Encounter

"Xiong Jun don't act recklessly," the Beast God reprimanded, his voice filled with authority and dominance.

Xiong Jun's eyes were defiant, but he didn't speak further.

The group extended their formidable spiritual powers outward, penetrating the deep forest and appearing in the rocky area, sensing Xiao Wu and the others.

"It's the little monkey from back then and the snake with the bull's head," the woman in the green dress smiled.

The stern expression on the Beast God's face softened slightly as he said, "They have grown into 100,000-year spirit beasts with the potential to become one of us. As spirit beasts, we should unite; humans are our true enemies."

Among the people present, some nodded slowly, agreeing with the Beast God's words.

"Should we let them in this time?" the woman in the green dress asked.

The Beast God shook his head and said, "Their strength is still lacking, and by letting them stay on the periphery, we can also deter those greedy human spirit masters. We'll consider letting them in once their strength improves."

The woman in the green dress nodded.

On the Beast God's other side, a beautiful woman in purple clothing spoke, "Why does the little monkey on its shoulder have two humans with it? When did they start associating with humans?"

The expressions of the people present changed subtly.

The woman in purple continued, "I remember there were two rabbits with them as well; why haven't we seen them together?"

"They might have died by now," the Beast God sighed. "We guard this place and occasionally fall into slumber, unable to focus on what's happening outside."

"So, they're with humans now. Shouldn't we..." The woman in purple didn't finish her sentence.

The Beast God shook his head. "We don't yet know the relationship between them and those two human women. Let's observe for a while. If they've truly been swayed by humans, then it's necessary for us to guide them back on the right path."

"Hmm, it seems they haven't been affected by the grand formation. They're about to exit the rocky area," the woman in green dress said, sounding surprised.

"It's just luck. As long as they make one wrong step, they'll never get through the rocky area," Xiong Jun sneered.

If it weren't for the Beast God holding him back, he would have rushed out already, so he still harbored some resentment.

Just as he finished speaking, the Beast God said, "They've passed."

His spiritual power sensed that Da Ming, Er Ming, and Xiao Wu and her mother had passed through the rocky area and appeared in front of the dense forest. As for the Dragon Horse and Ao Tian, they didn't seem to be detected.

Xiong Jun said, "That rocky area is just the outer part of the illusion formation. They only got through by luck. It's impossible for them to pass through the forest."

The others nodded slightly, agreeing with Xiong Jun's assessment.

Without extremely powerful spiritual powers that were unaffected by the grand formation, it was impossible to enter this place.

A handsome young man exuding a sinister aura spoke, "I was originally planning to go back to sleep, but watching these little guys venture through the illusion formation is quite interesting."

...

After exiting the rocky area, Ao Tian stopped.

Da Ming and Er Ming followed suit, their moods shaken to an indescribable degree.

Er Ming worshipped, "Senior Ao Tian, you're too amazing. How about taking me as your little brother?"

Xiao Wu's eyes twinkled with admiration as she said, "Ao Tian, you're incredible."

Now, they fully believed that Ao Tian had the capability to lead them inside.

"Let's go," Ao Tian said, continuing forward.

...

In the core area, the Beast God and his companions were all stunned.

"Who is this Senior Ao Tian that the little monkey mentioned? And who is this Ao Tian that the little girl spoke of?" the woman in the green dress asked in confusion.

The Beast God furrowed his brows tightly and said, "From what they're saying, this Senior Ao Tian and Ao Tian are the same person, and they were able to pass through the rocky area because of this Ao Tian."

"How is that possible? Why didn't my spiritual power detect the presence of this person?" Xiong Jun expressed disbelief.

The woman in the green dress said, "There's a possibility that this person's spiritual power is far stronger than all of us."

Xiong Jun sneered, "That's even more impossible. Beast God is already the strongest on the Douluo Continent, with power rivaling that of a demigod. Who could be stronger than him?"

The Beast God frowned and said, "We mustn't be careless. This world isn't limited to just one continent. If an unknown powerhouse has truly arrived, we might have to engage in a major battle. The secrets here must not be revealed."

After the Beast God, everyone's hearts shivered, and they immediately adjusted their mental states, ready for battle at any moment.

Their spiritual powers continued to observe Da Ming and Er Ming. Through the conversation they overheard, they became increasingly certain that there was a terrifying expert secretly guiding Da Ming and Er Ming.

The Beast God's expression became serious as he said, "Listen to my commands later. Only if absolutely necessary should you take action on your own."

The others nodded; they understood that if a tremendously powerful expert did arrive and a major battle ensued here, it might damage the grand formation and expose their location. Therefore, they needed to ascertain who the newcomers were and what their intentions were.

...

"It's so dark here," Xiao Wu remarked.

They were walking through the deep forest, surrounded by towering trees that dwarfed even the Titan Giant Ape in height. The dense branches and leaves blocked the sunlight, with only occasional slivers of light penetrating through.

The ground was covered with dead branches and fallen leaves, forming a thick layer. The air in the darkness carried a faintly decaying odor.

"There are no signs of spirit beasts ever being here," Xiao Wu's mother said.

They hadn't seen a single spirit beast, not even ones from the plant type.

The oppressive, dark atmosphere finally became too much for Xiao Wu to bear, and she asked, "Ao Tian, how much longer until we can get out of here?"

Ao Tian turned and said, "We're almost there. The owner of this place is already waiting for us."

The group continued to advance, passing through several tall mountains. Suddenly, their field of vision opened up, and they emerged from the dark and damp forested area.

In front of them, seven individuals of varying appearances stood in a row, their gazes all fixed on Ao Tian.

To their astonishment, the leader appeared to be a child.

They had speculated earlier that the one guiding Da Ming and Er Ming here was a powerful individual. However, now that they saw the leader's youthful appearance, it was difficult to associate him with a powerful expert.

Among them, someone couldn't help but close their eyes and use their spiritual power to observe Ao Tian.

However, in their spiritual power's perception, they found no trace of Ao Tian's presence.

Yet when they opened their eyes, Ao Tian was standing right before them, alive and well.

This made them even more vigilant and wary.

The Beast God's face broke into a smile, and he laughed heartily, saying, "It's been a long time since we had esteemed guests. Welcome, welcome."

Xiao Wu and her group scanned the individuals before them and were filled with confusion.

Ao Tian had said that everyone here was a spirit beast, but why were they all in human form?

Xiao Wu and her mother, as well as Da Ming and Er Ming, remained silent. The people before them exuded a formidable aura, causing them to shudder involuntarily.

Judging solely by their aura, the strength of these individuals was terrifying, far surpassing that of 100,000-year spirit beasts.