Journey through the Forest

In the forest, the team from the Martial Soul Hall continued their journey. Though they were not moving fast, they had already covered about five to six miles, approaching the heart of the forest. The closer they got to the centre, the scarcer the traces of spirit beasts, as spirit beasts generally roamed the outer and middle layers. Soul masters hunted these soul beasts for their spirit rings, and lower-level soul masters even killed them for their fur and meat to trade in the market for income.

Therefore, there were hardly any soul beasts remaining in the outer layer, and the centre was reserved for powerful and older soul beasts.

In the distance, there was a mysterious figure following the team from the Spirit Hall.

This person was none other than Ye Chen. At the moment, sweat beads had formed on his forehead, as tracking them for such a long time was somewhat demanding.

His mission was to protect Xiao Wu and her mother. However, Ye Chen had a different approach in mind. Instead of directly searching for Xiao Wu and her mother, he decided to follow Spirit Hall's team. He believed that this way, he could quickly locate Xiao Wu.

Additionally, even if he found Xiao Wu and her mother now, what would he say to them? Spirit beasts were very wary of soul masters, and if they misunderstood him, things could get complicated. Moreover, the Spirit Hall had sent out so many people for this mission, and they must be well-prepared and well-informed.

Therefore, Ye Chen thought it best to follow the Spirit Hall's team, believing that it would lead him to Xiao Wu eventually.

Furthermore, in the last mission, Ye Chen had an experience card for a level 99 Transcendent Douluo. Although his role was protection this time, the difficulty of the task was not inferior to that of killing Qian Xunji.

This time, apart from facing the formidable Bibi Dong, he also had to deal with her two followers. In Ye Chen's memory, these two followers had the highest strength at the 95th rank, but that was their peak strength. During the hunting operation, they probably wouldn't be at their strongest and would likely be around the 90th rank.

In the Martial Soul Hall's hierarchy of elders, the most powerful one was undoubtedly the Golden Crocodile Douluo. The remaining elders were all above the 95th level, but these powerful Douluos didn't obey Bibi Dong.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were considered the weakest among the elders.

However, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo had a martial soul fusion skill called " the two-pole Still Field," a dual-attribute domain that could simultaneously restrict the opponent's skills and movements.

Although this soul skill only had control effects and no damage, in high-level combat, an unexpected control skill could create more space for their teammates to unleash their attacks.

The Spirit Hall's team moved forward rapidly without using much soul power. They relied on their own physical qualities to travel such a long distance without showing any signs of fatigue.

Ye Chen estimated that they were all Soul Kings or near that level.

Around twenty Soul Kings and three Douluos, they were going all out for this operation.

In the serene forest, only the sound of boots rubbing against the ground could be heard, making it eerily quiet yet mysterious.

"Stop!"

The leader, a middle-aged man, suddenly halted his steps. His eyes were filled with countless gleams, as if he had discovered something.

He waved his hand to signal the team behind him to stop. The entire procession came to a halt, and the entire forest fell into silence, deathly quiet.

All the soul masters turned their gazes ahead, trying to figure out what was going on.

High up in the trees, Ye Chen also stopped, his gaze fixed in the distance. He could barely see a yellow figure about two hundred meters away. With his strength as a Transcendent Douluo, his physical strength already surpassed that of ordinary people, and his vision was also far superior. He could see much further than others.

Apparently, the leader had noticed it too.

"Spread out and surround it!" The leader calmly issued the command, and all the soul masters swiftly dispersed, encircling the figure in the distance, gradually tightening the circle.

The circle was divided into three layers. The first layer consisted of attack and defence-type soul masters, the second layer comprised support-type soul masters providing assistance to the others, and the third layer consisted of defence-type soul masters and a few attack-type soul masters responsible for perimeter defence to prevent any sudden attacks.

However, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo merely looked on with interest, standing by the carriage. They could easily delegate minor tasks to their subordinates. Their main responsibility was to protect Bibi Dong's safety.

The encirclement gradually narrowed, and the soul masters finally saw what they had surrounded.

It was an adult tiger, covered in yellow and white stripes. Its eyes were as fierce as copper bells, and it was over three meters long. However, what caught their attention the most was the little girl on the tiger's back.

The girl was around four or five years old (possibly even younger). Her scorpion braids were black, and her cute little face was rosy. She wore a light pink dress, and her beautiful and tender appearance was exceptionally charming. Her pair of bright eyes seemed exceptionally lively, making people feel an irresistible urge to protect her.

The girl was riding on the tiger's back, clutching its large ears with her small, delicate hands. The tiger showed no signs of anger; instead, it was very obedient.

This unique scene left all the soul masters of the Martial Soul Hall dumbfounded.

Since when could a soul master be so close to a soul beast?

While some soul masters had the ability to tame soul beasts as their contracted spirits, how could such a young girl, who probably hadn't even undergone the Awakening Ritual, manage to control such a large tiger? It seemed impossible!

The tiger's sharp eyes locked onto the uninvited guests, and it let out a low roar, attempting to drive them away.

The soul masters from the Spirit Hall were all Soul Kings with numerous members, so they could sense that this tiger's strength was probably over eight thousand years. Still, they weren't too afraid because they had Soul Douluo backing them up, making them feel confident.

The situation reached a stalemate, and the Martial Soul Hall's soul masters eventually turned their gazes to the carriage, seeking the opinion of the Supreme Pontiff.

"Kikikiki~" A silver bell-like laughter suddenly came from inside the carriage.

A slender jade hand rested on the wooden door of the carriage.