NOVEL WEB Chapter 136: Soul Beast Fossil!
The fall of the Xuanming Sect was first reported to the Douling Empire, which also became the first to respond. High-ranking powerhouses at the Titled Douluo level were immediately dispatched to investigate the Xuanming Sect's ruins and hunt down Compassionate Demon.
Even the Nation-Guarding Douluo, Tianyang Douluo, was alarmed by the news. He personally arrived at the Xuanming Sect's ruins to search for any trace of Compassionate Demon.
Soon after, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect also received word and sent out personnel—both to gather intelligence and to eliminate potential threats. As a massive and influential sect, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect feared becoming the next target—especially by someone bold enough to kill and rob with impunity.
Other forces within the Douling Empire likewise sent out teams to investigate and simultaneously bolstered their own defenses, with some even preemptively relocating their core members.
For a time, the entire Douling Empire was on edge, like birds startled by the mere sound of wind.
Shrek Academy, upon receiving the news, also took action. Elder Lin and two other Pavilion Elders—three Super Douluos in total—led Xu Sanshi and other members of the Inspection Team to the Douling Empire.
At the White Tiger Duke's estate, the Duchess flew into a mix of shock and rage when she heard the news. She, too, dispatched people to track down Compassionate Demon, vowing to avenge Dai Yueheng. His death remained a permanent scar in her heart. In fact, many of the Duke's subsequent misfortunes stemmed from that incident.
Meanwhile, the Star Luo Empire and the Heavenly Soul Empire chose to remain on the sidelines.
This time, it was their turn to laugh at the Douling Empire's misfortune.
Perhaps only the Sun Moon Empire and the Holy Spirit Church were considering recruiting Compassionate Demon. After all this, the former Three Douluo Kingdoms likely had no place left for him.
And the culprit behind it all— Compassionate Demon, or more accurately, Huo Yuhao—had now ventured deep underground into a strange location.
Following a pitch-black tunnel beneath the secret chamber, Huo Yuhao walked for quite some time before reaching its end.
The passage was dark and seemingly unremarkable—clearly man-made, albeit crudely dug.
But at the tunnel's end, an entirely different world unfolded before him.
A wave of salty, damp air hit his face—it was the smell of seawater. Clearly, the end of this tunnel connected to the ocean, possibly through an underground waterway.
Using his night vision, Huo Yuhao saw a vast cavern at the end of the tunnel. The cave was irregularly shaped, resembling a large "concave" character (凹), and indeed, it connected to a water channel.
Huo Yuhao immediately realized that this cave was neither naturally formed nor dug by humans. The claw marks on its walls confirmed—it had been excavated by a soul beast.
"Brother Hao, what is this place?" The Skydream Iceworm floated out from his spiritual sea, asking curiously.
"This?" Huo Yuhao smiled, gazing at a protruding rock formation in the cave. "This is a tomb—more precisely, a soul beast's tomb."
The Skydream Iceworm followed his gaze toward the massive protruding rock.
The rock stood over 50 meters tall and nearly 100 meters long, merging seamlessly with the cave wall. Though damp and seemingly ordinary at first glance, it radiated a mysterious aura.
Aside from its size, the Skydream Iceworm didn't notice anything special—until he probed it with his spiritual power and was shocked to discover that it blocked his mental scan.
Just then, the Golden Tortoise—no, it had evolved and should now be called the Golden Xuanwu—stuck out its head and stared in awe at the rock's direction. "Whoa, there's something extraordinary hidden over there."
With the Golden Tortoise's bloodline having fully evolved, it had now become a Golden Xuanwu!
A soul master with the Xuanming Turtle martial soul could absorb a Golden Tortoise soul ring and evolve into a Xuanwu, passing that power on to descendants. Likewise, the Golden Tortoise, having absorbed a Xuanming Turtle's bloodline, could also evolve into a Golden Xuanwu.
Yet the Golden Xuanwu was not the pinnacle—above gold-ranked was the dark-gold rank, an even nobler existence in the Douluo Continent.
With its enhanced control over water elements, the Golden Xuanwu sensed more clearly the formidable power hidden within the massive rock.
Huo Yuhao glanced up at his Fortune Pillar, and the jade bi (a type of ceremonial jade disc) floating within it began to glow—as if telling him that a great opportunity lay ahead.
Approaching the enormous rock, Huo Yuhao examined it carefully and found a crevice beneath it. The crevice looked as though it had been deliberately carved, and just beneath it sat a stone bowl.
