Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

After settling in, Xiao Wu glanced back once more in the direction of the small town outside the forest, a complex look flashing in her eyes.

"Let's go, Erming, let's go home!"

Erming responded in a low voice, took heavy steps, causing the ground to tremble slightly, and carried Xiaowu away towards the core of the Star Dou Great Forest, the Lake of Life.

Chapter 185 Return

Tang Hao quietly returned to the place where Tang San, Cinderella, and Yu Xiaogang were waiting.

Seeing him return, Yu Xiaogang, who had been tense, visibly relaxed and quickly stepped forward, asking, "Mr. Wu, what's the situation up ahead? Have any powerful soul beasts appeared?"

Tang San and Cinderella both looked at Tang Hao, their eyes filled with a questioning look.

Tang Hao's face remained expressionless; he simply lowered the brim of his straw hat, concealing all the changes in his eyes.

He replied calmly in his hoarse, deep voice, "It's nothing. An older soul beast was inhabiting the area, but we've already avoided it."

Tang Hao didn't want to offer any further explanation, nor did he want to cause any unnecessary speculation.

"Get ready, we're leaving the Star Dou Great Forest immediately." He gave the order directly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Although Yu Xiaogang still had some doubts, seeing that Tang Hao was unwilling to say more, he did not dare to ask any more questions and could only nod hurriedly: "Yes, yes, I will follow Mr. Wu's arrangements."

Tang San keenly sensed that Tang Hao's aura seemed a little more concentrated than when he left, but he didn't ask any further questions.

He never cared about Tang Hao's thoughts, nor did he want to know more about them.

Cinderella stood obediently beside Tang San, quietly tidying up her not-too-messy clothes.

Without any delay, led by Tang Hao, the group quickly headed towards the outside of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Tang Hao walked at the front, his steps steady and swift.

His mental power spread out like an invisible radar, dodging all possible soul beasts and soul masters along the way.

He must get Tang San and Cindy away from this area safely as soon as possible.

Although he had already planned out the future for that 100,000-year-old transformed soul beast, there's always a chance of something going wrong.

He absolutely would not allow any unexpected factors to interfere with his plans or threaten Tang San's safety.

The return journey was unusually silent and oppressive because Tang Hao deliberately sped up and took detours.

Yu Xiaogang wanted to ask Tang San about his feelings after absorbing the second spirit ring several times, or to discuss the direction of his future cultivation, but after seeing Tang Hao's silent and cold back, he swallowed all his words.

Tang San spent most of his time silently sensing the changes in power brought about by the second ring of the Thousand-Year Soul, which he had just acquired, as well as the new soul skill information in his mind.

Occasionally, he would glance at Cinderella beside him.

As Cinderella followed along, she mentally reviewed what she had learned on the journey.

The second ring of the millennium undoubtedly greatly enhanced her strength.

But for some reason, she always felt that Tang Hao must be hiding something from them when he came back this time.

Led by Tang Hao in an almost forced march, they successfully crossed the boundary of the Star Dou Great Forest, which resembled the entrance to a giant beast, in just over half the time it had taken to get there.

When he stepped onto the solid dirt road outside the forest and saw the outline of that familiar town in the distance, Yu Xiaogang's tense nerves finally relaxed completely, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

Tang Hao also stopped and looked back at the lush, seemingly boundless forest.

His gaze was deep, as if piercing through layers of trees to see the core lake of life and the figure of the girl in pink.

The seeds have been planted.

Next, it's time to wait and guide it to take root and sprout.

"Let's go back to Nottingham."

Tang Hao withdrew his gaze, his voice remaining calm and devoid of any emotion.

He walked first toward where the horse-drawn carriages were parked in the town.

Tang San and Cinderella followed.

Yu Xiaogang didn't dare to delay and quickly followed.

……

The core area of ​​the Starry Sky Forest, the Lake of Life.

Unlike the hustle and bustle and danger lurking in the surrounding area, this place seems like a secluded paradise.

The lake surface is as smooth as a mirror, filled with a rich, almost tangible, life force. Exotic flowers and rare herbs surround it, and ancient trees reach for the sky. Every breath carries a refreshing and invigorating energy.

This is the true forbidden area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest, jointly occupied by several ferocious beast kings, including Di Tian.

A pink figure nimbly passed through an invisible energy boundary with a gentle repulsive force and entered this area.

Xiao Wu landed lightly on the soft grass, letting out a long sigh of relief, her face beaming with a reassuring smile of returning to absolute safety. She was able to enter entirely thanks to the privileges granted by the auspicious beast.

"My Lord Beast! I'm back!" she called out to the figure radiating a soft glow by the lake.

The nine-colored deer walked over with elegant steps, its clear and pure eyes looking at Xiao Wu. It nodded slightly and its ethereal and gentle voice rang out: "Hmm, how are you feeling?"

Xiao Wu ran to the lakeside, squatted down, and splashed the icy water with her hands. She pouted and complained, "What else can I do? It's just like that. The human world is noisy and chaotic, and the smell is awful. If it weren't for cultivation, I wouldn't want to go!"

She shook the water droplets off her hands, stood up, and a sly smile appeared on her face again.

"But I didn't stay long this time. I felt I had absorbed enough human energy, so I quickly ran back! It's still most comfortable inside!"

