint was covered in frost, rendering it immobile.

Shi Yu did not rush to make a move, but stood aside with his arms crossed, watching their battle with great interest. Yun Bao and Shi Qiu'er also stayed by his side, each holding onto his sleeve on either side.

"Aren't we going to help?" Rainbow Dash looked at Shi Yu with her rosy red eyes, her little face full of worry.

"They should learn to face things on their own, shouldn't they?" Shi Yu chuckled, her gaze falling on the group engaged in fierce combat. "Besides, they can handle it."

Sure enough, with the four working in perfect harmony, the outer shell of the rock drum was soon covered with cracks.

Zhu Lu delivered a final, powerful punch to the crevice of its skull, and with a crisp sound, this nearly ten-thousand-year-old soul beast was reduced to scattered stones.

After dealing with the rock drum, Tang Ya walked over to Jiang Nannan, patted her on the shoulder, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Nannan, you're too brave. You dared to venture into the mixed zone all by yourself."

Jiang Nannan gave a bitter smile, a hint of weariness and anxiety flashing in her eyes: "My mother's illness can't be delayed any longer. The academy also posted a notice saying that Shrek students have priority access to explore the Star Dou Great Forest, so I thought I'd try my luck in the mixed zone, but I didn't expect..."

Just as Tang Ya was about to offer some words of comfort, the earth suddenly began to tremble violently.

This tremor was far more intense than the vibrations caused by the rock drum earlier, as if a primordial beast was charging towards them.

The grass blades on the black meadow swayed wildly, and the trees in the distance trembled. An indescribable, terrifying pressure swept in like a tidal wave, making it difficult for everyone to breathe and causing their soul power to stagnate.

"What is this?" Rainbow Dash's face turned pale, but she still forced herself to look into the distance with a serious expression.

Shi Yu's expression also turned extremely solemn. He looked up at the end of the black grassland, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he exclaimed, "How did the Ligalu mammoth get here!"

Before the words were finished, a colossal figure that blotted out the sky slowly appeared at the edge of the horizon.

It was an unimaginably enormous beast, its body long and winding, looking from afar like a moving mountain range, blocking out half the sky.

Its skin is deep red and patterned, covered with rock-like wrinkles, rough and hard, as if it can withstand any attack. It has two small wings on its back, but these wings have basically lost the ability to fly.

With each step it took, its six thick, giant legs created a huge crater in the ground, sending mud flying everywhere.

What's most awe-inspiring is its head. Its two long trunks, like giant pillars reaching for the sky, swing wildly in the air. The airflow from its nostrils forms small tornadoes, whipping up clouds of black grass.

Shi Qiu'er's nine tails were all taut, her golden-red pupils were filled with terror, and her voice trembled slightly: "This size... it must be at least two thousand meters long!"

The Ligaloo mammoth seemed to have sensed the commotion and let out a deafening roar, a sound like thunder that made everyone's eardrums ache.

Two enormous noses suddenly swept towards the crowd, accompanied by a fierce wind. Wherever they passed, black grass flew up and trees snapped, their power was terrifying.

"Quick, dodge!" Shi Yu shouted, grabbing Yun Bao beside him and lunging to the side.

The crowd scattered to avoid the giant nose, which swept past their heads and snapped the cocoa mayonnaise tree behind them in half.

"No! Our attacks are completely useless against it!" Zhu Lu said with a grim expression as she looked at the indestructible skin of the Ligalu mammoth. The force she had used to deal with the rock drum would probably not even be enough to tickle this behemoth.

"There's no need to attack it," Shi Yu suddenly said, his tone unusually calm.

"Huh?" ×5

Five questioning voices rang out simultaneously, and everyone turned to look at him, their eyes filled with confusion.

"It's coming!" Shi Yu suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on the nostrils of the Ligalu mammoth.

"What's coming?" Tang Ya's heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding washing over her.

The Ligaluru mammoth slowly raised its left trunk, pointing it in their direction, its nostrils slightly open, and a terrifying suction force was quietly gathering.

Shi Yu looked at the slowly opening nostrils of the Ligaluru mammoth, a sly glint in his eyes. He knew all too well the habits of this treasure-hunting mammoth—the Ligaluru mammoth used its left trunk to cut its prey, while its right trunk was used to eject bones. It could use its powerful suction to pull its prey to its left trunk.

"Listen up, everyone!" Shi Yu's voice suddenly rose, drowning out the trembling of the earth and the roars of the giant beasts. "What follows is not a pleasant journey."