The bowl contained several drops of crystal-clear liquid that appeared to have seeped from the rock above.
After inspecting the liquid, Huo Yuhao sniffed it and sensed a strange power hidden within. Boldly, he tasted a drop.
"Pff, a bit salty." Though he said that, he was sure the liquid was no ordinary substance. Upon ingestion, it subtly strengthened his body—though the energy within was wild and not something ordinary people could consume safely.
He stored the liquid away.
Then, he looked at the rock.
"The thing producing the liquid must be inside this rock," Huo Yuhao said with a grin.
He adjusted his posture, calmed his mind, and then launched a punch at the rock—BANG!
The full-force blow from a Rank 99 Ultimate Douluo only left a fist imprint on the surface. It didn't break the rock.
As expected, Huo Yuhao wasn't surprised. Next, his eyes gleamed with a blue light as he invoked the power of the Sea God.
The ocean-blue energy wrapped around his fist.
BOOM!
With his punch infused with the Sea God's power, the force instantly spread across the entire rock. Cracks began to appear all over the surface, and through those cracks, bursts of blue energy leaked out.
RUMBLE—
The entire cave began to tremble violently, as if it might collapse at any moment.
As the cracks widened, the rock finally shattered completely under the brilliance of the Sea God's power, revealing the entity hidden within.
Thankfully, the cave held together and didn't collapse.
The Skydream Iceworm and the Golden Xuanwu rushed forward, eyes wide in astonishment.
Inside that massive rock was a beast's corpse—to be exact, a soul beast fossil!
Though only bones remained, the moment they emerged, a terrifying pressure spread from them. Rich water-elemental energy swirled around the fossilized remains.
No one doubted the power this soul beast possessed during its lifetime.
"It must have at least been a demigod-level soul beast, maybe even stronger!" Huo Yuhao marveled.
But it definitely wasn't a true god—Huo Yuhao had seen god corpses before and could tell the difference.
From just the bones and the traces left behind, neither Huo Yuhao nor his companions could determine what species the beast had been.
All they could tell was that it was enormous—around 30 to 40 meters tall, and over 100 meters long. It seemed like a hybrid of snake, whale, and dragon.
"Perhaps it was an ancient soul beast or even a variant beast. Those are usually different from modern species," the Golden Xuanwu speculated.
Huo Yuhao and the Skydream Iceworm nodded in agreement.
Next, Huo Yuhao cleaned up the fossil and extended his left hand to activate a divine ability, storing the soul beast fossil away.
Though it was only a fossil, it still held tremendous value for Huo Yuhao—more than most could imagine.
"The fossil originated from a pure water-attributed soul beast, suspected to be over a million years old. Judging from the fossil's condition, this beast suffered a fatal wound before death. It likely came underground and dug itself a grave. Due to some special circumstances, it eventually fossilized."
Even though Huo Yuhao wasn't a professional, he could still tell—the conditions in that cave couldn't have produced a fossil naturally.
"The Xu family ancestor of the Xuanming Sect probably discovered the cave first, then dug the underground tunnel leading to the Xu household. However, he likely didn't fully understand the fossil's significance. He merely chiseled open a hole in the rock, allowing the residual power of the fossilized soul beast to seep out, producing a special transparent liquid."
"Judging from its effects, that transparent liquid seems to be one of the key ingredients in the Xuan Shui Pill, which helps soul masters enhance their potential."
This was a reasonable deduction from Huo Yuhao.
"But if that's the case, then the energy will eventually run out. And when that happens, the Xuan Shui Pill will disappear as well."
Even the power of a million-year soul beast isn't infinite. The Skydream Iceworm got drained while still alive—let alone the residual force of a dead fossil.
By the time of the third Douluo era, the Xuan Shui Pill had already vanished. Even the mighty Xuanwu Martial Soul had lost its influence. In the original story, only one soul master with the Xuanwu Shield Martial Soul appears—a complete background character with no name, only a tournament number.
But compared to the fading energy, the truly precious thing was the fossilized remains of that soul beast.
Even Ultimate Douluo couldn't break the rock surrounding it, let alone the soul masters of the Xuanming Sect. Still, the Xu ancestor managed to chisel an opening, which meant a true powerhouse once existed in their lineage.
As for Huo Yuhao, the reason he could open it was entirely due to the power of the Sea God.
Like using a key to open a treasure chest.
That rock could only be broken by god-level force.
