"Xiong Jun, don't cause trouble," the Beast God commanded, his voice filled with authority and domineering power.
Xiong Jun's eyes were extremely defiant, but he didn't speak again.
The group's immense mental power extended outward, piercing through the deep, secluded forest and appearing within the Stone Forest, where they sensed Xiao Wu and the others.
"It's that little monkey from back then, and that long snake with the ox head," the woman in the emerald green dress said with a smile.
The Beast God's stern expression softened slightly. "They have already grown into hundred-thousand-year soul beasts. They have the potential to become one of us. As soul beasts, we should unite. Humans are our true enemies."
Some of those present nodded slowly, agreeing with the Beast God's words.
"So, should we let them in this time?" the green-dressed woman asked.
The Beast God shook his head. "Their strength is still somewhat lacking, and having them remain on the periphery can also deter those greedy human soul masters. We'll consider it again when their strength improves further."
The woman in the green dress nodded.
On the other side of the Beast God, a beautiful woman in purple said, "Why are there two humans on that little monkey's shoulders? When did they start associating with humans?"
The expressions of everyone present subtly changed.
The purple-clad woman continued, "I remember there were also two rabbits with them. Why aren't they together now?"
"They're probably dead," the Beast God sighed. "We guard this place and occasionally fall into a deep sleep, so we can't always keep an eye on what's going on outside."
"So, now that they're with humans, should we...?"
The Beast God shook his head. "We don't know what their relationship is with those two human women. Let's observe for a while. If they've truly been misled by humans, then we'll need to guide them back to the right path."
"Hey, they don't seem to be affected by the array. They're about to leave the Stone Forest," the woman in green said, her voice tinged with surprise.
"Just luck," Xiong Jun said dismissively. "As long as they take a wrong step, they'll never get through the Stone Forest."
He was still a bit resentful; if the Beast God hadn't stopped him, he would have rushed out long ago.
As soon as he finished speaking, the Beast God said, "They made it through."
His spiritual power sensed that Da Ming, Er Ming, and Xiao Wu, mother and daughter, had passed through the Stone Forest and appeared before the dense forest.
As for Long Ma and Ao Tian, they didn't seem to be sensed.
Xiong Jun said, "That Stone Forest is just the outer perimeter of the Maze Array. They only got through because of luck. There's no way they can get through the forest."
The others present nodded slightly, agreeing with Xiong Jun's assessment.
If one's spiritual power wasn't exceptionally strong, immune to the array's influence, they couldn't enter this place.
A handsome young man, radiating an aura of evil, said, "I was planning on going back to sleep, but watching these little ones navigate the Maze Array is actually quite entertaining."
Ao Tian stopped after exiting the Stone Forest.
Da Ming and Er Ming followed, their minds utterly blown.
Er Ming said admiringly, "Senior Ao, you're amazing! How about you take me as your little brother?"
Xiao Wu's eyes were sparkling. "Ao Tian, you're so incredible!"
At this point, they were convinced that Ao Tian was perfectly capable of leading them inside.
"Let's go," Ao Tian said, and continued forward.
...
In the core area, the Beast God and the others were all stunned.
"Who is this Senior Ao the little monkey is talking about? And who is Ao Tian that the little girl mentioned?" the green-robed woman wondered.
The Beast God frowned deeply, saying, "From what they said, this Senior Ao and Ao Tian are the same person, and they were able to pass through the Stone Forest because of this Ao Tian."
"How is that possible? Why didn't my mental power detect this person's existence?" Xiong Jun looked unconvinced.
The green-robed woman said, "There's a possibility that this person's mental power is far stronger than all of ours."
Xiong Jun scoffed, saying, "That's even more impossible. The Beast God is already the strongest on the Douluo Continent, with a cultivation base comparable to a demigod. Who could be stronger than him?"
The Beast God frowned and said, "Don't be careless. This world isn't just one continent. If there really is an unknown strong person arriving, we might have a big battle. Our secrets here absolutely cannot be leaked."
The Beast God finished speaking, and everyone's hearts skipped a beat. They immediately began to adjust their states, preparing for battle.
Their mental power continued to observe Da Ming and Er Ming. Through the overheard conversation, they became increasingly certain that there was a terrifyingly strong expert secretly guiding Da Ming and Er Ming.
The Beast God's expression was grim. "Listen to my commands later. Do not act without authorization unless absolutely necessary."
The others all nodded. They understood that if a terrifyingly strong expert really came, a great battle here could destroy the array and expose this place.
Therefore, they had to determine who was coming and what their purpose was.
"It's so dark here," Xiao Wu said.
They were walking in a deep, dark forest. The surrounding trees were shockingly tall; even the Titan Giant Ape's height was less than half of these trees.
The dense foliage blocked out the sunlight, allowing only occasional glimmers to penetrate.
The ground was covered in a thick layer of dead leaves and branches, and a musty smell permeated the darkness.
"There are no signs of soul beast activity here," Xiao Wu's mother said.
They hadn't seen a single soul beast, not even a plant-type one.
The oppressive silence and darkness finally became too much for Xiao Wu, and she asked, "Ao Tian, how much longer until we get out of here?"
Ao Tian turned his head and said, "It won't be long. The master of this place is already waiting for us."
The group continued forward, passing between several tall mountains. Their vision cleared, and they finally emerged from the dark, damp forest.
Before them, seven figures of varying forms stood in a line, their gazes fixed on Ao Tian.
It was actually a child? They were all astonished.
Based on their previous assumptions, they had figured the person leading Da Ming and Er Ming into their territory was a powerful individual.
But now, this appearance of the other party made it difficult to associate them with strength.
Some of them couldn't help but close their eyes, using their spiritual power to observe Ao Tian.
However, in their spiritual perception, they couldn't detect Ao Tian's presence.
Yet, when they opened their eyes, Ao Tian was standing right in front of them, very much alive.
This made them even more wary and apprehensive.
The Beast God smiled, laughing heartily, "It's been a long time since we've had such distinguished guests. Welcome, welcome."
Xiao Wu and the others scanned the group before them, a look of confusion on their faces.
Didn't Ao Tian say everyone here was a soul beast? Why are they all in human form?
Xiao Wu, her mother, Da Ming, and Er Ming didn't dare to speak. Each of the people in front of them radiated a terrifying aura, causing their hearts to tremble.
Judging by their auras alone, the strength of these individuals was terrifying, far exceeding that of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.