"What do you mean by that?!" Tang Ya sensed something was wrong, and her voice became sharper.

Before anyone could react, a terrifying suction suddenly came from the nostrils of the Ligaluru mammoth, distorting the air itself.

Everyone felt a powerful force pulling them, their bodies uncontrollably being sucked into the air and flying towards the trunk of the Ligalu mammoth.

"Brother Shiyu, this isn't the trip you were talking about, is it?!" Huo Yutong exclaimed in surprise.

"This is just the beginning of the journey," Shi Yu's voice came from the wind. "The Ligalu mammoth has a spike inside its left trunk, which it uses to cut its prey."

"So, we're going to be eaten?!" Zhu Lu's face turned pale instantly, and she was already frantically brainstorming her last words.

"The trip you're talking about isn't about becoming its food, then traveling around inside its body, and finally coming out as feces, is it?" Tang Yasheng said, her voice filled with despair.

Rainbow Dash was so frightened that she closed her eyes tightly, curled up into a ball, and trembled.

Shi Qiu'er's mind was already flashing back to all the past days, from the carefree days in the Star Dou Great Forest to the joy of enjoying delicious food with Shi Yu and the others. Tears were about to fall.

"Of course not," Shi Yu's voice was tinged with laughter. "The real entrance to this journey is not the trunk of the Ligaluru mammoth, but its mouth."

"Then you'll still get eaten!" Tang Ya's face turned red instantly, red with anger. She wished she could pounce on Shi Yu and strangle him right now.

"Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Dash, open your eyes, it's me, Shafulin." Shi Yu suddenly called out, his tone inexplicably serious.

"Shi Yu, who is Shafulin?" Rainbow Dash opened her eyes subconsciously, looking at Shi Yu innocently, her rosy red eyes full of confusion.

"That's not important," Shi Yu waved his hand, his tone urgent, "Rainbow Dash, for my sake, use Cute Star Flying Crash on everyone, and smash them all into the mouth of the Ligaruru Mammoth!"

"We don't understand!" Tang Ya and Zhu Lu shouted in unison. What kind of time is this to be talking nonsense!

"I understand, Shi Yu!" Rainbow Dash's eyes lit up, her soul power surged instantly, and her petite body unleashed astonishing power, "Cute Star Flying Collision!"

"But the Ligaluru mammoth didn't open its mouth!" Huo Yutong cried out in despair, looking at the giant beast's tightly closed mouth.

"No big deal, watch me!" Shi Yu patted his chest, looking confident.

"Do you have some other tricks up your sleeve?" Tang Ya couldn't help but ask. She had already resigned herself to her fate, but Shi Yu's words gave her a glimmer of hope.

"Yes, look at my super pepper powder!" Shi Yu said, taking out a small jade bottle from his storage soul tool, which was filled with spicy powder.

"Hey, I thought you really had some special trick up your sleeve!" Tang Ya almost fainted from anger. Would pepper really work against such a behemoth?

Shi Yu was too lazy to explain, so he flicked his wrist and threw the pepper powder forcefully into the nostrils of the Ligalu mammoth.

The Ligaluru mammoth's trunk had such a powerful suction that it instantly drew all the pepper powder into its nasal cavity.

The pungent powder stung its nasal cavity, causing the Ligaluru mammoth to shudder in discomfort. Its massive body shook violently, and then it suddenly opened its enormous mouth, large enough to swallow the sky and the earth.

"Now!" Shi Yu shouted.

Rainbow Dash's Cute Star Crash just happened to activate, sending everyone hurtling towards Rigaru's mammoth's jaws like a shooting star.

With a "plop," everyone fell into the giant beast's mouth, landing heavily on its rock-like teeth.

The teeth were rough and hard, with a faint fishy smell. The group barely managed to stand, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

"Quick, go to the inside of the tooth!" Shi Yu's voice was urgent. "It's about to sneeze!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Ligaluru mammoth trembled violently again, and a strong gust of air surged up from deep in its throat, carrying a pungent smell, and rushed into its mouth.

"This feeling is awful!" Qiu'er covered her nose, coughing repeatedly as she was choked by the fumes.

The group scrambled to the inside of the mammoth's tusks, pressing themselves tightly against them, afraid of being swept away by the air currents.

Outside the mouth of the Ligaluru mammoth, a series of earth-shattering sneezes rang out, and a gale carrying black grass and soil swept across the entire black grassland.

An unprecedented adventure has just begun.