Fitting, considering the status of a million-year soul beast—definitely more prestigious than the Skydream Iceworm. That beast's power and cultivation were also superior.
The ocean parted as the golden Xuanwu emerged, striding across the waves before dissolving into the sky. Only Huo Yuhao remained, floating midair.
Following the waterway, Huo Yuhao emerged from the sea onto the eastern coast of the Douling Empire.
While traveling with the golden Xuanwu through the ocean, the aura it gave off deterred all encountered sea soul beasts, preventing any interruptions.
This was also because they hadn't ventured into the deep sea. The truly terrifying sea beasts mostly dwell there, where resources are richer and the elemental water energy more intense.
The vast ocean had bred countless powerful beasts—and hidden countless treasures. Some even included beings like the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, a million-year soul beast.
Unfortunately, these were beyond the reach of soul masters in the current era.
Along the way, Huo Yuhao studied the fossil, mainly focusing on how best to use it.
Sure, he could simply absorb it like nourishment—but that felt like a waste.
The fossil's remaining power wouldn't push his cultivation much further—maybe from demi-god to quasi-god at best. And even without it, Huo Yuhao was already on the verge of breaking through.
Moreover, the fossil didn't just contain soul power—it also included a million-year soul bone that had merged with it. To burn that up casually would be a shame.
Then Huo Yuhao had a bold idea.
He summoned his True Body Clone.
"True Body Clone, do you want a body or not?"
The clone: "???"
After all, the True Body Clone was a divine ability—its strength depended entirely on Huo Yuhao's effort. In a way, Huo Yuhao had become its overworked laborer.
Utter role reversal!
So Huo Yuhao decided to try giving his clone a real body—to let it cultivate independently and feed power back to the original.
Seeing no objection from the clone, Huo Yuhao got to work.
He tossed both the True Body Clone and the fossil into his Heavenly Gourd for refining. This didn't interfere with his own actions, and even if it failed, the clone wouldn't be harmed. The broken fossil would just be refined into nourishment.
After that, Huo Yuhao didn't rush to his next destination but instead explored the eastern coast of the Douling Empire.
It was rumored across the continent that the eastern coast of Douling was rich in rare medicinal herbs. Huo Yuhao wanted to see for himself—and gather a few ingredients.
Sure enough, after a full circuit, Huo Yuhao confirmed the rumors were true. The eastern coast had an abundance of rare herbs for sale, with shops and caravans selling medicinal ingredients everywhere.
Some herbs were sourced from nearby fields, others from the ocean, and a few were imported from elsewhere.
The region's climate was well-suited for growing herbs, and the local elemental energy was dense—ideal for cultivation.
Because of this herbal boom, the market for medicinal pills was also thriving. Many shops in the city sold various elixirs.
Low-level soul masters never hesitated to use pills—especially healing and blood-stopping ones, which were essentials.
That said, the effectiveness of the pills was... mixed, to put it mildly.
Basic pills were usually okay—their quality at least guaranteed to a minimum standard.
But so-called "high-grade" pills? While they worked, the side effects and intensity were completely up to chance.
Douluo Continent had no mature pill-refining system. Making pills was like rolling dough—whatever you got depended on the practitioner's experience.
That's why the original Three Kingdoms of Douluo and Shrek Academy were so opposed to cultivating with pills.
And then—at a local auction—Huo Yuhao spotted a familiar item: his own hand-crafted virility pills, sold in sets of five, and not cheap at all.
These libido-enhancing pills were made in collaboration with Shrek Academy, though most were crafted by other alchemists. Their effects were far inferior to the ones made by Huo Yuhao himself.
Thus, the ones he personally made were packaged as premium goods—expensive and even worthy of the auction house.
Their value stemmed, of course, from demand.
You could call noblemen useless, but you couldn't say they were weak in bed. These wealthy aristocrats had no problem spending big to keep their kidneys in top shape.
As a result, only those with high status could afford Huo Yuhao's handmade pills.
Knowing this, Huo Yuhao never held back—he always added extra "ingredients." Normal soul masters would never detect the tampering unless they were poison masters or elite gu users.
While strolling around the eastern coast, Huo Yuhao also heard plenty of rumors about the Xuanming Sect—but no one had traced anything back to him.
Just as Huo Yuhao was preparing to leave, he unexpectedly ran into two very familiar faces.
It was none other than Tu Xijun and Tyler.
Tu Xijun's family controlled 30% of the Douling Empire's medicinal herb trade, including major interests on the eastern coast. She had come here with Tyler to inspect family business.
