"Er Ming, this is as far as you go. If you follow me any further, it'll easily draw attention and cause trouble."
"Go back quickly. I'll come back to see you and Da Ming again in the future."
Under the starry night, faint starlight sprinkled down.
Deep within the outer circle of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Xiao Wu reined in her aura, and her three spirit rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—slowly disappeared.
She spoke faintly to the giant, dark Titan Giant Ape behind her, signaling for him to leave.
It was also after Snake Woman had left the Star Dou Great Forest with Zhu Zhuqing and Meng Yiran that night, Zhao Wuji took Oscar to hunt for other spirit rings in the Star Dou Great Forest. The Titan Giant Ape sensed Xiao Wu's aura, came to find her, and took her away from Shrek's team.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xiao Wu also successfully condensed her third spirit ring.
The Titan Giant Ape was somewhat reluctant to part, but urged by Xiao Wu, he slowly walked deeper into the forest.
"Phew~ I wonder how Third Brother and the others are doing now. They're probably very worried about me, right?"
"I need to hurry back and find them."
"No, if I go back this clean, it'll definitely arouse their suspicion. Third Brother is so smart…"
"Got it!"
Xiao Wu walked to a clear stream where the sound of flowing water rippled under the night sky, and the silver crescent moon reflected in the stream, like a scene from a fairy tale.
She scooped up some mud by the stream and smeared it on herself, making herself dirty. Feeling it still wasn't enough, she tore her clothes slightly, then untied her scorpion braid and messed it up.
It was only when Xiao Wu, with her scorpion braid hanging down, looked at herself in the clear stream until her appearance resembled someone who had escaped a disaster that she was satisfied.
But the moment she pulled back her messy scorpion braid, Xiao Wu froze, as if she had seen something incredible.
She couldn't help but lower her head, looking at a spot upstream in the stream from the same angle.
She saw clear, trickling stream water washing over bluestones, illuminated by the faint silver moon. Two fierce thousand-year Spirit Beasts were tethered nearby, their eyes unfocused, seemingly bewildered by something.
And in the stream not far from those two thousand-year Spirit Beasts, a peerlessly handsome young man with an extraordinary physique, whose every movement seemed to stir the World's destiny, had just emerged from bathing in the stream.
The young man's hair was still wet, his strong, fair upper body exposed, eight exquisite abdominal muscles like a work of art, with white mist swirling around him as if he were in a fairyland.
"So… so exquisite… such a handsome man…"
"How can there be such a beautiful human in this World…"
Xiao Wu just stood there, unable to make a single move, her eyes fixed, unable to look away.
Drip~
Drip-drop~
Drip-drop——