After that fateful meeting, Chu Tianxiu settled into a routine deep within the Star Dou Great Forest. With Da Ming's assistance, he hunted several Man-Faced Demon Spiders, successfully raising the age of his first spirit ring to the desired 50,000 years.
In Da Ming's own words, the Man-Faced Demon Spiders were a blight upon the forest; Chu Tianxiu's extermination of them was considered a service to the ecosystem.
Perhaps because his first memories in this world were of surviving in a soul beast forest, Chu Tianxiu felt strangely at ease in this primal environment. The only source of minor annoyance was the constant, restless energy between his two powerful companions, the Amethyst Winged Lion King and the Titan Giant Ape.
It was possible their initial clash had sparked a rivalry, for if Chu Tianxiu and Da Ming weren't vigilant, Old Zi and Er Ming would inevitably find a reason to start brawling.
Although the Amethyst Winged Lion King was slightly weaker than the Titan Giant Ape, its ability to fly made their clashes intensely competitive. However, Da Ming usually resided at the bottom of the lake and rarely appeared, leaving Chu Tianxiu to often play the role of mediator between the two.
Old Zi's loyalty to Chu Tianxiu was absolute, so the lion would cease fighting the moment Chu Tianxiu gave the order. Er Ming, however, was not so easily persuaded.
As a hundred-thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape, ferocity and combativeness were woven into Er Ming's very bones. Left with no other choice, Chu Tianxiu began to intervene personally. While Chu Tianxiu's physical strength was comparable to a powerful offensive Soul Emperor, it was still no match for Er Ming, the King of Soul Beasts. Every time they clashed, Chu Tianxiu's body would ache for hours afterward. If Er Ming hadn't been holding back significantly, Chu Tianxiu would have been meeting his ancestors.
To his surprise, he discovered that his physical strength and soul power increased after each brutal session with Er Ming. A portion of the lingering medicinal energy from the Eight-Cornered Mystic Ice Grass and the Fiery Apricot Blossom, which had previously remained dormant in his body, was gradually absorbed and integrated through the repeated impacts.
Gradually, instead of stopping the fights, Chu Tianxiu began to actively seek sparring sessions with Er Ming. The simple-minded ape welcomed all of Chu Tianxiu's challenges without hesitation. The human soul masters it had encountered before were typically as fragile as paper; a single slap would reduce them to paste. This human, who could actually withstand its blows and grow stronger from them, was a novel and welcome companion.
On a new day, two fists of vastly different sizes collided once more, creating shockwaves that tore up the mud and grass beneath their feet. The Amethyst Winged Lion King lay nearby, watching the battle while yawning boredly. It couldn't understand why its master, who had initially come to mediate its disputes with the "damned monkey," was now the one enthusiastically fighting the creature. 'Human thinking is truly incomprehensible.'
Just then, the Titan Ape's fist suddenly exerted more force, blasting Chu Tianxiu backward.
Chu Tianxiu crashed through several saplings before skidding to a halt in a small crater. He climbed out, rubbing his sore arm. Seeing the Titan Ape still looking eager for more, he quickly waved his hand. "Er Ming, let's stop here for today. Any more and my bones will protest."
Er Ming could only reluctantly withdraw its fist, its expression one of mild disappointment.
Seeing this, Chu Tianxiu slowly moved to its side, leaning against Er Ming's massive, warm body. "Alright, you know how much your punches sting. I'll spar with you again when I've recovered." Hearing this, Er Ming happily nodded. Two enormous, surprisingly gentle fingers carefully gripped Chu Tianxiu's torso and placed him securely on its broad shoulder.
After spending this time together, a genuine, deep friendship had developed between Chu Tianxiu, Da Ming, and Er Ming. While Chu Tianxiu's initial intention had been to utilize these two powerful hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, their simple loyalty and straightforward nature had won him over, especially Er Ming's. Unlike Da Ming, who possessed the cunning and intelligence of an adult, Er Ming's thinking was more akin to a child's.
Despite its immense power, Er Ming was inherently simple-minded and pure. Chu Tianxiu had grown fond of this adorable "little brother" and had taken to teaching it human language whenever he had time. With Chu Tianxiu's persistent efforts, Er Ming was finally able to speak a few simple, gruff words.
Looking at Chu Tianxiu perched on its shoulder, it struggled to form the words. "Brother Xiu... when... bring Sister Xiaowu... back?"
Chu Tianxiu patted its rock-hard shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll bring her back to see you and Da Ming when I have the chance." Er Ming clapped its hands together with a sound like thunder, its joy evident.
Seeing the excited Er Ming, Chu Tianxiu didn't disturb it further. He flipped down and landed softly on the ground, assuming a cross-legged position to begin his meditation. After these days of intense physical training, his soul power level was also rising rapidly. He had already reached level twenty-seven, only three levels away from obtaining his third spirit ring—progress that exceeded even his own expectations. Therefore, he planned to reach level thirty as soon as possible.
A month later, Chu Tianxiu, who had been sitting cross-legged on the ground, exhaled a long breath of turbid air. He stood up and muttered to himself, 'Finally, level thirty. Now I can start considering my third spirit ring.'
Because he had stayed in the Star Dou Great Forest for so long, he was afraid his sister Dong'er would worry. Every week, he sent the Amethyst Winged Lion King back to the Spirit Hall to report his safety. Therefore, Old Zi wasn't by his side at the moment.
Chu Tianxiu also began to communicate with the system, which hadn't made its presence known for a while.
Chu Tianxiu asked,
At first, Chu Tianxiu didn't react, but when he did, a wave of cold anger washed over him. The two spirit beasts beside him were Da Ming and Er Ming. He immediately launched into a mental tirade.
Chu Tianxiu, unusually feeling a flicker of embarrassment, retorted,
Chu Tianxiu thought: 'I have a few choice words for you, but I'm too refined to say them.'
Seeing that Chu Tianxiu was on the verge of a system-induced meltdown, the interface regained its professionalism.
Chu Tianxiu nodded after hearing this. He could obtain his third spirit ring directly and instantly; this kind of one-stop service was exactly what he preferred.
He withdrew his consciousness and called out to Er Ming. "Er Ming, I'm going to hunt. I'll be back soon." The Titan Giant Ape grunted in understanding. Chu Tianxiu then turned and rushed swiftly towards the lair of the Earth Demon Bears, the system's coordinates clear in his mind.