It also served as an excuse to leave home—so as to avoid pursuit by the Compassionate Empress.
Seeing that Tu Xijun's phoenix energy had recovered considerably, Huo Yuhao decided to stay an extra day.
One day later—
Huo Yuhao left the eastern coast, while Snow Lotus gleefully absorbed the newly collected phoenix energy.
Back at the hotel—
A completely drained Tu Xijun leaned weakly against the equally limp Tyler. Neither had the strength to rest, for they had both summoned their Martial Souls—staring in astonishment at the changes.
Tu Xijun's Three-Eyed Enchanting Fox Martial Soul now had a third eye between her brows glowing red and blue—as though about to undergo a transformation.
Tyler's Golden Saber-Toothed Tiger Martial Soul had grown larger, fiercer, and emitted an even more intimidating aura—clearly gaining new abilities.
"Young Master, my Martial Soul... it got stronger," Tyler said in disbelief.
"Mine too..." Tu Xijun murmured, stunned. She never imagined that intimacy with Huo Yuhao wouldn't just boost her cultivation—but actually evolve her Martial Soul.
Her gaze burned even hotter.
She understood now—but regretted that her body was too weak to withstand more blessings.
"Tyler, I'll requisition another batch of medicinal herbs from the family to help me cultivate Jade Maiden Scripture and Blossom Bathing Technique. You must also quickly improve your Golden Whip Art and Lion-Tiger Force. Next time, we'll last longer—and gain even more!" Tu Xijun's eyes glowed with ambition.
"Yes, Young Master!" Tyler said, equally fired up.
On the southern path, after spending an entire day and night in a trio with Tu Xijun and Taylor, Huo Yuhao rubbed his aching back. It had been a long time since he had felt this kind of physical fatigue.
Fortunately, with the help of his Snow Lotus and Healing Angel puppet spirits, his body quickly returned to peak condition—he could easily go another day and night if needed.
As for Tu Xijun and Taylor, however, they would need at least half a year to recover.
For an unregistered "wild ride," of course he could go full throttle. Even if something went wrong, no one would ever link it back to Huo Yuhao.
It wasn't that Huo Yuhao had lost his edge—it was simply that Tu Xijun was... special.
She and Taylor were a duo much like Ning Tian and Wu Feng, yet their circumstances were quite different. Ning Tian was more like a mascot, while Tu Xijun was a genuine enchantress.
Moreover, unlike Ning Tian and Wu Feng who had only practiced the foundational Jade Nourishing Art, Tu Xijun had cultivated the more aggressive Jade Maiden Sutra, and both she and Taylor had also studied other, even more advanced techniques.
Tu Xijun was one of only two women able to practice the Jade Maiden Sutra.
The other, Nan Shuishui, relied on sheer personal strength.
Tu Xijun, on the other hand, was born with an innate seductive aura. Combined with the alluring technique Blossom Bathing Art, she had become a formidable force in bed, like an insatiable abyss.
Fortunately, even an abyss cannot consume divine might.
If it weren't for Huo Yuhao's exceptional physique, any ordinary Title Douluo would've been drained dry.
And yet, Tu Xijun hadn't even fully unlocked her physical potential, nor had she reached the peak of the two techniques she was cultivating.
Taylor, for her part, relied solely on body-tempering methods, allowing her to barely keep up with Tu Xijun and Huo Yuhao.
Tu Xijun was the core; Taylor merely played a supporting role.
Huo Yuhao didn't mind having shaped Tu Xijun into what she had become—in fact, he even felt a sense of pride. As her strength grew and her constitution developed, the phoenix energy in her became increasingly rich.
Each "harvest" brought him considerable returns.
Besides, a woman with natural charm was a joy to indulge in. The more her physique was refined, the greater the pleasure.
Huo Yuhao wasn't worried about being turned on or manipulated by Tu Xijun. A little fox like her could never escape his grasp. While Huo Yuhao simply needed to rest for a moment, Tu Xijun had already reached her limit.
After all, Huo Yuhao wasn't just playing with her—he was farming coins off her too.
Leaving the Douling Empire behind, Huo Yuhao traveled south, heading toward the Star Luo Empire.
His destination wasn't the White Tiger Duke's estate—
It was the Star Luo Imperial Tomb.
The White Tiger Duke's household only held interest for him due to its inherent luck and fortune. But thanks to Dai Hao Yao's continuous supply of White Tiger bloodline, Huo Yuhao's desire for more had waned.
