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After entering Sunset Forest, Yang Xiong became extremely cautious.
Sunset Forest was known as one of the three great spirit beast forests, teeming with abundant spirit beast resources. While it might not house any ten-thousand-year spirit beasts, there were still plenty of high-level ones.
In particular, Sunset Forest covered an expansive area—though not as vast as the Great Star Dou Forest, its diameter spanned hundreds of kilometers, and its depths remained shrouded in mystery. It was home to several spirit beasts aged between seventy and eighty thousand years.
An eighty-thousand-year spirit beast was roughly equivalent to a top-tier Soul Dou Luo in strength and could serve as an excellent ninth soul ring for a soul master. Its power was nothing short of extraordinary.
Yang Xiong had meticulously studied the map of Sunset Forest beforehand and gained a general understanding of its layout. However, upon stepping into the forest, he truly grasped the terror it held.
The ground was overgrown with all kinds of weeds, with only faint, barely visible paths winding through.
The trees came in endless varieties—tall and short, all brimming with vitality. Though not all were spirit beasts, their ages were undoubtedly ancient.
However, Sunset Forest was also perilous. Spirit beasts would occasionally leap out from among the dense undergrowth. If not for Yang Xiong's keen perception abilities, he might have easily fallen victim to an ambush.
Given the terrifying environment of Sunset Forest, normal movement was excruciatingly slow, especially for a Soul Grandmaster like Yang Xiong. He estimated that even covering ten kilometers in a day would be difficult.
Whenever he encountered a spirit beast, Yang Xiong quickly evaded it. Engaging in combat with spirit beasts in the forest and getting injured was strictly taboo.
In just half a day, Yang Xiong encountered seven or eight thousand-year spirit beasts, with even more hundred-year ones. The variety of spirit beasts here far exceeded those near the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect—but so did the danger.
One particularly harrowing encounter was with a thousand-year Iron Bone Snake. This snake concealed itself in the grass, completely masking its presence—it emitted no soul power fluctuations or heat signatures, behaving like a stealthy hunter.
When Yang Xiong passed by at a mere five-meter distance, the snake suddenly attacked, startling him.
Such a close-range assault from a thousand-year spirit beast was impossible for an ordinary Soul Grandmaster to evade, and even a Soul Elder could be killed effortlessly.
Yang Xiong felt a violent force slam into his body, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. It felt as though his bones were scattering, and several ribs seemed broken.
At this critical moment, Yang Xiong's figure flickered, and he teleported away, putting dozens of meters between himself and the snake.
But the Iron Bone Snake reacted with incredible speed, swiftly pursuing him. Its speed even surpassed that of a newly minted Soul Ancestor, suggesting it was over two thousand years old.
Gritting his teeth, Yang Xiong summoned his external soul bone—the Xuan Ming Armor. A massive turtle shell, two meters in diameter, enveloped his entire body, shielding him completely.
The Xuan Ming Armor had two modes of use. In its defensive form, it transformed into a colossal turtle shell that completely encased the user, resembling a giant tortoise.
Though originally only five hundred years old, after years of cultivation, the Xuan Ming Armor had reached the thousand-year level.
The Iron Bone Snake, at less than ten meters long and forty centimeters thick, was left helpless against the two-meter-wide shell.
With the Xuan Ming Armor's formidable defense, even a thousand-year Iron Bone Snake—or even a thousand-year Titan Ape—would struggle to break through.
Moreover, given the sheer size of the Xuan Ming Armor, the Iron Bone Snake couldn't possibly swallow it, let alone digest it.
According to Yang Xiong's estimation, no spirit beast below the ten-thousand-year mark could harm the Xuan Ming Armor, unless it was one of the rarest and most powerful spirit beasts.
The Xuan Ming Turtle's (Mysterious Turtle) defense was legendary—even opponents a full realm higher might fail to kill it. Yang Xiong's Xuan Ming Armor replicated this exceptional defense almost perfectly. Turtles were the epitome of defensive creatures, their shells covering their entire bodies without any weak points. They could withstand forces dozens or even hundreds of times their own weight, and the Xuan Ming Turtle stood at the pinnacle of turtle-type spirit beasts.
In addition, the Xuan Ming Armor had two forms and defensive soul skills. Were it not for the awkward appearance of fighting while wearing a turtle shell, it would be the ideal defensive soul bone. Once it reached the ten-thousand-year level, Yang Xiong could likely traverse Sunset Forest with impunity.
The Iron Bone Snake stared at the massive turtle shell, unwilling to give up its prey. It bit down on the Xuan Ming Armor with its sharp fangs, but the shell didn't budge an inch.
Even when the snake coiled its entire body around the shell, attempting to crush it with sheer force, the Xuan Ming Armor remained unyielding.
After half an hour of futile effort, the Iron Bone Snake finally gave up and slithered away, frustrated.
Yang Xiong, hiding inside the Xuan Ming Armor, had been extremely anxious. Only after confirming that the snake was powerless against him did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Once he was sure the Iron Bone Snake had completely left, Yang Xiong retracted the Xuan Ming Armor and quickly departed.
This was Yang Xiong's first brush with mortal danger in Sunset Forest. Fortunately, he had life-saving measures at his disposal. An ordinary Soul Master would have perished instantly.
If the dangers during the day were visible, then at night, Sunset Forest transformed into a terrifying predator, as if ready to devour any human who dared to enter.
Visibility at night was extremely poor, and many dark-attribute spirit beasts could conceal their soul power fluctuations entirely. At night, the spirit beast forest became a true hunting ground.
Yang Xiong dug a hole in the ground and surrounded it with feces from high-level spirit beasts to deter weaker ones.
Throughout the night, Yang Xiong remained on edge. He couldn't sleep or meditate fully, as the forest was home to countless bizarre spirit beasts. Any attack needed to be dealt with immediately, especially since some spirit beasts possessed mental attacks. Even a moment of carelessness could prove fatal.
The first day was the most nerve-wracking for Yang Xiong, leaving him constantly on edge. It was the first time in his life that he had lived in such a dangerous environment. Thankfully, his mindset was far beyond that of an ordinary eleven-year-old; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to endure such prolonged tension.
One of Yang Xiong's goals in coming to the spirit beast forest was to train in this perilous environment. After all, soul masters could only truly grow through danger.
Over the next few days, Yang Xiong gradually adapted to the harsh conditions of Sunset Forest. He was immensely grateful for having mastered Heart Separation Control beforehand, allowing him to simultaneously focus on his surroundings while cultivating.
(A/N: The turtle shell won't be used too often. Once the back armor evolves, it will be truly perfect.)
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