What she meant by "inside" was the core area of ​​this Lake of Life.

Compared to the place where Daming and Erming only guarded the gate to the core area, this place is more peaceful, safer, and has more abundant energy.

The nine-colored deer looked at her gently and said softly, "This step is unavoidable in the path of cultivation. You've worked hard."

"Okay, okay." Xiao Wu waved her hand, clearly not wanting to talk about the human world anymore.

She ran to the Nine-Colored Deer and asked curiously, "My Lord Beast, what fun things happened here while I was away?"

The nine-colored deer gently shook its head: "Nothing special has happened. Everything is as usual."

Xiao Wu blinked her big eyes, seemingly a little disappointed, but quickly cheered up: "It's okay! Anyway, I'm back! From now on, I'll cultivate diligently and strive to break through as soon as possible!"

She clenched her small fist, looking full of enthusiasm. Here, she didn't need to worry about any disturbances and could completely immerse herself in cultivation.

Seeing Xiao Wu become lively again, a gentle smile appeared in the Nine-Colored Deer's eyes. To it, Xiao Wu was like a little sister in this heavily guarded and forbidden place who needed to be protected.

Xiao Wu played and frolicked with the nine-colored deer by the lake for a while, then completely forgot about the discomfort and repression she had experienced in the human world.

She lay on the grass by the lake, looking at the blue sky fragmented by the tall tree canopy. The crisp scent of exotic grass and lake water filled her nostrils, and the only sounds were the rustling of leaves in the breeze and the occasional birdsong.

Chapter 186 Suppression

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Dai Mubai is twelve years old.

His studies at the Star Luo Royal Soul Master Academy are about to reach a crucial juncture.

As a whole, the Star Luo Royal Soul Master Academy strictly divides students into classes according to their age and soul power level.

Dai Mubai has now reached the point where he can advance to the next grade. His current soul power has reached level twenty-nine, just one step away from obtaining the crucial third soul ring at level thirty.

Therefore, he will soon be entering a completely new class.

Logically speaking, reaching level 29 in soul power at this age would place him among the top geniuses on the entire continent, enough to attract the attention of any force.

But Dai Mubai's mood at this moment did not have the joy of breaking through. Instead, it was as if he was being pressed down by a huge rock, feeling heavy and unable to breathe.

In the spacious yet cold palace, Dai Mubai finished his day's cultivation and felt the surging level 29 soul power within his body, but there was not a trace of a smile on his face.

His cultivation level was his greatest asset, but it also became a death warrant.

All of this was naturally due to the investment he received from Ge Duo. Those potent pills allowed him to cultivate with twice the results for half the effort, and his soul power increased at a rate far exceeding that of ordinary people.

But this incredible speed, like a firefly in the dark, is hard to miss.

Naturally, Dai Mubai aroused Davis's suppression and speculation.

Davis wasn't stupid. When the Star Luo delegation returned from Heaven Dou City, they brought back news about Ge Duo and the elixir.

Although Zhu Tianlin brought back most of the pills to present to his father, Davis himself also had some, and he was well aware of the effects of these pills.

As for Dai Mubai, his younger brother who went to Tiandou City with him, his cultivation speed became exceptionally rapid after returning.

It's hard not to speculate: Did Dai Mubai really meet Ge Duo in private and obtain more beneficial pills for cultivation from her?

This speculation left Davis, who had always viewed Dai Mubai as a potential threat and had been continuously suppressing him, feeling extremely shocked and solemn.

Regardless of whether the speculation is true or not, given Dai Mubai's cultivation speed, Davis knows that he must now target and suppress him more severely.

We must not allow him to grow up smoothly and threaten our position.

Therefore, Dai Mubai's days at the academy became particularly difficult during this period.

In reality, the Davis faction was giving him special treatment in various courses and combat training sessions, using ruthless methods under the guise of helping the prince improve his combat skills.

After several such incidents, Dai Mubai sustained considerable injuries.

Secretly, the cultivation resources he could obtain were drastically reduced and withheld, and the mentors he was assigned were always half-hearted and even carried a hidden sense of surveillance.

Even the few servants around him were transferred or replaced for various reasons.

Dai Mubai sat in the chair and rubbed his still sore shoulders, which were a result of today's practical lesson.

His face was gloomy, and his eyes held suppressed anger and exhaustion.

Despite Ge Duo's help, which allowed him to cultivate faster, Dai Mubai suffered greatly from Davis's omnipresent and escalating suppression.

He felt like a flying insect trapped in a spider web, the more he struggled, the tighter the web bound him.

He had been living a life of luxury since childhood. Although he knew the cruelty of royal struggles and had always pretended to be a playboy to protect himself, he had never truly suffered such real hardship.

The physical pain, the lack of resources, and the oppressive environment made him feel extremely frustrated and uncomfortable.

Dai Mubai, on the other hand, is clearly not someone who can truly endure hardship or be patient.

His decade-long indulgence and pretense had already worn away most of his resilience.

"Damn it..." Dai Mubai cursed under his breath, slamming his fist on the table beside him with a dull thud. The table didn't budge, but a sharp pain shot through the back of his hand.

If he stayed in Xingluo, he had no doubt that Davis would become even more ruthless.

Once he enters that higher-level class, the competition there will be more direct and blatant, and Davis will have more methods at his disposal, making it even more difficult to defend against.