What truly drew him in was the imperial dragon energy radiating from the Star Luo Tomb.
Yes, the Heavenly Soul and Douling Empires had their own imperial tombs with dragon energy, but those had been damaged—one by the beast tide from the Extreme North, the other by the destruction of the Xuanming Sect.
The Star Luo Empire, however, had yet to suffer any real catastrophe.
Even the Sun and Moon Empire had already experienced the catastrophic explosion of Mingdu.
And so, Huo Yuhao decided it was time to give the Star Luo Empire its wake-up call.
Naturally, as disasters struck each empire, it became easier for Huo Yuhao to gather their fortunes. To maintain balance and avoid having any single empire dominate, Huo Yuhao ensured they all suffered equally.
If all four empires were in turmoil, it was as if none of them were. For the sake of continental stability, Huo Yuhao worked hard—wasn't it only fair that he be named the Son of Fortune?
Three days later.
In a lush valley on the outskirts of the Star Luo Empire, Huo Yuhao stood observing the environment. The vegetation was dense, and life thrived throughout the landscape.
Through his aura-gazing technique, he saw a golden, dragon-shaped energy rising from the valley—it was unmistakably dragon qi.
Though the emperor was long dead and dragon qi naturally faded over time, a true dragon's might lingered. The empire still stood, and its lingering destiny coiled protectively around the royal tomb.
This valley housed the Star Luo Imperial Tomb—the ancestral graveyard of the royal Xu family.
Imperial tombs, or lingqin, are burial grounds for emperors and royals. They typically include the mausoleum itself and its associated structures. Construction often began when the emperor first ascended the throne. Thanks to the aid of soul masters, there was never a delay where an emperor died before the tomb was complete.
Even for large-scale tombs, with the assistance of powerful soul masters, they could be constructed to near completion in a year or two.
Naturally, the imperial tomb was heavily guarded—with no small number of elite troops.
But "elite" was still relative.
As the blood-red sunset bathed the land, Huo Yuhao walked out of the imperial tomb's military camp, licking the corner of his mouth. Inside the camp, all was deathly still.
"The Star Luo Empire really is formidable—just the tomb guards included five Soul Douluos and one royal Title Douluo nearing the end of his lifespan. Not a bad appetizer," Huo Yuhao mused.
The Title Douluo in question was an elder of the Xu clan, Xu Wei's grand-uncle. With his days numbered, he had been assigned to guard the tomb and would be buried there upon his death.
Though stripped of all real power, he remained a royal and carried a heavy concentration of dragon qi.
"Appetizer down. Time for the main course," Huo Yuhao said as he stepped into the valley. Behind him, the sun dipped completely beneath the horizon.
Opening a tomb in the Douluo Continent was surprisingly simple.
As long as one could deal with the soul tools and traps, which Huo Yuhao could easily crush with his strength, looting the tomb was effortless.
Gold, jewels, ancient treasures—the wealth accumulated within could fund the Star Luo Empire's economy for decades.
That's why imperial tombs were the most valuable targets.
Best of all, there were no corpses rising from the dead on the Douluo Continent.
While tomb security techniques unique to Douluo did exist, they were useless before overwhelming power.
If there were truly any defense mechanisms capable of challenging an Ultimate Douluo, would they be buried in a tomb?
No—they'd be carried by Xu Wei himself as heirlooms of the royal family.
At dawn, as roosters crowed—
Huo Yuhao finally emerged from the Star Luo Imperial Tomb.
The treasures and resources were a bonus. The true reward was the dragon qi, which Huo Yuhao had completely absorbed. The sheer volume of it catalyzed a transformation in his visualization technique.
The "王" (king) mark on his forehead, which he visualized from the White Tiger, turned fully golden. His third eye fully manifested as a divine anomaly, now permanently embedded in his forehead.
His Black Tortoise serpent tail and Heavenly Dragon scales were also enhanced.
The guardian tattoo granted by the Black Tortoise's serpent tail was nearing completion!
As he left, Huo Yuhao cast one final glance at the tomb behind him, a trace of regret flashing across his face.
"A shame there's no real concept of feng shui here on the Douluo Continent. The location of this tomb is decent, but not particularly special. Otherwise, with a little manipulation, it could've been converted into a malevolent site—perfect for corpse refinement."
Refining corpses in an imperial tomb, especially that of an emperor? Huo Yuhao could only imagine the terrifying zombie that might emerge.
Unfortunately, this tomb just didn't have the right conditions.
The Mingdou Mountain Range.
This was the borderland between the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire.
The two sides had long stationed troops across the range, locked in a tense standoff involving occasional skirmishes and probes. With the evolving political climate of both nations, the atmosphere along the range had grown even more strained, and the number of soldiers on the border had steadily increased.
The disappearance of the White Tiger Duke gave the Sun Moon Empire a perceived opportunity. However, the massive explosion in Mingdu served as a firm counterbalance to their aggressive intentions.
Now, the Sun Moon Empire had no appetite for external conflicts and instead prioritized stabilizing its own domestic affairs. Meanwhile, the Star Luo Empire sensed an opening—a chance to counterattack and retaliate against the Sun Moon Empire's prior threats.
Of course, redirecting internal unrest outward first required consensus among both leadership and the populace.
At present, even if the Sun Moon Empire wanted to launch a war, Jing Hongchen would never approve. After all, his beloved grandchildren were still in the hands of Shrek Academy.
And with Jing Hongchen's status, unless he gave the nod, even Xu Tiannan wouldn't be able to move forward with a war. Most high-ranking soul engineers wouldn't support military operations otherwise—Jing Hongchen was still the spiritual leader of the empire's soul engineer community.
Only an explicit decree from the Sun Moon Emperor could initiate war.
Some recent military maneuvers had been aimed at securing such approval.
Though the Sun Moon Empire was still unprepared to fully confront the old Douluo Three Kingdoms and Shrek Academy, the internal crisis within the Star Luo Empire meant their army—now without a leader—posed significantly less of a threat.
The Sun Moon military wasn't planning to directly attack the original three Douluo Kingdoms or Shrek Academy. Instead, they hoped to push the front line beyond the Mingdou Mountains, completing what had been left unfinished by their predecessors, and reap honors and benefits.
But the two explosions in Mingdu caused internal turmoil in the Sun Moon Empire.
The Emperor's stance became unclear.
And with the Emperor still in good health, Xu Tiannan wasn't ready to stage a coup or take action independently.
All these overlapping circumstances created an exceptionally delicate situation in the Sun Moon Empire.
Now, it was only a question of where the balance would first be disrupted.
Due to the rising tensions between the Sun Moon and Star Luo Empires, the border inspections had grown far more stringent, severely impacting cross-border trade.
Smugglers were especially targeted, and any caught were at risk of being executed as enemy spies on the spot.
Many merchant caravans were forced to redirect through the Heaven Soul Empire or take southern waterways to bypass the Star Luo Empire entirely, conducting trade directly between the Sun Moon and Douling Empires.
These new trade routes significantly increased costs, which caused merchants to hike prices, leading to a rise in prices across the Douluo Continent.
Thankfully, both the Sun Moon and Star Luo Empires had strong agricultural foundations and abundant arable land. This kept grain price hikes relatively limited.
However, prices were still on the rise due to the looming threat of war, prompting some to hoard supplies. Although the war hadn't escalated, the potential risk caused a slow but steady climb toward the danger line.
Strict border checkpoints were enforced by both empires.
Anyone wanting to cross now needed powerful backers and squeaky-clean credentials in both countries.
After assessing the situation, Zhang Lexuan decided—she would smuggle herself into the Sun Moon Empire.
Her journey was delayed by the military standoff at the border, but she had no intention of turning back. No matter what, she would reach the Sun Moon Empire.
The intense border scrutiny also made her suspect that the Messenger of Death likely hadn't left the empire—perhaps he was still within. This gave her a glimmer of hope.
At a time like this, legal entry between the two empires required both power and a flawless identity.
Lexuan chose not to rely on her ties with Shrek Academy. Doing so would attract attention the moment she set foot in the empire and would complicate her search for the Messenger of Death.
She also refused to take a detour—the longer the delay, the more likely the Messenger might escape and the greater danger Beibei might face.
That left her with the most dangerous route—illegal entry.
After preparing thoroughly, Lexuan identified a weakly-guarded stretch of the Star Luo border and slipped into the Mingdou Mountains, heading southward—straight toward the Mingdou Forest.
Lexuan didn't dive in unprepared. She had already scouted and mapped out the most viable route.
As the saying goes, "the rougher the seas, the higher the price of the fish." The people of the Douluo Continent understood this, and there were always desperate outlaws running smuggling operations who had already explored viable routes.
Capturing and interrogating two such smugglers gave Lexuan nearly everything she needed to know.
As a Soul Douluo, Lexuan encountered little resistance—unless she ran into a Titled Douluo.
She could have forcefully broken through the border, but to avoid bringing trouble to Shrek Academy or exposing herself, Lexuan chose a low-profile approach.
Both empires stationed Titled Douluo along the border—better safe than sorry.
The route she selected was the one with the greatest physical danger, but the lowest risk of being caught.
The risks came from being discovered by either military; the dangers, from what lay along the path.
The route required her to enter the Mingdou Mountains, travel south into the heart of Mingdou Forest, then pass through its inner zones to finally reach the Sun Moon Empire.
It was the longest and most unpredictable of all options. Though not as treacherous as the Star Dou Forest, the Mingdou Forest was known for mutated soul beasts, which were never easy opponents.
But this very danger made the forest a natural barrier, leading both empires to reduce their patrols along its edges—creating a narrow window of opportunity.
No weak soul master would choose this route. Without strength, they would simply become beast food.
Upon entering the Mingdou Mountains, Lexuan proceeded with utmost caution—not even traveling at full speed.
These mountains weren't safe.
They were the natural defense line and a disputed area. Both empires desired control over them—for the side that controlled them could freely deploy troops, attack or retreat with strategic ease.
But because of the natural obstacles, large military units couldn't be deployed, so both sides sent elite squads to patrol and occupy different sectors. Most skirmishes occurred between these units.
To avoid detection by these squads, Lexuan had to be extremely careful.
Luckily, a Soul Douluo like her could usually avoid military patrols—unless something went seriously wrong.
And often, the greatest threat didn't lie ahead, but behind.
What Lexuan didn't realize was that an ice-blue centipede had been peeking out from behind her all along, quietly observing her every move.
It was a Centipede Leg Clone!
Deep in the Mingdou Mountains, this clone crawled slowly up the arm of a black-robed figure—none other than Huo Yuhao.
Receiving the intel from his clone, he smiled.
"Senior Sister, I've found you~"
The teams the Star Luo Empire dispatched to patrol the Mingdou Mountain Range were divided into two types: combat squads and reconnaissance squads.
Combat squads were the true elites, requiring much greater strength. As a result, they were fewer in number, but each soul master in them had at least three soul rings, with the squad typically led by a Soul King-level powerhouse.
Reconnaissance squads, by contrast, were tasked with scouting and pathfinding. They didn't require overwhelming strength and consisted of many individuals, even including ordinary soldiers. In truth, these soldiers weren't so much for actual reconnaissance as they were a net cast wide—so long as they could give their lives to send a signal, they had fulfilled their purpose. The lives of ordinary soldiers were cheap.
That's the nature of war. Even after sacrificing themselves for the Empire, their families remained beasts of burden under the Empire's yoke.
Though Douluo Dalu is a fantasy world, imperial warfare still relies on piling up the corpses of common soldiers.
Because it works.
Even a typical Titled Douluo could be swarmed and killed by a sufficiently large army.
That was true—until the rise of soul tools, which gradually broke the traditional model of warfare. It was also one of the key reasons the original three nations of the Douluo Continent lost to the Sun Moon Empire.
The original three nations had also wanted to equip their armies with soul tools, but their forces lacked sufficient soul masters, and the number of soul tools the Empire could produce was limited.
These arrangements were born of necessity. In this era, soul masters were far too rare, forcing reliance on common soldiers.
Not every civilian had the chance to awaken a martial soul. Most could only live as ordinary people. As a result, the number of civilian soul masters drastically declined, and the military struggled to replenish its soul master ranks.
Even within the army, it was difficult to recruit large numbers of soul masters. Instead, ordinary people became the main fighting force.
Under these conditions, any soul master joining the military started at the rank of squad leader or higher.
A squad made up entirely of soul masters could already be considered elite.
———
Through his mental detection, Huo Yuhao had a clear grasp of the Star Luo Empire's deployments and detected quite a few things.
"There are still many soul beasts in the mountains. The soldiers have deliberately avoided their territories and made no attempt to eliminate them. They're clearly using these soul beasts as natural barriers."
"The reconnaissance squads are scattered outward while the combat squads remain in the center to respond. If even one recon team sends out a signal, at least two combat teams will quickly arrive to engage the enemy. Once the enemy is entangled, reinforcements will pour in endlessly. The arrangement is quite clever."
"But regardless of whether it's the recon teams or the combat teams, none of them are capable of detecting Senior Sister."
The gap in strength was just too vast.
Huo Yuhao turned into black mist and quietly followed behind Zhang Lexuan.
While crossing the Mingdou Mountains, Huo Yuhao looked back in the direction of the Star Luo front-line camp—where his second brother was stationed.
He only glanced from afar, confirming that his second brother had made significant progress and was nearing the rank of Soul Emperor. The battlefield was indeed a place of tempering.
Unfortunately, he hadn't quite reached Soul Emperor yet.
"Hopefully next time we meet, Second Brother, you'll have stepped up your game."
Otherwise, as your younger brother, I really won't have any appetite for 'eating' you.
And then... your mother might have to repay that debt in your place~
———
Zhang Lexuan successfully passed through the Star Luo-controlled region—roughly one-third of her journey—and reached the Mingdou Forest.
Most of the Mingdou Forest lay within the Sun Moon Empire.
Once she exited the forest, the rest of the path would be relatively easy, and she'd formally enter Sun Moon territory.
There were no Star Luo patrols here, nor did she spot any from the Sun Moon side, allowing Zhang Lexuan to move more boldly. Without needing to hide her presence as carefully, her speed increased significantly.
Of course, she wasn't reckless either, avoiding actions that might provoke soul beast attacks.
But as she continued forward—she was ambushed.
Four soul masters with concealed faces suddenly leapt out from the forest, surrounding her and forcing her to stop. Fortunately, Zhang Lexuan was always masked under her black robe, so she wasn't worried about them seeing her face.
"Hahaha, another one!"
"Big Bro's call to stake out this spot was totally right!"
"Hey, looks like this one's a little chick. Perfect—let the brothers have some fun! Been holding it in for way too long! Ahem, of course, let Big Bro go first!"
Hearing their vulgarities, Zhang Lexuan narrowed her eyes. Her gaze turned cold.
She could tell—these men were professional robbers, targeting people like her who were trying to cross the border illegally. Judging by their confidence and crude jokes, they'd clearly scored several successful ambushes before.
After all, those daring to take this route usually had some strength. If they could rob such individuals successfully, the spoils would be considerable.
The three loudmouths were all Soul Emperors. Their real confidence, however, came from the leader who had remained silent this whole time—his aura calm and steady.
He was clearly a Soul Sage-level expert!
Why wasn't the leader speaking? Was it because he was the quiet type?
Of course not.
Nor was he playing it cool.
It was because—he had started to sweat.
When he'd seen someone approaching, confident in his power, the bandit leader had eagerly launched an ambush. The spoils had been too good lately, making him greedy and overconfident.
But once they jumped out, and he tried to assess Zhang Lexuan's strength—he couldn't see through her at all.
Uh-oh. The order of operations was all wrong. Now he was in trouble.
A high-level soul master or one with sharp spiritual power can usually detect the strength of someone weaker than them. If they can't sense anything, it either means the person is hiding their aura—or their strength exceeds yours.
No way she was an ordinary person.
The bandit leader wanted to believe she was hiding her strength.
Then—eight soul rings floated up from Zhang Lexuan's body. One of them was a terrifying 100,000-year soul ring.
With that, all his hopes were dashed.
The three junior bandits were already so terrified they didn't know what to say. They dropped to their knees on the spot.
The bandit leader followed suit, kneeling instantly, kowtowing in surrender.
"C-Can we settle this peacefully?"
"Banditry. Slaughtering the innocent. You've already walked the path to death," Zhang Lexuan said coldly, raising her hand and striking with her palm.
Don't assume Zhang Lexuan was some delicate flower who had never seen blood. Her status as Senior Sister in the Inner Court wasn't earned on talent and strength alone. She had completed countless missions for the Discipline Committee, and the number of evildoers she'd slain wasn't small.
Not that she was seeking justice for the people these bandits had killed—anyone trying to cross from the Star Luo Empire into the Sun Moon Empire illegally at this point was unlikely to be a decent citizen. Most were traitors.
Traitors deserved death.
She simply wanted to clean up some scum.
But to her surprise, just as she struck, the bandit leader who had been begging on his knees suddenly activated his martial soul and unleashed his seventh soul skill, entering Martial Soul Avatar form, seemingly desperate for a last-ditch attack.
But if one looked closely, his expression was already frozen. His eyes had gone lifeless.
He had clearly fallen under some sort of control.
He opened his mouth in stiff tones.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Direwolf True Body!"
Zhang Lexuan frowned slightly. She hadn't expected the bandit leader to act so decisively. With no other choice, she summoned her martial soul and engaged him in combat.